Stage 1 at Sun Road Shopping Town / ステージ１ サンロード青森

Another culinary excursion in Aomori. We were doing some shopping at Sun Road (a large shopping mall in Aomori) and decided to have lunch there as well. There is a modest restaurant area on the third floor of the building. Today we decided to have lunch at a place called Stage 1. My mother-in-law had the Korean bibimbap in a stone bowl. My wife ordered the hamburger steak topped with daikon oroshi and I had a beef kalbi and rice pilaf. Lunch was served with soup and salad.

二月の終わり位に青森の大型ショッピングセンターで買い物した。この場所はサンロード青森という。買い物を終えたら、ビルの３階にあるレストラン街でランチを食べた。今日選んだ店は「ステージ１」。いろいろあって、家族には良い雰囲気の店。義理の母が石焼ビビンバを注文、妻は大根おろし乗せのハンバーグ。自分は牛カルビとライスピラフ。ランチにスープとサラダ付です。

Bibimbap in a stone bowl / 石焼ビビンバ

Hamburger steak topped with daikon oroshi / 大根おろし乗せハンバーグ

Beef kalbi and rice pilaf / 牛カルビとライスピラフ

Most restaurants in Japan serve cabbage for salad instead of lettuce.

日本のレストランのサラダは大体キャベツですね。アメリカならレタスのサラダのほうが一般的。

Today's soup was corn potage.

本日のスープはコーンポタージュ。

Bon Appetit!

いただきます！

Ramen shop [Asari] / ラーメン処 「あさ利」

One of our favorite ramen shops in Aomori City is this place called [Asari]. It usually has a long line of customers waiting to get in. The shop itself is rather small with a maximum seating of maybe twenty people in the main dining hall. What we love about this ramen shop is their negi ramen. If you're not a regular and order the negi ramen right off the menu, you're going to receive one extremely hot and spicy bowl. At this shop, you can request the spiciness of the negi ramen in 5 levels. The first time my wife took me here, she ordered a 2 (or a 1/2) which is half the spiciness. The minute it was brought to our table, I took one whiff of the ramen broth and it made me start coughing. Now, my wife and I always order a 3 (1/3 spiciness). This is still extremely spicy and cannot be eaten in a rush. You must take your time and savor the negi (onions) and the chashu (pork). Definitely not recommended for the weak of heart.

私たちが青森市で大好きなラーメン屋があります。店の名前は「あさ利」。この店の前はいつも行列が出来ている。店内はちょっと狭いけど、多分メインダイニングで２０人位しか入れない。それで満席になってしまう。店の名物はネギラーメン。気を付けないとひどい目に会うよ。妻が最初に僕を連れた時、もちろんネギラーメンを注文してくれた。僕が知らなかったのは、この店のネギラーメンは５段の辛さがある。なにも言えずに注文したら、一番辛いやつが出てくる。妻がその当時は２を注文した。２という意味は２分の１の辛さ。テーブルに来た途端で、僕が結構咳をした。超辛かった。ちょっと衝撃すぎた。今なら私たちが行くと、３（３分の１）を注文する。これでもまだ辛いですよ。でも病みつきになる味。早くラーメンをすすると、また咳が出るに間違いない。これはゆっくり味わうラーメンです。ラーメンに入ってる叉焼もう最高に美味しい。青森に来たら、是非この店のネギラーメンを召し上げってみて下さい！

Bon Appetit!

いただきます！

Ristorante [Orukesuta] 2nd Visit / リストランテ 「オルケスタ」２回目

A few days after Valentine's, my wife and I decided to have lunch at one of her favorite restaurants when she was still living in Aomori. A Spanish restaurant called [Orukesuta]. We wanted to come here for lunch for the combination plate specials. As their were two different lunch specials, I ordered the A lunch while my wife ordered the B set.

バレンタインデーの直後、僕と妻がまたランチで外食に出かけました。妻がまだ青森に住んでたころの好きなスペイン料理店の「オルケスタ」に行きました。これは青森に引っ越して２回目の来店。以前来た時、ランチセットが気になって、その為に来ました。１，１００円でワンプレートランチが２種類あて、僕がAランチを頼んで、妻がBランチを注文。

There were no other customers when we went, however, my wife did tell me that the place does get crowded during dinner time. I rather enjoy the quiet atmosphere.

私たちが行った時、全然混んでませんでした。妻によると、夜のほうが賑やかみたい。昼の静かな雰囲気も良いです。

Wall art with wine bottles.

壁にワインボトルでお洒落の飾り。

Salad was served first. It was topped with the restaurant's own dressing (at least I think it was).

サラダが最初に出てきまして。店の特性のドレッシング（と思うけど）、が美味しかった。

The soup is simple but still looks stylish.

スープもシンプルでお洒落。

Todays One Plate Lunch Menu / 本日のワンプレートランチ

Starting from the top left and going clockwise, my lunch consisted of a Spanish omelet, chicken simmered in a tomato broth, pasta with mushrooms, seafood paella, and of course as this is Aomori, grilled scallop on the half shell in the center of the plate.

左上から時計回りにスペインオムレツ、若鶏のトマトソース煮、きのこのパスタ、魚介パエリアそして青森県なので、プレートの真ん中に帆立の貝焼きがありました。

Also starting from the top left and going clockwise, my wife's B set lunch plate consisted of eggplant topped with cheese, shrimp gratin, spaghetti with basil, paella with squid ink and grilled scallop on the half shell.

同じく、左上ｋら時計回りに妻のランチプレートはなすのチーズ焼き、えびグラタン、バジリコスパゲッティ、イカスミパエリアと帆立の貝焼き。

Bon Appetit!

いただきます！

Valentine's Day 2017 / バレンタインデー ２０１７年

Trying to look respectable for an employment opportunity after moving to Aomori. It also happened to be Valentine's Day today. For my American friends, in case you didn't know, in Japan, its the women who give you or make you chocolates and sweets. A little marketing idea that Japanese confectionery companies came up with. This way, on March 14th, men and boys who received chocolates need to return the favor on a day called "White Day". That means the cake and sweet shops get to double their sales by having two days where people will buy chocolates!

青森市に引っ越して、就職活動してました。 今日も偶然にバレンタインデーでした。アメリカにいる友達たちはしらないかも知りませんが、日本ではバレンタインデーは女性が男性にチョコをあげる習慣がある。確か日本人の友達に聞いた話ですが、これはスウィーツショップが考えた作戦。一ヶ月後に男性が女性から貰ったチョコお返しする”ホワイト・デイ”を作り、チョコの売上が伸びるってこと。

Well, I'm not complaining as this was given to me from my wife.

文句は言ってませんよ。だって、これは自分の妻から貰ったプレゼントだ。

Ooh, fancy! And all for me!

うわー！お洒落！で、全部俺の物！

Of course I shared some with my wife. I'm not that greedy!

もちろん妻とシェアしましたよ。僕はそんなに貪欲の性格ではありません。

This was pretty awesome too!

これも結構洒落たチョコ！嬉しい！

But wait, a good friend of mine also gave me this as a present. Chocolate Bonbons filled with Japanese liqueur. 5 of the bonbons are made with shochu made from potatoes. 1 is filled with shochu made from barley, another is filled with shochu made from soba and 1 is filled with the Okinawan spirit of Awamori.

まだまだ貰ってるよ。これは友達から貰った日本の酒入のチョコボンボン。５個が芋焼酎入で、１個が麦焼酎で１個がそば焼酎で１個が泡盛。

Imo Shochu (made from potatoes)

Imo Shochu (made from potatoes) in dark chocolate

Mugi Shochu (made from barley)

Soba Shochu (made from soba)

Awamori

No worries. I didn't eat them all at once. But then again, they didn't last very long!

大丈夫。一気に食べてませんよ。でも確かにすぐなくなりました！