One of Million Reasons Why I love Kamakura 鎌倉市 – WACO 輪心

Near Kamakura Daibutsu Buddha Temple in Japan, there is a cute little pastry shop – WACO 輪心. If I can have sweets from Waco everyday, I’d totally give up my ‘fabulous’ New York City life. Really! It’s that good!

I always like to watch what’s going on in the kitchen. Look, the pastry chef is rolling the cake, it’s all caught in action! 

Just by looking at them from far, and smelling the sweetness infused in the air… tho not knowing the taste, there is no reason not to try…

Local produced products were used in the all sweets, you know the eggs they used in your cake is actually from a running chicken, not sure if it can fly, but definitely run wild in farm.

It’s not a 100% nice picture of the sale person, but look at her smile 😀

By the shop there is wooden bench, I was there in the winter 40something degree, but it was cozy enough for my body and my soul~

The fruit cake is slightly dryer than you might expected from regular roll cake, I think the dryness comes from the flour and sugar they used, but surprisingly dry is a good thing in this case! Cream at the center has the right amount of sweetness, delicate enough so you can taste the fruit mixed within! I don’t usually post site info, but you should definitely take a look at what else they have! WACO: http://www.waco-kamakura.com

Asian Night Market Culture – Lo/Braised Food/滷味

Not sure why Taiwanese girls can stay skinny, because for a week of stay in Taipei, I gained 5lbs… and reason is simple, foods are everywhere, literally every 5 steps you see some sort of shop sells food that either looks good or smells good…hard to restrict yourself not to stop for a bite…

Even at night, you can easily find food in the middle of the night. Asian night market is like a must-go place if you have never been to Asian, (western culture is missing out some late night fun). In Taiwan night market culture, Lo/Braised Food/滷味 is one of my fave.

I was having hard time to translate 滷味 to English. Google translated as ‘Lo’ which is unheard of to me, Chinese Pinyin is LuWei, If you want direction translation, it’s known as Braised Food. Whatever you call it, the concept of Lo/Braised Food/滷味 can be hard and can be simple… Traditionally if you make Lo/Braised Food/滷味 at home, it takes hours for food (can be egg, tofu, pig liver…) cook in broth for hours until all juice get into the very center of the food… but Taiwanese night makret Lo/Braised Food/滷味 is very simple. You walk in front of the food stand ->pick your food with plastic basket ->hand it to the owner -> owner/chef cook your food in a hot steamy pot with broth -> 5mins later -> pay -> enjoy Lo/Braised Food/滷味…..

No matter which angle I see it, these food looks delish to me. I’m sure most people can not accept street food…raw meat, cooked food, vegetable all sit together expose in open air… again, it might not sounded appealing I know….but hey, after going thru that ‘thousand years’ broth (many night stand aim that they never change the broth base, all they do is keep adding water and ingredients… To Asian, that means awesome!!) all germs will be gone before you gently put them into your mouth. I guarantee it.

Love me not? love in a pot! おでん and 鍋物

At the end of the day, no matter how delicious restaurant foods are, you just can’t beat home cooking! Japanese Oden おでん and Nabemono 鍋物 are more than just home cooking comfort food, they are love in a pot!

Easy to make, not so easy to prepare. Lots chopping, long hour broth cooking. Kombu 昆布 (edible kelp) broth that Tomoko make for this Oden was delish! We’ve got Daikon (radish), fish cake, konnyaku こんにゃく (KonJac), chicken meat ball, tofu…endless goodness…

Nabemono 鍋物 is pretty much same concept as Oden. Lots nutritious vegetables (can’t see it? because they are all hidden at the bottom of this pot!), you can add union, carrots, kabocha カボチャ (Japanese squash) into this Tsuyu broth (like soy sauce), the continue to add any additional ingredients as you like such as shrimp, scallops! It warms your tummy and your heart! 

Love me not? It’s definitely love in a pot!

Hot & Meaty – 肉まん Meat Bun

New York City sure has been rainy and cold since yesterday…I want something meaty and hot! yes!  肉まん(Meat Bun) will totally do the job...

Without doing my historic research, I would still say Meat Bun is originated from China. Japanese calls it Niku Man 肉まん. Pork meat with vegetable hide inside the perfect white flour steam bun…Can’t get any warmer and cozier than that…

This shop (which I can not pronounce the name of) is located in Kagurazaka-eki, Tokyo.

Isn’t it sexy?!

I wouldn’t say Meat Bun is simple to make, because the outer shell really has to be moist, and inside has to be juicy~ This one in the picture was pretty juicy, as soon as you open the bun, juice just keep running out!

New York City Chinatown has some good Meat Bun place I totally need to explore! Next time will come back with good info for everyone!

Late night talk – After Hours wine & food

Why am I posting at this late night hour? because I just can not wait till tomorrow to tell everyone about this ‘After Hours’ of Tsushima (対馬) in Midtown. It opens Mon-Sat, 11pm – to 4am. (Tsushima is a Sushi restaurant operates before ‘After Hours’, I like Tsushima’s Chirashi, will definitely talk about it next time)

Food menu is quite big for late night hour restaurant, drink menu is decent, you’ve got wines, sparkling wine, shochu, Japanese Sake. We got this complimentary dish, some type of seaweed on soft tofu, nice start, especially when it’s free.

Potato Salad with Mentaiko, but I think they might have forgotten about putting Mentaiko…but it’s good, I think.

observantly love this! LOVE! who doesn’t like late night fried snack?! This is not potato! It’s mountain yam (yamaimo), it has similar texture like potato only it’s crunchy!

Hey, $8 you get 9 pieces of Sauteed Shrimp! It’s a tasty deal don’t you think?

Washu Gyu Meat Ball is fantastic! I’d come here just for this everyday! Meat is moist, tomato sauce is thick! and the cheese on top is heavenly!

Art of Soba – SobaKoh

Yes, I have been taking pictures with my Iphone… the fact is… Professional camera is very heavy… I do need exercise since I love food so much, but as a girl, I really don’t think I need a huge forearm, believe me, no boy likes girl with huge forearm…

  Here we are at SobaKoh, one of my fave down at east village, the Soba maker at SobaKoh makes soba with his soul… (I think..)

Fried eel bones are great with Sake (beer too)! Kuni Su (蟹酢, Crab Vinegar) is refreshing, especially in the summer!

Chawamushi is relatively easy to make, when I dine out, I still like to order it, because each Japanese restaurant has their take on this comfort home cooking dish.

Soba Tofu has interesting texture, If a jelly and a tofu were married and gave born to a child, I think that’s what the texture is like.

How can we miss the Soba… by far, this is the best I have had in NYC. I personally like cold Soba, and everytime, everytime, I order soft shell crab cold Soba, call me stubborn ~ The top pic is Uni Ikura, that day was out of Uni (sea urchin)…

I know I know~ dessert again… But I promise this is not the last thing I would like to show you~ Green Tea Mousse, Black Sesame Pudding, Soba Icecream! Yes, Soba Icecream, and crunchy baked Soba sprinkles on top added whole other sensation~

Remember the very first pictures with a beautiful flower vase ~That is where Soba Maker San makes his Soba for us… If you are lucky, you will see this live performance from mixing the flour to cutting the Soba… It’s truly an art…

Bar night – Spot Dessert

I think last time I was here was couple years ago, recently saw their commercial on taxi TV reminded me this place again~ Spot dessert bar…

I recalled it used to be a quiet basement dessert spot, and now 15mins wait is your luck day. Good? I think is more American taste, slightly on the sweet side.

This Green Tea Tiramisu was pretty good (I do think the taste can be abit more delicate) presentation make me think ‘They must spend alot of time cleaning those corners’…

This is a very interesting deconstructed cheesecake, texture and taste are both quite complex~ you get the sweetness from the cheesecake, citrus from the foam, crunchiness from the crumbs, another layer of sweet and slight sourness from the berry compose then comes tangerine if you are looking for real fruit meat texture…

The waitress recommended this molten chocolate green tea cake, she said most customer are here for this….

Honestly, as a real Asian…Green tea flavor in the ice cream and the cake is not intense enough, it’s too sweet and missing the slight bitterness that green tea flavor should have…but molten cake was moist, no complain there.

2 person 3 course of dessert, it’s a bar night…

What matters the most?! – Soy Milk & Fried Dough with friends 豆漿油條

Today was one of those Monday that I do not want to look back…I was stood in front of my computer went entirely blank… wanted to eat something to make my day better….

Soy milk and fried dough in midnight with great friends would totally help….

I spent an unforgettable trip in Taiwan early this year…My great friend Terry who took care of me for the entire week took me to this mom and pop street food place in the midnight… Asian, especially Chinese have soy milk and fried dough for breakfast, but we had it in the midnight…. It was unbelievably comforting for me~ Even now, just writing about it makes my day this much better…

Nothing taste better than food with friends~ and just want to thank you Terry~

Which came first? – Aburiya Kinnosuke 炙り屋 錦乃介

Which came first? Because I live in Midtown so I like Japanese food or I like Japanese food so I live in Midtown? What matters is…When I’m sick of fashion, I can find good Japanese restaurant within 5mins of walking…which is a blessing…Aburiya Kinnosuke 炙り屋 錦乃介 has been around for some years.. Whenever I go, it’s always packed with after work Japanese businessman..noisiness and the smell of grill beef…This is what good eat is all about.

After-work’s best friend is beer, and beer’s lover is slight salty, fat/meat balanced Berkshire pork and unknown something fried…(It was a Thursday night, so we waited a little, the house gave us complimentary unknown something fried! My guess is Union Skin!)

I didn’t need to try hard to photo these foods (I used Iphone only), they were already picture perfect when they are presented on the table. More reason to appreciate what you are going to put into your tummy!

Presentation is all about the details~

Guess what that marble looking thing is? Just a brick of salt…Just….a hot ….brick of salt….

I don’t ever miss a chance of having dessert! Sesame Creme Brulee and House made Icecream is always a good way to finish your meal…

 

 

 

The Amazing Fruits – Sun Fruits Tokyo

So my last post was about the ‘First Love’ flavor Strawberry from this Fruit shop in Tokyo ‘Midtown’. But that was not the only amazing thing about this heavenly place.

If I have fruits that look like this when I was a kid, I’m sure I will eat more fruits and healthier….yeah, I know they are just plastic display…

I don’t care what they are, I don’t care if they are even bitter, how can you resist yourself not eating them?

Cakes are always girls bestfriends!

I know I know, they are just plastic displays….

But wait! The real one look as good as the fake one! and it tasted super delish!