Akihabara Gyukatsu

Hey guys,

Man do I have a backlog of stuff to post.  Sorry, life has been crazy!  But for my first post in a while, it will of course be a new delicious place I found to eat.  Because as much as I love learning wonderful things about culture, viewing beautiful parks and gardens, and even discovering new things about myself in ways only living alone in a foreign country can teach . . . let's be honest, the reason I'm here in this country is the food



So let's chat about gyukatsu, shall we?  Not uncommon, but certainly atypical, gyukatsu is the cousin of tonkatsu (about which I have discoursed in the past).  "Ton" means pork, "gyu" means beef.  So instead of a nice pork loin wrapped in batter and fried, you do the same with steak

Now, steak is delicious.  Deep-frying things makes them delicious.  So I'm working on a theory here that if you take something delicious and subject it to a process that makes things delicious . . . it will be super delicious.  Gyukatsu is definitely a positive data point in this theory

There's a shop near my work that does a very nice gyukatsu.  Head on down for lunch and get the lunch set, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.  But I think I'm going to keep that shop anonymous, I'll explain in a sec

I will never get tired of lunch sets

But wait.  Now that's nice and all, but if I made a post for every meal that was "nice and all", I'd spend my whole life glued in front of the laptop.  But there is a shop in Akihabara that pushes all of my extra credit buttons

Tiny interior . . .

. . . with a long line out front

Ichi Ni San Gyukatsu (it's a pun--"ichi ni san" is Japanese for "one two three", but uses a different set of kanji in this name) in Akihabara does not mess around.  Like many of the places that get mentioned on here, their menu is simple and delicious.  I wandered past it at lunch one day and saw a line even longer than the one in the photo.  So I came back right at opening time and managed to sneak in

Lnch set.  1200 yen'll get you beef, veggies, soup, rice, and three kinds of sauce

Awesome, gorgeous, and super fun.  But what sets them apart is the quality of the meat.  Let's compare to the first place, which as we said will remain nameless because it's just not fair to have to measure up to Ichi Ni San.  Well, there is no comparison

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

No comparison, no competition.  Zoom in if you like, you'll find no flaw in that gorgeously ruby-colored cut of beef in there (just ask my friend Sam, he was along with me for the ride on this particular trip)

You want to take amazingly high quality beef and then wrap it in light delicious crispy batter?  Head on down to Akihabara.  Wait in line, it'll be worth it

Noah out

Yuki kuni (NoahandLexiinTokyo)

Hi everybody,

Momentous occasion for me, but I got to see my first snow here in Tokyo!

Not a blizzard, certainly not compared to whatever's going on in the East Coast back in the States, but not messing around either

My friend Lexi and I had already planned to hit Harajuku and Meiji Shrine that day, and so I asked her if she was still down to go if there was snow.  She's a trooper, and she said it would be no problem.  Thus, Noah and Lexi (after getting some pretty fantastic gyoza) made our way to Meiji Jingu just in time to get some fantastic pictures of the snow

Our side trip to get lunch first allowed the snow to turn into a light rain, so the landscape had a few splashes of color rather than a pure greyscale

Lexi, undaunted by the weather and with a smile on her face!

I didn't let it slide too often for much of this trip, but I told Lex it was ok to go in to see the shrine without the traditional purifying wash of the hands.  I did wash mine, however, and it was so cold I almost wish I hadn't.  Ok not really, but seriously my hands hurt from the cold for a half an hour after that

I've said it before, I'll say it again.  Everybody gets presents of sake and other such treats for their birthdays (I did, that's for sure!).  But you gotta be a real baller to continue getting sake birthday presents even after you're dead

No profound commentary or other observations to add.  Meiji Jingu is a wonderful place, a really delightful juxtaposition to the bustle of Tokyo life (especially considering that Harajuku, with its crazy fashion and blasting music, is just around the corner).  It speaks a lot to the Japanese spirit to have such a large park honoring Emperor Meiji--and it's important to note that though Emperor Meiji is responsible for bringing Japan into the modern era, the shrine in his honor is pure old Japan style.  Accepting and embracing the old while style respecting and revering the past, that's pretty much a summary of Japan for the last century and a half

And it doesn't hurt that said park provides for some pretty wonderful photo ops

Noah

Onomatopoetic Chocolate

Hi all,

Man, it's been busy here!  My first houseguest is here, and we're having an absolute blast.  One or many posts will come from that, but I definitely need more time than I've had to sort through all these photographs and memories.  Soon to come

I did, however, get sent this article from a friend as a birthday present--too cool not to pass on:

http://mentalfloss.com/article/61269/designer-chocolates-let-you-taste-meaning-japanese-words

One of the coolest features of the Japanese language (my friend that sent this to me is an avid linguist) is its attraction to . . . well, onomatopoeia isn't quite the right word, although I used it in this blog's title.  Onomatopoeia is for a word expressing how a concept sounds, but what's the word for a word expressing how it feels?  And not just in terms of texture--in terms of sight, or texture, or even emotion of the concept

Bonus word to add on to the ones in the chocolate box:  Pika pika, which means bright and sparkly.  And "chu" is the sound a mouse makes.  So now you know :D

Noah out

Packing Tips!

Hey everyone,

With my first houseguest showing up soon (I am so excited), followed by a few more afterwards, I thought I'd write up a post about what to pack.  I've already tested this couch out, I promise it's a pretty comfy night's sleep.  So you are all welcome to visit whenever you like!  Here's some advice:

Things to bring:

• Comfortable walking shoes.  As has been noted previously on this blog, I like to wander.  I schedule my days off to start at one station and end at one a few stations away.  I log a few miles at least a day, because there's just so much to see everywhere.  Come visit me, and I'll expect you to keep up!
• Appropriate seasonal clothing.  Right now that means winter wear, it gets seriously cold around these parts (temperature's not terrible, but the wind is absolutely brutal).  And I'm not talking about just a jacket or two--bring hats, scarves, and gloves.  Hey, I usually wear my tights (long underwear, underarmor, whatever you call it) under my suit.  Like I said, it gets seriously cold
• A set of nice clothes.  Nothing serious, you can probably leave that tailored suit behind, but maybe nice slacks and a button-up shirt for guys or nice skirt/pants and a blouse for girls--something so that we won't embarrass ourselves if we get invited to a nice event.  I still hold onto my shame from the time like five years ago when I had to go to a Lion's Club reception at the Hilton wearing either cargo pants or slacks with a hole in the butt.  No right answer there
• Medicine and drugs.  Not just your prescription meds (which of course you will have in the original pharmacy bottles with your name on them--don't be the idiot trying to bring a bag full of unlabeled pills into a country pretty hardline on its drugs policy), but also anything over-the-counter you might want.  Sudafed, Benadryl, Ibuprofen, etc., just figure that it'll be may more trouble than it's worth to get them here
• Advanced bathing products.  I have shampoo, and I have soap.  That's it, and both contracts were awarded to the lowest bidder.  So if your daily hygienic routine involves more or better products than those, you're gonna have to pack 'em in

Things you don't need to bring:

• Blankets, pillows, towels, etc.  Hey don't let my previous point about toiletries make you think I'm totally remiss as a host.  I do have household stuff, I promise.  Although come to think of it I don't have any washcloths, is that a thing people use?  Man, this being a grownup with grownup guests thing is hard
• Electric converter.  Yes, technically the Japanese electricity is a slightly different voltage, and thus a lot of travel guides tell you to bring a converter.  This is dumb.  Anything sensitive enough to care about the voltage (e.g. a computer) already has a converter and all that to make sure the current can't damage it.  Or did you think that big box on your charger cable was just for show?
• Presents for me.  No seriously, I don't need anything.  There's not a lot I miss from the States--or, more specifically, there's not a lot from the States that I can't get here in Tokyo (well except for good Mexican food, *sigh* I'm still looking).  Just show up with a smile and a willingness to see some awesome things, that's all I ask

Oh, and one last thing?  Bring a camera and a laptop, or be prepared to borrow mine.  Cuz if you come visit me, at the very least I'll ask for one guest post for this blog ;)

Noah out

Ikeadventure Epilogue: Couch!!!

Hi guys,

Followup to last week's Ikea post--my couch and bookshelves showed up today!  This is a big deal for me, really makes me feel like my apartment is complete.  Not to mention the fact that now my friends have a place to stay when they come over . . .

It being Ikea, of course they all showed up in pieces.  So clearly, the only thing to do was put on a movie and get building.  I thought The LEGO Movie would be appropriate . . .

My friend Tamas asked "how many parts can a couch possibly come in?" . . . it's Ikea, Tamas

Ahh yes, small apartment problems--where do I put this box while I put together my couch?  Throw it in the loft

Everything put together, this apartment really does feel like a home.  Plenty of storage space, and a great couch to relax on.  Ikea, what would we do without you?

And I got the measurements perfectly--one couch and two bookshelves, with only about 6cm clearance.  Perfect!

Fits very nicely in the corner, and doesn't block any of the natural light at all

Funnily, the room actually looks smaller in photos with the couch--of course, I got an extra wide couch XD

Don't worry, the pantry, bar, and dishware sections of those shelves are going to get more crowded

And with that, my couch is officially open for visitors!  Although ask first--the last week in January, first week in February, and first week in March are already taken . . .

Everything is AWESOME

Noah out

Ikeadventure!

Hey guys,

So, part of being a grownup is having grownup things.  Things like furniture.  In my case, a couch.  Yes, I've lived in my apartment for more than a month and have yet to get a couch.  I'm busy, ok?

But while I do need grownup stuff, I don't want to be too grown up.  So what's the compromise between grownup furniture but not actually wanting to be grown up?  Ikea, of course

Oh yes, there are Ikeas in Japan.  A few of them, and they are glorious.  When apartments in the city are as expensive as they are (and trust me, they are ridiculous) I guess you gotta save money somewhere (especially since it seems like people in Japan are pathologically against buying things used.  It's weird).  So people get on the train and make the long trek out to the farthest suburbs to find Ikea.  And they apparently take their Ikeas seriously here

This Ikea has flags, people.  Flags!

There was a drum performance out front!  Ok that might have been because it's a holiday weekend with a big sale.  But still, drum performance!

It gets even more daunting when you get inside.  This is an Ikea with a full-on lobby.  The first thing you see is the escalator to the second floor.  Guys there is an entire second floor showroom in addition to the entire main floor showroom.  It's terrifying

I choose to believe that this Ikea is so large it has its own police force

I've always thought of Ikea as some kind of enchanted forest in a high fantasy novel.  Every time I go I expect to be told by a wizened old hag to be told to stay on the path.  Woe betide he who strays from the path!

No seriously, stay on the path.  It is really easy to get turned around in there.  It's really easy to get turned around when you can read the language in which the sings are written.  Without that, it's essentially hopeless.  Thank god they sell food in there, I think that was started to be able to avoid lawsuits from people starving to death while wandering aimlessly

And yet, that's what made me slightly homesick.  I've spent many a wonderful, wonderful day wandering through Ikea trying to find the exit.  Get a friend, tell them that you want a new bookcase and you need moral support (and navigation aid), and get ready to spend your whole day down there

It's nice to know that even here in Japan, people are still willing to brave this wonderful yet terrible place in order to find cheap furniture

Couches were actually the first section, which was good because I could usually find my way back there when I wanted to double-check something

A ton of the kitchen displays were galley kitchens, which if you've ever seen a Japanese apartment makes sense.  Hey no problems here, my mom and I grew up with a galley kitchen and made delicious food in it

Giant piles of stuffed animals?  Check!

Bizarre I-don't-have-anywhere-to-put-this-and-even-if-I-did-why-would-I decorations?  Ch-check!

Rug where you get to walk around in circles pretending your feet are cars?  Ch-ch-ch-ch-check!!!

Fun fact:  Actually larger than some central Tokyo apartments

I liked going to Ikea.  That was super fun.  Add that to the fact that there's a Costco in the same complex (might write up a separate post about that as well!) and I know where to go if I'm ever feeling homesick

You can leave home, but some things you just can't escape

Good way to spend an afternoon.  Plus, I kinda wanna go back for that car rug

Noah out

Back-alley Tonkatsu

Hi everybody,

Apologies for the hiatus, Noah was not actually inTokyo for the holidays.  But I am back, and committed to more rambling musings and pictures of food than ever!



Anyways, I love Shinjuku, it might be my favorite station here in Tokyo.  As much as I love and am loyal to Nishikawaguchi (it really is fantastic), if I ever ended up with more money than I knew what to do with it would be hard to turn down the idea of a Shinjuku penthouse.  The place is busy and full and bright and everything I like about a place

And that's not even a very good picture--I was there at a weird time, so missing from this picture are the wall-to-wall crowds of people rushing by.  I've gotten to know this station pretty well by the simple expedient of literally dozens of hours spent wandering aimlessly about.  Which is how I discovered that if you duck down the right back alley and look for a nondescript shop without neon lights or brightly painted signs, you come to an absolutely stellar tonkatsu shop . . .

[edit:  Went back and checked, the name of the restaurant is Ouroji.  It's amazing.  Go eat there, so delicious]

They do their tonkatsu in hearty Edo style (for those of you that remember my discussion in my post about Tempura Iseya).  The pork is not pounded flat to give it an elegant appearance.  The panko breadcrumbs are not dusted across it to give it a light and airy texture.  This is simply a large chunk of pork that is coated in a thick batter, both of which contribute to some of the most tender and flavorful pork you have ever eaten

Their full course is not cheap (1,750yen), although I have splurged and it's totally worth it.  Some of the best tonkatsu I've had in town.  However, if you've been reading this blog you've probably guessed where this is going . . . lunch teishoku!

At lunchtime, for the still-pretty-high-but-not-terrible price of 1000 yen you can get their tonkatsu curry donburi.  Take one giant oblong spheroid of pork loin, cut it into three slices, put it on top of rice, and cover it in curry sauce.  A recipe for delicious, delicious lunch.  Or a recipe to get me to fall in love with you.  I'm pretty simple like that

Apologies for the awful picture quality.  I was in a hurry to start eating

Giant pots of housemade tonkatsu sauce and spicy mustard?  Yes please

Oh and by the way, while I was gone there were a few culinary cravings weighing heavily on my mind.  Ramen was one, and don't worry I scratched that itch immediately upon my return.  The other two were curry and tonkatsu though, so it was quite fitting I managed to get both in . . .

Seriously, this was just a day of terrible picture quality, I'm sorry.  But dude it was so delicious

Cannot recommend this place highly enough.  But then again, I've always been a sucker for good tonkatsu

P.S. They also have a tonkatsu sandwich on the menu for 1000 yen.  That would have to be a pretty mind-blowingly good sandwich to be worth $10.  Only one way to find out . . .

Noah out




edit:  It was definitely the best tonkatsu sandwich I've ever had.  Mind-blowingly?  Maybe.  Worth 10 bucks?  Ehh . . . that's tough to say.  But delicious nonetheless

Don't get me wrong, absolutely amazing sandwich.  Perfectly sweet bread, great sauce, pork still warm from the frier

Just a little, y'know, small.  I guess I'm just picky with my sandwiches?