$150 Shabu Shabu, is it worth it?

Next up on my bucket list is a restaurant that I just found out about while watching TabiEats.  The place is called Shabu-Shabu Kyu and is located in the Tokyo Metro area.

SHABU-SHABU KYU – 2F Nishiazabu NK Building,1-4-43,Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo

CLICK HERE FOR THEIR WEBSITE

In the videos, they start out with 3 appetizer dishes, very small portions, but very Japanese.  One was a Niku Jaga, which I didn’t recognize because it is made completely different from what I am used to seeing.  The next dish was a Deep Fried Burdock.  The 3rd was fresh raw Bonito.  They described it as not being fishy at all which is a surprise because it is the main fish used for making Katsuobushi; better known as Bonito Flakes.  These 3 dishes tend to change per month, so expect any combination of Japanese goodness to be your appetizer depending on what month you decide to go.

The main course consists of different Wagyu cuts of meat cooked in the tradition Shabu-Shabu (Swish-Swish) style.

 

Shabu-shabu C １５０００yen

◇　roasted beef salad
◇　three kinds of assorted plate
◇　sushi beef for 2 pieces
◇　Miyazaki beef sirloin (120g)
◇　home vegetables assorted plate
◇　sauce and spices
◇　Shabu Q original four kinds of dish as closing
◇　dessert of the day

※Shabu Q original four kinds of rice as closing

dandan noodles
fried rice
black curry rice
beef don

With the meat and vegetables coming out of Kyushu, you can be rest assured that all the ingredients will be premium.

The final part of the meal is the dessert.  They show up with a cart and these following ingredients:

• Strawberries in a strawberry sauce
• Egg yolks
• Cream
• Liquid Nitrogen

Yes, they will make your ice cream on the spot and you get to enjoy the show as the server hand whisks the ingredients together.

This is definitely on my Bucket List although at $150 a person, I think it’ll be a little bit down the road for us.

Hope you enjoyed this entry.  Please hit Like if you enjoyed this.

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Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate TOKYO!!!

*** Photos Credit to “jpninfo.com” and “Minimal Bean to Bar”

 

It’s been a while since I found anything to add to my list, but I did run into one that I discovered while watching Kanataro on Netflix.

Enter – MINIMAL – Bean to Bar –  Their website can be found Here.

From what I gathered on episode 11 of Kantaro, this place serves chocolate in its most purest form.  Starting with the pure bean and building up to the final product(s).  They order their beans through specific Cacao Farms across the globe and are very particular about getting only what they consider is the best.

From their iconic Chocolate bar (iconic in terms of the template they use), to the specialized desserts, this place appears to not disappoint.

First opened in Tokyo on February 2016, this new chocolate concept is sure to be quite an experience.  In the series, it appeared the main character had set an appointment for his visit.  This is a familiar concept with most of the high end eateries in Japan.  Choose your food category, find the best, and you’ll quickly realize that a reservation will be required.

This appears to be the premier dish…..a Chocolate Fondant Tart.  All made in house and includes a sprinkle of a ground chili pepper.  I’ve heard that chocolate goes really well with a spicy chili and really hope to find myself here to try it.

YES, this is on my bucket list now.  2 weeks away from finding out our prospective chances of living in Japan once again.  Fingers crossed and wishful thinking cranked on MAX settings.

Below are locations from their webiste.  Apparently they do online ordering too, Click Here

LOCATIONS:

MINIMAL Bean to Bar – GINZA

 

MINIMAL Bean to Bar – MINATO-KU

 

MINIMAL Bean to Bar – IKEBUKURO B1F

Happy New Year! It’s now 2018!!!

Today I’d like to talk about a dessert place in Tokyo that uses the freshest fruits you will ever encounter in your life.  The place is called, “Kajitsuen Libre Shinjuku”, and it’s located in, well, Shinjuku, Tokyo!

Under normal circumstances, I would say I was exaggerating about the fruits being the freshest ever, but in the case of Japan, it wouldn’t be a lie.  Japan is a haven for all things fruits and vegetables.

Throughout the years of living there, I ate more vegetables and fruits than I did living anywhere else.  The vegetables themselves are sweet as well.  For example… when I entered my first Katsu restaurant, I swore up and down that I had shredded lettuce.  It was sweet and juicy, so there was no way it could be anything else.  To my surprise, I realized it was cabbage!  Imagine, cabbage that is not dry.  The carrots are sweet as well.  So you can imagine that the fruits in Japan are going to be amazing.  They even have premium fruits selling in the hundreds of dollars.

$140 Melon

$150 Grapes

 

I’ve had the opportunity to try them, but I always felt that the regular stuff was already higher in quality than anything I’ve had outside of Japan; not to mention I also felt the money could be better spent elsewhere.

Check out their website.  They consider themselves a Fruit Parlor.  I have not gone there yet, so it easily made it on my Bucket List.

If you’ve ever been there, I’d like to hear about your experience in the comments.

Christmas Dinner in Japan

Before I begin……Merry Christmas!!!!

So now that we’ve established that, I want to talk a little about Christmas Dinner in Japan.  If you didn’t already know, Christmas in Japan is usually accompanied by a KFC Dinner!  On our Second year of living in Japan, my family decided to do just that.  It consisted of us making a reservation for the dinner and paying for it a month in advance, just to be safe.  We were given a specific window of time to pick up the dinner and it worked out very well.  The Customer Service was amazingly accurate and the food was prepared very fresh; as if we had just ordered it.

WHY KFC???

There are a few theories as to why KFC became the official Christmas Dinner of Japan.  The first theory I heard of was that Turkey is rare and expensive in Japan, so chicken was the perfect alternative.  So KFC started a huge push and campaign to market the idea.

Another theory was that the Japanese assumed, probably again because of the KFC campaign, that it was the United State’s official Christmas Dinner as well and with the need to emulate the American Western Lifestyle, they carried on with the idea and it just stuck.

The third reason I heard was that there was an elementary school that decided to treat their students to a KFC Christmas Dinner and their local KFC even sent their own Colonel Sanders Santa to deliver the food.  As soon as other schools heard of this, they too joined the bandwagon and the idea exploded into what it is today.

Whatever the reason, our KFC dinner was delicious, and very appropriate to the season.  We definitely enjoyed it and now with us not being in Japan, it was definitely the one thing that was missing for our family this year.

Along with the regular menu, they included many other combos that consisted of additional seasonal items.  If you’re ever in Japan during the Holidays, I highly recommend trying the KFC dinner versus cooking a meal on your own at home.  You’ll both enjoy the food and the free time you gain by not being stuck in the kitchen all day.

You can bet that this is going to happen again the next time we’re there for Christmas.  Fingers crossed we can be there again to enjoy another KFC Christmas Dinner in Japan once again!

 

Japan and their Earthquakes – a daily reality

Today I’d like to talk about Earthquakes in Japan.  Every day I left the house, I always had a heavy pack on.  It consisted of cutting tools, fire-starting tools, First Aid Kit, several flashlights, power banks, spare batteries and some form of snacks, along with other things that don’t come to mind at the moment.  This was my GHB (Get Home Bag) which I toted around everywhere I went.  The fact is, earthquakes are a reality in Japan and should not be ignored.  Along side earthquakes is the strong possibility of tsunamis as well.  I’ve had conversations with friends about this topic and I’ve had input ranging from, “That’s too much stuff” to, “That’s a smart idea.”  At any rate, I’ve watched several videos from the March 11, 2011 earthquake/tsunami and this acts as a reminder for me to always keep my GHB with me at all times.  Here’s an example of some of the things people experienced during that day.  I constantly analyze videos of this topic and take mental notes of what I would need if I was in that situation.

What is cool though is the early warning system they have in place which is connected to every cellphone in the country.  I was at Enoshima Island one time and started to hear noise coming from several cellphones from a group of teenagers nearby.  Initially I assumed they were playing an online role-playing game with each other until my cellphone joined the party.  The message was in kanji, which I have no skillset for, but I recognized the warning sound from previous earthquakes.  Sure enough, 1 minute later, the Island began to shake and we were at the top of the highest point of the island and really felt it.  Here’s a sample of the warning you get on a Japanese cellphone:

With that said, I will never let the naysayers discourage me from being prepared.  Heavy, large pack on my back as I travel Japan, totally worth it.  If I’m ever there during a huge earthquake, I plan on giving myself and my family the best chance of survival.

Earthquakes, like the one in Sendai, are very rare.  We might experience 2-3 tremors a week, but nothing alarming.  But if that big one ever hits, I’ll definitely be prepared for it.