Cooling Down

Haven't been in Japan during this season (mid-summer) ever since I was a kid. The weather's been super weird; hot, cold, rainy but constantly humid. Just now, there was a crazy, random thunderstorm.

Some things I've been cooling down with:

Beer tastes the best in the summer.

Rising Sun Pale Ale from Baird Beer that I've blogged about before (here). 

Matcha Shaved Ice from Ouca (blogged before here).

Shaved ice is only served during the summer time at Ouca. I also had the Apricot last time, but my favorite has to be Matcha.

A new cafe, Sarutahiko Coffee, opened right next to Ouca while I was back home. I love specialty coffee shops (especially single drip!).

Guess the guy wanted to pose for my camera, haha.

Sarutahiko (dark roast) drip Iced Coffee.

Tarantella-da-luigi

Dinner at Tarantella-da-luigi.

Exterior.

Located in a residential area, less than a 10 minute walk from Shirokane-Takanawa station.

Interior.

Baked Eggplants in Tomato Sauce & Mozzarella Cheese

Spinach Pizza with tomatoes, Italian bacon, Ricotta and Mozzarella Cheese

They serve traditional Napoli-style food, so their pizza is a must. The crust is thin but chewy and the Ricotta cheese was surprisingly light. The flavors of all the toppings came together so perfectly! All of their ingredients (cheese, flour, charcuterie, etc.) are flown in from Italy.

We actually saw this place on TV for their Acqua Pazza & Pasta dish. They come around with this platter so you can pick out a fish. You also pick a pasta which turns into...

this!

The fish was cooked to perfection, so tender and the perfect amount of sodium.

Tomato & Basil Gnocchi.

One of the best Gnocchis I've had. Ever.

Everything we had here exceeded my expectations. It's also very reasonably priced. I will definitely be coming back here!

Aalawi

Lunch at Aalawi in Ebisu.

I've never encountered any Jamaican food in California before, so this was my first "real" Jamaican Jerk Chicken/Pork.

Exterior.

Interior.

Jamaican Jerk Mix (885 yen)

Mix=Chicken & Pork

They were both really tasty, but I liked the Chicken slightly more.

Ordered a Frozen Peach & Orange with Rum cocktail.

Craftheads

After dinner drinks at Craftheads.

This was my first time here, and it's a bit of a walk from the station but in a really quiet, residential area of Shibuya. They have a really great selection of imported and domestic beers and whiskey.

Bar.

Interior.

Cheers!

Tenryu (天龍)

Dinner at Tenryu in Ginza.

We wanted to go somewhere famous for Gyoza and stumbled upon this restaurant that has been around since 1949.

Entrance.

Gyoza

The size is huge (almost double compared to a normal Gyoza), the skin is quite thick and chewy and the inside is super juicy. Yum.

Sauteed Chinese Spinach (空芯菜)

Kushinsai is my favorite!

Beef with Oyster Sauce

It's a really casual restraunt (especially in Ginza) but the food was good and by the time we finished eating a little past 7pm, there was already a line.

Bar Tartine

Last post from SF...

After driving back to the city from Healdsburg, we had dinner at Bar Tartine. They had really unique dishes. You really couldn't imagine what it would taste like until you ate it.

We got the last seats at the bar.

Loved the atmosphere, interior and that the walls were covered with art. They also had a really cool wooden chandelier.

Bar Tartine is run by Tartine Bakery, so the bread was excellent.

Duck Pate, Rye Bread, Gooseberry Jam, Elderberry and Corriander Mustards.

Never had Duck pate before, but it was so tasty. Out of the three condiments, my favorite was the Corriander Mustard! Loved the wood tray too.

Smoked Eggplant, Cranberry Beans and Garlic Sausage.

The Eggplant was good, but I thought the sausage was too salty and overpowering.

Chicken Paprikas: Baby Shitake, King Trumpet, Shallot, Kale.

The Paprika sauce was so mild and the Kale perfcectly balanced out the taste.

Strawberry Creamcheese Tart.

This was my ideal cream cheese tart. It had the perfect tartness, light and a crunchy, buttery crust. I also love strawberries, so it was the perfect ending to a very satisfying meal.

In Tokyo!

Safely arrived in Tokyo!

Saw this Evian commercial on tv earlier and thought it was so funny. Bit creepy though...

Going Back...

On my way back to Tokyo!

I'll miss you California...

Downtown Petaluma

On the way to Healdsburg, we stopped by Petaluma for lunch.

We had lunch at Della Fattoria, a charming artisan bakery. They bake their breads in brick ovens with wood fires started the day before and instead of using yeast, they use a natural starter consisting of organic flour, water and Weber Ranch grapes (details here).

Interior.

My order: Tuna Melt Piandana (Pizza-dough bread)

The chewy Piandana went really well with the wild Albacore Tuna and bitter arugula. I also ordered the Lavender Lemonade (pink drink in the back) which was a bit too sweet for me but I love anything Lavender, couldn't resist!

My friend ordered: BLT Sandwich

They use Bovolo Black Pig Bacon, which is also a local company. Because Petaluma is known for their farming, the vegetables were so fresh!

After lunch, we walked over to

Petaluma Pie Company

Shared this seasonal Apricot Mini Pie on the patio.

The buttery pie and the tangy apricot went so well together.

Healdsburg

My dear friend took me on a day trip to Healdsburg. She was saying the locals have recently been going to Healdburg instead of Napa to avoid the tourists.

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge.

Once we crossed the bridge, the weather was gorgeous!

Found the Bear Republic Brewery in downtown Healdsburg.

Took a beer break on the patio.

I ordered the Pale Ale and my friend ordered the Rye Ale. They were both really good and so refreshing on a hot day!

Since we were in downtown already, we went to the Kendall Jackson tasting room. I had been drinking their Chardonnay religiously this summer so it was great to try their other wines. For $5, you get to try any 4 wines.

We hung out at Bear Republic too long and realized that most wineries closed around 5pm on weekdays. So we ended up going to Simi, which is really close from downtown.

You get any 8 tastings for $15. I'd seen their wines before but had never tried any of them. I really liked their Sauvignon Blanc, Reserve Cabernet and Petite Syrah.

The people who worked here were super friendly and kind, even though we went 15 minutes before closing. After they closed, they chatted with us and gave us extra pours of wine (which was wonderful). 

The garden outside the visitor's center.

The great thing about Healdsburg is that the tastings are very reasonably priced (especially compared to Napa) and most places will waive the tasting fee if you purchase wine. On my next visit, I would love to spend more time and visit other wineries and also dine here. Supposedly there are a lot of great restaurants!