kouign amann spread

V gave us this kouign amann spread from Kaldi

She said she saw it on social media and thought it might be fun to try.

It looked interesting, just spread it onto bread and toast

It is supposed have that brulee top like a kouign amann should have

Lots of cautions : it might catch fire, don’t spread too much, you might burn yourself…in other words, don’t spread too much..ha!

We tried it with a baguette type of bread

And on yakiimo (roasted sweet potato)

I think I like putting it on yakiimo the best

V, Thanks for giving this to us to try

back to grill suzukou

Last Friday, since Satoshi worked from home, we went back to Grill Suzukou

I tried their grilled chicken...1400 yen (tax included)

Not sure, but think the sauce is their demi glace? or homemade gravy

So tender, moist and boneless!

I didn't order rice since it comes with fries, spinach and carrots

Would get this again. 

Satoshi had their shogayaki with rice...1800 yen (tax included)

Looked potent with all that ginger, but he said he enjoyed it.

We learned that the owner used to be a sumo wrestler with the Kokonoe stable (the same stable as Chiyonofuji) before he took over the family business.

Again, this shop only operates on weekdays, so we'll be back, whenever Satoshi has a weekday off or works from home.

thanks for today

Tuesday, V, A and I went to Ozu Washi to learn how to make washi (Japanese paper)

Ozu Washi has been in business since 1653

Satoshi has been here before with his tour guide friends.
 

First they show you the liquid that the mulberry pulp is softened in

Then the "sensei" (teacher) shows you how to "shake" the pulp (video)

Depending on what design you choose, you might have to give it a "shower".  This type of washi is called "rakusui" (literally falling water) (video) and it imprints the design onto the washi

This is what it looks like after the "shower"

up close : This was the same design as A chose

Here is V with her design

A with her washi

Kat with hers

I didn't get a photo/video but you put your washi onto a "vacuum" plate to suck out a lot of the water before drying

Then put it onto this hot plate to dry...I think they said it takes about 7 minutes

When it is dried you can emboss it with the Ozu Washi mark

close up

Depending on what design you choose determines your fee...we all chose the 1000 yen (tax included) designs

Up on the 3rd floor is their museum and an area where you can make an origami crane (just 1) for free

Here is Kat's

From Ozu Washi we walked to Shake Shack and had lunch

The leaves were starting to turn color

It was nice to see

Thanks for today V & A and thank you for inviting me to make washi, it was my first time and it was fun to do.

Ozu Washi

3-6-2 Nihonbashihoncho

Chuo, Tokyo

Closed Sundays

Hours: 10:00-18:00

*reservations needed for washi making

ps Happy Thanksgiving!

thanks for today

Got to spend some time on Monday with V & her daughter A at Starbucks Reserve Roastery.
 

We got there at 9:00-ish and it wasn't as krazy as the last time we were there.

I had the caramel nut tarte and siphon tokyo blend

points if you see the sad face after kat spilled her coffee while walking to the table with her tray

Thank you A for the market bag, sakura pouch and homemade guava jelly.

It was nice spending some time with A & V.

Thanks for today!

mil’s (part 6)

Well the renovations are done and BIL & SIL are moving in this weekend (photo from before the renovations)

if you missed out on what happened, please read this

I’m a little peeved that we had to ask them how things were going for them to give us an update

Anywho, glad the renovations are done and at least now we’ll have a place to stay whenever we go to Kyoto

thanks for today

Saturday, V invited us to dinner for her birthday at Hanamusashi, a Japanese restaurant in the Metropolitan Ikebukuro 

I started off with a glass of Yamagata toro umeshu (thick plum wine) diluted with soda water...delicious

Satoshi and V shared a bottle of sake...it'll show up later in these photos...

the apertif for the meal was a tiny glass of ice cold umeshu...this one delicious too, a little sweeter than the one I had above

The course was all delicacies from the Hokuriku area (Fukui, Toyama and Ishikawa prefectures)

Kobakogani (female snow crab with eggs and innards) eaten with a vinegary sauce : probably my first time eating the crab eggs and innards, I ate those areas first then saved the sweet flesh for last

Koun (good luck) sake : Junmai Ginjo by Yahiko Sake in Niigata

The bottle of sake V and Satoshi shared

The menu

Appetizers: kaki cheese shiroae (Persimmon with white cheese dressing) : we ate the persimmon too! V said she eats the peel too!

momiji yorodofu (Autumn leaf yorodofu)(square container) : soft "tofu" made with grated yam, this was vinegary and topped with zuwaigani (snow crab)

komochiayu arimani (sweet fish with roe simmered with shoyu and Japanese pepper)

Kaki tamago (seasoned egg yolk made to look like kaki (persimmon))

Fu no Karashiae (wheat gluten mixed with mustard)(leaf like container)

saba Hoshozushi (mackerel pressed sushi)(sudachi(lime) on top)

momiji renkon (marinated lotus root)

ebi ginnan mochi (shrimp fried with ginkgo nut mochi)

shiroebi shinjo daimon somen (white shrimp fishcake) with daimon somen (a type of somen from Toyama) in a clear soup…getting full

keeping the sake cool in a katakuchi (lipped bowl)

Assorted sashimi: maguro (tuna), trout, fresh sweet shrimp and hotaru ika (firefly squid) : first time eating raw hotaru ika, crunchy, super fishy

konowata tororomushi (salted entrails of sea cucumber) steamed with chinese yam : sometimes it is best not to know the english version...this actually tasted more yam then sea cucumber entrails…

amadai (tile fish) 

wakasayaki (grilled with scales then topped with sauce so that the scales do not "stand up") topped with shaved tororo kelp

cooked satoimo (dasheen) made to look like acorn

kikuhana daikon (long radish cut to look like chrysanthemum)

toyama pork harihari nabe (hari hari is the onomatopeoia of the sound when eating mizuna (potherb mustard))

heshiko chazuke (heshiko is a fermented mackerel) : satoshi ate this

echizen oroshi soba (cold soba served with oroshi daikon (grated long radish) : V & I had this

Happy Birthday V!

Tomitsu kintoki mont blanc (sweet potato cake topped with chestnut cream and chestnuts)

Persimmon and Fig Gelee

Sencha in Choju Giga cups 

Choju Giga was the first "manga" in Japan

So full and thankful that V shared her birthday celebration with us

We walked around Ikebukuro before heading home

And along Meguro River...we've done this before.

Thanks for today V, we hope you enjoy the rest of your trip! and have many more birthdays

Hanamusashi

inside Metropolitan Ikebukuro

1-6-1 Nishiikebukuro

Toshima, Tokyo

thanks for today

Friday, I got to meet Jalna’s cousin P and P’s friend, S when I met V for lunch at Shinjuku

We ate at Katsukura, which we’ve eaten at before with V

This time I ordered the chicken katsu…so ono

P treated us to lunch and gave us lots of omiyage!

It was nice meeting P & S

I hope they enjoyed their trip!

Thanks for today, P, S & V