Peppers. Lots of them.

We're growing sungold cherry tomatoes, a bunch of herbs, and three kinds of peppers on our back landing: cayenne, yellow banana, and spicy cherry peppers (shown above). My favorite thing to do with the banana peppers is put them on grilled Hebrew National jumbo hotdogs. But what to do with the billions of cayenne and cherry peppers? I made some chili, but that's it so far. They're definitely hot little buggers. Recipe ideas, anyone?

Baby shower downloads

It seems to be peak season for baby showers around here. I guess everybody had a good time on their Christmas vacations last year! Anyhow, while browsing around Nested, I found some nice-looking free downloads. You can get bookplates, in case you're throwing a children's book shower where every guest brings their favorite childhood book. Or if you need shower game ideas, get some lovely looking printable game cards. Happy shower-throwing!

Okay, who did it?

Someone has sent hubby Alex a mysterious T-shirt package. Someone who must know he loves Macs and iPods. The printed tag inside says it's designed by Graphic Airlines, and it's pretty cool. The title is "Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree." Maybe their next shirt will be called "Keeps the Doctor Away"? Har har. So... anybody want to 'fess up?

[Update: The perpetrator saw this blog post and called to confess!]

Bookcover design gallery

Browse here for bookcover design inspiration, compiled by Fwis.

Trying not to kill this

A few weeks ago I saw this little guy at Home Depot and thought its bumpy leaves were weird and cool. It was in a box of plants marked "Exotic Angel Plants®" that don't seem to require much light, so they're good options for offices, tables, desks, etc. So for a couple dollars, I had to give one a try. This plant is a Pilea originating in Vietnam. And according to its label, "Your home deserves them...™" This plant also promises to "Purify air, enhance décor, and calm senses." Wow. I thought I'd been feeling calmer lately. :)

Make some stuff

Some links to projects out there:

Wipe-clean coasters from Allyson Hill
Wine glass photos, a funny party idea from Photojojo
Paper mice with cheese at 3-Eyed Bear (click the mouse photos until you get to the PDF download)
Baby bib at Nested (cool site for design-minded parents)
Pop-up cards from Robert Sabuda
Strings of lights with paper shades and canvas rugs at Martha Stewart

Work at your computer and listen to music you like

It's certainly possible that everybody already knows about this, and I've had my head under a rock until now. But my good friend Valerie just told me about Pandora.com, a free internet radio site that lets you create your own stations. You just type in some song names or artists you'd like to hear on your station, and then, using magic, Pandora will create a station that plays songs similar to those. If a song you hate sneaks in, you can give it a thumbs down and never hear it again. If a song you love plays, give it a thumbs up, and Pandora will play more songs that sound like that. And if you want to buy the song, just click the iTunes button and it will appear in your iTunes store so you can put it in your cart if you want. So now I will be happily designing brochures and listening to only music I like. Nice.

Browse vintage design

Jane McDevitt of Maraid Design has uploaded some Flickr galleries of vintage labels. Fun stuff! Browse matchbook covers here and British packaging here.

Another logo quiz

If you liked this logo quiz where you were given a small part of a logo and had to name the company it represents, try this one where you have to pick the real logo from the imposters.

Vintage fabric wall art

Here's a framed, bigger version of the bookmarks I made. Same instructions to make these: Use Canson self-adhesive paper (Blick stores are the only place I know to find it, where it's on clearance because they bought out another retailer and are trying to get rid of it). Cut shapes in it with an X-acto knife. Peel off the backing, place fabric pieces over the windows you cut, and stick on a second sheet to cover the back. Put it in a frame.

Look what I got

I hate shopping for shoes, but I couldn't resist these Keds in Antique White/Plum Stripe. They don't come in narrow so they're a tiny bit too wide for me, but I don't care. When you have my shoe shopping angst, you're happy to find anything that fits on your foot and stays there. And they were so cute, I had to give them a try.

(Image from Keds)

T-shirts at Threadless

I was browsing last week at Threadless.com to find a T-shirt gift for my friend. So funny! Some of my favorites:

Title: Nothing Rhymes With Orange

Title: Haikus are easy but...

Title: Wanted

(Images from Threadless.com)

Renegade Handmade, now open

I saw on Apartment Therapy: Chicago that a brick and mortar version of the Renegade Craft Fair is now open. The shop is called Renegade Handmade. I plan to check it out.

A few more thumbtacks

Even though I vowed privately that I'd never make more tacks because it takes way too long, I had a hankering to do it again the other day. They're just so cute. So I put a few more sets in the etsy shop.

Next day update: Sold out, so don't bother clicking over!

Global Sistergoods

Global Sistergoods "is a sister-owned small business that imports fairly-traded crafts from women artisans from around the world. We provide a living wage to economically disadvantaged women in fragile economies by supporting entrepreneurship, self-reliance and micro enterprise development." When you browse the products, you also get a map showing where each item was made and a summary of women's issues and statistics in that country.

(Images from Global Sistergoods.)

Ten Thousand Villages

I bet everybody already knows about Ten Thousand Villages. But did you know they've been "Trading fairly since 1946"? That's a long time. They work with "unemployed or underemployed artisans to help them bring their crafts and cultures to North America, and to support themselves and their families." To find a store near you, click here, or shop online to buy products like these:

(Images from Ten Thousand Villages.)

World of Good

World of Good has been featured in Domino, Real Simple, and a ton of other publications. "At World of Good, Inc., we create opportunities for hundreds of artisan cooperatives around the world to share their best work with you by serving as a bridge to the U.S. retail market. We respectfully assist artisans by providing access to fair wages, safe working conditions and long-term economic sustainability."

Visit the shop for "ethically sourced gifts, housewares, and accessories." A cool sampling:
(Images from World of Good.)

OrangeTree Project

Ryan in San Diego wrote me recently about a new venture called OrangeTree Project. "We are a group of designers that felt a strong need to give back to our community. Our goal is to serve others by doing what we do best: creating fresh, inspiring design. So we started OrangeTree Project, a line of original products that have both contemporary appeal and an inspiring message. Established as a non-profit organization (pending), OrangeTree Project uses only those funds required to maintain daily operations, directing the bulk of its earnings towards select charitable causes."

They will focus on helping local underprivileged children and families, starting with an an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico. A "News" feature on the site is coming soon to let supporters know where the money raised will be used. And more products are coming soon to the shop! (Click on "products.") Here's a sampling of their lovely greeting cards.


(Images from OrangeTree Project.)

Buy nice things, help someone else

After thinking more about #7 two posts ago, I got inspired this week to feature organizations that are trying to make a difference. Aid to Artisans helps artists in developing countries, especially women and those in rural areas, become self-sustaining. "Because ATA's goal is to link the artisans to markets, we provide assistance in all stages of that process, including product development and design, business development, market entry, and working with clients." Visit their site to learn more about their new eBay PROJECT GOOD initiative, or to shop! Some of my favorite things:

(Images from Aid to Artisans.)

Tokyo Food Trip - Start Menu

Eight Day Self-Guided Gourmet Trip of Tokyo and the Greater Kanto. The goal is to seek a wide selection of representative cuisines at a balance point between very high quality vs reasonable price.

Restaurants include a 260-year-old Unagi specialist, a 370-year-old Ryokan, a 100-year-old Tempura specialist, a famed Tsukiji sushi stand, the Ramen Stadium, and places for Matsuzaka steak teppanyaki, Fugu (poisonous pufferfish) etc.

Use the MENU at the BOTTOM LEFT of the screen to navigate.

Or, START HERE with the Tour Overview.

Itinerary At A Glance


Day 1 - Poisonous Fugu

Day One (Sun):	Narita Airport - Nippori - Shinjuku
Lunch:	On the plane
Dinner:	Fugu course at a specialist restaurant
	Torafukutei (not the TorafuGUtei chain), Shinjuku

CLICK HERE to enter!




Day 2 - Matsuzaka Steak and Yakitori

Day Two (Mon):	Shinjuku - Sanrio Puroland (Tama Centre) - Kichijoji - Mitaka no Mori Ghibli Museum - Kichijoji - Shinjuku
Breakfast:	Salmon and Mentaiko Onigiri Purchased at some convenience store in the subway
Lunch:	A5 rank Matsuzaka steak at a butcher shop/steak house Steak House Satou, Kichijoji
Dinner:	Yakitori and Shumai at an 80-year-old izakaya Iseya Honten, Kichijoji

CLICK HERE to enter!




Day 3 - Tsukiji Sushi and Ramen Stadium

Day Three (Tue):	Shinjuku - Tsukiji Market - Odaiba (Palette Town, Daikanransha, Venus Fort, Toyota Mega Web, Decks Tokyo Beach, Aquacity) - Shinjuku
Breakfast:	Sausage Roll and some other Japanese pastry items, Kobeya (bread store chain), Shinjuku
Brunch:	Chef's select sushi at world's largest fish market...one hour lineup Sushi Dai, Tsukiji Shijo (Jonai)
Snack:	A small wooden box full of fresh uni Purchased at some fish stall inside Tsukiji market
Dinner:	3 bowls of ramen, each from a different geographical region Tonkotsu Ramen, Wakura of Fukuoka Lobster Miso Ramen, Ganso Ichijou Ryu of Tokyo Hokkaido Butter Ramen, Manraiken of Sapporo> Ramen Kokugikan's 2nd Campaign, Aquacity, Odaiba

CLICK HERE to enter!




Day 4 - Train Bento and 370-Year-Old Ryokan

Day Four (Wed):	Shinjuku - Hakone Yumoto - Owakudani - Togendai - Hakone Checkpoint - Cedar Avenue - Ichinoyu Honkan
Breakfast:	Japanese pastries Unknown bread shop, Shinjuku
Lunch:	Deluxe Ekiben lunchboxes on the train Gagaku Bento by Ginza Daimasu Daimyo Bento by Wako Sangyo Odakyu Romance Car
Dinner:	Dinner course at a 370-Year-Old Ryokan...unbelievable tofu and fish Ichinoyu Honkan, Tonosawa, Hakone

CLICK HERE to enter!




Day 5 - 150-Year-Old Soba Maker and Izakaya Below Train Tracks

Day Five (Wed):	Ichinoyu Honkan - Sounji Temple - Odawara Castle - Nijubashi (Imperial Palace) - Yurakucho - Ginza - Shinjuku
Breakfast:	Traditional Ryokan breakfast Ichinoyu Honkan, Tonosawa, Hakone
Lunch:	Handmade Soba at a 150-Year-Old Specialist Hiroshima oysters and soba in broth Cold soba set with Kakiage Hashimoto, Odawara
Dinner:	Izakaya Below the JR Tracks...pop quiz: what's a chicken wing gyoza? Shin Hinomoto, Yurakucho

CLICK HERE to enter!




Day 6 - 260-Year-Old Unagi Specialist and Street Snacks

Day Six (Fri):	Shinjuku - Ueno - Kappabashi Dougugai - Asakasa - Jiyugaoka - Shibuya - Shinjuku
Breakfast:	Ebi Burger on a half price promotion Lotteria (burger chain), Shinjuku
Lunch:	Unagi Kabayaki at a 260-Year-Old specialist Unagi with Grated Yam Broth 2 Layers of Unagi on Rice Izuei Honten, Ueno
Dinner:	Various snacks and desserts Street stalls, Kameya Mannendo, Sweets Forest, mostly at Jiyugaoka

CLICK HERE to enter!




Day 7 - Kyo-Kaiseki and 100-Year-Old Tempura Specialist

Day Seven (Sat):	Shinjuku - Shibuya - Aoyama - Meiji Jingu - Harajuku - Shinjuku
Breakfast:	Burger with a Japanese Twist - Part II Mos Burger, Shibuya
Lunch:	Kyoto-style 8 course Kaiseki lunch at a fair price Minase, Minami Aoyama
Dinner:	Tempura at a 100-Year-Old Specialist Funebashiya, Shinjuku

CLICK HERE to enter!




Day 8 - Fresh Sushi at the Unexpected Place

Day Eight (Sun):	Shinjuku - Narita Airport
Breakfast:	Udon and Curry Rice Restaurant name unknown, Shinjuku
Lunch:	Very fresh Sushi and Chirashi lunch specials, plus Uramura Oysters Tsukiji Sushi Ko, Shinjuku
Dinner:	On the plane

CLICK HERE to enter!

Tokyo Food Trip - Start Menu

Eight Day Self-Guided Gourmet Trip of Tokyo and the Greater Kanto. The goal is to seek a wide selection of representative cuisines at a balance point between very high quality vs reasonable price.

Restaurants include a 260-year-old Unagi specialist, a 370-year-old Ryokan, a 100-year-old Tempura specialist, a famed Tsukiji sushi stand, the Ramen Stadium, and places for Matsuzaka steak teppanyaki, Fugu (poisonous pufferfish) etc.

Use the MENU at the BOTTOM LEFT of the screen to navigate.

Or, START HERE with the Tour Overview.

Itinerary At A Glance


Day 1 - Poisonous Fugu

Day One (Sun):	Narita Airport - Nippori - Shinjuku
Lunch:	On the plane
Dinner:	Fugu course at a specialist restaurant
	Torafukutei (not the TorafuGUtei chain), Shinjuku

CLICK HERE to enter!




Day 2 - Matsuzaka Steak and Yakitori

Day Two (Mon):	Shinjuku - Sanrio Puroland (Tama Centre) - Kichijoji - Mitaka no Mori Ghibli Museum - Kichijoji - Shinjuku
Breakfast:	Salmon and Mentaiko Onigiri Purchased at some convenience store in the subway
Lunch:	A5 rank Matsuzaka steak at a butcher shop/steak house Steak House Satou, Kichijoji
Dinner:	Yakitori and Shumai at an 80-year-old izakaya Iseya Honten, Kichijoji

CLICK HERE to enter!




Day 3 - Tsukiji Sushi and Ramen Stadium

Day Three (Tue):	Shinjuku - Tsukiji Market - Odaiba (Palette Town, Daikanransha, Venus Fort, Toyota Mega Web, Decks Tokyo Beach, Aquacity) - Shinjuku
Breakfast:	Sausage Roll and some other Japanese pastry items, Kobeya (bread store chain), Shinjuku
Brunch:	Chef's select sushi at world's largest fish market...one hour lineup Sushi Dai, Tsukiji Shijo (Jonai)
Snack:	A small wooden box full of fresh uni Purchased at some fish stall inside Tsukiji market
Dinner:	3 bowls of ramen, each from a different geographical region Tonkotsu Ramen, Wakura of Fukuoka Lobster Miso Ramen, Ganso Ichijou Ryu of Tokyo Hokkaido Butter Ramen, Manraiken of Sapporo> Ramen Kokugikan's 2nd Campaign, Aquacity, Odaiba

CLICK HERE to enter!




Day 4 - Train Bento and 370-Year-Old Ryokan

Day Four (Wed):	Shinjuku - Hakone Yumoto - Owakudani - Togendai - Hakone Checkpoint - Cedar Avenue - Ichinoyu Honkan
Breakfast:	Japanese pastries Unknown bread shop, Shinjuku
Lunch:	Deluxe Ekiben lunchboxes on the train Gagaku Bento by Ginza Daimasu Daimyo Bento by Wako Sangyo Odakyu Romance Car
Dinner:	Dinner course at a 370-Year-Old Ryokan...unbelievable tofu and fish Ichinoyu Honkan, Tonosawa, Hakone

CLICK HERE to enter!




Day 5 - 150-Year-Old Soba Maker and Izakaya Below Train Tracks

Day Five (Wed):	Ichinoyu Honkan - Sounji Temple - Odawara Castle - Nijubashi (Imperial Palace) - Yurakucho - Ginza - Shinjuku
Breakfast:	Traditional Ryokan breakfast Ichinoyu Honkan, Tonosawa, Hakone
Lunch:	Handmade Soba at a 150-Year-Old Specialist Hiroshima oysters and soba in broth Cold soba set with Kakiage Hashimoto, Odawara
Dinner:	Izakaya Below the JR Tracks...pop quiz: what's a chicken wing gyoza? Shin Hinomoto, Yurakucho

CLICK HERE to enter!




Day 6 - 260-Year-Old Unagi Specialist and Street Snacks

Day Six (Fri):	Shinjuku - Ueno - Kappabashi Dougugai - Asakasa - Jiyugaoka - Shibuya - Shinjuku
Breakfast:	Ebi Burger on a half price promotion Lotteria (burger chain), Shinjuku
Lunch:	Unagi Kabayaki at a 260-Year-Old specialist Unagi with Grated Yam Broth 2 Layers of Unagi on Rice Izuei Honten, Ueno
Dinner:	Various snacks and desserts Street stalls, Kameya Mannendo, Sweets Forest, mostly at Jiyugaoka

CLICK HERE to enter!




Day 7 - Kyo-Kaiseki and 100-Year-Old Tempura Specialist

Day Seven (Sat):	Shinjuku - Shibuya - Aoyama - Meiji Jingu - Harajuku - Shinjuku
Breakfast:	Burger with a Japanese Twist - Part II Mos Burger, Shibuya
Lunch:	Kyoto-style 8 course Kaiseki lunch at a fair price Minase, Minami Aoyama
Dinner:	Tempura at a 100-Year-Old Specialist Funebashiya, Shinjuku

CLICK HERE to enter!




Day 8 - Fresh Sushi at the Unexpected Place

Day Eight (Sun):	Shinjuku - Narita Airport
Breakfast:	Udon and Curry Rice Restaurant name unknown, Shinjuku
Lunch:	Very fresh Sushi and Chirashi lunch specials, plus Uramura Oysters Tsukiji Sushi Ko, Shinjuku
Dinner:	On the plane

CLICK HERE to enter!

Day 6 - 260-Year-Old Unagi Specialist and Street Snacks

Day Six (Fri):	Shinjuku - Ueno - Kappabashi Dougugai - Asakasa - Jiyugaoka - Shibuya - Shinjuku
Breakfast:	Ebi Burger on a half price promotion Lotteria (burger chain), Shinjuku
Lunch:	Unagi Kabayaki at a 260-year-old specialist Unagi with Grated Yam Broth 2 Layers of Unagi on Rice Izuei Honten, Ueno
Dinner:	Various snacks and desserts Street stalls, Kameya Mannendo, Sweets Forest, mostly at Jiyugaoka

Burger with a Japanese Twist - Part I

On this day we would sample Ueno's famous charcoal broiled eel - a Kanto peasant favorite for centuries. But first we needed the strength to dig our way through the long Yokochos of discount apparel and shoe stores of Ueno. In anticipation of a long day of emptying our wallets, we headed to Lotteria for some half-price Ebi Burgers.

No photo for the shrimp burger, but you can see a picture here. You can't beat this limited time half-price of 135 yen, and the shrimp patty was actually pretty good -- better than McDonald or KFC's fish burgers anyway.


Ueno's Market Alleys

Ueno is the home of the Tokyo National Museum (which was having a Hokusai exhibition at the time) and Ueno Zoo's giant panda. But we opted for a half day of shoe shopping instead.

There was a seemingly endless number of Yokochos, busy shopping alleys selling everything from traditional Mentaiko and Ichiyaboshi (semi-dried fish) to the latest Nike Shox. I'm not going into great details since you can get better info from places like this and this here. We ended up passing over the fishy items and buying two pairs of sneakers (one Nike, one Puma, the very latest styles) and one knapsack for a cheap total of 9000 yen. The really great thing was, three hours of rummaging through shoe stores was a good way to work up a big appetite for the much anticipated lunch.

Gourmet Spot #11: 260-Year-Old Unagi Specialist - Izuei Honten, Ueno


Hey it didn't look two-and-a-half centuries old! After all, it was rebuilt and rebuilt again, presumably after the many fires and earthquakes in Tokyo's long history. Today's Izuei Honten stands seven storeys high, with all seven floors serving the same item: Unagi.

With a soft, fatty texture, the Unagi is typically charcoal-broiled as
Kabayaki with a sweet glaze, but can also be "white broiled" without the
glaze. The fillet should be evenly-roasted without over-charring; the meat
should remain soft and only slightly oily, and the skin should be flavorful
and crispy. All depends on the quality of the eel and the charcoal, and of
course the skill of the chef...the old saying of "3 years to learn
filleting, 8 years of skewering, a lifetime of broiling"
summarizes the training of an Unagi chef.

To properly appreciate Unagi, one must first appreciate the difference between the two main schools of Unagi preparation: Kanto Ryu (East School) vs. Kansai Ryu (West School). Kanto Ryu chefs split the eel from the back side, and remove the head, backbone and fins before roasting. Then the eel is roasted, then steamed, then roasted again with a basting sauce. Kansai Ryu chefs split the eel from the belly side and removes the backbone only. The whole fish is then roasted for a prolonged period of time, without any steaming. It is said that Kanto Ryu produces a "feminine" taste of softer texture and subdued flavor, while Kansai Ryu produces a more "masculine" taste with a crispier, charred texture and flavor.



Like most Unagi specialists in Tokyo, Izuei follows the Kanto Ryu school of back-splitting and broil-steam-broil, although the precise technique is of course a guarded secret. We walked into the sweet smell of Unagi glaze and charcoal and were seated on the 2nd floor's tatami mats among patrons generally several decades our senior. We ordered two lunch sets: one Unatoro (Unagi with grated yam) Ju, and one Tono (gentleman) Ju.



My Tono Ju arrived with an Unagi fillet on rice, covered on top of another Unagi fillet on rice. This double portion Unaju was worth every yen.

I found that the main distinction of Izuei's Unagi was the the aromatic flavor of the charcoal smoke infused into the perfectly crisp (but not burnt) skin and soft fillet. There are a lot of other restaurants (not even Unagi specialists) that can do the Unagi glaze and skin very well, but the flavor and smell of Izuei's top quality charcoal was most memorable.

The set was complete with a Kimosui (Unagi liver soup) and Kounomono (pickles).



My wife had the Unatoro Ju, which came in this funky gourd-shaped bento box, with Kimosui and Kounomono on the side of course.



Appetizer - Maguro (NOT unagi! :)) sashimi.



Next up - Tororo, which was a very thick, cold broth with grated yam in a dashi base. My wife didn't like it but I thought it complimented the soft Unagi quite well.



And finally - The Unaju. "Only" single layer, but more than my wife could finish.

Bill for two persons:
Una Toro Ju	2625 yen
Tono Ju	3150 yen
(tax inclusive)
Total	5775 yen

Kappabashi Dougugai

Remember those plastic ramen replicas you've seen outside of Japanese restaurants? Ever wonder where they're made or where to buy one to spook your dinner guests? The biggest concentration of these shops (well, three or four of them) are located at the Kappabashi Dori halfway between Ueno and Asakasa. It is also the place to get anything kitchen related, from cutlery to Rakuyaki pottery to Noren curtains. We ended up buying some bamboo utensils, plus one big bowl of replica Chashuu Ramen.


Asakusa

In the late afternoon we visited the big Tokyo tourist trap - the Sensoji at Asakusa. Besides taking the typical tourist photos of the huge lanterns and straw sandals, we came here to start our long, nomadic dinner. This would be our SNACK NIGHT, where we planned to sample the various Tokyoite snacking favorites we encounter on our path in place of a regular dinner.


Gourmet Spot #12: Desserts and Snacks for Dinner, Asakusa, Jiyugaoka, Shinjuku


Alright, dinner started at 3PM with a freshly roasted Senbei at 70 yen. This shop was located on the famous Nakamise Dori on the way to Sensoji, and was crowded with after school students looking for a cheap snack. Actually it was a bit too salty for my taste. I like my Senbei with more sweet Mirin on the glaze.



I should have started with these whatever-yaki instead. Delicious red bean paste...sweet Anpan was one of the many cuisine items I missed in this trip.



Or these! At 2268 yen it's hecka expensive for nine pieces of Wagashi. But these looked so enticing.

Instead, we got our dosage of red bean paste with a normal, 130 yen Matcha Daifuku from the same Wagashi-maker instead. It was only slightly sugary (just my taste - I hate overpoweringly sweet stuff), with a slight dash of salt to further draw out the sweetness. My wife, the huge Daifuku fan, loved it very much.

Jiyugaoka

After Asakusa we headed to the opposite side of Tokyo, to the western-influenced town of Jiyugaoka famous for its desserts. It is a place where traditional confectionery shops competes alongside Ice-cream stands and French pastries, and the competition has further intensified in recent years with the opening of the dessert theme park Sweets Forest.

To gradually adjust our tastebuds from the traditional Daifuku to the western dessert, we first visited a new-style (fusion?) Wagashi maker specializing in mixing western ingredients into traditional confectionery.

Kameya Mannendo


This 60-Year-Old contemporary Wagashi-maker is famous for its Italian-influenced Navona biscuits (its website is appropriately named navona.co.jp) and has been a fixture in Jiyugaoka for decades. Navona and other popular Omiyage items are sold on the ground floor while the second floor is a typical Kissaten, a romantic dessert bar ideal for a quiet read, or a first date.



My wife had the Shiratama Anmitsu, which was a bowl of thin, dark syrup filled with Shiratama (tiny Mochi balls), Anko (red bean paste), red beans, fruits, agar jelly, and sugar-coated Jelly Candies. That's right, Jelly Candies. Strange? Even more strange was how they blended in so nicely with all the Japanese confections in the bowl.

I didn't see anything else on the menu that interested me, so I ventured to order something I had absolutely no idea what it was. It was called Tokoroten, and the photo in the menu showed it as a bowl of semi-transparent jelly with some brown syrup. Hmmm...brown syrup...Okinawan brown sugar I hope?

Big mistake!



It was not a dessert! At least not MY definition of a dessert, which would consist of something sweet. It was agar jelly with dried seaweed, with mustard on the side, and a soy sauce vinegar to pour over the jelly. I'm not saying it was bad, it was only like going to a Italian Gelato shop and unknowingly ordering an anchovy-flavored ice-cream.

After I got back from the trip, I then learned that the Kansai version of Tokoroten would be actually sweet with a brown syrup...


Sweets Forest

Whew! I needed to remove that sour taste from my mouth, and so we went to the new Sweets Forest, well-known for bringing a large number of fine confectioners and patissiers all under the same roof.



We seemed to be hitting so many "date spots" in one day, as Sweets Forest turned out to be a dimly and colorfully illuminated, shaded (with artificial trees) indoor court yard half-filled with dating couples and high school girls in uniforms.

We were already quite full after the Shiratama and Tokoroten, and so we passed over the heavier desserts and cheesecakes (but I assure you they looked GOOD) and decided on a lighter dessert.



Hand mixed ice-cream. We ordered the Autumn specialty - sweet chestnuts with Matcha. It wasn't just chestnut or Matcha ice-cream, but pure unflavored ice-cream hand mixed with whole chestnut chunks and an intimidating amount of Matcha powder. There had to a whole cups of Matcha mixed into that one cone of ice-cream. As the menu description said, "perfect balance of the sweetness of Autumn chestnut and the bitterness of Matcha."



And the menu description was dead on, as the result was a surprisingly slightly sweet, slightly bitter ice-cream scattered with big chunks of super sweet chestnuts. It was a smooth, high quality ice-cream with an unforgettable (and unconventional) taste, and unlike the Tokoroten, we enjoyed it very much.


The Yakitori Van


Yup, Yakitori Van. Right when we walked out of the Sweets Forest and wanted a little non-sweet snack to rinse off the sugar on our tastebuds (we've been having nothing but desserts since mid-afternoon). This little van of a Yakitori stand parked just half a block from Sweets Forest, which sounds like a great strategy since the male half of the Sweets Forest's dating clientele probably prefer Tsukune chicken balls to choco-mousse.



Meat! The smell! After several hours of desserts everything on the counter looked really good. I was quite full though and had only one Yakitori and one Tsukune. Nothing spectacular, but at the time it was a godsend.

Hmm...Instant Ramen...

We took a Tokyu train back to Shibuya and had a brief walk inside the Tokyu department store, then returned to our hotel in Shinjuku. My wife wanted something more of a substantial meal (ie. enough of desserts!) without leaving the hotel room, and so it was time for another Tokyoite favorite...

Nissin Ramen! We grabbed whatever flavor offered by the hotel's convenient store, which were:



Menshokunin (noodle master) Tonkotsu Ramen, and...



Gonbuto Tempura Udon.

Instant noodles they might be, but still these were 300-yen-per-bowl noodles with six-step instructions. For the first time, the finished product actually looked like the picture on the packet! The Tonkotsu soup was very good considering it came out of a packet, and the udon was nice and chewy, complete with a piece of Kakiage tempura on the top.

Bill for two persons:
Fresh Roasted Senbei	70 yen
Matcha Daifuku	137 yen
Shiratama Anmitsu	~950 yen
Tokoroten	~650 yen
Matcha Chestnut Ice Cream	~500 yen
Yakitori + Tsukune	260 yen
Instant Ramen x 2	~600 yen
(tax inclusive)
Total	~3200 yen

Crap! I just realized these so-called snacks were more expensive than the proper meals we had on Day 5!