adventures | kimberly ah

May 15 2014

Japan 2014, Japan Does It Better, My Love Affair with Tokyo

Japan Does It Better 13: Furu Pote

Back on our first trip together to Japan in 2011, Naoto and I stayed with his mom for a few days. We watched her regular TV programs with her at night and enjoyed a game show about restaurants. A “food expert” (I can’t remember if it was a famous chef or a food critic or what) ate every menu item from a fast food restaurant and rated each item. Sometimes the food expert had high praise, but as you can imagine, the best TV was when the food expert criticized the best sellers on the menus.

Lotteria was a featured restaurant and I became obsessed with going there and trying Japanese fast food. We finally went with Hisae and Norio (my sister-in-law and brother-in-law) and I enjoyed a shrimp burger, fries (better known in Japan as furaido potato) and a melon soda. Hisae got fries too. But she had a little pouch of powder that she sprinkled on top, giving them a salty seaweed flavor. I was amaaaazed (and disappointed that my fries were plain ol’ fries.)

Apparently, furu pote (fries shaken in a bag with seasonings) are popular in several fast food chains in Japan and across Asia.

During our trip in March, we went to Lotteria and I got to try the fries for myself. I got the butter soy sauce flavor packet and Naoto got the seaweed. I enjoyed every bite of my fries and every sip of my melon soda. And still I wondered where this concept was in the US.

For the past three years I’ve thought Americans would eat up furu pote like crazy. (Of course we would have to name it something else.) We could have sour cream & onion flavored fries, BBQ flavored fries, cheddar flavored fries. Where was this kind of thing in the home of the french fry?

Well, last week I came across this article announcing McDonald’s plans to introduce flavor packets for their french fries. If you try it, let me know what you think. I haven’t eaten at McDonald’s since 1996 and a little flavor packet isn’t going to change that. But I’m excited to hear how they taste.

So, even though the idea skipped across the ocean and is finally here in the US, when it comes to flavored french fries, Japan Does It Better!

P.S. To see all of the other JDIB posts, go here.

Tagged adventures, food, I *heart* Japan, Japan

May 13 2014

12 Comments

adventures, Japan 2014, My Love Affair with Tokyo, Office Supplies, snail mail, Spending the Yen

Spending the Yen 4: Yubinkyoku Treasures

One of my favorite places to shop in Tokyo is the post office. Or, I should say, the many post offices. Of course, my favorite was our “local” PO but it was fun to get out to other locations to see the different offerings. The postcards and washi tape above are from the Tokyo Central Post Office located near Tokyo Station and inside the Kitte shopping and dining center. (Kitte is Japanese for postage stamp.) Jess took us there and smiled as we walked into the post office. She knew it would be a hit. (Thanks, Jess!) The Kitte had special washi tape made for its first anniversary. I couldn’t resist. I also picked out some Posta Collect mailbox letter paper and a pen. It reminded me of the glue stick from last year. Anything that has that classic red mailbox on it is pretty much a guaranteed purchase.I loved the spring mailbox postcard and the big postal bear ready to deliver a big message. And this tiny tape runner is the perfect size for traveling and it’s shaped like a mail truck! I bought the fourth set of constellation stamps and my brother-in-law, Norio gave me the other set. It’s Tokyo Skytree and Tokyo Tower. Norio also gave me these post office stickers. The bike, the mail truck, the mailboxes, the mail bags…they were the best gift ever. I love that Japan has so many postal treats. I sent out so many postcards using the spring stamps (shown above). Japan really embraces unique shapes in their postage stamps, this time using round and sakura shaped stamps. This fancy mail van was delivering packages to our hotel and Lawson’s convenience store. Yay for good mail and good mail treasures!

Tagged adventures, I *heart* Japan, Japan, mail art, office supplies, snail mail, washi tape

May 09 2014

April & May Paper Parcels

I fell off the wagon of sharing my Saturday Morning Vintage monthly paper parcels from my Christmas gift subscription. I’m determined to continue to catch up on sharing, because every month is a delight in my mailbox. So today, I’m sharing April & May and I will go back to February & March soon.

When I get my paper parcel and take it out of the mailing envelope, it always looks like a gift, so pretty and perfectly packaged. I leave it on my desk for a few days to savor it for a little longer, until I just can’t wait to see what’s inside. You can see April’s “gift wrapped” paper parcel above…the theme was Spring and it was one of my favorites so far. I don’t know how Xenia gets all the little bits to stay in place, but they always look so pleasing in the cellophane envelope. I especially love how the birds are peeking out from behind the label. I am planning to use most of this paper pack for yet-to-be-created garden journal to document our first year of gardening last year. I want to blend the pictures and notes I took of Plot #6 into a pretty mini-book. These larger pieces of old nature journals are going to be perfect background and filler pages. I love the old “Honey Do Pad” and the Yard Work order form. What unique finds! The old seed packets are so lovely and I love the vintage bird information card, but I have to say the vintage Dennison flower and bird labels (bottom right) are the big treasures here. They are die cut and embossed and their colors are so vibrant, it’s hard for them not to steal the show!I would love to see Xenia’s entire playing card collection because all of the paper packs have a few enclosed and each one is fabulous. She really outdid herself with the floral playing cards though. Can’t you just imagine a 1950s ladies bridge club playing with those pretty round cards?May’s paper parcel theme was Travel. It was gift wrapped in an old map and tied up with an air mail envelope. I’ve been using up a lot of my air mail envelopes lately. I can’t get enough of those red and blue stripes! Again, everything was wonderfully displayed in the cellophane…In the bigger pieces, there were old maps, dictionary pages, postcards, travel cards and vintage air mail envelopes (one with 6 cents of postage printed on it!)There were old train tickets and a lot of travel game pieces. I love those travel bingo cards (center bottom). My favorite piece from this month’s packet is the round “United States Lines” sticker. The little bits include taxi tickets, stamps, more Dennison labels and a fabulous American Airlines air mail label. And the playing cards!! American Airlines, England, Canada, Santa Fe…so many good ones.

Next month is the last month for my subscription, but Naoto already promised me a Paper Parcel anniversary gift so I’m looking forward to getting treats in my mailbox for the rest of the year!

For more information on the Saturday Morning Vintage Paper Parcels, go here.

Have a good weekend!

Tagged adventures, crafts, garden, mail art, office supplies, snail mail, vintage

May 07 2014

Japan Does It Better 12: Hot Dogs

I’ll be the first to admit that today’s JDIB post is rather controversial…especially since Chicago is (unarguably) the hot dog capital of the world. I do love a good Chicago-style, dragged through the garden (onions, tomatoes, relish, cucumbers, sport peppers and a pickle spear along side mustard and celery salt, never ketchup!) hot dog on a poppyseed bun.

But there’s something about the Japanese hot dog that’s just better. First, the dog is nicely seasoned. It has more flavor than any American hot dog I’ve ever tried. It’s not quite spicy like a Polish sausage, but there’s flavor in there! And it’s really juicy and has a nice snap. (No one likes a mushy hot dog, Oscar Meyer!) But the best part–the part that highlights the Japan dog and helps it shine–is the bun. Oh the bun! I love a good poppyseed bun, but this is so much better! The texture is light and fluffy with a nice toasty “crust”. And the bun is often grilled to perfection, making it the ideal vehicle for a simple dog and a little mustard.

So, as much as I love my Chicago dogs…I have to say, even with something as American as a hot dog, Japan Does It Better!

The picture above was taken at the cook out. I know the hot dog is blurry, but it was the best I could do with my mouth watering.

To see my other JDIB posts, go here.

P.S. No hate mail, please…I’m lookin’ at you Chicago & NYC!

Tagged adventures, food, I *heart* Japan, Japan

May 06 2014

2 Comments

adventures, Japan 2014, My Love Affair with Tokyo

Tokyo Cook-Out

We were the lucky guests at a cook-out in Tokyo hosted by Naoto’s Willamette University friends, Jessica and Keiichi. There are actually quite a few Willamette grads in and around Tokyo, so Jessica organized a mini reunion for everyone. It was great for Naoto to see his old college classmates and it was great for me to be able to be around English speakers for awhile (which also gave Naoto a much-needed break from translating for me!) It was a perfect day for a barbecue–sunny and warm.

We met in a park near the water and Keiichi and his friend Shige-san did most of the grilling. Keiichi and Shige take their grilling very seriously. There was a ton of grilling equipment all around our picnic site. We enjoyed hot dogs, sausages, shrimp, asparagus, pumpkin, yakisoba and more. Keiichi made his famous chicken for us…it’s a secret recipe that involves buttermilk and a lot of garlic cooked in a dutch oven over hot coals. It comes out looking like this and tasting incredible! The meat was really tender and had so much flavor! It was great meeting and catching up with everyone on such a perfect spring day! (Those are the Willamette grads pictured above.)

Thanks to Jess & Keiichi for organizing the reunion!

Tagged adventures, food, I *heart* Japan, Japan

May 05 2014

2 Comments

adventures, Japan 2014, My Love Affair with Tokyo, snail mail

Postal Museum Japan

One of my favorite activities from our most recent trip to Tokyo was our visit to the Postal Museum Japan. The museum recently moved from its old location into a shiny new floor at the Tokyo Skytree, making it super convenient for visitors. It’s not a large museum, but we spent a couple of hours inside looking through Japan’s interesting postal past.

We looked at postal transportation (original cart & basket, and motorbike delivery)…And old postal uniforms…
A fantastic letter sorter…

Old Japanese Post advertising…Old letter bins and bags…Detailed postmarks…
And there was an array of old mailboxes…Aren’t they beautiful? I love all of the floral gold details on the last one.

As if the museum wasn’t wonderful enough, there was a mini post office in the gift shop and a modern mailbox at the exit. All mail sent from the museum gets stamped with a special Tokyo Skytree/Postal Museum postmark.Of course that meant taking some time to write a few postcards at the museum. (Thankfully I had my tiny blue traveling address book with me!) I think our entrance fees might have been the best ¥300 we spent all vacation! If you are in Tokyo and you love all things mail, you have to visit. Send me a postcard! 🙂

Tagged adventures, I *heart* Japan, Japan, mail art, snail mail

Apr 25 2014

2 Comments

adventures, cocktails

Shaking Cocktails at the North Shore Distillery

Earlier this month, we headed back up to North Shore Distillery for a cocktail class. North Shore recently started offering cocktail classes in their tasting room. The classes teach basics of cocktail making through four seasonal cocktails, three are pre-determined and one is self-created. We had three people in our party (Brett, Naoto and me) and each cocktail is shared, so no one was drinking four entire cocktails. Naoto was our designated driver, only sampling a sip of each cocktail. There was also a snack spread with meats and cheeses, chips, salsa and cupcakes…perfect cocktail bites. There were more than twenty other people in the class, but it felt cozy and comfortable because the North Shore team created a really fun and laid back atmosphere. Brett, Naoto and I split up the cocktail-making duties, squeezing, muddling, measuring and pouring our ways through the cocktail list. We made a Gin Smash (North Shore Gin No. 11, lemon, simple syrup and mint), a Moscow Mule (North Shore Vodka, lime and delicious Fever Tree ginger beer) and an Eden’s Prayer (North Shore Tahitian Vanilla Vodka, pomegranate, orange liqueur, and lime). Each one was light and perfect for spring. I now need a channel knife (shown by Brett above) so I can create lovely long spiral garnishes for my cocktails at home. And, I don’t have a lemon squeezer (shown above) at home (we have a reamer style juicer) so it was fun to use one and experiment with a new tool. For our last cocktail, Brett, Naoto and I came up with the perfect combination of gin, citrus, herbal and sweet. I will share the recipe tomorrow.

(Because right now, I’m getting ready to watch the Blackhawks game and I’m going to need to make a cocktail!)

Tagged adventures, cocktails

Apr 22 2014

6 Comments

adventures, Japan 2014, My Love Affair with Tokyo

Tapas in Tokyo

So maybe you don’t think of Spanish tapas when you think of places to eat in Tokyo, but like any large city, Tokyo offers up foods from all over the world. I love seeing Japan’s take on foreign foods. We found this tiny tapas bar, Los Borrachos 3 (translation: the drunks), near our hotel and decided to check it out. If anything, we were intrigued by the sign that reminds customers that Los Borrachos is a bar, not a barber. (Apparently people were confused by the striped pole near the sign.) The restaurant, located on the second floor, was warm and cozy and filled with mariachi music (yes…that’s Mexico, not Spain, but it was quite festive). To start, we enjoyed beer and sangria along with Alioli Potato Salad (pictured above after I’d eaten most of it…I got a head start because Naoto ran back to the hotel for my camera). And we had Pollo al Ajillo, chicken fried in garlic sauce (pictured at the top along with another beer and some cava). And we enjoyed paella (sadly not pictured) and one of my favorite things–a salad made with fresh cabbage, manchego cheese and iberico ham with a vinaigrette. It might sound weird, but it was so simple and fresh and delicious…and we are hoping to recreate it at home for a Hasegawa Happy Hour soon. Another Tokyo restaurant, another handwritten menu…I am charmed by you, Tokyo.

Tagged adventures, food, I *heart* Japan, Japan

Apr 17 2014

3 Comments

adventures, My Love Affair with Tokyo, snail mail

Treats from the Mail Ladies

Of all the places I’ve visited in Japan–other than Mister Donut–I think I’ve visited various post offices the most. Each one carries the same stamps and postcards (for the most part), but some have better selections of gifty things than others. I have a stack of treats that I purchased from the yubinkyoku (post office) and I will share those next week. Today, I’m going to share the gifts I’ve gotten from the post office ladies. The first time Naoto and I went to Japan, we visited Okaasan (his mom) in Niigata. Much to my delight, she lived right across the street from the post office!! We stayed with her for three days, and every day I visited the post office for more postcards or stamps or something. By the end of our visit, the ladies in the post office recognized me and they appreciated my enthusiasm for Japanese stamps. On my last visit, they presented me with this tiny blue bunny–a toothpick holder–as a thank you for my patronage. I was so surprised. No one at a post office had given me a gift before…and the little blue bunny is so sweet with the little cherry blossoms on the side. He lives in my china cabinet and comes out every spring for Easter. This trip, in Tokyo, I visited several post offices, but mostly I went to the one near our hotel in Sangenjaya. They had a good selection of post cards and spring stamps and the ladies were patient with my browsing. (How many glue sticks do I need?) On one of our lasts days, I went in to buy another sheet of stamps and the woman behind the counter, who had helped me throughout the two weeks, presented me with a pink hand towel. It says “Thank you very much, [from your] postal host.”

Naoto compared the gifts to the free toaster you used to get in American banks when you opened an account. He said that the gifts are a way to thank frequent patrons. Either way, I’m thankful to the Japan Post ladies for the treats and I look forward to visiting them again next year.

Tagged adventures, I *heart* Japan, Japan, mail art, snail mail

Apr 15 2014

4 Comments

adventures, celebrations, cocktails, Japan 2014, My Love Affair with Tokyo

Birthday at bunbougu cafe

When we planned our trip to Japan, I knew exactly where I wanted to spend my birthday…bunbougu cafe. Last year, I fell in love with the cafe that mixes stationery, coffee, letter writing, cocktails and tasty food all in one comfortable and eclectic location. We’d never been to bunbougu at night, so both Naoto and I were excited to try out their one-of-a-kind cocktails. At the risk of this turning into a Hasegawa Happy Hour post, let me tell you about these cocktails!! First there were the Adult Ramune and the Lychee Squash. Ramune is a Japanese soft drink that has a lemon-lime flavor, but really doesn’t taste its American counterpart…it has its own distinct taste that is tangier than the American drink. The Adult Ramune was made with blue curaçao and soda and it was my favorite. Who doesn’t love a blue cocktail? The Lychee Squash was lychee liquor, soda and grapefruit juice. It was so refreshing! (This might explain why it’s called a “squash” if you’re curious.) Neither of these cocktails packed a serious punch, but they were fun and tasty. For our appetizer, we ordered edamame that was sautéed with pine nuts and soy sauce. The edamame, presented beautifully on Japanese paper, was oh so delicious…I can’t even explain how much I loved it. We want to try to recreate it at home. For the next cocktail round, I got the Adult Ramune and Naoto got a Tea Mojito–a mojito that came with a shot of “tea espresso” to pour on top. I didn’t manage to take a picture of our dinners. Naoto had a miso coated pork chop and I had roasted chicken with herbs and apples. You’ll have to take my word for it. Naoto had a third cocktail. It was called “Sketchbook in the Tropics” and the only thing you need to know about it is that it came with a pencil stirrer!! (They sell the stirrers at bunbougu, too!) For dessert, I had Matcha Tiramisu…I’m a big fan of real tiramisu, but dare I say the matcha version is better??? Under the tiny paper box was a bowl of kuromame, sweet black soybeans typically eaten on New Years for good health. Naoto enjoyed those immensely while I ate up the tiramisu. I did a little birthday shopping at bunbougu, but I will share those treats later.