Fall foods from the garden

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I spent Halloween weekend at my parents' place in the countryside, where I was able to enjoy the last moments of fall. Instead of waiting for my parents to come back from the garden, which is usually the case, I put on rubber boots and headed out there myself, picking and pulling out veggies with my own hands.

My parents grow their own shitake mushrooms. They drill holes into the logs and place shitake seeds (or germs, they call it) and place them like above.

One day left unsupervised.. they've grown a bit too much but were still very juicy and flavorful. 

Brussel sprouts are difficult to find or very expensive to buy in Japan (8 sprouts for $3!) , so I asked my parents to make room for my own batch this year. The seeds were planted 3 weeks later than suggested, so the sprouts came out a bit small.. they were still delectable, sauteed in olive oil and salt. 

These red peppers are also from the garden.

These rare fruits are called kuchinashi. They grow on trees in wooded areas, and taste exactly like sweet kiwi fruits.  One of those things you can't buy at any stores.

Cicada

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I had lunch at Cicada yesterday, a Mediterranean/Moroccan inspired restaurant in Nishi-Azabu. One of the very few places I know in Tokyo that serve proper tagine/tajine. Great food, service, and atmosphere.

Hummus with grilled flat bread 

Spicy Moroccan Crab Cakes

Fish Tagine with Cous-Cous

Dinner & Drinks in Kagurazaka

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I had dinner with a friend at Lugdunum Bouchon Lyonnais in Kaurazaka Saturday evening. Chef Christophe Paucod, born in Lyon, has created this cozy two-story bouchon that serves Lyon-style dishes, in a very Lyon-atmosphere (landscape pictures of Lyon adorn the walls, next to the antiques that decorate the shelves, all of which were brought in from Lyon).

Smoked salmon tartar 

Rabbit Conift served on mashed potatoes

Grilled John Dory

We didn't stay for desert however, due to two very intoxicated female diners causing a ruckus at the next table.. (I'm a tolerant person who believes in having good, tipsy fun, but we honestly couldn't hear each other talk!) Instead, we headed over to Bar Jug (contrary to the name, it was a very chic, comfy little bar with a very impressive menu) Below: bourbon on the rocks (that ice did not melt the entire time we were there - perfection)

Ramen & Gyoza

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Ramen: Japanese noodles served in broth. People in Japan take the broth seriously, and some ramen places simmer their pots for 5 days to get that savory flavor.
Gyoza: Dumplings with meat (usually pork) and vegetable fillings. Dipped in soy sauce and vinegar (and hot chili oil).

Ramen is a comfort food for most Japanese people. It's what people crave after a night of drinking, when suffering the consequences of previous night's goof, or simply when you're hungry. Kids crave ramen all the time, so do adults. It's that kind of food.

I had a very fun night out last night, which ended with ramen and gyoza at Ippudo in Roppongi. (there is an Ippudo New York as well, which I have yet to try - I wonder if it's the same) I think I can go out on a limb and say that their ramen is the best in Tokyo.
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All these tomatoes..

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What am I mean to do with all these beautiful tomatoes?

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Work took me to Niigata Prefecture yesterday. The nature of the visit was art-related, but somehow I ended up with close to 15 freshly picked plump tomatoes and 2 very large sweet potatoes dug up that day. They are gorgeous, but I don't know what to do with all these tomatoes. I could give them out to friends, but there is a lot of rain today due to a serious typhoon approaching Tokyo tomorrow evening I've been told, so my plan was to stay home until it passes.
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Food and drinks on a Thursday night

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Last night I had dinner with S, a high school friend I'd not seen in almost 2 years. We had dinner at a lovely Italian restaurant in Jiyugaoka. Jiyugaoka is one of those very trendy areas of Tokyo with lots of little shops, cafes, and restaurants. Shame that I have been there only twice (including last night)...I do like to explore but tend to stay in my familiar, cozy zone. I completely forgot the name of the restaurant, and wouldn't know how to go about searching online as there hundreds of little Italian places in that area, but did manage to take a photo of the dessert. Their Apple Pie ala mode was one of the best I have ever had!
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Then on my way back home from dinner I ran into my friend Mika (really bizarre - what are the chances of running into anyone on a Tokyo subway!) and joined her and her former colleagues visiting from overseas for some drinks. We went to Ebisu Yokocho, a retro-looking, festive alleyway lined with yatai (food stalls) reminiscent of downtown Tokyo in the 60's. It opened not too long ago, and is a great place to go with a group of friends for fun eating and drinking.
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Having just eaten, I stuck to umeshu (plum wine) in the beginning. We went from one stall to the next, and ended up at this wine bar where they served steamed vegetables. Why they serve steamed vegetables at a wine bar is beyond me, but the radishes I had were detectable.
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Tsukiji lunch

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Tsukiji fish market is the largest wholesale fish market in the world. They have fish auctions in the early mornings (think 4-5am), which they still open to the public I think.  (they had to ban the public from the auctions at one point, just to keep out the drunken and drugged out clubbers who flocked to the market as their final stop on a night's out!)

There are many many great sushi restaurants in the market place, but my recent favorite is Wakatake. They have fantastic deals on fresh sushi and non-sushi meals, and their service is impeccable. I ordered the 'grilled fish set menu' that day, which came with grilled sanma (saury), sashimi, chawanmushi (steamed egg custard in a cup), hijiki (sea vegetable), pickles, karaage with daikon (fried chicken with radish), rice and miso soup.
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(grilled sanma not pictured here..it came a bit later on 

by which time I was too busy devouring my meal to take a picture)

I also recommend Sushi Zanmai, my usual place for sushi indulgence. It's a 24 hour franchise spread across central Tokyo, known for their fresh and reasonably priced sushi. I highly recommend sitting at the counter on the 1st floor of Honten, in Tsukiji. It's exciting watching the sushi chefs at work, who are usually very witty and great fun to chat with as well.

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