Sunday, as the typhoon was approaching Honshu, we luckily flew from Osaka to Tokyo.
While in Tokyo, the rain was coming down in buckets.
It was our first time attending an o-wakarekai(oh-wha-kah-ray-kah-ee=farewell gathering) for Satoshi's friend, Gen, who passed away this summer.
Most times, Japanese have funerals and wakes but these days families are often opting for private services, so these farewell gatherings are getting somewhat "popular".
I am glad we were able to pay our respects to Gen's family and also spend some time with Satoshi's college baseball alumni.
Since the funerals and wakes here can be a bit too formal, it is nice that there are these somewhat casual type of gatherings even if it is to say goodbye.
The photo above was the beautiful quilt that was in the lobby area of the hotel.
Thank you Gen for your friendship, you will be missed.
The other day I was surfing around and caught part of the many health programs they show here and one of the things they mentioned was how fish like saba (mackerel) can boost your good cholesterol.
They also gave an easy recipe so I tried it last night.
Saba Tofu Dry Curry : 4 servings (or less depending on your serving size) : adapted from television show
1/2 tofu (about 160 grams)
1 can saba (mackerel packed in water) (about 200 grams)
nub of ginger, grated
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
Press water out of tofu and break up with your hands, press between paper towel again.
Drain the water from the can and break up the saba into a pan.
Add ginger, tomato paste, curry and worcestershire sauce.
Cook on medium-low until all liquid has evaporated.
NOTES: Super easy to make and tasty.
The ginger helps to mask any "fishiness".
The original recipe calls for ketchup but I used tomato paste instead to cut out some sugar.
Also, I didn't have any worcestershire sauce, so I used tonkatsu sauce.
This was good on rice but I am also thinking it might be good in gyoza wrappers, and hope to try this way soon.
We have another typhoon approaching over the next couple of days...hoping this one won't be as bad.
Over the summer I reconnected with a dish from my past...Italian Delight.
I didn't realize this but the recipe was actually from my Grandma's stash of recipes.
My mom used to make this and freeze some for a weekday dinner, just popping it into the oven before eating.
Italian Delight : not sure where the original recipe is from
Ingredients:
• 1 lb ground beef (about 450 grams)
• 1/2 cup salad oil (use just enough to brown ground beef)
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 green pepper chopped (optional)
• 1-8 ounce can tomato sauce (about 226 grams)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1-3 ounce can sliced mushrooms (about 80 grams)
• 1-8 ounce pkg spaghetti (about 226 grams)
• 1-12 ounce can whole kernel corn (about 340 grams)
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste.
Directions:
Cook spaghetti according to directions, drain.
Brown ground beef in oil with minced garlic.
Add onions, corn and saute.
Add rest of ingredients, except cheese and spaghetti.
Cook for 10 minutes.
Mix spaghetti in sauce.
Place in 3-quart casserole dish.
Sprinkle with cheese (about a cup).
Bake at 350F (180C) for 40 minutes.
NOTES: My grandma's version uses spaghetti noodles, but my mom's version uses macaroni.
I added my own addition of fresh maitake (hen of woods), eliminating the oil to cook the meat and also eliminated the can of sliced mushrooms and worcestershire (didn't have any).
My supermarket didn't have tomato sauce, so I used a can of crushed tomatoes.
Also, as I was looking for local beef, I ended up getting little amounts of local ground chicken, pork and beef instead.
My oven isn't too big, so I baked everything in a square pyrex dish for the 40 minutes, uncovered.
This was perfect comfort food for the day after that krazy typhoon...
V introduced me to a monaka chazuke by Kyoraku Tsujigahana.
We've tried something similar before from Kanazawa.
Monaka are wafers, you usually see them filled with sweet bean or ice cream. This particular version is filled with freeze dried veggies and instant soup.
The left package has 2 servings and comes with no monaka (wafer) while the tiny one on the right is an individual serving with the monaka (wafer).
The individual one with the monaka.
Underneath the monaka is a little packet of fish or tsukemono (pickles) depending on which one you buy.
I didn't read the directions, but before you put the wafer onto your rice, you should break it up, so the hot tea will melt the wafer and dissolve the soup nicely.
The type that comes without the wafer has four packets. Two with all the dry ingredients like soup and veggies and two with wet ingredients like fish or pickles.
Either version suggests you pour hot water or tea over.
They aren't found in all department stores here.
In fact, in the Kansai area, they can be found in Kyoto at their shop near Kawaramachi and in Kobe at Daimaru Kobe.
Sunday was rainy but Satoshi wanted to check out an exhibit at the Kyoto National Museum, so instead of going through similar kraziness like what we experienced with Hokusai, I decided to do my own thing and went on a cafe crawl.
I started at Ichikawaya Coffee. A tiny shop located off of Higashiyama-dori.
At first when I got there, there was a line, but because most parties were couples, I got the only seat left along their window seats.
I ordered their bacon mibuna sandwich. Mibuna is a veg similar to mizuna but with a little more "spiciness" like mustard cabbage. Apparently these days, it is mostly found in Kyoto and the surrounding areas.
The mibuna in this sandwich was pickled, it added a nice zing to the sandwich.
I also liked the nicely toasted milk bread that they used which was a little sweet.
The iced coffee was nice and strong too.
After breakfast, I walked back to the Shijo area. The rain was drizzling off and on.
After some window shopping, my next stop was Kiln Coffee Shop, the shop that is located under the "super friendly" Kiln...ahem!
I had their gorgonzola cheesecake which was topped with fresh figs.
The gorgonzola cheese wasn't overpowering and there were lots of walnuts in the cheesecake...delicious!
Bummer though there were these 2 inconsiderate Korean tourists sitting next to me that insisted on taking a bazillion photos of each other, while laughing and talking loudly.
Talk about irritating and noisy...
Late lunch with Satoshi was at Oreno Pan Okumura in Gion.
Meh, we didn't care to much for this place...the food seemed a bit overpriced...maybe that was why this place was super empty?!
Coffees before riding the train at Arabica Kyoto inside of Fujii Daimaru.
Despite the rain, Satoshi and I both got to do what we wanted.
I hope to be back to both cafes (hopefully with Satoshi in tow!)
Back in June (I think), we received word that our SIM card for our pocket wi-fi would end and that the company we deal with had new SIM plans.
In my opinion, the plan we had was the best because it was a flat monthly rate of 1000 yen (plus tax).
You could use it for however many (bazillion) bytes, but I guess the company was losing money because of that.
So, the new SIM plans would be based on how many bytes you used.
Instead of paying a monthly fee for something we hardly use, we decided to cancel our plan.
In essence by subscribing over the past 5 years, we bought the pocket wifi gadget, so I am on the lookout for a SIM card that will let me use it as I need to.
Right now, though there are only 2 ways to use SIM cards here..1) monthly rate based on usage 2) 7-day or 30-day usage (mainly for tourists)
We really don't need the monthly version.
And the 7-day/30-day version is a junk option too because it starts counting down from the day you activate it and depending on your usage, you could use it up before the 7 or 30 days.
When I was wandering around in Tokyo, the amount of free wifi was limited, but way more than what we have in Osaka and even way more than what we have on Oahu (Hawaii).
Why can't the whole world have some kind of "free" wi-fi connection? First world problems, yeah?!
Because the hotel we were staying at had a "first come first serve" policy for riding their shuttle, we decided to get to the airport early and have breakfast.
On our way back to Osaka, I was in the right seat at the right time and got a "snowless" Mount Fuji video (click the photo to see it).
By 10:00-ish we were standing in this krazy line to see the Hokusai exhibit at the Abeno Harukas Museum.
People cutting in line for tickets and unreal shoving inside to see the different works, put a damper on my enthusiasm.
I tried patiently to see as many works as I could, but gave up towards the end of the exhibit and instead waited for Satoshi to exit the exhibit.
At 1:00-ish we went up 300 meters (984 feet) to the top of Abeno Harukas (which I think is the tallest building in Japan at the moment)
definitely not for those afraid of heights...
Lunch was late but delicious at Piccolo Curry.
This was their special beef and regular beef curries over rice topped with a scrambled egg.
Dessert was a matcha soft serve made with green tea from the Minami Yamashiro area of Kyoto at Hankyu Umeda Department store.
It was whirlwind 3-day weekend, even though it was quite summery, I'm glad we got to do all that we did.
Piccolo Curry
Abeno Harukas Dining 12F
Tennoji, Osaka
Phone: 06.6654.6063
Hours: 11:00-23:00
Open when Abeno Harukas is
Sunday before the sun rose, we were on our way to the airport...
By 8:00-ish we were in Tokyo.
At 9:30-ish we were at the base of the Tokyo Sky Tree.
Too bad the air had a haze to it, I think the views from the top would've been something to see.
Satoshi wanted to check out the Tokyo Sumo area.
He had seen something that said there was a gift shop we could visit too...bummer both the area and shop were closed.
We then headed to Asakusa to check out a yoshoku-ya (western style shop), but the wait was krazy with the 3-day weekend, so we headed across the street to Kappabashi and found a reasonably priced sushi shop called Tasukezushi.
My nigiri set had 10 pieces and Satoshi had their chirashizushi...each were 1300 yen (tax included).
It was a nice fast (delicious) lunch.
Satoshi then headed to Jingu Stadium to watch his University baseball team.
I went on my own adventure.
Kappabashi, the largest area for kitchen/restaurant tools, tableware, like Osaka's Doguyasuji but 10x bigger, was having some kind of festival.
Had it not been so crowded I would've stayed longer but it was tough just moving between stores...
The Sky Tree as seen from Kappabashi.
I went to Kuramae, to check out the Dandelion Chocolate cafe & shop.
Since we've been having summery temps, I tried their cacao nib cold brew, which came with a tiny chocolate cookie & housemade marshmallow.
and their oatmeal cookie.
The cacao nib cold brew wasn't anything special, but the cookie...loved that it had chocolate, cacao nibs, cranberries, oatmeal & shredded coconut in it.
I got back on the train and headed to the Omotesando area.
And stopped into Sarutahiko Coffee.
It was too krazy hot to actually drink some hot coffee, but I really wanted (a photo of) their paper cup...and I was also thankful they had somewhere to sit while I waited for my cup to cool down a bit.
Down the street I checked out Hugo & Victor and picked up some of their dark chocolate mediants.
Candied almonds, pistachios & raisins top their dark chocolate...delicious!
Satoshi messaged and said that they had lost...boo!
We met up along the way and went to check out Niihao, which apparently created the hanetsuki gyoza (potstickers with wings).
We tried their shrimp.
Original.
Sizzling hot plate...(click the photo to hear it sizzle)
Fried.
Mabo Tofu.
This place is fast! delicious and reasonable. I can see why people will wait for a table.
Plus 2 beers and an apricot wine drink for me our total was about 3500 yen (tax included).
It was a krazy long day. Lots of walking, lots of eating.
p.s. we used miles to fly to Tokyo and we bought the Keikyu Pass (1310 yen) which gets you from Haneda to Sengakuji then usage of all the subway lines for the day.
Tasukezushi
2-26-6 Matsugaya
Taito, Tokyo
Phone: 03.3841.4811
Closed Wednesdays
Dandelion Chocolate
4-14-6 Kuramae
Taito, Tokyo
Phone: 03.5833.7270
Hours: 10:00-20:00
*call before going, days off not set
Sarutahiko Coffee
4-3-3 Jingumae, inside of H.I.S. tour agency
Shibuya, Tokyo
Phone: 03.5775.2471
Hours: 11:00-19:00
Hugo & Victor (2022: no longer at this location)
4-12-10 Jingumae, inside Omotesando Hills
Shibuya, Tokyo
Phone: 03.6434.0912
Hours: 11:00-21:00, open when Omotesando Hills is
