Decadence du Chocolat

Chocolate bonbons in a box made of chocolate... yummy... Someone said that the box is more delicious than the chocolates inside though... !?

karacu GINZA

A cafe recommended by one of my sweet tooth friend who knows almost every good restaurants in Tokyo or even in Kanto region. Although their most popular sweet was souffle they didn't have any during the promotion event at Shinagawa ecute.

Anyway we decided to enter and ordered a white snowy cake called 'Marron d'Ange'. The mousse tasted of slightly sour fromage blanc which made a fabulous mariage with the sweet marron paste peeped out from the centre as I scooped one bite. As my tongue was satisfied I would come back again for another discovery of sweets...

東京中のグルメを極めたお友達からご紹介いただいた、会社近くのカフェ。オレンジスフレが名物だが、この日は品川の催しのためスフレはお休み。代わりにマロンダンジュを注文。真っ白いムースはフロマージュブランの酸味と、真ん中に顔を覗かせる栗のほんのりした甘さとの、新しい組み合わせ、ふわりと溶けていくのが名残惜しいのが、美味しさを際だたせるよう。

お目当てのスフレに巡りあえずとも、とてつもなく満足‥ということは他のお菓子も美味しいに違いない。

Kompira-Chaya (Udon in Meguro)

After my friend's live at Meguro, I decided to have a quick Udon nearby. I was longing for it for a long time since I saw on TV the other day. I, a Mochi-freak, ordered one to check myself to see if the commentator's comment was right and it was. The ingredients and the producing procedure (according to an explanation on the menu) were of high quality, which made it one of their specialities, and the combination of Mochi and curry was not any worse than I imagined.

Anyway, I had to share a table with 2 ordinary salarymen after work in a suit, who seemed to be Kohai (younger salaryman) and Sempai (elder salaryman). As I was alone and had nothing special to do I just let myself listening to their banal conversation that went like:

Sempai: 'What's your plans for Christmas Eve? You're not staying overworking that day are you?'
Kohai: 'No, Mr. xxx, but I might as well as just stay at home with my girlfriend.'
Sempai: 'So you do have a new one do you?'
Kohai: 'Yes. I'd be killed if I overwork that day.'
Sempai: 'Yeah... girls are always like that. How about your holiday, when does it start?'
Kohai: 'From 27th, Mr. xxx, exactly as in calender.'
.... and so on.

It was better to concentrate on their conversation though than to do nothing while waiting for my Udon with only a glass of cold water.

They went off when my Udon came, as another 2 musician-like guys in a street fashion came and sat on my table. So again I listened. Another pair of Sempai and Kohai.

Sempai: 'So what're you gonna do if you have the gig that day?'
Kohai: 'She'll be fine. She's no longer as she used to be.'
Sempai: 'That's bad, it's a proof that she's tired of your relationship then.'
Kohai: 'You think so? How about your wife?'
Sempai: 'She's almost happy when I take out a bowl of Udon here. BTW when's your holiday gonna start?'
Kohai: 'I don't have a holiday, even on the New Year's day I work.'
.....

Did Japanese men speak only what is safe?
When the waitress brought a bottle of beer for the musicians, I was just so satisfied that I finished at last my bowl of Kompira's Udon I dreamt about and stood off to pay my bill.

Autumn windfall

At office my co-worker left me a bag full of something... and I found some kakis wrapped neatly in a newspaper with their branches...! I was touched by the warmth of her mother in Nagano...

Christmas Illumination

One of my favourite moments of the year in Tokyo... though I can't help feeling the commercial effects. A very cosy dinner at Bikini, Spanish restaurant with my old friends and their new boyfriends afterwards. A really friendly guest from France as well! Bon sejour!

Kaga-Onsen (Kaga Hotspring) in Ishikawa Pref.

Journey to Ishikawa was what I was longing for for many years. The main object was to see a good friend of mine who used to hang out together in Saigon.

Nata-dera (temple), was famous for its autmn leaves.
And of course, the trip was full of seduce for our tummy....

(left)
After a teppanyaki lunch together with gorgeous mountain-river view onsen,
we had Kaga-bocha tea set...

(middle)
At my friend's mother's Chinese restaurant, Ku-nyan, Yamanaka Onsen.Gyoza (fried dumplings), Ramen (noodle in soup) and Kara-age (deep-fried chicken) were deliciooouuuus! Forget about fat!



(right)
For our dinner on last day, we had a farewell meal at Ichiriki, where my friend's husband works.
Seafood was so fresh and everything was so exquisite... especially when they were shared with good friends!!

Thank you again for your host!

Kankoro

One of our good friends gave us a nice and little basket filled with Kankoro, filled with deep smell of Autumne from Kyoto. This sweet is made from flour, egg and brown sugar, coated again with brown sugar. You don't need to bite but to throw gently in your mouth; it will melt graduatelly and unify with the remaining bitter taste of green tea...

Yakitori at Iseya Kichijoji

After attending a Summer festival among the crowd and the heat, we decided to eat at Iseya renewaled recently. Anyway it was my first time to go there so I can't compare the difference with the old building.

Iseya now has 1st floor with air-conditioner but still keeps the standing part with a counter where you can see the grill and smell the smoke.

We sat on a small table squeezed with other customers holding our bags on our knees, and ordered a nice cold beeeeeer to start with.

The bar's recommendation was: home made Xiu Mai (dumpling) and brochettes of chicken and Kentucky oyster(photo : Kashira, Gatsu, Nankotsu) which I'm not that fond of...
My favourite was Xiu Mai made with juicy pork meat. As Iseya is Yakitori bar it might be more polite to recommend theire brochettes (which were still very nice) but as an impact I rather enjoyed their hearty Xiu Mai.

Souffle at Rokusei Satei

I sat down in relief at the corner of Rokusei Satei Cafe and ordered　Souffle with Coconut & Mango Sauce　for a taste of nice Summer breeze.

You read the instruction card : 'How to eat our Souffle' while the souffle has been baked (20mins).
The sauce melts so tenderly inside the souffle and harmonize with the　sponge. Gorgeous!

The girl who explained me the way on the phone also showed me neatly　on the map how to get to the next destination...to a hunt for Konpeito*!!

*Japanese traditional star-shaped sweets made of sugar and flavourings. It takes 10-20 days to form the particular shape of Konpeito.

Mother's day

A present for Mother's Day. I did not have any idea as usual till I passed by Decadence du

Chocolat in Shibuya to see a friend who works there. As a chocolate lover, I could spend hours in this shop glancing at chocolates surrounded by a bitter sweet smell... There, a lovely box made from chocolate (plus, containing 6 pieces of gorgeous chocolates...) jumped in my sight. It was a special box for Mother's Day and decided to buy one.

It took a while for my parents to realize that the whole thing was made of chocolate and that it was edible. I wonder when would they break the box and finish them all...