For Robin

I’m gonna have a short proud moment, just this one time, and say that this rural area of Japan didn’t have much (if any) English info on food before I got here. I dedicate this post on my favorite food places in the north Okayama/Tottori area to my successor, “Robin from England” whom my students (can I still call them my students? waa) are so super excited to meet come August.

Robin, I speak for all of us (my followers and I) when I wish you the very best of time in Ohara. We hope you make the most of every day and cannot wait to see this place from your pespective in future pictures. So without further adieu…

For contemporary-style cafes try: Cafe Roca in Tsuyama

or Moco Lifestyle Store  in Tottori

For a contemporary-style cafe with WIFI: try Dot Diner&Cafe in Yunogo or Nambate in Ohara or Motoyu in Nishiawakura

For the world’s fluffiest pancakes: Cocogarden in Tottori (Mochigase)
Arrive super early or be prepared for a long wait. Also sell udon, fresh bread and omelette crepes (go figure). Open daily from 10am. I recommend the milk soft serve and the organic eggs.

For Thick crust pizza: La Gita in Katsumada

For BIG and I mean, gigantic thin crust pizza, Pizza King in Wake Town
I recommend the spinach pizza.

For the best counter sushi in Japan: Yoshinoya in Mimasaka but only on a Saturday
Every day else, this place is an izakaya (Japanese bar).

For contemporary cafe-style food with the best view: Yukkuru Terrace in Yunogo

For a super cheap sushi train: Sushiro in Tsuyama

For a fancy sushi train: Hokkaido in Tottori (go figure)

For a very beautiful and very Japanese and slightly expensive place to take your parents when they visit: Mitaki-en in Chizu Town

For REAL bread (and takeaway pizzettes): Hugo et Leo in Nishiawakura

Or
Aiyuuwaie in Yunogo

For incredible burgers (and good conversation): Shuvi Du Bar in Tottori
For good Indian with naan the size of your mattress: Sivam in Yunogo (or Sivan – still don’t know which)
For fancy Italian try: Terra in Tsuyama
I recommend the chef’s choice set menu. 

For super fancy Italian: Ristorante Cielo in Tsuyama

For vegetarian: Cafe Bonheur  in Tsuyama

Or Gemmaishokudourakudokan (yeah, it’s a tongue twister)

For fresh gelato: Hashimoto Farm in Tottori

Or Latte in Tsuyama

Ok desu. Think that’s probably enough for now. Happy scoffing, buddy!

The Age Of Pokemon Go

My mother snaps and Yasu’s mother plays Pokemon Go. I don’t think I need to say anything else.

A picture diary starting with my breakfast for the day, then our drive to the ocean (during which Yasu’s mother played Pokemon Go) then what we did at the ocean (draw) and later our dinner together (which I cooked) and last, a screenshot of the goodnight snap from my mom.
Smoothie recipe HERE
Curry recipe HERE

A Silly Post

This is as the title states, a silly post. Though still serious (and honest). Being both is apparently possible. So, I have a few things to say about yesterday and they’re all random so I’m just gonna go ahead and confuse you all.

1.My third post on Savvy Tokyo is up. You can check it out HERE. Side note: yesterday, I complained to my sister that no one even reads my work and next thing, 30+ of her friends have shared this article having asked their friends to read and share it too. So cheeky. I am so lucky to have such great people in my life. I love you big sis. Big big big shout out.

2. Yesterday I also went to Tottori. That’s the prefecture with Japan’s largest sand-dunes and also, my mother’s highlight of my parents’ Japan trip. It was awesome. I especially liked the new South American sand museum exhibition. I also went last year, it was German themed then. Each year they have a new theme and a new team of international artists. A definite must see when there. More info on the actual museum HERE.

3.Last week I bought my mama a pair of identical sandals to mine and sent them to her as a surprise. Yesterday she received them and sent me back a thank you text with a picture of her wearing them with these thick black socks. Very unfashionable. I told her to take her socks off and take a picture in them outside. She sent back a picture of her standing ON a picnic table. Before you think she’s completely insane, let me explain that this is because, back in NZ, I used to do all of my blog photography on this old abandoned picnic table in our backyard (see here here here and here). I liked the wooden background and its location always got natural sunlight. Nowadays as you may have noticed, I take all of my food pictures at the same spot. These wooden boards are actually the floorboard of my lounge, next to my  balcony’s glass door. It’s a silly spot but it has amazing light. Now, the brown boards have sorta become my style. Anyways, isn’t my mother hilarious?! I’ve included some of her other ridiculous (and sweet) messages to make you smile. Some context for the last image, during that 19 minute phone convo, I had continously whined  about being single and for so long. I love my mama.

 

 

 

Want A Bigger Burger?

Sorrynotsorry but when I think of Japan my stomach doesn’t instinctually scream burgers and for good reason. It’s almost an oxymoron. They just don’t get it. Like wtf is “hamburg”? A meat patty covered in bolognese sauce served on a plate should not even exist. Okay, it sounds kinda delicious but it actually isn’t. The meat patties are super greasy and gross. Anyways, I have sourced (through Instagram) THE BEST BURGER PLACE EVER. Shuvi Du Bar in Tottori is amazing! Because their burgers are real burgers. As in, proper bun, 100% meat patty, legitimate size and the option of additional fillings including jalapeños, salsa and my favourite, avocado! What’s more, the staff are lovely and most importantly, passionate about what they do – having travelled to America and fallen in love with the American burger scene. You must must go and I must must go back real soon.

Weekend Vibes

I started looking at what other foodies were tagging their Instagram photos with and this one, #weekendvibes seemed especially popular. So, I started using it and voila! 20+ followers! Hehe. Are YOU following my Instagram yet? The following are pictures from my weekend or vibes of my weekend or the weekend of my vibes?

And, I’ve started utilizing Instagram in other ways. Maybe you hardcore foodies already do this but I began searching particular places (as opposed to specific tags), like “Tottori City” and that way, came across many a delicious foodie pictures taken at quirky restaurants and cafes that I would have otherwise never have known existed. That’s how Yasuko and I ended up at Moco Lifestyle – so stylish!

The salad is simply a cup of cooked wholewheat couscous, mixed with a can of mixed beans (drained and rinsed), cooked asparagus, raw cucumber, juicy green sultanas, a splash of olive oil, juice of half a lemon, sea salt and ground pepper. Delishas.

Review no34 (I started counting again) Talmary in Chizu

One thing I’ve noticed about Japanese restaurants is that more often, no meal checking is done. In hospitality lingo, meal checking is basically that, checking, after the second or third bite (not too early nor too late) if everything, with the food, is alright. Wait did that rhyme? My Japanese friend reckons this is because, Japanese people are too polite to comment even if they’re unsatisfied. Which is really honorable and all… but, no.

Now, I don’t like/want to be writing bad reviews – as one angry Lower 9th Diner fan/most-likely-employee hate mailed me once: I am not even “certified”.

So, I’mma keep this short cos I don’t want to offend too many people and I don’t want the entire village after me nor to be even more singled out. So , without further ado…

Newly opened Talmary (Chizu) is a beautiful and creatively set out restaurant. It used to be a pre-school which means the majority of the decor centers around little folk, making it salty and original. At the moment, two rooms are in use. They feature comfy couches, packed book cases, a children’s corner, so you can take a break from entertaining your little one (for a while), a log burner and FREE wi-fi. If I weren’t writing this review and so, able to return at some other time, I could totes spend an entire day because the ambience is just that nice. BUT, that, is where my praise stops.

I used to work at an Italian restaurant. And not any restaurant but THE best restaurant in all of NZ. No shit. No bias. Cafe Valentino has the best pizza I have ever tasted and I’ve tasted too many pizzzzas. In other words, I know good pizza. You could even go as far as saying I’m pizza certified. But let’s not. Unfortunately Talmary though, isn’t. Which is a real shame and a true waste because their pizza oven is SO nice (see picture above).

Ah, how I wish I had been meal-checked so that I could have told them, there and then that the dough was RAW (snow white) and clearly needed more time.  And the flavor? Null. Except for perhaps the soy mayonnaise on the first pizza, but like come on, all mayo tastes nice…

*insert sick green emoticon*

A traditional Japanese restaurant in the middle of the woods

Deep in the heart of the woods by the foot of a tranquil waterfall, the least likely place for a restaurant, is a restaurant. It’s called Mitaki-en, it serves vegetarian cuisine prepared by using seasonal wild mountain plants, it’s a little pricey and it’s undeniably beautiful.

If you are searching for a place to take your Gaijin folks/friends to show off traditional Japan (food, culture, architecture) then Mitaki-en should be it (just be sure to make a booking before you go). Unfortunately you only have 2 weeks left to do it though as Mitaki-en closes December through til Spring because if you didn’t know, the heart of the woods is cold. And by cold I mean unbearable. Nevertheless, whether you make it in the next couple of weeks or sometime next year, I guarantee you’ll be impressed.

Food wise: at the main restaurant, there are three menus to choose from and the cheapest starts at 2400 yen per person. If you think that’s a tad too much for lunch then you can enjoy a cheaper meal of homemade udon or cake and coffee from the other two eateries in the same vicinity.

My favorite details include the wild chickens, the handmade konjac and the outofthisworld stone-ground kinako (soybean powder) tochimochi (mochi rice with Japanese horse chestnut) – it is the best mochi I’ve ever had since being here and I’ve had too mochi – see what I did there?

Japan’s best pancake restaurant

I’ve already blogged about Cocogarden but I don’t care.
This is my blog and my rules.
chestnut
cream
hot cakes.

the best cuss bread of my life

Okay so I did a thing. I went to a bread buffet in the middle of my smoothie cleanse…lol Be quiet. I don’t want to hear it. YOLO or whatever. Anyways, you have to hear about this bread. So, in Tottori there’s a newly opened place called Ritotto Marche and it’s seriously out of this world. It’s half organic bakery/cafe half organic shop AKA my favourite place in the world. There are three options on the menu, pasta, soup or donburi (a Japanese rice bowl dish) starting from as low as 550 yen for the soup (about 6 bucks) to 1000 yen (about 11 or so) for the others. Now, here’s the glorious part; for a mere 350 yen you can give yourself the unbelievable gift of an hour access to the bread buffet and oh my goodness I can’t even, someone help me, I am still full from yesterday, it is that good and by good I mean GOOOD! Here, I should note that an individual piece of bread goes for about about 200-350 yen meaning this deal is crazy. I actual don’t know how they’re making money.

I can’t say it enough. It was the best bread I (and my friends) have ever tasted! EVER. We tried all the breads (naturally, it’s a buffet!) including fig and walnut, mixed nuts, gorgonzola and walnut, double chocolate chip and cream cheese, cheese tart, chocolate croissant, banana bread, tomato and basil focaccia and many many many (embarrassingly) others. You need to go. I need to go. We all need to go again. There is no other place one should dine when in Tottori – especially not Starbucks. THEIRS IS AMAZING BREAD. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY VOUCH FOR IT – Trust me, I’ve eaten a lot of bread and I don’t mean just at Ritotto Marche!

gelato experts of hashimoto farm

A few weeks ago, as I was scrolling through pictures tagged with #gelato on instagram (as you do) I came across the most delicious looking (and probably tasting from the way it was looking) double scoop cone AND to my delight it was sold in Tottori which is only about 1 and half hours drive from my home in Ohara. Yesterday, my cousin (who was staying with me for a couple days) and me ventured to Hashimoto gelato farm – where there were no cows but definitely loads of gelato. Hashimoto gelateria is situated in a cute small cottage and served by an even more adorable elderly Japanese couple. Inside, directly above the gelato counter, a large frame proudly deems said husband and wife as successful graduates of Gelato University of Rome – what has life come to? Where is this University and WTH did I waste three years of my life studying a BA when I could have graduated from a life of gelato?! GELATO.

The labels were in Japanese leaving us to guess the gelato flavours which is harder than you think; when there are Japanese inspired flavours such as black soy bean (which looks like chocolate chip) and sour plum (which looks like strawberry). Nevertheless,  I chose Ferrero Rocher and white peach and my cousin copied by choosing Ferrero Rocher as well and grapefruit – which to his surprise tasted “just like grapefruit!”, well no shit sherlock. As we sat outside savouring every mouthful (the gelato was divine; not sickly sweet as some ice cream can be) overlooking the picturesque Japanese countryside, an elderly Japanese man (80s/90s) in a straw hat and denim overalls rode past on his bicycle.