MIFA Tokyo Tour 10/22/2011

Some pictures on our Tokyo Tour with the Minato International Friendship Association

Baon for next week: Pritong Paksiw na Salmon

I don't really like paksiw na isda especially if it is the type where the fish is cooked in it's complete form, i.e. not chopped up. It feels like the fish died in an aquarium full of vinegar and spices. But because paksiw is such a good Filipino dish that has quite a distinct flavor (probably because of the vinegar, ginger and onions), we at home would resort to frying the fish that was originally in the paksiw. We'd even cook it, to mom's horror,  until it is crispy on the outside.

Anyway, I am not really sure if salmon can be cooked as paksiw but I gave it a try. I was able to buy two big pieces of fish in hanamasa this afternoon. These will be my baon or dinner for next week. It's actually a very simple dish. I just chopped an onion and ginger and placed them in a pan together with some vinegar. I added pepper in the mixture and some seasoning (I don't have Maggi Magic Sarap but I do have Aji Ginisa Mix so that's what I used). Then I placed the fish and a little bit of water and placed in on the stove. Kept the temperature at a moderate level and cooked the fish until there's no more liquid. Once the liquid has evaporated, I took out the onions and ginger, added a bit of oil and then fried both sides of the fish and voila... I have something for lunch next week.

I actually tried it and the dish was quite ok. Maybe a little bit of the ginger flavor was missing... memo to me: use more ginger next time. Oh well... not a bad first attempt. :D

 

....keeps the boredom away

A movie a day that is....

One thing about being in Japan is that the internet here is so, sooooooo, fast... I don't even have to download the movie. I just watch it streaming and it doesn't even need to buffer. Just wait for the movie to load and it keeps on playing... Gawrsh...

I have actually seen movies that have been yet to be seen here in Japan, like Friends with Benefits

and Bad Teacher


Gawrsh... I better put a system to the movie watching that I am doing or else I'll end up just watching anything.  Hmmm... Come to think of it, that's not such a bad idea...

Afritada and Chopsuey

My baon for this week:

Chicken afritada: Chicken, carrots, potato and green peppers and mama Sita's afritada or menudo sauce.

The procedure was quite simple: fry the carrots and potato, then set aside. Fry the chicken in the oil where you fried the potato and carrots until brown. Once brown, add the mama sita's sauce (which was dissolved in water beforehand), simmer and add the green peppers. Once the green peppers are cooked, you're done!

Chopsuey: Chicken, carrots, cabbage, spring beans (togue), green bell peppers, onions, garlic

I just sauteed everything then added the Mama Sita's chopsuey mix.

Am getting so domesticated here in Japan. I just hope, I'll always find time to cook because it is such a good way to destress.

Collecting a deck of cards

After my first full week (Sunday to Saturday) in Tokyo, I've come to realize that technology plays a central role in the lives of the people here. The very basic thing like entering a room is dependent on technology, even riding the train and even borrowing books and photocopying things.

What do I mean by technology? Well, here in Japan, during the first few days of being here, we were given these cards: (From the top left)
1. TIEC card - which i use to enter the dorm and get in my room.
2. My teki or train pass which I use to ride the trains (at a discounted rate too)

3. The copy card which I use to photocopy documents and print.

4. Brastel call card - which I got from Yotsuya Church. This I use to call home at a cheaper rate. 

5. Finally, my GRIPS ID card which I use to enter the  school premises and to enter the library and to borrow books.

I am expecting to receive three more cards soon:

1. My alien card
2. My national health insurance card
3. My ATM card

I think it is because of Japan's highly developed technological capability that they have started resorting to key cards for everything. Now, I have to figure out a way of keeping these things organized in my wallet or in my bag.

A week of Firsts

The past five days have been filled with firsts.


My FIRST dinner in Japan was Mcdonalds. Good thing they have this healthy option where you can turn your fries into a salad so I didn't feel that much guilty about eating unhealthily. My chicken burger was a bit oily and but very very flavorful. It's a salt and pepper coated chicken with a hint of wasabe so I got a kick, albeit not a strong one whenever I bit into the parts that had a hint of wasabe.

My FIRST breakfast in Japan (Friday morning) was from the convenience store near the dorm complex.
I don't think it is worth describing the taste of microwaved spaghetti.

Finally, it was also my FIRST dinner in Japan that I cooked by myself. Yes, I can now cook.
I'd call my dish... wok sauteed garden vegetables with pan-seared chicken....
or ginisang gulay na may manok.

Recipes - always reliable, always good, Filipino food.

As part of my birthday mini-gatherings, Ate Fen and I met up for lunch. I just really wanted to catch up with her, especially after finding out that she can know administer weddings (hehehe, Joke lang, Ate Fen!) and since my departure date for Japan is fast approaching.

We ate at Recipes which is at the second floor of Greenbelt 3. Going there, I already know what I want to eat... The crispy fried tilapia,


and the gising gising.


Of course, because it is my birthday celebration, there should always be pansit.


Ate Fen ordered chicken teriyaki.


Just like always, the tilapia was very crispy (although this time a bit dry or overcooked for me, kasi nga crispy, enuveh!), and the accompanying toyo with suka and sili or onions was perfect. It brings back memories from childhood when crispy fried tilapia would be the favorite ulam whenever it is raining.

The gising gising is still the coconut-cream based vegetable dish. It gives the additional color to our dish and the additional crunch since the green beans are very crunch.

The chicken teriyaki was very flavorful. The little bite that I had made me want some more but I was already full.  Still, I helped myself to a few more pieces of chicken.

The pansit was best served hot. The noodles were firm and the it is the type of pansit that I liked: not dry but a bit saucy, just like how mom makes her pansit.

Recipes for me is all about Filipino food but more than that it is about the memories that those food remind me whenever I eat there.