Japan Restaurants

It's nearly 11 by the time I leave Paris.5/12/2013 Paris. 6:30am.The international terminal at Charles de Gaulle airport is a long, airy structure with high ceilings and glass panels that give it the appearance of a giant greenhouse. Inside, the bruised petals of fatigue are blooming behind eyelids and around eye sockets. From my stool at the espresso stand, I watch fat cumulus clouds move slowly across the sky overhead, a reminder that time is passing. The light flooding the building is strong and tinged with the orange-pink hue of early morning. It dazzles the retinas of the travelers -- many of whom, like me, have flown overnight, or must have risen well before dawn. It’s bright enough to wear sunglasses, but no one does because it seems silly to wear shades indoors. The faces of the people connecting here are largely Caucasian, mostly French. You can spot the Americans by their breakfast choices: large coffees and orange juices to wash down a sandwich-and-chocolate-croissant combo. There are a few Spaniar

Emerson has always been affectionate with me. That first night one year ago today, May 12, 2012, when he came home, Emerson sat near me constantly, ready to be pet, ready to be taken into our life, his soul-searching eyes asking me, “What’s in store for me lady? Got treats?” Ready for bed that night in our bedroom, we all stared at each other, Carlos and I from the bed, Emerson from his crate. All three of us apprehensive, tired, wondering how this would go. By the next morning though, Emerson woke up, registered where he was, shook himself, and seemed to have decided the living arrangement could work just fine. But with strangers he was pitifully nervous. I paraded him over to the neighbor’s house to show him off and he cowered at my feet, tail between his legs, terrified. Other friend-neighbors came over to meet the new dog and he cringed and growled. I got the pity-face from everyone. I walked him up to Your Dog’s Best Friends doggie daycare several days later and he flattened

Flowering golden zucchini! I was recently asked by a good Japanese friend of mine to re-design her roof garden she had built some ten years in the view of creating a tree and flower space above her new apartment building. The plan is to transform at least half of it into a vegetable and fruit tree garden. I may not talk about the many reasons behind this project as this is part of a confidential venture, but I can at least describe my work as a journal. I certainly hope to share views with like-minded souls in Japan and abroad! 2013 May 10th The golden zucchini are presently flowering and there should be an early crop coming! Watering did a lot of good to the potted trees on the balcony. On the other hand the paprika really suffered from the wind on spite of the improvised wind guards. I will give them time to see if they recover or if I have to replace them with backup seedlings. The new batch of baby leaves will be ready for harvesting next week. The lettuce will have to be regularly harvested as insect

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2013 Release — Saison Sayuri Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast: I am a big fan of Belgian-style Saison beers and so is my wife Sayuri. In 2007 I brewed this style for the first time as a birthday present for Sayuri. She liked it so much that we now brew it annually and release it on her birthday. Today is her birthday and we are pleased to release Saison Sayuri 2013. Baird Beer Seasonal Release: *Saison Sayuri 2013 (ABV 6%): Saison means “season” and this family of beers is thought to have originated in Wallonia in southern Belgium. Saisons were brewed in the winter at farmhouse breweries for summer consumption by thirsty farmhands. While there is no exact flavor profile or processing technique that define Saison stylistically, common traits exist (e.g. relatively pale in color, moderate in alcohol, refreshing in a dry or sour type of way, etc.). Often spices and ingredients uncommon to beer but otherwise readily available on the farm are incorpora

Lettuces growing! I was recently asked by a good Japanese friend of mine to re-design her roof garden she had built some ten years in the view of creating a tree and flower space above her new apartment building. The plan is to transform at least half of it into a vegetable and fruit tree garden. I may not talk about the many reasons behind this project as this is part of a confidential venture, but I can at least describe my work as a journal. I certainly hope to share views with like-minded souls in Japan and abroad! 2013 April 30th Carrots peeking out! Heavy rains and strong gales predicted today before a long period of warm and dry weather. The salads will soon have to be controlled in the intensive garden to leave breathing space for some late vegetables. Swiss chard! Golden Zucchini and Suyo cucumber before potting up. Potted up the new batch of golden zucchini and Suyo cucumbers seedlings. Potted up! 2013 May 1st Finally said good-bye to the old lemon tree, of the Issun/?? Japanese variety with a

Bandai Brewery is a bit away from anywhere in Shizuoka Prefecture as it is located in Shuzenji the last stop along the private railway line starting from Mishima City into Izu peninsula. Its brews are not always easy to find but they have increasingly become worth the search! All pink presentation for the ladies! The rice is 100% Homare Fuji grown in Shizuoka Prefecture! Junmai ginjo is increasingly becoming the norm, proving that the new rice has come of age! Rice: !00% Homare Fuji Rice milled down to 60% Alcohol: 15~16 degrees Bottled in 2013 Clarity: Very clear Color: Faint golden hue Aroma: Light and fleeting. Fruity. Rice Body: Fluid, slightly sirupy Taste: Fruity, dry and deep attack. Well-rounded with only a little junmai petillant warming the back of the palate. Soft and complex. Nuts, almonds, coffee, dark chocolate. Very easy to drink and soft on the palate. Disappears fairly quickly ending on a sweeter note of dark chocolate. Changes very little with fo

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin More Spring Seasonal Releases Dear Baird Beer Enthusiast & Taproom Friend: Welcome to May and to Japan’s Golden Week holiday season. We are excited to kick both off with today’s release of two terrific spring seasonal brews: Pawa-Hara Golden Ale and Hop Havoc Imperial Pale Ale. New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases: *Pawa-Hara Golden Ale (6.5%): Last year I learned of a new and interesting Japanese cultural construct which is essentially the polar opposite of bureiko jikan. Japanese call it pawa-hara which is short for “power harassment”. This is a situation in which someone on the top rungs of the hierarchical relationship ladder invites underlings out for a drink and a bite with the express intent of bullying and berating them. Alcohol, it seems, fuels this newly coined social custom too. Well, if this is going to take place, we feel there needs to be a good beer suitable to the occasion. Our answer: Pawa-Hara Golden Ale. The recipe is pretty much the same as Bureiko

Tokyo ramen restaurants are constantly being ranked. Following is a list from a recent survey of the area’s most popular shio (salt) ramen restaurants. I’ve included a link either to the restaurant’s site or to the Tabelog site so you can see photos of the ramen. 1. ????Hajime: Kita-ku, Jujo 2-30-9 (opened February, 2012) 2. ???Kintoki: Nerima-ku, Kotakecho 1-2-7 (opened March, 2012) 3. ???T?ka: Shinjuku-ku, Arakicho 8 (opened June, 2012) 4. ??????Okagesama: Shibuya-ku, Sasazuka 1-62-8 (opened August, 2012) 5. ????Mishima: Nerima-ku, Sakuradai 1-2-9 (opened May, 2012)

The carrots will have to be thinned/clarified soon! I was recently asked by a good Japanese friend of mine to re-design her roof garden she had built some ten years in the view of creating a tree and flower space above her new apartment building. The plan

Kurkku 3, is part of the Kurkku restaurant group that has several restaurants in this neighborhood. Located just as you enter the main entrance to Omotesando Hills is this sleek and bright shop. The lunch menu is simple and focuses on soba and seasonal ve