40 posts tagged “japanese”

Maid cafes are all the rage in Japan. LA's very first maid cafe has opened in Culver City, down the street from the arts district. Royal/T is also a gallery and Japanese pop culture store. Here are reviews from PingMag and my friend, Tokyo ala Mode.

My dining companion J took me to Furaibo, an izakaya on Sawtelle. J is a real foodie and pushed me to try strange new things like chicken gizzard and beef tongue. Both were not as bad as I thought it would be, but I would never crave it again.

Yet another yakitori.

I'm not telling you where it is though because it's a super small place and some things should stay hidden.

UPDATE: Well, our beloved Bincho was shut down. The place was like one of those small places you'd find in a hidden alley in Tokyo. It was smokey, with live burning wood coals and the "man" doesn't like it. And, probably, all our love tipped them off that something good (which must be bad) was going on.

When people say "fusion food" they're usually referring to the blending of one ethnic cuisine with another like traditional Asian ingredients with French culinary techniques. Serving foie gras with a wasabi mayo on a bed of truffle risotto.

So what the hell then is Fusion Sushi? Why, it's sushi with a bulk of its menu made up of those creative, experimental, these-can't-be-Japanese rolls.

I'm fascinated by many things of which art and food are high on the list. Bento lunch art is a combination of both. Bento, traditional Japanese boxed lunches, hold a great amount of endearment. The more elaborate the bento the more, it's safe to say, the person loves you. That's why giving someone a homemade bento lunch holds so much significance.

I scoured the internet for samples of bento art. Here's a link to the recent Hello Kitty bento contest.

I also found two blogs from Japanese mothers who chronicle their lunch making adventures.