tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86921556225148113422024-03-13T12:21:21.152-07:00VegOut Tokyobeyond survival: delicious vegetarian livingMikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591688382379643425noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692155622514811342.post-57892538555928872632012-11-25T21:47:00.000-08:002012-11-25T21:51:12.583-08:00vegan ramen at Chabuton!Hello there! It has been a long time, hasn't it? Pardon the extended silence, I've been busy with a number of other projects including researching grad school options, and contributing to another blog. The latter deals with a rather old Japanese law (from 1948), and a recent police crackdown on the crime of <i>dancing in clubs</i>, which you may be surprised to know is more often than not an illegal activity in Japan. I was pretty upset when <b>NO DANCING</b> signs (backed by staff enforcers) started popping up in the clubs I frequent, as cutting loose on the dance floor is one of the best natural highs I know. If you're interested, please check out <a href="http://danceoutloudjapan.blogspot.jp/" target="_blank">Dance Out Loud Japan</a>.<br />
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Enough about that, what you're really after is the vegan ramen, isn't it? If you've been a VegOut Tokyo follower for a while you'll know I share your love for a good bowl of ramen. I've blogged about the delicious offerings I've tried at <a href="http://vegouttokyo.blogspot.jp/2012/02/its-vegetable-taiwanese-vegetarian.html" target="_blank">It's Vegetable</a>, <a href="http://vegouttokyo.blogspot.jp/2011/09/loving-hut.html" target="_blank">Loving Hut</a>, <a href="http://vegouttokyo.blogspot.jp/2011/06/ts-tan-tan-vegan-ramen-in-tokyo-station.html" target="_blank">T's Tan Tan</a>, and shared a bad experience I had at <a href="http://vegouttokyo.blogspot.jp/2011/09/no-pork.html" target="_blank">Kamukura</a>. Today I'd like to add another veggie ramen option to the basket: a steaming bowl of green noodles from Chabuton.<br />
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Though I'm not usually a fan of chain restaurants, there's something satisfying about the lack of pretentiousness involved in a place like this. Come inside to a greeting of "irasshai!" make your selection at the ticket machine, take a seat at the counter, and hand over your tickets to the chef. I like the everyman feel of these places, the fact that one can just as easily come solo as with a friend. Cheap, relaxed, and satisfying, this is the gaishoku (eating out) comfort food of Japan. <br />
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When I first saw the "vegetable-only" vege ramen posters outside Chabuton, I was skeptical. A vegetarian seasoned to life in Japan sees this and thinks, "oh, maybe the noodles are made with vegetables, but of course their stock will be made with pork!". It was worth a try though, and a chat with the staff ensured me that there are no animal ingredients used in the making of their vege-ramen. Hurray! An added delight was when I discovered that they also have vege gyoza! Double GETTO!*<br />
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The vege gyoza (300¥), also green, were pleasantly greasy and chewy. We split a plate of them between the two of us, and with a glass of cheap beer, it made a nice appetizer to start us off.<br />
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The vege ramen (780¥) itself is green due to the addition of spirulina, which a quick online search informed me is a complete protein containing all essential amino acids. As this ramen doesn't contain any other obvious protein sources like soymilk or TVP, I'd say this is a thoughtful addition. I liked that Chabuton's vege ramen was topped with a sizable portion of vegetables including mizuna, carrot, daikon, and red pepper. The crispy topping sprinkled over the veggies, which for a moment looked alarmingly like something meaty or fishy, was in fact dried onion flakes. <br />
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The Chabuton we went to was the Shimokitazawa location, though as it's a chain you'll find many of them around. If I've understood the Japanese on their Wiki page correctly, there are 267 locations across Japan, and 7 overseas! The one in Shimokitazawa is easy to find. As you come out of the south exit (南出口), head to the left, passing under the tracks. Follow the road for a minute, it's right after the open air fruit and veggie shop on the right side.<br />
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<b>address:</b> <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">東京都世田谷区北沢2-10-10</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> 2-10-10 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><b>hours:</b> This location of Chabuton is open daily from 11am to 11pm. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You'll find Chabuton right after this wonderfully chaotic fruit and veggie shop. </td></tr>
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*Language note: Getto (ゲット) is a Japanese expression adapted from the English word "get". As Japanse is a verb final language, you'll find it stuck to the end of the thing that has been gotten. It's often used in a triumphant way when one has won something, or when something desirable has been obtained unexpectedly. </div>
Mikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591688382379643425noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692155622514811342.post-50911323932260003282012-07-02T06:25:00.000-07:002012-07-02T06:25:50.560-07:00Kohrinbo<b>Taiwanese vegetarian restaurant </b><br />
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After reading about Kohrinbo in the <a href="http://www.veganjapan.net/pocketguide-e.html" target="_blank">Japan Vegan Restaurant Pocketguide</a> I'd been meaning to check out this little place for quite some time. When the lure of Nakano's used camera shops brought my companion and I to the area, I finally got my chance.<br />
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Located on the second floor of an aging mall, Kohrinbo's neighboring shops are filled with the stuff otaku and collectors' dreams are made of: Gundam models, cosplay getups, old movie posters, and original figurines from 1980's kids shows that are now worth more than I make in a month.<span style="background-color: white;"> Although the merchandise ignites no yearning in me, I loved the atmosphere of the place, living in a city where so much is shiny and new, there's something comforting about a place where most shops look like they haven't changed in decades. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Kohrinbo is a tiny place with a small menu. Check out the photos and (if your Japanese is decent) the 本日の定食 (today's set meal) board outside to see what's being served. Step inside, take a seat at the counter, and the owner will pour you a cup of tea and take your order. While all food is vegetarian, some dishes are made with eggs, so let the lady know if you'd like yours without. (For those who don't speak Japanese, a simple way of saying this is "tamago nashi-de onegaishimasu".) </span><br />
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One of the things that struck me about Kohrinbo is the feeling that I was having dinner at someone's long lived in house rather than at a restaurant. In the family photos on display, I recognized a younger version of the lady cooking our dinner, and wondered about the laughing baby- a grandchild perhaps? whose photo sat on the shelf amongst cups and an accumulation of trinkets. A TV mounted in the side of the shop was playing a reality TV show about a 12 member (nuclear) Japanese family, and I let go of my tendency to irritably resist the television's lure, and allowed my mind to slip into that confortable zone of passive entertainment.<br />
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My meal, the 精進カツ定食 (shoujin katsu teishoku 1100¥), was a pleasantly salty omelette with renkon chunks tucked inside, a sweet miso eggplant dish, a simple clear soup of enoki mushrooms and wakame, and a delicious katsu (breaded cutlet) stuffed with mushrooms and vegetables. Accompanied by a bowl of rice and pickle slices, this made for a filling meal with the satisfying level of fattiness I associate with Taiwanese veggie cuisine.<br />
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My companion's set, the 日替わり定食 (higawari teishoku 940¥) included goya chanpuru, a popular Okinawan dish of stir fried veggies and tofu, featuring the squash known in English as bitter melon. A <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijiki" target="_blank">hijiki</a>, bean, and vegetable salad, a bowl of the enoki and wakame soup, rice, and pickles were served aside a few slices of vegetable tempura. Both meals had a definite home cooked taste, and being a real one-dish-dinner cook myself, I left with great admiration for the lady that whips everything up singlehandedly in Kohrinbo's small kitchen. <br />
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<b>Practical Information:</b></div>
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<b>how to get there:</b> From Nakano station, take the north exit, head straight out and into the shotengai (covered shopping arcade). After a few minutes, the shotengai ends at a mall called Nakano Broadway, head inside and take the stairs to the 2nd floor (avoid the escalator as it goes straight to the 3rd floor!). Once you get to the 2nd floor, take a right from the stairs, then the next right shortly after, and follow the lane to the very end. </div>
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<b>address: </b>東京都中野区中野5−52−15ブロードウェイ2F</div>
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Nakano Broadway 2F, 5-52-15 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo </div>
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<b>hours: </b>11:30-3pm (last order), 5pm-8:00 (last order), <span style="background-color: white;">closed on Sundays </span></div>
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As mentioned in my last post, there seems to be a lack of English information available online on this topic, so here's the gist of what's available in Japanese <a href="http://tigerfestival.blogspot.jp/" target="_blank">here</a>. I'll try to keep this updated as more events are added through the summer.<br />
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June 2012<br />
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June 16th (Sat): 1000 Person Field Trip (bring your own obento (packed lunch)!) in the main park<br />
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June 17th (Sun): Earth Day market on the pedestrian road<br />
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June 30th (Sat): Summer Earth Garden in the event area and on the pedestrian road<br />
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July 2012<br />
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July 1st (Sun): Summer Earth Garden in the event area and on the pedestrian road<br />
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July 8th (Sat): Earth Day Market in the event area and on the pedestrian road<br />
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July 14th (Sat): Earth Love Matsuri (Festival) in the event area<br />
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July 28th (Sat) - 29th (Sun): Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia Festival in the event area and pedestrian road<br />
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August 2012<br />
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August 11th (Sat): Tokyo Pride Parade (This event has been cancelled)<br />
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August 25th (Sat) - 26th (Sun): Super Yosakoi Matsuri in Harajuku, Omotesando, Meijijingu, and Yoyogi Park's pedestrian road<br />
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September 2012<br />
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September 8th (Sat) - 9th (Sun): Sri Lanka Festival in the event area<br />
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September 15th (Sat) - 16th (Sun): Vietnam Festival in the event area<br />
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September 22nd (Sat) - 23rd (Sun): Namaste India Festival in the event area<br />
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The event area is across the road to the south of the main park. Check out my <a href="http://vegouttokyo.blogspot.jp/2012/05/yoyogi-park-weekend-festivals-2012.html" target="_blank">last post on the topic</a> for a map. The pedestrian road is the street leading up to the event area from Shibuya.Mikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591688382379643425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692155622514811342.post-18601498172357235972012-05-11T09:02:00.000-07:002012-05-11T09:02:47.030-07:00Yoyogi Park weekend festivals 2012If you've been following VegOut Tokyo since last summer, you'll know I'm a big fan of Yoyogi park and the weekend culture festivals that are held there in the warmer months. They're a fun, cheap way to get outside and spend a summer afternoon. While the vegetarian friendliness varies from week to week, you'll always find a relaxed atmosphere with Tokyoites enjoying their food and drink out on picnic tables and leisure sheets.<br />
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Online English information about the schedule tends to be limited, so here's a rough translation of what's available in Japanese from <a href="http://tigerfestival.blogspot.jp/" target="_blank">this</a> blog.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Yoyogi Park event schedule for May 2012</b></span><br />
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May 12th (Sat) - 13th (Sun): Thai Festival in the event area<br />
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May 12th (Sat): zombie walking in Yoyogi Park<br />
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May 16th (Wed): NICO Touches the Walls - free concert at the stage in the event area<br />
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May 19th (Sat) - 20th (Sun): One Love Jamaica Festival in the event area<br />
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May 20th (Sun): the 15th Kagoshima Ohara Honmatsuri at Dogenzaka Bunkamura-dori<br />
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May 26th (Sat) - 27th (Sun): Laos Festival in the event area<br />
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May 27th (Sun): Tokyo Earthday Market in Kouen-dori (the pedestrian road leading up to the event area from Shibuya)<br />
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I'll post information about events in June and beyond soon!<br />
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The event area is across the road to the south of the park. <br />
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It had been a while since I'd ventured out of my comfortable rotation of conveniently located veggie friendly favourites to try out a new vegetarian restaurant, but Golden Week offered a bit of time and motivation to go the extra mile. A friend who had done some dining out with a visiting vegan pal recommended I try Alaska, a place that's been on my radar for some time. Sunday afternoon brought a bizarre storm involving horizontal rain and hail (and a tornado in Tochigi!), but when the skies cleared, we took the walk from Shibuya station to Nakameguro. <br />
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I started off my Alaskan experience by ordering a glass of sangria (750¥). When it came, a conspicuous lack of floating fruit or the appearance of fruit juice led me to wonder if they'd just brought me a glass of wine instead, but the taste- sweet, fruity (lime-y?) was a pleasant sangria indeed.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The menu was fairly limited- a list of sandwiches (mostly cream cheese based) on one side and some<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">à la carte</span> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">items and a handful of sets on the other. They have four set choices (1260¥): pizza, curry, a brown rice (genmai) plate, and a homemade bread plate. My companion's first choice, the curry, was sold out, so we ordered a brown rice plate and a pizza set.</span><br />
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The margarita pizza was nothing special, though the focaccia crust was a nice variation. As a vegetarian in Japan, I often find myself ordering margarita pizza because it's the only non-meaty option on a menu, so perhaps my lack of enthusiasm for this meal is due to a sort of margarita pizza fatigue, no fault of this particular restaurant. The accompanying salad was a nice mix of greens and thinly sliced vegetables with a zesty balsamic vinaigrette, much more satisfying than the pathetic butter lettuce and corn (or just shredded cabbage!) piles that pass for salads in many Japanese restaurants. I loved the little bowl of homemade pickles included with this meal.<br />
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Our other set, the brown rice plate, would be my recommendation of the two. A serving of genmai (unrefined rice) was flanked by the same lovely salad as the pizza set. Next was a small bowl of abura-age (thinly sliced deep fried tofu) strips, mizuna (a Japanese leafy green), kiriboshi daikon (dried, then rehydrated daikon strips), kurogoma (black sesame seeds) with a hint of mustard. The mock meat karaage, deliciously fatty, impressed my dining companion, who happens to be a vegetarian cook and no stranger to veggie karaage preparation. This set had a more traditionally Japanese tsukemono in place of the pickles, with daikon, combu, and chopped greens. <br />
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Alaska's menu doesn't push any boundaries with its small selection of typical Japanese vegetarian restaurant fare, but what they serve is fresh and well made. Many dishes include cheese so aren't vegan, but they do have a number of vegan options, the brown rice plate being one of them. <br />
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Ambiance is something that Alaska does well. A visually appealing space is created by light walls, concrete floors, big windows letting in lots of sunlight, and the repetition of wood surfaces. Pretty lanterns, dangling plants, art and knick-knacks add to the chill, natural vibe. <br />
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<b>Practical Information:</b><br />
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<b>how to get there: </b>Alaska can be accessed from Nakameguro station (Tokyu-Toyoko line, Hibiya line) or Ikejiri-Ohashi station (Denentoshi line). From Nakameguro station, turn left as you exit the station, walk straight along Yamate Dori (山手通り) and you will pass a Baskin Robin "31" after a few blocks. After about a 10 minute walk from the station (maybe 11 blocks), you will see an old fashioned hamburger shop called Golden Brown at the end of the block. Turn to the left here, and you'll see Alaska on the right-hand side of the first block.<br />
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<b>address: </b>東京都目黒区東山2−5−7<br />
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2-5-7 Higashiyama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo<br />
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<b>phone: </b>03-6425-7399<br />
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<b>hours: </b>I neglected to make note of this when I visited the restaurant and information available online has been inconsistant, so I present you with a summary of what I found:<br />
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open daily from 11:00am (or perhaps 11:30?), last order at 9:30pm (10?), closes at 10:30 (11?). <br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E7%9B%AE%E9%BB%92%E5%8C%BA%E6%9D%B1%E5%B1%B1%EF%BC%92%E2%88%92%EF%BC%95%E2%88%92%EF%BC%97&aq=&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=24.455808,41.572266&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=2-5-7+Higashiyama,+Meguro-ku,+T%C5%8Dky%C5%8D-to,+Japan&ll=35.652101,139.694209&spn=0.012206,0.020299&t=m&z=14&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E7%9B%AE%E9%BB%92%E5%8C%BA%E6%9D%B1%E5%B1%B1%EF%BC%92%E2%88%92%EF%BC%95%E2%88%92%EF%BC%97&aq=&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=24.455808,41.572266&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=2-5-7+Higashiyama,+Meguro-ku,+T%C5%8Dky%C5%8D-to,+Japan&ll=35.652101,139.694209&spn=0.012206,0.020299&t=m&z=14" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small>Mikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591688382379643425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692155622514811342.post-87191134252080397572012-05-01T20:37:00.000-07:002012-05-01T20:37:51.440-07:00Mixture<b>vegetarian friendly bakery and cafe</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mytKSO62mHQ/T5-P37cY1LI/AAAAAAAAAUI/Yme5RTP6Wkw/s1600/IMG_3163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mytKSO62mHQ/T5-P37cY1LI/AAAAAAAAAUI/Yme5RTP6Wkw/s640/IMG_3163.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Hello! Has it really been nearly 2 months since my last post? Yikes! Well, it's Golden Week, a week long holiday for many in Japan and the perfect opportunity to be a less neglectful blogger. The place I'd like to introduce you today is a sweet little cafe-bakery in Shimokitazawa.<br />
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With nice coffees, tasty sandwiches including a number of vegetarian options, reasonable prices, and the option of taking a loaf freshly baked bread home, this cafe is a nice stop if you are in the Shimokita area. <br />
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We first discovered Mixture after a disappointing trip to a nearby cafe that had been featured in a Shimokitazawa / Sangenjaya Cafe magazine. Despite looking very cool in the the photos, we found the other cafe had quite unpleasant coffee. Though we won't be making any return trips to the original shop, it was fortunate that our search took us up a then unexplored road in Shimokitazawa, where we spotted what was soon to be a new local favourite.<br />
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Mixture is a cozy place with a small line of tables on one side, and shelves of take-home bread and goodies on the other. Veggie sandwich options include the cream cheese and dried fruit bagel (330¥), mozzarella and basil sandwich (390¥), hummus and veggie sandwich (300¥), veggie baguette sandwich (390¥) and sora mame (fava bean) and green pepper baguette (330¥). If you order a set (700-900¥) you get your choice of drink, a little salad (with homemade vinaigrette dressing), a slice of baguette dressed with tomato sauce and cheese, and a daily mini-salad. Vegetarians should ask what the day's mini-salad is, as this may be an egg or (as it was on my first visit) a tuna salad! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">watch out for that sneaky tuna salad in the lunch set!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Aha3Eck3DA8/T5-O2Xrx5vI/AAAAAAAAAUA/m8GLk88Vi78/s1600/IMG_3180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Aha3Eck3DA8/T5-O2Xrx5vI/AAAAAAAAAUA/m8GLk88Vi78/s640/IMG_3180.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> 野菜たっぷりのバゲットサンド (veggie baguette sandwich)</td></tr>
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If you're in the mood for pizza, you can try their margarita pizza (900¥) or the mozzarella and tomato pizza with basil sauce (1100¥). If you prefer, they'll whip yours up using whole wheat dough!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mozzarella tomato pizza with basil sauce with a wholewheat crust</td></tr>
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If you stop by just for a snack, you can choose a sweet or savory goody from the bakery wall and they'll serve it for you with your tea or coffee. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>practical information...</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>how to get there:</b> From the north (北) exit of Shimokitazawa station, head to the left around Mizuho Bank and up the little hill where bikes are parked. When the road com<span style="font-family: inherit;">es to a T at Muji (<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;">無印良品), turn right. Walk straight for 3 blocks, passing a Starbucks, and at the bottom of a small hill there's an intersection with a Lawson on the far right hand corner. Turn to the left here, and at the end of the second block, you'll find Mixture on your right. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>address:</b> 東京都世田谷区北沢3−31−5</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3-31-5 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>telephone:</b> 03-5453-7677</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Shop hours: </b>open everyday from 7:30 to 10pm</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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I realize that of all the restaurants I've posted about, very few actually serve what I'd call Japanese food. This may be fine for those veggies that, like me, are living in Japan longer term and have incorporated Japanese staples into their home cooking, and can usually get their fill of them there. For those just visiting Japan, I can imagine that getting a good dose of Japanese cooking is in order, so I'd like to share with you some places where a vegetarian can do just that. If you're new to the blog, you might want to have a look at my posts on <a href="http://vegouttokyo.blogspot.com/2011/09/veggies-strut-their-stuff-at-vegetable.html">Vegetable Sushi Potager</a>, <a href="http://vegouttokyo.blogspot.com/2011/06/ts-tan-tan-vegan-ramen-in-tokyo-station.html">T's Tan Tan</a> (for ramen), <a href="http://vegouttokyo.blogspot.com/2011/09/loving-hut.html">Loving Hut</a> (for ramen), and <a href="http://vegouttokyo.blogspot.com/2011/06/tofu-restaurant-sora-no-niwa.html">Sora no Niwa</a> (for tofu and izakaya food). Today I want to tell you about my favourite place to go for okonomiyaki.<br />
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Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) is a Japanese savory pancake, made with a batter of flour, egg, nagaimo (a kind of yam), and shredded cabbage. Into this batter, one can throw their choice of ingredients, for most people this includes meat and/or seafood, vegetables, green onions, tenkasu (deep fried batter bits), and sometimes cheese, mochi or kimchi. With a name literally meaning "what you like"(お好み) "grill"(焼き), okonomiyaki is an innately customizable dish. The main stumbling block to being vegetarian friendly, is that okonomiyaki will usually contain katsuodashi (a fish based stock discussed further <a href="http://vegouttokyo.blogspot.com/search/label/dashi">here</a>). Most okonomiyaki restaurants, and chains in particular, will have a premixed batter containing katsuodashi, and can't or won't whip you up a fresh batch dashi-free. If you do find yourself dining in a "we use dashi, take-it-or-leave-it place", you may want to switch gears and order yakisoba with vegetables instead, which, if you fry it yourself with shoyu (soy sauce) should be a veggie safe option. <br />
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Tsuchiya is one of those rare places that does not use katsuodashi in their batter, making the vegetable okonomiyaki on the menu safe as is. This restaurant is unusually foreigner-friendly, with an English menu available, and they even have one of those maps of the world with push pins available for guests to mark where they're from. The staff is very friendly and helpful, and kindly checked the ingredients of various sauces for me to determine which one I could eat. Tsuchiya is very popular with the locals, and their walls proudly display the signatures of famous people that have come to dine over the years.<br />
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When I dropped by last week, I ordered the vegetable okonomiyaki (680¥) opting to add mochi for an extra 300¥. The ingredients are promptly served to your table in a little cup, which you mix up and then pour out on the teppan yourself. Just like a pancake, you wait until the underside is cooked enough to be flippable (about 5 min), then use the 2 metal spatulas provided to turn it over, and cook the other side too. <br />
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Okonomiyaki is especially tasty if you add some sauce, mayonaise, and a sprinkling of aonori (seaweed). Vegetarians should approach okonomiyaki sauce (and, well, all sauces in Japan) with caution as they are often made with a fish or meat base. As I mentioned before, the staff was kind enough to check the ingredients of the sauces for me, and it was determined that the sauce in the little pot with the brush was in fact veggie-friendly (while another on the table contained pork-based ingredients). At Tsuchiya, mayonaise must be ordered separately at a small additional cost, but this time we didn't bother cause they were tasty enough without. You are also likely to find katsuodashi with the condiments (more info in the <a href="http://vegouttokyo.blogspot.com/p/dining-out-essential-japanese-for.html">dining out toolkit</a>), but I doubt you would mistake these thin shavings of dried fish for something vegetable based cause they look and smells distinctly otherwise.<br />
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Maybe it was the cold glass of lemon-hi (450¥) that had gone to my head, or perhaps the teppan-smoky relaxed atmosphere, but I'm pretty sure this was the most delicious okonomiyaki I've eaten in my life this far. <br />
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<b>practical information...</b><br />
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<b>how to get there: </b>From Nishishinjuku station on the Marunouchi line, take exit 2 and head down the hill. At the second traffic light, you'll take a left, but first cross the road (continuing in your original direction) so you'll be walking on the right hand side of the road. Walk down this street for a few minutes, and you'll see a few Family Marts on the opposite side of the street before reaching the restaurant. If you hit another traffic light, you've gone too far. I don't recall seeing any English signage outside the restaurant, so look for the red lantern, yellow awning, and these characters: つちや.<br />
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<b>address: </b>〒160−0023東京都新宿区西新宿5−5−6<br />
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</b><br />
5-5-6 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 〒160-0023<br />
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<b>telephone: </b>03-3373-8206<br />
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Tsuchiya is closed on Mondays.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZKFJzihwUYA/Tz0SqsNiE-I/AAAAAAAAASg/QHIC3EWsA9c/s1600/IMG_0060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZKFJzihwUYA/Tz0SqsNiE-I/AAAAAAAAASg/QHIC3EWsA9c/s640/IMG_0060.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Before I get down to business, I'd like to send some love out to those who have left me encouraging comments, emailed restaurants suggestions and so on. Though I often neglect to reply, I do read all of them and appreciate hearing from you! It's nice to be reminded that when I throw bits of my experience out into the atmosphere, actual humans are catching and making use of them.<br />
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On to the restaurant of the day, I'm really excited to introduce you to dish (yes, that's a lowercase d), a spot that's high on my list of veggie-friendly favourites. We initially came across this self described "organic cafe" in a stylish men's magazine, which was featuring eating and drinking spots in various Tokyo neighborhoods. I was initially drawn to the arty-eclectic vibe created by the white walled, wood floored interior, pleasing hodgepodge of furniture, and art on display. <br />
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Dish is a nice place to relax with friends or a sweetheart, but is also somewhere I'd be comfortable hanging out alone. They have a nice selection of magazines that would be fun to pour over while sipping a hot drink. In the warmer months, one can also enjoy a meal out on the patio.<br />
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Appreciators of wine will be pleased by their nicely stocked wine list, and glass of house wine will set you back only 525¥.<br />
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A lovely dish salad (945¥) is a pleasant way to start things off. The homemade dressing usually contains anchovies but the chef will leave it out on request. A poached egg tops this salad, but egg avoiders could of course order it without.<br />
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There are a few meat and fish-free pastas on the menu, and each one I've ordered has been delicious. On our most recent trip, we went for the spicy, tomato sauced arrabbiata (1470¥), asking them to leave out the salami. <br />
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The vegetable pie (1260¥) is a must-order. Cutting into the crust releases the succulent veggies inside. Served with a little mountain of mashed potatoes, drizzled with a non-meaty gravy, and accompanied with a sidecar of add ons: parmesan, chopped onions, and pickled pepper slices. Oh yes. <br />
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Dish scores full points for ambiance and food, but there is one thing that has bothered me on a few of my visits. With no designated smoking and nonsmoking sections, nonsmokers have no escape from wafting second hand smoke from neighboring tables. I pine for the (far off?) day when Japan, too, bans smoking in eating establishments. In the meantime, dish is still a dandy place for a bite to eat.<br />
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<b>practical information... </b><br />
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<b>how to get there:</b> Take the Odakyu line to Yoyogi-Uehara station, and use South exit #1 (南口1番出口), heading to the left as you exit. Dish is on your right less than a minute from the station, on the second floor of a red brick building with an external staircase. <br />
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<b>address:</b> 〒151−0064東京都渋谷区上原1−33−16オオツカビル2階<br />
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Ootsuka building 2nd floor, 1-33-16 Uehara, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 〒151-0064<br />
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<b>telephone: </b>03-5465-6455<br />
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<b>hours: </b>open 12:00 - 3:00am. Lunch runs from 12:00 - 6:00 with a different menu, so the dishes mentioned above may not be available. There is a night charge of 10% added to the price of all items after (if my memory serves me correctly) 11pm.<br />
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A random Wednesday off today gave me a chance to check out a place I'd been meaning to go to for ages. Back in August I went on a short <a href="http://vegouttokyo.blogspot.com/2011/08/living-it-up-in-vegetarian-friendly.html">trip to Taiwan</a> and since then I've been craving another dose ever so delicious Taiwanese veggie cuisine. <br />
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A 30 minute subway ride away from Shibuya, It's Vegetable is a bit of a hike out the areas of Tokyo I usually frequent, but a satisfying meal tonight and a good book for the train convinced me it was time well spent. <br />
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Some of the <a href="http://www.happycow.net/reviews.php?id=3861">reviews on Happy Cow</a> had mentioned that it was necessary or at least a good idea to make a reservation for this place, but I got the feeling one would be fine without one. That being said, the restaurant was nearly full when I left around 7pm (on a weeknight), so perhaps during peak times a reservation would be a good idea. <br />
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Lunches run buffet style, with all you can fit on a small, medium or large plate system (with some weight restrictions). Dinner can be ordered from an extensive menu of dishes, most of which feature soy based fake meats. Many of these items can be ordered either small (630¥) or large (840¥). I tried the braised "chicken" and mixed veggies with hot sauce, a flavorful dish with chewy meaty bits reminiscent of the sweet and sour pork of my childhood. <br />
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While nearly all of the menu is handwritten in both Japanese and English, the soup noodle section curiously has no English translations. The friendly owner kindly walked me through the soup varieties, and I selected the first one on the list, a shoyu (soy sauce) based soup topped with a variety of veggies (900¥). <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mc038sSfk-M/TylK67zF_1I/AAAAAAAAARY/Z4ruaLYJHsE/s1600/IMG_3130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mc038sSfk-M/TylK67zF_1I/AAAAAAAAARY/Z4ruaLYJHsE/s640/IMG_3130.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><br />
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My only regret with this dinner was that with only one stomach, I was limited in the number of items I was able to try. Given that there were so many yummy looking options I'd like to sample, I'll try to return here with friends and share a feast of little dishes. <br />
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It's Vegetable is easy to find. From Kinshicho (on the Hanzomon and Sobu Lines), head to exit 5, turning to your left as you exit. Take the first left from there, and you'll find the restaurant on your right within the first block. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7JD8OQZEsDQ/TylLoOnYxlI/AAAAAAAAARo/Ox955dau3lo/s1600/IMG_3124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7JD8OQZEsDQ/TylLoOnYxlI/AAAAAAAAARo/Ox955dau3lo/s640/IMG_3124.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DXJE_5PJeIc/TylP5k8RGGI/AAAAAAAAARw/ocNtkqzvROU/s1600/IMG_3122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DXJE_5PJeIc/TylP5k8RGGI/AAAAAAAAARw/ocNtkqzvROU/s640/IMG_3122.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>As mentioned on the menu, while all items are vegetarian and contain no egg, some items do contain dairy products. If you are vegan, let the staff know and they'll point you in the the right direction.<br />
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Practical information...<br />
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address: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: -webkit-left;">東京都墨田区錦糸4-1-9</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: -webkit-left;">4-1-9 Kinshi, Sumida-ku, Tokyo</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: -webkit-left;">telephone: 03-3625-1245</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: -webkit-left;">closed on Mondays</div><div style="text-align: -webkit-left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: -webkit-left;">opening hours: lunch 11:45-2:30 (last order 2pm), dinner 5:30-10:00 (last order 9:30)</div>Mikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591688382379643425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692155622514811342.post-16230123568651296502012-01-05T04:54:00.000-08:002012-01-05T04:54:52.235-08:00Tequila House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>vegetarian friendly restaurant </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JUFn4DLJx20/TwWGOIk0FCI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/BWhEiUVrna4/s1600/IMG_3037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JUFn4DLJx20/TwWGOIk0FCI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/BWhEiUVrna4/s640/IMG_3037.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Well hello and happy new year to you! I'm nearing the end of a restful 11 day stretch of holidays here. I hope you are all feeling refreshed and ready to tackle your weekday lives again. <br />
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The first few days of the year are not ideal for dining out, with many places shut for a well deserved break from the daily grind. After calling up a few places I've been wanting to try, to no answer, I decided to head over to Koenji to try my luck. I'd had my eye on a few places dotting the shotengai that extends out from the station, and I was pleased to find my first choice, Tequila House, was open for business. <br />
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</div>Heading into the restaurant, I immediately took a liking to the atmosphere. The brightly painted walls, well stocked bar, honky tonk music, and Mexican wrestler-infused decor made for a vibe I'd like to share with friends over a great meal and a few rounds of drinks. My date for the night, a copy of Jane Eyre, seemed a little at odds with the surroundings, but did not object when I ordered a Mexican mojito (700¥), which I believe contained both the usual rum and a dose of tequila for good measure. <br />
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On the menu, I saw a couple of o<span style="font-family: inherit;">ptions that seemed likely to be vegetarian. The avocado taco (350¥) looked like a good bet, with cheese, onion, </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">jalapeño, onion, salsa (50¥ each), and guacamole (100¥) as possible add ons. I was also </span></span><span style="line-height: 19px;">intrigued by the saboten (cactus) steak. I've seen this option on menus before but never had enough curiosity to override my desire for more familiar and safely delicious Mexican fare. If anyone out there has experience in the cactus steak department I'd love to hear your thoughts. I asked for the server's meat and fish free recommendation, and he pointed me in the direction of the ベジタブルタコス (vegetable taco- 450¥), which he said was a bigger portion than the avocado taco. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">My vegetable taco was delicious mix of cheese, guacamole, salsa, and veggies on a flour tortilla. In the last few bites of my taco, I became aware that a creamy sauce drizzled over the mix had a distinctive ceasar salad dressing flavour. If you're a fish abstaining veggie like me, you'll probably be aware that ceasar dressing almost always contains anchovies, which puts it on my no-no list. I asked the server if he could kindly check the ingredient list for me, and as I suspected the dressing did in fact contain anchovy. So if you are equally picky about small quantities of fish, you'll probably want to order this dish without the ceasar dressing (see language note below for guidance). I'm not sure if they include this dressing in the other tacos, so it might be a good idea to check before ordering!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">At 450¥ the vegetable taco was quite a bargain, and if you were looking for a light meal this would probably suffice. I was pretty hungry, though, so I took another look at the menu and ordered a mini plate of guacamole (I believe it was 350¥). This zesty guac was full of flavor and a nice size to accompany another dish. </span></span><br />
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The menu contains very little English, but does have lots of cute illustrations to help you order!<br />
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Overall, I was really pleased with my experience at Tequila house. They scored full points for atmosphere in my books, the food was delicious, and the prices quite reasonable. Yet another reason to love Koenji, definitely one of the coolest neighborhoods of Tokyo. I'm already plotting a return visit, this time with drinking companions! <br />
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<b>How to get there: </b>From Koenji station, head out through the turnstiles and immediately turn left. Turn left again at the bus loop, and walk straight across the road, heading towards the McDonalds. (Not far from McDonalds there's a liquor/ foreign food/ spice shop called Tokyo-ya that is worth a visit if you are a Tokyo resident!) Pass between the McDonalds and the KFC and head straight. You'll first walk for a few minutes through a covered shopping arcade, which turns into an uncovered arcade. Stay on this street and you'll be heading up a hill. You'll see Tequilla house on your right. It's about an eight minute walk from Koenji station. <br />
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<b>Address: </b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px;">〒166-0003</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px;">東京都杉並区高円寺南3-23-19</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Tokyo, Suginami, Koenjiminami, 3-23-19</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 19px;">*Language note:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Koenji has pretty high foreigner traffic, so the young staff working at this place probably speak a bit of English. Regardless, this is a good phrase to remember even for those just visiting Japan! You can substitue the first bit with whatever you want left out.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"> </span></span></span><span style="line-height: 19px;">シーザードレッシング <b>無しでお願いします。</b></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 19px;">shiizaa doresshingu <b>nashi-de onegaishimasu.</b> </span><br />
<span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>Without</b> ceasar dressing, <b>please</b>.</span>Mikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591688382379643425noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692155622514811342.post-38575593814197341532011-12-12T18:25:00.000-08:002011-12-12T18:26:28.379-08:00Ohana<b>Organic Vegan restaurant </b><br />
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It's been a while since I've added a new restaurant review to the blog, so when I had a rare Tuesday off a few weeks ago, I figured it was a perfect opportunity to try out a new place. I met up with a friend in Shibuya, and we initially headed over to Vegan Healing Cafe, only to find it closed. This is the 3rd time I've gone during supposed opening hours and found it closed. Does anyone know for sure if it is still open? The website is up and running, and it seems like everything is fine. Do they just keep erratic hours?<br />
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Lunch venue plan B required a quick ride on the Denentoshi line over to Sangenjaya. A quick walk from the station found us stepping off the noisy, highwayside sidewalk, and into a little oasis of hippie vegan calm of Ohana. <br />
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We were pretty hungry but not particularly excited by the (Japanese only) menu. As far as I could decipher, the lunch menu choices consisted of an onigiri (rice ball) plate (780¥), a soup set (Tuesday's was a white stew with beans) with bread (880¥), a curry plate (880¥), or the daily plate served with rice (980¥), which was featuring white stew with beans. My friend and I decided to share the soup/ bread set and the onigiri plate, as curry is a too often used fallback for the hungry vegetarian or vegan dining out in Japan.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If I had to sum up Ohana's food in one word, I would say it was nice. The meals were simple, wholesome, and tasty enough. It was nothing mindblowing, and nothing that one couldn't fairly easily make at home.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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The dessert plate (480¥) we ordered, a little piece of chocolate cake, and a slice of (if my memory serves me correctly) banana and ginger loaf didn't pack the decadence I hope for in a dessert. They reminded me more of the vegan banana bread I often bake for a healthy-ish at work snack when I am trying to avoid junking out on cookies and other tempting goodies. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Overall, our meal at Ohana was pleasant enough, but I can't say I'll be making any special trips to Sangenjaya to return. I could see eating there sometimes if I happened to work or live close by, or perhaps it would be a nice stop for a traveler tired of heavy restaurant food. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>How to get there: </b>From Sangenjaya station (on the Tokyu Denentoshi line and Setagaya line), take the south exit. Setagaya-dori and Route 246 merge in a Y shape right at the station, so you want to head along Route 246, towards the upper left arm of the Y. Ohana is just a couple blocks away from the south exit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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Back in Canada, particularly in Vancouver, I used to go out for sushi pretty often. In Vancouver, sushi joints are everywhere (kind of like combinis in Japan), more often than not run by Korean immigrants, inexpensive and tasty. What I didn't really think about back in Canada was how un-Japanese the sushi I actually ate was. Sure I wouldn't refuse a piece of kappa or oshinko maki, but the rolls I usually ordered were usually stuffed with avocado, an assortment of vegetables, or yam tempura. Try to find sushi like that in Japan and you're going to be sadly disappointed. And sadly disappointed I was, and also in need of a new fallback cuisine. Right on cue, Bollywood dancing into my heart, came the Indian restaurant.<br />
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Don't get me wrong. I've always been an appreciator of a good Indian meal. Living in Montreal I savored many a dirt-cheap and oh-so-satisfying thali. But living in Vancouver or Montreal, with such an abundance of amazing vegetarian and vegan restaurants (and clearly marked options, or comprehending staff in omni places), I just didn't rely on Indian places in the same way. In Japan they've become the safe bet that I'll take when in an unfamiliar neighborhood and not in the mood to do a lot of menu deciphering and explaining. Indian places are also a good bet for dining with omni friends who, despite being cool about my dietary choices, would rather bite into something meaty.<br />
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By our old house in Higashimurayama, we had a favorite Indian place that we went almost once a week. Since moving to Setagaya last December, and having a few places we liked close down or take a dive in quality, we had been on the hunt for a cheap and tasty Indian place, which also had to be in one of the areas we find our selves in often, namely Shinjuku, Shibuya, or the Shimokitazawa area. Our hunt was over when, about 6 weeks ago, a friend and I decided to try a little place in Shimokita called Nan Station. <br />
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Nan Station is a pleasant little hole in the wall, with just two tables inside plus bar style single seating. Outside on the patio there are two more tables, and the whole place is open air as during the warmer months. The prices are unbeatable, with their cheapest curry and nan sets costing only 500¥ (or 340¥ for just curry)! The lovely staff speak English, and said they can prepare vegan curries and rice on request.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's not the prettiest curry I've ever ordered, but consistently tasty, and undeniably a bargain.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>If you go to Nan Station I highly recommend that in addition to your curry, you try an order of aloo achar. This server translated the name of this dish into English as potato pickles. I can't say it was like any pickles I've ever eaten, but this flavorful dish of cooked potatoes with chilies, spices and sesame oil was a big hit with myself and both friends that have accompanied me to this restaurant. Recently, A-chan and I have taken to splitting one order of nan between two curries, so that we can each order our own aloo achar without feeling like gluttons You won't find this item on the regular menu they hand you, but rather on a separate appetizer list, which seems to get handed out when the restaurant is less busy. So if you don't see it on the menu, ask for it by name (potato pickles also works)! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">aloo achar (potato pickles)</td></tr>
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Nan station is also a comfy place for a meal for one, as there are always a few singles seated at the bar. It also seems to be popular with expats, as there always seem to be a few non-Japanese faces around, often seen chatting with the friendly staff. <br />
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So if you are in the Shimokitazawa area with a hankering for curry, do give Nan Station a try. You just might become a regular!<br />
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<b>How to get there:</b> From the North (北) exit of Shimokitazawa station, head to the right for a few blocks. When the road comes to a T, head to the left. You'll soon see Nan Station on the ground level on your left. <br />
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<b>Address: </b>東京都世田谷区北沢2−30−11北沢ビルB1F<br />
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Kitazawa Building, 2-30-11 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo<br />
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<b>telephone:</b> 03-5454-3006<br />
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<small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&q=Nan+Station+%E4%B8%8B%E5%8C%97%E6%B2%A2&fb=1&hq=Nan+Station&hnear=0x6018f36b9a296133:0x66c43a9f356d5e5d,Shimokitazawa+Station,+Japan&cid=0,0,1772210107764749743&sqi=2&ll=35.663084,139.667604&spn=0.006295,0.006295&t=m&vpsrc=0&iwloc=A&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small>Mikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591688382379643425noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692155622514811342.post-1735021156842325332011-11-08T07:42:00.001-08:002012-03-05T07:55:00.153-08:00Vi-Sand: Vietnamese subs in Shimokitazawa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>(somewhat) vegetarian friendly restaurant (will customize on request) <span style="color: red;">CLOSED</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tMgX6qVOsn0/TrlFfS6INoI/AAAAAAAAALY/_ELPhlC6vIg/s1600/IMG_2494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tMgX6qVOsn0/TrlFfS6INoI/AAAAAAAAALY/_ELPhlC6vIg/s640/IMG_2494.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Youthful, eclectic Shimokita is a cool little area not 10 minutes away from Shibuya on the Keio Inokashira line. It's only about a 15 minute walk from my house, and I'm often there on weekends, poking around, perusing my favourite thrift shop or picking up some groceries. So it's a bit surprising to me that in the last 6 months of blogging, I've only mentioned something specific to Shimokitazawa once, in my <a href="http://vegouttokyo.blogspot.com/2011/06/natto-vending-machine.html">natto vending machine post</a> back in June. The truth is, despite it looking very much like a place that I would imagine to be a veggie hotspot, Shimokita has failed to deliver in the veggie restaurant department. If you know of any places, I'd be happy to be proven wrong!<br />
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In the meantime, I have had some tasty veggie meals in some onmi restaurants, including a newish restaurant by the name of Vi-Sand. Specializing in Vietnamese sandwiches, you're not going to find a lot of veggie options on the menu, but I can recommend the tofu and vegetable sub. This sandwich usually includes liver <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">pâté</span>,</span> so make sure to tell the staff if you are vegetarian and would like yours without! Your baguette will come stuffed with tofu, fresh veggies, your choice of cilantro or mint, and hot sauce if you so desire. When I dined there on Friday evening, my sandwich and mini side of potato salad came to 750¥. While it's not an especially filling meal if you are a big eater, it would be a nice size for a sensible lunch, or to compliment with dessert, or perhaps another dish to share with a friend. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dbI5rsXvxjg/TrlFmWtUpXI/AAAAAAAAALo/hgTWyJwIn6E/s1600/IMG_2492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dbI5rsXvxjg/TrlFmWtUpXI/AAAAAAAAALo/hgTWyJwIn6E/s640/IMG_2492.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HcI8m9kmFNo/TrlFtM3PUKI/AAAAAAAAALw/NhbhZsTOsEg/s1600/IMG_2498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HcI8m9kmFNo/TrlFtM3PUKI/AAAAAAAAALw/NhbhZsTOsEg/s640/IMG_2498.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RKkkn3gnyhg/TrlFxhivBDI/AAAAAAAAAL4/9bTma4Oar3Y/s1600/IMG_2499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RKkkn3gnyhg/TrlFxhivBDI/AAAAAAAAAL4/9bTma4Oar3Y/s640/IMG_2499.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qg9sWz-ZDTM/TrlF2uMZC0I/AAAAAAAAAMA/Ykbh7ln-c0s/s1600/IMG_2497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qg9sWz-ZDTM/TrlF2uMZC0I/AAAAAAAAAMA/Ykbh7ln-c0s/s640/IMG_2497.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-deAYHJ5-LCc/TrlFjISL1EI/AAAAAAAAALg/e-14OsNl3vw/s1600/IMG_2496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-deAYHJ5-LCc/TrlFjISL1EI/AAAAAAAAALg/e-14OsNl3vw/s640/IMG_2496.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<strike>Vi-sand is quite easy to find. From Shimokitazawa's South (南) exit, head towards the McDonalds, through the archway and straight down the street for one block. Take the first left after the McDonalds, where there is a Docomo shop on the corner. You'll see Vi-sand just ahead on your left.</strike><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>This restaurant has closed.</b> </span>Mikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591688382379643425noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692155622514811342.post-22896040199496162312011-10-25T07:24:00.000-07:002011-10-25T07:24:37.950-07:00Tokyo Vege Food Festa 2011Due to some stormy weather on the morning of Saturday the 15th, day one of this year's festival was cancelled. Lucky for vendors and festival goers alike, Sunday was a lovely day- it was even a bit hot! Lots of people came out and I was happy to see the vendors making pretty good sales. Many of the stands even had quite long lines. How great was it to see people lining up for vegan food in Tokyo?! <br />
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I purposely ate a light breakfast that morning, and A-chan and I hopped off the train early, so we got a good 30 minute walk on the way to the park. I wanted to make sure I'd have a good appetite for sampling the festival's offerings.<br />
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We hit up the ingredients/ cook at home section first, did a lot of browsing, and picked up a jar of my favourite <a href="http://store.alishan.jp/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11_72&products_id=144">organic peanut butter</a> and a Viana "Picknicker" veggie pepperoni stick. I was also tempted to buy some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_nectar">agave syrup</a>, as I see it pop up so often in tasty looking vegan recipes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-51iHRs5AK_k/TqYJWt1krjI/AAAAAAAAAKY/Nz5yVqnqM0E/s1600/IMG_2408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-51iHRs5AK_k/TqYJWt1krjI/AAAAAAAAAKY/Nz5yVqnqM0E/s640/IMG_2408.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
After heading over to the read-to-eat area, I couldn't resist trying a nikuman from the Loving Hut stand. I've noticed this item on the menu in the restaurant, but I think they don't actually offer it anymore. No surprise, it was delicious, with a soft, doughy exterior and chewy little chunks of salty-sweet mock meat inside. I'm always curious to hear how mock meat dishes compare to the original, and my omni co-tester said our nikuman was a convincing fake.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zM4JLFumu-M/TqYJOIrDY8I/AAAAAAAAAKQ/p6DAkryaVD4/s1600/IMG_2416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zM4JLFumu-M/TqYJOIrDY8I/AAAAAAAAAKQ/p6DAkryaVD4/s640/IMG_2416.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TGQEdsGvw2Y/TqYJaybCxQI/AAAAAAAAAKg/OmNx9FJUibs/s1600/IMG_2415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TGQEdsGvw2Y/TqYJaybCxQI/AAAAAAAAAKg/OmNx9FJUibs/s640/IMG_2415.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
We did some browsing to see what other goodies were on offer. This stand had an interesting concept. Apparently aiming to cash in on<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moe_(slang)"> 萌え (moe)</a> appeal, these girls dressed as cheerleader/ furry animals would shake your karaage with spices while saying "furi-furi" (shake-shake) and flashing sugary smiles. It's not really my thing but I can see it working in Akihabara!<br />
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A-chan tried some harumaki (spring roles) from Chein-Fu's stand. This amazing Taiwanese vegetarian food company used to have a restaurant in Osu, Nagoya and one in Tachikawa, Tokyo. As far as I know both closed down. Did they open up new locations?!? I really wanted to ask the people working at the booth, but they were pretty busy serving customers. I'll have to research this, as the Chien-Fu restaurants served up some of my favourite veggie meals I've enjoyed in Japan. <br />
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My next order was a bowl of colourful taco rice from Blue Cafe, which featured a pickled beet and onion topping. I'd never heard of this restaurant before, but according to the flyer they gave me, this place is an Okinawan and Mexican food joint in Fujisawa, Kanagawa. As far as I know, the restaurant isn't actually vegetarian (though I imagine they offer some veg-friendly dishes), but it looks pretty cool and laid back. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EylcSaY8VeI/TqYKG39GdBI/AAAAAAAAALI/1tD43uXzq50/s1600/IMG_2435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EylcSaY8VeI/TqYKG39GdBI/AAAAAAAAALI/1tD43uXzq50/s640/IMG_2435.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Alas, by the time I saw this Indian place grilling up (what looked like) veggie versions of tandoori kebabs, I was already pretty full. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9-uh5EeXT6c/TqYJ6DrAP0I/AAAAAAAAALA/Qleo_GAp9Xw/s1600/IMG_2429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9-uh5EeXT6c/TqYJ6DrAP0I/AAAAAAAAALA/Qleo_GAp9Xw/s640/IMG_2429.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also wanted to try these tasty looking veggie burgers from Ain Soph. Lucky for me, I bumped into a friend who was about to bite into one, and was kind enough to offer me a taste. Don't you love friends who share food? It was a pleasant bite, and I've put Ain Soph on my list of restaurants to try. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w-kXTLT1w5w/TqYJwHdImvI/AAAAAAAAAK4/F4J6kP9NduA/s1600/IMG_2438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w-kXTLT1w5w/TqYJwHdImvI/AAAAAAAAAK4/F4J6kP9NduA/s640/IMG_2438.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
All in all, I was satisfied by my experience at the Vege Food Festa. It was great to see lots of public interest in vegan food, many happy faces of people chowing down on their meals, and also to pique my own interest in some new restaurants. For those of you who made it to the festival, I'd love to hear what you thought of it!Mikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591688382379643425noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692155622514811342.post-19480500761553496642011-10-12T07:02:00.000-07:002011-10-12T07:02:39.776-07:00What does a vegetarian eat at Oktoberfest?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lKKNN1cMDwc/TpWaUqhriwI/AAAAAAAAAKA/7yR6WYwMhHo/s1600/IMG_2341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lKKNN1cMDwc/TpWaUqhriwI/AAAAAAAAAKA/7yR6WYwMhHo/s400/IMG_2341.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rD9LijTpN04/TpWaY79qV9I/AAAAAAAAAKI/EhhFkHlzMFY/s1600/IMG_2340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rD9LijTpN04/TpWaY79qV9I/AAAAAAAAAKI/EhhFkHlzMFY/s400/IMG_2340.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I've never met a pickled vegetable I didn't like. Getting friendly with my sauerkraut, was a chewy pretzel, and of course a mug of beer. It's not usually my alcohol of choice, but it was fun to try a few new kinds at this year's Yokohama Oktoberfest.Mikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591688382379643425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692155622514811342.post-59314798837820677552011-10-10T19:34:00.000-07:002011-10-10T19:34:17.237-07:00hisashiburi veggie dog<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sunday morning we rolled out of bed and over to Spiral Aoyama to catch the film Romeos, presented by the Tokyo International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. We really enjoyed it, and it was great to see such a crowd come out on a Sunday morning to support queer film. After the show was over, A-chan had a craving for soymilk ramen, so we hopped on the subway and made our way to Yotsuya-sanchome to pay a visit to Loving Hut. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you've been following my blog for a while and have read my <a href="http://vegouttokyo.blogspot.com/2011/09/loving-hut.html">original Loving Hut review</a> you'll know I'm a big fan of this place. While I was tempted to order up a bowl of soymilk ramen myself, I opted for the veggie dog plate, as it was one of the only Loving Hut meals I haven't tried. While I don't really think of veggie dogs as restaurant food, they're not something you can buy in a grocery store in Japan. In fact, I think this was the first veggie dog I've eaten since I moved to Japan three years ago. Crazy! While they're certainly not my favourite vegetarian meal, a veggie dog is such a tasty, simple comfort food that it's hard to believe I went so long without eating one. The Loving Hut version was satisfying enough, but I have to say the star of that plate was one of the tiny side dishes. This morsel of sweet and sour mock meat packed a punch! I hope to see it appearing as a main dish someday soon. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2SYNhkQA7_Y/TpOWPbFhepI/AAAAAAAAAJY/4taUVem58i4/s1600/IMG_2311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2SYNhkQA7_Y/TpOWPbFhepI/AAAAAAAAAJY/4taUVem58i4/s640/IMG_2311.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zPts-lc-JGM/TpOWcyakSWI/AAAAAAAAAJo/w5MIMatr8Zs/s1600/IMG_2312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zPts-lc-JGM/TpOWcyakSWI/AAAAAAAAAJo/w5MIMatr8Zs/s640/IMG_2312.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vs4cj-Nkoe4/TpOfh-_izfI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/5Pwd5aGskCk/s1600/IMG_2316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vs4cj-Nkoe4/TpOfh-_izfI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/5Pwd5aGskCk/s640/IMG_2316.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I mentioned that the veggie dog was one of my few remaining yet to be sampled Loving Hut dishes. Lucky for me, my friend ordered the only other meal I hadn't tried, which was the curry plate. Given that Indian food is an often used safe bet for me when dining with omnivore companions, I hardly ever order curry when I make it to a vegetarian restaurant. So I was quite pleased when my friend opted for the curry plate and put up no resistance when I demanded a spoonful for my "research". It was a nicely spiced, but not too spicy curry, peppered with chewy, ground meat-like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textured_vegetable_protein">TVP</a>. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lHW29XeGW6s/TpOWHaMUhDI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/2C1OMpybZ3E/s1600/IMG_2305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lHW29XeGW6s/TpOWHaMUhDI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/2C1OMpybZ3E/s640/IMG_2305.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
We finished off our meal by sharing a piece of vegan cheesecake, topped with blueberry sauce, between the four of us. Very impressive! I've tried a number of vegan cheesecakes in my time, and generally they are tasty enough as long as one doesn't try to compare them to an actual cheesecake. (Which is probably easier for long time vegans!) Loving Hut's vegan cheesecake was truly delicious and didn't have that tofu taste that vegan versions sometimes do. This guy has won a place on my Loving Hut recommendation list! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sr1WGwdu18g/TpOWVxq2PwI/AAAAAAAAAJg/g1ZorMLiXqE/s1600/IMG_2317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sr1WGwdu18g/TpOWVxq2PwI/AAAAAAAAAJg/g1ZorMLiXqE/s320/IMG_2317.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Now that I've tried all the main dishes, I can confidently recommend the veggie burger plate, soymilk ramen, and cheesecake as my top Loving Hut picks. What are your favourites?<br />
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*Language note: hisashiburi, which appeared in the title of this post, means "it's been a long time" or "long time no see!"Mikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591688382379643425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692155622514811342.post-63412792628315973182011-10-03T19:44:00.000-07:002011-10-04T07:02:46.414-07:00a veggie feast at the Namaste India festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jdGlkdEF7vc/Toj2cHtdWMI/AAAAAAAAAIg/tLDeBjFA8ko/s1600/IMG_2240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jdGlkdEF7vc/Toj2cHtdWMI/AAAAAAAAAIg/tLDeBjFA8ko/s1600/IMG_2240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">The weekend before last was a delicious one for Tokyo vegetarians. Yoyogi Park's event area was taken over by India, and that meant a congregation of cheap and tasty meat-free meal options. I headed over on Sunday, and before I had reached the park I'd already decided on my first course. Friends that had gone Saturday recommended I try a South Indian meal, including a light and crispy crepe-like bread called dosa. </div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fwFSGaoteH4/Toj2l_ECIvI/AAAAAAAAAIo/mZftF98dzdY/s1600/IMG_2243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fwFSGaoteH4/Toj2l_ECIvI/AAAAAAAAAIo/mZftF98dzdY/s640/IMG_2243.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fwFSGaoteH4/Toj2l_ECIvI/AAAAAAAAAIo/mZftF98dzdY/s1600/IMG_2243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">According to a quick Wiki search, dosa batter is made from ground rice and lentils. For masala dosa, they pour the batter on a griddle, spread it out, and when it's nearly cooked, a mix of potatoes, onions and spices is added. If we can trust <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dosa">Wikipedia</a>, there's an interesting story that goes along with why the mix is placed inside the wrap. Apparently a potato and spice mix used to be served along side the dosa, but during a potato shortage, vendors started mixing in onions to compensate. As orthodox Hindus and Jains aren't supposed to eat onions, vendors placed the mix inside the wrap to conceal the onions. Sneaky! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G4fLyoUZ29M/TopmKziizRI/AAAAAAAAAJI/86FjWrymnkY/s1600/IMG_2242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G4fLyoUZ29M/TopmKziizRI/AAAAAAAAAJI/86FjWrymnkY/s640/IMG_2242.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B7BTQPn3quM/Toj2qt7YnxI/AAAAAAAAAIs/q4PeFHHET24/s1600/IMG_2245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B7BTQPn3quM/Toj2qt7YnxI/AAAAAAAAAIs/q4PeFHHET24/s640/IMG_2245.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
While I was enjoying my masala dosa, I noticed a lot of people around me eating little crispy egg shaped morsels. I watched a mum crack open a little hole in the top of the ball, spoon something inside, pour sauce over it, and feed the whole thing to her kid. I decided I needed to try some for myself!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B7BTQPn3quM/Toj2qt7YnxI/AAAAAAAAAIs/q4PeFHHET24/s1600/IMG_2245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m3yvq5wTdvA/Toj3qew4AwI/AAAAAAAAAI0/9DKh_xo3_fs/s1600/IMG_2259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m3yvq5wTdvA/Toj3qew4AwI/AAAAAAAAAI0/9DKh_xo3_fs/s640/IMG_2259.jpg" width="478" /></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CWs40IhBu0U/Toj3vsqYfxI/AAAAAAAAAI4/1soJKLsjg4o/s1600/IMG_2261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CWs40IhBu0U/Toj3vsqYfxI/AAAAAAAAAI4/1soJKLsjg4o/s640/IMG_2261.jpg" width="478" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The morsel in question turned out to be a sev puri, a popular Indian snack sold by street vendors. What a mix of flavors! Due to the sauces drizzled on top, these guys were sweet, salty and sour. Add that to a crunchy deep fried bread ball. Wow!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HR4rNLhHM20/Toj3_o5oswI/AAAAAAAAAJA/PLtPESas_iU/s1600/IMG_2271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HR4rNLhHM20/Toj3_o5oswI/AAAAAAAAAJA/PLtPESas_iU/s640/IMG_2271.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oKvBdUUYj6Q/ToptbThgkxI/AAAAAAAAAJM/02LnjNqxDGA/s1600/IMG_2268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oKvBdUUYj6Q/ToptbThgkxI/AAAAAAAAAJM/02LnjNqxDGA/s640/IMG_2268.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had to take a break from eating with a bit, so we browsed the shopping area, and tried a few glasses of 300¥ a pop Indian wine. Not bad! When we were ready for another nibble, we opted to try aloo tikki. This yummy little potato cutlet disappeared quickly between the four of us, so we had to go back for a second order.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OHa1rE0ANZo/Toj3zm2FamI/AAAAAAAAAI8/VARbuzCZIxk/s1600/IMG_2255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OHa1rE0ANZo/Toj3zm2FamI/AAAAAAAAAI8/VARbuzCZIxk/s640/IMG_2255.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Above are two of my companions for the day. We had such a lovely time! It was nice to have the chance to try a few new Indian dishes. I go for Indian food pretty often, but always order curry and nan. Now that I know what these newly discovered dishes are, I'll happily order them if I see them on a menu.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With the Namaste India Festival behind us, the next Yoyogi Park event I'll be attending is the Tokyo Vege Food Festa on the 15th and 16th. While the reviews I've heard of previous festivals have been mixed, I'm really looking forward to this one. I hope to see lots of you out there! </div>Mikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591688382379643425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692155622514811342.post-33173046200154272802011-09-27T19:25:00.000-07:002011-09-27T19:25:34.804-07:00No Pork?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>神座 (Kamukura) - vegetarian beware!</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-93_KIg15jJc/ToJ_E14SfJI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/B_Eevj2Oy2A/s1600/IMG_2156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-93_KIg15jJc/ToJ_E14SfJI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/B_Eevj2Oy2A/s640/IMG_2156.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>The weekend before last I had the pleasure of hanging out with a dear Canadian friend of mine who was visiting Japan for a few days on the way home from an artist's tour of Beijing. After finishing work on Friday evening, I met her at Hachiko*. We were hungry, and I wanted to take her somewhere that would really stink of classic Japan. <br />
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This ramen shop, four blocks from Tsutaya / Starbucks on centa-gai in Shibuya had caught my eye a number of times. Due to their use of pork stock as a base, conventional ramen shops are generally just a no go, as there are no veggie options or easy ways to modify this dish to make it veggie-friendly. What made this place stand out was a large English sign hanging under their menu that claimed their ramen could be made without pork on request. I consulted with a staff member on our way in, who assured me that as their soup stock was shoyu (soy sauce), based and meat free, there would be no meat or fish used whatsoever if I gave the "no pork" instruction.<br />
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We headed in, took a seat at the counter, and started to catch up, talking about how our lives had evolved in the 3 years since we'd last met. Our ramen arrived and we dug in. One thing I liked about this place was that there were a number of add ons you could make to your meal. I always find ramen a bit lacking in the vegetable department, so I appreciated that for 100¥, I could get a little side of bean sprouts to top up my dish. It was fairly tasty, though I'm happy to report, I found it no match for the veggie ramen offered by <a href="http://vegouttokyo.blogspot.com/2011/09/loving-hut.html">Loving Hut</a>, <a href="http://vegouttokyo.blogspot.com/2011/06/ts-tan-tan-vegan-ramen-in-tokyo-station.html">T's Tan Tan</a>, or (my favorite) Cafe Proverbs 15:17 in Kyoto or their Tokyo sister Kickback Cafe.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hW1hE1aIR54/ToJ_IIHoRqI/AAAAAAAAAIU/q8cnv7uLPq8/s1600/IMG_2147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hW1hE1aIR54/ToJ_IIHoRqI/AAAAAAAAAIU/q8cnv7uLPq8/s640/IMG_2147.JPG" width="640" /></a> I was satisfied by the experience until, near the end of the bowl, my chopsticks pulled up a little chunk of something distinctly meaty. It was an unhappy end to the meal, but I tried not to let it kill the good vibes the evening. I now regret leaving the restaurant without saying anything. I was struggling to think of a polite way to explain in Japanese that I was really disappointed by the apparent lack of care that let a chunk of pork slip into a meal that was promised to be without. Other than being upsetting for vegetarians, this kind of thing could be a really big deal for those whose religions forbid eating pork, or people with allergies. Alas, I couldn't think of a good way to explain this without making too much of a scene, so we just left. As for the reason the pork ended up in my ramen, my guess is that they do in fact use a vegetarian, shoyu base, but that they're not particularly careful with the utensils they use to transfer ingredients around. Which is something they might want to work on if they're going to display a huge "we can cook every noodle without pork" sign. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zmPV1EJjfsE/ToJ_RB6njDI/AAAAAAAAAIY/ZOMOoalQClQ/s1600/IMG_2154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zmPV1EJjfsE/ToJ_RB6njDI/AAAAAAAAAIY/ZOMOoalQClQ/s640/IMG_2154.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
On a more positive note, I'm glad to say this is only the third such incident I've had in my 3 years in Japan, and given that I've done a whole lot of dining out, I consider it not too bad an error rate. So I suppose my conclusion is that if it's important for you to feel sure you are digging into a meat free ramen, you are advised to give 神座 (Kamukura) a miss. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PZALKMjbXZc/ToJ_fjYzVeI/AAAAAAAAAIc/ypQhuDvCu3s/s1600/IMG_2157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PZALKMjbXZc/ToJ_fjYzVeI/AAAAAAAAAIc/ypQhuDvCu3s/s640/IMG_2157.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
* Hachiko is a popular meeting spot in front of Shibuya station, named after a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachik%C5%8D">famously loyal dog</a>. Mikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591688382379643425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692155622514811342.post-84960949699303898282011-09-21T02:26:00.000-07:002011-09-21T02:26:48.478-07:00festival bits and bites<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we were sent home from work early this afternoon I thought this typhoon holiday was going to be the equivalent of a snow day. Then the wind and rain started looking like legitimate threats and Tokyo is now being pummeled by the craziest storm I've seen around here! So while my windows rattle and threaten to blow in, I'll distract myself with some pretty pictures taken over the last few weeks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wanted to share a few images from the Sri Lankan and Nepalese festivals at Yoyogi Park. Though most of the offerings were meaty in nature, there are always vegan and vegetarian goodies to be found as well. Next weekend, India will be taking over the event square, so come on an empty stomach! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of people were walking around drinking coconut water (juice?) straight from the source.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xR_XW4lJU_8/TnlC7HFUchI/AAAAAAAAAHY/jQbj4YLjjiQ/s1600/IMG_2110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xR_XW4lJU_8/TnlC7HFUchI/AAAAAAAAAHY/jQbj4YLjjiQ/s640/IMG_2110.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spices! Though this tent was baking hot, I rifled around this pile until I located some hard-to-find-in-Japan goodies.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KGHUbUxS7mU/TnlDCf_6C9I/AAAAAAAAAHc/8jdMknyJ2X0/s1600/IMG_2113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KGHUbUxS7mU/TnlDCf_6C9I/AAAAAAAAAHc/8jdMknyJ2X0/s640/IMG_2113.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vvikK-BVAlQ/TnlDjiMcGeI/AAAAAAAAAHg/msEB64rrlhE/s1600/IMG_2116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vvikK-BVAlQ/TnlDjiMcGeI/AAAAAAAAAHg/msEB64rrlhE/s640/IMG_2116.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was tea everywhere at the Sri Lankan festival. Boxed tea, loose tea, hot milk tea, iced tea... </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-333T56XdqPc/TnlD3AZWzrI/AAAAAAAAAHk/sG3CirT4dHw/s1600/IMG_2129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-333T56XdqPc/TnlD3AZWzrI/AAAAAAAAAHk/sG3CirT4dHw/s640/IMG_2129.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This baked samosa-like-morsel was called a 野菜ゴダンバ, or vegetable godamba. A quick google search tells me that godamba is the name of the roti. So delicious I had to go back for a second one.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-acpzSzheJEU/TnlITWmHcxI/AAAAAAAAAHs/lf35qoKtYHM/s1600/IMG_2136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-acpzSzheJEU/TnlITWmHcxI/AAAAAAAAAHs/lf35qoKtYHM/s640/IMG_2136.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a cool shaved ice with mango and sweet condensed milk.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NpbRDYUGszc/TnlJLbdAkoI/AAAAAAAAAH0/aFpY5S6OjrI/s1600/IMG_2200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NpbRDYUGszc/TnlJLbdAkoI/AAAAAAAAAH0/aFpY5S6OjrI/s640/IMG_2200.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The day of the Nepalese festival was a scorcher so this watermelon smoothie hit the spot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Mikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591688382379643425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692155622514811342.post-33459398427016774242011-09-20T18:20:00.000-07:002011-09-20T18:20:43.030-07:00Design Festa jihanki<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mJLTWOLrRb0/TnkudNCcUFI/AAAAAAAAAHM/InrTdKWLM7w/s1600/IMG_2173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mJLTWOLrRb0/TnkudNCcUFI/AAAAAAAAAHM/InrTdKWLM7w/s640/IMG_2173.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rG-t206Epf0/TnkupTE_orI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/bdORPrrlimw/s1600/IMG_2172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rG-t206Epf0/TnkupTE_orI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/bdORPrrlimw/s640/IMG_2172.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><br />
Another specimen for the jihanki (vending machine) drawer. We encountered this colourful anomaly in front of the Design Festa Gallery in Harajuku. We loved the details, like making the money in and out openings into mouths, and the equally cool containers for recycling empties.Mikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591688382379643425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692155622514811342.post-62937732269648101072011-09-18T23:37:00.000-07:002011-09-18T23:47:08.853-07:00More Yoyogi Park FestivalsHello! It's a national holiday in Japan today (Respect for the Aged Day) and I am spending the day resting and recovering from a busy weekend and getting things in order for the week. It's so nice to have a day to clean, do yoga, make onigiri for the week, and catch up on some posts which I've been wanting to share with you. <br />
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The last few weekends I've had the chance to pop over to Yoyogi Park and check out the festivals taking place in the event area. On September 10th and 11th, the Sri Lanka festival was on, and on the 17th and 18th, Vietnam took over the main event area, with Nepal rocking the pedestrian road that leads up to Yoyogi Park from Shibuya. Looking back at my own Yoyogi Park event listing post, I found that I had listed none of these events! Not sure if this was a result of the events not being listed when I compiled the info for that post, or perhaps a result of my less than amazing Japanese reading ability. Anyway, I thought it was about time to update my list. <br />
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<b>Yoyogi Park event schedule for September and October 2011</b><br />
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September 24th (Sat) - 25th (Sun): Namaste India<br />
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September 25th (Sun): Tokyo Earth Day Market (along the pedestrian walkway leading to the park)<br />
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September 30th (Fri)- October 2nd (Sun): Hokkaido Fair<br />
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October 8th (Sat)-10th (Mon): Come, See, Eat, Be Moved! Kyushu Sightseeing Fair<br />
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October 15th (Sat)- 16th (Sun): Veggie Food Festa<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oQEvxyq5AG4/TnbhAF86uSI/AAAAAAAAAHI/oEecvYOLmR0/s1600/IMG_2120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oQEvxyq5AG4/TnbhAF86uSI/AAAAAAAAAHI/oEecvYOLmR0/s640/IMG_2120.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How much do you love this tea vendor's sign? Spotted at the Sri Lanka festival.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Mikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591688382379643425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692155622514811342.post-39183066187312989762011-09-13T08:59:00.000-07:002011-09-13T18:44:32.266-07:00veggies strut their stuff at Vegetable Sushi Potager<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>vegetarian restaurant </b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JQmGTR9q2rg/Tm9pBMgoqLI/AAAAAAAAAG4/9Q0tTG9HZuY/s1600/IMG_2105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JQmGTR9q2rg/Tm9pBMgoqLI/AAAAAAAAAG4/9Q0tTG9HZuY/s640/IMG_2105.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'd been wanting to go to this place for months, after reading a review printed in Metropolis magazine. Vegetable Sushi Potager's concept is one inherently appealing to vegetarians: to celebrate seasonal vegetables, making them the heart of the meal, rather than simply side dishes to meat or fish. This restaurant is entirely vegetarian, and they can also prepare a vegan selection if you let them know in advance. <br />
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Their dinners are a bit pricy, at 5,250¥ and up, so we opted for a lunch visit, where meals start at 1,575¥. We arrived at 2:00 on the dot, exactly the time for their last lunch order. Their closed sign was already up, but when I squawked to the staff member showing 2 customers out, we were let in. They had already sold out of the chirashi-zushi (1,575¥), so we ordered two nigiri-zushi (2,100¥) sets. <br />
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While the restaurant does have some tables for larger groups, smaller parties are seated at the counter around their gorgeous open kitchen, where you can watch your meal being carefully assembled on a stretch of ample counter space that (as fellow Tokyoites will understand why) we looked upon with great envy. While we waited, we took in the carefully constructed decor. This place oozes an oshare (stylish)-natural, modern vibe, with green and neutral colouring, and seasonal displays decorating the shelves forming the backdrop behind the kitchen. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j1m9E7tyrs0/Tm9omp_jjNI/AAAAAAAAAG0/DI0JSt9ey3E/s1600/IMG_2098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j1m9E7tyrs0/Tm9omp_jjNI/AAAAAAAAAG0/DI0JSt9ey3E/s640/IMG_2098.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our first plate of nigiri arrived, and we were given a brief explanation of each of the 5 spectacular looking morsels laid out before us. Each piece was unique, and sauces and seasonings used sparingly to play up but not overwhelm the natural flavor and texture of the vegetables. Many of the nigiri looked an awful lot like regular sushi: the uni, for example, was rather convincingly played by a lovely carrot mousse. Despite the visual resemblance, many of these little bites proved to be rather un-sushi like in flavor, delving into rather un-Japanese kinds of delicious. <br />
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Along with the 10 pieces of nigiri we were also served a little bowl of (combu, not katsuo-based) miso soup and a lovely cup of tea at the end of the meal. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aLfUreMJAUs/Tm9pQcxFDkI/AAAAAAAAAG8/YdlO1EGx8mE/s1600/IMG_2103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aLfUreMJAUs/Tm9pQcxFDkI/AAAAAAAAAG8/YdlO1EGx8mE/s640/IMG_2103.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CcCZBwjE5jQ/Tm9qkgaMOrI/AAAAAAAAAHE/MA9lvnIbdnM/s1600/IMG_2107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CcCZBwjE5jQ/Tm9qkgaMOrI/AAAAAAAAAHE/MA9lvnIbdnM/s640/IMG_2107.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SfbTjH3LjJs/Tm9pbba6PdI/AAAAAAAAAHA/IWbHqcW2qHA/s1600/IMG_2108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SfbTjH3LjJs/Tm9pbba6PdI/AAAAAAAAAHA/IWbHqcW2qHA/s640/IMG_2108.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Vegetable Sushi Potager is not the kind of place that I'd become a regular. The places I frequent tend to be a bit noisier and a bit less polished, so I can feel at ease being my noisy, not so daintily eating self. We were, however, thoroughly impressed with our meal, and I'd love to return from time to time to sample another season of vegetables or celebrate a special occasion. If you are a vegetarian living in or visiting Tokyo you have my recommendation to give this place a try, as they offer a unique dining experience you will not soon forget. <br />
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。。。。。。。<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Vollkorn; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Vollkorn; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><b>おすすめ / recommendation:</b> Though we sampled no other dish to compare, the nigiri-zushi was delish and reasonably priced</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Vollkorn; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><b>good points: </b>unique, delicious, healthy, seasonal, all vegetarian, beautiful food </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Vollkorn; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Vollkorn; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><b>bad points: </b>dinners are a bit pricy </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Vollkorn;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><b><br /></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Vollkorn;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><b>hours: </b>Lunch 11am-3pm (Last order 2pm), dinner 5-11pm (last order 10pm). To keep everything at its freshest, they have a limited quantity of dishes available so making a reservation or arriving early may be wise!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Vollkorn;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><b><br /></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Vollkorn; line-height: 24px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;">address:</span> </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 25px;">Roppongi Keyakizaki Dori, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 25px;">Roppongi Hills, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 25px;">6-9-1-1F, Roppongi, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 25px;">Minato-ku, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 25px;">Tokyo</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 25px;">〒106-0032<br />東京都港区六本木6-9-1</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 25px;">六本木ヒルズ 六本木けやき坂通り1F</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"></span></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 2; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
From Roppongi Station (on the Hibiya Line) take exit 1C</div>
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From Azabu Juban Station (on the Oedo Line) take exit 7</div>
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Head to the green arrow!<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.co.jp/maps?q=35.659327,139.731047&num=1&vpsrc=0&sll=35.689488,139.691706&sspn=0.418313,1.497897&brcurrent=3,0x60188b763938c26d:0x2e7f5066a1c3c1d9,0,0x60188b7636d28ca3:0xae93a1e69c7a646&ttype=now&noexp=0&noal=0&sort=time&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=14&ll=35.659462,139.73087&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="http://maps.google.co.jp/maps?q=35.659327,139.731047&num=1&vpsrc=0&sll=35.689488,139.691706&sspn=0.418313,1.497897&brcurrent=3,0x60188b763938c26d:0x2e7f5066a1c3c1d9,0,0x60188b7636d28ca3:0xae93a1e69c7a646&ttype=now&noexp=0&noal=0&sort=time&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=14&ll=35.659462,139.73087&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">大きな地図で見る</a></small><br />
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Their website has a lot of English content! Check them out <a href="http://www.sushi-potager.com/en/concept/">here</a> for more information.Mikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591688382379643425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692155622514811342.post-49191250293765619502011-09-09T01:37:00.000-07:002011-09-09T01:46:30.881-07:00Loving Hut<b>vegan restaurant </b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7AbTuqpXo3I/TmnBYhtfeqI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/JGm5aCAS2XI/s1600/IMG_2057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7AbTuqpXo3I/TmnBYhtfeqI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/JGm5aCAS2XI/s640/IMG_2057.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This building! Head up to the 2nd floor.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
On Sunday we paid a long overdue visit to Loving Hut. Despite being impressed with this place the first time I went there, around 2 years ago, I never find myself in the Yotsuya-sanchome neighborhood. I realize this is quite a ridiculous excuse, as it's literally a 5 minute subway ride from Shinjuku. <br />
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In the mood to take a little walk, we hopped off the subway at Akebonobashi station. That area has nostalgic value for me, as the Ace Inn Hostel was my original Tokyo homebase, back when I was night bussing up from Mie for little weekend hits of urban life. Walking those streets I can still feel traces of those Tokyo butterflies, and it reminded me how lucky I am to call this amazing city home.<br />
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On the way we found an alcohol vending machine, which seem to be becoming less common these days. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pKdke-LADBw/TmnBVfRnecI/AAAAAAAAAGM/bdJrS9WMVbw/s1600/IMG_2055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pKdke-LADBw/TmnBVfRnecI/AAAAAAAAAGM/bdJrS9WMVbw/s640/IMG_2055.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Booze vending machine! And yes, that is a zebra print dress I'm wearing. A-chan calls it my Osaka obasan dress, which is not a compliment. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>We arrived at Loving Hut and promptly ordered 3 meals to share between the 2 of us. I felt like a bit of a glutton when the three trays arrived, but as the food is pretty light so it turned out to be a good amount for 2 hungry people. <br />
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The first to arrive was a delicious bowl of soymilk ramen topped with green onion and ground mock meat (650¥). It had a lovely, rich flavor, though I wouldn't have minded seeing a few more vegetables involved.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e5ErTxgiAZI/TmnCVUK4oJI/AAAAAAAAAGo/xlr-GA6exj0/s1600/IMG_2058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e5ErTxgiAZI/TmnCVUK4oJI/AAAAAAAAAGo/xlr-GA6exj0/s640/IMG_2058.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><br />
Next came the zen tanpin* (500¥), a slab of mock unagi on a bed of rice. Though I can't compare the taste to real unagi (as I've never tried it), I found this dish reasonably tasty, but a definite third place to the two other yummy meals we ordered. As the name suggests, this can also be ordered as part of a meal plate.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--26RWwt2OCo/TmnBqij6ALI/AAAAAAAAAGc/hCehqqSuM4Y/s1600/IMG_2065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--26RWwt2OCo/TmnBqij6ALI/AAAAAAAAAGc/hCehqqSuM4Y/s640/IMG_2065.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RbrMUobDjbo/TmnBmjmsvII/AAAAAAAAAGY/bp1FLF41Ha0/s1600/IMG_2063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RbrMUobDjbo/TmnBmjmsvII/AAAAAAAAAGY/bp1FLF41Ha0/s640/IMG_2063.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>My favourite of the three was the veggie burger plate (1000¥). The very tasty, though little, burger is accompanied by an assortment of sides: a soup, a salad, pickles, a tiny side of curried vegetables, a piece of vegetable korokke and a few bites of dessert. <br />
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Loving hut is a small place with just a few tables and lunch bar type seating along the windows and back wall. The interior is clean, bright, and homey, with little grannyish touches like handmade fabric cozies for the napkin dispensers. You'll find copies of vegetarian magazines and other animal loving books, and perhaps not to everyone's liking, a (rather unobtrusive!) video looping religious vegan propaganda playing softly in the background.<br />
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Would it be too cheesy of me to say that I feel the love that goes into running Loving Hut? From the decor to the carefully prepared, healthy meals, it's clear that a lot of heart goes into the finished product. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R4BOuClLxaU/TmnCQOxgPpI/AAAAAAAAAGk/PVxwsbovh-8/s1600/IMG_2070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R4BOuClLxaU/TmnCQOxgPpI/AAAAAAAAAGk/PVxwsbovh-8/s640/IMG_2070.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See what I mean by grannyish touches? I love the wallpaper in the washroom.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Language note:<br />
*tanpin (単品 or たんぴん)means a single item or <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">à</span></span> la carte. When ordering an item that can be ordered with or without a set, this is a useful word to know.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Vollkorn; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;"><b>おすすめ / recommendation:</b> veggie burger plate </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Vollkorn; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Vollkorn; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;"><b>good points: </b>cheap, healthy, delicious vegan meals, cute decor, easy to find</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Vollkorn; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Vollkorn; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;"><b>bad points: </b>the religious element may not be everyone's cup of tea, big eaters may find the portions a bit small</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Vollkorn; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;"><b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Vollkorn; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;"><b>address: </b>6-15 2F Yotsuya Sanchome, Shinjuku-ku</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Vollkorn; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">東京都新宿区四谷三丁目6−152F </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Vollkorn; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Vollkorn; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;"><b>how to get there:</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Vollkorn;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;">Take the Marunouchi line to Yotsuya Sanchome station, and use exit 4. From the exit, head slightly to the left (walk past Bakery Cafe Antendo). Take a left at the first corner, and you'll see Loving Hut on your right on the second floor.</span></span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.co.jp/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=ja&geocode=&q=%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E6%96%B0%E5%AE%BF%E5%8C%BA%E5%9B%9B%E8%B0%B7%E4%B8%89%E4%B8%81%E7%9B%AE%EF%BC%96%E2%88%92%EF%BC%91%EF%BC%95&aq=&sll=35.688324,139.721246&sspn=0.004435,0.009538&vpsrc=6&g=%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E6%96%B0%E5%AE%BF%E5%8C%BA%E5%9B%9B%E8%B0%B7%E4%B8%89%E4%B8%81%E7%9B%AE%EF%BC%96%E2%88%92%EF%BC%91%EF%BC%95&brcurrent=3,0x60188cedefcb842b:0xa12b5fdd1dd5784e,0&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E6%96%B0%E5%AE%BF%E5%8C%BA%E5%9B%9B%E8%B0%B7%EF%BC%93%E4%B8%81%E7%9B%AE%EF%BC%96%E2%88%92%EF%BC%91%EF%BC%95&ll=35.688366,139.721326&spn=0.002196,0.004769&t=m&z=14&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="http://maps.google.co.jp/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=ja&geocode=&q=%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E6%96%B0%E5%AE%BF%E5%8C%BA%E5%9B%9B%E8%B0%B7%E4%B8%89%E4%B8%81%E7%9B%AE%EF%BC%96%E2%88%92%EF%BC%91%EF%BC%95&aq=&sll=35.688324,139.721246&sspn=0.004435,0.009538&vpsrc=6&g=%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E6%96%B0%E5%AE%BF%E5%8C%BA%E5%9B%9B%E8%B0%B7%E4%B8%89%E4%B8%81%E7%9B%AE%EF%BC%96%E2%88%92%EF%BC%91%EF%BC%95&brcurrent=3,0x60188cedefcb842b:0xa12b5fdd1dd5784e,0&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E6%96%B0%E5%AE%BF%E5%8C%BA%E5%9B%9B%E8%B0%B7%EF%BC%93%E4%B8%81%E7%9B%AE%EF%BC%96%E2%88%92%EF%BC%91%EF%BC%95&ll=35.688366,139.721326&spn=0.002196,0.004769&t=m&z=14" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">大きな地図で見る</a></small>Mikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591688382379643425noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692155622514811342.post-46217206833642551352011-09-05T07:31:00.000-07:002011-09-05T07:31:08.315-07:00Quick Bites: Soup Stock Tokyo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-phC2SJ2hvCU/TmTXx9X1umI/AAAAAAAAAGE/TFQlhtdN43Y/s1600/IMG_2047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-phC2SJ2hvCU/TmTXx9X1umI/AAAAAAAAAGE/TFQlhtdN43Y/s640/IMG_2047.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
This is my kind of fast food! <br />
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When I'm out and about and need a quick meal, I'll sometimes pop into a Soup Stock Tokyo. <br />
Conveniently placed in a number of major train stations, this chain offers a rotating menu of daily soups, and one of these will usually be a vegetarian (and often vegan) option. This Saturday, their veggie offering at the Meguro location was a lovely gazpacho. With your choice of a little bun or rice, your meal comes to about 700¥, and for 900¥ you can tack on a drink. While not quite as dirt cheap as traditional fast food, it is a healthy and easy choice, and I like the ambience of their stores, which are easy on the eyes with a lot of stainless steel and wood. <br />
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One of the things that makes Soup Stock Tokyo stand apart from other quick bite places in Japan is the clarity of their labeling. Under the (Japanese only) description of their soup, you will find an allergy alert section where they will list if they've used such items as nuts, soba, meat products, milk and eggs. When I ask to double check there are no fish or meat ingredients, the staff always check the full list of ingredients (and often show it to me), instead of giving a typically vague Japanese answer along the lines of "it should probably be okay", or "I'm not really sure". As a vegetarian, I really appreciate that kind of openness, and I'm sure it's also good for the peace of mind of those with serious allergies.<br />
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いただきます!*<br />
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*itadakimasu is what Japanese people say before eating. It means something like "I (humbly) receive". I really like the idea of vocalizing an appreciation for the food you are about to eat. It's sort of embarrassing for me that there isn't a secular English equivalent!Mikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591688382379643425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692155622514811342.post-90459006862144027872011-08-30T18:32:00.000-07:002011-08-30T18:32:58.232-07:00Summer festival food<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZjZAwC9myEk/Tl2Dr6HSOuI/AAAAAAAAAFw/g4dTq37Unaw/s1600/IMG_1850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZjZAwC9myEk/Tl2Dr6HSOuI/AAAAAAAAAFw/g4dTq37Unaw/s640/IMG_1850.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
One of the many things I adore about Japan is the many traditional festivals throughout the year. In the summer, every town has its own little (or huge!) festival complete with taiko drumming, drinking, omikoshi (portable shrine carried or pulled by residents), and people clad in yukata or jinbei. The real reason people come, of course, is the food. A visit to a summer festival can't be fully enjoyed without eating some kind of food on a stick! In general, eating while walking or in random public places (such as on a train platform) is frowned upon and not done except by clueless foreigners and naughty high school students. Festivals, thankfully, are an exception to this rule, and you can see all kinds of people not so daintily enjoying street food and boozing in the streets. Horray!<br />
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While most festival foods are not vegetarian friendly, I'd like to introduce you to a few of the options available for those who would rather pass on whole grilled squid on a stick. <br />
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Hot, steamy じゃがバター (jyaga bataa) is just a baked potato, salt, and a slab of butter thrown on top. Mayonaise optional. Simple and delicious!<br />
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If it's a steamy hot day, a lovely cool 冷やしきゅうり(hiyashi kyuuri) is always nice. While these cucumbers are usually just seasoned with salt, I think they may occasionally contain katsuodashi, so if you are not a fish eater it's a good idea to double check. <br />
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This is the first time I can recall seeing 冷やしトマト(hiyashi tomato) as a festival food option. It's just a cut up chilled tomato, with perhaps a sprinkle of salt.<br />
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焼きとうもろこし(yaki toumorokoshi), or grilled corn on the cob, is a satisfying vegetarian festival food option. While it's usually safe, the sauce may occasionally contain meaty or fishy extracts so I always ask the vendor before buying.<br />
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Moving on to sweets, your least junky option may be a chocolate dipped banana. So cute, but unfortunately the chocolate they use tends to be super low quality so I often find the taste a bit disappointing. Not that this has ever stopped me from getting one.<br />
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A sure Japanese festival classic is かき氷 (kakigoori), or shaved ice. Like a snow cone, these guys are usually topped by brightly coloured sugary flavored syrups, and sometimes condensed milk is also poured on top. You can occasionally find more gourmet stands serving syrups made with real juice and frozen fruit. I love the (now rare) old fashioned machines with the hand crank! <br />
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Mini castella (sponge cake) is another of the regulars. You can find these little bite sized cakes shaped into characters like Kitty-chan (Hello Kitty), Doraemon, and Pikachu, selling in bags of about 20 pieces and up.<br />
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I don't think I've ever actually tried あんず飴 (anzu-ame), despite how pretty they are. Apparently they're made from an apricot (and sometimes other fruit) surrounded by a glutinous starch syrup. Throw a stick in there, ice, and you're ready to go.<br />
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Happy nibbling! What's your favourite vegetarian summer festival food? I'm curious to hear about local specialties across Japan. For my international readers, what's your favorite veggie summer festival food in your country?<br />
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Mikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591688382379643425noreply@blogger.com2