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.

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!

New Style Manga Cafe

To be honest, I don't feel confortable being in Manga Kissa, a place you can read as many Manga books in a louge space - typical not only for Otaku or NEAT, but for anyone who wants to kill time until your next plans. It's not that I'm being posh but just that I couldn't be brave enough to break in the atmosphere where Otaku guys concentating in there stories. I'd rather go to bookstores and 'stand-read (Tachi-Yomi)' without buying them, which is not an elegant thing to do anyway.

Except for today, that I really had to find a place where I could use internet after work (you see, the company's filtering system is so secured you can't use web mails from work), as I had to hand in my translated documents. Helas, I found THE place to spend hours and hours and was just few minuts away from where I work!

A nice and clean Manga Cafe where ladies can go by themselves.

Aprecio.

The fee was not bad with Internet service, free Manga reading as well as magazines included. Also with flow drink and.... softcream! For a sweet tooth like me, it caught my heart. I made myself a nice cup of Affogato to sip while translating.

Again to be honest, a place I don't want to recommend.

Autumn Shopping at arcuate

I was wondering about in Omotesando area heading to WELEDA shop, then suddenly found a castle-like building with a sign which said something like 'autumn bag fair' or what so ever. Its picture of a bright red bag caught my eyes. Despite my hesitation of peeping inside the gray brick wall of the 'castle', I let my foot step into it.

There I stood in front of a display glass through which I found a space surrounded by vivid coloured wall and few young girls dressed in French pop style which I liked a lot.

The first thing I set my eyes on was a shiny party bag by Abaco, Paris, that looked suitable for some wedding parties I'm going to attend this Autumn. By the way Abaco is a belt manufacturer and that was another reason the brand seemed credible specializing in leather.

Another reason I chose this long bag was... every time I had wedding parties I had to put the long envelope of 'Oiwai' in another shopping bag (besides my Anteprima conpact party bag which was too small for putting it neatly without folding it). However it was too shiny with the big bow too familiar and lack of originality... so I gave up.

I put the bag aside and moved on to a pair of ballet shoes designed by Maloles, a Spanish designer who created her brand in Paris. The gold feminine one was just the one most girls would like but looked unbalanced on me somehow. Then the shopkeeper suggested another one in enamel with a liberty cloth at the back ('candice'). Although I wasn't quite sure if it'd suit me, it looked nice on my feet. The cut of the shoes looked elegant than I thought but not too girlish at the same time. I decided to take it.

I also took a pair of culot which I liked its detailed back style (having a cute volumious gather). With 70% reduction (we love sale!!!), it was way less expensive than I thought.

... to be continued. Shopping never ends.

John Evarette Millais

20 years ago I first saw Millais's Ophelia in Tate Gallery, London. This time it was my second chance to see her in bunkamura, Shibuya.

Although I had been in a great environment for admiring art at that time, since I was a child I did not enjoy at all. However thanks to my parents who took me to museums and galleries as much as they could to cultivate and inspire my sensibility.

The audio guide helped to understand and enjoy each work of art. The most impressive piece was still, Ophelia. The detailed work of flowers and plants were just so incredible with their joyful colours that seem to stand out Ophelia's sad fate.

Looking forward to our 3rd meeting in 20 years...

Dueling Geniuses: The Greatest Highlights of Japanese Artists

On the last day of exhibition, we rushed to Ueno in the rain. Sunday museums in Tokyo on the last day of exhibition, you can never avoid crowd of people even in the bad weather. Nevertheless no one seemed to complain because of how much they long to see.

Each piece was very familiar to Japanese people; they've seen it somewhere in their text book when they've been to schools in Japan. The point was the presentation of work; the pieces were displayed to 'duel' with one another so that the audience can compare the difference of artists of a common subject. In many case they were master and pupil, but besides, not always have lived in the same period.

With the audio guide I had a different point of view from what I've seen during art class at school. Now I really see why museums cultivate our sensibility.

Blue Tokyo Winter at Night

At Keyaki-zaka slope near Roppongi Hills.

After seeing The Blue Man Show, every scene I see looked blue, blue, blue...

I〓子緒〓