ami

Only 3 days left till I’m back home in snowy Colorado. Yuki and Shota wanted to throw a nice farewell party for me before I left so Saturday night took me to upscale Ginza. We started at a beautiful izakaya with our own private fountain and finished with sangria in a classy little bar. Farewells are always difficult and friends like Shota and Yuki are hard to come by but I have all the confidence in the world it wont be long before we meet again. Check out the gallery above to see our night.

Went back to Yoyogi this weekend to take a lesson in takoyaki (Japanese style octopus balls) from takoyaki master and good friend Shota. We all tried some interesting combinations with cheese, mochi, kimchi and various other ingredients. All were equally delicious and had a great time. For desert we wished Yuki happy birthday with bavarian cream cake. Check out the pics above to see some weird takoyaki variations.

Had yakiniku tonight in Yoyogi at delicious but oddly named Gut’s Soul. Yakiniku is Japan’s answer to Korean BBQ and consists of various pieces meat or vegetables usually marinated and cooked using a small grill within the table. Check out the gallery above for a peek into Gut’s Soul.

Its been 125 days since taking my second adventure to Japan. My days are getting short here and tonight a farewell party was held in Ichigaya. Before heading to the party I stopped by Yaskuni jinja, one of the most controversial shrines in Japan. Check out the pictures including the after party at our typical izakaya.

vimeo - New Year Performance

Took a walk with Raquel and arrived just in time to catch this Chinese inspired performance in front of World Porters.