Last month a dream came true when my family and I returned to my Japanese hometown through the JET Satogaeri Programme. Over 10 years ago I worked as an English teacher through the JET programme in a small rural village in Japan called Nishiyama located in Niigata prefecture. NHK (Japan’s…
Here are the 5 things that I really miss about Japan after returning home from my trip in November. 1. Outdoor Vending Machines You can get hot and cold drinks in these machines. You can even get beer in some machines! I would love to see these in Ireland but…
A typical Irish pub in sound and appearance, The World End carries unusual and hard-to-find US craft beers in addition to Irish and international macrobrews. On a recent visit we found various beers from US brewers Modern Times, Fremont Brewing, Port Brewing and Breakside , plus some Europeans – Panacea…
The second branch of the Bakurocho-based bar-brewpub serves beers from Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) in Portland, Oregon, plus guest beers, at least one cider, and one or two of their own house beers. There are thirteen taps in all, and beers come in three sizes, ranging in price from Y350-950.…
One of Tokyo’s pioneering craft-beer specialty bars, Watering Hole has built up a loyal following with their well-curated tap list and their convivial atmosphere. The four-glass tasting flights (Y1000; served 3-6pm on weekdays) are one of our favorite features here, and a good way to explore the offerings before commiting…
With its minimalist industrial decor livened up by floral arrangements from the resident flower shop, this small craft-beer counter shares its quarters with gourmet-coffee shop Tomoca Coffee, an excellent use of the space. The coffee counter is open from early morning, with a small food menu at lunchtime, while the…
When we decided to head back to Japan this Autumn, it was quite a last minute decision and I was only left with 2 weeks to plan my trip. Honestly, that was quite scary for me as I usually plan my trips way in advance. Reason being that with the…
This lively neighborhood bar offers a decent selection of craft beers – both Japanese and imported – from their dozen taps. One unusual feature is that they serve a number of Belgian and other European beers in addition to the usual American and Japanese craft selection, and they also carry…
Miniature Bento. Real edible miniature food! I think the miniature food trend has been really popular in the last 2 years. I tried a few myself and also posted videos on my Instagram. What is it like making miniature food? I have to admit that it is quite a unique…
Beer Boy is the first craft-beer izakaya from the popular Craft Beer Market chain. The beer list is focused on “rare and extreme” craft beers, mostly from Japan but with a few US brews as well. The food menu is a mix of izakaya standards – grilled chicken, potato salad…
All year I’ve been looking forward to this Japanese festival and I’m delighted to be able to say this year it was even bigger and better. Although the Irish weather can be unpredictable in April, the sun was shining the whole day and the temperature was higher than an average…
I have seen a variation of these egg rolls in various bento pictures in the last month. I thought I’d give it a try. Most of the pictures look like they add the same seasonings as in tamagoyaki but my son doesn’t like that so I just did it with…
It is the start of the new school year here in Japan and that means bento lunches. I quite like making homemade lunches as most store lunches are lacking in vegetables. Here are two lunches from this and last week. Soramame gohan – boiled fava beans (soramame 空豆) mixed with…
On Friday a couple of friends and I had a geek night. We made butterbeer (Harry Potter) and Batman chocolates, painted t-shirts and watched a movie. It was a great time. I rather enjoyed the butterbeer and thought I would share it with you. Butterbeer Source: I can’t find it…
I originally posted this recipe back in 2009. Such a long time ago. I like granola but I like it too much. For this reason, I don’t really like making whole batches in the oven, or buying a whole box, because it will only last 24 hours. I love this…
It’s been two and a half years since Son and I went to Japan with Rachael and her family, and it seems I never quite finished posting about the trip! Oops. However, since I find it helpful to refer back to the trip (especially when other people ask for recommendations),…
It’s been two and a half years since Son and I went to Japan with Rachael and her family, and it seems I never quite finished posting about the trip! Oops. However, since I find it helpful to refer back to the trip (especially when other people ask for recommendations),…
Orient Fusion Series Santoku knives are hand crafted from premium Japanese Aichi AUS8 steel for exceptional cutting performance, edge retention and stain resistance. The knives then fuse best-practice ergonomic design featuring the Orient Ergo-Grip™ handle, a diagonal bolster and a unique central balance zone for dynamic weight distribution. The professional…
