The Hello Japan! Challenge hosted by Tanabata at In Spring it is the Dawn sets a challenge each month so that we can familiarise ourselves with Japanese culture. October’s challenge was to read or watch something scary, spooky or suspenseful in keeping with the Halloween season. My contribution to this challenge was to read Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino which I posted over here.

November’s challenge is something slightly different, and as you can see from the title to this blog, it’s all about Japanese food! Luckily for me, it’s my birthday this month, and my friends and I scooted over to Sushi Cafe Maco in Crouch End run by a Japanese friend of mine, as he had prepared a sumptuous feast for us. Yup, it was sukiyaki time! Sukiyaki is one of those dishes that you eat together as a family. Together with nabe (hotpot), it’s something that is enjoyed when shared with a large number of people, and especially over winter, as we huddle together over the steaming pot and watch the ingredients cooking. It’s one of those dishes (like an English roast) that when it is announced will ellicit gasps of excitement and pleasure from everyone. I remember many a happy wintry evening in Japan, sitting at the kotatsu (a shallow table with a built-in heater underneath covered by a blanket where everyone sits around warming their cold toes) in my grandfather’s house waiting for him to give me some of his beef (beef was also something to celebrate in Japan because it’s normally so expensive.) I can’t remember the last time I had sukiyaki so you can imagine my excitement.

There was tofu, chinese cabbage, onion, spring onion, mushroom, greens, shirataki noodles (a gelatinous noodle made from the konjac plant), beef and pork all cooking away merrily in a sauce made of soy sauce, sugar and mirin. This was a one-off special as my friend Maco is still trying to find the best way of cooking sukiyaki in his restaurant. Hopefully he will put it on the menu soon as it was very oishii (delicious)!

We also had the salmon skin salad which is one of my favourite dishes in the restaurant.

And of course some sushi, as Maco is a fine sushi chef. The vinegared mackerel sushi (oshi saba zushi) is one of my favourites. All washed down with umeshu sour (plum wine mixed with soda).

And here is also a picture of one of my daily lunches I have at work: it’s healthy, yummy, not too expensive and you can buy it from Delicatessen Yoshino on Shaftesbury Avenue. My favourites are mackerel sushi (saba zushi) and oinari san (or inari zushi made from sweetened, fried beancurd). Much, much nicer than the sushi you get from supermarkets and coffee chains, trust me.

Sushi Cafe Maco
50 Topsfield Parade, Crouch End, N8 8PT

Delicatessen Yoshino
59 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 6LF

*please note that I have paid for all the food I’ve consumed. Although I’m always happy to try food for free!

今日、初めてすき焼きを作ってみた！
I made sukiyaki for the first time today!
I tried my hand at making sukiyaki for the first time today!

初めて　for the first time
作る　つくる　to make

V-teみる　try to, attempt to, give it a whirl, try one’s hand at…

El pasado domingo el padre de Nozomi nos invitó a cenar a su casa y nos preparó Sukiyaki, un plato como dice el “Otoko no tabemono” o, comida de hombres (me explicó que se llama así porque es un plato que se cocina en mucha cantidad y con poco cuidado ). Me estuvo enseñando como se prepara, y la verdad que para lo simple que es está muy bueno, además, que como sabe que me gusta la carne y en Japón como poca, compró 1 kilo de ternera (al final sobró, por supuesto jeje).

Estos son los ingredientes (sacado de la wikipedia):

* Carne en tiras, puede ser ternera, pollo, o tofu en versión para vegetarianos.
* Tofu (generalmente dorado).
* Negi (un tipo de cebollino).
* Vegetales frondosos tal como la Col china y el shungiku (hojas de Chrysanthemum coronarium).
* Setas tales como el shiitake o enokitake.
* Fideos gelatinosos hechos a base de cormo Konnyaku tales como el ito konnyaku o fideos shirataki.

Y este es el resultado:

Se ha convertido en mi plato japonés favorito, por qué será .

¿Qué os parece? ¿Habéis cocinado alguna vez comida japonesa? ¿Cuál es vuestra favorita?.

Inilah tembang jadul era 50-60-an oleh penyanyi Karsono Bersaudara yang mengisahkan tentang gadis Sukiyaki yang menarik hati dan yang dikagumi. Lagu langka ini tidak sedikit yang memburu untuk mengkoleksi.

Kau gadis Sukiyaki sangat menarik hati
Waktu kudatang untuk yang pertama kali
Kupuja dan kukagumi
Kuingin datang kembali

Senyummu yang halus wajahmu lembut sayu
Kunyanyikan untukmu gadis Sukiyaki
Dalam lagu lagu yang merdu
Membawa kenangan lalu

Walau engkau jauh dariku
Takkan kulupa keramahanmu

• Sukiyaki (Karsono Bersaudara)

The seasons are changing and so is our menu.  We will be featuring “Kaki Fry”- panko breaded fried oysters, for a limited time.  Served with katsu sauce and fresh lemon wedges, this traditional treat can be enjoyed as an appetizer or a full dinner including miso soup and salad.  Come and enjoy the crisp, tender morsels while they last. 

Nagahama Castle

As I rode the train northward through paddy fields and old wooden houses, the shore of Lake Biwa drew closer and closer as the I entered Nagahama City. This would be one of the two real sightseeing hotspots I would spend time in during the trip–the other being Otsu–and I was looking forward to what Nagahama had to offer.

After detraining, I headed out toward Nagahama Castle, which is about 10 minutes or so on foot from the station, near the lakeshore. Nagahama Castle is not the most impressive structure I’ve ever seen, and even though it’s a modern reconstruction, it has a certain charm to it. Upon looking through the museum inside, I learned that it was at located at a vital location near Sekigahara, a mountain location where the decisive battle between the Tokugawa and Hideyoshi alliances was fought in 1600 to determine the future path of Japan, which ended up being one of long-awaited prosperity and peace for more than 250 years. The castle is small, but the view from the top is impressive, as you can look out over Lake Biwa as well as out toward the rolling hills around Sekigahara. Gazing at the illuminated castle keep that night, I had to admit the odd-shaped structure was not overly impressive, but in my mind its historical significance has left an imprint in my memory that is far bigger than the fortress’ physical stature.

Kurokabe Square

Next I went to Kurokabe Square. This is considered the center of Nagahama, and its name comes from the stately old black-walled (“kurokabe”) building that acts as its centerpiece and gives the district its name. The two-storey building was built in 1899 and served originally as the Daihyaku Sanju Bank building, but today it is a well-known shop selling the famous glassware of Nagahama on the first floor and imported glassware and jewelry on the second floor. The shop’s goods were absolutely amazing, and since I had come all the way to Nagahama, I couldn’t resist buying a few glass animal figurines (which somehow made it home undamaged). The surrounding area also has a number of wooden Edo- and Meiji-Period buildings. I splurged at a restaurant nearby and bought sukiyaki with Omi beef, a regional specialty. Though expensive, this tender, delicious, high-quality beef is worth it. Afterward, I visited a couple of temples in town.

Glass souvenirs from Nagahama (turtle, pig, and blowfish)

In the morning I got up early to catch the ferry to Chikubushima, an island in the middle of the lake where a temple and a shrine are located. I threw my things in a locker and walked to the ferry pier, only to find that (1) the time schedule in my guidebook was out of date and I had just missed the boat I planned to take, and (2) even though I thought I was clever enough to arrive early in the morning to avoid crowds, so had everyone else in Shiga Prefecture. Thankfully, I got a window seat on the ferry and we set sail across the placid waters of Lake Biwa.

Chikubushima from the ferry

As the boat closed in on Chikubushima, everyone went out onto the deck to take pictures, but I decided to wait until the return trip–which was a smart move, since it wasn’t nearly as crowded on deck during the return trip. The approach reminded me a bit of the time I visited Alcatraz in San Francisco, sans the chill running up my spine. Chikubushima itself was not as good as I had expected, although the imposing old gate of Tsubusuma Shrine and the beautifully carved Buddha statue inside were impressive, and the bright orange pagoda of Hoganji Temple surrounded by vibrant tropical greenery was refreshing. The shrine boasts a unique way of praying: you buy a pair of round ceramic fragments, write your name on one and your prayer on the other using a brush, and then try to throw them both through a Shinto gate (torii) perched below on a rock in the water.

Buddha statue inside Tsubusuma Shrine

After boarding the ferry back to Nagahama, snapping said photograph, and relaxing in the air-conditioned cabin after a lot of stair-climbing, I started to mentally plan the afternoon. I would ride the JR line around the north edge of the lake and down to Makino on the west side, put my things in a locker there, go sightseeing further south in Katata and Imazu, then return and catch a shuttle to the hotel and find a restaurant to eat dinner at. Little did I know that a combination of incorrect information, misleading information, the reality of the countryside would nullify my plan.

I went to Nagahama Station and saw that the next train would be leaving in a half hour. As the departure time approached, an announcement from the platform speakers informed us that the trains were now delayed a couple of minutes, followed by another that they were delayed by 30 minutes, meaning I would be waiting an hour just to get on the train. The train finally arrived, 40 minutes late, which just goes to show how dangerous it is to rely on JR (in West Japan, JR seems to have trouble handling busy travel weekends). I had to switch at Imazu-Shiotsu station for the Kosei Line, but thanks to that lovely delay, my train had left one minute before and I now needed to wait another hour until the next one came. After about 35 minutes I got impatient and decided to go call a taxi, so I went down the longest station staircase I have ever seen inside a train station and asked the station attendant for the nearest taxi company’s phone number. As luck would have it, the train arrived at that very moment (apparently the Kosei Line was delayed, too), so I ran up the longest staircase ever with my bags in hand and barely slipped through the door and into a vacant seat before it departed. We soon cut through a tunnel and rushed out into the breathtaking, verdant scenery of northern Biwa.

Around Makino Station...absolutely nothing

Despite the information on JR’s website, when I asked the station attendant where the coin lockers were, he gave me the “are you insane?” look and told me there were none. I couldn’t very well go sightseeing with my bags in tow, so I called the hotel, but despite their claim to be a lakeside resort, they didn’t even have a pickup service from the station. This meant I would have to haul my stuff 15 minutes to the place. Furthermore, there was nothing resembling a restaurant near the station–mostly just old houses and paddy fields. With a groan, I put one foot in front of the other. With trains that arrived only once and hour (and unpredictably delayed), my arrival at Makino several hours later than planned, and my legs worn out by the time I walked through the hotel’s front entrance, it seemed as if things that day would not go as planned.

Fortunately for me, when it comes to trips, I thrive on unpredictability. Stay tuned for part 3.

See part 1 and part 3 of the journey.

To see a map of my journey, click here.

Last weekend, I went to Cha Am Beach, Thailand with few of my colleagues and some of their family members. This trip was actually planned over 5 months ago but due to our very busy work schedule and since I also asked to delay the trip as I intend to bring along someone but it never happened so we finally planned 3rd week of September. Fortunately the weekend we went to the beach, the sun is very bright which actually lately we have been missing  the sun especially with torrential rains and thunderstorms especially in the afternoon.

We went first to Don Wai Market, a popular riverside market in the suburban town of Nakhon Pathom. Hundreds of tasty desserts and foods can be bought in this market gaining huge popularity to Bangkokians due to its proximity to the capital. We went there very early in the morning. Fortunately, the weather is not too warm and the crowd is not as much. They say in the afternoon or Sundays, the corridors of the market is so full you can barely walk. Many stalls sell the very sumptuous boiled duck. Really, while writing this piece, I am salivating just imagining back the palatable ducks we saw in the shops! 

 
After buying some foods, we headed to a Sukiyaki Restaurant in Ban Pong near Nakhon Pathom. The Eat-all-you-can Sukiyaki (similar to what you see in MK Restaurants) costs only 99 Baht per person including refillable drinks. Of course there is not as many selection as that of MK Restaurant but for 99 Baht, how can you complain. You need to finish within the allotted time of 90 minutes otherwise, all the foods left will be charged at 20 Baht per 100 grams. It is actually an ample time to finish the lunch. My group consumed all the food in our table including dessert for only 1 hour sharp!

 
Then we headed off to Cha-Am Beach.

 
We stayed at the Grand Pacific Sovereign Resort and Spa, a 5 Star Resort offering a stunning view of the sea and has 3 level swimming pool. With the promotional rate they are offering right now, it is indeed value for money. The Coffee shop has a wide range of Breakfast item including crispy bacon (my favorite!) and a big salad bar.

The Hotel room is spacious with full amenities like own private balcony, a day bed, separate shower area and bath tub.

We had our dinner in the Hotel’s Italian Restaurant– Celestino and the food is visually appealing as well as appetizing. A perfect match over a glass or two of their Italian Red wine.

After dinner, we headed to the famous Hua Hin Market which is less than 20 minutes away by car. Wide range of Thai desserts and various delicacies are available and not to mention seafood restaurants. Since we are still full right after dinner, I only bought a cup of ice cream worth 25 Baht for 3 scoops with many toppings to choose from. This ice cream kiosk is really so popular that you have to go through a long queue before reaching the counter.

Equally mouth-watering are the dried barbecued squid with spicy dipping, boiled sweet corn, roasted duck or chicken. Also popular is the rotee bread with either banana, egg or banana and egg filling. The best part is the foods being sold are very cheap!

After we checked out of the hotel, we had our lunch in “Dang Seafood Restaurant” located in Samut Songkran on the way back to Bangkok. This restaurant started with just few tables in its dining area and has expanded many times since then.

You can view the kitchen from the dining area which is quite big. My colleague said one cook will only prepare 1 or 2 kinds of dishes so they can prepare it very fast. True enough, less than 10 minutes after we ordered, all the foods were served in our tables. The best dish for me is the deep fried fish which is very crispy and tasty and the steamed prawns.

My spice level is not same as Thai but the dipping sauce full of chilli is really very nice and not to mention sweat-provoking. LOL. I was joking them my tissue consumption is more than the shells or fish bones in my plate as I had to wipe my sweat a lot after eating the spicy food.
This was my 2nd time in Hua Hin/Cha-Am. Last year was with some of my Filipino friends. I would love to go back to this place soon which is much more quiet and family-friendly than Pattaya.

Debido a me deje la cámara q suelo utilizar estas fotos están echas con otra cámara cuando pueda subo las fotos de la otra cámara jeje soy un desastre, espero q os gusten las fotos, un saludo!

paella de tomate seco y ajo y verduras braseadas

sikuyaki con soja texturizada, tofu, fideos, borraja, cebolla, shitakes y setas raras chinas jeje

sobras jaja

ensalada de trigo con habas

"chorizo" vegetal casero en tostada

seitan con guisantes y patatas

macedonia de gelatinas de agar agar

bok choy salteado con ajo y tofu salteado con salsa de soja

(katsudon – rice bowl with crumbed pork cutlet in onion and egg sauce)

It was Monday night and I was after some casual food place where we could get a little bit of drinking in order. After a consultation with my ever trusty The Age Cheap Eats, I decided what better place than an izakaya.

In case you’re not familiar, an izakaya is basically a Japanese pub and food served there are generally cheap-ish food that’s meant to be consumed with a great deal of alcohol.

(inside the restaurant)

While in Japan, we were only in an izakaya once. We stayed away from most izakaya in Japan because they tended to have a more concentration of smokers. And restaurants in Japan allowed (still does actually) smoking which seriously dampened a lot of meal experience. It was such a shame because Japanese food in general was just so, so fabulous whether you have it at a michelin-starred restaurant or your suburban pub.

Anyway, back to Izakaya Chuji, thankfully there was no smoking but there was traditional izakaya food. The dining room was decked out in a true izakaya style, very simple and casual with comfy chairs.

(salmon nigiri – $7?)

I was hungry so I started with salmon nagiri. The salmon was lovely and fresh. It was done simply but right. Fish was fresh and rice was mildly flavoured with the fish being at the right temperature. One of my foodpeeves is that many sushi places seem to approach sushi the way they approach sandwich. Incorrect. The idea of sushi is the quality of the fish, with the rice taking the side role. It’s so wrong to serve the raw fish and rice at the same temperature! The fish needs to be chilled to keep it fresh whereas if you chill the rice to that temperature, your rice will be all crunchy and dry. Tick for Izakaya Chuji.

Maya and I also decided to share some takoyaki which were basically doughy balls with some chopped vegetables and octopus. They were freshly made and I almost burnt my tongue eating them (naturally) while good,  they didn’t really stand out the way other dishes did. I also like my takoyaki with a bit of mayonaise and katsuoboshi on top but I suspect it’s Tokyo-style takoyaki, which is slightly different to the more popular, and original, Osaka-style.

(Takoyaki – $9?)

Mik had decided to forgo entree altogether and jumped into his favourite katsudon (apparently it’s what he always orders) He said it was one of the better katsudons that he had in a while, which seemed to be the general consensus of the food at Chuji. They get the simple dishes done right.

(Mik with his katsudon)

Lo and behold, Mik actually consented to being photographed for my blog (I do think my blog needs more faces on it but I’ll be damned if I’m putting pictures of myself up here and Josh has already outright refused). So here it is, the very first (and possibly last) photo of a human being you’ll see on my blog.

(teppanyaki steak – $18?)

Nicole decided on the teppanyaki steak. It came sizzling on a bed of beansprouts (Rilsta, this dish is not for you). It was very yummy and perfectly cooked (and by that I mean medium rare). Nicole only ate about half of it so it was up to me (it’s a hard job but someone has to do it) to finish it off. The beef wasn’t of a particularly expensive cut but it was well cooked so it was tender.

(nabeyaki udon – $12?)

Maya decided on a one-pot nayaki udon which came in an iron cast one-person nabe pot. It was udon soup with tempura. She said she enjoyed it. I would have liked to keep the tempura away from the soup but that’s just me.

(beef sukiyaki – $15?)

I decided on the beef sukiyaki which was beef, tofu and vegetables cooked in rich, sweet stock. The beef was a bit overcooked for my liking but all the ingredients just blended well together. I once had this dish in Singapore where the raw beef was placed on the side and I got to cook the beef to my liking.

The dish was served with raw egg which you were meant to whisk and use it as a dipping sauce. I wasn’t too game on raw egg so I just poured it into the pot.

(the sukiyaki with egg through it)

Unfortunately, with all the eating going on, we neglected to get into the drinking. But overall, I loved the simple Japanese pub fare that was served up at Chuji. Everything had an authentic Japanese touch of paying attention to details and quality of each dish. It was like being transported back to Japan (without icky smoke). I have suspicions that this will now become one of our favourite haunts!

Izakaya Chuji, 165 Lonsdale St., Melbourne City

After her father was done with his bath, he came into the room and sat down. Sachiko brought him a beer along with some snacks for the both of us, poured his beer for him, and then poured me a glass. Her father raised his glass to me, said “kompai“, cheers, and I did the same and we drank our beer. I felt kind of awkward sitting there on the tatami mat floor as I couldn’t speak Japanese and he couldn’t speak English so we just sat there for a few minutes in silence and watched the news on TV. Since I screwed up in the bath most of the food that was on the table put away.

Sachiko, meanwhile, busied herself in the kitchen and started bringing the food for our dinner into the room and placed it around the table. She also placed a portable, electric one burner stove on the table and plugged it in. On top of this she placed a large pot filled with all kinds of vegetables and turned on the heat. In front of me was a small, shallow dish that had an egg in it. I wondered what it was for and figured it would be cooked along with the dinner somehow.

Her father had finished his beer and raised his bottle towards me and said something I didn’t understand. By his gesture I gathered that he wanted me to drink up. I did, and he poured me another glass and poured one for himself. The Japanese do like their beer, I thought to myself. By now I was beginning to feel the effects of the beer as I had been drinking since my bath. I picked at the rice crackers and continued to watch a kind of slapstick comedy that was now on the TV.

There were also some, what looked like peas in the pod, in a bowl on the table. The father would grab one and squeeze the “peas” into his mouth and place the empty pod into another bowl. Not wanting to look unsociable I also tried one. The pod was a little wet and there was salt on it. I squeezed the “peas” into my mouth and boy did they taste good. I had another and another and almost couldn’t stop myself from eating them.

After a while the pot started to boil and the heat was turned down a little. Sachiko then brought in a large plate of the paper thin slices of beef we had bought that afternoon and knelt next to me at the table. With chopsticks, she began placing pieces of the meat into the pot of boiling vegetables. Her mother came in and knelt at the table also. I thought it odd that the women were kind of kneeling and the two men were sitting cross legged. Sachiko explained that we were going to eat Sukiyaki, boiled vegetables and meat. I asked about the “peas” and mentioned how good they tasted. Sachiko said that they were soy beans, also known as edamame. I had never tasted soy beans before, but they sure were good.

I asked about her brother and sister and if they were going to eat with us. Sachiko said that her brother would be going out with his friends and that her sister would be home later.

Everyone then broke their egg into the shallow bowl and began beating it with the chopsticks. I followed suit and wondered what we were going to do with the egg so I asked Sachiko. She explained that the meat and vegetables were to be taken from the pot, dipped in the raw egg, and eaten. I found this rather repulsive as I had never eaten a raw egg before.

Everyone then started dipping their chopsticks into the pot and placed a few pieces of vegetables and meat into the bowl with the raw egg and began eating. I did the same, but was awkward with the chopsticks, so Sachiko got some for me. I looked in the bowl and saw the vegetables and meat in the raw egg and wondered what it would taste like. I took the piece of meat first and, after letting as much of the raw egg drip off the meat as possible, placed it in my mouth. Hey, this is not that bad after all. I hardly tasted the egg, but the meat was delicious. I couldn’t ever recall eating meat that was boiled like this before. I then tried the vegetables and they were pretty good too. I then followed suit with the family and we all ate while watching the comedy on TV.

Sachiko explained that the raw egg is supposed to cool off the hot meat and vegetables before eating while adding a little flavor to the already flavorful food. There were also some vegetables and large mushrooms that I had never tasted before, but they were all delicious. And so was the beer that seemed to never end.

I couldn’t quite grasp the concept of the TV show we were watching, but everyone was laughing. It seemed that mostly everyone was yelling at each other and then, one person would slap the other in the head and the audience would roar with laughter. A few skits were shown that showed a Samurai type scene, men dressed as women, a scene in a house, etc. It seemed to be live and performed on a stage in some large hall. One thing I did notice was that there were no commercials.

As soon as I had finished a glass of beer, it was filled again. Sometimes, her father would hold up a bottle towards me and gesture me to drink while my glass was still half full. I drank up and soon was beginning to get drunk. I noticed that, after a while, her fathers face was really pink. The women drank too, but not us much as her father and I. There was a little small talk, but mostly we all sat in silence, while eating, drinking and watching TV.

Sachiko explained that the TV show we were watching was the most popular comedy show in Japan and was on every Saturday night. I still couldn’t get it, but everyone else seemed to enjoy it. I asked about the commercials and she said that this was NHK, the public television station, and that there weren’t any.

All in all dinner lasted about an hour and a half and everyone was full. I continued eating the soy beans which I found very delicious and addicting. The mother seemed happy that I enjoyed them and made another large bowl after the table was cleared.

After the comedy show was over, the father switched the station to a police drama type of show. This I found fairly interesting and easy to follow, even though I didn’t understand the language. Sachiko and her mother washed the dishes in the kitchen.

After we had finished our fourth beer or so, the father said something to me and I understood the word whiskey. He yelled something into the kitchen and soon a small tray with two glasses, a bucket of ice, and a pitcher of water was brought in along with a bottle of whiskey. The two glasses were placed on the table and the father filled them with ice.

“Whiskey wada,” he said. “You like?”

I had never had whiskey and water before, but feeling rather good, nodded my head and said “yes”. He poured a little whiskey into the glasses from a small, dark, round bottle with a yellow label on it. The label said Suntory. He then filled the remainder of the glass with water.

“Disu izu mizu wari“, he said, pointing at the glass. “Whisky Wada.”

His accent was funny in English, but I knew what he meant. Now I was really getting drunk and my shyness and inhibitions started to fade into the background. The father and I started speaking with Sachiko being the interpreter. I don’t remember much of what was said, but I do remember us laughing a lot. I also don’t know how it happened, but I vaguely remember myself standing up in that room and singing like an idiot while the parents and Sachiko laughed. I was told later the next day that I put on a one man comedy show for them. I didn’t know it at the time, but I guess I was singing karaoke before karaoke was cool.

The next thing I remember is waking up in the morning, groggy, still a little drunk, but with no headache like I was accustomed to after a night of heavy drinking. I put on the sweats and stumbled into the warm kitchen. The parents and Sachiko were already in there and were eating breakfast. Her younger brother and older sister were in the parent’s room watching TV. Everyone looked my way and said “Ohayo“, good morning. I said “ohayo“ in return and took a seat at the table. Coffee was made for me.

I was asked if I wanted something to eat and I said that I would like to have some of that delicious toast I had yesterday. The toast was made and a small bowl of soup was put in front of me that had some small clams in the shell in it. This I found very tasty and ate a couple of bowls of it. I had never eaten clams before.

Her father talked, through Sachiko, about the previous evening and how much fun he had had. I thought I must’ve made a real fool of myself with my singing and antics, but no one seemed to mind.

It was only later on, as I came to learn more and more about the Japanese culture, that drinking helps the Japanese relax and it’s perfectly okay to make a fool out of oneself and “let your hair down”, so to speak, when inebriated.

I mentioned to Sachiko that I was surprised I didn’t have a headache with the amount of alcohol I drank the previous evening. She said that she gave me an aspirin before I went to bed and passed out. I didn’t even remember it. She said an aspirin before bed, after drinking alcohol, will prevent a headache. I’ll have to remember that, I thought to myself.

Anyway, we finished our breakfast and I washed and brushed my teeth at the sink and we all ended up in the family room sitting on the floor watching TV for the remainder of the morning. They drinking their tea and I my coffee. We also ate some tangerines that the mother placed in a small wicker bowl on the table. After a while, the older sister got dressed and left and the brother went to his room. The mother washed dishes and Sachiko did the wash and hung out the bedding.

What was different this morning was that there was no wooden table. Instead there was a kotatsu. I particularly enjoyed this. With the sun shining into the room, the kerosene heater lit with the kettle of water hissing on top, and my feet warmed by the kotatsu, it was a real cozy atmosphere and, for some unknown reason, I felt like I belonged there.

The father laid on the floor while reading the paper and I, also, “read” the paper, or rather looked at the pictures and strange writing. I was more interested in the advertisements inserted in the paper. There’s nothing you can’t get in this country, and the prices are pretty decent, I remember thinking to myself. I was most interested in the electronics ads than anything else.

At around 1pm, it was time for lunch. Sachiko mentioned that they were going to order lunch and asked what I would like. I was given a few options and selected the pork on rice, also known as katsudon. The mother made a phone call and after about 30 minutes our lunch was delivered by a man on a scooter.

I was little surprised that lunch was delivered in real glass bowls. I was half expecting paper boxes much like a Chinese restaurant in the states. The plates were placed around the table and everyone ate while watching TV. I found the katsodon extremely tasty and enjoyed it very much.

After lunch, the plates were gathered up and placed outside. Sachiko said that the store would come by later in the day to pick them up.

At about 3 pm I mentioned that I had to be getting back to the base as I had to get up early the next morning and I asked about how to get home. Sachiko mentioned something to her father and the father yelled something to the brother. Sachiko then said that her brother would drive me back to the base.

We then went into Sachiko’s room where I changed clothes. What surprised me was that my underclothes and socks were washed. Sachiko said that she had washed them that morning. I felt kind of embarrassed about this, but didn’t say anything.

When it was time to leave, I said “domo arrigato”, thank you, to the parents (one of the few phrases I knew in Japanese) and bowed a little as I had seen the Japanese do to each other. The parents said they were glad to meet me and hoped that I would visit again. I secretly hoped that I would also.

The three of us left the house and walked a short distance to the parking area where her brother’s car was parked. He owned a brand new, dark green, 1973 Nissan Skyline (courtesy of his parents who bought it for his graduation from high school); one of the coolest looking sports cars in Japan at that time. Cool, I said to myself. Sachiko got in the back and I rode in the front.

As we drove the narrow streets back to the base, Sachiko and I talked a little. I asked if I could see her again and she said, “Sure”. She wrote her phone number down on a piece of paper and I tucked it away carefully in my wallet.

During the drive home her brother hardly said a word except to Sachiko to ask where the base was. I knew the city name and train station name and the adjoining city, but that was it. I had no idea how to get home by car. He managed to find it anyway. He never spoke directly to me and I still had the feeling that he didn’t much like me, even though we were about a year and a half apart in age. Maybe he didn’t like Americans dating his sister, but I thought that that couldn’t be it as he already had two sisters married to Americans. Maybe two were enough for him. Oh well.

The drive from her house to the base, about 30 kilometers (18 miles), took almost an hour. The traffic on route 16 this Sunday afternoon was horrendous. It was mostly stop and go all the way. I couldn’t get over that most of the backup on this two lane “highway” was mostly due to traffic signals and the massive number of cars. I also noticed that a majority of the cars were white and contained families or couples. I also remember noticing that when there was a family in the car, the wife was always in the back.

When we weren’t talking, I mostly stared out the window at the small shops, houses, signs, and took everything in while thinking about the most intriguing weekend I had ever experienced. The sun began to set and Sachiko pointed out Mt. Fuji to the left. You could clearly make out the top third of the snow covered mountain standing tall just over the Tanzawa Mountains to the west. What a majestic site.

Once at the base, I signed them in and we drove the short distance to my living quarters. There I said “domo arrigato” to her brother. He nodded his head, said something I didn’t understand, and I exited the car. I moved the seat forward so Sachiko could get out. When she was outside the car, I reached down, clasped both her hands in mine and, looking into her eyes, squeezed them and said “Thanks for a very interesting weekend. I really enjoyed it.”

She looked back at me, squeezed my hands in return, and said, “You’re welcome. I enjoy too.” I kissed her on her cheek, said I would call her, and held the door open as she got into the front seat. She looked up and me, smiled, and said “mata neh,” “see you again”. I closed the door and waved as they made a u-turn and headed back down the street to the gate.

I did call Sachiko the next day, and the day after, and the day after that. I saw her the following weekend, spent it at her house again, and continued seeing her as often as I could. I spent many a weekend at her house and eventually started working with her father and brother on Saturdays.

We eventually fell in love and were married in a civil ceremony at the American Embassy and the city hall in late spring of 1975 with the blessings of her parents. As her parents were not well off, and neither was I for that matter, there was no formal wedding.

I’d like to say that we lived happily ever after, but such was not the case. After I decided to get out of the military two years later and enter a university in Tokyo our standard of living declined somewhat and I insisted that I did not want any children until I at least graduated from university and found steady employment. I guess the insecurity of not having a steady paycheck, a free place to live and access to the base stores kind of took its toll and things started to go downhill as the life of a student was probably not the life she “envisioned”. Besides, to be totally honest, having been married way before I matured and allowing my “small head” to do the “thinking” instead of my large head, I still had a “wandering eye” and ended up having an affair which was discovered and, Japanese women, once hurt like that rarely, if ever, forgive.

Even after our amicable divorce, in 1978, we remained friends and did have a couple of dates. We almost got back together in 1980, but fate would not allow it as it probably wasn’t meant to be. She did upgrade herself though, and through mutual friends I heard she ended up marrying a US Naval Officer and I hope she found the happiness I failed to give her.

In my opinion, given the Japanese economy at the time and the birth of its beginnings as a major industrial power, I feel that maybe she was one of the last generation of Japanese women that married US servicemen or foreigners for a “better life” outside of Japan. Not that I thought she didn’t love me or anything as I know she did. Today, the Japanese economy equals or exceeds the standards of the US and I doubt very much that Japanese women marry foreigners for a better lifestyle, but that will have to be explained at another time.

However, I did meet and made quite a few friends through her sister and the people she worked with as we used to hang out and travel together often; one of which is still my closest and dearest friend today. He was my best man when I got married again in 1988.

Even today, some three and a half decades later, I still think of Sachiko and her family. I wonder what she is doing, hope she found the happiness I failed to giver her and I smile when I remember that weekend totally immersed in the Japanese culture for the first time when I had been in Japan for only one month.

I smile at how awkward I was, the blunder of the bath, my shock at her sister sleeping in the room, and the little discoveries I made and the things I learned. The food I tasted, the coldness, the kindness of her parents, and my first introduction into all things Japanese. And I sincerely hope she eventually found happiness, even though it wasn’t with me, as she and her family were really nice people and treated me great throughout the three years we spent together. She at least deserved that.

Even if our relationship wasn’t meant to be, maybe that weekend was, as I came to truly love Japan and the culture, and ended up staying in Japan for more than 15 years after we parted and opening up my own English school.

That weekend totally change my life and pointed me in a whole new direction that, I often wonder today, where I would’ve ended up had I not met Sachiko. There is a saying that, “everything happens for a reason,”and “there are NO coincidences in life.” I am sure, for reasons I cannot explain here, that when I look back over it maybe it was supposed to happen. Who knows?

To Sachiko and her family, I thank you. I thank you for welcoming me, a foreigner, into your family when I was a complete stranger and introducing me to life and culture in Japan, a place that I now call home.

I don’t know about you but I love SUKIYAKI. I never missed to try having that warm broth everytime we eat Japanese.  That sweet soyed stock that fused well with tender beef strips and some veggies, glass noodles and the softest tofu, served with a fresh egg  is always a comfort food for me especially on a rainy cold weather.  And Omakase’s sukiyaki, may not be the best in the Metro, but was still good to satisfy my craving for that soothing soup :D

I’ve read quite a number of posts about this Japanese restaurant in Intrepid Plaza, Libis, Quezon City called Omakase but it took months and for them to have another branch in Il Terrazo, Tomas Morato before we sampled some of its must-try goodies.

Omakase (お任せ^?) is a Japanese phrase that means “It’s up to you” (from 任す, entrust).

The expression is used at sushi restaurants to leave the selection to the chef. It differs from ordering à la carte. The chef will generally present a series of plates, beginning with the lightest fare and proceeding to heaviest, richest dishes. The phrase is not exclusive to service of raw fish with rice, and can incorporate grilling and simmering as well.Customers ordering omakase style expect the chef to be innovative and surprising in the selection of dishes, and the meal can be likened to an artistic performance by the chef. Ordering omakase can be a gamble; however, the customer typically receives the highest quality fish the restaurant currently has in stock at a price cheaper than if it was ordered à la carte. From the restaurant’s perspective, a large number of customers ordering omakase can help in planning for food costs. —>SOURCE.

Last Saturday’s lunch was another new foodtrip experience for us.  My wife Tina, our son Gabby and I went to Il Terrazo again, to try the much-talked about sushi from OMAKASE.

Isn’t that maki made of kani or crab meat,  topped with fish roe or ebiko with sesame seeds and that so flavorful salmon skin just perfect ?  It might not be an authentic Japanese maki or it’s only a delicious fusion of East-meets-West cuisine, but heck, it now officially reigns supreme on my list! sarap!

This is what they call JURASSIC MAKI, PhP 280+.

I was geared to order JCS : Jurassic, Crazy and Seabreeze Maki, a platter of combination of 3 specialties from Omakase but my queen begged off.  Tina thought that we might not finish everything on that monstrous servings and having sushi as to-go would not be a good idea as sushi and sashimi are ideally eaten fresh immediately once served.  So I obediently reserved the other makis to our furture visits.

How can you resist those salmon skins on that Jurassic maki?

To make it even more tasty, a plate of Omakase’s Jurassic maki is served with a thick sauce similar to soy sauce & mayonnaise consistency, but I am guessing it’s more than those two ingredients.  Sans this sauce, Jurassic maki is still superb.  

And there’s my favorite SUKIYAKI, PhP 250+.  The best Sukiyaki I’ve tasted was from UMU at DUSIT THANI’s FAMILY SUNDAY BRUNCH but as I’ve stated, Omakase’s version does not disappoint.

Our 4-year-old son Gabby was excited to add in the fresh egg to the medium-sized bowl of that warm Sukiyaki.  He really dreams of becoming a chef one day, lol.

Gabby enjoyed 7 out of 10 pieces of these KANI TEMPURA, PhP 145+

I asked my wife is she wanted to try the rice bowl toppings of Omakase or the other entrees from the menu, but she decided to eat light (believe me, this was one of our lightest meals, lol) that day and settled for SEAFOOD DUMPLINGS, PhP 250+.

The  SEAFOOD DUMPLINGS are also a must-try from Omakase.  It’s a combination of fish and other calcium and iodine-rich ingredients wrapped in nori  deep-fried to its crispiest.  Its  sauce is different from that of takoyaki we sampled from Hana at Little Tokyo and from food stalls everywhere.

It was indeed another satiating and heart warming food trip!

OMAKASE JAPANESE CUISINE, UG Il Terrazzo, Sct Madrinan, corner Tomas Morato.

After I was done with breakfast, Sachiko cleared the table and washed the dishes. I was then asked if I wanted to wash up. Of course I did. Sachiko motioned me to the kitchen sink with a pale blue plastic basin in it. She turned on the hot water heater and let the water run into the basin along with cold water from the faucet. She brought me a yellow plastic cup with a funny looking comic cat on it, a small towel, and a new toothbrush.

What? Do I brush my teeth and wash up right here in the kitchen sink? I thought to myself. Isn’t there any separate room for this? It seemed that no there wasn’t and that’s the way it was. I did my morning ritual right there in the kitchen. How strange I remember thinking. I wonder if everyone in the family did this. I found out that, yes, they did. There was no separate room for washing up. Even in my own apartment some years later, all washing and the brushing of teeth was done in the kitchen sink as there was only one sink.

After I was done, I sat down and watched the activity going on around me. The mother began to wash clothes. She brought out a basketful of clothes and exited the house through the door next to the china cabinet.  I thought it odd that the washing machine was located outside the house. But in Japan at that time, most washing machines were located outside the house, especially apartments. I guess this was in the interest of saving space.

Japanese washing machines were the smallest I had ever seen! They were like toys that my sisters might get for Christmas or something. You would wash a few items on the right and then you would transfer them to the spinner on the left to spin out the water. You could only wash one or two pairs of jeans at a time or three shirts, or 5 t-shirts and your drawers. Afterwards, you would take out the clothes, untangle them, and hang them on the clothes pole outside the house. One could have any color washing machine they wanted as long as it was white. Dryers were unheard of back then. If one had a couple of kids, it would take at least a couple of hours to wash clothes. Then you had to iron them to take out the wrinkles. I know as I had one of these when I had my own apartment later on. By the way, the washing of clothes is done every single day by housewives.

Sachiko, meanwhile, busied herself by taking out all the futons and mattresses from the closets in the three other rooms and hung the them over the clothes pole located outside of every room to air them out.

Also, even though it was quite cold outside by my standards, all the windows in the house were opened, and the rooms were aired out. I became a little chilly and warmed myself by sitting near the kerosene heater.

After she was finished with that I went with Sachiko on my first trip to a Japanese supermarket to buy what we were having for dinner that night: Sukiyaki. This was my first foray into Japan without any people from the base.

We left the house about noon and boarded a bus for the 15 min ride to the train station where the supermarket was located. I found it pretty interesting that you boarded the bus at the back and paid when you exited the front. The two lane main thoroughfare was so narrow that I was sure a car would hit us or that this huge bus would hit a light pole, a bicycle, or something. There were also no sidewalks, and the storefronts were located literally a foot or so from the street. With all the people, cars, bicycles, busses and taxis around we just snaked our way through, and it seemed that I was the only one who was nervous. I just stared out the window taking it all in with childlike awe. As in the house, it seemed that all the store fronts had doors that slid open to enter or exit. Also, Japan had some of the smallest cars I had ever seen and it also seemed that everyone rode a bicycle.

The supermarket was crowded. More so than anything I had ever experienced before. Also, a Japanese supermarket is really quite small compared to the behemoths I was accustomed to stateside.  Most major department stores in Japan have a super market located on the first floor or in the basement. There were also many, many (more than I had ever seen before) bicycles parked neatly in front of the department store. There must’ve been at least a hundred or so. And every single bicycle had a basket on the front for the carrying of groceries and such.

There we purchased the meat (paper thin slices of beef), eggs, vegetables, another loaf of the bread that I thought was so delicious that morning and a few other things. The loaf of bread was just four slices of really thick bread! I just stared in amazement as I watched everyone bustling about with their little baskets in their hand. Every counter we passed had at least two or three women behind it, all dressed in white, selling everything from cookies and candies, to breads and cakes. It was noisy with all the chatter going on that I could not understand. The words I heard most often were “domo arrigato”, thank you, and “irashaimase”, welcome. (Literally “walk up”)

Looking at the items on the food shelves with writing that I could not understand, I still found it hard to believe that I was actually living in a foreign country and experiencing a culture that was so alien to anything I had ever experienced before. I also began to learn my first words in Japanese: pan (bread), nikku (meat), tomago (egg), yasai (vegetable), etc.

One thing stood out here that I quickly noted: Before arriving in Japan the previous month, I had assumed, and was told, that Japan was a poor country, kind of backwards and was not at all like America. I expected a country similar to the pictures one saw on TV of Viet Nam, Africa or some other third world country. How wrong they were back home. They really were ignorant. Other than being on a smaller scale than America, to me, Japan was no different than the US. It was modern on the outside, was as full of life as New York, and the supermarket was packed with all kinds of food. I was kind of expecting to find the shelves half bare like I used to see of the old Soviet Union on TV. There was almost nothing that I could get back home that I couldn’t get in Japan.

Anyway, we made our purchases and, before heading home, stopped for lunch. Sachiko asked what I’d like for lunch and I mentioned the “spaghetti soup” I so much enjoyed the previous night. She told me that it was called ramen and we could get it anywhere. She selected a small place and we went on inside. We sat at the counter and she mentioned the types of ramen that they had. I selected the soy sauce flavored ramen with butter and corn, also known as “shoyu kon batta.”

Other than my feeble attempt that morning with the pickles, this was my first real experience on learning how to eat with chop sticks. Sachiko was patient with me and I quickly learned. Although I was a little awkward at first, I managed to finish the entire bowl. Man was it good.

One thing I learned from this experience, though, is that it’s perfectly alright to slurp your noodles into your mouth while eating ramen (or soba or udon for that matter). This took me a few minutes to get used to as I was taught that it was very impolite to slurp ones food. It also took me a while to get accustomed to everyone else slurping theirs. It was a little grating on the ears at first and somewhat bothered me, but I put up with it and slurped my own. Sachiko explained that slurping helps to cool off the ramen as it is sucked up and is a whole lot easier to eat. A whole lot easier to eat yes, but I didn’t think it cooled it off any. Blowing on it helped more than anything. Also, as I learned that morning, it was perfectly acceptable to raise the bowl to your lips and drink directly from it rather than use a spoon. I noticed that everyone did it.

After lunch we headed back home to what was to be a very interesting night and a pretty big faux pas on my part.

Sachiko and I talked on the way home about the previous night and morning and my surprise, and somewhat anger, about her parents being there and all. I also mentioned how relieved I was about her parents not being upset and being so nice to me. She went on to explain that, in Japan, taking a friend home for the evening is nothing unusual whether it be a male or female. Sleeping in the same room with the opposite sex is also nothing unusual. She said that she could tell from the conversation with me the previous night that I was not one of “those types” who were just out for sex. She said she felt comfortable with me and believed I really wanted to be her friend which was why she invited me home.

I did confess to her, however, that I was looking forward to a night of bliss, but after seeing her sister sleeping there in the room, that feeling quickly vanished. We both laughed and had more small talk on the way home.

I asked her where she learned her English and she said that she had studied it in high school, from her other sisters, and from listening to the Armed Forces Radio Network. I was impressed at her ability. Although not fluent, I had no problem understanding her, unlike some of the girls I had met so far.

“Does your father always work on Saturdays?” I asked.

“Yes. He works six days a week,” she answered.

I was surprised at this answer and mentioned that we only work five days a week in America. She went on to explain that almost all people work on Saturdays in Japan. I learned that sararimen, businessmen, work a half a day on Saturdays and that even school is held for half a day on Saturdays. She usually worked on Saturdays also, but had scheduled in advance to have this day off. I was really surprised and somewhat impressed at how much the Japanese worked. Just being out of high school less than a year myself, I really couldn’t quite grasp the concept that kids really attended school on Saturdays!

I was really beginning to like this woman. With her long, black, straight hair, and her height, she really was a good looking woman. Plus, she had a nice personality to boot. What if we were to……, I remember thinking to myself as I stared into her eyes while we talked. Naaaah, you just met the woman, I thought to myself. Then I remembered that I told her I was 22 when I was really 18. It kind of bothered me, but I put it out of my mind for now. Just enjoy the moment, I thought to myself. Besides, we may not even be seeing each other next month.  Sachiko did mention however, that I looked kind of young for my age.

We arrived home later in the afternoon and we went into Sachiko’s room where she placed a few zabuton, cushions on the floor around the small table. She lifted off the top of the table, placed a thick quilt over the top and removed a wire from underneath which she plugged into the wall. She then placed the top back on and turned the switch located on the wire.

She explained that this is what is called a kotatsu, a foot warmer so to speak. I sat on one of the zabuton and placed my feet underneath and it really began to heat up under there. It really felt good to the feet. I looked under the quilt and there was a large, red, heat lamp underneath. She also brought out the kerosene heater which heated the room nicely. After a while it was really comfortable in the room and I removed my coat.

Looking back on it, I was in admiration at the economy of a Japanese house. No central heating, but every room was heated, as needed, with a kerosene heater which did the job quite well. Each room was closed off from the other rooms to provide privacy and warmth. There was no hot water heater so to speak of as the water was heated instantly by the propane hot water heater located over the sink. Very economical.

She then brought in a thermos of hot water, two small cups, a small, rust colored tea pot and a small plate of osenbei, rice crackers. She then made me my first cup of cha, green tea. The green tea was kind of bitter to my taste and very hot, but I sipped it anyway and didn’t let on. The rice crackers were delicious. Some were wrapped in black, dried, paper-like seaweed that I had seen on the table that morning, and they really tasted great. She also brought in a portable radio and tuned it to 810am FEN (The US Armed Forces Radio, also known as the Far East Network. FEN was every serviceman’s, and ex-patriots connection to back home.) We talked more, while drinking our tea and after a while I began to feel sleepy and lay down. Sachiko brought me a pillow, and I fell asleep with my feet toasty warm under the kotatsu.

It was about 5pm, and close to dark, when I woke up.  I headed on into the kitchen and sat at the table. I felt perfectly comfortable there now. Sachiko made me a cup of coffee and I just sat there watching her and her mother prepare dinner. They washed the vegetables, cabbage and some other vegetables I didn’t recognize; prepared the raw meat on a huge plate, cut up the oshinko, Japanese pickles, and placed everything on a large, rectangular, wooden table located in the room to the right of the genkan, entranceway, and off the kitchen. This was the parents sleeping room and also served as the family room for watching TV and eating dinner. I noticed that the table was low to the floor and it seemed that everyone would be sitting on the floor while eating dinner. Cool, I thought.

Her mother said something to her in Japanese and Sachiko asked if I’d like to take a bath before dinner. I thought about it and said, “No thanks, I took a shower last night.” I preferred showers anyway. Besides, I didn’t have a change of underwear I told her. (How American!)

“Don’t worry,” she said. “We have new ones of my brothers; they should fit.” She then leaned over to me and whispered, “In Japan we take a bath every night. It’s custom.”

Ohhhh kay, I guess I better take one, I thought. “Sure, I’ll take one,” I told her.

She then went into a room next to the toilet and came back out. “It’s heating up. It’ll be ready in about 40 minutes,” she said.

Heating up? Why don’t you just run the hot water? I thought. I remembered about the hot water heater over the kitchen sink and figured that was how the bath was being made, but I didn’t hear any water running. After a while all I heard was a kind of hissing and rumbling sound from the bath room.

Sachiko re-entered the bath room a few times during the next 30 or so minutes and I heard water swishing around. What she was doing was mixing the water as it heated up. Soon it was ready and I was about to take my first Japanese bath.

I was also about to make a major cultural blunder that I still remember to this day with laughter and some embarrassment. However, like my entire experience that day so far, it was a learning experience that I would never forget.

To be continued…….

Ue o Muite Arukou

This is the song that you are probably familiar with. In English it was given different lyrics and the title “Sukiyaki.”

うえ　を　むいて　あるこう

なみだ　が　こぼれ　ない　よう　に

おもいだす　はる　の　に

ひとりぼっちの　よる

うえ　を　むいて　あるこう

にじん　だ　ほし　を　かぞえて

おもいだす　なつ　の　ひ

ひとり　ぼっち　の　よる

しあわせ　は　くも　の　うえ　に

しあわせ　は　そら　の　うえ　に

うえ　を　むいて　あるこう

なみだ　が　こぼれ　ない　よう　に

なきながら　あるく

ひとりぼっち　の　よる

おもいだす　あき　の　ひ

ひとりぼっち　の　よる

かなしみ　は　ほし　の　かげ　に

かなしみ　は　つき　の　かげ　に

うえ　を　むいて　あるこう

なみだ　が　こぼれ　ない　よう　に

なかながら　あるく

ひとりぼっち　の　よる

English translation

I look up as I walk

So that the tears won’t fall

Remembering those spring days

But I am all alone tonight.

I look up as I walk

Counting the stars with tearful eyes

Remembering those summer days

But I am all alone tonight

Happiness lies beyond the clouds

Happiness lies up above the sky

I look up as I walk

So that the tears won’t fall

Though the tears well up as I walk

For tonight I’m all alone

Remembering those autumn days

But I am all alone tonight

Sadness lies in the shadow of the stars

Sadness lurks in the shadow of the moon

I look up as I walk

So that the tears won’t fall

Though the tears well up as I walk

For tonight I’m all alone.

Almoço de domingo na liberdade. Fomos ao Hinode, um dos mais tradicionais restaurantes japoneses da cidade – eles dizem ser os mais tradicionais. Ambiente bonito, muito bem cuidado, sem modernidades e com estilo. Um ótimo serviço e uma comida excelente.

Comemos um sukiyaki para duas pessoas (R$ 74). Fazia tempo que eu não comia um sukiyaki. É um prato que só deve ser pedido em restaurantes tradicionais. Estava à altura da tradição. Delicioso, farto, com carnes bem finas, shimeji, shitake, conhako, tofu e todas as verduras. O molho adocicado, incrivelmente aromático e saboroso.

Mesmo sendo domingão, comemos com calma, aproveitando todos os sabores.

Recomendo!

Hinodê
www.restaurantehinode.com.br
R. Thomaz Gonzaga, 62, Liberdade
11-3208-6633
almoço: de terça a domingo das 12h às 14 (domingos até 16h)
jantar: de terça a domingo das 18h30 às 23h (domingos até 22h30)

Spent a long weekend (okay, five days, but in my head it’s still a weekend) at The Hippy’s family’s cabin.  It was The Hippy’s birthday Tuesday, so we Hippy-ed it up.  The best of:

• Shooting stars while I could still look at the sky (also known as: “Oh!  Falling bits of space debris hitting our atmosphere and burning up!  Make a wish, honey!”)
• The Hippy getting a good amount of playtime in with his nephew.  Exhibit A:

The boys watching Clifford

• Geocaching–finding two of four caches we set out to find.  There were a few others we wanted to find but weather, batteries, and an inability to find the right trail kept us from doing so.  We’re convinced the ones we couldn’t find had been removed, damaged, or muggled.
• Four-wheeling, which is eternally awesome.  Flying that a million miles an hour (okay, 25-30) going over bumps and getting great air.  Was going to learn how to drive it, but I ended up getting injured and lost my four-wheeling nerve.  I still rode it, mind you, because it’s freaking FUN, but I didn’t want to do anything more to risk killing myself.
• So, that’s the second time I’ve alluded to injuring myself…  While going over a set of bumps that were way too close together for the speed we were going (oops) my chin became very close friends with The Hippy’s shoulder blade.  For a split second I was certain I’d just dislocated my jaw–I felt it push backward when I hit.  Then I realized all the pain was in my neck and my head.  The Hippy didn’t realize how much I’d been hurt (also used to ATV-ing with his brainless friend), so he kept going, which amplified the pain in my neck and skull.  I finally got him to pull over so I could rest a little.  Thankfully we were almost at the end of the train and would very quickly be on pavement, but the remaining bumps were absolutely killer, even though he was crawling at a snail’s pace.
• Playing cribbage while under the influence of a rather strong painkiller.  Thankfully, The Hippy’s dad was feeling equally as foggy, so I didn’t feel so stupid when I couldn’t remember how to count.  Or use my fingers.  I did feel kind of embarrassed when I would start giggling and not be able to stop, though.  And I still managed to win the second game.
• No amount of painkillers–not even the strong ones–would touch the pain in my neck, so I stopped taking them.  For the most part, I’m able to move my neck without much pain now.  Only when I put my head back does it hurt.  Hence not being able to look at the stars.
• Seeing what we think is the International Space Station (or maybe the latest shuttle) fly overhead on The Hippy’s birthday.  I was able to see it before it went too far behind me.  The times check out, and it definitely wasn’t an airplane or your average satellite.

Finally…  This has nothing to do with my long weekend other than I found this video when I came home…  I remember hearing this song on KDWB when I was a kid; I even called in once to request it.  Because I botched the call so badly (mixed up the name of the song for the artist and had to be corrected by the person who took my call), this song has haunted me long past even remembering how the song went.  Until now, thanks to CrowBiz, even though she is staunchly against any English version.  Enjoy.

O frio realmente se instalou (nossa, demorou pra notar, hein?). Quer dizer, em SP faz frio, calor, depois chove. Daí que o TÔ COM FOME separou algumas dicas que combinam com o inverno e ajudam a enfrentar o friozinho de maneira muito mais agradável: com a barriga cheia.

Sukiyaki do Sukiyaki House
Fondue no Platz e no BarBolla
Chá no Khan el Khalili
Hot pot do China Lake
Lámen do Lamen Kazu
Churrasco coreano no Korea House e no BiCol
Soba do Sobaria
Pratos com curry no Thaï Gardens, Ganesh e Govinda

One of my biggest regrets in life is that I have no musical abilities.  I have never received any training whatsoever and cannot read music nor play an instrument, but I can pick out a simple tune by figuring out the notes.  Sheer persistence will not spirit me to Carnegie Hall any time soon.  My biggest claim to fame is that I figured out the famous segments from Deep Purple’s “Smoke On the Water” and Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” – for my son’s sake – and an assortment of other clunky note-after-note arrangements of songs no one would want to hear anyway.  For a short time in my adult life I had a flea market accordian, and as far as a lot of people are concerned, the less said about it the better.  My two songs were “Beer Barrel Polka,” naturally, and a hard-to-detect version of “Wipe Out.”  I’ve been threatening a midlife  drum lesson crisis; the family is rightfully worried yet ambivalent; they know drumming would serve as a general stress/rage outlet which they’d be forced to endure, but it would also mean I’d be less likely to take out my frustrations directly on them.  Life is all about trade-offs.

Singing, however, seems like something I could tackle.  Everyone can sing.  Not well, but everyone technically can do it.  And so I do.  Since the boys were babies, I’ve been singing out loud without embarrassment, as infants and toddlers are very receptive to Nat King Cole standards and other gems.  Now that they’re old enough to be embarrassed by and for me, I’ve upped the mortifaction potential by trying a few songs in foreign languages.  My version of “Sur Les Quais du Vieux Paris” is decent, what with my passing toddler-level French and a lot of gusto.

Next is one I’ve been wishing to master for years:  ”Sukiyaki.”  The most famous version was done by Kyu Sakamoto, who saw it become a hit in 1963.  It’s a charmingly mournful song with its xylophone melody (? I told you I have no musical knowledge) and whistling interlude.  Here’s some sort of pre-video version of it that is equal parts dreary, cute, and puzzling.  Though I hardly have to point it out, notice the requisite Godzilla-like lip-asynching.  For a love song, it’s also creepy how Sakamoto dreamily runs his hands along a bunch of filthy 55-gallon industrial drums and walks through what may be chemical run-off puddles.

Unfortunately, this song has been covered many times, and every cover I’ve uncovered is dreck.  Worst are the versions that use the “Sukiyaki” melody with invented English lyrics.  The disco group A Taste Of Honey did a 70s version.  Yep, there’s a rap version.  Most pitiful was a country version I unearthed by a Hank Billy Wayne Bobby Pickens, Jr. or some such.  Why bother?  Aren’t there more important things to do – find a cure for cancer, mow a lawn somewhere?

Even sadder than the misguided covers is Kyu Sakamoto’s untimely death in the deadliest single airplane disaster in history in 1985, in which over 500 people perished.  Adding to this sadness is that as a 21-year-old college swingle, I knew about Sakamoto, “Sukiyaki,” and the crash at the time.  I knew the death count and that there had been a few survivors, including a couple of children.  This blog category isn’t called “corny” for nothing.

So far, I’ve covered a bit of the good, the bad and the ugly.  Now get ready for some awesome.  In my search for lyrics, I found one cover of “Sukiyaki” that, if you have human blood in your veins, should knock your socks off.  Forget the honky-tonk burlesque instrumentation.  Overlook his Nordic-patterned sweater and shocking resemblance to Buddy Hackett.  If this guy isn’t one of the most honest and spirited things you’ve seen online in a long while, then you’re a fool and you should just go back to watching farting dogs, snap dancing and William Hung for your unexamined kicks.  When he stops “la la la”-ing and sits quietly looking dead at you, then adjusts his glasses, you’ll know.

As for my own never-to-be-recorded “Sukiyaki,” progress is going nicely.  Phonetically, I find it very easy to handle and it’s mostly a matter of memory, but in a couple days I ought to have it nailed.  Karaoke night is waiting.

Seasonal Asparagus Tempura

Tempura is crunchy, hot, and delicious.  Lightly battered and fried in rice oil, this traditional dish is one of Modesto Sukiyaki’s specialties.  Dip into steamy sauce and enjoy with a bowl of rice.

Enjoy one of our four tempura dinners served with miso soup, steamed white rice and tempura dipping sauce.

Shrimp Tempura - Combination of shrimp and vegetables

Chicken Tempura – Combination of chicken and vegetables

Ika (Calamari) Tempura – Combination of squid and vegetables

Vegetarian Tempura -  Potatoes, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, and mushrooms.

Yesterday, I successfully convinced my wife, Tina with our four-year-old son, Gabby, to come with me and experience a quaint area that I wanted to visit ever since I’ve read about it from random blogs. Since we all are self-proclaimed foodies, there was no effort on my part to be so compelling that the little compound of  small restaurants owned by Japanese chefs is really a must-see and a must-try.  

At half hour past 3 in the afternoon, Gabby and I went to Gateway Mall to meet Tina from work. After she arrived, we didn’t waste a minute and headed straight to Makati City.  The place was along Chino Roces, formerly Pasong Tamo and near Amorsolo Street. It has two entrances – one facing Plaza Fair/Makati Cinema Square (yes, they are still on operation, business must have been good, LOL !) and the other gate was at the other side of the street I failed to recall.  I was so happy that we went here…  

On way there, my son curiously asked me if we need to fly airplane to reach Little Tokyo.    For people like us who haven’t been to Japan, this place is a nice find until one day that we get to tour and experience the ’real thing’.  

My heart rate became slightly rapid when I saw the flame red torii  or  that traditional Japanese gate.  Needless to say, I was unobtrusively excited.  Even Gabby was eager to be there because it was totally different from our usual Glorietta-Greenbelt-Landmark-Glorietta-SM-routine that we usually do when we’re in Makati. 

Little Tokyo in Makati is adjacent to so many Japanese restaurants, a spa and two exclusively Japanese groceries.  As soon as we walked through it, I was never surprised to see the small compound with a welcoming beautiful zen garden and an ambiance that brought us a slice of a city in the Land of the Rising Sun.

It was a fresh experience to dine where ambiance is not only authentic but impressive.   

There are seats and tables for al fresco dining from each restaurant.  But we preferred to eat inside and cross our legs in front of a Japanese table.  

We tried two restaurants.  Yes, we dined there yesterday afternoon not once but twice   Our first stop was HANA…

Hana was the first resto at Little Tokyo that greeted us.  The waitresses clad in white blouses and black pants were courteous, even offered us the small VIP room at the end of the small Jap nook without an extra charge.  The small room had a flat screen TV on the wall, air condition unit, an exhaust fan, a table good for less than 10 people I guess and so I tried crossing my legs and sat on this…

I like the print of this throw pillow or whatever they call it in Japan.  

Now, here are the yummies we ordered….

Gabby was the first one to received his order.  It was RAMUNE, PhP 60.  It’s flavored finely shaved ice that reminded me of snow cone   It’s available in melon, peach, lemon, orange, strawberry, grape flavors and you may opt to add milk to it but our little boy wanted it plain. Gabby had his Ramune as the same color with his shirt and mind you, it was not wasabi flavor   but bubble gum; it’s OK and wasn’t irritatingly sweet.  Gabby was happy with Ramune.  

SUKIYAKI PLATE, PhP 250 

I’ve tasted the best Sukiyaki, IMO, from Umu -the Japanese restaurant in DUSIT THANI HOTEL’s FAMILY SUNDAY BRUNCH that we’ve tried few months ago but Hana’s SUKIYAKI PLATE was not disappointing. It was only unique from the usual Japanese soup served with the beef stock already mixed with ingredients all in one bowl.  Hana’s version was deliciously different having it on a dish instead of a  bowl, with all other common ingredients – thinly sliced beef ,  2 generous cubes of tofu, mushroom, and was topped with nori strips (sushi wrapper cut into pieces).    The beef slices were so tender, and the tofu was so delicious it actually tasted soya milk! (I know tofu is the sieved particle of soya milk but Hana’s tofu in its Sukiyaki has the softest consistency somewhat like a soft delectable gelatin).  The dish came with the sukiyaki broth in a separate bowl and a small bowl of rice that Tina and I shared. (We we’re saving space at our stomachs for other Jap goodies from the adjacent must-try resto ). 

Another first in our Japanese dining experience at Little Tokyo was eating TAKOYAKI or octopus dumplings.

Based on my blog hopping weeks before we went there, Hana is noted for their TAKOYAKI so we didn’t pass the chance to try it ourselves. Takoyaki costs PhP 100 per plate of six, served 30 minutes upon order.  It’s cooked at an iron Takoyaki pan or pancake puffs pan by a Japanese chef  just outside Hana’s door.

It’s soft outside with mushier consistency inside. Each ball of  Takoyaki has a tiny piece of octopus and its filling has gingery taste but far from overpowering. It was sprinkled with mayonnaise and Takoyaki sauce.  It was fresh to my palate but wasn’t unpleasant.

Hana and the other restos in Little Tokyo share public toilets within their compound.  The toilet for males was screaming for much-needed renovation but it was clean inside.  Service in Hana was fair;  the staff were courteous and attentive, but most food on the menu was a bit pricey.  And this is a general observation between Hana and Kagura (the two restos there that we sampled).  To be logical about it, diners are not only paying for the food but the ambiance and authenticity of the place.  It may not be a high-end Japanese dining place, but rest assure that it’s far from the Jap food in malls and fast foods that lack that Little Tokyo experience.     

HANA is at Little Tokyo 2277 Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City.   

My next post will be about our first experience of eating OKONOMIYAKI or Japanese pancake from KAGURA, also at Little Tokyo (the next door resto to Hana).    

(singing mode…) I’m turning Japanese,  I really think so…

—————-> to be continued

põe do bem nisso
04/07/09

Sukiyaki do Bem/2009

” É o evento gastronômico que possibilita a união de várias mãos  laboriosas.
Mãos que amassam, torneiam, modelam o barro e criam novas formas que conhecem a diversidade da matéria-prima fresca, saborosa e que nos dá a oportunidade gustativa de experimentar novas técnicas e releituras no preparo do tradicional sukiyaki.
São as mãos que promovem e realizam o fazer bem “.

Um convite que começa deste jeito não tem como ser recusado, né?

Pois foi exatamente o que pensei quando disse pra mim mesmo: Temos que ir !!

Imagine Adriano Kanashiro, Alex Atala e Tsuyoshi Murakami juntos e dando a sua interpretação particular prum Sukiyaki?

Além disso, a possibilidade de ajudar duas instituições de caridade (Assistência Social D José Gaspar Ikoi no Sono e Fundação Travessia) e divulgar uma arte tão bacana quanto a cerâmica, tendo a renomada artista Hideko Honma como mestra e idealizadora de todo o evento.
Ah! Fiquei sabendo através da Claudia Rumi, do blog Chá com Arroz e que é uma das  alunas da Hideko.

E tem mais uma  coisinha! Era no Hyatt.
Me diz se depois de saber tudo isso, você também não iria?

Chegamos às 20:00 hs e fomos trocar os nossos convites por um pedaço de barro. Eles dão direito a escolha de um prato executado  por alunos/ convidados.
 Ao escolhermos (tentamos pegar o da Claúdia mas já tinha acabado), devíamos apertar o barro com as mãos.  Este aperto de mãos cerâmico será juntado ao de todos os presentes e posteriormente, queimado e utilizado numa big obra de arte! Mais uma grande idéia!

A escolha já é muito interessante pois você passeia por corredores com uma cenografia envolvente onde as obras ( os pratos) estão expostas e após muitas dúvidas, escolhe o seu favorito!

Ainda no hall, havia uma exposição de luminárias japonesas do artista Lucas Isawa. Lindas e singelas como quase tudo nesta noite.

E perceba que elas, as luminárias-esculturas são baseadas na tradição koinobori que tem como princípio analisar os movimentos duma carpa colorida de tecido ou papel tremulando contra o céu  e que aparenta nadar contra a correnteza de um rio.

Pronto, estávamos preparados pra degustar as interpretações do Sukiyaki de cada um dos grandes chefs.

Começamos com a do Murakami, o aclamado chef do ano de tudo o que é premiação ( Gula, Veja, Prazeres da Mesa, Paladar, DCPV, etc). E ele foi audacioso pois preparou um Sukiyaki frio !!

Isto mesmo, frio e harmonizado com café frio  ! Só pra fazer um paralelo, seria como se alguém tivesse a idéia de servir uma feijoada fria e acompanhada com um chá quente ! É claro que esta combinação não daria certo, mas a do Mura foi excelente.
Ficou super-saboroso e o café fazia o papel de um sorbet. Ou seja, limpava totalmente o paladar.
Chocou ( o Sukiyaki é um prato extremamente quente!), mas agradou muito .

Continuamos com a segunda apresentação, a do Alex Atala que fez um Sukiyaki Veggie ( a Dé vibrou e adorou!)  usando uma série de ingredientes brasileiros. Excelente também e com a aprovação dos nossos acompanhantes de mesa que foram 8 pessoas especialistas em Sukiyaki ou seja, todos de descendência japonesa.

Por fim a interpretação do chef do Kinu, o Adriano Kanashiro que fez um Sukiyaki Recheado, quase um pastelzinho delicado de carne e imerso no caldo bem quente ( só pra situar, parecia um guioza). Tanto este, quanto o do Atala foram escoltados por um vinho tinto brasileiro da Benedictus Enogastronomia  (nota e corrigindo após o comentário do sommelier convidado Benedito Filho,  informando que ficou a cargo de conseguir o o patrocínio  e a harmonização dos vinhos com o Sukiyaki)  ( que não sei o nome)  que demonstrou ser  bom ! 

  
Este prato também foi distribuido na saída do evento.

Estávamos prontos pra sobremesa, o Caqui-Choc Molecular (eita, até em festa de Sukiyaki tem coisa espumosa, sô!) do chef Laurent Grolleau do próprio Kinu no Hyatt. Obviamente, não era um Sukiyaki.  Ele criou uma sobremesa gostosa, crocante e nem tanto molecular assim.

Terminamos a bela refeição com a certeza que retornaremos no ano que vem já que além do evento ser gastronomicamente perfeito, ainda te dá a sensação de que se está colaborando com entidades que realmente são beneficentes.

E parabéns pra ceramista Hideko Honma pela idéia original  (este é o 3°) e a equipe toda pela realização deste Sukiyaki do Bem.

Ps – Só lamento não ter encontrado a Claúdia (tínhamos combinado) pois além dela não ter saído da cozinha ( veja as fotos que ela tirou dos bastidores) ainda me senti procurando uma agulha num palheiro(rsrs).
Mas não faz mal! Fica pra próxima !

.

Back to the wild wild west

Le western made in asia est quelque chose qui intrigue un peu de prime abord.  Mais il y a bien eu des westerns spaguetti qui étaitent tout à fait brillants alors pourquoi pas un western asiatique ?

Au menu Kimchi ou Sukiyaki au choix.

The good the bad and the weird

Le bon, la brute et le cinglé est sortie il y a à peu près un an en salle (mais jamais en martinique) et en dvd tout recemment. Il est réalisé par Kim Jee-woon (The Tale of 2 Sisters ) avec Lee Byung Hun (the bad) Jung Woo Sung (the good) et Kang-Ho Song (the weird)

Certains auraient pu s’attendre à un mauvais remake du Bon, la brute et le truand, mais je savais qu’il n’oseraient jamais massacrer mon western préféré, et j’ai eu mille fois raison. Le but n’était pas de  faire un western coréen mais un western à la coréenne.

On se retrouve donc dans des paysages desertiques, avec des courses poursuite à cheval impressionnantes  accompagné d’une bande son époustouflante et des plans panoramiques époustouflants, des personnages haut en couleur au look légèrement magaesque sur les bords, avec ce grain de folie très caractéristique de beaucoup de films coréens ^^ Lee Byung Hun fait un méchant très charismatique au charme effrayant, Jung Woo Sung et Kang Ho Song sont eux aussi très bien dans leurs rôles qui leur colle littéralement à la peau, surtout Kang Ho Sung qui a le physique de l’emploi.
Ma plus gande crainte était que le film traine en longueur mais je ne me suis pas ennuyée une seule fois. J’ai bien aimé la scène ou le bon fait le cinglé creuser pour trouver le trésor, on sent l’hésitation du réalisateur. Moi j’étais là va-t-il oser ? Je parle bien sur de cette citation anthologique “il y a deux types de personnes,ceux qui ont un revolver chargé et ceux qui creusent. Toi tu creuses moi je tiens le revolver” (yeah)

Un plan typique des westerns

Kim Jee Won a réussi à faire ce que les américains n’ont pas réussi avec… hmm My Sassy GIrl est le meilleur exemple en date, il n’ont pas réussi à transposer une histoire asiatique sur une réalité occidentale. Par contre ce réalisateur y est très bien arrivé avec the good the bad et the weird.
Synopsis

L’histoire se passse en mandchourie durant l’occupation de la Corée par les japonais (donc dans les années 30/40 certainement). Trois expatriés coréens diamétralement opposés vont donc se retrouver dans cette région désertique de la Chine. Il courent tout les trois après une carte qui indiquerait l’emplacement du trésor de la dynastie Qing (je n’est jamais compris pourquoi ça s’écrivait avec un “Q”), manque de pot les japonais, et un clan de bandits veullent eux aussi la carte.

Sukiyaki Western Django

C’est un ami fou de film japonais qui m’a conseillé ce film “Il faut absolument que tu vois Sukiyakiiii Western Djangooo”, et comme habituellement il a un goût excellent matière de film je me suis dit que ça vallait certainement le coup. Résultat ? Comment dire… J’ai été …ahem surprise.

Sukiyaki Western Django a été réalisé en par le japonais Takeshi Miike. Au cast nous avons Hideaki Ito, Masanobu Ando, Koichi Sato, Kaori Momoi, Yusuke Iseya et Quentin Tarantino. (et brièvement/ violemment  Shun Oguri)

Ce film est un ovni, à mi chemin entre l’hommage et la parodie, en effet c’est une prequelle de Western Spaguetti Django (que j’ai vu mais dont je ne me souviens absolument pas) mais mélangé au style Miike ça fait des étincelles
Le style me rapelle beaucoup les films genre série B de Tarantino (grindhouse et compagnie) tout y est volontairement exagéré et le mauvais goût flirte avec le génie. C’est horriblement sanglant, les personnages sont à peu près tous fou furieux et frises le grotesque, l’histoire part dans tout les sens, et le film est entièrement en anglais, un anglais affreux. Sur ce coup j’avoue ne pas comprendre Miike, un bon western ne pourraiit pas être en japonais ? ><
Si je met de côté mes goûts perso le film est quand même bien réalisé, bien que pour moi il reste juste un film asiatique et pas un western malgré toutes les references au genre. Par contre objectivement je peut dire qu’il traine en longueur et il faut aimer le genre, en gros si vous aimez miike ou Tarantino je vous le conseil grandement.

Mon avis reste mitigé je comprend le désir d’originalité mais il va un peu trop loin à mon gôut..

L’histoire est classique quand on lit le synopsis mais ne vous y fiez pas.
Des centaines d’années après la Bataille de Dannoura, le clan des Genji, les blancs, et le clan des Heike, les rouges, dirigés respectivement par Yoshitsune et est Kiyomori, se retrouvent à nouveaux opposés (allusion à la guerre entre indiens et colons, rouge et blanc ?). Au centre de leur rivalité, l’objet de tout les désirs, un trésor que la légende dit caché dans un petit village en pleine montagne. C’est donc en plein conflit que débarque hors la loi sans nom (au look classique de cow boy),les deux clans vont tout faire pour s’attribuer ses services dans la chasse au trésor.

Dans le coin avec le chapeau, le sherif schizophrène

Très belle scène arme à feu contre armes blanche, un grand classique

Je ne sais pas pourquoi j’ai la nette impression que son chirurgien est coréen

“O apressado come cru”, já diz o ditado. Em se tratando de cinema, esta máxima culinário-filosófica também vale, e tenho tido ótimas experiências recentemente com filmes que antigamente eu dispensaria categoricamente com um “tá precisando de umas tesouradas”.

A última delas foi com o filme “A Aura” (El Aura, 2005), do diretor argentino Fabián Bielinsky, um neo-noir, como os críticos o definiram bem, ou um “suspense + heist movie” segundo eu mesmo.

O filme conta a história de um taxidermista (Ricardo Darín) obcecado em cometer o crime perfeito, e que encontra esta oportunidade em uma caçada numa remota cidade patagônica. Atuações brilhantes, cuidado milimétrico na produção e câmera… uma obra de arte para se degustar com a calma do deslocamento tectônico que faz os Andes crescerem.

Clássico momento de filmes noir em "El Aura"

O filme corre por 2 horas e uns quebrados. Este fato, somado ao tom gélido das cores do filme força uma digestão lenta do mesmo, ou um sono profundo para quem não está no clima para uma obra de arte desafiadora.

Sou um viciado em referências, e este filme, junto de outros recentes achados como “A Partida” e “Alexandra“, são pratos cheios para pessoas como eu. Ou, como penso em descrever agora: uma travessa de sukiyaki.

Pra quem não conhece, sukiyaki é um prato japonês que é preparado na mesa. Uma travessa com todos os ingredientes picados e crus é colocada em uma travessa ao lado de uma chapa aquecida. Os convidados vão colocando o que querem comer na chapa, misturam o tempero e esperam. Quando acham que sua carne e legumes estão em um ponto desejável, tiram, passam em um ovo cru batido e comem.

Assim também funciona no cinema, com o diretor colocando a travessa de ingredientes na sua frente, você escolhendo o que colocar na chapa que é o seu pensamento, adicionando o tempero das suas experiências e esperando o conhecimento ou sentimento ficar pronto para ser saboreado.

Alguns demoram menos, as folhas verdes, como uma cena esteticamente bonita ou um toque de humor; outros demoram mais, a carne, como uma referência obscura que você tem que correr atrás depois do filme. Assim o prato fica extremamente saboroso e divertido de preparar, seja numa mesa imaginária entre você e os realizadores do filme, ou até no cafézinho depois da sessão com seus amigos, talvez marcando um sukiyaki para um dia desses, pra falar de cinema e tomar um saquêzinho quente… que tal?

Douzo meshiagare! (Bom proveito!)

Bom dia!

Hoje estava procurando algo pra postar, e o Dannycho twittou o post dele sobre Shabu Shabu, um prato japonês (que infelizmente nao comi ainda…) aparentemente muito bom! Dêem uma olhada: http://www.dannychoo.com/detail/mac/eng/image/21117/Shabu+Shabu.html

São 10:26 da manhã, e por incrível que pareça fiquei com uma fome desgraçada, lol! Pra não perder viagem, resolvi pesquisar sobre alguns pratos e mostrar aqui.

O primeiro deles é o famoso Sukiyaki. Muito bom no inverno, além de ser muito gostoso também. Achei um vídeo de como fazer. Como tá bem explicadinho aí, dá pra tentar fazer em casa!

Esse eu sempre comi, desde pequeno… agora o próximo é sacanagem… Alguém já comeu Karê?

Comida lazarenta….

Quando fui ao Japão, uns 5 anos atrás, tive a infelicidade de comer isso aí… Você não sabe como engorda essa comida, hauhuahuahua! Muito bom! (Não achei nenhum vídeo legal sobre karê… mas a foto tá bunita! haha)
(info sobre karê – como não tem vídeo… – http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caril_japonês e http://www.nipocultura.com.br/?p=492 )

Olha que legal esse vídeo! Mostra como é o Kaitenzushi, uma espécie de rodízio de sushi… fui 2 vezes lá! Muito bom! E nada de hot sei lá o que, frito, com manga, filadélfia… essas coisas não são de lá…

E por último, o famoso sashimi… quem não comeu, experimente pelo menos uma vez… Só precisa abstrair que coisa viscosa e mole é nojento, porque o gosto é muito bom!
E como não poderia faltar, um vídeo… não sei se posso chamar de bizarro… sobre sashimi… vejam até o final… técnica lazarenta… e coitado do peixe……….

Ahhh, que saudade que bateu agora… ainda vou voltar pra lá!

Alguém aí em Curitiba já foi no Lamen House? Igualzinho ao sabor do Japão…

Bom, como não dormi a noite inteira, preciso dum café! Fomeeeee!! hauhauhuaa

YOSHI!

Come join us for Sunday lunch!  Modesto Sukiyaki is now open on Sundays from 12:00-2:00 and for dinner at 5:00-8:00.  Our new hours refelct a vision of a relaxed Sunday meal with friends and family to eat a great meal in the company of wonderful people.  We hope you will attend our extended business hours and enjoy our ever changing specials.