I was quite sad to learn from Hitomi-San today that my favorite Almond Cafe in Roppongi had shut down after 44 yrs in this location.  For anyone who had been to Tokyo.. you can never missed the pink color sign of the cafe.. right smacked in the middle of the business station of Tokyo.  The cafe is a year older than I am.. and is opened everyday faithfully from 9am - 5pm.

You can go in and have a snack/pasteries.. or asked for take outs, and don’t you worry .. even though they had been in business for so long, they are very modernised and uses  barcode scanners.  The queue is always long.. and you always see a crowd of people at the front door.. but don’t be intimidated.. because they are very friendly people inside. So the next time you and I go to Japan.. donch forget they are in their new location… a min away from their present location.. i’m sure if you ask anyone on the street.. they will know.

The cafe will relocate on Jan 9 to a store about one minute from its current location.The company that runs the Almond cafes was founded in 1946, and is said to be the first food and beverage business in Japan that handed out “oshibori” - moistened hand towels - to customers before they ordered.

Hitomi-San who started watching Gem of Life asked me today if i think that Gem of Life Episode 44 will be out this Sunday or even late tonite.  She is really into this series, even though she started later than Miko-San.  She asked me the other day, how these actresses in the show stay so slim and if they used weight loss products. Muahahahah!! you see Hitomi- San loves her KFC .. and she must eat it every other day. I kid you not..!! but she is far from big .. just conscious i think.

The Japanese are pretty healthy eaters.. although many love their beers and some go home drunk .. almost every other day.  But it looks like this is the #1 appetizer for the Japanese.. but how can i blame them.. because even I loved them.. and I’m not a Japanese.

Edamame is healthy .. and is a green soy bean.  Pretty easy to prepare.. or if you like you can buy them cooked as well.  Boil some water… put edamame in for 3 or 4 mins.. and some salt.. and yer can serve it up.  Great way and easy way to serve as snacks or appetizer .. for your husband’s friends… coming over to watch football.

Japan’s Thanksgiving is a very different from the Thanksgiving in United States.. so for the Americans living in Japan.. they found it a wee bit funny.  In Japan, Thanksgiving is known also as Kinro Kansha No Hi, it means.. a labor day thanksgiving for the workers. Labor Thanksgiving Day is actually a national holiday in Japan.

Having said all the above.. the Americans in Japan still get together.. and have a small celebration.  I know the turkeys are not as huge as the ones in find here in the West.. but still.. they it was always a good attempt.   We always overeat.. and the next day .. the girls will be out looking for diet pill.

If you think that the Japanese only eat raw fishes.. then you are wrong.  They eat a lot of pork as well.  The bacon of the month club is my japanese buddy’s favorite bacon place to be in. After relocating the whole family to United States, they can’t find any bacon that they liked till they read about this  club.  So if you are a bacon lover, check out the site.

My absolute must have dish if i were in Osaka and can’t get enough of it.  My favorite place is FuGetsu, the restaurant is jam with ppl .. all the time.. and the only thing i donch like about it .. is the smoking part.  You can choose to sit on the booths or tables that has the grills in the center and the best part of it.. is they cook in front of you.

The waitresses were always nice to us.. i think it had to do with the fact that I had my American engineers with me all the time. Okonomiyaki is actually also known as the Japanese pancake.  I love the sauce that they put on top of it.. and the Japanese mayo. The dried bonito flakes were also the best thing ever.

I haven’t thought about Okonomiyaki for a long time.. till my blogging buddy reminded me of it.  Now i’ll have to get ahold of some ingredients.. and try and make them myself.. or i’ll go crazy.. mauahahah!!

A must have for those who have girls at home.Use to make your kid’s Onigiri (rice balls) for lunch .. and let her be the envy of her classmates. After making the shape of Hello Kitty, you can decorate the face anyway you like.  It’s so easy to use.. even my 5 yrs old knows how to use it.  Just for $6 .. it’s fun .. !! buy it now.

I was in Osaka for a vacation and you can be sure .. that the Japanese loves their beans.  You see many of these open stores.. everywhere in the neighbourhood.. and they are run by your regular mom and pop kind of set up.  They had barley, black beans, azuki beans and green beans as well .. and there is peanuts right .. at the left hand side.

I’ve always known that my Japanese friends.. can be a little wacky at times.. but chocolate sushi.. hehehe!! that’s cute..!! and very interesting and absolutely new.   But a closer look at these chocolate sushi.. you know that they are a work of art .. and to someone who really takes great care and give their hearts to doing it right.

Sisters Karen Sasaki and Janice Murai wanted to enter  a national cookie contest with the concept but decided against it.. but to explore the option themselves.  But since both had no prior expereinces in the food business.. they took one year off.. to go for classes. So here we have them .. an online business.. selling chocolate sushi. Check out Kooki Sushi to satisfy your chocolate craving.. the healthy looking way.. muahahah!! punt intended.. 

White Chocolate Kozara