Mont Blanc Ice Cream at Shiokaze Ohkoku! 潮風王国でモンブランアイス！

The other day, Nyanko-sensei and I stopped by Shiokaze Ohkoku (Chikura's Michi-no-Eki) for some chestnut ice cream!

この間、にゃんこ先生と潮風王国にモンブランアイスを食べに行ってきました！

Just follow the signs to the ice cream cafe.  They have pizza, too!

Nyanko-senei told me that they have really great seasonal ice cream (according to the manager, they change the flavor every 2 months or so), and that the beginning of all is always chestnut flavor, which is his favorite.  I had never tasted a chestnut before I came to Japan, but it's one of the staple fall flavors (kind of like pumpkin flavor for the US) so it's EVERYWHERE and it's actually pretty good.

潮風王国の季節アイスは本当に美味しいと言うこと、にゃんこ先生が教えてくれました。（マネージャーによると、２ヶ月一回ぐらいのペースでその季節アイスの味を変える）。初秋はいつもマロン味でにゃんこ先生の一番好きな味みたいです。日本に住む前に一度もマロンを食べたことはなかったけど、マロンは日本で秋の定番の味の一つ　（アメリカのパンプキン味のよう）ですから、どこに行ってもあるし（まぁ、とにかくそんなきがする）、結構美味しいと思います。

  

So, I asked Nyanko-sensei if I could come along on a errand over to Shiokaze Ohkoku.

ということで、にゃんこ先生が潮風王国に用事に出かけた時、連れて行って貰いました。

I was surprised that it looked EXACTLY the same as in the picture!

Long story short, this ice cream is really really good!  My stomach doesn't handle things that are super sweet or strongly flavored, so I was a bit apprehensive because Mont Blanc (a French chestnut and cream dessert) flavored things tend to be BOTH, but this had both a delicate sweetness and a delicate chestnut flavor that I found just right.  

手短かに言えば、このアイスは本当に美味しい！　とても甘いものととても味の濃いものは私のお腹を壊してしまうし、モンブラン味のものはよく甘くて濃いですから、正直、ちょっと不安だったけど、このアイスの繊細な甘みと風味は私にとって丁度いいです。

It's the kind of sweet that you can eat all day,  but I found myself savoring it so slowly that it started melting in my hand and I had to gobble it down, lol.

いくら食べてもあまり飽きないようなスイーツだけど、私がゆっくり味わいすぎていたか、どろーんと手で溶け始めて、最終的に食い荒らしたかもしれません、笑。

Anyway, I definitely recommend this! Definitely stop by and get a cone... You might see me there when you go, lol.

是非おすすめです！食べてみて下さいね〜

Liz

Men Fishing at Sunset

Hisaeta Beach in Iwai on a weekday, late afternoon
久枝海岸、岩井

The men here were fishing for sea bass. 

Odori Kitchen: Delicious Italian Cuisine by the Sea

I like to eat. I think my list of my top 5 favorite things to do is as follows:

1.  Eat
2. Watch movies, anime
3. Sleep
4.  Dance like a crazy person
5.  Shop

I eat when I am sad.  I eat when I am happy.  I eat when I am hungry, or bored, or stressed out. I eat all the time, and I am picky.  I’m not going to eat just anything.

Luckily, I have found another place to add to my list of drool-inducing restaurants.

Odori Kitchen in Shirahama has made the cut. In fact, they passed with flying colors.

First of all, you need to check out their website.  It’s extremely well made and easy to understand, with beautiful, high-quality pictures of the food.  I was wavering between two restaurants to visit that day, but Odori Kitchen’s website really sealed the deal.

So, my friend and I headed down to Shirahama.  We didn’t really check the driving instructions very well, but there were plenty of signs to lead the way.  The restaurant is up a little hill along a narrow pathway leading from the road along the shore.  You can’t really see it from the road, but when we got up the hill, we were pleasantly surprised. 

The restaurant is an adorable little white hut of sorts, surrounded by an impeccably manicured garden.  Just walking up the path feels like walking into another world.  I was really excited when I noticed the table on the patio, but it was blazing hot outside so we opted for an indoor table.  However, it seems perfect for a romantic dinner for two or a long meal with friends.

Anyhow, we made our way inside the building - which was spotless – and were immediately greeted by the waiter and let to a table by the window.  From the window (I say window but that entire wall was windows and sliding glass doors), you can see out over the roofs of houses to the ocean. 

a portion of the view from my seat.  can you see the ocean?

Looking around the restaurant, I noticed the interior was designed in excellent taste – the floors, although glossy, have a rugged concrete-ish look, while the walls and the tables are a simple, glossy white that give a modern feel.  There are unfinished wood shelves and plants as accents, and the chairs and the bar are a bold navy leather.  Like the garden, the interior was comfortable, yet provided a fashionable escape from the everyday.

the chairs under the bar are actually blue (I think)

I like that the wine list tells you what part of Italy the wines come from

After looking at the menu, filled with dishes that use fresh, local ingredients,  my friend and I decided to get the 1200~ yen lunch special (the 1600~ yen special includes dessert).  First, the water brought us hors d’oeuvres, which consisted of rosemary focaccia, a savory Italian-style omelet, a sizeable and refreshing green salad, and local-specialty, namero (think of minced, flavored sashimi).  Then came our pastas - I had the Satomi Pork Meat Sauce Tagliatelle and she had the Sanga-Yaki and Spinach Tomato Sauce Spaghetti.   

appetizer plate

I had the meat sauce tagliatelle.  yummy!

sanga-yaki spinach pasta

The pasta was fantastic!  The meat was in larger chunks than I am used to, perhaps minced instead of ground; I really enjoyed the texture of the pork and along with the slightly firm handmade tagliatelle noodles.  The larger bits of meat also meant that I got an occasional fatty bit, but the fat was, surprisingly, mildly sweet and really melted in my mouth.  I felt like I hit the jackpot every time I came across one.

After we had the pasta, the server brought my friend and I our drinks, and after we finished them we went home.  I noticed a sign on the wall on the way out that says that if you are coming to the restaurant and plan on drinking, they offer a pick-up/drop-off service.  If you live within a certain radius and make a reservation for 2 or more people, someone from the restaurant will pick you and and drop you off for only 500yen per person. That's an amazing deal considering a daiko usually runs 1500 and up.

When the waiter walked us out and thanked us for coming, I told him I'd be back, and I meant it.  Anyone up for dinner sometime?

Liz

Hina no Sato 道の駅 in Miyoshi is full of delicious goodness!

Driving around the ‘Boso the other day, I decided to stop by Miyoshi’s michi-no-eki (it’s like a super rest-stop with souvenirs, food, and local products), Hina no Sato. 

Why?

It's limited edition!  You can only get it this month!

…because they have LIMITED EDITION MANGO-YOGURT ICE CREAM.  ‘Nuff said.

So I rolled up to the front of the café and said “Hey woman!  Get me some ice cream NOW!” But it might have sounded more like, “One mango-yogurt ice cream, please.”  I also picked up this salad dressing produced by Opa Café.  They had it in the refrigerator case with the locally produced dairy products.  This stuff is DELICIOUS, I buy it every time I see it because it tastes great on salads that have Japanese ingredients like daikon.  (I mean, who puts ranch dressing on daikon, really?)

the front of the ice cream and coffee cafe

Back to the mango-yogurt ice cream:  it BLEW MY MIND.  I hate artificial mango tastes, but this was the natural taste of mango with a little bit of pulp left in the ice cream. The locally-made yogurt had just the right level of sour and sweet tastes to accent the mango.  The harmony of favors was perfect!  The only thing I can say was that I felt the waffle cone was a bit too sweet, that it was getting in the way of me and frozen yogurt’s sordid love affair. 邪魔者！  

happiness
(...until now that I have realized how huge my forehead is.  don't look directly at it, as you may be blinded by the glare)

this month's schedule for cooking classes

I really liked the laid back atmosphere of Hina-no-Sato, though.  The lamps looked like something that should be in a dorm in Harry Potter.  Plus, they have cooking classes there in the “open kitchen”.  How cute is that?

the open kitchen

the restaurant next to the cafe

I also took a look around the sales floor and I was psyched to find a case full of local beer!  You can’t get this stuff at just any supermarket, so I made a mental note.  Next to it was something I’d never seen before: local yogurt sake!  The bottle design is really nice, it looks like something you’d see at a fancy bar or something.  I’m dying to try it, and would’ve bought a bottle, but it has to be refrigerated, and I still had miles to go before I sleep went home.

Awa Beer!

yogurt sake!  drool

Next to Hina-no-Sato is a shop that sells local produce.  This stuff is CHEAP.  I didn’t even need groceries, but the veggies there were so stupid-cheap that I couldn’t help myself. I bought red bell peppers and mini tomatoes, which are both nearly impossible to find for 100 yen anywhere else.  They also sold fruit, meat, fish, honey, and flowers.  It was a bargain shopper’s playground.  “Mark my words, I will return!” I said, turning back from the exit and shaking my fist.  

(I am so lucky most people don’t understand what I’m saying in English most of the time.  I think I might be committed.)

the sales floor

giant green eggplants!  4 in a pack at this price?!?!

these went home with me...

Before hitting the road, I stopped by the bathroom, and was so pleasantly surprised by how clean and pretty it was I decided to take a picture.  They even had a tiny toilet in the front for little kids, so the kid can have privacy but the mom can watch them from over the top.  Man, they thought of it all.  

the ladies' restroom was pretty~

I noticed a sign on the way out saying that if anyone finds a 4 or 5 leaf clover on the grounds they win a special prize.  Way to occupy the kids, and for free at that!

Unfortunately, I had already eaten lunch, or I would have stopped at the infamous Bingo Burger, a yummy burger stand also on the grounds of Hina-no-Sato.  Yet another reason to go back! 

I can’t wait for my next visit…

Liz

Greenroom Camp in Shirahama: Beach Hippies Go Wild! ...And Other Stuff

On September 9^th and 10^th, I went to the first ever Greenroom Camp in Minamiboso, an event whose proceeds go to protecting the beaches in Japan. Greenroom Camp is a beach festival at Nemoto Marine Camgrounds in Shirahama. You can camp there at any time during the season, but for this event, event planners invited vocal artists, DJs, shops, and restaurants, and also provided a number of games and activities, water sports equipment rental.

I had to go to my old school’s sports day in the morning.  So we got there a little late.  Here, my friends are searching for a good spot near the water.  Luckily we found one!

Manly men.  Men who built the Eiffel Tower out of steel and braun.

Tent City

Shortly after we sent up the tent, we realized it was sunset. We could see Mt. Fuji and Oshima pretty clearly from across the bay. It was beautiful!

Oshima from across the bay.

A view of 'diamond Mt. Fuji' from across the bay.

Hammocks!

We stopped at 7-11 to pick up drinks and snacks, but we definitely came back to camp for dinner!  A lot of people bought grills and barbecued outside their tents, but there were also number of booths from restaurants from all over the Tokyo Bay area. The booths sold everything from ice cream and beer made in Miyoshi (in this city) to Hawaiian food and hamburgers made 100% from scratch (even the pickles and buns).

I had loco-moco and island-style fried chicken from the Hawaiian food stand and it was AMAZING!  I was so starving I forgot to take a picture :-/.

My friend had a burger and I took a bite…BEST BURGER I’VE EVER HAD IN JAPAN and chock full of veggies.  This is stand of the shop that makes it.  I hear it’s in Yokohama so if you’re in the area I recommend stopping by.

All of their burger ingredients and toppings are made from scratch. Yummy.

After that, we got our folding chairs and coolers, headed over to the stage, and waited for the day’s last performance to start.  It was nice and relaxing to listen to the sound of the waves and feel the cool breeze while enjoying a nice frosty beer and looking up at the sky.

An hour or so of chatting later, a performance began by some lady named Bird.  I have no idea who she was, but before I knew it, the beach, which had previously only been occupied by a few people sleeping and the three of us, swarmed with people.  At first these beach hippies were calmly swaying and applauding in between sets, but when Bird said she would play her debut song, everyone got up and starting dancing and yelling. It wasn’t even an especially fast, lively song. It was scary, like we had unknowingly in the frenzy of some cult meeting.  Beach hippies can be frightening!

Bird's performance before the frenzy.  Can you see the people?

After the show, we went back to the tent, and the boys changed clothes and got back in the water.  I am allergic to anything cold, so I just sipped a beer and got my feet wet.  Afterwards we went back to the tent, finished off our snacks, and went to sleep.  We left the roof open so we could sleep under the stars.

In the morning, we got up just in time for beach yoga!  I missed the sunset yoga on Saturday, so I was really happy to participate on Sunday. A ton of people came out, too.  Afterwards, most of the yoga participants (and us) hit the water again.  It was really hot outside so it was perfect for a dip.  Surfboard, surfmat, and paddle board (like a surfboard-raft with a paddle) rentals started back up, too.  I really want to try paddle boarding someday! We checked out the hammocks (so comfy) and then the boys tried sandal-tobashi (kicking a flip flop off your feet – if you kick it far enough you win a prize from REEF).  There were also some guys playing slackline (a big stretchy band that you stand on and dro tricks while you bounce).  I have zero physical ability of any kind, so I passed on the games, and around 11am we packed up and headed home.

Playing on the beach.  See my bobble-head friend in the bottom right.

sandal-tobashi

It was a nice experience, and I would definitely go again!  Next time I want to get there a little earlier, bring a ton of friends, and set up a full camp (tables, a grill, lanterns, etc) to make the best of the experience.  I hope they hold the event again next year!

Liz

A view of Cape Tabusa from a hill

A shot from the barbecue grounds at Taibusa-Misaki park in Tomiura.

My favorite writer, Haruki Murakami, writes about my town!

There is a short story on The New Yorker website now called "Town of Cats", written by my favorite writer of all time, Haruki Murakami.  Oddly enough, I saw it on the New Yorker website's most popular list.  Imagine my surprise when, in the first page, the main character is buying a train ticket to Chikura in Minamiboso to hit the beach!  Smart man...

(Well, it's actually to visit his mentally-ill, slightly emotionally abusive father, but, who needs details.) 

I haven't finished the story yet, but I have high hopes!  Check it out here: http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2011/09/05/110905fi_fiction_murakami

The Japanese name for the story is 猫の町.

Apparently, Chikura is also a setting in his current his (in Japan, it hasn't yet been translated into English) 1Q84.

I am currently welling up with pride.  Chikura is on the MAP!