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

kichijoji

1st time back to Kichijoji since the pandemic (I think).

I wanted to send something to my host sister for her birthday, so I went to Presqu'ile
 

On the way, I stopped at Linde to pick up something for lunch, because I had it on my “to try” list

They are a German style bakery, so it was nice to see different items from most Japanese style bakeries.

Their muesli bread filled with a slice of sausage, apple and camembert cheese...so ono!

the nuss tarte reminded me of Kurumikko

They have a cafe above their bakery, I wouldn't mind eating here…1002 yen (tax included) for both items

For dinner, I wanted to try Satou's menchi katsu

Apparently they are the first one to make the round menchi katsu version.

If you are not familiar, menchi katsu are fried hamburger

Huge! 300 yen (tax included) each

Loved how juicy these menchi katsu were, lots of onion too

Their croquette 200 yen (tax included) each and filet katsu 320 yen (tax included)

Love how the coating does not fall off and stays crisp even after reheating.

Satoshi said the filet katsu was delicious too (I put my half into the freezer)

Haneru's butter baby castella...500 yen (tax included) for 15

So buttery!

Still so many places to explore in this area.

We'll be back to these places and the ones we still want to check out.

Linde

1-11-27 Kichijoji Honcho

Musashino, Tokyo

Open daily: 10:00-18:00

Satou

1-1-8 Kichijoji Honcho

Musashino, Tokyo

Open daily:10:00-19:00

*cash only

Haneru

Kirarina Kichijoji 2F

Musashino, Tokyo

Open daily: 10:00-21:00

this and that

Mother Nature said "hey, you don't need Autumn" and slammed us into winter!

We were in single digits (Celsius) for the past couple of days...brr

oden hit the spot!
 

Tokyo People: this painter guy...he kept looking to see if he was making white footprints...he was!

Tokyo People: gotta carry the furry one out on a walk, especially when it is raining.

Looks like the temps will continue to flip flop

Have a safe weekend!

kurata pepper

Been wanting to try Kurata Pepper after seeing it on a show

Apparently Cambodian black pepper used to be the world’s best

After a war in the 1970’s the production decreased severely, and in 1997, a Japanese, Kurata, has been growing pepper in Cambodia.

I wanted to get the sampler pack but it was sold out so I bought some cashews & ripened pepper…3036 yen (tax included)

The cashews are coated with a rice powder, kind of similar to iso peanuts. 

Super flavorful, not “hot”.

Can’t wait to try the ripened pepper.

cop 29

Tuesday Satoshi flew to Baku, Azerbaijan for the COP 29, United Nations Climate Change Conference for work.

It was his first international trip since the pandemic

He was excited because he would be travelling business class!

From Narita, he took about a day and a half to get there with a layover in Dubai.

Of course, I asked him to look for the viral Dubai chocolate...

He couldn't find them and in the end got me chocolates made in Dubai...ha!

Camel milk and chocolate with dates, we'll try these soon.

He also went to the bazar (market) and purchased some tea.

Which looked like it has rose in it.

I opened it to make tea for Satoshi’s bento and it smelled fruity like a flavored tea, can’t wait to try it myself

Oh and he said the Emirates' lounge was better (and bigger) than his hotel room...ha!

Glad he came back safely.

bookroad winery

Been wanting to try Bookroad Winery’s wines since seeing her story on the television show “7 rules” 

Finally got a chance when she had a pop up at Tokyo Daimaru

The wines that she makes use grapes that she grows, and also grapes that are grown by others in other parts of Japan

I purchased a half bottle of Merlot, this used merlot grapes grown in Hyogo. This was a light bodied wine

I also purchased a tiny bottle of her sparkling wine made with Siegerrebe and Delaware grapes.

This was dry and fruity.

Apparently the label has foods that would match the wine...3267 yen (tax included) for both

I look forward to trying more of her wines in the future.

Bookroad Winery

3-40-2 Taito

Taito, Tokyo

Closed Mondays

Hours: 12:00-15:00, 17:00-19:30

thanks for today

Cousin D was here with his family.

Luckily we were able to meet up on their last day in Tokyo, last Sunday

We met at Ginza Six's Sanada, which we've been to before.

It was nice seeing them and it sounded like they enjoyed their first trip to Japan.

Another cousin C was also here with her family and we were lucky to be able to meet up on their last day in Japan, this past Saturday.

We went to Oraga Soba inside of Shinjuku Isetan.

It was nice catching up with them and it also sounded like they enjoyed their first trip to Japan.

Thanks for today C & D!

We appreciate you making time to meet up.

Safe travels!

tokyo people

Blurry Tokyo People: cleaning the grates above the walkway of the train station

these little ones were waiting for...

The Setagaya line's manekineko tram
 

They've started the construction next door.

Tokyo People: amazon delivery dude

Furry Tokyo People

Have a safe weekend!