Happy Saint Patrick!

Today is a special day for irish people all over the world. I'm not from Irelan, but Saint Patrick day it's a fun, green and happy celebration. :)

So join the party and have a beer in an irish bar. Slainte!

A special word to my japanese friends: ganbatte! I know times are difficult in Japan, but keep a positive spirit. I'm with you! :)

And also all the best for the 3 portuguese soccer teams playing tonight in UEFA Europa League! ;-)
Of course, I'll be cheering more for FC Porto ;-)

My japanese garden

I've decided to play gardener a month ago when a friend of mine offered my some seeds to plant. Yes, this sounds like something illegal, but it's not! eheh
This seeds were brought from Japan by this friend from my japanese class, and the purpose is to have... vegetables! :-P Well, not exactly a lettuce or cabbage... but soybeans with the name of edamame.

You can find edamame in some japanese restaurants, and you eat it as peanuts because they're salty. It was during a lunch at a japanese restaurant that I found out this snack... and it's not that bad.

The seeds are blue and they look like M&M's, but until now nothing weird happened. But this vegetable grows very very fast! Two weeks after planting I could already notice some big differences, the plant had grown considerably. I'm afraid that one day I'll arrive home just to realize that it has conquered by the plant! eheh

Let's see if I'll have japanese peanuts in a month or so... or if I have to get a bigger appartment! eheh

Happy Easter, part 1

Well, it's almost Easter and this year I started I little bit earlier. Like Christmas, Easter as typical things... like food (yes, as always). There are cakes and pastries which are more popular during these festivities. So, this year I will be showing everyone around here the best I can.

Thankfully I can count on all portuguese supermarkets and grocery shops to help me in this herculean task! eheh

As you all know I continue with my japanese lessons. Today's idea was to show my sensei (teacher) and the rest of the class the cake pão-de-ló (sponge cake). Besides being one of the pastry symbols for Easter, the sponge cake has a curious background for Japan and japanese.
There's one typical japanese cake named castera which comes from the sponge cake, introduced by the portuguese when they established missions in Japan, around 16th century.
Besides castera, there's also tempura (vegetables fried in oil), which were also influenced by the portuguese gastronomy.

By the way, the word castera comes from castela in portuguese (to beat the egg white) and the word tempura comes from the portuguese word têmpero.

So, 5 centuries later, a portuguese once again introduces the original and authentic pão-de-ló to japanese. My sensei was really delightful to hear the story of the this cake.

To make it more special, I took a fine bottle of Porto wine, which is a good choice to accompany almost any kind of dessert. Unfortunatelly only two persons dared to drink a small glass of Porto... after all, who wants to drink alcool at 11am on a Saturday? eheheh
Our teacher gave the good example: green tea only! Ocha wo nomimashita! :-)

Well, this Easter Sunday my tour de force continues. This time I've invited some guests for the typical portuguese Easter lunch, with a meat and fish courses, wine and more dessert! eheheh

Stay tuned for more gastronomical adventures! ;-)

Yatai!

I did it! Yes, this is the meaning for yatai. So, what do you do when you a foreigner in France? Well, you take the opportunity to learn a new language... like, japanese! :-P

Last year I decided to re-start my japanese lessons... because you never now when you'll find a lost japanese tourist around Paris! eheh
The first quarter has ended and I passed the final exam. Well, it was a basic japanese test but it's a start! :-P
I will continue with the lessons, of course... until I become a japanese jedi master! eheheh

Some of you already know my deep passion for Japan and its culture, food and the wonderful people.
It's not that difficult japanese language once you understand the basics. The grammar is easier than french, spanish or italian, and you don't have several ways to pronounce a syllable like in chinese! :-P

On the other hand they can complicate stuff. The way you count persons, animals, long and small objects is totally different. If you have 5 kids, 5 cats, 5 pens and 5 cars... well, you will have a headache! eheh

Although it isn't a personal resolution for this year, I will add the japanese certificate (later this year) to my "to-do" list for 2009! eheh

So, next time you go to Japan and you need help to walk around there... you can invite me. For sure I won't refuse! ;-)

Restos - You

Back to Japan... to a japanese restaurant to be more precisely! :P Our friend Natalie was in town and it was up to us to suggest something different for a dinner.
I know that in Paris eating japanese is not the best original idea, but Natalie is living in France longer than us... so, my final suggestion was to go once again to Sainte-Anne Street and try another typical restaurant there.

Last time we went to the Aki restaurant, and now we visited its neighbor (it's just right next) the You restaurant. But don't you think that all japanese restaurants on this street have a 3 letter name! :P

Good service is as important as good food, and at the You restaurant I've found once again the typical japanese warm welcome and service . Plus, I even managed to use my rusty japanese! Hai! eheheh

For starters we had a nice plate of several kinds of sushi: makizushi (rolls in seaweed), nigirizushi (on clumps of rice) and the exotic ikura gunkan (with fish eggs).
For main course we had a big bowl of soba (thin japanese noodle), more nigiri (these ones like a ball of rice with boiled egg inside).
I couldn't also forget the typical sake to drink with, and we've chosen warm... to help us with the cold outside! ;)

To finish... no dessert, just green tea... with free refills! :P

A nice and healthy meal, in a clean and calm restaurant, with a kind a very friendly staff.

Restos - Aki

I never get tired of saying: I love Japan and japanese cuisine. Everytime there is an event regarding its culture, I'm there.
I know that's normal to have japanese restaurants in big cities, like Paris. But it was a good surprise when I found that there is one street here that have the most autentic restaurants for japanese food. It's almost like you are walking on some street in Tokyo (yes, I wish! eheh).

My reference now for sushi, soba, sashimi, sake and wasabi is the Sainte-Anne Street (Rue de Sainte-Anne). And it's not just for the food because the decoration, the waiters, the way everyone salutes you when you enter, everything looks and feels like the real thing.
I know it because I was lucky enough to visit Japan in 2004 and my life was never the same... eheheh... ok, ok, I'm exaggerating! :-P

The first restaurant I've tried was the "Aki", very cosy and small. And instead of choosing the typical sushi or sashimi, I gave a shot at the miso soup and the huge bowl of soba! ;-) Delicious!

So keep in mind, if you want the most authentic japanese cuisine go to Sainte-Anne Street. You won't get disappointed. I'll return there, that's for sure! はい ;-)