Flavor Files goes to NIGERIA!

always hungry for more flavors of life :)

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Nigeria: First Impressions

Time is a funny thing.

Two weeks ago, I was in New York saying temporary goodbyes to friends, scrambling to pack and fit everything in only 1 suitcase (consulting has made me a packing expert!), filling my prescriptions for malaria pills and antibiotics, and it still hadn't hit me yet that I was going to Nigeria...for several months.

Now, I'm sitting in my new favorite cafe (details below), drinking a chocolate frappuccino, listening to jazzy Afrobeats, and it's easy to forget that I am not at a hipster outpost in Williamsburg.

But then the power goes out - a frequent phenomenon. I'm wearing shorts in November. People are speaking "English", but I have no idea what they are saying. I am surely not at home. 

Why am I here? 

The professional answer: I'm supporting a project to help transform Nigeria's agricultural sector.

The better answer: For the past year and a half, I had the opportunity to focus on commercial projects primarily in life sciences, healthcare and pharmaceuticals. Work has been such a blessing to me - I've met some incredible people and learned a ton. But the best part of consulting is the diversity of experience it can give you. When you graduate college, you are supposed to choose what industry to pursue. Consulting presents a loophole in this system. It allows you to keep exploring. When the opportunity arose to have an international assignment in a completely different subject area, I could not turn it down! 

The short answer: Wanderlust. All-expense-paid trip to Africa, enough said :)

Finally, I cannot thank you all enough for the love, support, and prayers I have received from family and friends. Working abroad can be a lonely experience at times, but I'm not letting the distance get to me. Now that I'm settled, I will try to post more often, but no promises! Check my Instagram for more frequent updates. 

The best coffee and working environment in Abuja can be found here:

Salamander Cafe  5 Bujumbura Street (map) Off Libreville Street, Off Aminu Kano Crescent Wuse II, Abuja, FCT Open 8am to 10pm daily

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Lunch Time: Miso Katsu at Yabaton in Nagoya

Tonkatsu is already delicious on its own, so I didn’t think there was any room for improvement. My recent trip to Nagoya tastefully proved me wrong!

Deep-fried pork slathered in a thick, rich miso sauce made from Nagoya's special red soybean paste (赤みそ). Red miso has a much stronger, bolder flavor than the much lighter, white miso (白みそ) popular in Tokyo, making it a great alternative to ward of chills in the cold months of fall and winter.

The savory, slightly sweetened miso sauce harmonized perfectly with the incredibly tender, juicy pork. The breaded crust provided a nice crisp textural element, while the shredded cabbage base offered a guise of healthiness. In fact, I was shocked to find the word, “healthy” (ヘルシー) in the description of my "Hire Miso Katsu". Yeah sure, I chose the leaner tenderloin cutlet (“hire”, pronounced he-ray), instead of the fattier loin cutlet ("rosu"), but in the end, it’s a deep-fried piece of meat! Japanese euphemisms continue to amaze me!

FYI: I tend to prefer the “hire” not so much for the health reasons but because it has a bit of a bite to it. However, many people prefer the fattier, arguably more flavorful “rosu” cutlet. I don’t like very fatty meat and sometimes find “rosu” a little chewy. That said, “rosu katsu” is significantly cheaper than “hire katsu” (several 100 yen less) making it a much more attractive option especially for students.

Miso Katsu in Nagoya is essentially synonymous with Yabaton (矢場とん), a chain of popular katsu restaurants with several locations in Nagoya as well as branches in Tokyo and Fukuoka.

I went to this location:

Yabaton (矢場とん) Japan, Aichi Prefecture Nagoya Naka Ward Osu ３丁目６−１８ (日本愛知県名古屋市中区大須３丁目６) (map) 052-252-8810  Website: Japanese, English Open 11am to 9pm; closed Monday

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Sweet Tooth: 4 Tiers of Deliciousness

After a long, but tranquil stroll on the Philosopher’s Walk (哲学の道), what could be better than a delicious cone of refreshing soft serve (called “soft cream” in Japan)?

How about four different flavors?!?!

When it comes to ice cream, I often become very indecisive because all the flavors look so good, so I tend to opt for a double scoop or soft serve swirl of two flavors. But, with its four flavor cone, this little dessert stand at the base on Ginkaku-ji makes my life even easier. A vanilla base, followed by two types of tea, Matcha and Hoji-cha (roasted Japanese green tea), and topped with kiwi. Despite my initial doubts, the tartness of the kiwi actually complimented the sweet vanilla and rich tea flavors very well. That said, I probably would have recommended trying this special soft cream for the simple novelty of having four flavors stacked high in the same cone! It’s genius!

My imagination might be pushing it a bit, but this four-tiered sweet treat reminded me of another beautiful Japanese creation. 

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Lunch Time: Saba at Imaishokudo (今井食堂)

Head to any bookstore and there will be plenty of guidebooks about Japan, describing the best sightseeing spots, restaurants, hotels, and shopping areas. But, unfortunately, these books are limited. You must be "in-the-know" or speak Japanese to find the real hidden gems. There is so much more information locked away in Japanese-only websites, television shows, and magazines.

Last week, I learned about one of these delicious restaurants off-the-tourist-beaten-path while watching TV with my host Okaasan. As soon as the TV show was over, I looked up the restaurant online to see if there were any blog post or reviews, while simultaneously, my host Okaasan called a friend who lived near the restaurant to verify the sincerity of the television commentator's "Umai!" and "Oishii" praising this restaurant. (My host Okaasan quickly picked up on my obsession with food and has been a helpful resource on my culinary adventures. Now, whenever she enjoys an especially delicious meal, she makes sure to let me know so I can check it out!)

Both friends and online reviewers agreed, IMAISHOKUDO was a delicious, hidden gem!

Having passed this first round of assessments, it was time to try the food for myself. Once we finished our morning Japanese lessons, Keeley, Ann, and I biked from Imadegawa Campus all the way up past Kitayama, near Shimogamo Shrine, to find Imaishokudo. After biking for about half an hour and watching the transformation of Kyoto from a bustling downtown to a quiet, more suburban area, we started having doubts. Where the heck was this place?!?! Why were we in such a quiet neighborhood? Would the food live up to all the hype? Did I mess up the directions?

But then, we crossed the Kamogawa river and turned the corner at Kamigamo Misonoguchicho...The long line of hungry Japanese people standing outside a ramshackle little shop provided the necessary reassurance: we were definitely in the right place! We were also the only foreigners in sight.

Ann and Keeley at the end of the line. The line moved rather quickly though so we didn't have to wait long.

Like most shinise restaurants, Imaishokudo's menu is short and simple. There are several set lunch options which include their famous saba, tempura shrimp, and chicken karaage along with rice and miso soup. 

I'm sure the tempura and karaage at Imaishokudo is delicious, but it is most well-known for its Saba (Mackerel), so we all ordered the Saba set lunch.

Juicy, tender saba in a slightly sweet, savory sauce. 

For three days, they stew the saba in their special sauce until the saba is so soft that you can eat the bones...YUM!!!! Even Keeley, who doesn't particularly care for fishy tasting things, was raving about Imaishokudo's saba. 

The inside of the restaurant does get a bit stuffy, but thoughtfully, they have placed paper fans along the walls, which we thankfully used to cool down. Another option would be to order the takeout bentos instead and enjoy the delicious saba sitting along the Kamogawa river...a great date idea, too!

Look at all the signatures on the wall. This place is famous and yet you won't find it in the guidebooks!

If you are up for making the trek out here, I highly recommend this restaurant.

Imaishokudo (今井食堂) 京都府京都市北区上賀茂御薗口町2 上賀茂神社横 (map)  075-791-6780 No website Open 11am to 2pm (possibly 3pm) on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday; I'm not completely sure, but I think you can still order bentos on the weekends

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Sweet Tooth: Ice Cream at Chibeta (ちべた)

While I definitely miss all my family and friends back home, I do not miss the food. Some of my fellow KCJS-ers keep saying that they are craving a big, greasy hamburger and fries, or a nice, juicy steak. However, I rarely get these carnivorous tendencies. Maybe it’s because my host mom is awesome and made me some truly delicious steak for dinner last night.

(Note: McDonald’s and Burger King do exist in Kyoto, but portions are smaller, prices are steeper, and you don’t get that grimy but often satisfying feeling that accompanies eating American fast food.)

While I never crave meat, sometimes there are those days when you just need ice cream. I get these cravings almost weekly (daily if a Japanese test is approaching). Thankfully, Kyoto has provided me with several solutions to indulge my sweet tooth.

Located a short walk west from Toriiwaro, just south of Imadegawa Dori, you will find an unassuming little shop at the corner of Senbon Dori and Sasayacho Chome. The nameplate was hidden behind a tree and the windows were all covered with screens, so you could easily walk past this place or mistakenly think it was closed.

I love this little homemade ice cream shop. Chibeta, which means “cold” or “冷たい” in Kyoto dialect, features some very interesting flavors that you could only find in Japan.

So far I’ve tried:

Black Sesame

Kyo-cha: Kyoto green tea (shown above)

Kinako: soybean flour (shown above)

Hoji: roasted green tea

Marron: chestnut

Apple sorbet

Murasaki Imo: purple potato (shown above)

Yaki Imo: baked Japanese sweet potato

So yummy! They were all delicious, so I can't really say which one is my favorite. And if I can remember correctly, a two-scoop cup is 315 yen...a great deal especially by Japanese standards!

How does Chibeta’s ice cream compare to other ice creams?

Like most Japanese desserts, Chibeta’s ice cream is not very sweet and much lighter than American equivalents, but it still maintains the creamy texture and rich flavor. I’d consider myself a bit of an ice cream connoisseur, especially since I’m spoiled with all the ice cream and gelato options in New York, and I highly recommend trying Chibeta!

Also, the second floor of Chibeta is quiet with great natural lighting during the day...it makes a great study spot!

Chibeta 京都市上京区千本通笹屋町東北角 (map)  075-414-8688 http://www.kyo-ice.com/welcome/head.html (Japanese only) Open 11am to 7pm; closed Monday

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Lunch Time: Oyako Donburi at Toriiwaro (西陣鳥岩楼)

Sometimes I like to get creative with how I define things. For example, freshman year (3 years ago! Wow, time flies!), Huei-yu and I watched Detective Conan to “study” for our Japanese final.

I’ve recently discovered another euphemism: eating = history lesson

Kyoto is old, like seriously old. And with age, comes decades, even centuries, of culinary expertise. There are many restaurants in Kyoto that have been around longer than the United States was formally in existence, perfecting their special dishes and technique for generations. These time-honored restaurants are called shinise (老舗). This semester, I plan to visit as many shinise as possible.

A couple of weeks ago, my Obaachan (“grandma”) and father visited me in Kyoto. Their trip was short, so I wanted to make sure that they experienced the best of Kyoto at a reasonable price! Kyoto has some incredible kaiseki restaurants, but they are $$$$. However, if you know where to look, you don’t need to break the bank to enjoy Kyoto.

For lunch, we headed to Toriiwaro for arguably the best and definitely the most famous Oyako Donburi in the city.

With this many shoes and the line of people waiting, I knew we had hit the jackpot.

As their name suggests, Toriiwaro specializes in chicken (“Tori”=chicken). At the heart of their dishes is their chicken stock, which is prepared by slowly simmering 30 chicken carcasses overnight to prepare for the next day’s meals. At Toriiwaro, there is no menu because they only serve one item, oyako donburi, making this restaurant very tourist friendly. Upon entering, you just tell the waitress how many people are in your party.

Once seated, we were served some soothing hot tea. 

And mere minutes later...

So what, it’s just oyako donburi. What’s so special about it?

Well, the oyako donburi at Toriiwaro was the best I’ve ever had. Usually, donburi come in massive bowls with excessive amounts of rice, so you are left eating plain white rice after you eat the top layer. But here, the bowls are smaller and there is less rice, which allows the rich chicken broth and egg-y mixture to seep deep down into the rice, making every single bite as flavorful as the first. When our donburi first arrived, I was a little afraid that it would not be enough food for my dad. But, despite the smaller size, we left pleasantly full and very satisfied.

Oyako literally translates as “parent and child” and refers to the mixture of chicken and egg. Therefore, sharing this dish with my father and grandma—three generations—was so poetic.

Besides the food, the ambiance is wonderful. Housed in a traditional Japanese machiya, you feel transported back in time as you sit on zabuton cushions on the tatami floor and look out over a beautiful Japanese garden.

Just like lunch, there is only one item on the dinner menu, too--Mizudaki Nabe (chicken hot pot). But, I will probably never try it. While lunch is a reasonable 800 yen (it might be 850 yen, I forget), the dinner price skyrockets to 6,300 yen per person.

Toriiwaro (西陣鳥岩楼、にしじんとりいわろう） Kyoto-shi Kamigyo-ku Gotsuji-dori Chiekoin Nishi-iru Minami-gawa (京都市上京区五辻通智恵光院西入南側) 
(map) 075-441-4004 http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~mao_utty/toriiwa/ (Japanese only)

Lunch served from 12-4pm; Closed on Thursday.

Directions: Walk west from Doshisha University Imadegawa Campus. At the intersection of Imadegawa and Chiekoin streets, turn right (north) on Chiekoin, and then make a left at the first intersection onto Itsutsujicho. Toriiwaro will be on the left (south) side of the street. Look for a crowd of bicycles and people. The line may seem intimidating, but the service is very fast, and the wait isn’t too bad (we waited about 15 minutes). 

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I'm still alive!

I arrived in Kyoto over a month ago and then fell off the radar. What happened to me?!?!

Well, I've been pretty busy with school, hours of Japanese homework, running around to various temples and shrines, making friends, EATING and getting acquainted with Kyoto. But that is still no excuse for going AWOL...I'm sorry for keeping you hanging...

I have absolutely no idea where to begin!!! I've eaten sooo many delicious things and therefore, have such a backlog of posts to write and photos to upload.

While the food itself is obviously a crucial component of enjoying a meal, sharing it with good company is equally important, so let me start with...THE PEOPLE

First up, my amazing Host Okaasan:

Can you believe that she is a whopping 82 years old??? She is incredibly healthy, still drives her flashy BMW, and plays sports almost every single morning! Despite my initial doubts and worries about living with only one (very old) person, I'm pretty sure I got the best host mother/family in the entire group. She's hilarious, energetic, super opinionated in a good way (a rarity amongst Japanese), and a great cook. I love her!!!!

My girls!

And some of my (often very feminine...lol) Japanese friends from Kyoto University

An almost complete group photo of the students in KCJS (Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies) with some Japanese students thrown in for good measure and to enhance the authenticity...jkjk

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Goodbye Aobadai, Hello Kyoto!

I've finally arrived in Kyoto!

The historical centre of Japan. 

The Best Restaurant City in the World.

My home for next 4 months!

But first, one final tribute to Aobadai and my Obaachan's cooking:

Breakfast

Lunch

Umeboshi onigiri, sautéed sausage and green peppers, and banana...the perfect power lunch to give me the strength to carry my 70+ pounds of luggage!

After lunch, I finished packing and headed to Shin-Yokohama to board the Shinkansen. In about 2 hours, I was in Kyoto. Gotta love bullet trains!

For the next three days, all the Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies (KCJS) students will be staying at the Hearton Hotel for orientation. 

My room!

After checking in, I organized a dinner for all the KCJS-ers who had already arrived in Kyoto. I thought it would be a good idea to meet everyone and get over the awkward introductions before the program officially gets started tomorrow morning. 

Some of the students had already been in Kyoto a couple of days, so they acted as tour guides leading us to a series of dark alleys full of small restaurants and bars. This may sound shady, but these dark passageways and traditional-style store fronts are part of Kyoto's unique charm. 

They all looked so good, though many were out of our student budget. In the end, we choose a small soba shop down one of the alleys.

Dinner

Ten zaru soba: Cold soba noodles with shrimp and vegetable tempura

Gotta have a dessert...or two

Two types of ice cream from the 7-11 near the hotel: Vanilla Coolish and Ice Fruit (アイスの実)

What the heck is "Ice Fruit"?

Well, it's sort of like this: take a fruit gummy, subtract the gummy texture, fill it with ice cream, and freeze solid. I don't think I've ever tried anything quite like it. 

Ice Fruit caused quite a stir earlier this summer with their latest commercial...a freaky, but pretty innovative marketing concept.

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Places to Study in Aobadai: A Coffee Shop Roundup

In the past week, I frequented numerous local establishments in search of the perfect environment to study Japanese. Here's a summary of my findings:

1. Starbucks

Besides the convenience stores, Starbucks is one of the few places open early in the morning (7am). At that time, it is the best place to study since there are many tables available and it's not too loud. While there Wi-Fi doesn't work on laptops, it will work on the iPhone. In the afternoon (~2pm and later), it is way too crowded with school children, couples, and middle-aged women.  

2. Living Cafe

When Starbucks was full, I headed to the Book1st on the top floor of the shopping mall across the street from Aobadai station. Inside this bookstore, there is a little cafe with ample seating and amazing natural light pouring in through the window which overlooks downtown Aobadai. This place gets a little crowded in the afternoon, but everyone is quietly reading or studying, so it's perfect!

3. The Bakehouse Coppet

Take a short walk heading north from the station and you will reach this small European-style bakery and cafe. With a eclectic mix of American and Spanish indie music playing in the background, ample lighting, an outlet for my laptop, delicious baked sweets and bread, nice strong coffee, and a cute Japanese boy behind the counter, this place had all the promise of being a good study spot. 

But something was off. The whole time I was there, I couldn't help feeling a bit awkward. Maybe it was the fact that I could understand the lyrics of the music or that it was pretty empty or the mere presence of a tall, attractive male...who knows? I'd return for the baked goods, but probably not for a serious study session.

Chocolate walnut bread and an iced coffee

4. Doutor Gourmet Coffee House

It stinks in so many ways. Don't go! I won't return till they ban smoking indoors.

5. KEY Coffee

Located in the basement of the Aobadai Station shopping mall, this place has a decent coffee offering, but very limited seating and is loud because the food department is right next door. 

6. KALDI Coffee Farm

This place is more of an international foods and coffee store than cafe or coffee shop. But they always have food and coffee samples, which makes it worth a short visit :)

Note: This list is practically useless for you because it is highly unlikely that you will ever find yourself in Aobadai, but it will help me keep track of the good and the bad next time I visit Obaachan in Aobadai. 

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Feast your eyes on...Tofu

Today, Obaachan took me to a pretty fancy tofu restaurant in Aobadai called Ume no Hana ("Plum's Flower") for lunch. Located on a small street behind the train station, I didn't know this place even existed. You must walk through a beautiful bamboo garden before you reach the restaurant's front doors. Upon entering, we were immediately greeted by women in kimonos and shortly after taken to a private dining room. The service here was impeccable. Our hostess explained each course and bowed to us upon entering and exiting the room for each course. The politeness and customer service in Japan continues to astound me. 

This restaurant may focus on tofu, but don't let that mislead you to believe that it is a vegetarian restaurant. While the central ingredient in each course was some type of tofu or tofu-like product, almost every dish also included a meat or fish component. Even carnivores would appreciate this restaurant!

Note: Many of the dishes we ate featured ingredients you would only find at a Japanese grocery store; instead of explaining them in full detail here, just click the embedded links for more information. 

The corridor which leads to all the private dining areas 

Our private dining room with a window overlooking the garden

The meal began with a steaming cup of green tea, which our hostess periodically refilled to ensure we always had hot tea

The first course consisted of a trio of tofu dishes (left to right):

Goma dofu: tofu made from sesame, so not your traditional soy-based tofu

Okara with shirataki: okara is the incredibly nutritious "by-product of turning soy beans into soy milk or tofu is the ground up fibrous part of the bean" and shirataki is an essentially zero-calorie noodle form of konnyaku making this dish a definite diet food...but it was so well seasoned with dashi stock and other flavors that you couldn't tell it was a health food

Stewed eggplant and cold tofu topped with tuna salad, onions, and edamame

Next up was a cold tofu salad (mixed greens, cold tofu, tempura flakes, sunflower seeds, and a sesame dressing) and fried tofu mochi in a sweet pork sauce

The third course was a soup consisting of dashi stock, red snapper, matsutake mushrooms (Japanese delicacy, super expensive), and a spritz of lime juice

Fried tofu and shrimp croquette and shishito pepper: It might look like a jalapeño, but it definitely does not taste like one. Peppers are not spicy in Japan. If my Dad's profuse sweating at the mere mention of eating Indian or Korean food is any indication, Japanese people can't take the heat!

Steamed shumai with pork and tofu filling wrapped in tofu 

Mochi gome with sweet corn and toasted sesame seeds, miso soup with yuba ("tofu skin"), and tsukemono ("pickles")

I asked Obaachan why the rice dish was served last instead of alongside the other dishes. She emphasized that the order of the dishes is very important. Besides the obvious reason that rice and soup would fill you up, she informed me that you are supposed to drink sake with the meal and eating rice earlier would interfere with how the sake mingles with the flavors from the rest of the dishes. 

Finally, dessert: matcha pudding topped with azuki beans and warabi mochi covered in kinako (sweet toasted soybean flour)

All this food on top of the usual delicious breakfast (with natto, of course!)

...just like yesterday, I don't think I will be hungry for dinner.

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Shocking Discovery, or is it?

This woman can’t see me through the tinted glass, but I’m glaring at her. I know it’s impolite to stare, especially in Japan, but whatever. 

I entered the Doutor Gourmet Coffee Shop near the Aobadai station hoping to find another study spot because Starbucks gets pretty busy during late afternoon as it is a popular after-school hangout for high schoolers and meeting place for chatty housewives. Instead, I was greeted by a cloud of smoke and the disgusting smell of tobacco as several patrons (including the above woman) puffed away. 

“They still allow smoking indoors???”

An iced coffee with a side of secondhand smoke is definitely not worth my ¥200. 

I guess I've been spoiled in the U.S. with its increasingly stringent no smoking policies, but still it’s hard to believe that smoking is allowed in this coffee chain in a country that places such a strong emphasis on health and community. 

Granted this coffee shop was the first time I've encountered smoking indoors in a long time in Japan, and it is a huge improvement from when I was a little kid. At that time, everyone smoked everywhere!

The Way It Should Be

I found another reason to like Starbucks Japan!

No smoking even at their outdoor tables! Doutor should take note from the largest and most successful coffee chain in the world! It’s funny how I've become such a Starbucks advocate in Japan because I’m a bit of hater in the States. I’d rather take advantage of NYC’s numerous independent coffee shops. When I do visit a Starbucks, I pretty much cheat the free refill system in the U.S. to the point where I hardly pay for my Starbucks coffee anymore. 

But here in Japan, Starbucks actually offers the best coffee experience around (taste, service, and environment). Albeit, this sentiment is pretty biased because Aobadai isn't exactly a major metropolitan area, so there is little competition. My feelings will likely change when I get to Kyoto. In fact, a recent Google search revealed that Kyoto is full of smaller coffee shops and cafes. I can’t wait!

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A Potential Morning Disaster

Breakfast

Does something seem different about this breakfast?

For those of you who have been carefully following my blog, you'll find a notable absence...Where's the natto???

We forgot to buy natto last night. No big deal, right?

Wrong. Obaachan freaked out this morning and almost sent me straight to the store just to buy natto. I told her that we didn't need to have natto today, but still she seemed a bit distraught and apologetic for not having natto. Our fridge is now well-stocked with natto to avoid this breakfast scare from happening again.

Lunch

I thought I was good at finding discounts and sales, but Obaachan continues to prove me wrong. She has point cards, coupons, and gift cards for almost every store in Aobadai. Today was no exception. When we went to buy my Shinkansen ("bullet train") ticket to Kyoto, somehow she confused the travel agent into giving us the senior citizen price. Lol. When we left the store, she informed me of the mistake and was practically beaming with pride at the thought of saving money. We celebrated this small victory of frugality with a delicious, super filling lunch at the spaghetti restaurant in Aobadai station (5F, ~¥800-1500). The restaurant features over 20 different preparations of spaghetti with both Western and Japanese flavor profiles. We choose one of each. 

Western-style: pesto sauce with shrimp and avocado

Japanese-style: meat sauce with enoki mushrooms, lotus root, eggplant, and pork topped with shredded daikon radish and shiso leaves

I've been to this restaurant several other times, and it has yet to disappoint. So yummy! I highly recommend trying Italian food in Japan.

The portions were pretty large, so I was stuffed! It was the first time that I've been painfully full since arriving in Japan and not surprisingly, it was after eating a sizable portion of Western food. With the help of two iced coffees, I overcame the resulting food coma and did some hardcore Japanese studying. 

Dinner

Approximately 7 hours later, I still felt full, so I had a small dinner (stewed pork & eggplant and a cucumber salad) and a white peach for dessert. 

Happy eating!

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Sweet Incentives

I leave for Kyoto in two days, and I'm a bit worried. Over the course of this wonderful summer, I've managed to forget a sizable portion of my Japanese and a majority of the Kanji I spent hours and hours memorizing (well...more like cramming). I'm already registered in the study abroad program, so I know they can't throw me out, but I'm still feeling anxious.

During the first couple of days in Kyoto, we will have a short orientation program to get better acquainted with the Kyoto area and Japanese culture and...there will be the dreaded placement examination. Our actual placement does not affect our grades or anything; in fact, getting placed into a lower Japanese level would probably make it easier to get an "A" (aka GPA boost because unlike most study abroad programs, our grades here actually count). But it would really suck to be the worst Japanese speaker in the group, being half-Japanese and all...

You would think that this fear would motivate me to study. But that's not exactly how things work with me and studying. However, I have found a couple of much more effective incentives, and of course, they involve food :)

スターバックスコーヒーのライム＆ミントグリーンティーフラペチーノ aka. Starbucks Mint & Lime Green Tea Frappuccino

It's super refreshing and perfect for the ridiculously hot and humid Japanese summer. It tastes sort of like a virgin mojito slushy...yum!

Sipping on my frappuccino while listening to some J-Pop in the Aobadai Starbucks created an ideal study environment for tackling some Kanji. Could it get any better?

The answer is Yes. 

One of the baristas came by with samples of the Caramel Apple Frappuccino that will be featured this fall at Starbucks in Japan.

There are so many good things going on in this little cup:

Apple juice and apple-flavored sweets in Japan are amazing and way better than I've tried anywhere else

In the mini-cup, the whipped cream to frappuccino ratio is almost 1:1...and I LOVE WHIPPED CREAM

Caramel sauce...enough said

IT WAS FREE!

I find it much easier to study outside the house because there are fewer distractions (aka no TV and no Internet), but at night all the coffee shops are closed. So instead I reward good study habits with my favorite fruit which fortunately happens to be in season: White Peaches

I know you can get these in the U.S., but they are never as big, as juicy, or as delicious as the ones in Asia. 

Do you ever use food to motivate you to study?

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Aobadai Summer Festival (青葉台夏祭り)

Yesterday was a long, but super fun and surprisingly productive day. Aobadai (the town where my Obaachan lives) was hosting its annual summer festival! Usually, I'm at school already by this time, so this was my first time seeing it in action. For some reason, I was expecting it to be a relatively small event, so I was pretty much blown away. Families from Aobadai and the surrounding areas poured out for the event which included a parade, a concert, tons of games with prizes, a huge bingo game, and lots of delicious food!

As an active member of her community, Obaachan was involved in the event from start to finish--almost 12 hours (9am for preparations till after 8pm)!!! Yeah...I'm still in disbelief! At 81 years old, she was also the oldest volunteer there, but with her physical vigor and lively spirit, you definitely couldn't tell. If the number of people who stopped by to say "Hello" or ask for her advice is any indication, she's probably one of the most popular and well-respected people there, too. Long story short, she's a rockstar, and I can only hope to be like her 60 years from now!

Breakfast

Before our long day, we fueled up with the usual breakfast. Look closely at the miso soup. See those scallion-like things floating at the top? Those little herbs cost me 23 mosquito bites!

Festival Preparations (準備する)

Corn, Corn, Corn!

I shucked buckets full of corn, while Obaachan boiled it up for some delicious corn on the cob. 

Team Corn hard at work!

This Ojiichan was doing some quality control

Having passed inspection, it was time to boil

Obaachan, hard at work! 

A corn photo shoot: excessive, yes...but it looked so good!

There was also a Team Yakisoba

Cabbage man!

MEAT!!!! Still can't believe I was vegetarian for 5 years.

Lunch

My reward for a morning of corn-labor: Sekihan (赤飯), sticky rice with adzuki beans served on special occasions in Japan, and another type of sticky rice (name unknown) topped with gomashio (toasted sesame seeds and salt)

Other photos from the festival: crowds of people came out to watch the band concert performed by the local middle school and subsequent parade through the neighborhood

I stole these two photos from the city's website. You can find more close-ups like these here and here.

Beautiful lanterns illuminated the festival as it continued late into the night

I'm really glad that I got to experience at least one festival before the summer ends. Why is school starting already?

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Feeding Frenzy

23 Mosquito Bites in less than 5 minutes!!!!

Seriously, not kidding...13 on my right leg, 10 on my left leg

I went outside in my Obaachan's garden this morning to grab some fresh herbs for today's breakfast, and in a matter of minutes, the damage was done. But never fear...MUHI ("ムヒ") came to my immediate rescue. If you live in Japan, a haven for mosquitoes especially during rainy summers, MUHI will become something you cannot live with it out.

Mosquitoes were not the only gluttons in the last 24 hours. Yesterday, I had another delicious assortment of Japanese food, specially prepared by the best chef ever!

Breakfast: mixing it up a bit, quite literally, with a scrambled egg

Lunch: Curry Rice with Pork and Eggplant topped with pickled radish and onions

Dinner: Hamburg Steak (Japanese-style hamburger), Konnyaku (find more information here), and Zaru Soba (cold soba noodles)

Finally, I hope everyone on the East Coast is safe. The whole concept of an earthquake and now hurricane hitting Manhattan still seems surreal. Coming from Japan, I'm feeling a bit of deja vu. Please keep me updated!

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Anything you can do, Obaachan can do better!

My Obaachan ("grandmother") is amazing! She may be an impressive 81 years old, but has the adventurous spirit of a teenager and may be in better physical shape than me (though that is not saying much). This morning, I showed her a picture (below) of the natto soba I ate on my last trip to Cocoron*** in NYC. 

I was simply showing her my favorite places in NYC, but apparently, she took it as a challenge. After a brief glance at the photo above, she responded at lunch time with her delicious rendition of natto soba:

I loved it! The crunchiness of the vegetables and saltiness of the nori ("seaweed"), sliced ham and katsuoboshi ("fish flakes") meshed perfectly with the slightly bitter taste of the natto on top of al dente soba noodles. 

Why can't I eat like this everyday? Oh wait, I can...at least for the next four months. Gotta love Japan!

***Cocoron is a hidden gem on the Lower East Side and my favorite restaurant in the city. Check out my previous restaurant reviews of Cocoron:

Day 2: Adventures on the Lower East Side Warms the Heart, Belly, and Soul

Also, Serious Eats NYC did a recent feature on my beloved Cocoron! Check it out here.

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Breakfast in Japan

After an incredible summer in Boston and a brief two days at home, I've finally arrived in Japan. For those of you who haven't heard, I'll be studying abroad in Kyoto for the fall semester. But don't worry...I'll keep you all posted on my travels with a strong emphasis on what I'm eating :)

First up, my favorite meal of them all: Japanese breakfast at my grandparents' house