Ukon No Chikara - Japan's incredible hangover cure

ウコンの力 (Ukon No Chikara / "The Power of Ukon") is a great power indeed and I have great faith in it. I was vacationing and working in Japan throughout June and the beginning of July this year. The night before returning to the U.S., I was out all night eating and drinking too much with some business associates. When I awoke the next morning in my Tokyo business hotel, I had to leave for the airport immediately after breakfast feeling absolutely *awful* and quite sick. Carrying my luggage around made it even worse. Before catching a cab to Ueno Station, I stopped at 7-11, bought 1 bottle of ウコンの力, and drank it down (the taste is neither good nor bad...kinda sweet). I was SHOCKED! By the time I arrived at Ueno Station 15-20 minutes later, I was already feeling 90% better! The only remaining symptom that lingered when I reached Narita Airport was a very mild headache which I knocked out with a couple of EVE A (150 mg ibuprofen pills). 15 minutes after that I felt like I never even had the hangover at all!

This is some amazing stuff! It *REALLY* works. I wish it was available in the U.S., although without the threat of a hangover I would probably be willing to get drunk more often. Perhaps the lack of availability is not such a bad thing.

Burger Donuts!!

These are the new "burgers" from Mr. Donut called "MosDo." They aren't really burgers, of course, but donuts that look like burgers! The burger buns are japanese-style sweet bread, the patties are made from chocolate, and the burger condiments are strawberry whip and strawberry sauce; green tea whip and green tea sauce! Get yourself a couple of these burgers, along with a side of "potadoughs," (or "potedo") and an iced coffee and you've got yourself quite a fun and tasty breakfast or snack!
These new offerings from Mr. Donut look so kool! I wish I was in Japan so I could try them, I'm sure they're quite yummy.

あきやすみ ８ - 江戸東京博物館

Aki yasumi pt. 8 - Edo Tōkyō Hakubutsukan (Autumn Vacation part 8 - Edo-Tokyo Museum)

The day after arriving in Shinjuku (新宿), Rinko and I spent a day in Ryogoku (aka. "Sumo Town"). There we went to the Edo-Tokyo Museum (photo above courtesy of panoramio.com) to see an exquisitely beautiful exhibit of Ukiyo-e (浮世絵) prints, paintings and drawings. Some of the most accomplished artists' works are displayed there including Hishikawa Moronobu (菱川師宣), Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎) and Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川広重). The exhibit is a collection of works that live at the MFA in Boston, and gives a very nice historical overview of Ukiyo-e and it's impact on Japan and on art in general. Very moving! In my opinion, these wonderful works of art really belong in Japan, but due to the decline in popularity of Ukiyo-e during the Meiji period and the subsequent surge in "Japonism" in the U.S., it isn't surprising that so many of these works were lost to Western Civilsation. This means, however, that many of you have a chance to go see them for yourself! I *highly* recommend having a look and letting their incredible beauty, subtle simbolism and rich history inspire you. The Boston MFA exhibit will be on display in Tokyo until 30-Nov.

After the museum, we had dinner at a Chanko (ちゃんこ) restaurant. Chanko, or "Sumo wrestlers' hot pot" is similar in many ways to regular nabe, but contains some different ingredients, like spicy kim-chi, noodles, thinly-sliced pork, tsukune, and seafood. All of these ingredients are very tasty together and also contribute to a delicious broth! Chanko is a very satisfying meal-- do try it when you have time.

After a peaceful and stimulating day in Ryōgoku, it was back to Shinjuku for us for more hanging out and eating sweets at cafes. ^^ Be sure to check out the Edo Tōkyō Hakubutsukan if you're into art and/or history, and you're going to be in Tokyo for a few days; this is a wonderful place!

あきやすみ ７ - 新宿区

Aki yasumi pt. 7 - Shinjuku-ku (Autumn Vacation part 7 - Shinjuku-ku)

After spending a few comfortable days in Asakusa, walking around, eating good food, doing some shopping, and hanging out with friends, we moved on to Shinjuku (新宿). Shinjuku has always been one of my favourite parts of Tokyo and I guess it always will be. At seemingly any time of day or night, on any day of the week, something fun and exciting happens there.

Rinko and I spent some time wandering around Nishi-Shinjuku (西新宿 / "skyscraper district"), checking out the craziness in Kabukichō (歌舞伎町), buying kool stuph and finding delicious food. In Nishi-Shinjuku, we were surprised to find an astounding new building! It's called the Cocoon Tower (top photo) and really looks quite amazing. We did manage to go inside, as there is a large Book 1st shop in the lower levels. It's really clean and pristine. Very kool indeed!

Shinjuku is one of the koolest parts of Tokyo, IMHO. There is something there for literally everyone-- from the most discriminating food connoisseurs and art-lovers to the heaviest drinkers and most perverted fetishists, and everyone in between. From name brand designer to street, Shinjuku has everything. This is a spot that should never be skipped during a visit to Tokyo. Some of the most well-known photos and movie footage of Tokyo were shot here. If you're looking for the high-tech, neon imagery that so many folks have in mind when thinking about Tokyo, this is where you want to go. It's also a very centralised location with easy access to all parts of Tokyo and other destinations in Japan. Shinjuku Station is the busiest transportation in the world! Check it out for yourself!

Chicago's hidden treasure-- amazing Vietnamese food!

What can I say about New Saigon restaurant in Chicago's Uptown? The food is absolutely *awesome*! My fiancee and I had the shrimp and pork spring rolls (the 4th appetizer on the menu) and they were perfect-- fresh, crisp and tasty, and the shrimp was not at all overcooked-- very, very good. I had the Ca Thó Tô - the catfish hotpot and this was so-o-o delicious! The pieces of fish were extremely fresh and just melted in my mouth. The spicy, brothy sauce inside the clay hotpot was very comforting and perfectly complementary to the fish. I am so happy I ordered it. To drink, I had cà phê sữa đá (vietnamese iced coffee), and I enjoyed it so much because it was very strong and had just the right amount of sweetness (didn't taste like coffee-flavoured candy like the iced coffee at the thai and vietnamese restaurants in the white-boy neighbourhoods). My fiancee had a shrimp and marinated beef over rice dish (I don't remember the name). This was also super good. I really enjoyed how the beef was so tender and juicy, and how it wasn't drowned in sauce.

The restaurant seems to be pretty popular, I'd say. There are not many tables (maybe 10?) and although it almost relatively empty when we arrived (18:30 on a Friday), there were no tables available at all when we left. Many of the customers who came in greeted the owner by name. I can understand why this is-- the owner is SO nice and so friendly. My fiancee and I both felt really welcome and comfortable.

I heard about this restaurant on yelp.com, and there are a couple of not-so-good reviews on there-- many focusing on the unimpressive interior decor, complete with silk flowers and kitschy vietnamese trinkets, christmas and halloween decorations and a Michael Jackson poster. This does not bother me one tiny bit, though, and in fact it's exactly what I had hoped for. Indeed, if your prefer the fancy-schmancy, city night-life type of restaurant, you probably won't like this, but then again you probably don't find authentic, east asian home cooking all that important either!

This restaurant won't get my 5-star rating because that is reserved for only the world's finest. I will not hesitate to patronise this establishment again in the future, however, and I will definitely recommend it to all my friends. Non-pretentious, nice people and wonderful food! Terrific.

New Saigon - 5000 N. Broadway (Broadway and Argyle) Chicago, IL 60640 - (773) 334-3322

Results Are In-- 2008 Hot Dog Eating Competition

Kobayashi Takeru (小林尊) admits defeat in the 2008 annual hot dog eating contest at Nathan's in Coney Island, New York. 20-year-old Kobayashi-san "The Tsunami", from Nagano, dominated the competition for five years straight until California challenger Joey "Jaws" Chestnut came out ahead in 2007.

Today, the competition came to a tie at 59 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Ties are settled in a sudden death showdown in which Joey Chestnut, age 24, consumed an additional 7 dogs, winning for the second year in a row. Chestnut will take home a $10,000 grand prize, a giant trophy and international bragging-rights.

Will Kobayashi-san come back to victory again? I hope so!!

Yoshi-san throws a party for your palette

Are you ready for a delightful dining experience in Japanese-French fusion cuisine? Yoshi's Cafe is ready to provide some of the best that there is to offer! Yoshi-san offers a beautiful regular menu full of amazing selections, along with a menu of daily specials such as the appetiser of ravioli stuffed with kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) and dressed with olive-oil goat-cheese cream sauce. Entree selections include superb offerings like Wagyu Beef Ribeye grilled rare with Mai-take mushrooms served atop creamy blue cheese mashed potatoes. I was completely bowled-over by this beef-- never before have I tasted beef that paired such a rich flavour with the tender, delicate texture of sashimi! Prefer fish? How about lightly-seared sake-miso-glased tuna served over zesty wasabi mashed potatoes? This dish has all the lightness and subtle flavour one expects from a fine piece of fish but somehow packs a meaty fresh-off-the grill punch as well! If you manage to save room, a small selection of beautiful and delicious desserts awaits you at the end of your culinary journey to make your experience complete.

The dining room at Yoshi's Cafe is romantic and intimate but at the same time casual and relaxed with candles being the primary source of light, and 40s-50s jazz music playing softly in the background. The wine list will surely satisfy all ranges of tastes from refined connoisseur to those just starting to experiment. If you're in the mood for something a bit harder, be sure to peruse their list of exciting and innovative martinis.

I would definitely give Yoshi's Cafe one of my highest overall ratings. This year's Valentine's Day celebration at this wonderful place was definitely extra-special for Rinko and I. Don't deprive yourself any longer of this inspired little gem of a restaurant. 3257 N. Halsted, Chicago, Il 60657 | (773) 248-6160

Kakewerk

My fiancée Rinko and I have embarked upon an exciting new adventure-- we're starting our own business! We're fusing together my life-long love of baking and dessert-making with Rinko's artistic talents and new-found marketing skills in order to get into the foodservice industry! We're called "The Sweet Samurai," and we're launching our company as a by-order bakery and sweet-table catering business.

Right now we're working on getting our business plan together, registering with the state government as an official business partnership, and looking for some commercial kitchen space to rent! I am also working to perfect my cake-decorating skills while Rinko works to create our company logo which will be used on our business cards and product-packaging.

We'll start by offering our specialties-- Kuri-chan's Luscious Lemon Bars and our Triple-Chocolate Brownies along with a wide variety of pies, cakes, cookies, breads and seasonal treats. Look for us to launch officially sometime this spring!