Kyuushoku: Curry Udon

Left going clockwise:
cucumber salad
Castella bread: bread with castella cake and strawberry jam in the middle
deep fried soy beans
curry udon: udon noodles in a mild curry sauce with potatoes and carrots

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Fruit and Yogurt Parfait: almost healthy

If there is a dessert that Japan excels at, it would be the parfait. None of this single topping nonsense, instead the parfait is a work of art and balance.
Case in point, this Fruit and Yogurt parfait.
Fresh strawberries, pineapple and bananas carefully balanced on a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt, atop layers of soft serve [...]

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Shrimp and Avocado Sandwich: bring me back some of that California cooking

I love shrimp, and I love avocados. So it was love at first bite from this great sandwich.
Grilled shrimp, fresh sliced avocados, lettuce and a little tartar sauce on toasted bread, served with potato fries.
Sunburst Cafe @ Isawa, Yamanashi, Japan

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Kyuushoku: Ankake Soba

This week’s favorite lunch was…
ankake soba: noodles covered in a starch sauce with meat and vegetables.
cooked salad: blanched spinach, soy bean sprouts, and carrots in a vinegar dressing
okonomiyaki: a thick savory pancake made with cabbage from a thick batter, covered in okonomiyaki sauce, mayonaisse and katsuobushi or shaved bonito.
and to round it all off, a [...]

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Ham and Onion Galette: délicieux

A gallete is a thin buckwheat crepe, usually filled with savory ingredients, such as meats or cheeses.
This gallete is filled with layers of ham, cheese and onion, then topped with a egg and a sprinkle of black pepper. It was really delicious! The gallete is crispy and light, and the fillings were savory and slightly [...]

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Ajitsuke Egg Nigiri: Unexpected is all I can say…

The last thing I expected to come rolling around the conveyor belt at sushi was this ajitsuke tamago　味付け卵 topped sushi. ajitsuke tamago are chicken eggs that have been soft boiled in soy sauce to give them a light brown color and a salty taste. Some inventive chef has decided to whack half an egg each [...]

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Omumash: Make mine mash please .

I’m sure many of you have heard of omu raisu オムライス、which is ketchup flavored rice pilaf coved in omelet. Omumash オムマッシュ is another variation, replacing the rice with garlic mashed potatoes, and the ketchup is nixed in favor of a creamy pumpkin sauce.
I actually don’t particularly like omu raisu, but omumash is a totally different [...]

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Egg Pudding: Waste not

My principal’s daughter is a chef that like to try out new recipes on the staff. This is one of her new creations, a creamy custard pudding in an actual egg shell. It was delicious, albeit tiny.

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Berry Cheesecake: light and lovely

Berry Cheesecake: Not too sweet creamy cheesecake infused with fresh blueberries in a light puff pastry crust. Served with a drizzle of fresh cream and blueberry sauce.
A.E.L. Market@ Yamanashishi, Yamanashi, Japan

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Tomato Curry and Cous Cous:the ” I totally just rocked your socks” food.

Tomato based curry with potatoes, carrots, eggplant and pork over cous cous. Served with a green salad with ranch dressing, a side of roasted lotus root, potato, pumpkin, and mushrooms in a balsamic vinegar dressing, and soft fresh baked roll.
A.E.L. Market @ Yamanashishi, Yamanashi, Japan
(my new favorite restaurant)

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