Character Bento (キャラ弁)

On Monday night, I always watch drama, and I watched "全開ガール" starring Yui Aragaki and Ryo Nishikido.

On the drama, she try to make character bento, which often called キャラ弁 in Japannese.

When I was child, I have not seen that kind of bento, but it is becoming more common nowadays.

I guess these character bento could become famous as one of Japanese food culture.

Have you made it?

It must be very difficult, and take a lot of time.

I want to share some great character bento below.

That's amazing!!!

These Bento are too artistic to eat. lol

Someday, I want to make it for my future children.

Blowfish （Fugu）

Today, I introduce a good Japanese restaurant.

It is "Genpin Fugu," which serve only tiger blow fish (Fugu) dishes.

I work at this restaurant as a part time job for over 3 years.

In Japan, blow fish is regarded as a luxury food item.

However, you can enjoy it at a reasonable price there.

Blow fish (Fugu) is referred to as blow/globe/puffer fish because it blows its body up.

In China, it's used to write the fish indicates "river pig."

In western Japan, it is sometimes called "Fuku," which have a meaning of happiness(福).

As you know blow fish has poison, and there is an old expression such that "I want to eat fugu,but I don't want to die." However, scientists at Nagasaki University have succeeded in creating a non-toxic variety of tiger blow fish by coordinating fish's diet. The blow fis

h which is served at the restaurants are non-toxic fish, so you don't have to worry about it!

Common dishes of blow fish are:

1. Fugu-sashi (tessa)...The most popular dish is sashimi of fugu, sliced so thinly that the pattern of the plate can be seen through the meat.

2. Hugu-chiri (tecchiri)...Vegetables and fish can be simmered.

3.Karaage...Fugu can be eaten deep fried.

4.Hire-zake...Hirezake is somewhat rare drink in Japan. The dried fin of the blowfish is steeped in hot sake for about ten minutes and served. You can watch how the fish is steeped in this movie, and it is also my job at the restaurant.

The best season for blowfish is winter, not now.

Plese try it if you have never eaten fugu:)

Vegan Restaurant in Tokyo

How was your one day vegetarian challenge?

I know you also had difficulties to be a vegetarian as well as me.

I think that to have meal at outside is the most difficult thing for vegetarian people in Japan.

Then, I did a search about restaurants or cafes which are kind for vegan in Tokyo.

1. T's Restaurant (jiyugaoka)

The meals which T's Restaurant serve are 100% for vegan.

As the HP of T's Restaurant, the reason why it started Vegan Restaurant in Japan, they believe that no animal product make people more healthier, and they already realize that Japan tend not to be kind for people who are vegetarian or have any food allergy. It use fake meat made by soybean, so you can enjoy "karaage" of soybean meat, and it seems good. One of people who really like the restaurant says that one T's restaurant meal per a week make him feel better without tiredness. As you know, no meat meal is not always good, but it could be said that we tend to have excess oil.

Luz Jiyugaoka B1F 2-6-9 Jiyugaoka, Meguro-ku

(03)3717-0831

http://ts-restaurant.jp/about/

2. PURE CAFE (Omotesando)

The keyword of the PURE CAFE is "de-stress"

You can enjoy vegan food with plenty of organic vegetable and beans quickly, and you might feel releasing the stress. Of course, you have tasty sweets such as tofu cake and pudding.

5-5-21 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku

(03)5466-2611

http://www.pure-cafe.com/index.html

3. 6889 Cafe (Minami-Machida)

The 6889 Cafe serve "Real Food". It regard "Real Food" as that kind of food which can be enjoyed by everybody who have each own food culture.

688 Tsuruma, Machida-shi

(042)850-6889

http://www.6889cafe.com/index.html

Did you get interested in any vegan restaurant?

I found out there are some vegan restaurant in Tokyo, Japan, but what these restaurants want is people have healthy food not for animal rights. In class I learned that the most popular reason why people become a vegetarian is for animal protection as well as Lara.

Anyway, I really want to visit these restaurant and enjoy vegan food.

Vegetarian Challenge!

Vegetarian Challenge!

It sounds so hard because I really love meat, but also I guess it would be the good chance to change my eating style for health. As you know, a lots vegetable and less meat are healthy way of eating, and it’s good for the person who is on a diet.

This time, I tried to be a strict vegetarian. To be honest with you, the first day of my vegetarian effort only ended in failure. After I woke up, I had a cup of black coffee (usually, I had a cup of milk in the morning), a piece o toast with strawberry jam. At the day, I did job hunting, and after that I needed o kill time before going to part time job, and I felt hungry. I couldn’t a good place for that without McDonald’s. Then, I realized that it did not have a menu for vegetarian, which mean that it was hard for me to satisfy my hunger, and I gave up the challenge at the day with a burger.

At the next day was revenge day for me to be vegetarian. I had rice with umeboshi and a cup of green tea. I felt like to have miso soup with rice, but it was not for Vegan because of bonito soup stock. At noon, I had lunch at Lapaz and ate boiled spinach, tofu (hiyayakko), seaweed salad, and rice. My dinner was Japanese radish salad, and yakisoba at the Izakaya which I usually work part time. The izakaya serve omusoba, and it is one of my favorite foods, but I asked a cook to make it without egg.

The most difficult about being vegan is when I have meal outside because almost all restaurant or café in Japan don’t have menu for vegetarian. Even though I can choose some vegetable foods, asking is a crucial part of vegetarian life. The dressing which I use at Lapaz might be not good for vegan use dressing, so I should have asked about that.

During the vegetarian life, I have felt that I have been healthy! It was not easy, but also comfortable to care about my food. (I guess that it was because the challenge was only 24 hours) To be healthy is good for body and mental, I believe. I usually eat what I want because it is rarely have meal at home. Therefore, the eating time always non-stress time for me, but it is not healthy for my body and my money bag!

After the vegetarian day, I think that I should take great care for what I eat for myself. The food culture is base of our life and I am what I eat. Being vegetarian need to care about it all of the time, and I will make use of my vegetarian experience to keep me healthy.

In addition, I want to say that Japan should be more kind society for vegetarian people. The reason why Japan is difficult world for being vegetarian could be that the Japanese tend to have no religion, and fewer Japanese people think about animal rights than other country people. Nowadays, however, Japanese people tend to think their health, so the expected growth in demand can be considered.

Vegetarian life was not easy but interesting!

Thanks,

Saori

Table Manners

In class, we have learned about food cultures of other religious and life style of vegetarian.

The reason why we study about that is to know other food cultures could help building good relationship with people from other countries. We are also going to have a lot of chances to have dinner with forign people in the future, and the knowlege will be abole to be used as a first step to know each other.

Also, table manners could be a part of food culture that we should know about, and I will share some.

1. Noodle

Noodle foods, for example, soba, udon, or ramen, are very familiar with us.

When eating noodle, we usually make slurping sounds, and it is said that the noise is kind of appreciation of food served.

However, it is often considered that it is very rude to make a noise when eating, so if you have a chance to eat noodle with other country's people, you should remind that it could make them unconfortable.

2. Holding up plate

When Japanese people eat a bowl of rice, we holding up the plate. However, it is very rare table manner in the world. In korea, they also often eat a bowl of rice, they don't hold it up when eating. The way of eating seems bad for us, but it is common way in other country.

3. In Korea

Recently, many Japanese people prefer Korean Food, and there are some interesting table manner. First, you should have a soup not rice, or Kimchi. When you eating rice, use a spoon not chopsticks like Japanese.

It can be useful knowrege for our life:)

How to Celebrate the Birthday

Today, June 2nd, is my father's 51th birthday!

Happy Birthday,dad.　

My family is going to have a birthday cake ton

ight.

The beginning of birthday cake's history dates back to the middle of the 19th century in Western cultures, and people

started singing a birthday song before having it.　

By the way,　in other countries, how people celebrate their birthday?

Do you think it could be the same way as Japan like with a cake?

I will share some differences between Japan and other countries.

In Korea,　the birthday person usually have seaweed soup in the morning.　Korean people also have a b

irthday cake with the birthday song though, seaweed soup for the birthday seems strange for me doesn't it?

Talking about China, people eat long life noodle(長寿麺), and they have it on the birthday or new year bec

ause noodle's length reflects wishes for their longevity.

On your own birthday,　what do you want to eat?

Hard Rock Cafe

2008.11.27-12.1

I went to Saipan with Aya (Who is one of my high school friends and she went to Vietnam with me as you know from my old post). At one of nights in Saipan, we had a dinner at Hard Rock Cafe.

Hard Rock Cafe is a chain of theme restaurants founded in 1971 in London, and now,there are 150 Hard Rock in 53 countries.

The interior design in corporates combination of American diner and rock. Each Hard Rock Cafe has own original goods and local humberger, and this is the reason why this cafe is often crowded with tourists.

We had enjoyed the very American heaavy humberger, and also the performance by the rock artist. We danced with the performer and other customers.

In Japan, there are 7 Hard Rock Cafe at Roppongi, Ueno, yokohama, Narita, Universal Citywalk Osaka, Osaka, and Fukuoka. I want to the entertainment there again.

The restaurant motto are, "Love All, Serve All", "Save the Planet," "All Is One," "Humanity Is International," and "Music For life."

Have you been there?