Natsu-te Ramen

なんつッ亭ラーメン屋さん‼ Can be found at Kawasaki BE department store B1 in a small section called ramen symphony. Arguably the most popular thick ramen in Yokohama. It's its black soup and heavy flavors that really make this ramen stand out. Superb flavors and aromas makes this one of my top favorite. Prices ranging from 1000 to 2000 yen!

Japanese Sake & Cheese

Japanese Sake & Cheese: Take me to the Curd

I’ve been a fan of the curd for decades, ever since my time spent up in northern, California I owe my good friend Vinney Sorrentino for sponsoring that trip and for imparting the knowledge of good cheese and wine to me. The first really good cheese he introduced to me, and the first exotic cheese I had ever tried, was called Morbier cheese, a product of France from the Île-de-France region.

The name Morbier means “small market-town” and is produced in the village of Morez in the Jura Mountains. The cheese is uncooked and pressed, and allowed to mature for two months. It is then brushed with salty water. The shape is round with sides that bulge slightly; it has a horizontal black furrow through the middle. The production of this cheese is protected by a special label from the Franche-Comte; it belongs to the AOC family. Its taste is savory and fruity.

Back in the day, Opus One was the talk of the town; and with a good creamy cheese that had a semi hard texture, coupled with the setting sun over the northern California horizon, Morbier became an instant favorite of mine.

Almost a decade later and I’m here in Japan now, and I am sensing a revived interest in the curd. It’s what people are talking about now along with Japanese sake. Can sake pair well with cheese? Some think so, I think so, Mr. Masa Shiroki, owner of Artisan Sakemaker, thinks so, and a small but growing cadre of sake aficionados and cocktail mixologist. People want to be more daring now and are willing to try something unconventional at least once, so why not sake and cheese…?

“There is no sushi here; there is no sashimi here; there is no Japanese food, period. What you get is something you'll find in your fridge every day," he said.

"My dream is the day when I go into someone's house whom I don't know and he opens up his fridge and there's a bottle of sake and he offers it to me with his favourite non-Japanese food. That will be the day." Quote from Mr. Masa Shiroki

So, here's to the sake lover inside of all of us. I recommend a Dassai50, or just about any Junmai or Junmai Daiginjo. Something chilled preferable .

かまくら家

The name’s Kamakuraya, and no, it’s not located in that iconic city most expats know as Kamakura, home of the Great Daibutsu.

Venturing out into the great unknown micro-urban cities of southern Yokohama one can get a feel for how normal everyday Japanese people live. A far cry from the insanity of Tokyo’s streets and the geeky crowds that litter the internet cafes.

Gumiyoji and Minami-ku to be exact, are where a lot of delicious ramen shops are at. Some of these places aren’t pretty, but it’s what they make that stands out, so here I was at this shop on my home from a gig I did. What really caught my eye though is the ramshackle condition of this ramen shop. Sliding doors, make shift kitchen.

According to the reviews this shop has been receiving modest reviews for years, some from as far back as 2006. There are also a lot of repeat customer who come back here on a regular basis as this shop has been around for decades.

Looking at the picture, you see a very ordinary bowl of ramen, nothing fancy, nothing interesting. However, the soup is very well made in spite of one review claiming it had sesame seed oil in it; didn’t taste any. The noodles were just ordinary, but the pork was very nice and flavorsome. Again, on this one the soup was nice which is in line with a lot of what the reviews claimed. A very nice ordinary bowl of ramen.

It’s a bout a 300 meter walk from Gumyoji Station and it should be on your left hand side with big red signs.

くいしん坊 ラーメン

The name Kuishinbo literally means “ Big Eater” in English and it’s a local favorite around Shonandai. What attracted me here in the first place were the reviews I read over at an internet site called “taberogu,” which is known for its very non-biased reviews on restaurants and bars all over Japan. The average ranking for this ramen carries a 3.20 star rating which is considered pretty good actually. It’s not common to come across five stars!
What I enjoyed most about this standard bowl of ramen is its flavorsome soup. Noodles were just OK, but the soup and pork were nice. There are several different flavors to choose from, but the two main ones are Shoyu( soy sauce) Shio(salt)based ramen. The soup was mild, simple, and very easy to drink. Very rarely do I ever drink all of the soup after eating ramen. This time I did.
Getting here is simple. It’s about 122 meters from Shonandai Station(terminal station). The two major lines to use are either the Odakyu or the Yokohama Blue Line which are both in the same station. Important landmark is the Family Mart which should be off to your right when exiting the station. The ramen shop should be off to your left hand side on the corner next to a building called the Viento.
phone #0466-46—1522
Open everyday from 11 to 2300 on weekends and 11 to 2100 on weedays.

Matsu no Tsukasa

I’m back in West Japan again, and yet another selection of good sake from a brewery located in a very quaint prefecture called Shiga. When I think of this prefecture images of Lake Biwa come to mind with its vastness and natural beauty. It is the largest fresh water lake in Japan and a World Cultural Heritage. I also think of the Tonda Bunraku Puppet Troupe which is regarded by the Japanese as an Intangible Cultural Treasure with its long historical roots dating back centuries.
Also, home to Toray, the prefectural Shiga based volleyball team with my favorite goddess Oyama Kana, add that to some great sake and a hot spring dip at Ogoto Onsen and this is heaven. Let’s not forget Enryakuji Temple and Hiyoshi Grand Shrine to top it off.

The sake of choice, and is what came highly recommended from other greats, is a sake called Matsuno Tsukasa, a Yamahai Jyunmai: Nama Genshu. Shiga grown yamadanishiki(organic), polished to 65%. Yamahai or Shikomi, is the method of preparing the yeast starter that involves natural lactic bacteria, but eschews mixing with poles. The end result is usually a gamey, wilder sake. (山廃）. Yamada Nishiki rice is generally regarded as the best sake rice. Nama means unpasteurized and genshu means it’s undiluted and often times higher in alcohol content.

(Her up against my wall)
The video presentation

The instruments for drinking today will be the Riedel Daiginjo tokkuri and sake glass. It’s good to see the coloration of the sake and whatever natural sediments left over from the tank in the glass. You get to focus exclusively on the sake itself.

And then lunch. Nice thick juicy pork cutlets and hot rice to go along with this sake.

The tasting profiles for the sake are as follows:
Tight well rounded flavor, dry, clean and floral finish. Clean smell, elegant, righteous nihonshu smell. Nothing artificial. The nihonshu-do is plus 3. Alc 17%.
All-and-all, a great sake skewed towards a more masculine taste.

Jintan

+35° 29' 20.48", +139° 37' 28.98" I just love me some tsukemen. The next greatest noodle dish to ramen and soba is tsukemen. It's a cold noodle you eat by dipping into a broth before eating. If you are the type of person who likes to taste all of the ingredients, and you love the act of just slurping on noodles then Tsukemen is the best. This shop I'm featuring today is the best I've had in a long time. They add yuzu or citrus flavouring to the soup base! Amazing taste. The noodles are firm and long. Not like the think noodles. Great eating!

Dekopon

I haven't blogged much about food lately, so today I thought to myself “ food hasn’t been mentioned enough on by blog”. And then a fruit introduced to me by a Jukujo came to mind, called Dekopon.

I was introduced to this fruit over lunch, and was so impressed, stopped over at Seijo Ishii to grab a couple. They cost me 590 yen for a pack of two fully ripened dekopon. A bit pricey!

As soon as I got home I dug threw my drawer in search of a pairing knife. Don’t actually need one. The skin peels right off within seconds. Everything I have always wanted in an orange was found in this citrus fruit in the first couple of bites. Light acid, sweet, juicy and most of all seedless! What more can you ask for in an orange…?

I remember a quote from a poem by WCW that goes something like this:

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast.

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold.

William Carlos Williams

The first time I tried a dekopon I must’ve eaten all of them without even leaving one for my friend to enjoy. She was pretty livid. All I could say was “ forgive me….. they were delicious so sweet and so cold.” It didn’t work….this time I had to buy my own.

Another reason I like this fruit is because its grown in Japan, and is a pure Japanese creation. A hybrid from two other oranges came the dekopon. I don’t think I’ll ever eat a normal looking orange again. Florida orange, what?

Hanami Viewing with Sake!

The other day at Negishi Shinrin Park, one of Yokohama’s most renowned parks when it comes to cherry blossom viewing, was in full bloom.

It’s quite customary for Japanese to drink sake or tea along with eating some delicious snacks under cherry blossom trees this time of year. For me, it’s always nihonshu and some delicious seasonal dishes like sakura mochi, or some onigiri. That day I was so lucky because before I had came to the park I was able to purchase two packs of jumbo gyoza from a kiosk inside a super market by the Negishi Station. The lady at the kiosk was visiting from Utsunomiya, which is a well known city all over Japan for its legendary gyoza. She was selling four gyoza per pack, so I bought two packs of freshly cooked gyoza then ran to the liquor store and picked up two small bottles of sake.

The first sake:

Sake Name: Kotsuzu Translation: Small Charm Classification: Ginjo SMV: +4.0 Acidity: 1.4 Rating: 5.0 Tasting Notes: Ginjo Nama;sweet;and very nice. From Yamagata, and made especially for this season. This is one sake I would definitely order for cherry blossom viewing. It was so sweet, yet mild and worked well for maximum viewing pleasure.

Next up:

Sake Name: Karakuchi Namacho Translation: Dry & Fresh Classification: Junmai SMV: +8.0 Acidity: 1.3 Rating: 5.0 Tasting Notes: Super dry type with an elegant spring tail. I am tempted to order a larger bottle because it was so delicious. You can’t go wrong with this one. It was excellent.

The gyoza:

( Make no mistake, these were huge gyoza!)

Sitting there and sipping on this delicate tasting super dry sake while nibbling on these mammoth sized gyoza was heaven. There were so many children running and playing around while I was enjoying this feast. I could smell spring and other floral scents permeating from the cherry blossom trees in front of me. I stuck my nose in the sake cup to catch a whiff of this fruity, floral sake along with the outside spring breeze. I moved the sake around in my mouth, exhaled and then swallowed. The after-taste and inhalation of outside air was fantastic. I was experiencing ohanami!

Another pleasant breeze came , and then I think I was on my second gyoza and a half when I noticed this little three year old girl being knocked down to the ground by her big brother. She burst into tears and ran to her father with her cute little Mickey Mouse stockings and skirt dragging down by her little feet. It was funny and sweet, because after she found daddy everything was OK. No more tears.

No more tears….

Enjoying Sake in Yokohama

GeoTagged, [N35.42211, W139.63817] Sakura viewing at Negishi Park!!

The Novelist Amy Yamada

Amy Yamada, a well-known Japanese novelist, has written several books on the destructive nature of black on Japanese relationships. She has been gaining a huge following in Japan over the years, by mostly young and some old readers. She explores the darker side of the black man; that beast within him which drives her passion and her obsession.
In order to satisfy her masochistic desires she opted for a black man because he is the most difficult to tame, not like his white counter-part whose only aim is to please his Japanese goddess whether it be through money or other gratuities; henpecked in other words. The black men she targets in America only wish to use and abuse her, and yet she still derives a sense of satisfaction from trying to beat them at their own game, and often times losing.
Clean and educated Black men are seen as weak and inferior to their ghetto counter-parts, which is a major discredit for those black men seeking a legitimate relationship with a Japanese woman, which should be based off of respect, and not ignorant stereotypes. Hip Hop and the attitudes associated with this genre of music do not define the legacy of the Black people of America.
For me, the chalice of Japanese 'culture and civilization' is the Japanese womb; from which, the wisdom of the ancients flow. The Japanese man is inferior to his own better half because intellectually he is inept and void of soul and meaning. Every sake ever made is a reflection of this chalice or womb of fermentation of the Japanese bijin(beauty). It is like drinking the very soul of the Nation as demonstrated in ceremonies across the country and in ritual lore.
The Madame Butterfly Mystique with her broken wings that charmed so many G.I's during their heydays of the occupation was the corner stone of Japanese beauty and wonderment for centuries. The green tea ceremonies with their meticulous attention to detail , the natural beauty of the four seasons, the docile and well-mannered Japanese women of old all fascinated so many Westerners. These images were seared into the minds of many Westerners since the MacArthur era.
Some Japanese women may think the old way was denigrating and obsolete. It’s these old virtues that do not reflect the opinions of the modern Japanese woman of today. They’ve been trying for decades to reshape their image and reinventing themselves into more than just an ordinary Japanese woman, but a woman of the world. An international woman, a cosmopolitan, who can be respected for her own unique individuality, and not necessarily for her ancestral virtues.
If I expect a Japanese woman to show a little virtue then it’s considered an insult or demeaning, but for novelist like Amy Yamada, to highlight the “nigger” mentality and wanton sex of black men is equally appalling. Being a nigger is not a virtue, it’s a crime in all 50 States in North America, just take a walk down death row! Just being ‘Black’ in America is a virtue all in itself.
Amy Yamada has been around for a very long time now, and has enjoyed immense popularity since the 90s. No one questions her accounts, which leads me to believe that her writings have served to further label black men as sexual predators and irresponsible and reckless. Thank goodness her actions do not represent the majority of Japanese women.

Winners & Losers

This topic has been thrown around in various forums through out the blogosphere, and so I need to address this and what it means and how it relates to people who come to Japan, and myself.

There are no losers in Japan. What would compel someone to travel half way around the world to live and work? Money? A new life experience? Love…? Why did you come here? Why would anybody want to live and work in one of the most expensive country's in the world, and live amongst people who have a completely different outlook on life? I don’t think losers would or could ever make such a life changing move. If they’re losers at home then what makes you think they can be winners abroad, especially in a largely homogenous culture where tiny pockets of discrimination still exist? There’s no Murphy’s Law at work here, just common sense.

I came for a new life experience and to be closer to the things and people I had grown to love and admire over the years prior to moving here. I was spoon fed Japanese culture, and given a rare opportunity to peer into the lives of people who had exquisite taste in food, sake, and the arts way before I deciding to make my move across the Pond.

I was occasionally treated to sumptuous meals at some of the finest sushi restaurants in the Land. I still remember my first sushi experience here at Shibucho in downtown L.A. No expense was spared during this occasion. We ate and drank like the gods. Our chef would dazzle us with the blade as he cut through delicate pieces of fish flesh so effortlessly and yet so meticulously, like a surgeon with years of experience with a surgical blade. I would just sit there looking as layers of white flesh would fall neatly slice after slice; such visual appeal, so beautiful. A far cry from that fat eye sore gum smacking pig of a waitress at Dennys who calls you “hun” whenever she addresses you instead of “Sir.” Screaming and shouting orders to the kitchen. Relieve my senses from this ghastly beast of a woman. Am I loser for not wanting to put up with this? Am I to tip this person? We don’t tip in Japan.

What sparked my initial interest in Japan was through Aya Dean, who was married to a nigger, in the purest since of the word, and she handed me a book by Mishima Yukio one day for no reason. She told me to read it. That one book changed my life. Aya Dean was the ideal woman in terms of looks and mind. She had a simple clean look. Beautiful legs and a wonderful mind and loved literature, but she was married to an alcoholic and violent nigger who abused her verbally and physically. They eventually divorced and she married a white man and moved to the Bay Area. I wish to god she was my wife. We could’ve had so much in common on so many levels.

What about women? Losers come to Japan to marry Japanese women because they couldn’t get a woman back in their own home country. Japanese women are easy, blah blah blah…..All of these are purely fictitious claims.

According to Men’s Health:

Men's Health asked 40,000 men readers in 42 countries, the largest global survey ever, about how they woo women and seduce them more effectively. The results also show the different characters of men and how men from different countries look at sex and the pleasure that comes with it. Based on the statistics, the Philippines even topped one of the questions. Surprising? Read on... Where men take their time

(number of partners for the average man in his lifetime) 1. Brazil - 11.37 2. United States - 8.77 3. Australia - 8.54 4. United Kingdom - 8.28 5. Greece - 8.25 WORLD AVERAGE - 7.65 Where men get the most action (number of times per week the average man has sex) 1. Korea - 4.50 2. Greece - 4.20 3. Romania - 4.08 4. Philippines - 3.95 5. Russia - 3.87 ... 17. United States - 2.95 WORLD AVERAGE - 2.80 Where men need a little help (percentage who've taken a performance-enhancing pill) 1. United States - 21% 2. United Kingdom - 15% 3. South Africa - 14% 4. The Netherlands - 12% 5. Philippines - 12% WORLD AVERAGE - 11% Where self-service is king (average number of times per week a man masturbates) 1. Philippines - 5.65 2. United Kingdom - 5.53 3. Brazil - 5.32 4. France - 5.29 5. Malaysia - 5.27 ... 12. United States - 4.13 WORLD AVERAGE - 4.30 Where three's company (percentage of men who've had a threesome) 1. Brazil - 20% 2. United Kingdom - 17.6% 3. Australia - 17.5% 4. United States - 17% 5. Russia - 15% WORLD AVERAGE - 14% Where chivalry isn't dead (percentage of men who'd pay anything to please a woman) 1. Indonesia - 64% 2. Portugal - 51% 3. Poland - 42% 4. The Netherlands - 40% 5. Italy - 39% ... 22. United States - 19% WORLD AVERAGE - 31% Where men stay faithful (percentage of men who've never cheated with anothe woman) 1. Poland - 63% 2. Germany - 62% 3. Australia - 60% 4. The Netherlands - 59% 5. United Kingdom - 57% 6. United States - 52% WORLD AVERAGE - 50% Where men buy love (percentage of men who've paid for sex) 1. Korea - 42% 2. Brazil - 34% 3. Philippines - 32% 4. Greece - 31% 5. Russia - 26% ... 18. United States - 17% WORLD AVERAGE - 21% Where the pervs are (percentage of men who look at porn at least once a day) 1. Brazil - 30% 2. Indonesia - 28% 3. United Kingdom - 25% 4. Philippines - 23% 5. Portugal - 22% ... 7. United States - 19% WORLD AVERAGE - 16% filed [Adult Articles, Education Articles]

Japan is not listed in one category, so at least it’s safe to say that we can begin to separate fact from rhetoric. Japan is like any other country when it comes to getting women. You need to put effort in it first in order to get something out of it. Just like in America, or any other country. Sure American girls like to attach prerequisite to everything, but even still if you work at it you can get any woman, even if you are not attractive at all. I chose Japanese women for more than just their overall desirability, but for their sheer lack of expectations

In North America it is very common to see huge differences in physical appearance. Hollywood is truly the only time you can see two good looking people paired together, reality is a stark difference. It’s very common to see horrendous looking men paired with attractive women and visa versa, but this is of course years later.

In America, what defines a man is his ability to acquire material wealth, or having good physical attributes. In my fathers case he had both and was chosen by my mother based solely off of his looks and his ability to play the bass guitar. These were very attractive qualities that had an enormous appeal for most church going women then and now. My father had a Billy D. Williams look to him that drove the women wild. My mother seizing the opportunity and went for him, so did many women. Within a couple of years they were divorced because he, like my mother, was drawn to physical attributes.

My father eventually took another wife who was more beautiful and capable and fathered other children while my mother was still pregnant with me and now decades later I still scratch my head…. I often times wonder if my father was the victim of incessant come-ons and not my mother – should I blame him? Women always blame men if the relationship fails, never themselves! Natural selection in this case wins over almost every time in America and if you don’t have the looks you’d better have a talent or some money.

(“ ‘ghetto fabulous’ I have four kids from four different men. Why? Because I knew I couldn’t have him in the first place, so I had his baby instead! I made him cum in me knowing full well he would never marry me. I want to have pretty babies. [Such is the case for many American whores!]”).

(“If women are coming on to you, and you are young and good looking then why not go for the best looking one possible, same goes for women. It’s called buyers remorse….? Trade in your unattractive wife or husband for a better looking one, that’s America the divorce capital of the world”).

For me, I lacked that dangerous element and I was too much of a church boy and sheltered for most of my life, which prevented me from experiencing a lot things boys my age were experiencing. I had a beautiful physique for most of my young adult life though and was the envy of many of my contemporaries for many years. But muscle without the attitude is like the analogy of “ muscles don’t float” and that eventually you’ll drown in the sea. That didn’t make me a loser, just a kid little church boy, that’s all. I couldn’t stomach the rest, like in the case where I couldn’t bring myself to kiss my black friends niece! She was hideous. I was scarred for life with that one. She had rougher skin than me and she was a girl…? Or the time I didn’t want to “take one for the boys” because I had refused to crawl in the sack with that fat chick who was screwing the whole football team. Other memories of me cussing out this guys hideous wife for mouthing off at one of my customers, who’s eyes bulged out of her sockets whenever she talked. And then I had to cuss him out for marrying her in broad daylight in the middle of a busy shopping mall.

In Japan, timing and natural circumstances trump physical and material demands. I envy none of my friends back in the States, not even a little bit. I wish them the best though in whoever they settled with; I’ve seen all the pictures and am far from impressed, no pun intended. I don’t see what I or anyone needs to prove by conquering a Western woman, it’s not like they’re proving that they are manly men. You are a man for taking control of your own future and marrying whomever you choose to marry and whenever you choose to marry on your own terms. Not when you settle for whoever your friends think you should settle with, or whatever reasons people do some of the dumbest things. Reminds me of a guy I used to know named Mr. Spells, and amateur boxer, who got involved with an amazingly swollen woman who had four trophies(kids) from four different men. I’m still scratching my head….??

Most American men have been castrated by the proto-feminazi legal system for decades. If anything, American men are just henpecked and (de)balled after getting married to most of these American women, such is the case for many of American men. Scary to listen to what their wives say about them when they’re not listening. I have heard so many American wives talk so much garbage about their husbands it sickens my stomach. My regional manager at the time was the Queen gossip. I had to sit there and listen this garbage spew from her mouth?

A winner is someone who challenges himself by setting goals for himself, and then achieving those goals. It doesn’t matter where he chooses to live in the world, as long as he is happy. He chose his own path. He takes a wife of his own choosing. He doesn’t let the dictates of society tell him otherwise no matter what! Human beings have been migrating since the beginning of time, in fact it’s quite natural for a person to move many times in his/her own lifetime. It’s called taking charge of your own destiny, there’s no fate but what we make for ourselves. If you don’t like a situation, and you have the economic means to do something about it then change your situation. Everybody cannot live day to day doing the same old mundane things, and working for the same retarded boss who toys around with your career so carelessly.

I thank god for the sanctity and the peace of mind I have now! I wouldn’t trade my experiences in Japan for the world.