Gonpachi Nishi-Azabu | Akasaka, Tokyo, Japan

If you’ve seen the movie Kill Bill, then you’ll see similarities in this restaurant. Apparently, it was the inspiration and model for the “House of Blue Leaves” restaurant in the film. I have my friend Kimberlina to thank for this last minute recommendation. It somehow came up in conversation shortly before our trip to Japan and I quickly made a reservation on their website. Gonpachi Nishi-Azabu is very popular with tourists and it was quite obvious when we showed up for our reservation. We were in Tokyo during the Rugby Worldcup so the place was full of Australians in town to support their team. Usually, Markus and I try to avoid the more touristy restaurants and sites, but there was something about Gonpachi Nishi-Azabu that we couldn’t resist.

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from the food and that the real draw would be the ambiance. I’m happy to say that I was very pleased with the meal. Markus and I both ordered two different courses one at 3,500 yen and 5,500 yen (about $35 and $55). We enjoyed an assortment of dishes ranging from yakitori, sashimi, tempura and soba noodles. It was a nice mix of food and I felt like a good value for the price. The more expensive set came with miso glazed cod and tempura shrimp and those were two of my favorite things we ate. I’m glad we decided to go, because I really enjoyed our meal and time at the restaurant.

Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor & Museum | Columbus, Indiana

The summer of last year, Markus and I went on a last minute road trip to Kentucky. We were both itching to get out of the city and explore somewhere new. After a little bit of research, we found out that Louisville wasn't too far and there were a few nice stops along the way. One of these places was Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor and Museum.  

Zaharakos opened October 20, 1900 and can be found in the small town of Columbus, Indiana. Originally, three Greek brothers opened a candy shop but over time it evolved into an ice cream parlor. There was a lot of thought and care put into the look and it's covered with carved oak, marble and tiffany glass. It was stunning and so beautiful. Also, there was more than just ice cream on the menu. They have salads, sandwiches and even different kinds of soda from their vintage soda fountain. I'm so glad that we made the effort to stop, because it's not every day you find something from the 1900s. Markus and I live for places like this and love old roadside attractions. We make it a point to find places just like Zaharakos. The atmospere was definitley 1900s and it really felt like stepping back in time. It was the perfect stop on the way to Louisville! 

Kakigori on a Hot Summer Day | Kyoto, Japan

While Markus and I were in Japan, it was ridiculously hot. We went in the beginning of August, so it was the height of the summer. The minute I stepped outside it was like stepping into a bright sauna. Everyday I would be covered in sweat. It was great. So as you can imagine, I would constantly search for shade or refreshment. In Korea, they have this amazing shaved ice dessert called patbingsu. We also have an equivalent in the Philippines called halo-halo. These shaved iced desserts are the perfect remedy for hot days.

Markus and I were exploring the Gion district. We were sort of aimlessly walking in direction of a temple, but would stop at anything that peaked our interest. We passed this really cool place and thought the outside looked interesting, but we didn't know what it was. When we saw a sign for kakigori, the Japanese version of shaved ice, I asked Markus if we could try it. He didn't really want to stop, so we kept going. We walked about 500 feet and he stopped.  He turned to me and said, "You really want to eat that patbingsu don't you?" I eagerly nodded my head and he smiled.

We ordered the green tea kakigori and it was freaking amazing. I ate a lot of green tea patbingsu in Korea in the two years I was there. This was probably, if not, the best green tea shaved ice I've ever had. I'm so glad that we didn't pass up on the opportunity and we were able to try real authentic kakigori.

Japan Cheap Eats #2 | Nagasaki

This is part of a series about eating on a budget and I've titled the series, "Japan Cheap Eats". Many people think Japan is expensive, but I'm here to prove them wrong! We found many budget options and I wanted to share them with you!

Previously, I posted about eating cheap in Japan. As most people know, Japan is one of the most expensive countries in the world. Everyone always talks about how expensive it is, but Markus and I were determined to enjoy Japan despite being on a budget. One of the best ways to control your budget is eating frugally. For most of our time in Japan, we ate really cheap, but there were times that we splurged. I mean, I couldn't travel all the way to Japan and eat at 7-11 the whole time!

Another really cheap place to eat is the grocery store. Japan, like Korea, has really great supermarkets. They are filled with ready to made meals at reasonable prices. There is so much variety and it always took us a long time to decide what to eat. The food is made fresh daily and really affordable. They have everything you could want, sushi, bento boxes, salads etc. It's a really great alternative to eating fast food, which is always the last resort for us. When Markus and I got sick of going to marts, we always trekked to the nearest grocery store. 

For our second cheap eats, we decided to go a bit healthier. We didn't want to overload on ramen and fried foods. Markus and I always split everything, so that we can have a nice variety of tastes and meals. For this meal, we chose a salad, grilled eel with rice and sashimi with udon. Everything was really good. I couldn't believe that our meal was only $10. It was also nice to eat something that felt fresher and a bit healthier. If we spent all our time eating instant ramen and fried chicken, I'm sure our bodies would've hated us!

Cost Breakdown:
Salad: 105 yen
Salad Dressing: 20 yen
Grilled Eel with Rice: 498 yen
Sashimi with Udon: 398 yen
TOTAL: 1021 yen or $10.06

Eats with Jeff #11: Grand Finale

It's been a long time coming, but I finally edited the photos from our final "Eats with Jeff". I can't believe that this was six months ago and that we've been in America for six months. Anyway, on this last eats we finally met Jeff's beautiful girlfriend Allison. I was bummed that we didn't get to hang out sooner. It would've been nice to have her along for all our eating adventures. She's really sweet and a perfect match for Jeff.

For our final meal, we decided to go to a crab restaurant. In the two years that we lived in Korea, we never ate crab and it's one of my favorite foods. We spied this fancy crab restaurant in Seomyeon during one of our other outings. Jeff researched the place a bit to make sure it was good and fitting for our final eats. I have to admit that I don't remember much about the food, but I do remember that I liked it. I mean we ate everything on the table, so it had to be good right?! Unfortunately, Jeff told me recently that the restaurant closed. It's the sad fact that in Korea the restaurant business is a competitive business. Restaurants are always opening and closing regardless if they're good or not.

After dinner, we went to our favorite coffee shop, Tokyoloose. It was great seeing Jeff and Allison interact. She's really funny and full of aegyo or cuteness, which I love. In the short time that we were spent together, I could tell she was bringing the best out in Jeff.

I really miss these outings with Jeff. It's been a bit hard being back home. We're starting over in a new city and it's easy to reminisce about the good times in Korea. I wish that we could've spent more time together. Jeff is a great friend and I'm thankful for the short time we had together. I'm looking forward to the next time we meet and we can have another "Eats with Jeff"!