fyi

My Google Photo space is reaching its max, I think it said I only have 12% left...

If you’ve been reading this blog for some time you’ll know I'm not willing to put any money into this blog, so I've decided not to link albums to my travel posts from here on out (and will go back to delete other travel albums to free up more space)

Anyway, just thought I'd let you know.

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Sunday, we wanted to check out the basement arcades of Shinjuku that we learned about from a television show.

Godzilla Road

Kabukicho sign

New Kabukicho Tower

Underground area near Lumine. 

The show said these areas were cooler…not!

Lunch was at Curry House 11 Imasa

mini curry for Kat...360 yen (tax included) comes with hard boiled egg & sausage

Katsu curry for Satoshi 740 yen (tax included)

so cheap and delicious...in business for 60 years...we'll be back
 

Stood in line at Oiwake Dango for shaved ice...Uji Matcha Kintoki...1595 yen (tax included)

So good and so much azuki!

Daruma gatcha...500 yen

Daruma from the 47 prefectures of Japan

You aren't allowed to keep the daruma that rolls out, but receive a prize instead...the daruma that rolled out was Hyogo, we received this yuzu cider from Hyogo

We also bought some dango from Oiwake Dango...I tried their shoga (ginger) with nori...savory!

And I've tried the ume myoga in the past, this didn't disappoint.

The humidity and heat have been brutal, hopefully it will start to cool down soon.

Curry House 11 Imasa

Keio Mall B1F

Open daily 7:00-22:00

Cash only

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Satoshi had another tour coming up so he wanted to check out some areas, we started out at Nippori/Yanaka.

I've been wanting to try Nakanoya's tsukudani, so we purchased some.
 

100 grams of maguro (tuna) and 100 grams of asari (clams)..these are seasoned well, a little saltier than I am used to, still very tasty.

Love the packaging.

super huge bag in front of a bag shop in Yanaka.

cute cars near Hebimichi (snake street)

Matsuri items near Nezu Shrine

Tokyo People: matsuri preparations

Lunch was at a yakitori shop, Matsui

salad was included

yakitori don...the liver was a bit raw, but the other pieces, thigh, negima and tsukune were cooked well.

Satoshi chose their oyakodon

Portions seemed on the smaller side, still we're glad we got to try this place

Tokyo People: festival participants

Nezu Shrine

Back to Kagurazaka Saryo...mont blanc tart with sencha ice cream

Tried Fukuka, a sencha from Kyoto...the waitress didn't hear me say "iced" so I was served this "hot"...oh well...just waited for it to cool before drinking.

it was another blazing day and Satoshi got to see all that he wanted to.

Matsui

2-29-3 Nezu

Bunkyo, Tokyo

No hours or days closed given

this and that

Tokyo People: this guy whizzed past me on this motorized scooter thingy

found white rice but now need to find brown, 1st world problems
 

Tokyo People : be the energy you want to attract

“Kodoku no gourmet”(“Solitary Gourmet”) : season 1 episode 1, tsukune (chicken meatball) with piman (bell pepper).

In the episode he eats the bell pepper raw with the tsukune, but we ate it warmed up.

I like the crunch from the bell pepper and the tsukune had a shoyu based sauce.

The weather is still blazing and humid and the weather dude says Tokyo’s fall leaves should happen in December?! WT?!

Have a safe weekend

update

one pupa and two caterpillars.

I don't think caterpillars can "see" because they keep bothering the pupa

Looks like one caterpillar bit the pupa?

Black "blood"?!

Hoping the other two will change to pupae soon and the one that is already a pupa will be okay.

so

The pickled grapes were delicious.

Different.

After one hour soaking in the different brines (left is bread & butter brine, right is tomato suzuke brine), it didn't really have too much "pickled" flavor.

I skewered each grape with a yakitori stick and stuck them back into the brine.

The grapes kept their "crisp" texture and sweetness and the salty brine was a little more pronounced but didn't overpower the grape flavor.

Dunno that I would do this again, but I'm glad we tried this.

this and that

Godiva is collaborating with 31 (Baskin Robbins) and they came out with a chocolate hazelnut ice cream (hazelnut ice cream, chocolate ganache ribbon and chocolate cubes)...delicious, rich

the black molding on my phone case started to fall apart, we just finished paying off our phones so we don't plan to get a new one any time soon, so I went to look for a new case.

Unfortunately, my 11 pro is considered "old", so they don't make cases for them.

I was able to find one but they only had this pink color...1st world problems... 

Apparently "my friends" will only eat citrus leaves.

I tried kale ribs but they just let them wilt.

Whenever I give "my friends" leaves, you can hear them eating, kinda loudly.

If you're interested, check here.

oh and the bigger the caterpillar the bigger the poop...ha!