Welcome to my page!!

I'm gonna share my and our experiences in NY as Japanese from today. For me life in NY is so much fun!! Many things are different from Japan and many things are the same... lol
Most of topics might be food though...
I hope you can enjoy:)
今日からニューヨークでの日本人としての体験を書いて行こうと思います。ニューヨークでの生活は…楽しすぎる!!日本との違いや共通点がいっぱい!!ほとんどが食べ物関連になりそうですが、楽しんでいただけたらと思います^^

Sep 25, 2013

Godiva Cake Truffle Flight tasting

The other day my friend Abby who has sweet blog invited me to the tasting event for Godiva new chocolate flights.

There was the booth outside to sample their chocolates for the public and also there was a tent for us to try their new chocolates with their chef chocolatier David. He explained us how to enjoy their series of chocolates. It was really interesting to listen and eat at the same time.
For us there were two choices between Dark Chocolate Flight and Cake Flight.
I thought I would like Dark Chocolate but I chose Cake Flight since the flavors were similar to the cakes that I always make at work. 
Birthday cake, Pineapple Hummingbird, Cheesecake, Red Velvet Cake, Chocolate Lava Cake and Lemon Chiffon Cake. It was fun to try the cake flavored chocolate. For example, the birthday cake was just what we make at work with butter cream. Red Velvet was not too strong flavor but still cream cheese frosting was there. Some of them were too complicated but most of them were really good. 
And there was order to try and the last Lemon Chiffon Cake complete the flavor and there was no more chocolate flavor in my mouth. The lemon flavor cleanse the other flavor. Maybe I didn't notice how it worked if he didn't explained me. And maybe I tried random order if I just got this box of chocolate so I'm glad to be there:) These cakes were so American so I asked him if we can get these chocolate in other countries but unfortunately his answer was no... maybe in the future:) That means now this can be good souvenir from America?? Haha Japanese has big souvenir culture so everyone is looking for something interesting souvenir when they travel. So this can be one of options:)
Oh also Abby noticed that there were all cute boys working for this event. There were no girls. If it's in Japan I guess most of them are girls at the shop or tasting event. So it was really interesting how they try to get the people here in NYC. 
先日ゴディバのテイスティングイベントにお友達のアビーにご招待いただき、参加して来ました。今回は新商品の紹介という事だったのですが、外では通りすがりの人々にチョコレートをサンプリングし、私たちにはテントが用意されており、その中で、シェフショコラティエのデービッドさんによる1つ1つのチョコレートの説明とともにテイスティングがありました。ダークチョコレートかケーキシリーズどちらかを選べたのですが、やはり仕事柄ケーキを選ぶべきかしらと。。。好みに反してケーキを選んでみました。
まさに私がいつも作っているようなバタークリームの味のするバースデーケーキに始まり、レッドベルベットなどなどアメリカンなケーキのフレーバーが続きました。
そして最後はレモンで〆!!ということで、口の中もさっぱりと終わりました。
きちんとそこまで計算されて作られていたとは。。。一人でただ試していたらランダムな順番で食べていただろうし、そこまで気づかなかったと思いますが、説明を受けながら作り手の考えを知って食べるとまたさらに楽しめるのでとってもよい機会となりました。
あまりにテーストがアメリカンなので、念のため聞いてみたのですが、今のところは残念ながらアメリカのみでの販売との事。けれど将来は日本でも帰るようになるかもしれません。けれど逆に考えるとアメリカからのお土産にはぴったりかも?!!!
そして、友達のアビーに言われて気づいたのが、このイベントでサンプリングなどをしていたスタッフたちは全員かわいい男の子。日本でこういうイベントでは女の子が多いと思われるのですが、こちらでは徹底的に女性とゲイの男の子たちをターゲットにしていたのでしょうか?アビーによると、大抵のこういうイベントは男の子が活躍しているそうです。みなさん逆三角形で真っ白の歯を見せて笑っていました。
いろんな意味でおもしろいイベントでした!!!









Aug 12, 2013

More cakes






Seersucker in Brooklyn

Seersucker
http://seersuckerbrooklyn.com

This is the restaurant in Carroll Garden. When they opened the restaurant I lived really close but not anymore. So I hadn't gone there for a while but when I noticed, now they have cafe and Vietnamese restaurant close to that restaurant too. Big success in Brooklyn!!
It was Tuesday night around 6:30pm. But when we went there without reservation, there were only seats at the bar counter which I really liked but that much this restaurant is popular in this neighborhood!!
And of course their food is always so good!!! :)
Now I should try their Vietnamese restaurant soon!! I'm so curious how they make Asian from southern American fried chicken!!! :)
このレストランがオープンした頃はまだすぐ近くに住んでいたのですが、引っ越してからはなかなか行く機会がなかったのですが、いつの間にかカフェやらアジア系のレストランまでオープンさせてしまったようで、密かに大成功をおさめているようです。
火曜の7時前にも関わらず、すでにテーブル席はすべて予約でいっぱい。カウンターならOKという事で、カウンター席に。私はどちらかというと、カウンターの方が好きだったりするので、うれしかったのですが。。。
そしてやはりいつ来てもおいしいお料理たち。。。人気な訳がわかります。
今回はご近所のお友達との初ディナー。とっても楽しい時間となりました。仕事の後にふらふら歩いて食事に行ける。贅沢です。。。ナオエさん、ありがとうございました!!!




Cat fish

their famous fried chicken!!

peach crumble 

macaroon 



Quality Meats

Another restaurant week experience...
Quality Meats
http://www.qualitymeatsnyc.com/home.cfm

I had been heard about them a lot but this was first time to try...
It was a bit different from other "man"ly steak house in NYC... :)
I tried a few steak places here but most of the time I couldn't finish my plate. But this restaurant was really nice portion for everything. And I really liked scallops that I ordered for appetizer. It had spicy corn under the scallops and the sauce was really good too. And the steak was of course really good!!
But only thing we were not happy enough was they only had ice cream for dessert!! It's restaurant week, I understand but I wish they had more variety and also I wish it was not in the paper cup... haha
噂にはよく聞いていたクオリティーミートに行ってきました。
ニューヨークによくある、叔父樣方のステーキハウスっていうのとは少し違い、女の子だけでも行きやすいかんじのきれいなお店でした。
レストランウィークのメニューだった制もあるのか、ボリュームもあまり激しくなく、すべてのプレートをお腹がはち切れる事無く楽しめました。特にアペタイザーのホタテはちょっとスパイシーなコーンが下に隠れており、とっても美味でした。そしてもちろんステーキも、とってもおいしかったです。が、デザートがアイスクリームのみしか選択肢が無く、それが少し残念な。。。もちろん通常メニューではいろいろあるんでしょうが。。。そしてお友達と、せめてお皿だけでも素敵だったらいいのにね〜なんてちょっと文句をいいつつ。それだけが少し残念でしたが、なんといっても、レストランウィーク。贅沢は言えませんね。。。











Prune

There is a cute restaurant close to 2nd Ave station....
Prune

I went there the other day for brunch. It was around noon but already there were long line. This is very popular brunch place.
They don't take any reservation. You just need to go there and wait!!
All the seats were so close so even I didn't know the person next me but it was like having brunch together with everyone in the restaurant...:)
I should've tried savory menu too but somehow both my friend and I had sweet plates...
My ricotta cheese one was so good. We make ricotta at our work too. So I can imagine how much milk they used for this one plate!! That's amazing!! haha 
And this huge pancake. They called it Dutch style pancake but my friend who ordered the pancake was actually from Netherlands and he said it was not Dutch... his image of Dutch pancakes are almost like crepe.... so it's so opposite!!! haha but it was good!! So doesn't matter... :)  
It was a bit too loud inside but yes, it was really cute place for sure!!
先日、プルーンというレストランに行ってきました。
ここはブランチが有名なようで12時ごろに行ったのですが、すでに列が。。。予約を取らないため、待つしか無い。
なぜだか友達も私も甘い系を頼んでしまったのですが、どちらもおいしかったです。
あのパンケーキのサイズは半端ではありませんでしたが。。。それもダッチスタイルという名のパンケーキ。オランダ出身の友達、懐かしんで頼んだのに、全くイメージと違うパンケーキが出てきてびっくり。。。オランダではクレープに近い薄いパンケーキが主流だそう。まったく逆のパンケーキだっただけに、なぜダッチスタイルなのか。。。謎は深まるばかりです。。。私の頼んだリコッタのメニューはドーナツのような甘くない焼き菓子にフレッシュリコッタ、フルーツ、パインナッツがのっているというもの。私好みでよかったです。お友達のパンケーキにこのリコッタをのっけるとまた、それがよかったりしました。。。今度はセーバリーの方も試してみたいと思います。
しかし、なによりお店が狭いため、テーブルは全席ほぼくっついており、隣のお客さんたちはもちろん知らない人たちなのですが、なんだか一緒にテーブルを囲んでいるようで、おもしろかったです。そのせいか、店内はかなりにぎやかだったので、声が大きな人にはおすすめ。。。声が小さいと、向いに座る友達の声は聞こえにくいかも!!
でもかわいいことは間違いなし!!という感じでした。






Jul 30, 2013

Sheena

In June, I lost one of my family members, Sheena.
She was 16 years and 8 months old.
It took for a while for me to talk about her after lost but now I'm ready to talk about her and I really want to.
I had always wanted to have dog in my childhood but I couldn't because we were moving a lot and also we were at apartment. But after many many years when I was 13 years old, finally my family got Sheena.
She was the one who was awake in her brothers and sisters when she was picked for my family.
That was the destiny. And she became a member of Katos.
First she had big ears folded, she was so shy and she never let us hold her long time even when she was a baby. And after a few months her one ear stood up, and a few weeks later other side of ear stood up too. She liked to walk around our neighborhood. When she run in the park, she controlled with her tail as handle. She could run fast and she liked to but she never liked to play with ball. She chase sometimes but she didn't bring it back to us. She liked to be in the sun. Sometimes I was worried of heat since her body was really hot. But she didn't care, just kept sleeping in the sun.
She had long legs and nice muscle on her chest. She was really beautiful dog even many people thought she was a boy.
She liked girls with school uniforms because of me, she liked cucumber, dikon radish, and rice.
She hated shampoo and something slide like skateboard.
She was always there for me and my family. Whenever I got home she was always at the entrance with waggling her tail. When her nose had some dirt, that means she hid something in the ground. Sometimes it was a piece of her treats, and one time it was Shimajiro doll of our neighbor boy.
When she hid something in the ground, she cover her favorite things so carefully with dirt with her nose. I really liked to see how she treated them. She was really unique girl. She made us laugh a lot.
I've missed her a lot after I moved here. And after her past away, I haven't gone back to Japan yet. So I'm not sure how I will feel to see our yard without her. And I miss her so bad and I will miss her.
But she had long healthy life. And she past away when my mom was playing music with niko.
I think that was the perfect for her to leave.
I was so lucky that you were the first dog I had in my life. Thank you for being there always.
I love you so much, Sheena!!
Rest in peace...:)