Roke the Typhoon

When Russell called and told me to fill the bathtub with water and run down to the grocery store for emergency provisions, I teased him for over-reacting.  "But the U.S. Embassy sent us a warning; didn't you see it?" he uttered nervously.

"Of course I saw it.  I promptly deleted it because it's like the third or fourth typhoon warning we've gotten in the past two months and this one doesn't even claim to have more velocity than the last warning.  Is this the first warning you've read?"

"Um, yeah, " he stated rather timorously.

The last two typhoon warnings translated to some wind and rain.  And one actually left behind a gloriously clear and humidity free day.  Bring it on!

I didn't fill the bathtub and I wasn't about to go to the grocery store again.  I'd already been to two different grocery stores in the past two days and we have plenty of candles and wine.  Candles, wine and Pepperidge Farm cookies - that ought to tide us over if the warnings actually came true and we happen to lose electricity for a few days, I reasoned and turned the TV on.  Ranger settled onto the couch next to me.

Since Russell had called that afternoon it had grown ominously dark.  Looks like rain I concluded.  The wind picked up.  By the end of Ugly Betty it was actually stormy.  The wind was really blowing, actually howling and the trees in the backyard were raging back and forth.  Hmmmm.  Even Ranger took notice of the tumult.  Then came the rain - angry, torrential downpours that seemed to have a purpose: soak everything.  Oh, you're not wet yet - take that - now you are!

Watching the storm was kind of mesmerizing, more interesting than TV.  Ranger and I lay on the couch transfixed.  By the time Russell came home the rain had stopped but the wind was still creating havoc.

We had agreed to eat out but Russell was concerned about getting electrocuted by loose power lines.
I didn't want to start on the candles and cookies and I sure didn't feel like cooking. The power was still on and it was early, just 7:30p.

"Let's go out.  It will be an adventure."  Russell didn't think any restaurants would be open. I suggested La Cigogne, a French restaurant less than 500 yards from our front door.  We called and they were open.  When we arrived five minutes later, there was only one other diner.  We were trying to figure out if they were happy we were there or wished we hadn't come so they could close early.  Russell asked them and they enthusiastically welcomed our presence.  A few minutes later we saw why, they were expecting a large party.

By the time we got out of dinner the typhoon was gone.  At first I thought maybe we were in the eye of the storm, but Russell's favorite app, Weather Channel - he's addicted to Doppler, proved the typhoon had just magically disappeared, kind of like the chocolate dessert we just ate.

The next morning it was a gloriously clear and COOL day.  It was so refreshing.  It was actually 70 degrees and NO HUMIDITY.  Ranger and I were ecstatic!  We couldn't wait to get outside.  This was California weather.

The carnage at the park was proof there had been a typhoon - a real one.  Leaves were everywhere.  It was like Fall had happened over night. There were a lot of fallen trees, not just branches, but whole trees.  It was kind of scary.  Imagine if we had been walking through the park when they fell?  Yikes!

That still doesn't warrant filling the bathtub though.

Eating Good in the Hood

I am continually delighted and surprised, not necessarily in that order, at the quality of food here.  Whether it's buying museum quality produce at the grocery store, or just discovering yet again, another you gotta be kidding me this is so good, restaurant in walking distance from our apartment.

Granted Tokyo boasts more Michelin starred restaurants than Paris and London combined.  Put that in your pan and saute it!  Tokyo is indisputably an eaters paradise.  And since I am a confessed professional eater - it is a great city for me.  How do these people stay so thin? Oh yeah, it's the portions and the cost.  Tokyo is the, wait for it, second most expensive city in the world.  What?!  Second?!  This year Luanda, Angola (it's in Africa...I didn't know that either) beat out Tokyo to become the most expensive city in the world.  Seriously.  Thankfully Luanda is not high on my list to visit.  Ever.  

The thing is... Tokyo is not just good for fresh fish, sushi and teppanyaki.  They do French better than the French, (I'm serious) and Italian better than, well, Italians.  They even do McDonalds better.  Yes, even McDonalds taste better here.  Not quite three times as better, like the cost.  But then it's hard to perfect the taste of a quarter pounder with cheese when you were weaned on it.  Damn, but their french fries are good in any country.

Listed below are some of my favorite restaurants in or near our neighborhood Minami-Azabu.

La Cigogne - Tarte Flambee
We discovered this little gem as we walked by it on the way to the bus stop.  A little French bistro on a residential side street that cooks up big flavor on hand made tarts.  They're really more like mini oval shaped pizza's.  But the toppings are crazy good.  Things like bacon, shallots and arugula with mango, an unexpected yet unforgettable combination.  They also do an excellent pan roasted chicken.  But don't short yourself, share a tart and an entree with someone you like and save room for dessert cause they're good too.

http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1307/A130703/13121236/

Restaurant Okada - my absolute favorite in the neighborhood
This is a tiny French style restaurant off the old Hiroo shopping street.  It's easy to walk right by as you have to descend a couple of stairs to get to it.  Be prepared to descend into heaven.  What I like about this place is pretty much everything.  It's quaint and homey.  You almost feel like you've been invited to the chef's house because there's only three people working.  The chef Hiroshi Okada, his assistant and  Shinya the director, aka, waiter/bartender/greeter/manager.  Everyone's friendly and warm and will even take a minute to get to know you.  For the quality of the food I'd expect to pay a lot more money.  So it's a great value.  The chef is very imaginative and there's always something astonishing on the menu.  But before you even get to today's courses they bring you a baby ramekin of the house made pate which is only slightly less sinful than the kill me now block of homemade brioche!  Holler!  This bread will make you speak in tongues.  They have a good selection of French wines by the glass here.  It's almost better to go bottle-less and mix and match glasses to your courses, unless there's four of you.

I have had the most amazing dinners here, roasted rabbit, giant oyster appetizer, sauteed calamari salad, sea bass carpaccio with grapefruit.  Really, really good.  I could eat here every week and be really happy, especially if I can convince Okada-san to allow me to bring a few bottles of my own wine in.  Corkage is a term restaurants here don't seem too be familiar with.  Next time I go, I promised to bring him a bottle of California red.  So that's a start.  Did I mention the food is really, really good?  But make a reservation because the place is small.  When Russell's out of town I like to sit at one of two spots at the counter.  This way I can watch Hiroshi cook while sipping wine.

www.restaurantokada.com

Blue Point

A short bike ride away, in the adjacent neighborhood of pretty Shirokane, is a sophisticated bistro called Blue Point.  It reminds me of those upscale, urbane eateries in Gramercy Park, New York, except the food it much better.  The lunch there is superb and a great value.

I've decided that's one of the secrets about eating in Tokyo. Dinners are ludicrously expensive but lunches are a steal, comparatively.  So once you discover that over the top fabulous restaurant, check if it's open for lunch.  If it is, it's probably a fraction of the dinner price and just as good.

When Russell and I were first starting out and had no money, during the "Wager Surprise" days, a cheap concoction of rice, hamburger and assorted vegetables guaranteed to make leftovers for at least two nights and best served with box wine, we used to eat dinner at home.  But after dinner we would get all dressed up and go to the most exalted restaurants in town for two glasses of champagne and dessert.  This was a truly inspired, brilliant, dare I say, genius plan.  Did I mention I thought of it?  This was back when Russell made me live in Dallas, Texas for four years.  Surprisingly Dallas ranks in the top five of cities with the most restaurants per capita in the U.S.  That's because all there is to do in Dallas is eat and shop.  So places like the Mansion at Turtle Creek, The Rivera (tragically now defunct but once home of the best creme brulee ever!), the French Room at the Adolfus hotel, were all ours.  We were in our twenties and couldn't afford new shoes but we could say we had eaten at the best restaurants in town.  And it's a lot easier to get a reservation for 9:30 than 8p.

So yeah, back to Blue Point in Shirokane-dai.   The pre-fixe special is a great deal and you'll feel classy sitting in or outside watching the "well-heeled" crowd, and I'm talking about dogs, walk by.  Besides Blue Point there are other quaint side walk cafes, cute and fashionable boutique shops like the "Barkery" (accessories for purse pups).  But I like to call it "Weddinghood" because it seems like every other building is a wedding reception establishment.

Incidentally, did you know that Shirokane was named after a rich guy who lived there during the 13th century.  His nickname was "Shirokane Choja" which apparently means "man with a lotta coin" - nice. The street is lined with beautiful trees and flanked by forested areas, yes forested, which are owned by academic and private companies, such as the Institute for Nature Study and the Institute of Medical Science.  Together these grounds form one of the largest "green" districts in Tokyo.  (Thanks Wikipedia.)  The green areas trace back to mansions which existed during the Edo period.

So apparently it's been an upscale neighborhood since the sixteenth century, which is nice.