Takejiro's Edibles

Seafood Restaurant

2010-05-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

I will always love seafood. Here you can grill the fresh seafood on your table. A daily meal set costs 999JPY. Today I had 2 clams, 1 turban shell, and 1 big clam. Before that, they gave me a delicious beef appetizer topped with cheese. Ordered the "surprise" salmon sushi 799JPY. The fish was lightly grilled and wrapped in huge rice rolls. I guess the surprise element was the huge slices of fish meat. I used my hands to eat it because it was too big and heavy for my chopsticks. Finished with the ramen soup 399JPY. I kept it warm on the grill. I felt pregnant after walking out of the store and all it cost me was about 1500JPY (shared). Era, Azabujuban.

Beef Pho

2010-05-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

The best beef pho I've ever had in Tokyo, only for about 700JPY. Might be too spicy for some. The shop only has one counter for a few customers. I keep coming back here just for this. Saigon, Tokyu Food Show, Shibuya.

日吉の回転寿司

2010-05-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

Crab miso soup. Forgot to check how much it was. My stomach welcomed the warm soup with glee after wolfing a mountain of sushi.

R-Burger

2009-11-04T07:05:00.000-08:00

By using steamed bread instead of the usual, this burger turned out extraordinary...and also smaller. I guess that was my only complaint for this one. The salad wrap that came with it was delicious and it was perfect with the chili dip. This was a shrimp tofu burger set and it cost 750JPY. A little too much for just a few bites but then again, you get what you pay for especially in Roppongi. R-Burger is in Roppongi near exit 4a.

Tantan Ramen

2009-11-04T07:02:00.000-08:00

From some shop right outside exit 2 of Azabujuban. Cost me 870JPY. Comes with a free kimchi side dish. Serving was huge but too pricey for its value.

Manrikiya, Azabujuban

2009-11-02T05:51:00.000-08:00

Goma (sesame seed) Ramen. Spicy and hot. Sprinkled with a lot of herbs to tease your tongue. It was love at first bite for me. I found myself going back for the other items in the menu and I wasn't disappointed.Braised beef with garlic and egg. My new favorite!! It costs 880JPY. Average I say but the serving is huge and you can share it. It might be too spicy for Japanese tongues though. Manrikiya is in Azabujuuban, Minato-ku Tokyo.

Moyashi/Bean Sprouts

2009-11-02T05:47:00.000-08:00

Only 180JPY at Harajuku Gyoza. Love it to bits.

Seiren's Mabu Tofu

2009-11-02T05:43:00.000-08:00

I used to come to this restaurant a lot with the Jazz Ken. Those kids never get tired of the menu here. It's good anyway. Chinese fare for under 1000 yen. Good enough to warm your heart.

Oatmeal Choco-chip Muffins

2009-06-14T03:52:00.000-07:00

And finally, I learned how to do it right. The taste was great and they looked fabulous. My previous muffins looked like flying saucers because I placed them too close to each other in the oven. The trick was to spread them out evenly and fill them up to 2/3 of the muffin cup. I also took care not to overmix the final batter. It was my first time to use whole wheat flour or 全粒粉. I used a 3:1 ratio for it and all purpose flour. I also reduced the oil to a quarter and added apple jam (I couldn't find apple sauce). This was an attempt to make the muffin "healthier" and easy on my diet. My next step is to completely replace the sugar with artificial sweetener. I have a feeling making this is going to get more and more expensive...

Ampalaya; Bitter Gourd; ゴーヤ Dish

2009-06-14T02:22:00.000-07:00

I was never a fan of ampalaya. There's something about its taste that I find a bit off. But now I have come to love it. I guess sometimes one just needs a bit of bitterness once in a while. One piece of goya ゴーヤ cost me about 150JPY. I just soaked it in salt and squeezed it to get rid of the bitter taste. Then I sauteed it with tofu, eggs, some salsa, and bell peppers. Filling and healthy! Loved it. Perfect for my low-carb diet.

Nutella Muffins

2009-06-06T00:25:00.000-07:00

I made these babies for a friend's birthday. I used a full recipe and ended up with 7 large muffins. Everybody fought for it and seemed to have enjoyed it. They also looked pretty and according to one of my friends I got really lucky because they turned out great. I think I'm getting better at baking!

White Chocolate Vanilla Muffins

2009-05-27T08:55:00.000-07:00

So after my success with some coconut-banana muffins, I decided to try another flavor. I asked my friends what they wanted and the majority chose vanilla. I found a recipe that had white chocolate and lemon. I almost always believe that recipes with lemon rock. And apparently it did. My friends loved the muffins. Or they just love me too much they can't say I failed badly.

Tacos from Hirosaki

2009-05-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

I took a trip to Aomori prefecture a while back. It was the farthest I've been from Tokyo. We dropped into a Mexican restaurant near the station for dinner one night and we were quite glad we did. I can't seem to find a lot of those here in Japan. I think it was called Jalapeno. What you can see here is a tuna taco, which wasn't actually that good. We had beef tacos before this and it was extremely delicious we had to sacrifice 700 more yens so we can try another one. We wish we had just ordered another beef one though.

Spicy Gambas

2008-07-09T03:49:00.000-07:00

I grabbed a 350JPY 200g pack of shrimps and immediately decided to make spicy gambas for dinner. I tossed in some chopped tomatoes to give it more color.

shelled shrimps
chopped garlic
dried red chili
chopped tomato
olive oil for sauteing
lemon

Marinate the shrimps in lemon juice for about 15 minutes. Heat the oil and saute the garlic until golden brown. Add the dried chili and stir for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook until soft. Put the shrimps in and cook until they curl a bit (do not overcook).

I also had salad to go with it. I don't know the English name of the greens though.

Bento #2 Burger patties and broccoli

2008-07-07T02:26:00.000-07:00

I know it looks the same as my first. I can't help but love kiwi. I also missed putting something red. A proper bento should have at least 5 colors to make it look really appealing. It should also contain the 3 basic food groups: grain, meat, fiber/veggies. I love how the broccoli turned out so green. I was only able to eat the fruits because we decided to have lunch at a nearby restaurant but some friends were kind enough to finish everything for dinner

Cheesy Salmon and Tomatoes

2008-07-06T05:05:00.000-07:00

This dish smelled really great. I think I used tarragon and parsley. The most interesting flavor was the Parmesan cheese. This might also go well with pasta.

Remembering Khas: Beef Garlic and Cabbage

2008-07-06T04:35:00.000-07:00

Back in my UP days, my Neus and I loved to eat at Khas, the restaurant next to the university pool. And I always ordered this dish while my hubby had keema and ox brain. I'm not trying to make an exact copy, I just like cabbage and I happened to have left-over ground beef.

Ingredients:
ground beef
chopped garlic
dried chili
chopped cabbage
salt
pepper

Heat a bit of oil in a pan then throw in the beef. Break it up and cook until no longer pink. Add the garlic and chili. Stir a bit then add salt and pepper. Let cook for 15-20 minutes. Add the cabbage and stir until soft around 3 minutes.

Chili Crab Pasta

2008-06-30T04:37:00.001-07:00

I found this recipe on the net as I was craving for crab yesterday. It's just a simple combination of crab flakes, chili oil, chili flakes, parsley, and garlic. I was in a hurry to consume it I forgot to add parmesan cheese. It tasted all right without it anyway. I used a whole can (50ml) of minced crab for 1 serving and it cost me 249JPY (Tokyo prices are crazy!).

First Bento

2008-06-29T03:24:00.000-07:00

This is my first official bento post. I know I posted one before but I put a lot more effort on this one and it looked so cute I didn't want to eat it! I only make bentos once a week but I look forward to it all the time. In this bento:

Shrimp nuggets
Broccoli, mushroom, shrimp stir fry (care of Orijin)
Plain rice
Mango cubes and kiwi slices

Shrimp Nuggets and Toumyou

2008-06-29T00:18:00.000-07:00

I discovered these microwavable shrimp nuggets recently. It's such a no-brainer to prepare and I'm afraid I'm going to end up buying lots of these. You can get a pack of 6 at 200JPY. Really useful when you're saving up for a weekend vacation/night out. I was proud as I finally did the Toumyou right this time. The trick is to really saute them under a minute, then you'll end up with crunchy veggies. :)

Toumyou トウミョウ: A New Veggie Favorite

2008-06-24T05:13:00.000-07:00

They are also known as snow pea sprouts I think. A pack costs 158JPY in a Tokyu grocery store. But I've found others selling it for 128. They're awesome with garlic, salt, and fresh ground pepper. And they're ready after less than a minute of sauteing. Perfect for impatient souls.

Salmon and corn

2008-06-24T05:10:00.000-07:00

A very quick dinner

Salmon and Toumyou

2008-06-12T06:39:00.000-07:00

This is my second version of the recipe. For the first one, I used grated garlic and freshly chopped rosemary for the fish. I think I accidentally erased my picture of it. So this time I used tarragon, parsley and basil. Then I sprinkled a bit of fresh lemon juice and covered the fish with flour. I am now a fan of the toumyou vegetable.

Creamy Chicken and Leek

2008-06-12T06:20:00.000-07:00

Tadah! This is one of my successful inventions. It was good for 3 servings. I just made whatever was left in the fridge into something edible. :)

You'll need: 1 leek, 1 big chicken breast, 3 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup white wine, olive oil for frying, 1/2 cup cream of mushroom, salt, pepper, basil, and tarragon.

Cut the green part of one leek and throw it away. Half it lengthwise, fan out and wash thoroughly. Then cut into thin half rings and set aside. Cut some chicken breast into 1 inch cubes. Mince some garlic. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and throw in the chicken. Saute until no longer pink (about 7 minutes). Take out the chicken and put in the leeks and garlic. Add 1/4 cup of white wine (I used cooking Japanese sake). Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Put back the chicken then add 1/2 cup of cream of mushroom. Stir for about a minute. Season with salt, lots of freshly ground pepper, basil, and tarragon. Partially cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve hot with rice!

Spicy Bhurmese Chicken

2008-06-08T06:07:00.000-07:00

According to my roommate this wasn’t spicy enough. I used only two small chili. My mouth burned after every bite. One can only imagine how hot Bhurmese dishes usually are. But it was good, nothing revolutionary though. It was like spicy chicken menudo sans the potatoes and carrots.

Ingredients

chicken breast
chopped tomatoes (same amount as the chicken)
green chili (cut in half to make it mildly hot, chop to make it hot, and mince for extra hot)
1/3 tsp of fish preserve for every 100g of chicken

Bhurmese Fish Preserves. A bit like bagoong, but drier and finer (probably pound).

Calamares with garlic mayo dip

2008-06-08T06:05:00.000-07:00

It wasn’t so bad. But I don’t think I’ll be making these again soon as the preparation time is too long (2 hours total). I had to clean the icky squids myself. I had a Swiss Roll for dessert.

Herbed chicken

2008-06-08T06:04:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow’s bento (packed lunch).

Spam and Egg

2008-06-08T06:03:00.001-07:00

Yesterday’s breakfast. Spam and scrambled egg.

The Workplace

2008-06-08T06:02:00.000-07:00

This is my kitchen, where it all happens.

Braised Salmon and Leeks

2008-06-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Probably the healthiest dish I’ve made. Just added a few drops of olive oil. The fish was steamed on top of the leeks. I think this would make a great homemade date meal.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Salmon

2008-06-08T05:59:00.001-07:00

Taken May 19, 2008. I swear that’s what this dish is called. I didn’t realize leeks are yummy. This one was quick and easy.

Pancit Palabok

2008-06-08T05:58:00.000-07:00

Taken May 25, 2008. It wasn’t too orange because I didn’t have atsuete. I used red Indian curry powder instead and it ended up a little hot. I also didn’t have chicharon so I just used dried fish flakes.

Macaroons

2008-06-08T05:56:00.000-07:00

Taken May 22, 2008. A few friends volunteered to do the quality assurance test and I hope they honestly liked it. :p

Sweet and sour fish

2008-06-08T05:55:00.001-07:00

Taken May 13, 2008. The recipe recommended a whole fish but I was cooking for just one hence just two fillets.

Baked Tortang Talong

2008-06-08T05:52:00.000-07:00

Taken April 21, 2008. I had to use 2 eggplants because the grocery store didn’t have long ones. I didn’t like it too much. Maybe I’ll use beef instead of pork next time.

Baked Macaroni

2008-06-08T05:51:00.001-07:00

Taken April 3, 2008. Made in about 2 hours. I just discovered that the microwave could also be used as an oven. I’ve yet to let others taste this and confirm that it’s absolutely delicious.

Japanese curry

2008-06-08T05:50:00.001-07:00

Taken February 4, 2008. Used S&B curry mix.

Chop Suey

2008-06-08T05:49:00.001-07:00

Taken last September 25, 2007. Chop suey with Vietnamese fish sauce as a substitute for patis as I cannot find a Filipino store here in Hiyoshi.

Chicken Adobo

2008-06-08T05:40:00.000-07:00

My first chicken adobo in Japan! Taken October 2, 2007. It tasted so good I decided to learn other things to cook. Ever since that day I found joy in my little kitchen here in Hiyoshi.