Hokkaido New Year

17 days ago, we rang in the New Year in Hokkaido, Japan's most northern island. We only made as far as Hakodate and even though it was cold and everything was closed for oshogatsu, we had a great time. On New Year's Eve, we rode the ropeway up snowy Mt. Hakodate to see one of the "top 3 night views in the world." I don't really know what that means, but it was very pretty. 

We spent the night at a Japanese onsen so that we could enjoy some natural hot spring baths in the cold snowy scenery. After we warmed up with our baths, we had our in-room dinner. And because it was New Year's, we were treated to an unholy amount of food.

This is osechi. Like most Asian cultures, the New Year is the most important holiday of them all. Japan celebrates the New Year (oshogatsu) according to the western calendar, while other countries like China, Vietnam and Korea celebrate according to the Lunar Calendar. (This year, it is on January 23rd) 

During oshogatsu, families are not supposed to cook or clean. But you still gotta eat, right? That's where osechi comes in. It's a 3-tiered bento box filled with food that can keep for 3 days without spoiling. Families order their osechi meals in early December and pick them up just before the New Year, and they don't come cheap. The contents vary and are heavy on fish and pickled veggies. Many of the contents are symbolic, such as fish roe for fertility and beans symbolizing good health. 

(yes, those are gold flakes on my salmon)

We were treated to a single tier of traditional osechi foods at the Hanabishi Hotel in Hakodate. Some of it was good and some of it was...not so good (I'm looking at you slimy thing I still can't identify). But it was a really cool way to ring in the new year, one last time in Japan. 

In addition to our bento, we also had mini-hot pot 

Fresh sashimi

Roast beef and potatoes

Hairy Crab

Miso soup

Sake and fresh fruit

What I'm trying to say is that it was a lot of food and I rang in the new year completely satiated and relaxed. If it's any indication of the things to come, I think it's going to be a good year. 

Fukuoka :: Home to Hawks and Ramen

Last month, my husband had an opportunity to watch the final game of the Japan Series from the owner's box of one of the competing teams. That is not an opportunity you turn down, especially when it means you get a good excuse to take a weekend trip. I myself did not have a ticket to the game, but was happy enough to tag along for the 6 hour Shinkansen ride to Fukuoka.

Fukuoka is the largest city on the island of Kyushu. It is known for tonkotsu style ramen, my personal favorite. Typical ramen broth is made with a salt, soy sauce or miso base. Tonkotsu ramen, or Hakata Style, is made with a pork bone based ramen that is milky and very rich. One of the most famous ramen restaurants in the world (not an exaggeration) is Ippudo. If you've ever waited in that line in NY, you probably know why. Ippudo originated in Fukuoka and serves up a bangin' bowl of tonkotsu ramen. Another famous chain in Japan is Ichiran, which I wrote about way back when.

Going straight to the source. It's what dreams are made of. This humble looking bowl of ramen may have been the best thing I've eaten since moving to Japan. *WHOA* To be fair, there were a lot of factors working in its favor - it was cold, I was eating outdoors and I had just drank a 500 ml bottle of beer on my own. 

"Eating ramen outdoors alone?" you may have asked yourself. Why, yes. Fukuoka is also known for their delightful yatai - outdoor nighttime food stalls. And since I didn't have tickets to the game, I wandered around downtown Fukuoka in search of ramen. As with most places, some of the best food can be found in or near the red light districts. What can I say, pervs just know how to eat. These yatai along the river were just a stones throw away from some pretty seedy stuff. Gross or convenient, depending on who you are. 

Meal of champions. 

Fukuoka is also known for their adorable bite-sized gyoza.

The opposite of bite-sized - a sumo wrestler. November is sumo season and along with the Japan Baseball Series, there was also a big tournament over the weekend. 

It's really hard to find experimental sushi that is not gross, but I managed for find something really unique and delicious at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant in the basement of a shopping mall. This is raw salmon nigiri brushed with mayonnaise, half-cooked and caramelized with a blow torch, topped with a slice of jalapeno pepper and cracked pepper. I really wish this shop had an outlet in Tokyo because it was amazing. 

Oh yeah, the baseball. Now, as you may know, I am a big Yakult Swallows fan. The Swallows made the playoffs this year and even beat their nemesis, the Yomiuri Giants, to move on to the 2nd stage. That's not nothing. But they eventually lost to the Chunichi Dragons. Needless to say, for various reasons, I was rooting for Softbank Hawks to beat Chunichi. 

This by the way, is a bronze mold of the hand of Sadaharu Oh. Along with being a lyric in a Beastie Boys song, he is also the original Homerun King of Japan and former manager of the Softbank Hawks. 

I watched Game 7 from the Stadium Gift Shop with a bunch of die hard fans who were also ticket less. 

And Softbank won! 

California, I love you

Sure, sure, this blog is supposed to be about Tokyo, Japan and food food food! And I promise, I'll get back to that sometime.

When you live abroad, you get asked "Where are you from?" a lot. Most people answer with their home country because it's easier to say that than explain where exactly it is you're from. I always answer proudly, and obnoxiously, "California".

Here's why:

Downtown LA Wonder Wedding

How do you know you're in your late 20's? It's getting harder to stay in shape, you have to start using eye cream and you're going to a lot of weddings. And if you're lucky enough, you get to have a front row seat at said weddings as a bridesmaid. Did you know that it's bad luck to be a bridesmaid more than 3 times? Curse or no curse, there was no way I was sitting out of one of my closest friend's wedding. 

There she is! Drinking a cup of tomato soup and holding a grilled cheese sandwich, looking like the beautiful baby bride that she is. 

As this is technically a food blog, I will briefly touch upon the refreshments in this section of the post. The food was catered by an LA food truck serving pulled pork sandwiches, sweet potato fries, grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. And the bar hosting the reception served two signature drinks chosen by the bride and groom. 

I have to admit that I was very biased going into this trip because my previous experiences with Los Angeles have never been positive. Impossible traffic, impossibly perfect looking people (everyone has such nice hair!) and as a native NorCal girl, it's just in me to dislike LA. 

But this trip reminded me that all that is silly and LA is pretty neat. We stayed downtown at the historic Los Angeles Athletic Club that reminded Blammo and I of LA Noire. Comfy rooms, good food, guaranteed parking and 10 floors of exercise options. (Not that I took advantage, wah wah) 

Green rice, mole chicken taco and spicy pork taco. Hubbah hubbah!

We were blessed to be in the company of lots of LA natives with very strong opinions about the best tacos, burgers, Bloody Marys and French Dips in town. Did you know that French Dips are a thing in LA? Blammo tried Cole's and said it was great. 

Before heading out on our 2 day Pacific Coast Highway trip north, we were told to go to Loteria in the Farmers Market. Uh. May. Zing. That shredded beef nachos plate ~ I will have dreams about it until our next trip to LA. I will however, have nightmares about this lady we saw walking off our meal. Oh LA!

It's like a frickin' Sheryl Crow song or something!

Lonely goldfish by the sea. 

And of course, we had to stop off at the beach before heading out of town. This is actually the very beginning of our road trip - Santa Monica. The weather was too perfect not to stop and dip our feet in the water. 

LA, you treated us real good and for that, I will not say anything bad about you for at least a few months. 

Excuses, Excuses. New York, New York.

Yes, it has been a really long time since I've updated this blog. I've been busy! It's hot! I don't like food anymore! Ok, that last one is a giant lie but the first two are true. Since I last posted, I went to New York for a week for an amazing vacation with my beloved friends and family and the temperatures have creeped up to the 90's in a power saving post nuclear meltdown Japan. I also took the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) a few weeks ago, so any time not working or sleeping was spent studying kanji and grammar. Blech.

All these variables mixed together not only equals an abandoned blog, but also an abandoned kitchen. Sadly, I haven't cooked a single thing since early June. Bad girl! Actually, truth be told, I just made Muddy Buddies 5 minutes ago in the microwave and now look like I just got out of an intense session of Bikram Yoga.

But enough complaining! New York was perfect. I saw some of my most favorite people in the world and ate amazingly well. A perfect mix of old and new. The highlight would have to be conquering the
Bo Ssäm at Momofuku. This is the dish that really but David Chang on the map. A whole pork butt perfectly braised in a sweet brown sugar brine for 6-7 hours served with lettuce, kimchi and oysters. As with most things at Momofuku, I highly recommend it. Since it is such a labor intensive dish, you have to order it in advanced and make a reservation with at least 6 people. We had 7 hungry boys and 3 Asian girls that know how to eat tackling this butt and I am proud to say that we polished it off nicely. As I always (never) say, never leave any butt on the table. 

This may be my 3rd or 4th ode to NY eating picture show and it just never gets old...at least for me. 

Vanilla Mr Softee with Olive Oil and Sea Salt from The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck. I might start trying to make this at home. So simple! So yummy!

You just don't see cheese like this in Japan. Ultra milky, creamy Burrata Caprese from Bar Pitti. 

Oh The Donut Pub. I have had so many wonderful late night stops at this 24-hour donut shop on 14th Street. I used to have taxis drop me off here and walk home happily, stuffing my face with a Maple Bar or 2. I was the vision of beauty.  

I don't remember taking this photo or eat/ordering any of these pizzas which means it was a very fun night. 

Murray's! My favorite bagel. Whole Wheat everything with sun dried tomato cream cheese. The coconut water was a failed attempt to erase any ill effects of the even before. Natural electrolytes my ass. 

If you really want to cure a hangover, everyone knows you need to eat a cheese burger! And fries! And a strawberry milkshake! All from the Shake Shack. Those things are popping up everywhere and I'm totally ok with that. 

And here we go. Momofoku Ssam Bar, 11pm reservation for 10. They handed us menus but our food had been ordered two weeks prior. First up, oysters. 

Followed by this beautiful thing. 1 whole pork butt that melts in your mouth. 

Granted, I have small weird hands, but this kind of shows you how large it was. 

Wrap it up in some crisp lettuce and sprinkle some kimchi - somehow, it makes it seems somewhat healthy. Bwwahahaha. 

Truckin' along. Not too shabby. 

And bam! Done. Totally impressed. 

You would think that after a late dinner of pork and drinking I'd still be stuffed by morning. But no. I strolled over to my old favorite morning hang out 'Snice (for the record, I hate the name of this place) for a Nutella and banana sandwich. 

Cereal Milk soft serve from Momofuku Milk Bar. These too are popping up everywhere. 

And what the hell, why not stop by Momofuku again for an afternoon drink before flying out? This sake was one of the best I've ever had and sadly, it is made especially for David Chang and his gang of restaurants so I can't get it in Japan. Ironic. 

Non-food things that were delicious on this trip: 

• Seeing my mom and dad during their cross-country road trip
• Helping a dear friend shop for her beautiful wedding dress
• Alexander McQueen Met Exhibit
• Duty Free Shopping
• Walking down the extended Highline
• Exploring more of Brooklyn
• Depositing my hard earned Yen into my US Bank Account
• ANA In-Flight Entertainment