2016 Japan - Notable Mentions... (Lunch)

In this segment of "Notable Mentions", lunch time is the topic! One of the must-do items on my list is to have a meal of premium beef. My friend, K-chan, recommended Rokkasen, a pretty popular restaurant specializing in top-quality cuts of Wagyu and Matsuzaka beef.

Fortunately, the concierge at our hotel was able to make a lunch-time reservation for our party of 10 and we ended up having a spacious private room to ourselves!

The combination sets were pretty affordable for the quantity and quality of the food. For around $55 CDN, W and I shared the Japanese Black Cattle Sukiyaki set.

Appetizers: Jelly fish in vinaigrette, Marinated mixed veggies (spinach, bean sprouts, carrot, cloud ear mushroom)

To begin, we had little dishes of cold appetizers - marinated jelly fish, and marinated veggies.

Green salad

There was also a small bowl of salad with radish sprouts, peanuts, and sesame tossed in a tangy vinaigrette.

Japanese Black Cattle Sukiyaki Course

The cast iron pot was filled with the sweet and savoury sukiyaki sauce. The rest of the ingredients were placed on top. There was onion, carrot, tofu, konyaku noodles, veggies, shiitake mushrooms, and of course, the star of the show... slices of beautifully marbled Japanese Black Cattle beef!

Aside from the items in the cast iron pot, we were given extra slices of beef on the side!

Extra veggies (mushrooms, leeks, tofu, onion slices, vermicelli, Tong Ho veggies) were also provided. The combo also came with snow crab legs!!

Left: Matsuzaka boneless short rib; Right: Black Cattle galbi short rib

We also wanted to try out the grill on our table so we ordered a plate of the premium Matsuzaka short rib and the lesser, but still amazingly delicious, Black Cattle short rib for a comparison tasting.

After our comparison tasting, it was a no-brainer! The Matzuzaka beef was the winner! There really was no denying that the highest quality Matzusaka beef was the most tender and juiciest piece of meat out there.

Ice cream mochi with strawberry sauce and cookie stick covered with nuts and chocolate

At the end of the meal, we were all served a cup of hot tea and a bowl of ice cream mochi. 

All those Japan travel trips are true; if you want to have a meal at a higher-end restaurant, it is best to visit them during lunch as the prices are lower yet the portions and quality are just about the same as dinner. For a first time Japan traveler, Rokkasen hit the spot!

2016 Japan - Tsukiji Fish Market

My ideal plan in visiting the infamous Tsukiji Fish Market would consist of waking up at 5 AM and heading over there to try at least 3 different places for breakfast inside the actual fish market area. Then I would walk over to the outer market and sample maybe half a dozen different snacks sold on the streets.

Alas....that is just a dream. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) for me, sleeping trumps eating. In reality, we arrived at Tsukiji Fish Market at 9 AM to find long queues already formed at all the famous shops.

Luckily, we were able to snag seats for our party of 10 inside the tiny Aiyo Coffee Shop.

Aiyo Coffee Shop is located right next door to Sushi Dai, one of the most well-known spots for sushi within the market. 

There are only a handful of small tables and seats at the counter for maybe half a dozen people or so. Our group of 10 nearly filled up the whole shop!

Plain black brewed coffee

I originally wanted to have their Milk Coffee (brewed coffee with milk stirred in) but W accidentally ordered plain black coffee for us. That was ok though because the milk served on the side was super creamy and aromatic! It definitely "leveled-up" the plain brewed coffee!

Toast with butter and jam, coffee with milk added in afterwards

My mom and I also shared an order of their toast. I loved how they put strawberry jam on one half and plain butter on the other half, and then cut them into tiny bite-sized pieces! They do this for all their orders but I just think it's very thoughtful of them.

Nakaya Seafood Don

After coffee, our group split into two as some of us like to eat raw fish while the others do not. I was part of the raw fish-eating group haha.... Since all the popular shops still had really long line-ups, I recommended Nakaya as the line-up was not too bad. This shop specializes in rice bowls topped with various fresh raw fish.

Part of the menu (they have about 40 different combinations!)

#20 - Toro with Snow Crab Rice Bowl

W chose the #20. On top of sushi rice were slices of tuna, whole pieces of snow crab leg, and shredded snow crab meat. The menu said the tuna was toro, but it didn't look like the typical fatty pieces of tuna belly... The ample crab meat was sweet and succulent though.

#3 - Uni and Seafood Rice Bowl - served with miso soup, pickled radish and marinated baby clams on the side

The #3 was my choice. All donburi (rice bowls) came with tea, miso soup, and dishes of pickles and marinated baby clams.

Along with uni, my bowl also had sweet shrimp, scallop, salmon, toro (tuna belly), octopus, tuna, salmon roe, tobiko (flying fish roe), and shredded crab meat. I loved all the variety in my bowl but I would have loved it even more if there were more uni pieces in this namesake bowl :(

Grilled scallops with uni on top, doused with a sweet soy sauce

Afterwards, we walked out to the outer market for some street food! Immediately, the grilled scallops topped with uni caught my eye!! Creamy pieces of fresh uni were placed on top of 2 whole grilled scallops, then squirted with a sweet soya sauce. This was definitely a real treat to eat on the street (LOL rhyming much?).

W and I also ate freshly made tamago-yaki (sweet thick egg omelet), and for dessert, I ate a large strawberry wrapped with red bean paste and mochi (strawberry daifuku). Unfortunately, I did not take any standalone photos of these deletable eats...

One could seriously have a ball eating all the things the outer market has to offer! There were so many good eats but my tummy did not have enough room T___T 

2016 Japan - Notable Mentions... (Breakfast)

Even though we were only in Tokyo for 4 days, there were eateries that were very memorable to me. In this segment of "Notable Mentions", I will highlight such place(s) for the breakfast category.

On our first morning, W and I left breakfast up to fate. We randomly walked around inside the Ikebukuro subway station and chanced upon Ooedo Soba. This was a tiny shop serving plain soba and udon noodles in soup. This was one of those quintessential shops that salarymen stop by for breakfast before heading down to the subway and off to work! 

Mixed tempura and raw egg with soba in soup かき揚げ天玉そば (450 Yen)

Before finding a place to sit (or stand!), we had to order from the ticket machine. Perusing the menu, both W and I decided to have soba noodles with fried shredded veggies and a raw egg in soup. This was simple and affordable. Not only was it yummy but we experienced a typical breakfast time of the local working class.

On another morning, our group of 10 headed to R-Beckers, a quick-serve eatery located near a ground level entrance to the Ikebukuro subway station. This placed served Western-style breakfast plates.

Morning Plate Set (450 Yen) - Buttered toast, bacon, scrambled eggs, coffee

I had the Morning Plate Set. The portion was just right for me for a quick breakfast. The thick slices of toast had a buttery, crispy exterior and a pillowy soft center! Yum!

Special Morning Set (560 Yen) - Croissant, lettuce salad, sausages, scrambled eggs, coffee

For an additional 110 yen, W had the Special Morning Set which came with a croissant and a side "salad" of iceberg lettuce. W opted for sausages instead of bacon. 

Although the food was really nothing that incredible, we thought the value was there and the atmosphere of the eatery was relaxing and quiet. The coffee was not bad either!

I wish there were more of these places back at home. Whether Asian or Western, this is my kind of "fast-food"!

2016 Japan & HK - All Nippon Airways (YVR-HND-HKG)

The biggest highlight of the year 2016 was our family trip to Japan and Hong Kong. Can you imagine coordinating 10 family members for a 4 day trip in Tokyo and then another 7 days in Hong Kong?! For some of us, it was our very first time to Japan (*cough* me *cough*), so it was natural to jam-pack EVERYTHING that we wanted to see, eat, buy and do all within those 4 short days. 

For me, the eating part was the most important aspect of the trip. Sure, sightseeing and shopping was something a first-time tourist like me would want to do too, but I was excited to experience their cuisine, their culture, and the Japanese's dedication towards excelling their food.

Even their airline food is one-step above other airline carriers. We flew on All Nippon Airways (ANA) which I was very excited about. Not because of their great service, but because many years ago I watched a Japanese drama, "Good Luck" starring Kimura Takuya, with the storyline about ANA's flight personnel and its premises taking place at ANA's facilities. I just sort of developed an affinity with this airline LOL... Anyway, I digress...

During our flight to Tokyo, we were served one hot meal and one breakfast box. In between, we were also provided with liquid refreshments and rice crackers.

Miso-grilled Spanish Mackerel with Rice

Beef Hamburger Steak with Onion Sauce and Potatoes

Left: Macaroni salad with a slice of smoked salmon, olive, and lemon wedge

Right: Pickled veggies (carrot, cauliflower, celery) and gherkin

Japanese omelet, simmered daikon radish in soy-based sauce, edamame

After our hot meal, we were served Mario's vanilla gelato cup for dessert!

Beef pastrami sandwich with cheese and tomato, vanilla yogurt, apple slices

On our flight to Hong Kong, we had one hot meal for dinner.

Appetizers: Noodles with minced meat and miso sauce, mixed leaves with creamy red French dressing

Entree: Beef short ribs and beef tongue over steamed rice, Japanese omelet, mixed veggies

Dessert: Mango Mousse over Chocolate Cake

Even in economy class, I thought the hot meals were delicious. Aside from the cold breakfast box, all meals displayed homey and warm Japanese flavours. It definitely made the long flight a lot more comfortable!

Basho Cafe

2007 East Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC

On a dreary autumn day, what's better than treating oneself to a hearty, homemade meal? It was pouring rain outside but W agreed to make the drive out to Basho Cafe.

Teri Pulled Pork Rice Bowl ($10 + $3 Lunch Set) - with cup of pumpkin soup and mini sweets

We ordered a lunch set to share and I also hand picked a couple of baked treats on the side (not pictured because we ate them all before I remembered to photograph them!).

Just looking at this tray made me feel all warm and cozy! The smooth and creamy pumpkin soup came in a cute vintage mug. The colour and flavour was just right for a grey and wet day. The teriyaki pulled pork could have used more sauce but it was yummy and the portion was just right.

Mini Sweets - Matcha Mochi Mochi Brownie, Honey Lemon Madeleine, Black Sesame Miso Shortbread

The lunch set came with a trio of mini sweet treats. This time the plate had a matcha mochi brownie, a glazed madeleine, and a miso shortbread cookie dotted with black sesame. They were all delicious and I would eat a dozen of them if I could!

Café Latte ($4.00) and Houji-cha Fog ($4.00)

For drinks, W ordered a latte which was served in a traditional Japanese matcha mug. I decided to try their Houji-cha Fog.

This was their take on the London Fog. The roasted green tea was steeped, blended with a light syrup and then steamed milk poured on top. Houji-cha is one of my favourite teas, so this drink was right up my alley. It's perfect for a chilly day like this one!

Not long after we visited Basho Cafe, we found out that the owners were going to retire and close shop at the end of 2016! W and I were shocked and saddened to hear the news. Well, mainly it was me who was said because I just love love love their little sweet baked goodies.

Earlier this year, one of Basho's former employees took over the space and re-opened under the name of Yama Cafe with a similar menu and operating style. Maybe I'll make a visit and check it out!

Batard Bakery

3958 Fraser Street
Vancouver, BC

Ever since we fell in love with St. Honore Boulangerie in Portland, we had always wanted to seek out similar places in Vancouver. One place that comes close is Batard Boulangerie. It states itself as a "Parisian eastide hangout spot" and a French bakery. W and I arrived late noon for lunch on a weekend.

Café Latte

To start our meal, we had a latte. No perfect marks for the latte art but A for effort on the attempt!

Tarte a l’Oignon ($7.95) - Alsatian Onion Tart with Gin & Bacon

W tried the onion tart which had little pieces of bacon inside. It came with a small side salad. We were both surprised that the tart arrived looking like a lasagna. We were expecting something maybe rounder or pie-shaped? Oh well, it still tasted good. The caramelized onions were soft and sweet and went well with the smokey bacon bits.

The Breakfast Sandwich ($6.95) - Abbotsford Free Range Egg, Rosemary

Ham, Aged Cheddar & Parmesan

I was also taken-aback by the breakfast sandwich that I chose. I didn't expect it to be an open-faced sandwich! The layers of ham, egg, and cheese were placed on top of a baguette slice, however, the crust of the baguette was kind of chewy and the type of dish they placed it in made it difficult to eat with a knife and fork. Isn't that how you eat an open-faced sandwich? Anyway, there's nothing amiss with the flavours but the way it was presented made me a little frustrated.

Tarte au Citron - A tart shell filled with a tangy and sweet mix of lemons, eggs, sugar, and  cream

To satisfy my sweet tooth, I opted for the lemon tart. The aesthetics of this tart was spot on! With a golden brown shell and a bright yellow custard, the tart looked like a little round sun!

Double Baked Almond Croissant -  laminated butter dough with a layered, flaky texture. This variant has almond cream baked in the centre and on top of the croissant during its second bake and is topped with almond slivers

W and I also shared an almond croissant. This one was flaky and buttery and not overly sweet from the almond cream.

Overall, Batard's baked goods were pretty good. The atmosphere and decor really evoked a charming and homey Parisian feeling. However, it was a little pricey so this probably won't be a go-to place for us to have this sort of lunch.