Iced tea

When I am desperate for a shot of caffeine, I have several ways to remedy the situation.  I prefer to deal with the situation with tea, not coffee, as I stopped drinking coffee before I had my son and never went back.  Since I can get a good dose of caffeine from tea, I have not bothered to build up an appreciation for coffee again.

Depending on where I am, I can head to a Starbucks (they are everywhere here, just like in the states).  Sometimes I stop by to grab a feeling of home, but I don't always want to pay Starbucks prices just for a caffeine fix. 

There are other coffee shops as well.  The majority of coffee shops here have smoking rooms (not including Starbucks).  The burnt tobacco smell can permeate the rest of the restaurant and often does.  Since the smell of cigarettes gives me an immediate headache followed by an upset stomach, I tend to avoid these shops.

For a cheap and quick fix, I can stop by a convenience store.  Unlike the US, convenience stores in Japan are actually convenient.  I pay our electric and gas bills at the convenience store.  I can buy all sorts of last minute items, like picnic or school supplies.  I can also buy a meal, if I so desire.  Of course, there are also numerous ways to get your caffeine fix as well. 

On this particular day, I opted for iced hojicha tea.  Hojicha is roasted green tea that provides just less than half of the caffeine of coffee.  It can take away the caffeine craving without causing the anxiety and jitteriness that coffee drinkers experience.

I grabbed a cup from the freezer labeled "Iced Hojicha Latte".  After paying for the beverage, I removed the lid to find frozen dark brown tapioca-like beads at the bottom of the cup along with some ice cubes.  I put the cup into the special machine and pushed the start button next to the iced cocoa/iced matcha latte image.  The machine whirred, adding steamed milk to the cup, and then beeped at me to indicate it was done.  I pulled out my frothy beverage and mixed it with a stir stick to make sure all the little pearls had dissolved. 

The hojicha latte was nice.  It was cold, refreshing, and gave me just enough caffeine to get over the afternoon hump.  Of course, it wasn't the best hojicha latte I've ever had.  But it was fast, easy, cheap (less than ¥200/$1.90), and satisfying. 

Celebrating the end of summer vacation

As summer vacation wound down and it was time to head back to school, we wanted to enjoy one last little adventure with a family friend.  This lovely 15-year old is from New Zealand.  She hangs out with us often and sometimes babysits for us.  Over the course of the summer, she went on activities with us almost every week.  At one point I asked her what she missed most about living in New Zealand.  She promptly responded "I miss delicious burgers!"

I know exactly how she feels.  Both of us don't eat them that often in our home countries, but not having access to it makes us miss them that much more.  It's just like a diet where you are feeling deprived just because something is put on the "do not eat" list.

We discovered Butcher's Table when I took my son to the Toei Animation Museum last summer.  After exploring the museum, I looked at the map for nearby restaurants.  When we saw the burger and sandwich shop, we decided to check it out.  It stayed in our memories as an incredible burger shop that we wanted to let our friend experience.

She met us at our house and we rode our bikes over to Higashioizumi, a neighborhood in Nerima.  It was a bit hot, but we kept saying "the burgers will be worth it!"

Butcher's Table is a small restaurant (as are so many places here) with around 20 seats tightly squished in the dining room.  It is obvious that the restaurant has been open for a long time, as everything is a bit worn and faded.  But as soon as you bite into their burgers, you don't care.  It is so incredibly delicious.

We ended up ordering the exact same lunch set - avocado burger with fries and grapefruit juice.  My son got the kid's set, which consisted of a hamburger (I paid extra for cheese), fries, a drink (grapefruit juice again), and a sucker. 

The table fell silent as soon as our food arrived.  Besides a moan here or there, all conversation ceased as we focused on the much desired food.

The quantities were huge and we couldn't finish our fries.  We decided it was best not to sit around and let our stomachs settle because there were several people waiting for a table.  Although the restaurant looks like it is in a residential area, there are a few animation studios located nearby which keep the restaurant very busy at lunch time. 

We strolled over to the museum and showed our friend the exhibits before biking back home.  Everyone agreed it was a successful end of summer vacation celebration. 

Taiyaki with a twist

Taiyaki is a simple, semi-sweet treat popular in Japan.  The dessert consists of a thin layer of batter brushed into a fish-shaped cast iron griddle.  The center is filled with anko, sweetened red bean paste.  The griddle is closed and makes a little pocket.  Cooked over fire, the outside comes out crispy and the inside is soft.

It has been around for over 100 years, and is still a very popular treat.  Nowadays shops are branching out and filling taiyaki with all sorts of concoctions.  Custard, chocolate, cheese, and even sweet potato are popular flavors.  I've also seen a breakfast version, a ham and egg sandwich-style taiyaki.

Recently we found a whole new taiyaki - fresh grape!  Taiyaki Tomoe-An in Asagaya mixes fresh grapes into the anko creating a surprising, yet tasty combination that is only available seasonally.  Although I was hesitant to try it,  I'm not the hugest grape fan, it was delicious.  The sour and sweet combination was perfectly balanced. 

It was a fun variation from the traditional.  A little twist on the norm that is a fun surprise.

Meow

I love wandering around neighborhoods without an agenda.  Looking at the houses and businesses is interesting, plus you never know what you might stumble upon.  Strolling through Koenji, we saw a slew of interesting houses.  There were old and new all mish mashed together, creating an interesting atmosphere.  There were also several small shops and restaurants, mostly along the main streets. 

Just about the time we were wanting to take a short break, we stumbled upon Floresta, a "natural doughnut" shop from Nara.  We've enjoyed Floresta doughnuts before.  They are known for making cute animal designs on top of their light tasting doughnuts made from all natural ingredients from organically farmed sources.  Their flavors tend to be simple, ranging from natural (plain) to several tea flavored options.  I like to munch on these cake doughnuts because they are not overly complicated.

While I was already happy to see this doughnut shop, what actually sucked me in was their seasonal doughnuts.  I'm a sucker for cute food and they were featuring cat, dog, and bunny doughnuts!  I could see the case from the street and the cute little faces actually made me stop in my tracks to investigate. 

I picked a cat face doughnut.  It was a natural doughnut with two almonds stuck into it for ears, then dipped in white chocolate and decorated with café au lait accents. 

My son chose the doughnut with a bunny nestled on top of a natural doughnut dipped in chocolate.  It was made from a doughnut hole and also featured almonds to create the ear shape.  When we got a closer look at the doughnut ring, we realized it was honoring Tsukimi, a holiday celebrating the fable of the rabbit in the moon.  On one side of the doughnut is the image of the dango (ball of mochi) and the moon on the other.

My husband chose one of his favorites - a naked earl grey doughnut.  He doesn't succumb to the cuteness as much as I do!

It was the perfect little pit stop in the midst of our neighborhood stroll.  Once we were sugared up, we were ready to continue on our way.

A long journey for the boys

Japan is not only known for its great transportation system, it is also known for its train fans.  My son has a love/hate relationship with the trains.  He loves learning about the different trains and going to train museums, but gets tired of riding them for long distances underground.  He absolutely hates riding any train during peak hours.  We try to avoid it at all costs, but every once in a while we get stuck on a crowded train.  I can't blame him because I hate it, too.

Sometimes, to encourage his enthusiasm, I let him find the train station stamps.  He doesn't really have a collection per se, but just likes the activity once in a while. 

While brainstorming last day of summer vacation activity ideas, we checked the weather and realized it was forecast to be a gray and rainy day (not cool, mind you - gray, rainy, hot, and humid).  Somehow the topic of train stamps came up and the boys decided they wanted to ride the Oedo Line and collect stamps from each of the 38 stations.

Oedo Line is the perfect line to choose, since it follows along a "6" shape, and we live at the end of the line.  After a bit of research, my husband calculated that they could do it all in one day if they stuck to a schedule of 6 minutes per station (the time between the trains on this route on Sundays), with a break for lunch, quick snack, and an excursion to a shrine.  By catching each train, they would be able to get to 10 stations in an hour and a half (including the commute and transfers).

Photo credit: kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp

On Saturday evening, we stopped by the bookstore in the shopping center at Hikarigaoka Station and found the official "train stamp passport."  While the salesperson didn't know what we were talking about (even after showing a photo of one), we were able to find it on the shelves ourselves next to all the train books.  The paper is nice and thick so the stamp doesn't bleed through.  Another nice feature is the long piece of paper in the back that is used to make sure your stamps don't imprint on the facing page. 

Before they embarked on their journey, my husband purchased a one-day train and bus pass.  While most of the stamps are located inside the station, some are not.  It would get pretty expensive paying to leave and enter so many stations!  So, the one day pass for only ¥700 ($6.50 USD) makes the adventure much less frivolous. 

I waved goodbye as they headed off.  I decided to stay home and deep clean my shelves that were getting a bit crowded for my taste.  It was also a good chance to put on a cheesy romantic comedy without any complaints or commentary from those less than enthusiastic about my taste in movies.

When they returned at dinnertime, they both had fun stories to share.  My son liked telling me about hurrying in the stations so they wouldn't miss the next train.  He learned how to check the chart to see which car they should ride in to be closest to the stairs at each stop, making him feel so responsible.  My husband was excited that they had the time to stop by a shrine he had wanted to go to.  It was the perfect little break for them.

My husband also told me about asking train attendants regarding the location of the stamps.  Since there are multiple exits at large stations, the stamp could be located near any gate and going to the wrong one would result in getting off schedule.  He would ask a station or two before the big station so they could ride on the correct train car and quickly get to the stamp and back to catch the next train.  Some station attendants were very helpful, while others seemed to be burdened by the request since they didn't know the answer and had to call the other station.  His persistence prevailed, with one exception.  The attendant at Yoyogi Station directed him to the wrong stamp for Shinjuku Station!  The boys were in such a rush they didn't realize they had stamped the passport with the Shinjuku Line stamp and not the Oedo Line stamp until after they had left the station.  It is the right station, just the wrong line.  It was disappointing for them, leaving them feeling like they didn't fully complete their mission.

It was a good thing I had dinner ready for them when they got home, because they were both pretty tired.  According to my husband's tracking app, they walked 11.4 kilometers (7.1 miles) and climbed 107 flights of stairs!!!  That is really far for a 6 year old.  I'm so impressed my son was not whiny when he got home.

Although they were disappointed about the wrong Shinjuku Station stamp, they had a great time today.  They had a goal and they reached it, while having a great adventure together.  I can see many more stamps in our future.