September 06, 2013
Tokyo Food Diary
I have such fond memories of our short trip to Tokyo a couple months ago, and I already know we will definitely go back again. Even though it's a busy city and we packed in a lot during our four days and four nights, I felt relaxed the whole time we were there. It's such a cool place to chill. The people are so nice and polite, the food is delicious (I didn't have one bad meal!), and there is just SO MUCH to see. Food, fashion, culture, beautiful people... what more can you want in a great city?
Here are just some small snippets of food we had while we were away. Hope you enjoy, I certainly enjoyed smelling and eating it all!
Our first Japanese meal was at our friend's local Sushi Train restaurant:
Eating sushi in Japan has probably ruined eating sushi anywhere else for me now. Everything is so fresh, value for money and a true example of high care and value placed on the quality of seafood. Including this highly prized higher 'fatty' grade Tuna
We also visited another one (called Midori) that required lining up!
This place was slightly different in that it had TWO train lines! One for the normal go around sushi & side dishes, and another above for trains that come straight to you after you custom order! Fabulous!
Ramen and Udon Noodles:
Ramen is one of my all time favourite meals. This restaurant is listed in the Top 50 things to do/eat in Harajuku and is called Kyushu Jangara. The thick brothy soup was outstanding, noodles bouncy and fresh... it was the perfect mid-shopping snack! I could have done with another bowl!
Cold Udon Noodles with side dishes & beautiful dipping sauce, Curry Katsu Udon, Clear broth Duck Udon, gotta love guys that carry your shopping, the Udon bowl was bigger than Jase's head! These were from a restaurant called Tsurutontan in Roppongi. The noodles were so good, I even had to buy a dry pack to take home!
Fine dining:
Beautiful Sake glasses and a couple of dishes from our fancy One Michellin Star Tempura degustation dinner at Hatanaka. There must have been at least 14 dishes, the restaurant was small, quaint and the food was absolutely delish. I turned the tempura fish dish around so that I could get a better picture (don't they look so cool like they're frozen in swimming motion?), and the waitress came and told me it has to be turned back around (in the way she had laid it on the table), as this added to the whole theatrical experience! The Japanese are SOOO into the full experience of taste AND presentation of food. This was definitely one example to the extreme!
Delicious street food & snacks:
We also enjoyed Crepes, Shaved Ice, Danish Pastries - lemon filled & apple filled -, the Infamous Calbee brand chippies in Harajuku, Sake in a Cup, and I had multitudes of chilled canned coffee -the black can brand contained a fat blocker ingredient... not sure if it worked but the Japanese do think of everything marketable!
A place where you can get a quick rice bowl meal for $3-5 .... seriously...o.m.g. Why don't they do this in Oz or NZ? This place was called Matsuya.
Of course these aren't photos of EVERYTHING we ate, but if I posted that all up here, you guys would think I'm more of a crazy food photo taking lady than I already am (I think I took at least 50 photos at the Seibu supermarket and sweets & desserts counters) :) I could have sat there eating at these places for days! Ok I better stop talking about it now, because it's making me sad and want to go back so bad! We came home with a suitcase full of snacks which we are still ploughing our way through.
For all you peeps that follow my life in pictures on Instagram, you will have noticed that we have adopted a wee pup called Bailey Buster Lee :) He is one clingy, furry, cute monster at the moment, and aside from being a little sleep deprived, and low in energy from toilet training (characteristics of a first time 'mum' I guess?)... we love him to bits!
I'll post up some pics of him soon, meanwhile if you want daily pics that fill in the days in between my non-blogging days, follow along @mialovespretty.... here!
Happy Friday!!
X
Here are just some small snippets of food we had while we were away. Hope you enjoy, I certainly enjoyed smelling and eating it all!
Our first Japanese meal was at our friend's local Sushi Train restaurant:
A simple, fast, made to order train. We visited this place straight off the plane. I absolutely loved the self-pour Green Tea refills and how everything was so fresh, and quality not compromised despite the low price. Here's small sample out of the 20+ dishes we selected.
And also this soul warming crab miso soup
We also visited another one (called Midori) that required lining up!
This place was slightly different in that it had TWO train lines! One for the normal go around sushi & side dishes, and another above for trains that come straight to you after you custom order! Fabulous!
Ramen and Udon Noodles:
Ramen is one of my all time favourite meals. This restaurant is listed in the Top 50 things to do/eat in Harajuku and is called Kyushu Jangara. The thick brothy soup was outstanding, noodles bouncy and fresh... it was the perfect mid-shopping snack! I could have done with another bowl!
Cold Udon Noodles with side dishes & beautiful dipping sauce, Curry Katsu Udon, Clear broth Duck Udon, gotta love guys that carry your shopping, the Udon bowl was bigger than Jase's head! These were from a restaurant called Tsurutontan in Roppongi. The noodles were so good, I even had to buy a dry pack to take home!
Fine dining:
Beautiful Sake glasses and a couple of dishes from our fancy One Michellin Star Tempura degustation dinner at Hatanaka. There must have been at least 14 dishes, the restaurant was small, quaint and the food was absolutely delish. I turned the tempura fish dish around so that I could get a better picture (don't they look so cool like they're frozen in swimming motion?), and the waitress came and told me it has to be turned back around (in the way she had laid it on the table), as this added to the whole theatrical experience! The Japanese are SOOO into the full experience of taste AND presentation of food. This was definitely one example to the extreme!
Delicious street food & snacks:
We tried Onigiri / Rice balls where the filling is on the outside! These are called Nikumaki. Oh and we had to grab custard filled donuts too :)
Takoyaki in Harajuku (these guys were so cute and happy making hundreds of these things)
Of course these aren't photos of EVERYTHING we ate, but if I posted that all up here, you guys would think I'm more of a crazy food photo taking lady than I already am (I think I took at least 50 photos at the Seibu supermarket and sweets & desserts counters) :) I could have sat there eating at these places for days! Ok I better stop talking about it now, because it's making me sad and want to go back so bad! We came home with a suitcase full of snacks which we are still ploughing our way through.
For all you peeps that follow my life in pictures on Instagram, you will have noticed that we have adopted a wee pup called Bailey Buster Lee :) He is one clingy, furry, cute monster at the moment, and aside from being a little sleep deprived, and low in energy from toilet training (characteristics of a first time 'mum' I guess?)... we love him to bits!
I'll post up some pics of him soon, meanwhile if you want daily pics that fill in the days in between my non-blogging days, follow along @mialovespretty.... here!
Happy Friday!!
X
September 03, 2013
Peach Celebration Cakes & Cocktails
Who doesn't love cake and cocktails? What a delicious combo I say!
It's officially Spring, and I can't wait for all the new produce and spring/summer goodies that is coming our way. And in light of that, here's afew Peach-hued and Peach themed Cake & Cocktail inspo board to get you in the spirit of celebration for the upcoming celebratory season!
Clockwise from Top Left:
Eat:
^Sugared Peach Wedding Cake via B J D Haus Design
^Art Deco Peach (Gluten-Free) Wedding Cake via Style Unveiled
^Peach Sugar Bloom Dotty Wedding Cake via Style Me Pretty
Drink:
^Rosemary Peach Cocktail via My Recipes
^Grilled Peach Cocktail via Wishful Chef
Decor:
^Peaches in Hurricane Glass Table decoration via Style Me Pretty
Clockwise from Top Left:
Eat:
^Peach Bloom topped Layer cake via Style Me Pretty
^Peach Chevron Layer Cake via Project Wedding
^Grilled Peaches via Portuguese Girl Cooks
Drink:
^Grilled Peach & Thyme Cocktail via Crystal Cartier Photography
^Peach Bellini via Jamie Oliver
^Stone Fruit Sangria via My Chic Life
Clockwise from Top Left:
Eat:
^Peach Ruffle & Bloom Small Layer Cake via 100 Layer Cake
^Peach Ruffle Layer Cake via Wedding Chicks
^Floral Peach Layer Cake via Ruffled Blog
^Ombre Peach Macarons via Style Me Pretty
Drink:
^White Peach Gin Fizz via Adventures In Cooking
^Peach Shrub Collins via Brooklyn Supper
Decor:
^Peach hued hanging lace & ribbon via Green Wedding Shoes
I can't wait till ripe Peaches are in full season as I can't wait to try the Grilled Peach cocktail recipe above.
Hope you're all having a good week so far... thanks again for reading along :)
X
It's officially Spring, and I can't wait for all the new produce and spring/summer goodies that is coming our way. And in light of that, here's afew Peach-hued and Peach themed Cake & Cocktail inspo board to get you in the spirit of celebration for the upcoming celebratory season!
Eat:
^Sugared Peach Wedding Cake via B J D Haus Design
^Art Deco Peach (Gluten-Free) Wedding Cake via Style Unveiled
^Peach Sugar Bloom Dotty Wedding Cake via Style Me Pretty
Drink:
^Rosemary Peach Cocktail via My Recipes
^Grilled Peach Cocktail via Wishful Chef
Decor:
^Peaches in Hurricane Glass Table decoration via Style Me Pretty
Eat:
^Peach Bloom topped Layer cake via Style Me Pretty
^Peach Chevron Layer Cake via Project Wedding
^Grilled Peaches via Portuguese Girl Cooks
Drink:
^Grilled Peach & Thyme Cocktail via Crystal Cartier Photography
^Peach Bellini via Jamie Oliver
^Stone Fruit Sangria via My Chic Life
Clockwise from Top Left:
Eat:
^Peach Ruffle & Bloom Small Layer Cake via 100 Layer Cake
^Peach Ruffle Layer Cake via Wedding Chicks
^Floral Peach Layer Cake via Ruffled Blog
^Ombre Peach Macarons via Style Me Pretty
Drink:
^White Peach Gin Fizz via Adventures In Cooking
^Peach Shrub Collins via Brooklyn Supper
Decor:
^Peach hued hanging lace & ribbon via Green Wedding Shoes
I can't wait till ripe Peaches are in full season as I can't wait to try the Grilled Peach cocktail recipe above.
Hope you're all having a good week so far... thanks again for reading along :)
X
August 31, 2013
Silk Handkerchief Pasta
After quite a big night out with my workmates last night, it's safe to say I'm feeling a little slow and perhaps a bit shady today. In times like this, while I don't feel like doing much, I still find pottering around the kitchen, quite a therapeutic and relaxing thing.
I may or may not have mentioned before but I love Gennaro Contaldo, and it fills me up with warm fuzzies when I see him teamed up with Antonio Carluccio, cooking and travelling through Italy on the TV series; Two Greedy Italians. A couple weeks ago, Hubaloo Jase and I saw the Two Greedy Italians make a simple Silk Handkerchief Pasta mixed through with a hand pestled Basil pesto. It looked SO delish, and so simple... and best of all, all made by hand.
While I didn't have a massive appetite today, I was still determined to try this recipe out, and also was up for a mini Italian snack :) I have always find it daunting to make silky sheets of Italian Pasta, but this literally worked a treat...and it was my first attempt!
Gennaro also had a great tip for when you roll out the pasta. If you place the sheet of pasta at the edge of your table and lift the sheet up slightly, blow at it, and if your pasta sheet flutters, then it is silky and thin enough for cooking. If you find that rolling out a big sheet is proving too difficult to get the desired fluttery thinness, don't worry, tear up the big sheet into the handkerchief size sheets and you'll find it easier to roll out the smaller squares.
I'd have to say this was the healthiest hangover meal I've had! The easiest recipe to remember as well: 250gm 00 flour, 1 egg + 3 egg yolks, 1 tablespoon of water maybe, and away you go. And since the pasta was fresh, boiling it up took mere minutes before flavouring and then devouring. While I only cooked up 6 handkerchief sheets, I will say the whole 250gm 00 flour recipe will safely serve 2 hungry individuals for dinner or 4 people for an entree or snack. As I didn't have enough energy to pestle up some Basil Pesto, I flavoured mine with Truffle Oil, halved grape tomatoes, a few little Basil Leaves, toasted pinenuts and a good grating of Parmesan Cheese.
You can flavour this pasta with Pesto, or perhaps a Carbonara type sauce, or toss with some pan-fried Mushrooms and salty cubes of pancetta... mmm delish.
Now that I've had a little boost of confidence from this small pasta making experience, I think investing in a pasta making machine is on the horizon ;)
Hope you're all enjoying the weekend!
X
I may or may not have mentioned before but I love Gennaro Contaldo, and it fills me up with warm fuzzies when I see him teamed up with Antonio Carluccio, cooking and travelling through Italy on the TV series; Two Greedy Italians. A couple weeks ago, Hubaloo Jase and I saw the Two Greedy Italians make a simple Silk Handkerchief Pasta mixed through with a hand pestled Basil pesto. It looked SO delish, and so simple... and best of all, all made by hand.
While I didn't have a massive appetite today, I was still determined to try this recipe out, and also was up for a mini Italian snack :) I have always find it daunting to make silky sheets of Italian Pasta, but this literally worked a treat...and it was my first attempt!
You can flavour this pasta with Pesto, or perhaps a Carbonara type sauce, or toss with some pan-fried Mushrooms and salty cubes of pancetta... mmm delish.
Now that I've had a little boost of confidence from this small pasta making experience, I think investing in a pasta making machine is on the horizon ;)
X
August 28, 2013
Laser Cut Leather
^ Laser Cut Leather (faux) Top / Forever 21
^ Boyfriend jeans / Gap Japan
^ Leather & Wood Platform Sandal Clogs / Steve Madden (loving these and these too)
^ Leopard Clutch / Nine West
I saw a Facebook post the other day that proclaimed Leather is the new Denim. I'm not so sure about that. All I know is that even though Summer is around the corner in this neck of the woods, I'm not shying away from this typically Autumnal fabric (faux or real), especially when you can find laser cut versions like this top that will let in a bit of a breeze.
Aside from the fact that I keep ripping bigger holes in these jeans every time I hurriedly put them on, I am loving them HEAPS. Whilst I love stretch denim, a non-stretch fit is great too... over the last few weeks these have fully molded to my bum (haha), and I am now on the hunt to find different shades of the same shape!
Rubber platform shoes are all the rage leading up to Summer, and this trend is making me fondly nostalgic of my platform wearing high school days. However this time around, I'm not loving the rubber version as much as the wooden or espadrille kind. Whilst these wooden platforms (some call these clogs) look crazy high, they are uber comfortable as the arch is at an acceptable angle, and the sturdiness of the platform and multiple straps makes them easy to walk in.
p.s. if you want to keep up-to-date with when new M.L.P posts are blogged, then please Follow M.L.P Along on BlogLovin' ! Bloglovin' is also an app, so you can see my blog posts on the fly on your mobile or tablet if you like!
Click here:
August 26, 2013
In the Mood to Sparkle
Whether you're planning a Summer or a Winter celebration, sparkles are a sure way to add interest and difference to your day. Here are a couple pretty sparkley inspo boards to help you find ways to add a sparkle factor.
Clockwise from Top Left:
Clockwise from Top Left:
And even if you're not planning a celebration party you can add a sparkle to your normal day by wearing it! Do you remember this post here?
Seeing all this sparkle is adding to my happy dappy mood and you'll see on here why I'm feeling so happy soon :)
Thanks for stopping by! Hope you all have a great week!
X
p.s. if you want to keep up-to-date with when new M.L.P posts are blogged, then please Follow M.L.P Along on BlogLovin' ! Bloglovin' is also an app, so you can see my blog posts on the fly on your mobile or tablet if you like!
Click here:
Clockwise from Top Left:
- A DIY sparkley Peony bouquet tutorial via Wedding Chicks
- Beautiful Sergio Rossi Heels via Style Me Pretty
- A Bombshell of a gown by Rachel Gilbert called 'Blair'
- My DIY Swarovski crystal Wedding bracelet
- An adorable sparkley flower girl dress by Doloris Petunia
- A beautiful Hunter Valley wedding via The Lane
Clockwise from Top Left:
- 'Love' sparkler photo via Prudente Photo
- An Amazing one shoulder Elie Saab gown from his 2008 collection, but the rest of his collection is ALWAYS amazing :)
- 2 tier Gold Sparkle cake via Kerissa Bakes
- Our Wedding Table numbers via Coralee & Alex
- A GORGEOUS full gold sparkley wedding dress via Love Katie And Sarah
- Silver sparkle themed photo shoot via 100 Layer Cake
- Gold & Rhinestone Floral Headpiece via Twigs & Honey
- Heart Sparkler via Pinterest
- Gorgeous Sparkley Eye Makeup via Pinterest
And even if you're not planning a celebration party you can add a sparkle to your normal day by wearing it! Do you remember this post here?
Seeing all this sparkle is adding to my happy dappy mood and you'll see on here why I'm feeling so happy soon :)
Thanks for stopping by! Hope you all have a great week!
X
p.s. if you want to keep up-to-date with when new M.L.P posts are blogged, then please Follow M.L.P Along on BlogLovin' ! Bloglovin' is also an app, so you can see my blog posts on the fly on your mobile or tablet if you like!
Click here:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
