Yesterday, I went to see "Life Itself" which was a movie by Dan Fogelman, who writes "This is Us", a television show that I really enjoy.
The weather was rainy, cold.
Before going into the theatre, I spotted a group of people...when I asked around I found out that the group were fans of the Takarazuka shows.
When we lived in Osaka, I would often see these fan groups waiting outside of the Takarazuka theatre.
I have heard somehwere that these fan groups have a "dress code" and "unwritten rules".
Anyway, thought it was pretty krazy to see them out in the pouring (freezing) rain...
Our temps have dropped to single digits (Celsius), (and it is supposed to rain all weekend) but are expected to go up to 24C (75F) on Monday...WTH?!
Hope the weather is nicer where you are, have a nice weekend!
Kat & Satoshi's eating and traveling adventures around Japan (and sometimes Hawaii)
Showing posts with label takarazuka. Show all posts
Showing posts with label takarazuka. Show all posts
Saturday, November 23, 2019
fans
Adventure tags:
culture shock,
daily stuff,
takarazuka,
tokyo
Tuesday, March 08, 2016
this and that
This weekend was so warm.
I think the weather dude said we were having May temps?!
I went to check out the ume (apricot) blossoms at Nakayamadera on Saturday.
It was beautiful.
The cyclamen on our lanai has started to bloom.
Which indicates that Spring is indeed on its way.
Unfortunately, we're supposed to hit a cold snap tomorrow.
How's the weather in your area?
I think the weather dude said we were having May temps?!
I went to check out the ume (apricot) blossoms at Nakayamadera on Saturday.
It was beautiful.
The cyclamen on our lanai has started to bloom.
Which indicates that Spring is indeed on its way.
Unfortunately, we're supposed to hit a cold snap tomorrow.
How's the weather in your area?
Adventure tags:
cyclamen,
daily stuff,
lanai,
nakayama,
plants,
spring,
takarazuka,
ume
Thursday, May 21, 2015
pannell
There is a bakery in the Takarazuka area that is super popular, Pannell.
They often sell their bread at department stores and the lines for them are usually really long.
Recently I stumbled upon one of their shops in Nakayama.
They don't let you take photos in the store, so I'll just have to tell you about their amazing cash register. It scans the bread and shows you exactly what you bought on the screen.
Now, the cashier can't ring you up wrongly, as is sometimes the case at other places.
I like how their receipts tell you exactly what you bought too.
Their maple donut...chock full of walnuts.
The bacon asparagus bread...which had more bacon than asparagus.
And their fruit milk bread was delicious too! I'm thinking of making french toast with the rest of this loaf.
I'm glad we got to try these and that they have a close location for us to visit more often.
Pannell Grande
5-3-1 Nakasuji
Takarazuka, Hyogo
Phone: 0797.89.8823
Closed Mondays and 2 Tuesdays, check their website for more details (Japanese only).
They often sell their bread at department stores and the lines for them are usually really long.
Recently I stumbled upon one of their shops in Nakayama.
They don't let you take photos in the store, so I'll just have to tell you about their amazing cash register. It scans the bread and shows you exactly what you bought on the screen.
Now, the cashier can't ring you up wrongly, as is sometimes the case at other places.
I like how their receipts tell you exactly what you bought too.
Their maple donut...chock full of walnuts.
The bacon asparagus bread...which had more bacon than asparagus.
And their fruit milk bread was delicious too! I'm thinking of making french toast with the rest of this loaf.
I'm glad we got to try these and that they have a close location for us to visit more often.
Pannell Grande
5-3-1 Nakasuji
Takarazuka, Hyogo
Phone: 0797.89.8823
Closed Mondays and 2 Tuesdays, check their website for more details (Japanese only).
Adventure tags:
bakery,
nakayama,
spring,
takarazuka
Saturday, May 24, 2014
hokkai-ramen susukino
Last weekend, we had lunch at Hokkai-ramen Susukino. Susukino is actually an area in Sapporo, Hokkaido.
I think this place is a chain though it was our first time eating here.
I ordered the Hiyashi Tan Tan Men...800 yen. Cold & Spicy. Nice pull from the noodles.
You know summer is coming when you see more "hiyashi" (cold) items on the menu...
And to all the ramen places out there, you all need to get this gadget, so we can eat all the bits in our ramen, instead of having to fish it out with our chopsticks or drinking all the soup and then fishing it out.
We'll be back.
Hokkai-ramen Susukino
Takarazuka Sorio 1F
Phone: 0797.81.3246
Closed 2nd Wednesdays
Hours: 10:45-20:45
I think this place is a chain though it was our first time eating here.
I ordered the Hiyashi Tan Tan Men...800 yen. Cold & Spicy. Nice pull from the noodles.
You know summer is coming when you see more "hiyashi" (cold) items on the menu...
And to all the ramen places out there, you all need to get this gadget, so we can eat all the bits in our ramen, instead of having to fish it out with our chopsticks or drinking all the soup and then fishing it out.
We'll be back.
Hokkai-ramen Susukino
Takarazuka Sorio 1F
Phone: 0797.81.3246
Closed 2nd Wednesdays
Hours: 10:45-20:45
Adventure tags:
gadgets,
hyogo,
ramen,
spring,
takarazuka
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
timeslip
After our picnic at Aramaki Rose Park, we decided to walk to Takarazuka station. According to the GPS on my phone it was supposed to take us a little under an hour...
We stumbled upon this floating driving range (it is to the right of that huge electric tower). We wondered how they pick up the balls, we saw some floating though.
And then we ran into a little village called Kohama.
Apparently it has been around since the Edo Period (1603-1867) or maybe even before. There are many temples and houses that are preserved.
The photo above is a sake shop called Kikuhito from the early Edo period, I am not too sure if they still make sake.
In the southern part of this village are these two jizo (guardian of weak) called "kubi jizo" (kubi means neck).
Apparently these were found in the ocean.
They tried to build a hut for it but the carpenters that were assigned kept dying from unknown illnesses. They figured the statues did not want to be housed, so they left these two out in the open.
It is said that these jizo cure illnesses from the neck up.
I was amazed at how many people came to pray while we were there.
Huge tree at one of the temples.
I was amazed how these two poles supported the huge trunk!
We also checked out the Wada home. Apparently this family owned most of the land in this area.
And after the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995, they donated this house to the city. The city put in lots of money to have it restored, you can view the inside of the home as well as listen to volunteers talk about how life was in those days.
The house is also used as a gathering place for the community.
It was nice to explore this area. We didn't know it even existed! The only thing is that the roads are very narrow and the locals like to speed through. If you do get a chance to visit this area, be careful of the cars...
Kohama-juku area
located about 17 minutes south from the Takarazuka line (Kiyoshikojin station)
We stumbled upon this floating driving range (it is to the right of that huge electric tower). We wondered how they pick up the balls, we saw some floating though.
And then we ran into a little village called Kohama.
Apparently it has been around since the Edo Period (1603-1867) or maybe even before. There are many temples and houses that are preserved.
The photo above is a sake shop called Kikuhito from the early Edo period, I am not too sure if they still make sake.
In the southern part of this village are these two jizo (guardian of weak) called "kubi jizo" (kubi means neck).
Apparently these were found in the ocean.
They tried to build a hut for it but the carpenters that were assigned kept dying from unknown illnesses. They figured the statues did not want to be housed, so they left these two out in the open.
It is said that these jizo cure illnesses from the neck up.
I was amazed at how many people came to pray while we were there.
Huge tree at one of the temples.
I was amazed how these two poles supported the huge trunk!
We also checked out the Wada home. Apparently this family owned most of the land in this area.
And after the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995, they donated this house to the city. The city put in lots of money to have it restored, you can view the inside of the home as well as listen to volunteers talk about how life was in those days.
The house is also used as a gathering place for the community.
It was nice to explore this area. We didn't know it even existed! The only thing is that the roads are very narrow and the locals like to speed through. If you do get a chance to visit this area, be careful of the cars...
Kohama-juku area
located about 17 minutes south from the Takarazuka line (Kiyoshikojin station)
Adventure tags:
hyogo,
spring,
takarazuka
Saturday, August 23, 2008
the past couple of days
After seeing Kirk's post on Chicago style hot dogs on Tuesday morning, I went out to find something close to it for lunch, but came up empty.
I did find a Hiroshima style okonomiyaki (550 yen about US$5.50), though. This was filling, lots of cabbage and yakisoba in the middle, but I was disappointed with the outside. Usually, Hiroshima style okonomiyaki has a thin crepe-like outside, this one was really eggy and thick. (Osaka style okonomiyaki has cabbage and other goodies mixed into the batter, so it usually turns out to be a thick fritter of sorts.)
Next to the Hiroshima style okonomiyaki were these taiyaki (120 yen about US$1.20). Taiyaki are baked in these tai (sea bream) molds and filled with an (sweet bean paste). This was disappointing too, the outside was really thick...more outside than bean filling.
Oh well...
On Tuesday night, I made the pancakes from the set that Satoshi received, for our breakfast on Wednesday. I also added a couple of handfuls of fresh blueberries into the batter.
I don't think the maple syrup in the set was 100%, it had a coffee flavor and was kind of watery, not the thick syrup that I was thinking of.
I also wanted to make candied bacon, but couldn't find the brand of bacon I liked at the store, so I just served it with some ham and the Darjeeling tea that came in the set...delish!
Thursday's breakfast was the leftover pancakes (from the mix I made 6, the bag said 4), ham, asian pear, leftover succotash & herb tea. This was the other tea that was in the set. The most outstanding flavor was mint, though the label said blue mallow, citrus peel and hibiscus (I think the label was wrong). It was still a good tea and breakfast.
After breakfast, Satoshi left for Tokyo and I had a lesson. After my lesson, I wandered around Takarazuka's Hankyu Department store. This store isn't as big as the main one in Umeda but they do have a food area.
I picked up this bento for my dinner at Yonehachi--750 yen (about US$7.50). I like this place because their rice is okowa and you can choose which ones you want. Just pick out the bento and tell them what okowa to fill the empty areas with. Some bento have 3 empty spaces, some 2. They had 4 choices of okowa and I chose the chestnut okowa and the shiso chirimen (perilla & whitebait) okowa. The main dish was a tofu "hamburger" (though it had no meat in it)...very filling.
Friday morning, I had another lesson, so I had my breakfast at Starbucks. Cranberry pancakes (the last time Starbucks had blueberry).
Lunch was at my favorite cafe, Per Caffe Bianco, as I was interested in seeing what kind of art would come with the iced cappuccino. There was no art, but they still make you feel special by putting it into this champagne glass.
Satoshi came home late last night and brought home these ningyoyaki (literally baked dolls) Like the taiyaki, it is baked in tiny molds the difference is that the outside is castella (an eggy sponge cake) and filled with an (sweet bean paste), the taiyaki outside is more like a waffle...delicious.I liked the packaging very festive. I think this is a picture of a matsuri (festival) in Asakusa. The house like thing that the people are carrying are called mikoshi. Mikoshi are tiny shrines. Different parts of Japan have different types of mikoshi. If I'm not mistaken, carrying the mikoshi gives you good luck and helps your wishes come true. Many men do this to wish for their wives health and households safety and children do this to wish for good grades and good health.
Remember the tomato that I threw into a pot?....looks like we'll have tomatoes soon! (hopefully before autumn rolls around)
It is Saturday, the candidates for our city council and mayoral election are out in full force, it is raining and gloomy and Satoshi is off to work.
I did find a Hiroshima style okonomiyaki (550 yen about US$5.50), though. This was filling, lots of cabbage and yakisoba in the middle, but I was disappointed with the outside. Usually, Hiroshima style okonomiyaki has a thin crepe-like outside, this one was really eggy and thick. (Osaka style okonomiyaki has cabbage and other goodies mixed into the batter, so it usually turns out to be a thick fritter of sorts.)
Next to the Hiroshima style okonomiyaki were these taiyaki (120 yen about US$1.20). Taiyaki are baked in these tai (sea bream) molds and filled with an (sweet bean paste). This was disappointing too, the outside was really thick...more outside than bean filling.
Oh well...
On Tuesday night, I made the pancakes from the set that Satoshi received, for our breakfast on Wednesday. I also added a couple of handfuls of fresh blueberries into the batter.
I don't think the maple syrup in the set was 100%, it had a coffee flavor and was kind of watery, not the thick syrup that I was thinking of.
I also wanted to make candied bacon, but couldn't find the brand of bacon I liked at the store, so I just served it with some ham and the Darjeeling tea that came in the set...delish!
Thursday's breakfast was the leftover pancakes (from the mix I made 6, the bag said 4), ham, asian pear, leftover succotash & herb tea. This was the other tea that was in the set. The most outstanding flavor was mint, though the label said blue mallow, citrus peel and hibiscus (I think the label was wrong). It was still a good tea and breakfast.
After breakfast, Satoshi left for Tokyo and I had a lesson. After my lesson, I wandered around Takarazuka's Hankyu Department store. This store isn't as big as the main one in Umeda but they do have a food area.
I picked up this bento for my dinner at Yonehachi--750 yen (about US$7.50). I like this place because their rice is okowa and you can choose which ones you want. Just pick out the bento and tell them what okowa to fill the empty areas with. Some bento have 3 empty spaces, some 2. They had 4 choices of okowa and I chose the chestnut okowa and the shiso chirimen (perilla & whitebait) okowa. The main dish was a tofu "hamburger" (though it had no meat in it)...very filling.
Friday morning, I had another lesson, so I had my breakfast at Starbucks. Cranberry pancakes (the last time Starbucks had blueberry).
Lunch was at my favorite cafe, Per Caffe Bianco, as I was interested in seeing what kind of art would come with the iced cappuccino. There was no art, but they still make you feel special by putting it into this champagne glass.
Satoshi came home late last night and brought home these ningyoyaki (literally baked dolls) Like the taiyaki, it is baked in tiny molds the difference is that the outside is castella (an eggy sponge cake) and filled with an (sweet bean paste), the taiyaki outside is more like a waffle...delicious.I liked the packaging very festive. I think this is a picture of a matsuri (festival) in Asakusa. The house like thing that the people are carrying are called mikoshi. Mikoshi are tiny shrines. Different parts of Japan have different types of mikoshi. If I'm not mistaken, carrying the mikoshi gives you good luck and helps your wishes come true. Many men do this to wish for their wives health and households safety and children do this to wish for good grades and good health.
Remember the tomato that I threw into a pot?....looks like we'll have tomatoes soon! (hopefully before autumn rolls around)
It is Saturday, the candidates for our city council and mayoral election are out in full force, it is raining and gloomy and Satoshi is off to work.
Adventure tags:
bento,
cafe,
cappuccino,
ikeda,
Japan,
minoo,
ningyoyaki,
okonomiyaki,
omiyage,
osaka,
pancakes,
summer,
taiyaki,
takarazuka,
tokyo,
tomato
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
unagi dokoro kishi
Monday night we had some of Satoshi's friends and their families over for dinner. (We always get together with these families for Christmas.)
Usually when we have parties, we like to start them around lunch time, so that the children have time to run around outside while the adults chatter away, but this time, the party started late because everyone had things during the day, on top of that, Satoshi had to work until 18:30. By the time we started eating it was 19:30.
I made bulgogi, szechuan salt & pepper shrimp, spicy poke and apple crisp.
The other wives brought cake, and pork wrapped around bainiku (ume paste) and shiso (perilla leaves)--The recipe is easy so I'll be making this soon and share it with you!
It was a loud gathering (6 adults and 5 children) filled with lots of chatting, laughing, drinking and eating. I hope we didn't bother the neighbors too much.
Yesterday was the last day of the Golden Week. For lunch, we went to Hibarigaoka Hanayashiki, this is 3 stops from where we live. In Japan, there are many guide books for finding eating places, dessert places, just about all topics not just food--if you can be featured in one of these guide books you are almost guaranteed a boost in business. We have a book that is filled with all kinds of eating places around our area. As Satoshi was flipping through it to get an idea of where to go for lunch, he came across an unagi (eel) restaurant. This restaurant has a 230 year history dating back to the Edo period (actually we realized that the owner's family's restaurant in Wakayama, has the history).
The restaurant is very tiny, only 10 seats at the counter and 6 in back in a little room. The place was almost to capacity when we got there, but we were able to get seats at the counter, we looked over the menu and the owner explained the size differences of the unagi don (eel bowl).
Satoshi ordered the unagi teishoku (2940 yen about US$29.40) this comes with an unagi don (eel bowl), unagi cream croquette, kimo sui (broth with the liver of the eel), tsukemono, unagi jelly (terrine of unagi, yuzu (citron) and other herbs).
I don't really like unagi, but will eat it, so I ordered the small order of unagi don (1470 yen about $14.70).
After Satoshi ate his terrine and some broiled eel liver (both quite teeny), our orders of donburi came.
The eel was very tender and the sauce was light tasting. I love sauce on my rice, but to tell you the truth, my chopsticks skills suck and for me to eat rice that has sauce on it is hard because the rice doesn't stick together, so I "balance" rice onto the chopsticks and scoop it into my mouth...disgrace being of Japanese ancestry, but true. I think when I was staying with my host-family, my host-mom felt sorry for my chopstick skills because she would almost immediately bring out a fork or spoon for me during meals.
Still, the una don (short for unagi donburi) was delicious!
By the time I had "balanced" all my rice onto my chopsticks, Satoshi was finished.
Then I asked him, "aren't you supposed to get a croquette too?" He said, "it must be coming soon." Then he asked the owner, "doesn't the teishoku come with a croquette?" She replied, "I thought I mentioned that we aren't serving croquette today." So then Satoshi said, "uh, so what about the liver broth and tsukemono?" The owner's face turned white as a ghost and she began apologizing profusely.
She/her staff had forgotten to give us the tsukemono and broth to eat with our meal.
We ate our tsukemono and drank the broth. I didn't care for the broth, it was quite fishy and bitter too.
I thought they would comp our meal or at least discount it, but they didn't. Satoshi was upset that they didn't explain the menu clearer and do more to change the bad feelings. Still, the price he paid was too expensive for the amount that was served.
We both decided that even though it was delicious, we won't be going back.
Usually when we have parties, we like to start them around lunch time, so that the children have time to run around outside while the adults chatter away, but this time, the party started late because everyone had things during the day, on top of that, Satoshi had to work until 18:30. By the time we started eating it was 19:30.
I made bulgogi, szechuan salt & pepper shrimp, spicy poke and apple crisp.
The other wives brought cake, and pork wrapped around bainiku (ume paste) and shiso (perilla leaves)--The recipe is easy so I'll be making this soon and share it with you!
It was a loud gathering (6 adults and 5 children) filled with lots of chatting, laughing, drinking and eating. I hope we didn't bother the neighbors too much.
Yesterday was the last day of the Golden Week. For lunch, we went to Hibarigaoka Hanayashiki, this is 3 stops from where we live. In Japan, there are many guide books for finding eating places, dessert places, just about all topics not just food--if you can be featured in one of these guide books you are almost guaranteed a boost in business. We have a book that is filled with all kinds of eating places around our area. As Satoshi was flipping through it to get an idea of where to go for lunch, he came across an unagi (eel) restaurant. This restaurant has a 230 year history dating back to the Edo period (actually we realized that the owner's family's restaurant in Wakayama, has the history).
The restaurant is very tiny, only 10 seats at the counter and 6 in back in a little room. The place was almost to capacity when we got there, but we were able to get seats at the counter, we looked over the menu and the owner explained the size differences of the unagi don (eel bowl).
Satoshi ordered the unagi teishoku (2940 yen about US$29.40) this comes with an unagi don (eel bowl), unagi cream croquette, kimo sui (broth with the liver of the eel), tsukemono, unagi jelly (terrine of unagi, yuzu (citron) and other herbs).
I don't really like unagi, but will eat it, so I ordered the small order of unagi don (1470 yen about $14.70).
After Satoshi ate his terrine and some broiled eel liver (both quite teeny), our orders of donburi came.
The eel was very tender and the sauce was light tasting. I love sauce on my rice, but to tell you the truth, my chopsticks skills suck and for me to eat rice that has sauce on it is hard because the rice doesn't stick together, so I "balance" rice onto the chopsticks and scoop it into my mouth...disgrace being of Japanese ancestry, but true. I think when I was staying with my host-family, my host-mom felt sorry for my chopstick skills because she would almost immediately bring out a fork or spoon for me during meals.
Still, the una don (short for unagi donburi) was delicious!
By the time I had "balanced" all my rice onto my chopsticks, Satoshi was finished.
Then I asked him, "aren't you supposed to get a croquette too?" He said, "it must be coming soon." Then he asked the owner, "doesn't the teishoku come with a croquette?" She replied, "I thought I mentioned that we aren't serving croquette today." So then Satoshi said, "uh, so what about the liver broth and tsukemono?" The owner's face turned white as a ghost and she began apologizing profusely.
She/her staff had forgotten to give us the tsukemono and broth to eat with our meal.
We ate our tsukemono and drank the broth. I didn't care for the broth, it was quite fishy and bitter too.
I thought they would comp our meal or at least discount it, but they didn't. Satoshi was upset that they didn't explain the menu clearer and do more to change the bad feelings. Still, the price he paid was too expensive for the amount that was served.
We both decided that even though it was delicious, we won't be going back.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
ramen kobou a
Today we went to Takarazuka to try a place called Ramen Kobou A (pronounced "ah" not "ay").
This place is quite particular of the type of soup, noodles, roast pork and service that they give and they say so on a big sign as you enter the restaurant. I was quite surprised that the interior of this place was nice with lots of women and families-- most ramen places you go to in Japan are kind of grungy looking and feeling; where you usually only see men eating at a counter and rather not touch anything for fear of getting dirty.
Satoshi had the se-abura (the fat from the pig's back) tonkotsu (pork simmered with pork bones and veggies) ramen with gyoza (pot stickers) set.
I had the ladies set which consisted of my choice of ramen (I chose the "A" ramen, which was a light souped ramen) with a half portion of noodles (lady sized), a pao--a nice fluffy bun with veggies and roast pork, and their special an-nin tofu, which had no almond flavor and was more like coconut pudding.
Their soup was very light and flavorful and their noodles are egg noodles and are quite thin. The roast pork had a special sauce which makes the pork very tasty and moist. And they had good, timely service.
I think we'll be back.
Ramen Kobou A
9-10 Yumoto-cho
Takarazuka, Hyogo
Phone: 0797-84-3330
Open from 11:00-25:00 (1:00am) on weekdays
11:00-24:00 on Sundays and holidays
This place is quite particular of the type of soup, noodles, roast pork and service that they give and they say so on a big sign as you enter the restaurant. I was quite surprised that the interior of this place was nice with lots of women and families-- most ramen places you go to in Japan are kind of grungy looking and feeling; where you usually only see men eating at a counter and rather not touch anything for fear of getting dirty.
Satoshi had the se-abura (the fat from the pig's back) tonkotsu (pork simmered with pork bones and veggies) ramen with gyoza (pot stickers) set.
I had the ladies set which consisted of my choice of ramen (I chose the "A" ramen, which was a light souped ramen) with a half portion of noodles (lady sized), a pao--a nice fluffy bun with veggies and roast pork, and their special an-nin tofu, which had no almond flavor and was more like coconut pudding.
Their soup was very light and flavorful and their noodles are egg noodles and are quite thin. The roast pork had a special sauce which makes the pork very tasty and moist. And they had good, timely service.
I think we'll be back.
Ramen Kobou A
9-10 Yumoto-cho
Takarazuka, Hyogo
Phone: 0797-84-3330
Open from 11:00-25:00 (1:00am) on weekdays
11:00-24:00 on Sundays and holidays
Adventure tags:
autumn,
lunch,
ramen,
takarazuka
Saturday, July 21, 2007
kiwi house
Today for lunch, Satoshi and I went to New Zealand...well, sort of, there is a restaurant called Kiwi House in Takarazuka. The last time we ate here was 3 years ago (before this blog) and at that time, we missed their lunch service. The restaurant is located about 5 minutes from the Hankyu/JR Takarazuka station.
Amidst all the high rise condos, there is a large farm house styled house. (The owner/chef apparently fell in love with New Zealand on a visit and decided to start a restaurant using imported foods from New Zealand. )
The course we chose was called: yuttari lunch (leisurely lunch) (1890yen about US$16) which started out with 3 appetizers--canteloupe and proscuitto, marinated feta cheese with tomatoes and red onion and a seasoned greenshell mussel.
Satoshi had a glass of Kiwi fruit wine by Preston. I thought this wine was a bit too fruity and could have been drier. And I had a glass of merlot-cabernet by Matua. It was a nice wine but I would have enjoyed this wine more if it were served at room temperature instead of chilled.
Next came a chilled edamame (soy bean) soup. You could really taste the soy beans and I enjoyed the little cream swirl, it reminded me of a flower. Satoshi didn't enjoy this soup too much, he said that soup should be served hot.
A good-sized salad with a light vinaigrette.
The main dish was a daily special--rolled pork. Veggies rolled inside a piece of pork then braised and served with peas, broccoli, and carrots. The sauce was a little sweet but really delicious with the french bread that was served.
Dessert was a cheese cake made from NZ cream cheese and ice cream also made from NZ products.
It was nice to "get away" for a bit, re-visit this restaurant and enjoy a relaxing lunch.
Kiwi House
7-3 Yumotocho
Takarazuka, Hyogo
Phone: 0797-86-7657
Closed on Wednesdays
Amidst all the high rise condos, there is a large farm house styled house. (The owner/chef apparently fell in love with New Zealand on a visit and decided to start a restaurant using imported foods from New Zealand. )
The course we chose was called: yuttari lunch (leisurely lunch) (1890yen about US$16) which started out with 3 appetizers--canteloupe and proscuitto, marinated feta cheese with tomatoes and red onion and a seasoned greenshell mussel.
Satoshi had a glass of Kiwi fruit wine by Preston. I thought this wine was a bit too fruity and could have been drier. And I had a glass of merlot-cabernet by Matua. It was a nice wine but I would have enjoyed this wine more if it were served at room temperature instead of chilled.
Next came a chilled edamame (soy bean) soup. You could really taste the soy beans and I enjoyed the little cream swirl, it reminded me of a flower. Satoshi didn't enjoy this soup too much, he said that soup should be served hot.
A good-sized salad with a light vinaigrette.
The main dish was a daily special--rolled pork. Veggies rolled inside a piece of pork then braised and served with peas, broccoli, and carrots. The sauce was a little sweet but really delicious with the french bread that was served.
Dessert was a cheese cake made from NZ cream cheese and ice cream also made from NZ products.
It was nice to "get away" for a bit, re-visit this restaurant and enjoy a relaxing lunch.
Kiwi House
7-3 Yumotocho
Takarazuka, Hyogo
Phone: 0797-86-7657
Closed on Wednesdays
Adventure tags:
lunch,
new zealand,
summer,
takarazuka
Friday, May 04, 2007
kiyoshikojin
Since the delivery of our sofa was going to be between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. yesterday, Satoshi and I decided to go holo-holo until about 3 p.m. So, after lunch, we got on the train and headed for Kiyoshikojin. This is about 15 minutes away from our place near Takarazuka. We visited the temple about 5 years ago and all I remember was the crowds of people and inching our way to the temple during New Years.
I was pleasantly surprised after getting off the train...The station had been renovated and the area in front of the station seemed livelier. I guess the last time we came, it was during New Years, so most of the shops were closed.
We stopped into a coffee shop called Rokukenchaya (literally the 6th tea house..it really was!)
Satoshi had their mitarashidango with coffee (kind of an unlikely combo).
Mitarashidango are skewered rice cakes that are seasoned with a shoyu-based sauce. They aren't too sweet.
I had their matcha cake set. Three types of mini pound cake (green tea, green tea with azuki beans and chocolate), which came with a scoop of green tea ice cream and matcha (green tea).
After our dessert, we decided to check out their shopping arcade and was it huge! ...filled with tiny shops and eateries. There were many senbei shops along the route too.
Senbei are like pizzelles (thin wafers)--the dough is put onto the griddle and cooked over hot coals or in this case, gas burners.
The man making these saw me checking out his technique, so he gave Satoshi and me a sample. Hot off the presses, they were a bit chewy, but very delicious!
They had many different variations, some very sweet, some savory and many with nuts and beans in them.
We got two different kinds--one with sliced almonds and another one with pumpkin seeds.
Also on the route we bought some plants. A kuchinashi (gardenia) plant and some basil. I love gardenias, the fragrance is quite strong but reminds me of home. We used to have a large bush in our backyard when I was growing up.
Then it was time to make our way back to wait for our sofa. It is nesting season for the tsubame (swallows). I was surprised at how many tsubame were making nests in the train station and how accommodating the station was. Previously, I've even seen signs that said "be quiet! swallows nesting!".
They put these cardboard boxes under each nest just in case the birds pooped or something. I guess I'd rather have the boxes overhead than something on my head.
Hope you have a great weekend!
I was pleasantly surprised after getting off the train...The station had been renovated and the area in front of the station seemed livelier. I guess the last time we came, it was during New Years, so most of the shops were closed.
We stopped into a coffee shop called Rokukenchaya (literally the 6th tea house..it really was!)
Satoshi had their mitarashidango with coffee (kind of an unlikely combo).
Mitarashidango are skewered rice cakes that are seasoned with a shoyu-based sauce. They aren't too sweet.
I had their matcha cake set. Three types of mini pound cake (green tea, green tea with azuki beans and chocolate), which came with a scoop of green tea ice cream and matcha (green tea).
After our dessert, we decided to check out their shopping arcade and was it huge! ...filled with tiny shops and eateries. There were many senbei shops along the route too.
Senbei are like pizzelles (thin wafers)--the dough is put onto the griddle and cooked over hot coals or in this case, gas burners.
The man making these saw me checking out his technique, so he gave Satoshi and me a sample. Hot off the presses, they were a bit chewy, but very delicious!
They had many different variations, some very sweet, some savory and many with nuts and beans in them.
We got two different kinds--one with sliced almonds and another one with pumpkin seeds.
Also on the route we bought some plants. A kuchinashi (gardenia) plant and some basil. I love gardenias, the fragrance is quite strong but reminds me of home. We used to have a large bush in our backyard when I was growing up.
Then it was time to make our way back to wait for our sofa. It is nesting season for the tsubame (swallows). I was surprised at how many tsubame were making nests in the train station and how accommodating the station was. Previously, I've even seen signs that said "be quiet! swallows nesting!".
They put these cardboard boxes under each nest just in case the birds pooped or something. I guess I'd rather have the boxes overhead than something on my head.
Hope you have a great weekend!
Adventure tags:
arcade,
kiyoshikojin,
matcha,
mitarashidango,
senbei,
spring,
takarazuka
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
sakura, sakura, sakura
Well, the dust cloud has lifted...yeah! The sun came out and called me out to play, so I decided to check out the sakura (cherry blossoms).
I first went up the street to an area called Asahigaoka, in this neighborhood everyone has a cherry tree planted in front of their house, so it is really nice at this time of year.
Then I walked down to Suigetsu Park, there were lots of people sitting on benches, having picnics, just enjoying the day.
After Suigetsu Park, I then walked to Satsukiyama Park, they had the place decorated with lanterns for yozakura (night viewing of cherry blossoms).
Then I caught the train to Takarazuka. There is an area called Hana no michi (Flower road).
Cherry blossoms aren't only on trees...there is also a plant called shibazakura (lawn cherry blossoms), these flowers are very pretty as ground cover and comes in pink, white and purple.
After all that walking, I worked up an appetite, so I stopped in for tea and scones at a tea shop called Sarah.
Whew! that was a LOT of walking, but worth every step. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
I first went up the street to an area called Asahigaoka, in this neighborhood everyone has a cherry tree planted in front of their house, so it is really nice at this time of year.
Then I walked down to Suigetsu Park, there were lots of people sitting on benches, having picnics, just enjoying the day.
After Suigetsu Park, I then walked to Satsukiyama Park, they had the place decorated with lanterns for yozakura (night viewing of cherry blossoms).
Then I caught the train to Takarazuka. There is an area called Hana no michi (Flower road).
Cherry blossoms aren't only on trees...there is also a plant called shibazakura (lawn cherry blossoms), these flowers are very pretty as ground cover and comes in pink, white and purple.
After all that walking, I worked up an appetite, so I stopped in for tea and scones at a tea shop called Sarah.
Whew! that was a LOT of walking, but worth every step. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
Adventure tags:
asahigaoka,
cherry blossom,
ikeda,
sakura,
satsukiyama,
shibazakura,
spring,
suigetsu park,
takarazuka
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