Tag Archives: Food

Valentines Day @ Facil

Every year we try to have a special meal on Valentine’s Day, and there have been some fantastic ones (we were discussing that Gilt was still the most special, maybe because we had just found out that Kai was coming). This year without much intensive research, we decided to try Facil in the Mandala Hotel. It is strikingly beautiful design, with fantastic service, and food that was delightful. It was a great relaxing time to spend alone — a luxury that will become rarer in the days ahead.

Oishi

First Taste

Steak

Our Morning Surprise

The Prince in Disguise

Trout

The Chocolate Dessert Cake

Sole and Oyster

Amouse Bouche

The Last Hurrah — Istanbul

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Wow. What a fantastic experience. We decided to take one last voyage before heading into the the baby zone (and even needed a note from the doctor for Chika to fly!) But it was worth it. We haven’t taken a trip alone since Taiwan in the summer, and Istanbul did the trick. We had a great hotel, a great local guide (thanks Huseyin!), and an incredible city full of great history and great food. I can only dream about our next trip for a while.

Grand Bazaar

The Belly Dance Shop

Sultanahmet Koftecisi

Aya Sofia

Cistern

Aya Sofia

Blue Mosque

Bosphorous

Blue Mosque

Blue Mosque at Night

Topaki Palace

W Istanbul

Cicek Pasaji

Vogue View

Archaeology Museum

The Pizza Experiment

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A few weeks ago, I decided to let Kai help make our fish for dinner and he enjoyed it so much I started looking for other “hands on” projects for us to do together. I remembered I had bought a pizza dough mix and thought this could be really fun. And it was. Although we had a great time making the pizza, Kai wasn’t a complete fan — although he did love the crust and ate up all the crusts from half the pie. Not a complete victory, but for a 1st time I’ll take it.

The Last Hurrah — Entourage in London

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We decided to enjoy the oasis of having just Kai and added the bonus of Momoe our au pere joining to enjoy a sensible holiday abroad. We had the good fortune of our friend lending us her flat in Hampstead — a very pleasant area north of the city, with nice parks, bakeries, and shops — plus some free tickets from our BA miles, so we were almost there for free. It was a great trip for Kai, who got to explore 3 museums for kids, plus the Winter Wonderland amusements in Hyde Park, plus the local playgrounds of course. And the parents got to eat lots and lots of good food and catch up with some good friends. And a little shopping too. Now feeling ready to tackle the new responsibilities of 2013.

Dinner with Andy and Tomoko

Bakery Run London

Winter Wonderland

Science Museum

Feast at Jin Kichi

Scallops at Plum Valley

The London Bus

Xmas Market at Charlottenburg Schloss (aka Kai’s First Road Test)

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It turns out that Xmas day in Berlin isn’t some ghost town, and in fact we couldn’t even fit in all the things we wanted to do. Call us last minute, but we did finally make it to the Xmas market finally today, and we discovered Kai’s shared passion for amusements. It was a struggle pulling him away from the rides.

The Xmas Eve Dinner

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It was a special evening. New friends and old friends. The holiday season. And a perfectly planned soiree by Chika. Everyone had great food, drink, and fun. And both the parents and kids were able to enjoy. I look forward to the next years Xmas Eve dinner.

GÄRTEN DER WELT (or Gardens of the World)

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Kai is my first mate when it comes to exploring new territories here in Berlin, and today we decided to head to the unchartered waters well beyond the central ring. I had read about the Gardens of the World in a local Berlin tourist guide, but never managed to build up the energy to head out. But somehow, I was inspired this morning, packed the picnic lunch, and set out for an adventure. And a good journey it was. Kai had a great time in the gardens, and miraculously was able to sit through a picnic lunch (at least until it was time to clean up and I had to chase him back a few times). We definitely plan to visit again.

Japan | Tokyo | Bakery Run Japan Style

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I had found Famille bakery last visit to Japan in December 2010, and now with Kai as my trusted partner, we ventured for some local exploration. The raisin bun has a secret surprise – cream cheese in the middle. Oishi! But I am hooked on the milk cream bun.

Japan | Kobe | A Nice Visit

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It was a quick arrangement to see my friend in Kobe — little did I know that in the top of the heatwave in July his students were in classes and exams so he could not get away for a brief lunch meeting somewhere in Osaka or Kyoto. So he invited me to come down and stay overnight. It was a fun journey navigating from the main railway station in Osaka to the smaller local line to his university using what little Japanese I could muster. And I did make it on time. After spending time with some of Prof. Sato’s students, we went to a nice sake restaurant for a traditional Japanese meal, and some interesting sake — it had been simmer with roasted eel. In fact, it was quite tasty.

Taiwan | Taipei | A New Adventure

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So it was enticing option — take a trip to Taipei from Kanazawa for 3 nights/days. But this was the longest time leaving Kai with others (we had done a test run for 30 hours to Paris). Thankfully we had lots of support. Mom was there and Meg flew in for the weekend. Plus 2 aunties and an uncle were walking distance away. We pulled the trigger and we were off. What a fantastic adventure — a second honeymoon, and maybe even a bit more sweet taste of freedom. Of course we missed Kai a lot, but we got to catch up with each other again too.