menu

It's that time of year when I get together with my host-mom & my host-brother's wife for lunch.

Today, we went to Menu, the tiny restaurant nearby that Satoshi and I love.

The food is always delicious (that pork ragout was so tender!) and it was nice to spend some time with them.

Thanks for a great day!

menu

Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving.

It isn't a holiday here, but Black Friday is slowly catching on here.

Since Satoshi went out on a drinking thingy on Tuesday, which was Ii Fufu no Hi (literally good couple day), we went out for dinner at Menu the next day which was a national holiday (Kinro Kansha no Hi, like a combination of Labor Day and Thanksgiving).

Dinner started out with a plate each of their appetizers...salad, proscuitto, dragon fruit, purple sweet potato terrine, sweet potato frittata, clam rice croquette (arancino), tako (octopus) with a broccoli puree.

Soup: Daikon potage topped with cacao nibs

Pasta: mushroom pepperoncino and gingko nut ras el hanout chicken cream pasta (both to share)

Main: sea bream stuffed with mushroom puree wrapped with bacon, cooked saltimbocca style and chicken piccata

Dessert: dark cherry brownie

Coffee or Tea

Satoshi also had a glass of wine with dinner.

We love this place because their servings are just right, their food is delicious too, they serve reasonable servings of wine and their prices are quite reasonable too.

7050 yen for our dinner.

We'll definitely be back.

kaneko unagi

Yesterday, I walked twenty minutes to Sakurai intending to shop at Daiei.

I didn't realize (until I got there) they were renovating and were closed...boo!

This was the perfect chance to try Kaneko Unagi, a tiny shop that sells unagi kabayaki (grilled eel with a sweet-salty sauce).

While I appreciated that they only sell unagi raised/caught in Japan, they are pricey.

For the one unagi that I bought, it was 2470 yen (tax included), and that was the most inexpensive one...

Satoshi and I shared it for dinner.

It was good, the flesh of the unagi was very moist, the skin quite crispy.

I may be back, but not too often.

Kaneko Unagi
2-1-14 Sakurai
Minoo, Osaka
Phone: 072.721.4057
Closed Sundays
Hours: n/a

haconeco-do

Sunday, we checked out Haconeco-do, a relatively new cafe near the Hankyu Sakurai station.

In Japan, there are cat cafes, dog cafes even owl cafes.

From what I understand, cat cafes are where the cafe owner's cats are roaming around inside the cafe.

Dog cafes are usually cafes that you can bring your dog with you to.

Owl cafes are like cat cafes where the owner has an owl (or two) around...

Anyway, we visited Haconeco-do and it is a cat cafe.

While the atmosphere of the place was laid back, this place was EXPENSIVE...1200 yen for two cups of coffee and 300 yen for a teeny doughnut...

Dunno that we'll be back soon.

Haconeco-do
1-13-19 Sakurai
Minoo, Osaka

menu

Usually on the weekends, Satoshi and I run into the same question, "where to go for dinner"

We have several places in our rotation but instead we decided to try Menu for dinner.

This is the place I went with my friend Hiromi, for lunch last month.

We arrived at the restaurant at about 18:00 and didn't have a reservation, it was nice that they had some tables available.

We both ordered the dinner course...2980 yen each.

This came with an antipasto plate (salad with poached chicken and proscuitto, marinated tako (octopus), a slice of edamame frittata, togan (winter melon simmered in orange juice), and cabbage terrine filled with smoked salmon and topped with a consommé gelée).

Soup...satoimo (taro root) soy milk potage

Pasta...Satoshi chose the komatsuna (Japanese mustard greens) pesto with potato...I thought this would be bitter but it went nicely with the potato and pasta.

I chose the house-made sausage and eggplant with almond peperoncino...the sausage had lots of herbs in it and the pasta was spicy with lots of garlic, I also liked the crunch of the almonds.

Main dish...pot roast...super tender and I liked the green risotto that came along side, lots of parmesan cheese in it.

Dessert...sweet potato roll cake with pear compote...nice with strong coffee!

With dinner we also had glasses of wine...540 yen each.

We enjoyed this meal, service was a little slow but what can you expect when they only have one chef and one waitress, the glasses of wine were adequate servings, not like some we've encountered at other places.

Since they use a lot of seasonal items, we are looking forward to coming back when the next season rolls around.

We'll be back!

menu

I had planned to meet up with Hiromi last week, but we had to postpone due to the typhoon.

Yesterday, it was raining! but we decided to still meet up for lunch at Menu.

This tiny café sits inside of the Sakurai Ichiba (marketplace). Over the years, this ichiba has lost a lot of business due to the big market a few feet away.

A lot of the shop spaces in this ichiba are now shuttered so there isn't much foot traffic.

Their interior is "shabby chic" and they serve French-Italian cuisine.

We both got their "A lunch"...1620 yen (tax included).

Lunch started off with a colorful salad topped with poached chicken and a cup of their cold pumpkin soup. The cold pumpkin soup really hit the spot as the day was quite humid even with the rain.

Next came our main dishes. I chose their peperoncino (chili oil) pasta with broccoli, eggplant and sausage. Hiromi chose their cabbage, almond, edamame cream tagliatelle. They used the broccoli stems in my pasta and it was hard.as.rock. I enjoyed the taste of Hiromi's pasta better, the crunch from the almonds gave it a nice texture.

Lastly was dessert, a slice of their baked cheesecake and a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

It was a leisurely and delicious lunch.

Even though the weather was rainy, spending time with a good friend was nice.

I told Satoshi about this place so we might check it out for dinner one night.

Thanks for a great day Hiromi-san!

Menu
2-10-5 Sakurai (inside Sakurai ichiba)
Minoo, Osaka
Phone: 072.724.7246
Hours: 11:30-22:00 (days off not noted, call before going)

anri

I don't think I've ever told you about Anri's sweet potato tartes.

They actually make two kinds...this purple one and a yellow one.

I prefer the purple one because of the vibrant color.

Inside of their flaky crust is a custard which is topped with a huge dollop of sweet potato paste.

Perfect for an afternoon treat.

sakura walks

Monday I went walking around and checked on the huge cherry tree in Sakurai.

It was beautiful.

There were also some weeping cherry. I liked this one, bright pink.

Most of the other cherry blossoms look almost white.

Tuesday, I went to Mukogawa.

Yesterday, I walked to Sakurai and on the way, came across a tree near an apartment building.

I like when I can capture a sun beam.

The area in front of the Hankyu Minoo station was fixed up. Really nice now.

The roof of the bus/taxi area has a nice design of fall foliage, a symbol of Minoo.

Next to the Hankyu Minoo station is a new information office and an area for "ashi-yu" (foot bath).

When I passed by these ladies were happily chatting away.

Been interested in shooting shadows recently. Love the shadows that the sakura trees cast.

The neighborhood near the Hankyu Minoo station is about 70% in bloom.

Then in the afternoon, I went to the area above our apartment where every house has a sakura tree in front of it, Asahigaoka.

This area is always beautiful, never disappoints.

Lots of walking, lots of bonding with nature.

donuts dept

Yesterday, we woke up to a light dusting on the roof tops and flurries in the air.

While I was all excited, Satoshi crawled deeper in bed and pulled the covers over his head.

Of course, he had to go to work, so he had to go out while the flurries were still dancing around.

Me, on the other hand, I debated as to what to do with my day.

The sun was out, the flurries had stopped but the air was dry and icy.

I thought to myself, I could stay in my pajamas and stay indoors all day in front of the computer...

Instead, I changed my clothes and walked to get some doughnuts from Donuts Dept.

Lucky for me, they had a new one called Ichigo Mountain (Strawberry Mountain).

Delicious plain donut topped with a strawberry glaze and half a strawberry which is then dusted with powdered sugar.

Delish!

I also tried their matcha (green tea) and sugar doughnuts.

The matcha is subtle, but delicious.

And the sugar was different from the granulated sugar that normally is on doughnuts. This one seemed grainy yet powdery.

I really like these doughnuts, they never leave an oily feel in your mouth and are always tasty.

Satoshi says his favorite was the Ichigo Mountain, 2nd was the Matcha.

donuts dept

It has been awhile since I've talked about food...

Well, while one doughnut shop closes, another opens.

The Donuts Dept. opened sometime last month and I happened on them while checking to see what was up with Anri Doughnuts.

Unfortunately Anri closed (not sure when), I think it had to do with their hours, they would open at 11:00, way too late for housewives who shop at about 10:00. And probably had way too many varieties. I was hoping to at least try them once more, oh well.

Onto Donuts Dept., this shop sells donuts made with tonyu (soy milk) and okara (soy lees), which seems to be the trend these days.

While all of these shops boast "healthy" benefits, in the end they are all fried so they are all still treats.

Hara Donuts & Anne Donuts sell the same type of donuts made with tonyu & okara, and while I liked these, I enjoyed Donuts Dept a little more.

These were moist, tender and not oily.

I tried the earl grey and chocolate, both 150 yen (about US$1.50) each. I halved them and shared with Satoshi.

He agreed these were good...we'll be back (hopefully they will be around too).

Donuts Dept.
2-2-16 Sakurai
Minoo, Osaka
Phone: 072.720.1072
Open: 8:30 until they sell out
Closed every Wednesday

UPDATE: they have moved to Makiochi as of 2/2013, 1-19-19 Makiochi, Minoo, Osaka, their phone number is the same.

le weekend (the weekend)

Friday night, Satoshi had a party with his university baseball team as well as other university baseball teams.

Every year it is quite a large event and is usually held at a hotel banquet room.

After the party, his teammate from Gifu, stayed over at our place and brought us this nice box of Morozoff chocolates...thank you!

Saturday morning, I headed to Sakurai station. Their shopping arcade was having an event.

100 yen shopping arcade.

This event has been happening here and there in Osaka and around Japan to generate business.

Over the past couple of years, with big shopping malls popping up here and there, business for the neighborhood shopping arcades have somewhat staled and most times these shopping arcades end up closing for good.

It is a good way to get people to visit and see what they have been missing by shopping at the big malls.

It is also a nice way to buy things for just 100 yen or a dollar (higher if you calculate it to the actual dollar-yen rate).

I bought some chirimen jakko (dried young anchovies), some nori tsukudani (laver that is cooked and seasoned). Both of these products were not local but I thought they were good buys.

I also bought two pieces of fruit cake from Bonnard, a little cake shop near the Sakurai station. I have always wondered what sorts of things they sold and this was a nice chance to try them. We enjoyed it, very moist with lots of dried citrus peel.

Total spent on this day 400 yen (about US$4).

Sunday, Satoshi had to work, so I went to check out the 100 yen shopping arcade at Minoo station.

This event was bigger than the Sakurai one.

I was able to buy some Minoo limes, yuzu (citron) drinks and pickled daikon (long white radish) soaked in yuzu (citron).

The yuzu drinks and pickles were 150 yen each (about US$1.50) a little higher than 100 yen but still really reasonable.

In Minoo, there is an area called Todoromi, where there are lots of yuzu trees. I have heard of the Todoromi Yuzu Marmalade and have been wanting to try it. But I've never seen it in stores, I think I may have to order online.

Most of the weekend weather was nice, Sunday unfortunately was overcast. The upcoming week looks to be nice weather also.

Since Satoshi has a day off during the week, we'll probably go to visit MIL.

Hope you have a nice week.

anri doughnut

While Hawaii has all these frozen yogurt places popping up, around these parts there are all these donut shops popping up.

Near the Sakurai station, Anri, a bakery I've written about here, has started a donut shop.

From 8 types of dough, french bread, yeast (sweet) , savory, yeast (light), cake (baked), healthy (okara (soy lees)), rice flour, cake (fried)--they make a variety of doughnuts.

I tried their sweet yeast--chocolate & french bread--kinako (soy bean powder)...105 yen each (about US$1.05 each).

Delicious and light. Actually tastes better than Mister Donut.

I'll definitely be back.

Anri Doughnut : UPDATE 12/2010 this shop has closed
Inside Sakurai Market, next to Hankyu Sakurai station
Open 11:00-19:00

things I'm liking (and disliking)

It has been awhile since I've done a liking/disliking post...

Let me start with the disliking...Mahou Negra, a dark beer from Mexico, tasted like darkened fizzy water...meh.

By the way, "mahou" means magic in Japanese...boy this beer needs some...

I am not sure if I like the cream cheese anpan at Starbucks or not.

Maybe they could nix the peanuts on top and put a little more sweet bean paste inside?

Moving on to liking...Heichinrou's charsiu-man (cha-sue mahn).

Heichinrou's main restaurant is in Yokohama and they have other restaurants around Japan.

These aren't as sweet as the ones I've had at Ou-Lou, they are also a little bigger and there are nice chunks of meat in there. I found these at Hankyu's food floor...913 yen (about US$9.13) for 3.

Grob Ofen, a little German sweet shop nearby, has many delicious treats. For example, the Thuringia Brot. Brot means bread in German, but this is more like a shortbread cookie.

Apparently this is a traditional sweet in Thuringia, an area in Germany. This is not too sweet and filled with hazelnuts and raisins...179 yen (about US$1.79)

Another is their Nussknacker (Nutcracker), a shortbread cookie covered with dark chocolate, hazelnuts and orange peel.

The nuts and orange peel are "stuck" onto the cookie with a hardened caramel (loved the taste just don't break your teeth on these!) 189 yen (about US$1.89)

Spring onions are in season here, I've put it next to an onion you normally find throughout the year. Spring onions are tender, white, sweet and great for roasting.

Tulips on my lanai have started to bloom. Love how when the sunlight hits them they look like light bulbs all lit up.

Ferdinand's florentine & choco-rentine. Usually a florentine is toasted nuts, candied fruit baked together with honey and sugar then topped with chocolate but this is made with bread.

Ferdinand's florentine is made with their danish type bread, caramelized sugar to keep it together and topped with sliced almonds.

The choco-rentine is made with their chocolate chiffon bread, the caramelized sugar and sliced almonds. This tastes like a brownie.

So that is my list, what are you liking/disliking?

pignon

About a 10 minute walk from where we live, is a tiny shop called Pignon. I have bought their creme brulee in the past and have tried some of their cakes (pre-blog).

This past Sunday for our tea time, Satoshi and I walked to Pignon to pick out some sweets. Here is what we chose:

Satoshi chose a slice of a caramel banana roll. A whole banana is rolled in caramel cream and cake...330 yen (about US$3.30)

He also chose the Shibukawa Marron roll. Shibukawa is the inner brown skin that is on the chestnut. The cream is coffee and chestnut...280 yen (about US$2.80)

I chose the strawberry shortcake. This is different from strawberry shortcake in the States. A light fluffy yellow cake is layered with whipped cream and strawberries...300 yen (about US$3)

I also chose the blueberry cheesecake. This was a baked cheesecake with a gelatin blueberry layer on top. I was disappointed with the crust of this cheesecake but everything else was delicious.

It is a good thing that cake shops in our area take some walking to, otherwise I think I would be there everyday.

Pignon
3-5 Hanjo
Minoo, Osaka
Phone: 072.725.6633
Open 10:30-21:00
Closed Mondays

grob ofen

Do you take a tea/coffee break in the afternoon? Since moving to Japan, I notice that I do almost everyday.

Grob Ofen is a tiny shop located near the Hankyu Sakurai station. They specialize in German sweets. In the past, I've bought their delicious stollen.

The other day, I walked up to buy some cakes for tea time.

Bayerdere: an earl grey mousse and a ginger mousse separated by walnut cake. The earl grey flavor and ginger flavors are very light but delicious and not too sweet. (368 yen about US$3.68)

Noisettine: a rich ganache tops a chocolate mousse filled with dried fruits and nuts and a dark chocolate brownie filled with nuts on the bottom. A must for chocoholics! (380 yen about US$3.80)

Hate to end this post on a bad note, but yesterday while I was on the computer, I noticed something shiny behind the curtain. I thought that it may be condensation from the window, so I pulled back the curtain to find this. A huge crack! I freaked. I don't think "someone" did it. (I'm crossing my fingers that no one did.) No sign of impact either. Anyway, I called the building management and am waiting for them to come take a look at it. The lady in the office told me to put some tape on it, so that is what I did, I think she thinks the crack was a tiny thing...hopefully they can fix this soon.

UPDATE: management guy called back, said no sense he come take a look at it. will call a glass door company for me and have them take a look and also replace the door...cross your fingers this happens soon, still freaking out.

anri

Mondays here are when most businesses take the day off.

Satoshi's mom needed some documents, so I needed to go back to the city office. Our city office is in Makiochi (two train stations from where we live).

Since I would be in the neighborhood, I thought I could also stop by my favorite bread shop, but remembered that they are closed on Mondays.

Then I thought I could stop in for another cappuccino and maybe some lunch....but remembered that they are also closed on Mondays.

I then remembered that I received some coupons last week for a bread shop called Anri.

This bread shop originally opened in Sakurai (one train station from where we live). They recently opened a second shop in Makiochi (just down the street from the city office) and another one in Senri.

So, since my two choices for lunch were out, I stopped in to Anri to pick up something for lunch. But as soon as I walked into the shop, my eye fixed on this. A chocolate bread--158 yen (about US$1.58). When I saw it, I instantly thought of babka and as a bonus...it was 30 yen off!

We had this for breakfast this morning. It was soft and tasted like sweet bread with dark chocolate running through it. I really wanted to toast it, but figured everything would be all melty and messy, so we ate it as is. Delicious!

Anri
2-2-6 Sakurai
Minoo, Osaka
Phone: 072.725.6705

Anri-Makiochi store
5-1-5 Nishishoji
Minoo, Osaka
Phone: 072.725.6700

Anri-Kita-Senri store
3-8-10 Furuedai
Suita, Osaka
Phone: 06.6834.3584

stollen

Merry Christmas Everyone

For breakfast this morning, we had stollen, salad, sliced apple and coffee.


Stollen (shu-toll-en) is a bread-like cake traditionally made in Germany. It is usually eaten during the Christmas season. Stollen (originally name Striezel) was created in Dresden, Germany around 1450. Dresden Stollen is sold at various places and at the local Striezelmarkt Christmas market in Germany.

The light airy fruitcake is made with yeast, water and flour. It usually has dried citrus peel, dried fruit, almonds, and uses spices such as cardamom and cinnamon. The dough is quite low in sugar and the finished cake is coated with icing sugar.

I bought this stollen at a German bake shop near Sakurai (one station from our place), called Grob Ofen (gloss a-fen). They had all kinds of yummy German confections.

Grob Ofen
1-1-1 Sakurai
Minoo, Osaka
Phone: 072.723.9151
Closed on Wednesdays

Enjoy the day!!