We're currently in Australia during Japan's Golden Week, taking the opportunity to visit family and friends before Rob begins his new job. So far, been absolutely busy meeting up with lots of people, and eating lots of food that we missed in Japan (mainly goooood Chinese/Malaysian/Singaporean food - yay for dimsum and laksa and noodles. And my mum's curry which is cooking right now!)
So, there is a reason for the absence of updates in this journal! The beautiful fragrance of the curry is making me hungry.. dinner time!
Monday 30 April 2007
Monday 23 April 2007
Celebration and fun
Rob was offered a job a few weeks ago by a company based in New York full of smart programmers and he is very excited to finally work with competent computer people. This is a bit old news for us, but new to many of you (if you were paying attention, I have sorta alluded to this news in my last few entries). Rob's in the process of obtaining a work visa, and may begin this new job as early as mid-May. He will be working in the company's Tokyo office which would mean that I cannot continue a second year on JET like we originally planned. But no matter - Tokyo would be fun, I'm sure :) We will be spending a few months apart before I can join him in Tokyo, or New York if he begins his 3-month stint in NY before I finish my contract up in August.
Sushi lunch
My parents were still with us in the Noto when Rob was given this job offer (Rob's mum had returned for Australia the day before), so we went out for lunch to celebrate. We were unsure which places were still running because of the earthquake, so we just drove to Ushitsu (the town where I teach) and looked around. Many places were shut, but a small sushi place called Beniya was operating, which was great because my parents could finally have a sushi 'counter' experience where they can observe the chef deftly preparing each sushi.
Not much English is spoken, and the menu were in Japanese, but between our knowledge of hiragana and katakana and my dad's knowledge of the Chinese characters, we managed to decipher the menu and the costs. The chef and his wife were very friendly and personable, and it was cute when the chef took out his dictionary to try and converse with us. I think that personal services like this are perhaps the best kind of service one can offer their customers, which is only possible in small establishments. These are the places that are most memorable to us.
Sazae (snail) was amongst the weird and wonderful new things my parents tried today. I don't think they enjoyed sazae much, but kudos to them for being adventurous enough to give it a go.
We went with the set sushi courses because it would save us the hassle of ordering multiple times to try the different sushi available. We ordered one each of the 1700 yen (~AU$17) and the 3800 yen (~AU38) courses, and two of the 2200 yen (~AU$22) course. The seafood was really fresh and tasty, and we were so full afterwards. (The Japanese names of each sushi are given in the photo descriptions, and to save me from repeating myself, I will only give the English translation once.)
The simplest set for 1700 yen (AU$17) (clockwise from top left): maguro (tuna), ika (squid), ama ebi (sweet prawn), hamachi (young yellowtail), unagi (eel - the only cooked item), engawa (halibut fin muscle), tako (octopus):
For 500 yen extra: (clockwise from top left) maguro, ika, ama ebi, hamachi, sazae (snail), kani (crab), tako and baigai (a type of shellfish):
The largest set course for 3800 yen: (starting from top left in a zigzag manner) maguro, buri-toro (belly of the adult yellowtail), chuu-toro (side belly of the tuna; this cut is between the grades of normal maguro and the pricey toro in terms of colour and price), sazae, kazu no ko (herring roe - kinda crunchy), ama ebi, unagi, ikura (salmon roe), uni (sea urchin 'roe' - it's actually their gonads):
Mawaki Ruins Park
We had a few hours to kill after lunch, so I drove us 15 minutes north around the coast to show my parents the other school in Ogi town that I taught at. The Mawaki Ruins was nearby, and who would have thought that there was a couple hours of fun waiting for us there? The ruins contains artefacts from the Joumon period, an ancient civilisation who created the earliest known ceramics. The Mawaki Ruins park also contains an onsen (hot spring bath) as well as a huge playground.
The ancient artefacts, and the carvings on the logs:
Under a tunnel - looked like we were in something's belly:
Fun in the playground (as my mum would say, my dad's in his second childhood):
There was this long slide that I just had to go on. My dad saw how much fun I had on it, and he jumped on:
That night
Rob taught my parents how to play the Cheat/Bullsh*t cardgame after watching a movie that briefly featured this game. They really enjoyed the game and requested it many times during the remaining few days they were with us.
It was a good day, and all the best to Rob as he sets out on this new venture.
Sushi lunch
My parents were still with us in the Noto when Rob was given this job offer (Rob's mum had returned for Australia the day before), so we went out for lunch to celebrate. We were unsure which places were still running because of the earthquake, so we just drove to Ushitsu (the town where I teach) and looked around. Many places were shut, but a small sushi place called Beniya was operating, which was great because my parents could finally have a sushi 'counter' experience where they can observe the chef deftly preparing each sushi.
Not much English is spoken, and the menu were in Japanese, but between our knowledge of hiragana and katakana and my dad's knowledge of the Chinese characters, we managed to decipher the menu and the costs. The chef and his wife were very friendly and personable, and it was cute when the chef took out his dictionary to try and converse with us. I think that personal services like this are perhaps the best kind of service one can offer their customers, which is only possible in small establishments. These are the places that are most memorable to us.
Sazae (snail) was amongst the weird and wonderful new things my parents tried today. I don't think they enjoyed sazae much, but kudos to them for being adventurous enough to give it a go.
We went with the set sushi courses because it would save us the hassle of ordering multiple times to try the different sushi available. We ordered one each of the 1700 yen (~AU$17) and the 3800 yen (~AU38) courses, and two of the 2200 yen (~AU$22) course. The seafood was really fresh and tasty, and we were so full afterwards. (The Japanese names of each sushi are given in the photo descriptions, and to save me from repeating myself, I will only give the English translation once.)
The simplest set for 1700 yen (AU$17) (clockwise from top left): maguro (tuna), ika (squid), ama ebi (sweet prawn), hamachi (young yellowtail), unagi (eel - the only cooked item), engawa (halibut fin muscle), tako (octopus):
For 500 yen extra: (clockwise from top left) maguro, ika, ama ebi, hamachi, sazae (snail), kani (crab), tako and baigai (a type of shellfish):
The largest set course for 3800 yen: (starting from top left in a zigzag manner) maguro, buri-toro (belly of the adult yellowtail), chuu-toro (side belly of the tuna; this cut is between the grades of normal maguro and the pricey toro in terms of colour and price), sazae, kazu no ko (herring roe - kinda crunchy), ama ebi, unagi, ikura (salmon roe), uni (sea urchin 'roe' - it's actually their gonads):
Mawaki Ruins Park
We had a few hours to kill after lunch, so I drove us 15 minutes north around the coast to show my parents the other school in Ogi town that I taught at. The Mawaki Ruins was nearby, and who would have thought that there was a couple hours of fun waiting for us there? The ruins contains artefacts from the Joumon period, an ancient civilisation who created the earliest known ceramics. The Mawaki Ruins park also contains an onsen (hot spring bath) as well as a huge playground.
The ancient artefacts, and the carvings on the logs:
Under a tunnel - looked like we were in something's belly:
Fun in the playground (as my mum would say, my dad's in his second childhood):
There was this long slide that I just had to go on. My dad saw how much fun I had on it, and he jumped on:
That night
Rob taught my parents how to play the Cheat/Bullsh*t cardgame after watching a movie that briefly featured this game. They really enjoyed the game and requested it many times during the remaining few days they were with us.
It was a good day, and all the best to Rob as he sets out on this new venture.
Friday 20 April 2007
Mini-kaiseki at Fukutei, Himeji
We rolled into Himeji around lunch time, so before going to the castle for a visit, we stopped by for lunch at a Japanese restaurant called Fukutei. As mentioned previously, we wanted to eat at this place the first time we came to Himeji but did not have the time to. This is a kaiseki restaurant, and during lunch time there are 'mini' courses to choose from which are more affordable than the full-on deal. The cheapest of these mini-kaiseki courses cost 1500 yen (~AU$15), of which (as I understood from the menu) the restaurant serves only 30 for each day. It would seem that we have a knack for choosing popular places to eat during meal time. When we arrived, we were told that there were only 3 orders left for that particular meal, so we ordered three of the 1500 yen course, and two of the 1800 yen course. There were four or five other more pricey courses on the menu, but we didn't want anything more extravagant for lunch.
The 1500 yen lunch course, which included sashimi, tempura, tsukemono (pickled vegs) and some sweet-salty anchovy-like fish. The star of the dish was obviously the beef prepared nabemono (hotpot) style but in presented in paper that was water-proof and fire-proof which my dad thought was impressive:
The 1800 yen course, included the same side dishes as the 1500 yen course as well as chawan mushi (steamed egg), somen noodles and fish chirashi (scattered rice):
The sashimi was fresh, the tempura was done quite well and wasn't greasy (I liked the pumpkin tempura) and the chawan mushi was tasty. The beef 'hotpot' was also quite nice. The fish scattered on top of the chirashi was marinated in a sweet-salty sauce of some kind and was very pleasant on the palate. It was a pretty nice experience, and even Rob's mum, the non-fish eater, came away quite satisfied.
The 1500 yen lunch course, which included sashimi, tempura, tsukemono (pickled vegs) and some sweet-salty anchovy-like fish. The star of the dish was obviously the beef prepared nabemono (hotpot) style but in presented in paper that was water-proof and fire-proof which my dad thought was impressive:
The 1800 yen course, included the same side dishes as the 1500 yen course as well as chawan mushi (steamed egg), somen noodles and fish chirashi (scattered rice):
The sashimi was fresh, the tempura was done quite well and wasn't greasy (I liked the pumpkin tempura) and the chawan mushi was tasty. The beef 'hotpot' was also quite nice. The fish scattered on top of the chirashi was marinated in a sweet-salty sauce of some kind and was very pleasant on the palate. It was a pretty nice experience, and even Rob's mum, the non-fish eater, came away quite satisfied.
Noodles at Hinode Udon, Nanzenji
My parents and Rob's mum were in Tokyo for a couple of days before coming to the Noto to visit us. On their last night in Tokyo, they visited a noodle place (one of those 'standing' ones that Japanese businessmen go to for a quick meal, slurp down the noodles whilst standing, and then go about their business. They found it a good experience - it was the first time my dad tried udon (and he loved it), and my mum and Rob's mum were so tickled at being the only females in the place.
Anyway, after our visit to Nanzenji (one of the temples in Kyoto), we realised that it was already almost 3pm and had not had lunch yet. So I flipped open the pages of the Japan Lonely Planet Guide for recommendations in the area, and saw that Hinode does good udon. This place is quite gaijin-friendly - there's an English menu and the owner has a good grasp of English.
There are various ways to have your noodles at Hinode: kare (Japanese curry) or broth; chicken, beef or seafood; in nabe (claypot) or bowl. There are three types of noodles to choose from: udon, soba, and ramen. They even provide disposable bibs for you to wear because they understand that it's a messy job to eat udon in a thick sauce like kare:
My dad, Rob and his mum ordered kare udon with their choice of meat. I had nishin soba - soba noodles in broth with herring that has been specially dried and prepared. My mum ordered nabe ramen with pork (claypot noodles). The Japanese curry, which is not really a curry in my definition, was quite tasty - the thick sauce complemented the thick noodles quite well. My nishin soba was also quite nice, although the broth was a bit too salty. I liked the herring which was very umami in a salty-sweet manner. Everything was pretty good and did very well to fill our empty stomachs up. Best of all, it was quite affordable with each of our dishes cost around 700 to 800 yen (AU$7-$8)
Kare Udon (with beef); Nishin Soba:
Anyway, after our visit to Nanzenji (one of the temples in Kyoto), we realised that it was already almost 3pm and had not had lunch yet. So I flipped open the pages of the Japan Lonely Planet Guide for recommendations in the area, and saw that Hinode does good udon. This place is quite gaijin-friendly - there's an English menu and the owner has a good grasp of English.
There are various ways to have your noodles at Hinode: kare (Japanese curry) or broth; chicken, beef or seafood; in nabe (claypot) or bowl. There are three types of noodles to choose from: udon, soba, and ramen. They even provide disposable bibs for you to wear because they understand that it's a messy job to eat udon in a thick sauce like kare:
My dad, Rob and his mum ordered kare udon with their choice of meat. I had nishin soba - soba noodles in broth with herring that has been specially dried and prepared. My mum ordered nabe ramen with pork (claypot noodles). The Japanese curry, which is not really a curry in my definition, was quite tasty - the thick sauce complemented the thick noodles quite well. My nishin soba was also quite nice, although the broth was a bit too salty. I liked the herring which was very umami in a salty-sweet manner. Everything was pretty good and did very well to fill our empty stomachs up. Best of all, it was quite affordable with each of our dishes cost around 700 to 800 yen (AU$7-$8)
Kare Udon (with beef); Nishin Soba:
Wednesday 18 April 2007
Kobe Beef @ Wakkoqu, Kobe
Surely most of you would have heard of Kobe beef? Meat from the Wagyu cow breed is world-famous, highly sought after and considered high-grade (hence very expensive) for the fact that it is intensely marbled with fat, lending a rich taste and smooth texture. I'm not a big red meat person, but I once tasted a small piece of a wagyu beef steak at one of my school's enkai (party) and it was done so beautifully that I raved about it to Rob - something that I never do for red meat.
Anyway, we thought that since there were many opportunities for my parents (seafood-lovers) to enjoy seafood during their stay here, we ought to be considerate of Rob's mum who is very much a red meat-lover (and fish-hater). So we thought, why not try Kobe beef since we were going to visit Kobe? Wakkoqu (Shin-Kobe branch) is a posh place that came recommended by the writers of the Japan Lonely Planet Guide. It was also conveniently located nearby the Nunobiki Herb Hill Garden that we wanted to bring our parents to. And they served a very affordable Kobe beef lunch set meal (more so than their dinners). So upon arrival in Kobe, after stopping by the Tourists' Info Centre in Sannomiya and dropping off our baggages in a coin locker, we trekked off to Wakkoqu. We arrived around 13:00 on that Tuesday, and were told that without prior reservations, we'd have to wait for about 1 hour. A well-patroned diner is usually a good sign that it's a good place to eat, and our parents were pretty eager to try Kobe beef so we hung around the area for that hour.
The interior of the restaurant is very posh indeed. There were teppans (iron hot plate) set up inside the restaurant similar to a teppanyaki restaurant, which I can verify remains something that is popular only in the western world as we have yet to encounter a teppanyaki restaurant in Japan. Funny thing is that the appearance of this restaurant is quite foreign and western, and is located in an area of Kobe (which is itself a cosmopolitan city full of foreigners) near the residential area for foreigners. It's always interesting to watch your food being prepared and cooked, but it was not as entertaining as it was at our visit to a teppanyaki restaurant in Perth, where you no doubt pay for a show.
Anyway, I was saying that this was a posh-looking place, with service (and prices) to match. Although it was only a meal for lunch, I felt we were a bit under-dressed. We were seated around a large teppan with large plates for each of us arranged within reach of both the chef and us. There was the normal menu to choose from, with mains ranging in price from 7500 yen to 13,700 yen (~AU$75 to AU$137), and choices including sirloin, tenderloin and 'special selected Kobe beef'. There was also a lunch menu with a choice of three types of set courses. The cheapest was 2500 yen which included 130g of the famed beef, some vegetables and the standard miso, rice, tsukemono (pickled vegs) set. The more expensive lunch sets included additional courses like soup, dessert and coffee. Most of us went for the 2500 yen course, my mum went for one of the more expensive ones so that she could have the coffee at the end (she is a real coffee addict and has been since young).
Enough talking - I'll let the following pictorial do all the talking.
While teaching his mum how to use chopsticks, Rob decided to show off his skill of using two pairs at once. The chef began by frying up some sliced garlic which took a good 5 or 10 minutes. He then placed the crisp garlic slices on one part of our plate along with a pile of salt, pepper and mustard sauce.:
The raw wagyu beef steak. Chef started preparing the steak, and our eyes were fixated on his show of knife + spatula handling skills. He then cut the meat into smaller pieces and separated them into two or three piles, which I guess are the different parts of the meat
The ingredients are finally being cooked!
More raw vegetables in preparation for frying; and the salad served to us at some point during the meal:
My plate soon after the chef started placing food on it; and the rice/miso/tsukemono set which was served towards the end of the meal:
The chef finished up his job by frying some vegetables with the beef fat, and dished them out to our plates:
Verdict? Well, the wagyu beef tasted like... beef. Perhaps more tender and more moist than the usual ones I've had, but I think maybe the experience was a bit lost on me since I'm not really a red meat steak person. I'm sure there are many steak-lovers who would appreciate an experience like this a lot more than I did. Overall, it was a good experience - my parents enjoyed themselves, and Rob's mum said that the beef was good.
My main gripe about this place is that the price listed on the menu does NOT include tax. So when you pay, the cost is 5% more than what you thought it would be. And like most expensive establishments, they don't inform you about the additional 5% surcharge for using credit cards. I guess they figure that if you can afford to dine at a place like this, you can afford to just throw away just that little bit more money.
Anyway, we thought that since there were many opportunities for my parents (seafood-lovers) to enjoy seafood during their stay here, we ought to be considerate of Rob's mum who is very much a red meat-lover (and fish-hater). So we thought, why not try Kobe beef since we were going to visit Kobe? Wakkoqu (Shin-Kobe branch) is a posh place that came recommended by the writers of the Japan Lonely Planet Guide. It was also conveniently located nearby the Nunobiki Herb Hill Garden that we wanted to bring our parents to. And they served a very affordable Kobe beef lunch set meal (more so than their dinners). So upon arrival in Kobe, after stopping by the Tourists' Info Centre in Sannomiya and dropping off our baggages in a coin locker, we trekked off to Wakkoqu. We arrived around 13:00 on that Tuesday, and were told that without prior reservations, we'd have to wait for about 1 hour. A well-patroned diner is usually a good sign that it's a good place to eat, and our parents were pretty eager to try Kobe beef so we hung around the area for that hour.
The interior of the restaurant is very posh indeed. There were teppans (iron hot plate) set up inside the restaurant similar to a teppanyaki restaurant, which I can verify remains something that is popular only in the western world as we have yet to encounter a teppanyaki restaurant in Japan. Funny thing is that the appearance of this restaurant is quite foreign and western, and is located in an area of Kobe (which is itself a cosmopolitan city full of foreigners) near the residential area for foreigners. It's always interesting to watch your food being prepared and cooked, but it was not as entertaining as it was at our visit to a teppanyaki restaurant in Perth, where you no doubt pay for a show.
Anyway, I was saying that this was a posh-looking place, with service (and prices) to match. Although it was only a meal for lunch, I felt we were a bit under-dressed. We were seated around a large teppan with large plates for each of us arranged within reach of both the chef and us. There was the normal menu to choose from, with mains ranging in price from 7500 yen to 13,700 yen (~AU$75 to AU$137), and choices including sirloin, tenderloin and 'special selected Kobe beef'. There was also a lunch menu with a choice of three types of set courses. The cheapest was 2500 yen which included 130g of the famed beef, some vegetables and the standard miso, rice, tsukemono (pickled vegs) set. The more expensive lunch sets included additional courses like soup, dessert and coffee. Most of us went for the 2500 yen course, my mum went for one of the more expensive ones so that she could have the coffee at the end (she is a real coffee addict and has been since young).
Enough talking - I'll let the following pictorial do all the talking.
While teaching his mum how to use chopsticks, Rob decided to show off his skill of using two pairs at once. The chef began by frying up some sliced garlic which took a good 5 or 10 minutes. He then placed the crisp garlic slices on one part of our plate along with a pile of salt, pepper and mustard sauce.:
The raw wagyu beef steak. Chef started preparing the steak, and our eyes were fixated on his show of knife + spatula handling skills. He then cut the meat into smaller pieces and separated them into two or three piles, which I guess are the different parts of the meat
The ingredients are finally being cooked!
More raw vegetables in preparation for frying; and the salad served to us at some point during the meal:
My plate soon after the chef started placing food on it; and the rice/miso/tsukemono set which was served towards the end of the meal:
The chef finished up his job by frying some vegetables with the beef fat, and dished them out to our plates:
Verdict? Well, the wagyu beef tasted like... beef. Perhaps more tender and more moist than the usual ones I've had, but I think maybe the experience was a bit lost on me since I'm not really a red meat steak person. I'm sure there are many steak-lovers who would appreciate an experience like this a lot more than I did. Overall, it was a good experience - my parents enjoyed themselves, and Rob's mum said that the beef was good.
My main gripe about this place is that the price listed on the menu does NOT include tax. So when you pay, the cost is 5% more than what you thought it would be. And like most expensive establishments, they don't inform you about the additional 5% surcharge for using credit cards. I guess they figure that if you can afford to dine at a place like this, you can afford to just throw away just that little bit more money.
Monday 16 April 2007
Flowers of spring
Today we had nice weather and the sakura (cherry) trees are (finally) in full bloom up in the Noto so we took a bike ride to a nearby village called Mizuho to a gelato ice cream shop that sells great gelato. I grabbed my camera along because this is our first and last spring in the Noto and I wanted to capture how things look like in spring. Perhaps you can get an idea of the area we live in by the following photos. (By the way, one of my JTEs (Japanese Teachers of English) told me that the Japanese are probably not so excited about the flowers themselves as they are about the binge-drinking that comes with hanami (flower viewing) parties.)
The view from our kitchen door - a tree full of some kind of white flowers (not sakura).
[First photo] I'm standing, camera in hand, on the road just outside our apartment complex's parking lot. Directly opposite the parking lot, there is a footpath lined with sakura trees in full bloom. [Second photo] To my left, the road leads onto the intersection of the 249 Route and the road that goes into the main part of our small inaka town - Rob was cycling in circles while waiting for me to finish up with the camera. [Third photo] To my right is the Ukawa Eki (train station), closed and unused since 2005 - there were some brilliant daffodils growing just outside the eki. Many more daffodils are growing alongside the train tracks opposite the entrance to our complex.
[First photo] This is the road leading to Mizuho, where that gelato shop is located. We'd just emerged from the tunnel that Alex calls the "tunnel of hope" - so-named because this tunnel indicates that home is nearby (usually en route home at night after a long journey from the south), and is visible for quite a distance away at night when it is lit up. Gorgeous scenery as we are led southwards (opposite direction to my school where we enjoy the coastal scene) away from the coast towards the mountains. [Second photo] Enjoying the yummy gelato (flavour: Italian Chocolate) at the gelato ice-creamery in Mizuho located about 6km south from our apartment on the 249.
[First photo] I'm standing on the bridge leading towards town. Sakura trees in bloom lining the river adjacent to our town (about 5 mins walk/30sec bike ride from home). [Second photo] Main part of Ukawa town is the left turn after the bridge
Well, those are all the photos I took. Hope you enjoyed the glimpse of a small and quiet inaka town in Japan during springtime.
The view from our kitchen door - a tree full of some kind of white flowers (not sakura).
[First photo] I'm standing, camera in hand, on the road just outside our apartment complex's parking lot. Directly opposite the parking lot, there is a footpath lined with sakura trees in full bloom. [Second photo] To my left, the road leads onto the intersection of the 249 Route and the road that goes into the main part of our small inaka town - Rob was cycling in circles while waiting for me to finish up with the camera. [Third photo] To my right is the Ukawa Eki (train station), closed and unused since 2005 - there were some brilliant daffodils growing just outside the eki. Many more daffodils are growing alongside the train tracks opposite the entrance to our complex.
[First photo] This is the road leading to Mizuho, where that gelato shop is located. We'd just emerged from the tunnel that Alex calls the "tunnel of hope" - so-named because this tunnel indicates that home is nearby (usually en route home at night after a long journey from the south), and is visible for quite a distance away at night when it is lit up. Gorgeous scenery as we are led southwards (opposite direction to my school where we enjoy the coastal scene) away from the coast towards the mountains. [Second photo] Enjoying the yummy gelato (flavour: Italian Chocolate) at the gelato ice-creamery in Mizuho located about 6km south from our apartment on the 249.
[First photo] I'm standing on the bridge leading towards town. Sakura trees in bloom lining the river adjacent to our town (about 5 mins walk/30sec bike ride from home). [Second photo] Main part of Ukawa town is the left turn after the bridge
Well, those are all the photos I took. Hope you enjoyed the glimpse of a small and quiet inaka town in Japan during springtime.
Sunday 15 April 2007
German chocolate [Elysia 70% Cacao]
Hm, my chocolate tag is looking a bit empty, isn't it? We've been trying different dark chocolates and I would really like to post chocolate reviews regularly, but alas, work and life does take up a lot of time.
Today I shall review a German chocolate that I bought at an international food store in Kanazawa. I picked this up because I've never tried a German chocolate before, and the packaging claims that it is the best chocolate that Germany offers. Elysia Schokolade Noir 70% Cocoa hits the right balance of bitter and sweet and the texture is not too creamy, almost gritty even. I think its main weakness would be the prevalent taste of vanilla ('real vanilla flavour' is listed as one of the ingredients), although I'm sure there would be others who would say that this is a positive feature.
At around 200 yen (~AU$2) for a 100g block, it's quite a nice chocolate. However, we probably wouldn't buy it again as we have other high cacao chocolates we prefer over this one that cost around the same price and are more accessible to us in inaka (countryside). It was worth a try though :)
Today I shall review a German chocolate that I bought at an international food store in Kanazawa. I picked this up because I've never tried a German chocolate before, and the packaging claims that it is the best chocolate that Germany offers. Elysia Schokolade Noir 70% Cocoa hits the right balance of bitter and sweet and the texture is not too creamy, almost gritty even. I think its main weakness would be the prevalent taste of vanilla ('real vanilla flavour' is listed as one of the ingredients), although I'm sure there would be others who would say that this is a positive feature.
At around 200 yen (~AU$2) for a 100g block, it's quite a nice chocolate. However, we probably wouldn't buy it again as we have other high cacao chocolates we prefer over this one that cost around the same price and are more accessible to us in inaka (countryside). It was worth a try though :)
Friday 13 April 2007
Parents' trip to Japan - Kobe, Himeji, Kyoto
Kobe
The next day, after wandering around in the Nanba area of the Minami (south) district of Osaka city (the younger/hipper part) and letting our parents sample takoyaki (octopus balls), we hopped on the train and headed towards Kobe. For lunch, we tried Kobe beef for the first time (review to come later), and then we sent our parents up to Nunobiki Habukoen (Herb Garden) up in the mountain. We didn't accompany them since we'd already been before, plus I had to rush to complete my Japanese test and post it off on that day. While we waited for them, we sat ourselves in a cafe and Rob ordered hot chocolate, which came out in a huge mug-bowl. Looking around us in the cafe, everything was served in huge glass bowls and mug-bowls. We paid only 500 yen for that huge serve of hot chocolate, which I thought was a pretty good price!
The mug-bowl of hot chocolate complete with whipped cream and a Pocky stick:
Himeji
It was late evening by the time we checked into the hotel, and parents were feeling a bit exhausted (and it's only Day 2!) so we had a relatively early night. Day 3 brings us to Himeji, home to the Himeji Castle, touted as the castle to see in Japan. We arrived at Himeji at lunch time, and we had lunch at a restaurant that served wonderful kaiseki meals. This was a place we wanted to try the last time we were here, but time did not allow us to. Review for this place will follow soon.
At the castle, the sakura (cherry blossoms) were beginning to bloom, and gave great photo opportunities for my parents and Rob's mum (one of the main reasons for their visit to Japan). The flowers were beautiful, but I can't say I quite understand the hype surrounding these short-lived blossoms during the Hanami season. I kid you not when I say that this is probably the number 1 national event as the Japanese people closely observe (almost obsessively) the Sakura Forecast and cities make plans for festivals and events around the forecast. It's said that the most important task of the year for the Japan Meteorology Agency is their forecast of when the sakura will bloom. Hm..
Close-up of the blooms
Kobe Harbour and Chinatown
We really wanted to show our parents the Earthquake Memorial Park in Kobe Harbour, especially since it would be significant to them after their experience with an earthquake. After the visit to Himeji Castle, we did our best to get back to Kobe before it got dark. After checking out the Harbour and the Memorial Park, we took a brief look at Nankinmachi (Kobe's Chinatown district), and had dinner at a noodle place. It was pretty late by the time we arrived in Kyoto to check into our accommodation.
Kobe Harbour at dusk: the tower and the rooftop of the Maritime Museum:
Kyoto
Having stayed in Kyoto for a few days last November, we had a good idea of locations worth showing to our parents. Since our parents do not have our stamina for walking and biking, we bought all-day bus tickets and took the bus to our destinations. I conclude that taking the bus is not the best way to see Kyoto - it takes too long (yes, longer than on the bike) and you miss out on many of the beautiful sights that are not situated near the main roads. We went to Kinkakuji (Golden Temple) and Nanzenji, and the gardens were full of spring flowers in bloom.
This photo was snapped somewhere in Kinkakuji:
By now our parents were feeling a bit 'templed-out' so we headed back into town and wandered through Nishikikoji Markets. As the sun was setting, we set out to Gion for some geisha/maiko-spotting. Although it was a weeknight, the street was full of tourists with the same intention. At first I thought the crowd was waiting for some procession to go down the street, but no - everyone was waiting, camera-ready, to flash their cameras at any unfortunate geisha or maiko who happened to use the street to go to their appointments. I didn't take any photos because I felt sorry for them - besides, I already had a photo of one from our last visit to this area.
Our homeward-bound train was in the early afternoon the next day, and we had a relaxing morning strolling along the river nearby our accommodation. The eki (train station) itself was worth spending an hour or so at, and then it was home time. After five days of travelling (double for Rob who came straight from his New York trip), it was good to finally return home. We were exhausted, but in a happy way - which is a good sign of a good trip.
Sakura trees in bloom along the river:
The next day, after wandering around in the Nanba area of the Minami (south) district of Osaka city (the younger/hipper part) and letting our parents sample takoyaki (octopus balls), we hopped on the train and headed towards Kobe. For lunch, we tried Kobe beef for the first time (review to come later), and then we sent our parents up to Nunobiki Habukoen (Herb Garden) up in the mountain. We didn't accompany them since we'd already been before, plus I had to rush to complete my Japanese test and post it off on that day. While we waited for them, we sat ourselves in a cafe and Rob ordered hot chocolate, which came out in a huge mug-bowl. Looking around us in the cafe, everything was served in huge glass bowls and mug-bowls. We paid only 500 yen for that huge serve of hot chocolate, which I thought was a pretty good price!
The mug-bowl of hot chocolate complete with whipped cream and a Pocky stick:
Himeji
It was late evening by the time we checked into the hotel, and parents were feeling a bit exhausted (and it's only Day 2!) so we had a relatively early night. Day 3 brings us to Himeji, home to the Himeji Castle, touted as the castle to see in Japan. We arrived at Himeji at lunch time, and we had lunch at a restaurant that served wonderful kaiseki meals. This was a place we wanted to try the last time we were here, but time did not allow us to. Review for this place will follow soon.
At the castle, the sakura (cherry blossoms) were beginning to bloom, and gave great photo opportunities for my parents and Rob's mum (one of the main reasons for their visit to Japan). The flowers were beautiful, but I can't say I quite understand the hype surrounding these short-lived blossoms during the Hanami season. I kid you not when I say that this is probably the number 1 national event as the Japanese people closely observe (almost obsessively) the Sakura Forecast and cities make plans for festivals and events around the forecast. It's said that the most important task of the year for the Japan Meteorology Agency is their forecast of when the sakura will bloom. Hm..
Close-up of the blooms
Kobe Harbour and Chinatown
We really wanted to show our parents the Earthquake Memorial Park in Kobe Harbour, especially since it would be significant to them after their experience with an earthquake. After the visit to Himeji Castle, we did our best to get back to Kobe before it got dark. After checking out the Harbour and the Memorial Park, we took a brief look at Nankinmachi (Kobe's Chinatown district), and had dinner at a noodle place. It was pretty late by the time we arrived in Kyoto to check into our accommodation.
Kobe Harbour at dusk: the tower and the rooftop of the Maritime Museum:
Kyoto
Having stayed in Kyoto for a few days last November, we had a good idea of locations worth showing to our parents. Since our parents do not have our stamina for walking and biking, we bought all-day bus tickets and took the bus to our destinations. I conclude that taking the bus is not the best way to see Kyoto - it takes too long (yes, longer than on the bike) and you miss out on many of the beautiful sights that are not situated near the main roads. We went to Kinkakuji (Golden Temple) and Nanzenji, and the gardens were full of spring flowers in bloom.
This photo was snapped somewhere in Kinkakuji:
By now our parents were feeling a bit 'templed-out' so we headed back into town and wandered through Nishikikoji Markets. As the sun was setting, we set out to Gion for some geisha/maiko-spotting. Although it was a weeknight, the street was full of tourists with the same intention. At first I thought the crowd was waiting for some procession to go down the street, but no - everyone was waiting, camera-ready, to flash their cameras at any unfortunate geisha or maiko who happened to use the street to go to their appointments. I didn't take any photos because I felt sorry for them - besides, I already had a photo of one from our last visit to this area.
Our homeward-bound train was in the early afternoon the next day, and we had a relaxing morning strolling along the river nearby our accommodation. The eki (train station) itself was worth spending an hour or so at, and then it was home time. After five days of travelling (double for Rob who came straight from his New York trip), it was good to finally return home. We were exhausted, but in a happy way - which is a good sign of a good trip.
Sakura trees in bloom along the river:
Thursday 12 April 2007
Parents' trip to Japan - Part 1 (Osaka)
Thought I'd give you some idea of the stuff we got up to when our folks came to visit us. Rob had to make an impromptu trip to New York on the day our parents were to arrive in the Noto, so I had to take a couple of days off work. It was a good thing that we manage to schedule the flights so that Rob could spend at least half an hour at the airport with my parents and his mum after their arrival and before his departure.
Brief reunion at the airport before Rob's departure:
Around the Noto and Kanazawa
I planned for us to meet up with Rob in Osaka the following week, but for the moment I had to entertain our parents for a few days. I brought them to most of the places around the Noto and in Kanazawa that we brought Rob's aunt Chris to during her visit. Since time wasn't so much of a constraint in the itinerary like it was for Chris, we got to do more things like going to the Asaichi (morning market) in Wajima as well as show them around the local areas that we live in. And who can forget the earthquake that happened the day before taking them to Osaka, and the stress that followed post-earthquake as I was filled with anxiety over whether we could indeed continue with our travel plans.
Osaka
Come Monday arvo, we finally made it to Osaka and met Rob there. This is our fourth time in this city, and thankfully we like this city so much that we would still want to come here again. First stop was lunch at Kiji Honten, that great okonomiyaki place that I raved on about last time. A pretty long lunch queue was in place, and we waited a good 45 minutes before we got a seat in the tiny place. No one really minded the wait as it was opportunity for our folks to catch up with Rob. I had to take short walks during the wait because I was still suffering from motion sickness from having to do my Japanese studies on the train ride (I had to cram for a test that was due in a couple of days' time). Parents loved the food and was quite entertained by the kitchen action.
We spent a bit of time at the Yodobashi Centre (7 floors of electronic stuff) before heading off to the Umeda Sky Building, which they thought was more interesting than Tokyo Tower.
Riding the escalator up to the top of the Umeda Sky Building:
Before we knew it, it was already dinner time so we brought them to the other great place to eat in Osaka: Nawa Zushi Shiten. This place was crowded (like it was last time) when we arrived and we were brought to yet another building owned by the same guys. Due to the size of our group we couldn't get a seat at the counter, and were seated on the tatami table instead. Like it was before, menu was in Japanese and the staff's spoken English were somewhat limited, so some knowledge of at least hiragana and katakana would help when ordering from the menu. Food was fantastically fresh, and my mum in particular was much delighted at the variety of sushi and sashimi available to us. We ordered lots of food!
First photo: we started out with ama ebi (raw sweet prawn), uni (sea urchin roe), kani (crab), and ikura (salmon roe) sushi as well as sake (salmon) and maguro (tuna) sashimi. Second photo: unagi (eel), hotate (scallop) and the notoriously expensive toro (tuna belly) sushi.
Third photo: Rob was not quite full yet so we ordered the more ordinary (and cheaper) sushi like tamago (egg), hamachi (yellowtail), and two others that I've forgotten:
I was stuffed when we left this place. The bill came to around 9800yen, which is not that expensive considering the type of food we ordered. If we lived in Osaka, we'll be coming here quite often.
to be continued
Brief reunion at the airport before Rob's departure:
Around the Noto and Kanazawa
I planned for us to meet up with Rob in Osaka the following week, but for the moment I had to entertain our parents for a few days. I brought them to most of the places around the Noto and in Kanazawa that we brought Rob's aunt Chris to during her visit. Since time wasn't so much of a constraint in the itinerary like it was for Chris, we got to do more things like going to the Asaichi (morning market) in Wajima as well as show them around the local areas that we live in. And who can forget the earthquake that happened the day before taking them to Osaka, and the stress that followed post-earthquake as I was filled with anxiety over whether we could indeed continue with our travel plans.
Osaka
Come Monday arvo, we finally made it to Osaka and met Rob there. This is our fourth time in this city, and thankfully we like this city so much that we would still want to come here again. First stop was lunch at Kiji Honten, that great okonomiyaki place that I raved on about last time. A pretty long lunch queue was in place, and we waited a good 45 minutes before we got a seat in the tiny place. No one really minded the wait as it was opportunity for our folks to catch up with Rob. I had to take short walks during the wait because I was still suffering from motion sickness from having to do my Japanese studies on the train ride (I had to cram for a test that was due in a couple of days' time). Parents loved the food and was quite entertained by the kitchen action.
We spent a bit of time at the Yodobashi Centre (7 floors of electronic stuff) before heading off to the Umeda Sky Building, which they thought was more interesting than Tokyo Tower.
Riding the escalator up to the top of the Umeda Sky Building:
Before we knew it, it was already dinner time so we brought them to the other great place to eat in Osaka: Nawa Zushi Shiten. This place was crowded (like it was last time) when we arrived and we were brought to yet another building owned by the same guys. Due to the size of our group we couldn't get a seat at the counter, and were seated on the tatami table instead. Like it was before, menu was in Japanese and the staff's spoken English were somewhat limited, so some knowledge of at least hiragana and katakana would help when ordering from the menu. Food was fantastically fresh, and my mum in particular was much delighted at the variety of sushi and sashimi available to us. We ordered lots of food!
First photo: we started out with ama ebi (raw sweet prawn), uni (sea urchin roe), kani (crab), and ikura (salmon roe) sushi as well as sake (salmon) and maguro (tuna) sashimi. Second photo: unagi (eel), hotate (scallop) and the notoriously expensive toro (tuna belly) sushi.
Third photo: Rob was not quite full yet so we ordered the more ordinary (and cheaper) sushi like tamago (egg), hamachi (yellowtail), and two others that I've forgotten:
I was stuffed when we left this place. The bill came to around 9800yen, which is not that expensive considering the type of food we ordered. If we lived in Osaka, we'll be coming here quite often.
to be continued
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