Shin's Sushi

There are a few restaurants around our base which are very popular and well known with the gaijins (foreigners).  We've tried most of them, but had never been to Shin's.  I don't know why we waited so long.  It was SO good and so nice to have sushi rolls instead of just sashimi.  

He has the cutest little restaurant right on the line between Zama and Ebina, reachable by car or train, which is always convenient!  He is pretty popular among the airwing, but he told us that he rarely has customers from Camp Zama which I thought was strange since he is so close to their base!

The name of these beans was lost in translation but they were good!

Shin in action

Salmon Avocado Roll - my favorite by far!

Spicy Tuna Roll - made spicy with wasabi, not mayo!

Grilled oysters and asparagus

Fried whale!

InstaSushi!

If you live in this area, you must go.  I've already been back since our original visit and am looking forward to my next visit!

Hong Kong - Day 4

On our fourth day in Hong Kong, I got up and had lunch with Mr. and Mrs. S. while waiting for J. to come back from duty.  After lunch, we headed to the Jade Market in Mongkok.  

There were rows and rows of vendors selling all kinds of jewelry and trinkets:

We made a few purchases and then headed north towards the Ladies Market:

The Ladies Market was booth after booth of stuff (junk).  I purchased two iPhone covers and that was the extent of my shopping at the Ladies Market.

We passed Mongkok Stadium:

And then strolled through the Flower Market before heading back to our hotel:

I loved this whole store full of cacti!

We had dinner reservations at NOBU that evening and made plans with the A.'s to go early and see the Light and Laser Show over Victoria Harbor.

J. is the photographer in our family .... I assume that this picture was taken on a different mode than the pictures below

I really like this one with the boat

My favorite building is that one with the white diamonds on it

And this picture is blurry but I like it :)

The S.'s

A junk sailing through the harbor

Avenue of the Stars

NOBU made J. and Mr. S. wear socks with their flip flops ... apparently flip flops are not appropriate dining wear, but it is okay to wear gym shorts and Nike's or Chuck's.

:)

I really wanted to try NOBU, but I can't say it was the best meal I have ever had.  We had the rock shrimp which tasted a lot like the rock shrimp at Sunda in Chicago and we also had a few sushi rolls.  They were good and I was *SO* happy to have an actual sushi roll, since you rarely see that in Japan.  I hate to say it, but I miss American sushi!  And I feel 100% okay saying that, because my favorite foodie friend (who is also an amazing chef) says the exact same thing!

Recipe Updates

When J. is gone I don't usually cook, but this deployment I've been eating well!  (thanks to Mrs. A. and Mrs. D. for having me over for dinner and giving me a reason to cook!)

Two recipes I've tried and loved lately are:

Mediterranean Orzo Salad

I didn't take any pictures ... whoops!

I did make a few alterations ...

I skipped olives and capers

and I added red bell pepper, cucumbers and feta.

I also thought the dressing was a bit zesty.  I think next time I will tone down the lemon juice.

and a sweet recipe for you ...

Salted Caramel Bars

These were to die for.  I like to call them Crack Bars because they are so addicting (not that I know what crack tastes like or how addicting it is, but you know).  I followed the recipe to a T.  And I definitely suggest adding the sea salt!

I can't get over how good they are.  Please don't get mad at me when you become addicted.

bento.com

In the U.S., I am pretty reliant on Yelp.  It's a great way to find new restaurants and bars either by neighborhood or by type.  And I love to read the reviews, especially when people comment on what they ordered.  Sadly, while Yelp is in some international cities, it's not in Japan.  And it's pretty hard to do a google search for restaurants unless you are fluent in Japanese, which I am not.  Maybe someday.  

Enter bento.com.  It's not exactly Yelp, but it's the closest thing I've found.  I spent some time browsing the site and was happy to find a few restaurants I want to check out as well as a Wine Cave that sounds promising :)  You can search by city - Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyota, Osaka or Nara - or you can read different articles.  For example, they're featuring an article on the "Best Breakfast Spots in Tokyo" and another one on "Sushi Vocabulary."  The best thing about the site is that it's all in English!  

So, J. Friends, next time you need some guidance in finding something to do ... check out www.bento.com.  

Now I just need to see if they have an app ...

Weekend Recap

Happy Memorial Day!

I'd love to report that we had a lovely holiday weekend, but alas we live in Japan where there are (a) no lakes that I know of, (b) no runnings of the Indianapolis 500 and (c) J. left on his latest deployment which made it hard to do much.  

I've known for months now (like since before we moved here) that J. would be deploying again in May, but it somehow has a way of sneaking up on you.  I mean, how is it May already?  Didn't he just return home from deployment?  Geez.  Anyways, we were lucky because the deployment was delayed by about a week which we found out about in March or April and then it was delayed again just last week by a few days.  But alas, the time has come and not only is the boat gone, but the jets have all flown out to meet it as well.  And I only find it *slightly* ironic, that my sailor is going out to sea on Memorial Day Weekend.

Good-bye J.

Anyways, we made the most of our last few days together!  On Friday night, J. surprised me with an early birthday celebration because he won't be here to celebrate with me on my actual birthday.  I was *very* impressed that he thought this out so far in advance :)

My early birthday present and the cupcakes J. made

Close up ... they were as good as they looked!

And ... J. surprised me with the new iPad!  I've been coveting an iPad since they came out in 2010 ... so apparently good things DO come to those who wait!  Haha.  I haven't done much with it yet, but I did discover that I downloaded three books on my Kindle that I completely forgot about!  Whoops.  Looking forward to reading those and taking my iPad with me next time I travel :)

Saturday night, we went out to dinner at Yakitori Cocco with our neighbors.  It was such a fun experience!  It was all you can eat, all you can drink for 4,000 yen/person, which is a really great deal (at least around these parts).  We were there for around three hours and Omasu prepared a feast for us.  We sat at the bar, so we were able to watch him manning the grill.

Osamu

Meatballs served with an egg yolk

We ate well.  I can't remember everything we had, and I didn't take many pictures because I left my phone at home, but we did not go home hungry!  I am happy to report that I tried everything that Osamu served and I think I liked everything.  I can't wait to go back and introduce my 141 ladies to Osamu and Yakitori Cocco!

**A note for those in Japan - Yakitori Cocco was located about a block away from the north exit of the Yamato train station.  I have Osamu's card and can give you directions if you're interested in going.  Osamu spoke very good English and we were able to make reservations.  The restaurant is small, so reservations are recommended.**

Sunday was spent saying good-bye and tackling my very long to-do list.  Sundays are my day to clean, do laundry and get organized for the coming week!

I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

Weekend Recap!

Happy Monday Friends!

I hope that you all had a great weekend.  J. was in Iwo Jima last weekend and is getting ready to head off on another deployment (yes, again) so we tried to pack as much as we could into the end of last week and this past weekend!

Wednesday night we tried a French restaurant in Zama that had good reviews - La Brasserie chez-Ichisugi.  It was expensive, but definitely lived up to the hype.  J. and I shared a tomato and avocado salad, the pizza of the day and the gorgonzola pasta.  It was amazing and I can't wait to go back.

Afterwards, we had our first Mr. Donut experience.

Chocolate bear and chocolate donut.

So cute.

And then J.'s friends introduced us to a whiskey bar around the corner.  I don't drink whiskey, so I had a sparking wine:

I loved the atmosphere of this little bar.

And then we introduced them to Kamikaze's, home of the best white russian ever:

Thursday night we had a big group dinner at one of our favorite sushi restaurants, Takezushi.  Our neighbors introduced us to this hidden gem and we love it.  The owner & sushi chef lived in America for a few years when he was younger, so he speaks pretty good English and is easy to communicate with.  His wife does not speak much English, but she likes to hang around and listen to the English conversations.  They are both so nice and we love going over there!  

Our group eating yummy sushi!

Friday, J. did a lot of packing, organizing and buying last minute items for the deployment.  Friday night, we tried Mike's Tex Mex.  It is run by a retired Navy CPO, but we didn't see him there.  They had really good margaritas, so we tried a few flavors and indulged in some fried Mexican goodness.  We finished out the night at the O Club.

Saturday, J. finished packing and we headed down to Yokosuka to load his stuff onto the boat.  J. will be flying a jet on instead of walking onto the boat - meaning I get a few extra days with him :).  There isn't much room in the jet to bring stuff with you, so we had to take his stuff down and load it ourselves.  I was actually REALLY excited to go to Yokosuka, because it's a bigger base, it has a better Navy Exchange and there is a Chili's on the base.  We spent a few hours on the boat (I took lots of pictures but that's going to be a post of its own!) and then headed over to the Exchange.  I am SO jealous of the people who live in Yokosuka!  They have so many more American food options on their base (like Sbarro and a REAL STARBUCKS!), their Exchange was SO nice and they have the Chili's.  Not to mention that the entire base has a water view.  It was gorgeous.

The Exchange was having a 20% customer appreciation sale, so J. and I stocked up while we were down there.  That is the most shopping I've done since I arrived here and it felt good!  Haha.  I got some new running shoes, workout tops, Rainbow flip flops and Smashbox make-up.  I'd also like to point out that the Yokosuka Exchange had a Victoria's Secret in it, carried designer jeans, had an entire room devoted to shoes and a separate building with sporting goods equipment and workout apparel.  I foresee frequent trips to Yokosuka in my future :)

We had dinner at Chili's (of course) before heading back to Atsugi.

I finally got my cheeseburger :)

Sunday, I got up early so I could break in my new running shoes :) That afternoon, we headed over to Yokohama to catch the Yokohama Dena Baystars v. Chiba Lotte Marines baseball game!  This also is deserving of its own post, but I'll leave you with a picture:

I hope you enjoyed your weekends!

Seattle Send-Off, Part 1

Let's go back to March.  To the amazing six nights that we stayed at The Alexis Hotel in downtown Seattle while we waited for our flight to Yokota Air Force Base...  

Our last set of movers (remember, we had an express move, a household goods move AND a shipment for storage), came on Friday, March 10th.  On top of sending everything left in the house to storage, we had all our loose ends to tie up.  No matter how well you plan, there always seem to be a million things to do and get rid of that last day.  But we got everything done and made it to Seattle.  Our friends, the K13's had already checked in, the S.'s were there as well and we were waiting for Bag-O and Mrs. B. to arrive later that evening.  

Our first indication that this was going to be a great last week in Seattle?  Upon checking in, we received a complimentary upgrade to an Executive Suite!  If you ever have the chance to stay at a Kimpton Hotel, definitely take it!  The staff was so polite and remembered who we were, the hotels are pet-friendly and they put dog bowls and a dog bed in your room prior to arrival, there are dog bones in the lobby and they have a hosted wine hour every evening.  Not to mention the bar in The Alexis (Bookstore Bar) has an awesome happy hour.  I really can't say enough good things about The Alexis (and no, I am not getting paid to say it!)

Welcoming Lucy, Dually and Whidbey to The Alexis!

We didn't do much Friday night.  We all went up to the K13's room to have a few drinks and us girls went across the street to Boka Kitchen + Bar for a little late night happy hour.  I loved the atmosphere!  We tried the White Peach Cosmo, the mac and cheese and the truffle fries.  I want to say we tried a few other things, but can't find them on the current happy hour menu!  

Saturday, J. and I met up with the S.'s for brunch at Fonte (recommended by the front desk staff).  Yum.  I had the pancakes with blueberry compote and a mimosa (we were on vacation!).  I can't remember what J. had to eat, but he had the most amazing Sage Latte.  I was slightly disgusted when he ordered it ... a latte with sage, really?  But it was so good.  I wished I had my own.  

From there, we wandered through Pike Place Market where I picked up one last bouquet of flowers to brighten up our room and headed back to the hotel.  Once again, the Alexis staff went above and beyond and found me a vase for my flowers :)  We decided to wait for Bag-O and Mrs. B. in the Bookstore Bar and headed off to Smith Tower when they arrived.  Going to the top of Smith Tower has been on my Seattle Bucket List for ages so I was so excited to finally go up there!  And the view did not disappoint.  

The shipping yards

CenturyLink Field all decked out for the Sounders

I turned the corner and was surprised to see the Space Needle peeking between two buildings!

Close-up

Looking out towards Bainbridge Island

Looking over to downtown, Queen Anne and Magnolia

Mrs. S. sitting on her throne :)

Afterwards, we headed back to the Bookstore Bar for happy hour and pretty much sampled everything on the menu :)  G.S., his roommate and G-rant also met up with us for the evening!  It was so much fun to have everyone down in Seattle for the night!  

It was Mrs. S.'s birthday so we celebrated with a big dinner at Local 360.  I'd heard a lot about the restaurant, but I have to say that I was not impressed.  We did have a big party (18 people), but we had one server and our meal took over 3 hours.  I also made a last minute switch to my dinner order after hearing our waitress describe their fried chicken and was extremely disappointed to receive a dish that looked and tasted nothing like what she had described.  The slow pace of dinner made us all extremely tired but we ventured down the street to Belltown Pub for an after dinner drink.

And then, on our way home, we ran into Seattle's own superhero - Phoenix Jones himself!

J. and Phoenix Jones

(and his sidekick)

Tommy, Mr. K13, Phoenix, the sidekick and G-rant

And now I'm homesick for Seattle!  Check back tomorrow to hear about the rest of our weekend!