Squid Ink Fried Rice @ Churari

On Saturday night, we had dinner at Okinawan restaurant called Churari. Churari means beautiful land in Okinawan dialect. The restaurant serves you the dishes using selected ingredients direct from the farm in Okinawa.

We last ordered squid ink fried rice cooked in the stone dish. I love burnt rice but you can't tell which part is burnt from this black color. Ha-ha! Actually, it was my first time to try squid ink and was pretty good with the rich flavor of seafood! Have you ever tried squid ink?!

Anyway, we also tried iPad! My opinion is I'd rather pay for a new laptop!!!

Busy Monday as usual...

Have a good day :D

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I Hate Eel

This weekend was really hot and humid. On such a day, my darling and I crave for sushi :D We again went to Sushi Misakimaru for dinner. I love their sushi since they serve at low price!

Wow! They might have miscalculated our total!!! We just paid about 3,500yen ($35) all together including alcoholic beverages (cold sake and beer)!

Anyway, I hate eel because it is greasy at the back. However their eel is different. Not greasy at all but thick and light. I think I acquired a liking for eel :)

Do you have any likes and dislikes for certain sushi?

I know it takes nerve to try ones you don't like, but don't be prejudiced! I hope I can love sea urchin and chewy fish someday...

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Pentax Optio W90 @ Sushi Misakimaru

Last night, my darling and I've been to kaiten-zushi (conveyor belt sushi) after a while. I don't always write here, but Sushi Misakimaru serves fresh and huge sushi at low prices! They are located in many places in Tokyo

The photos are taken by my darling's new camera: Pentax Optio W90!!! Don't they look yummy?!
(BTW, I brought my camera with me but without a memory card... damn...)

An inventive LED Macro Lights installed on the front surface of the lens barrel enables Pentax Optio W90 to capture clear, bright images of the subject, even when the close distance of the camera makes it cast a shadow on the subject!!!

Pentax Optio W90 also has a funny function called "Small Face filter". It makes the subject's appear slightly smaller than in reality in recorded images, helping you to create better proportioned, more attractive portraits. Maybe we can test this later. Ha-ha!!!

Anyway, I fixed my hair last night! My too straight bottom hair is now thinned out! Hereafter till the wedding, I won't cut my hair!!! I hope I can grow back 2 inches by 10/10 :(

Things that I thought good sometimes make extra work, you know...

Have a good day!!!

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Mixed Sandwich

You now know I love UCC Ueshima Coffee Shop, and yes, I've been there with my darling again last weekend!

Their "Mixed Sandwich" is my favorite! Egg chunks with mayo, rich sliced cheese, Italian ham, juicy tomato, fresh cucumber and lettuce are in between two pieces of bread. Mmm yummy :P

I think I want to make this at home someday!!!

Tonight, I'm seeing my ex-colleague in NY! I think it has been already 2 years since we last met!!!

Have a good day :D

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GIGGLE

On Saturday, my darling and I had hamburgers at Hamburger Diner GIGGLE! They don't have a Web page but they are pretty famous around here. The diner is decorated with imported products! I liked it there! Their Avocado Hamburger is popular among women ;) My darling ordered Chile Beans Hamburger! They also serve fish and chips and a wide variety of imported beers!

To tell the truth, we rarely eat hamburgers for dinner but a week before, when we had coffee at a different diner, we saw people eating gorgeous hamburgers and that reminded us of GIGGLE! We are thinking of trying out that diner's hamburgers as well this weekend! Can't wait!!!

Anyway, this morning, since I had time, I squeezed a zit which I shouldn't... I know it is better to leave it as is but I just bet it... you know what I mean!!! (Hope you do.) Well... I will try to leave it for a month! I declare it here!!! Oh, by the way, it was on my arm and I had to cure it before the next laser hair removal in June X(

Have a good Monday!

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UCC Ueshima Coffee Shop

I never mentioned about this, but almost every weekend, my darling and I go to 上島珈琲店 (Ueshima Coffee Shop) to have some coffee :D

UCC Ueshima Coffee (UCC上島珈琲株) is a manufacturer of coffee and tea products in Kobe, Hyogo. "UCC" stands for "Ueshima Coffee Company". They have expanded their coffee shops in recent years and one in Seijyo (near our home) has opened in 2008. Their theme is urban oasis. Isolated from crowds and noises of the city, they provide a space for relaxation with coffee.

They serve "nel drip coffee" which uses cloth filter (flannel) instead of paper filter. It takes time to drip coffee, thus makes rich and tasty coffee with supple texture. I really love their coffee. Unlike other coffee shops, their coffee is served always the same (not bitter) which is pretty comfortable! They also serve foods, too! I love their lunch menu, which comes with salad, sandwich, and a cup of coffee of course!

Do you have a favorite coffee shop?

I just can't wait the weekend to start!

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Ramen @ Koumibou

On Saturday, my darling and I've been to the newly opened 広味坊 (Koumibou) near our home (in Seijyo). This branch only serves ramen or a prix-fixe menu. (The other branch in Soshigaya serves a la carte menu.)

Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish that originated in China. I don't eat ramen that often because I can't eat that fast before the noodles get soft, but I tried the cold one without broth. My darling had a ramen with shrimp dumplings. They cook ramen as seen in the movie below! My darling shoot this video and edited it with a mood of nostalgia. Cool, right?! ;)



Busy Monday! I can't wait for the weekend to begin!!!

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AOYUZU

On Saturday, my darling and I had a dinner at the restaurant called 青柚子 (AOYUZU) where they serve fresh ingredients in season. Their speciality is fried spring chicken. Half the body of a spring chicken is slowly fried in the oil. (Left bottom image.) It wasn't greasy at all. The skin was crisp and the meat was light and juicy. We had a good time :D

Anyway, I am posting this to end up today's post with a happy stuff. He-he ;) They are the last pics I took with my IXY!

Have a good day!

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Cafe & Dining SCENE

On Saturday, my darling and I had 1,000 yen (10 bucks) lunch at Cafe & Dining SCENE in Akasaka. They serve menu of the week: meat, fish bowl, pasta, and healthy plate. My darling had pasta and I had healthy plate :D The lunch menu comes with salad, appetizer, main course, and all-you-can-drink bar. The cafe was very stylish and cozy. I think we stayed there for more than 3 hours!!!

BTW, Golden Week holidays start from April 29th to May 5th! I know I gonna be busy anyway, but I can't wait!!!

Too much rain this month! It is going to rain again this afternoon...

Take care :D

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Enchante

This is something about last Thursday.

My co-worker took me to an intimate Italian restaurant called Enchante near our office. They serve you 10 bucks lunch menu that comes with salad, appetizer, main dish, dessert, and drink (coffee)! You can enjoy Italian home-style dishes made with a lot of vegetables :D The main dish I ordered is seafood tomato risotto. It was tasty but refreshing with chunks of tomatoes!

Oh boy, I'm getting fatty since the new year!!! I gotta lose at least 4 pounds by July!!!

I wish I could burn calories faster X(

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To The Herbs

This Saturday, my darling and I felt like eating pasta, so we had pasta at To The Herbs (Italian restaurant). The restaurant is located near the closest station but last time we ate there was about three years ago!

BTW we always order a la carte menu items. Most of the time it costs less in this way because you only order whatever you want to eat! The food there is made with fresh seasonal ingredients. I loved asparagus and ice fish tomato pasta (right bottom image). It was really refreshing. We had a good time :D

Anyway, we argued a lot this weekend X( Since I was really busy, I couldn't stop complaining and so as my darling... The food we had during the fight tasted awful... you know... I think if we are both happy we can enjoy anything, even McDonald's!

Peace :)

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Spider Rolls @ Roppongi J (Bamboo Bar)

What kind of sushi rolls do you like?!

I love spider rolls (sushi rolls with soft shell crabs)! This is one of my favorites :p Last weekend I had it at Roppongi J (Bamboo Bar) restaurant in Roppongi Hills. Actually, my darling and I were planning to go to a Hawaiian restaurant on the same floor, but we just made a mistake and sucked into the modern bamboo lights displays. They serve creative international foods. Their huge kabob salad was delicious, too!

It is freezing cold today in Tokyo. High today is 50F (10C)! I still need my down jacket!

I have a lot to do recently. My ToDo list never ends...

Take care!!!

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Spring Squid Ink Pasta @ Mia Angela

Hi there! On Saturday I had a Squid Ink Pasta at my favorite Italian restaurant Mia Angela! It is Tagliolini with "Botan" shrimp and rape blossoms. Mmm yummy! It went great with their recommended white wine, "Soave Classico, Colbaraca". The wine was crisp and dry with a fruity pear flavor. I'm not good at wine but I love their wines ;)

I have zero sense of direction! This morning, my regular train stopped, so I took a different train and got off at a different closest station to go to work. However, I wasn't sure how to go to my workplace from that station, so I walked on feel... and that was a big mistake... After a while, I got lost and reached the regular train station. Which means I took the long way!!! Damn...

It is cold in Tokyo, waiting for sakura to blossom out! We are missing the sakura light-up this year since we are going on a trip to Kyushu (Nagasaki) on this weekend! BTW, I just realized I always do peace sign(s) when I take photo...

Busy Monday!
See you again!!!

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My Sister's Cafe

This weekend my darling and I went to my youngest sister's workplace. She waits at a cafe in the community center. I never wrote about my sisters but I have 2 younger sisters: 2 years and 10 years younger. The youngest sister is actually mentally-retarded. After she finished high school, she started to work at many different places to become socially independent. It was very nice to see her working hard :D The cake set menu was sold at a low price (450yen/$4.50) but was really huge and delicious!!! Their coffee was really good, too!

Anyway, I am extremely busy since I need to think about my wedding stuff in addition to my cooking stuff :( My darling always says take it easy, but how can I?!?! I can't compromise anything... you know...

Two images at the bottom are taken at the different places. The red dress is the dress I bought at $10 the other day :D My darling is reading a wedding news on the paper! Good boy!!!

I gotta stop now! Bye for now :)

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口水鶏@KICHIRI

Last night, my darling and I went to eat dinner at an izakaya restaurant called KICHIRI. On the menu, we found a strange food called "よだれ鶏" which means "mouth water chicken"... (the left top image) I first couldn't believe the naming and laughed with my darling, but now by searching the Net, I found it actually was a traditional Chinese food called "口水鶏"!!!

BTW, yesterday was a busy day! I really wanted to shop at Shibuya 109 since I haven't been there for 3 months, so I went there to find new clothes before the wedding dress fitting. Luckily many of the winter clothes were sold at 1,000yen (10 bucks) or 70% off , so I spent only 15,000yen ($150) to get 10 items :D What a great deal!!!

Okay, I gotta go now!

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