Good Cafe Days

Good Cafe Days

Tuesday, 18 January 2011

photos1&2* my favourite jiyugaoka lunch place - cafe ohanaya,
3&4* D&Department Dining Tokyo,
5&6* fabulous little darling cafe margo in yutenji,
7* japanese cafe - cocoocen,
8* cafe&antique, cafe 6-chome,
9* JIYUGAOKA BAKESHOP - top of IDEE shop,
10* vietnamese cafe in kamata

Comments: 22

Year-end, New Year.

Year-end, New Year.

Friday, 7 January 2011

Happy New Year! I know I'm late but I hope you all had a wonderful start to the 2011. In the "nenmatsu-nenshi" (年末年始 = Year-End & New Year) I went to many parties seen in the above photos - beautiful wedding, birthday party, Christmas party and a couple of "bounenkai" which literally means "forget-the-year-party". Of course I had a New Year's parties with our families too, but I forgot to take photos!

From all the delicious food and drinks from all these, I now feel that I really need to do some exercise to get rid of what I must have put on... So here is one New Year's resolution I guess! ha!

今年もよろしくお願いします。
　

Comments: 22

within 2km from home

within 2km from home

Sunday, 7 November 2010

Another post of some random shots from around my neighbourhood - taken within 2 kilometres from home in the past couple of weeks.
Nice little cafe that looks as if it just popped out from Paris, the cutest&tiniest gallery that's only open on the weekend, coffee at my favourite cafe in Jiyugaoka, delicious tempura soba for lunch, and D&DEPARTMENT on their 10th anniversary. All very random, all very good.

Comments: 23

In Asagaya

In Asagaya

Wednesday, 24 March 2010

Asagaya is a cute little town on Chuo Line, in the west Tokyo area that is totally out of where I normally hung out. The only reason I ever go there is because one of my clients is there. This time I got there early and explored a bit, having nice lunch in a sweet cafe called "hinemosunotari" and fell in love with the place! They sell lovely ceramics and glassware too, next time I will get there a lot earlier before my meeting, is what I decided leaving there.

Comments: 8

More from my favourite space.

More from my favourite space.

Wednesday, 17 February 2010

I'm so in love with this cafe I posted earlier it's my favourite space in Tokyo right now. The bottom 2 shots are from when I went there with Hello Sando when I met up with her while she was in Tokyo, it was a great fun. I have a cute shot of lovely Ebony standing in front of the cafe, but I will keep it to my memory, ne :)

Comments: 26

Nanakusa-gayu

Nanakusa-gayu

Friday, 8 January 2010

I meant to post this yesterday, but in Japan 7th January is the day we eat "Nanakusa-gayu" （七草粥） which literally means seven-herb rice porridge. Another Japanese customs/traditions from the part of (or the end of) NewYear Celebrations.

People tend to eat and drink A LOT during the new years in Japan, so to eat something light and healthy like Nanakusa-gayu on the 7th day of the new year is thought to give worn-out stomach a good rest. But actually it is believed to bring longevity and health if you eat it on this day. I do it mainly for the former reason though.

The New Year is really important in Japan and there are SO MANY customs and traditons regarding New Year, but there aren't so many that I follow. This one is nice and easy (and tasty!), the seven-herb is sold at the suparmarkets so I do this every year :) (Actually we are supposed to eat it in the morning of 7th Jan but I couldn't be bothered cooking when i woke up so I cheated by doing it in the evening for a quick and easy dinner.)

The seven herbs (edible wild herbs they are) are:
Japanese parsley (seri), Shepherd's purse (nazuna), Jersey Cudweed (gogyō), Common chickweed (hakobera), Henbit (hotokenoza), Turnip (suzuna), and Daikon (suzushiro).

Comments: 17

Coffee Love.

Coffee Love.

Tuesday, 22 December 2009

I usedn't to be able to enjoy coffee so much when I was much younger because it would give me headaches. It still does occasionally, but it seems to have stopped bothering me anymore. I'm also a tea lover and always have a cup of tea or two in the morning, but good coffee makes me smilie :) I sat down for a nice cup of coffee just then and it seems to make me feel calm.

P.S.
After doing this post I realised that this may be my last post before Christmas. In Japan we don't get the Christmas holidays and everyone works both on the 24th and 25th (though we celebrate it, or rather just party around with friends and lovers), so I will still be running around crazy trying to get all the work and other stuff done breathless for the next god-knows-how-many-more-days.
I hope all of you will have a very warm "merry christmas" and wonderful holidays :)

Comments: 27

cafe ikanika.

cafe ikanika.

Monday, 14 December 2009

This new cafe recently opened near my apartment has instantly become my favourite! It's called "ikanika", and is run by a lady who has been working as a flower coordinator and her husband - a lovely couple (and a dog) in a renovated old simple Japanese house. It's actually located in a not-so-convenient place if you don't live close by, the closest station would be Jiyugaoka but it's going to be a good walking distance although walking through the lovely residential area around here is pretty nice. (My place is unfortunately on the other side not in this exclusive area.)

Beautiful food, good coffee, fantastic cheese cake, and a very warm and cozy interior, this is perfect for spending some quite time in the afternoon. I sure will be hunging out there a lot! It was also featured in this issue of Tennen Seikatsu with great pictures!

cafe ikanika
6-40-7 Todoroki Setagaya-ku Tokyo (Google Map)
Open: 12:00-18:30
Closed on Mondays (Shop info updated 31 Jan 2013)

Another post on ikanika here.

Comments: 18