Dining at GRIP

I was even more hungry after my long walk through Zoshigaya Cemetery. Since the curry restaurant was closed, I had to find some place else to eat. I remembered there was an Italian restaurant on the Azuma roadway. Sure enough it was still there.

GRIP, a restaurant where they focus on local produce and more. The outdoors bistro seating was nice. It was another adventurous moment in dining, since they do not have English menus. I ordered iced tea and a seasonal pasta. Would I like it?

My pasta arrives. It looks good.

It was pasta in olive oil and chrysanthemum greens. Despite the bits of red chili, it was not spicy, but just right. 

Mixed in were bits of anchovies, which gave a nice saltiness and flavor to the dish. I enjoyed this filling dish. I'd go back to GRIP again.

Return to Kamalpur

Because once wasn't enough, I went back to Kamalpur for lunch.

This time it was the medium curry, which was chicken that day. This was definitely hotter than the lentil curry. It was good and I did finish it. Not easy but I did. I'm still liking that dal lentil curry though. I do want to try the dry curry, if I get a chance to return.

 Spices! That is a nice way to store them, and use it as a display for customers also. If those are cardamon pods, they are really big.

The weather was nice so I took a few photos of the outside of the restaurant, in case anyone is reading this and wants to find it. Italian restaurant Kiba Kitchen Earl is also there. There isn't a sign like this with Kamalpur on it so you have to look for these ones.

The restaurant is right there at this corner. 

I think they were surprised a westerner showed up for lunch. They did remember me the second time. It is a little difficult to find. Even the writing outside is all in Japanese, with the name of the place written in katakana above the door.

Walking back to Kiba Station, I paused to admire the autumnal sakura trees. I hope I can see them again.

When I was passing through Ikebukuro Station, there were people giving away drinks. I think they were selling products from 越生町, Ogose, which is out in Saitama. This yuzu juice beverage was really delicious!

Hiroshima Italian at MERI Principessa

I wish I had an exciting photo for the start of this entry. But I don't. However, it was a little exciting for me. Because I have been wanting to eat at Italian restaurant MERI Principessa in TAU Hiroshima for a long time. I finally was able to. 

It helped that it was the tail end of their lunch hours. Which is why there was only one other diner still in there. Outside the day was still cloudy and grey. Holiday color helped a little.

The other thing that helped me was that I knew what I wanted to eat. For lunch, MERI Principessa has set menu items and then special items for the season that feature ingredients from the Hiroshima area. 

I picked Setouchi limoncello for my drink. As for the salad, it was very nice with a light dressing.

The main course arrived.

Hiroshima Salmon Toasted Butter Sauce Spaghetti.

The salmon is rainbow trout from the Seto Inland Sea in Hiroshima. This was a light and flavorful dish, perfect for lunch. 

MERI Principessa's website is here https://www.tau-hiroshima.jp/shop/3f/meripri

Later that night I enjoyed a couple more things that I bought at TAU Hiroshima. The Setoda Lemon Ale from Yamaguchi Narutaki Kogen Brewery was just as nice as the first time I tried it on a previous trip.

I was able to heat up this delicious Hiroshima oyster curry at my hotel. I believe the company it is from is called レイニボ, which is Rainbow. Warm food was perfect after the long walk in the cold that I took before this. Which will be in my next post.

ZOZOÏ and Enshu Inari Daimyojin Shrine

Another cloudy day with a little rain. I decided to visit a few local places in Ikebukuro.

First stop was lunch. At ZOZOÏ. A very local place, where there are no English menus and only the manager speaks a little English. But it was easy for me to decide what I wanted to eat.

Because the woman at the next table ordered this delicious vegetable stew with salad and rice pilaf. And it was very delicious, with lots of flavorful herbs and a hint of red wine in the sauce. It might have been a red wine vinegar used during cooking. A European style stew with Japanese vegetables. I want to try to make something similar.

The restaurant is small and they also sell various goods in there. A quaint feeling. It's popular because they also offer tea with a dessert. I do recommend it for lunch.

The staff was very kind and gracious. And a little nervous, but everything went fine. ZOZOÏ is at 3 chome 22-6, Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo.

I had plans to visit a small garden, but it was closed. Luckily there was something interesting to see on my long walk there. The back ends of komainu? I couldn't help but laugh.

Turns out there a little Inari shrine right there. It's 延壽稲荷大明神, which may translate into Enshu Inari Daimyojin. There really isn't any English information that I could find.

It does have interesting features like these komainu in their unusual positions. Usually they look out from the shrine towards the entrance, since they guard the shrine. And rearing up with their back legs, that is different.

The main Shinto shrine is most likely for the neighborhood residences. It is for Inari Okami, god of prosperity. There are a few businesses in the area also.

Very worn stone pagoda. Most of the objects around the shrine look old but I could not find information as to when it was established. Many have obvious signs of repair.

The chozubashi hand washing basin. The flowers added a nice touch to it's appearance.

The little kitsune protectors. Cute how their ears are curled.

Lots of recent repairs. It is a sign that the shrine is well tended to.

A smaller shrine protected by the komainu is for the Sixth Heaven. I am not sure what this is about, and people online who visited here also were not sure. My guess is this is actually a Buddhist shrine for those who want to pray against forces that detract from their practices of Buddhism. The Sixth Heaven is the highest heaven of worldly desires where the king of devils rules. He takes from others to use for himself, including life forces.

In the back, by itself, is this relief. Someone wrote that it is Kannon, indicated by holding a lotus and written on it is the date 1764. Again there is no information as to whether this is originally created for the shrine or brought there from another shrine. 

One last look at the shrine. The address of Enshu Inari Daimyojin Shrine is 2 chome 19-7 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo.

No sign of the sky clearing but the trees were really pretty with autumn color.

A tiny bit of blue sky up there.

Since the weather wasn't getting better and the garden was closed, I ended up taking the Yamanote to Shinjuku Station and going to Pure Sound. Where I found a couple good buys. The MALICE MIZER Garnet single has never been opened. This was good because taking the Yamanote Line and dealing with Shinjuku Station, not fun. At least I had one more thing planned for the day. Which will be in my next post.

Ode to Joy in Yokohama, Part II

Imagine going to a place and being surprised by a choir and orchestral concert. Pardon the shaky video but this is what was happening inside Osanbashi Hall the day I visited. This is the baritone solo part of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor finale.

Or in less words, "Ode to Joy". Which is a New Year's tradition in Japan. The orchestra was the Yokohama Bay Philharmonic conducted by 松本 宗利音, Matsumoto Shurihito. I do not know the name of the baritone soloist.

I could hear the rest of "Ode to Joy" while looking at various things in Osanbashi Hall. Like these ema for the King, Jack and Queen Towers. Supposedly if you wish for something while looking at the three buildings, your wish will be granted. I'm guessing the idea for the ema here came from that. 

There's also a Japanese garden in the Hall. Well, a facsimile of part of one.

It was time for lunch and I noticed this very light space in the dark hall. 

 The restaurant is cafe&dining blue terminal.

I was seated at a rather high bar in the middle of the restaurant. Which felt a little ackward, to be honest. If a restaurant isn't full, why do they do this to solo diners?

 The place did have nice views.

I went with their lunch set. Coffee, 

salad, 

 and chicken curry. I was cold so warm was needed. And this was spicy hot. It was a nice Japanese style curry.

Back outside after eating my late lunch, I walked back to shore. That is the King, 神奈川県庁,  Kanagawa Prefectural Office. The Art Deco style building was built in 1928.

A final look back at Osanbashi Pier and everything that is there.