Remember how much I luurve good advertising??
Well, it’s about shopping but I’m not really paying attention!
Some more advertising!
Bourdain’s Advice taken in Shinjuku
On the first episode of No Reservations titled “why the French don’t suck”, Anthony Bourdain devotes part of the show to the simple joy of sticking your head into the door of a strange restaurant and finding bliss.
Of course, as it is with all TV shows, this segment was scripted. However, it still made the point of leaving your culinary comfort zone to try and find new places that can eventually become old places (and a new part of your comfort zone) and then you can continue the search for new places. It never ends, unless they outlaw good tasting reasonably priced food (like they seem like they’re trying to do back home in SF, NYC and other places).
My first visit to Tokyo and my indoctrination into the ramen world took place a few years back at a small ramen shop off of Koshu-Kaido dori, across from a Citibank down the hill from the south exit of JR Shinjuku-eki. The place is still there and I’ve made my usual visit.
But the other night, I was hungry and decided to expand my horizons. I noticed a small shop across the way from one of the many small computer shops that populate this part of Shinjuku.
It has the usual flags up, but none of them said “ramen” in katakana (which is the kana I can SORT OF read). Looking inside, there were lots of people and it LOOKED like a ramen place, but I wasn’t sure. So I continued to walk around, passing the mysterious place every 5 to 10 minutes, sneaking peeks through the wooden slats that cover the windows.
After 30 minutes of window shopping and indecision (and stomach grumbling), I walked in and took a seat and tried to figure out the elegant looking menu. Thankfully they had an english menu that was not as elegant looking and I was able to place an order for a bowl of shio ramen.
After the beer and the water, comes the shio!
It was a delicious broth, light and flavourful with just a touch of oil with the slices of toriniku and negi sitting majestically on the top with a sour plum.
So now this is one of my “must go” places now. And they play real jazz inside!
Ramen Santouka Shinjuku Minamiguchi
1st Floor, Nakaoki Building
1-18-5, Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Tokyo Design Week 2007
The Tokyo Design Week had a lot of neat stuff. Held in a field in Aoyama Park, it had a big tent in the middle full of vendors and cool stuff you could buy (but couldn’t photograph), a stage for musicians, a cafe and obligatory omiyage stand and about 20 containers (you know, the kind that big ships and trucks carry) full of design exhibitions from different organizations. There was soo much design, I forgot to keep good notes. However, I did take pictures for your bemusement.
Being “green” (the only time you will EVER read that phrase on this blog) was a popular theme this year. Not only did it get people’s attention to the exhibits, it served as an opportunity for designers to get creative. This lamp is made with old gashapon containers as the light fixtures and what looks like junk for the rest
How about these distant relations to SpongeBob?
Here is a lamp from the collection of Wile E. Coyote. Gee, I didn’t know he was a designer in addition to being a soooooper geeeenius. No mention if this is from the Acme Corporation.
This bag pretty much sums up what I like to cook with and put under my pancakes in the morning…
This was a Enveloop projector dog from Sanyo. It’s a dog you plug into your computer and it projects whatever is on the computer on the nearest screen or wall. Very powerful.
Slow Tokyo
Sometimes it’s nice to take a breather and slow down. Also it’s nice to do when the sun comes out. Today I’m in Minowa, in the part of Tokyo known as Shitamachi. It’s the older part of Tokyo, representative on how it was back in the day.
Tokyo has one tram line left, a line that cuts through backyards and runs parallel to main streets, rumbling along at its own leisurely pace with lots of old folks riding it. The Toden Arakawa Line runs from Minowa-Bashi to Waseda with several transfer stops to JR and Tokyo Metro and it is 12.2 km long.
Many of these folks grew up with the tram line and some fear that once they begin to pass on, so too will this last tram line. It was a nice day to ride around and get some fresh air (because you can open the windows).
Snow in Tokyo?
Nope. Not yet anyway. This is Kanako, formerly of Rumble Fish sitting in a container exhibit at the Tokyo Design Week event. It’s basically a container with a small incline with shredded papers, like the kind you empty out of your shredder at home.
New GT-R!
The belle of the ball at the Tokyo Motor Show was the new GT-R.
Of cors, if you’re in the know, you know that you could get up close and personal with the GT-R at Nissan’s Ginza Gallery instead of having to deal with the scrum at the show. So here we are.
And of course, what’s a visit to the Gallery without saying hi to the staff?
Nissan Crossing
5 Chome-8-1 Ginza,
Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061
Greetings from the Tokyo Motor Show!
Just got back. Whew. I spent the ENTIRE day at the Tokyo Motor Show. Took some pictures. Show report and more pictures soon.
Big Brekkie
The day before a trip, it’s good to have a proper brekkie before having your body all messed up by time change, jet lag and horrible airplane food.
This is the first real meal after getting off a transpacific flight where she experienced time change, jet lag and horrible airplane food
Stacks
361 California Drive
Burlingame, CA 94010
650-579-1384
Youtube is addictive
Here’s a preview of the new Futurama movie that will be cut into four parts for airing on Comedy Central. WAHAHAHA
And here’s something really cool! It’s a commercial for JR that uses the Music for Freelance remix of Tank! Not sure if this is the way JR meant it to be, with all the cool that Tank! oozes, but it works. JR is cool though.
Bite my Shiny Metal…
AS S een on Comedy Central! (muhuhahahah)
New Futurama! Yay!
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