Bitter-sweet DUET

Simple pleasure is derived from every sip of green tea and a bite of traditional Japanese confectionary called higashi. The duo is often served in tea ceremony. Higashi is made from wasanbon, a premium fine-grained Japanese sugar. It comes in floral shape or any timely symbols of the seasons in Japan.

This is the theme of my blog’s header and my Facebook’s cover photo. A friend from Tokyo gave me two boxes each of higashi and green tea. I arranged the higashi neatly on a green tea color paper and requested my artist son to take photos. He also designed the logo using modern typography. Just like Japan, my header/cover photo is a mix of the old and the new. 

Green tea and higashi, traditional and modern, me and my son. I do believe good things come in twos.

Serenades of Nara and Kyoto

In the ancient cities of Japan, nature swayed to the slow rhythm of the wind. The temples, shrines, parks, people and food inevitably beckoned and my heart followed the dynamics of each note. I was in awe of the massive splendor of the Tōdai-ji and Yakushiji temples in Nara and the Kiyomizu and Kinkakuji Temples in Kyoto.

    Yakushiji Temple, Nara

Tōdai-ji Temple, Nara

 Lunch at Shizuka Restaurant in Nara City was a feast to remember. The main course was a flavorful serving of kamameshi or “pot meal”.  It blended pretty well with the cozy ambiance inside and the drizzly weather outside. I noticed a number of tables with two or three Japanese women enjoying the food and soft conversations. I later learned that Japanese women, especially those in their fifties or older are fond of having small get-togethers at restaurants for lunch.

For dinner, we tried out the resto bar Suicakuri in Saidaiji, Nara City. It has a seating capacity of about ten to twelve. The place, food and drinks were orchestrated in perfect harmony by a one-woman-band, Tomoko-san. No wonder, it has become a regular stress-relieving destination for people who have had a long day at work.

   Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto

    Kinkakuji Temple, Kyoto

On the way to Kiyomizu Temple,I could not resist the temptation of the food on display at the Gion Tamejiro restaurant. A meal of Yuba-Don was worth the stop. It's a bowl of rice topped with yuba (tofu skin) with seasoned ground chicken on the side, grated carrot, potato and kudzu (Japanese arrowroot) sauce

Spring Breeze in the East

ALLEGRO IN TOKYO

The lively tempo was everywhere in Tokyo, be it in Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku or Asakusa.  At Ueno Park, people joyously ate, drank, sang and chatted during the hanami, the annual cherry blossom viewing festival in Japan. In Japanese language, hana means flower and hanami means flower viewing.

A bowl of tonkotsu ramen at Darumanome restaurant in Shibuya eased the tiredness in my body from the endless walking around the city.

We had a taste of one of Japan’s pride, Amaou strawberries at Kyobashi Sembikiya, a fruit parlor and café in Harajuku.

My greatest tofu experience happened at Tofuya Shiba Ukai, just beside the Tokyo Tower. The restaurant serves traditional Japanese Kaiseki cuisine with tofu dishes as its specialty.  The Kaiseki cuisine is a multi-course meal served in small portion. It is prepared meticulously and beautifully using fresh and seasonal ingredients. The artful presentation of food depicts the seasonal theme of the meal.