Christmas Dinner in an Izakaya -- Sennen No Utage in Shimbashi

Christmas in Japan is celebrated as a commercial occasion and not as a religious holiday.  On the days leading up to Christmas you'll see lots of decor, amazing light displays and all sorts of fabulous shop windows.  December 25  though is a regular working and school day. 

Still,  the Japanese do have Christmas dinners --  whether with their families, co-workers or friends.

On Christmas night, we were fortunate to have arranged for a dinner with very good friends 

from Singapore who were in Tokyo visiting their son for the holidays.  The Shimbashi station 

area  was convenient to both our hotels and has numerous bars, restaurants and cafes.

We didn't have to wander around for long before we settled on a place to eat.

In Tokyo, because real estate is so expensive, many restaurants do not have the luxury of a ground floor location.  Some buildings seem to contain nothing but restaurants and bars on all its floors.

Sennen No Utage is an izakaya (japanese bar) that is on the 2nd floor of this building.

I was worried that the restaurant might be full of revellers but it was still quiet when we walked up. 

Utage had a number of private rooms --  one of the trends among the bigger,  more upscale izakayas is to have small rooms for groups.  Perhaps seeing that we were foreigners,  we were given the tatami room with a dropped floor under the low table. 

An izakaya is a casual bar or pub. Izakayas are usually small, smoky places in narrow back streets and alleys where locals grab a beer and a bite after work.  

Sennen no Utage is a modern and more refined izakaya although I could still hear the raucous laughter and noise through the thin walls.  

Right after the oshibori or hot towels were handed to us, we were given this complimentary 

appetiser,  a creamy fish salad with some simmered daikon and green onions.  

I was glad to note that appearances notwithstanding,  Utage's menu consisted of typical 

izakaya fare.   We had assorted shio and tare yakitori -- tebasaki  (chicken wings),  reba (chicken liver), toriniku (white meat  and my least favourite),  negima  (chicken with negi or green onions) 

and  the  high-cholesterol-high-uric-acid but decadently delicious shiro  (isaw or chicken intestines) 

and bonjiri (chicken bottoms).  

Utage's menu was sprinkled with bits of creative tweaks on traditional bar fare.   

Because we were so intrigued by the description, we ordered gyoza wrapped in kawa (chicken skin).  Instead of a dumpling wrapper, thin chicken skin was wrapped around the meat filling then deep 

fried and glazed with a light teriyaki sauce.  This was delicious but quite fatty -- I much prefer the normal steamed-flash-fried gyoza.

Grilled beef tongue or gyutan is another common izakaya menu item.  The tongue is usually cut in bite sized pieces,  skewered on short bamboo sticks and grilled.  

At Utage we were served the gentrified version of gyutan  -- the tongue was sliced thinly, quickly

grilled and garnished with a bean sprout salad.  The gyutan was chopstick-tender and just melted in the mouth.  This was the one time throughout the whole meal that I wished I had a bowl of  rice.

The Japanese have a strange tradition of eating fried chicken, specifically Kentucky Fried Chicken for Christmas dinner.  We decided to order Utage's southern fried chicken, which the menu said was a house specialty.  It was like chicken schnitzel -- the meat had been pounded thin, seasoned, breaded and then deep fried.  It was crisp, juicy and didn't need any sauce at all.

I don't  like avocado but this Avocado Carpaccio turned me into a fan.  Thick slices of avocado 

were drizzled with a sauce of different kinds of cheeses (blue cheese was definitely present) and 

as a Japanese touch --  topped with delicious hijiki,  a type of seaweed that is considered as 

healthy and nutritious.

Perfectly cold Asahi beer complemented the food,  the conversation and yes, the peals of delighted laughter.   

Full disclosure.   I have to admit that we had two orders of everything.  You would think we would 

be full after the rich and creamy avocado -- but no, we still had some room for (just) one large 

platter of assorted sashimi.

Here we are after our Christmas dinner.    Utage was a great place to celebrate Christmas in Tokyo, 

in the company of long time, very dear friends.  Domo arigato gozaimashita, Anthony, Rina and Johann!

PS.   As we walked back to the hotel,  I couldn't resist taking this shot of the long queue outside 

KFC,  all of them lined up and waiting for their  Christmas chicken dinner.  

Christmas Day at the Kitano Tenmangu Flea Market

Christmas Day in Kyoto dawned bright and sunny though  still very cold at about 5C.  

Kyoto resident and good friend Meiko san had made a date to meet up with us on Christmas Day.  

I asked her to take us to the flea market at the Kitano Tenmangu shrine, which coincidentally, is held on the 25th day of each month.  

I had read that Tenjin san, as it is called, was one of the major flea markets in the area so of course I had to go and see it.

Marche aux Puces,  Kyoto style!

Perhaps because it was Christmas day, the crowds seemed unusually thick.  We had to literally elbow our way through the crush of people when we got to the entrance of the shrine.

 It was so interesting to see all the different stalls selling all kinds of food, dry goods, second hand clothes, etc.
Meiko san said that this was her first time in this flea market and she found it quite an experience as well. This flea market is one of the two more well known ones in Kyoto -- the other is the flea market held every 21st of the month at the Toji Temple.

This lady was selling chocolate covered bananas that were too irresistible to pass by.

 There was even a stall selling fresh fish.  This man had very fresh looking salmon.

 Tenjin san has many stalls aimed at young children such as this booth with an interesting assortment of both traditional and modern toys.

There are game booths where kids can try their hand at winning prizes.  It was just like one big happy "perya" or country fair.

The ultimate destination is at the end of the flea market grounds.  This large wooden gate marks the entrance to the Kitano Tenmangu shrine.  I think it is one of the most  beautiful gates that I have seen not just in Kyoto but in Japan.

The shrine is one of the more important shrines in Kyoto.  Dedicated to a renowned scholar, Suguwara Michizane,  Kitano Tenmangu has been around since 950 AD and  is associated with Tenjin, the Shinto god for education.
Meiko san said that it is a major destination for students,  as they seek help for success in their studies and exams.

A number of statues of oxen are found in Kitano Tenmangu because Michizane san was born in the year of the ox.  Most of the visitors who come here rub the ox statues as a way to get good luck.

 This particular  statue made of multi coloured stone is said to have healing powers.  Meiko san told me to rub a part of the ox's body corresponding to a part of my body that has pain or illness and that  illness would  be transferred to the ox.

Further inside the shrine grounds is this hall where a long line of people have queued up to ring the bell and pay their respects to the Shinto god.  Meiko san said that Shinto gods were like humans -- not omnipresent and so, were not always in the shrine -- you rang the bell to summon them to come and give their blessing.

As in other temples and shrines, wooden tablets such as these are for writing petitions and wishes on.

Note the plum blossom design on the lantern.  The plum tree was a particular favourite of Michizane san and they are planted all over the grounds.

If it were spring, the hundreds of plum trees in Kitano Tenmangu shrine would be in full bloom and would be such a sight to behold.  But for now, I had to content myself with looking at their leafless twigs and imagining their springtime beauty.

 Soon it is lunchtime and we head out of the shrine and back onto the flea market grounds.  People continue to arrive but the crowd is not as thick as it was.

 The wide array of local food stalls has made me decide to have an impromptu picnic lunch at Kitano Tenmangu.
It would be a different and delicious way to enjoy a Christmas day meal.  Karaage, sold from a vendor and placed in a small paper cup, was bite sized, piping hot, perfectly crusted and to quote the Colonel -- finger licking good!

 One stall was selling okonomiyaki, a traditional Kansai and Osaka dish.  The vendor said his okonomiyaki was "Hiroshima" style and this meant that in addition to the batter, vegetables,  seafood and meat, it also had noodles.

Hiroshima style okonomiyaki was really good.  The noodles made for slightly toasted crust which enhanced the soft creaminess of the batter and the vegetables.  The generous serving of bonito flakes on top was the delightful coup de grace.

I smelled before I saw these rolls grilling on a bamboo mat and couldn't resist asking about them.  The vendor said it was butabara or pork belly.  That's bacon to me!

I bought one and before he handed it to me, he put some cheese on top and melted it with a mini blowtorch.  

Biting into the roll, you get the smoky flavour of the bacon or butabara and the gooey goodness of melted cheese.  Inside is soft slightly sticky Japanese rice.  What a genius combination!

The takoyaki vendor was a popular favourite.   Like okonomiyaki, takoyaki is an Osaka and  Kansai "soul food" .   Big, plump, glazed with sauce and topped with a sprinkle of herbs, each ball was a mouthful of bliss.

What's a picnic lunch without beer? Asahi Super Dry added to our Christmas cheer.

This is Meiko san who was so generous with her time and friendship, making sure that we would not feel lonely in Kyoto on Christmas day.   It must have been so tiring to walk all over the flea market, in the biting cold and then have to sit on hard wooden benches for a very casual outdoor picnic lunch. 

Christmas in Kyoto was definitely a different experience -- yet one to treasure and remember in the years to come.   Merii kurisumasu mina san!

Note : thanks to my son Gani and husband Jay for some of the photos used in this post.

Paris 3rd Time Around - Day 12 : Gifts on Christmas Day

Being in Paris for the third straight Christmas is a gift unto itself yet today Christmas day, we continued to receive gifts that nourished the heart and the spirit -- and yes, the stomach too!

Mother Nature gave us the first gift of the day -- a morning filled with sunshine -- cold but sunny and dry.  The forecast was for 60% chance of rain for Christmas day but when we walked out of the apartment, this was what greeted us.  Sunlight!  A great Christmas day present!

We had decided to hear Christmas Day mass at a different church, one that we could walk to.  St. Germain de Pres is the oldest church in Paris but since we had heard Sunday mass there, we walked right past.

What glorious weather for Christmas morning!  It was bitingly cold but the sky was blue and the sun was out -- again bathing the city in what I call "Paris glow".

We were on Rue Sevres and facing my favorite store -- Bon Marche.
But not today, we were headed for a small church that we had discovered a few days ago.
Eglise Saint Ignace is the Jesuit church in Paris and is hidden inside an ordinary building.  If you did not look up to see the small sign, you would walk right past it.

But the minute you go inside the building and open the inner doors you come face to face with this beautiful church.
It dates back from the late 1800s when the owner of the building donated space for the Jesuits to build their main church.  It has since been covered up by the commercial building that now surrounds it but inside is this peaceful, serene haven of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
Fourteen Jesuits concelebrated Christmas day mass.  The smallish congregation of regular mass goers sang accompanied by the full tones of the pipe organ.  Such an uplifting experience.
We both felt so lucky and humbled to have heard mass on this day, in this church dedicated to St. Ignatius de Loyola.

The mass ended past 12 noon and we decided we would continue to walk to our next destination.  The 6th arrondissement has most everything in close proximity to each other -- from churches (St. Germain de Pres, St. Sulpice, Miraculous Medal, St. Ignace and more) to streets that are crammed with the best and the trendiest stores.  

Rue du Cherche Midi is a long road that extended from the St. Germain area all the way to Montparnasse.  It's a very old and aristocratic neighborhood but that isn't why my heart skipped a beat when I saw the street sign.

I knew that this street was home to Poilane -- french bread and pastry maker nonpareil.  I had read so much about this shop and had been wanting to try it for myself.  Poilane supplies most of the best restaurants in Paris with their bread and they usually have long lines in front of their stores. Their have been known to run out of their specials quite often.
But again -- here was a gift for Christmas Day.  Poilane was open -- to my great surprise.  And there were only a few people in the store.  I didn't even have to stand in line.
Poilane of course deserves a post to itself so let us leave this for the meantime.

We continue our walk down Rue Bonaparte.  The streets are almost deserted -- people are probably sleeping off the excesses of the previous nights reveillon.

From Rue Bonaparte, we turn and stop by one of my favorite churches in Paris -- Eglise de Saint Sulpice.  There's something about its towering yet simple majesty that I just never get tired of.  The church seems to be undergoing cleaning and restoration -- portions of the structure gleam in the noon light.

St. Sulpice leads us to the back door of Jardin de Luxembourg, our favorite public park in Paris.  As usual, we forget to pack a picnic lunch so we'll just stroll and relax and enjoy the beautiful day.

Favorite Paris pastime -- sit on one of the green metal chairs and put our feet up.  The bright sun does little to dispel the wind and the cold but we turn our faces to it -- soaking up what warmth we can feel. The gardens are almost bare of flowers but the grass is green and lush -- you would not think it was the middle of winter.

It is past 2 pm when we reluctantly take our leave of Jardin de Luxembourg. Pan frolics and plays his flute near one of the entrances -- it's been such a happy day, I feel like doing a dance of joy myself.

Before walking home -- a 20 minute leisurely stroll from the park -- we duck into a corner brasserie -- Le Luxembourg.  Time for a late lunch -- and it's always time for my favorite beer!  We sit outdoors and the wind whips through the plastic awnings -- thankfully the waiter turns on the heaters above our table.

The brasserie caters to park visitors, tourists, locals alike and the menu board has a pretty good line up  that range from sandwiches, appetizers, salads to full meals.

We enjoyed looking out at the Jardin de Luxembourg but were glad to be semi-inside.  The temperature had dropped since the sun had gone behind the clouds.

The plate of assorted hams and dry sausages plus a very good pate are perfect with the beer.
It's light for lunch but quite a filling snack -- enough to tide us over till the evening.

Just before dusk, we head out of the apartment again to attend the fourth of the concerts I had booked online.  We crossed the Boulevard Saint Michel and I looked back at my favorite, my very own bridge with my initials N and N.  This is Pont Au Change.  Of course N stands for Napoleon who  must be rolling in his grave because of my perfidious thoughts.

We head for the Pont d' Arcole which links Notre Dame Cathedral with the Hotel de Ville -- which is not a hotel but is really Paris' city hall.  From afar, we can see it all lit up, twinkling with lights.  It looks like a huge fairytale castle, something straight out of Disney.  The entire scene -- the beautifully lit buildings, the reflection on the Seine and an almost full moon above -- such a gorgeous, magical Christmas night in Paris!

Even from the side, the Hotel de Ville is brightly lit -- illuminating our walk as we head for the Eglise des Billettes -- the site of the Christmas concert we had tickets for.

All the past concerts we had attended had featured classical music -- tonight's program however would be an evening of Gospel Music with the group Gospel River.  Jay loves this kind of music and I thought it would be a great idea to surprise him with music that he really enjoys -- after all, he had been listening to my choices the past days.
And we were both not disappointed -- Gospel River turned out a foot stomping, arms waving, joy inducing show -- as only gospel singers can!

After the hour and a half concert, it was time to head back to apartment.  Since the walk takes about 20 minutes, there was no real need to take the metro.  On the way back, we stopped in front of the Hotel de Ville again to watch the skaters on the special rink the city had constructed for the holidays.
It looked like everyone was enjoying their Christmas evening!

We passed by Notre Dame once more on the walk back to the apartment.
Such an awe inspiring and exalting sight!
As we ended this Christmas evening, I felt we had been given this wonderful gift -- to take home and keep in our hearts and minds for always.