The Sun Princess

Now for the Sun Princess restaurant that I mentioned in my last post about Anan Restaurant.

I noticed this place right away when I got here two years ago. Despite that, I only tried it after Mindi came to visit me in Japan for the second time. I'm so slow, haha.

この前報告した「阿南レストラン」の記事で出た、「Sun Princess」だよ！

二年前、最初に阿南に着いたとき、このデザインの面白いレストランを見た。すぐにどんな味がするかと知りたかった。それなのに、今度ミンディが二回目に日本に来てくれて、初めて食べに行った。私って、遅いな～、笑。

The place is designed to look like one of those old-fashioned river boats. You can't see it in the photos, but around the outside there's an artificial moat, giving the illusion that it's really a boat floating in a river.

見た目は、昔のRiver Boatみたい。面白いでしょう？写真では見えないと思うけど、本当の川に浮かんでいる船に見えるように、外の周り人工の堀があるんだ。

And of course, the requisite fake food.

そして、もちろんの食品サンプル。

The inside even resembles the inside of a ship!

中も、船内の感じをさせられた。

The menu is really big, so we sort of took a while looking it over. We eventually decided to have an entree and a dessert each.

メニューには、いっぱいあって、ちょっと迷ってたけど、マインとデザートにしようと思った。

I went with the korokke (croquette) and karaage (fried chicken) combo. It came with miso soup, rice and salad. It was all good, but the korokke, fried in-house was especially crispy and probably the best korokke I've had anywhere thus far!

私のコロッケとから揚げせっと。味噌汁、ご飯、サラダ付きだった。

皆美味しかったけど、店内揚げたコロッケは、特にサクサクで、今まで食べたコロッケの中で一番美味しいのだった！

Mindi chose the katsudon. This thing is, without a doubt, premier among the katsudon we've tried. There was not even a single grain of rice left after we finished.

ミンディが選んだカツ丼。これは、間違いなく、私たちが食べたことがあるカツ丼の上々です。食べた後で、米の一粒も残らなかったんだ。

For dessert, I went with the chocolate cake. It had a certain coffee-like aroma, and reminded me a bit of tiramisu.

デザートは、私がこのチョコレートケーキにした。ちょっとコーヒーの香りしていて、何だかティラミスの感じだった。

Mindi had the matcha cheesecake. Even though the sauce was kuromitsu (like Japanese molasses), it wasn't too cloyingly sweet. It was light and a perfect dessert for a hot day.

ミンディは、抹茶チーズケーキを食べた。ソースが黒蜜だけど、甘すぎなかった。食べやすくて、暑い日にばっちりデザート！

I heartily recommend the Sun Princess!

Sun Princessは絶対におすすめをするよ！

Lunch at Anan Restaurant

The other day, Mindi and I finally went to Anan Restaurant, a place we've been eyeing for a while.  It's a cute, modest little place, with parking for only 5 or 6 cars. We has no idea what the food would be like, so we were trying to be ready for anything.

この間、ずっと食べてみたいと思ってた「阿南レストラン」に、ミンディと私が行った。車が五六台しか入れない駐車場があって、細やかで可愛いお店なんだ。どんな食事が出来るかさっぱり分からなくて、なんだか、チャレンジとして思った。

Like the outside, the inside was cozy, kind of like being at a friend's house. We two were the only guests there, so we had a chance to relax and chat without worry. I found it quite pleasant.

外側みたいに、中が友達の家のような気楽な感じだった。私たち二人以外に、お客がいなくて、気にせずにゆっくりと話が出来たし、気に入った。

Also, I love bay windows like this!

こんな出窓も大好き！

However, while the atmosphere was enjoyable, the food was less so.

けれど、空気が良かったのに、食べ物はちょっとがっかりだったんだ。

The oyako-don that Mindi ordered. ("Oyako" refers to the parent-child relationship of the principle ingredients, chicken and egg.) She said it was tasty enough, but she probably wouldn't have the urge to eat it again.

ミンディの親子丼。結構美味しかったけど、恐らくまた食べたくならないんだって。

This is my katsu-don. When I saw it it seemed like it would be pretty good, but after digging into it, I realized the rice was soaked with broth or something. That, I didn't care for. Not to mention the seasoning in the egg was a bit lackluster. But, I ordered a side of fresh rice, slid the toppings onto that, and it became about a thousand times more enjoyable! I think the dislike of really wet/soupy rice might just be due to my own personal preferences, though...

私のカツ丼。これはね、見たら美味しそうだったけど、ちょっと食べるとご飯がスープとかでびしゃびしゃしていると気付いて、あまり好きではなかった。玉子の味付けも薄かったしね。でも、新しいご飯をサイドでもらって、おかずをそのご飯に載せてから、何倍も美味しくなった。濡らしてあるご飯が嫌いということは、私だけの好みの所為かな。。？

To be honest, the prices at this place are relatively low. You get what you pay for, right? If I were looking to eat fast and cheap, this place would be just fine. But if I wanted a quality meal I could really relish, I would opt for the close-by Sun Princess (post to come), probably. 

I am glad we finally tried it out, though! 

実は、この店の値段が割りと安くて、「安かろう悪かろう」って言うことかね？早くて安くて食べたい時なら、ここピッタリ！でも、本間に美味しく味わえる食事したいと、近くのSun Princess (そこのポストがまだ）の方がいいと思う。

だけどやっぱり、やっと食べてみて嬉しいね。

Ja, mata ne!

じゃ、またね！

Omu-raisu at Oeuf

In Japan, food is generally separated into two categories: Japanese food and "western" food. The thing is, though, that a lot of the dishes thought of as western by Japanese people are considered Japanese food outside of Japan. An example of that is "omu-raisu." If I ask my students, they will inevitably say that omu-raisu is western food. But, if I ask my American friends, they answer that it's Japanese food.

I myself consider omu-raisu to be Japanese. Mindi's had a lot of Japanese food up to this point, but she hadn't had omu-raisu yet, so I wanted to go for some. In Anan, there's a particular restaurant that specializes in egg dishes, specifically omu-raisu, called "Oeuf." Even though I've always noticed it, I hadn't been yet, so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone and take Mindi there for her first omu-raisu while trying out the place. It was a good opportunity to cross off multiple goals, so last week we went for lunch.

日本では、食べ物が大体、二つのカテゴリーに分かれられている。それは、和食と洋食。けれど、日本人が洋食だと思っている料理が、日本以外に和食だと思われているということがある。その中での一つは、オムライス。私が生徒などに聞いたら、絶対に、オムライスが洋食だって。でも、アメリカ人の友達に聞くと、日本料理だという答えをもらう。

私も、日本料理だと思う。ミンディが、色々な和食を食べたことがあるが、オムライスはまだ食べたことがないので、一度食べてみようと思った。阿南では、ある美味しそうな玉子専門の「オーフ」って言うレストランがあるのに、食べてみたことがなかった。同時にミンディにオムライスを食べさせてあげたり、自分がオーフを食べてみたり出来て、チャンスって思って、先週お昼に行った。

The front of the store. It's pretty quaint, isn't it?
店の前、可愛いでしょ？

Inside, there's a free salad bar as well.

中には、サービスのサラダバーもある。

Pasta, wakame, potato, there are a whole bunch of salads you can try. I was quite pleased.

パスタ、若布、ポテト、色々なサラダが食べれて、嬉しかった！

There were so many good-sounding items on the menu that we spent a good twenty minutes trying to decide. Eventually we settled on what we wanted. Mindi went with this "Japanese-style" omu-raisu that has soy sauce, mirin, and konbu-flavored rice, and a mushroom sauce.

メニューに美味しそうなオムライスの種類が多くて、二十分も迷ってた。やっと、二人も決めた。ミンディは、この「和風オムライス」にした。醤油、味醂、昆布などの味付きのご飯で、上に掛けたのは、キノコソース。

As for me, I had tonkatsu omu-raisu with cheese. As the name suggests, there was melty cheese under the egg, and thick-cut tonkatsu with brown gravy on top. The rice was regular omu-raisu-style, flavored with chicken and ketchup. These entrees were HUGE, and by the end we were stuffed and happy!

We really want to try the other varieties, so we'll definitely be going back.

私は、チーズ入りのトンカツオムライスにした。呼び方通りに、玉子の下にとろりと溶けているチーズがあって、上に厚切りトンカツとソースがあった。ご飯は、普通のチキンとケチャップライスだった。このオムライスは、量が多くて、最後に中が一杯で満腹だった！

他の種類も食べてみたいから、すぐに、また行くよ！

Ramen at Dai-son!

Two weeks ago, our English conversation class took us out for ramen at a place called Dai-son. It was the first time Mindi had had ramen, so we were pretty excited! We've had udon countless times, but we'd yet to have ramen, despite it being the more renowned of the two.

二週間前、英会話の方が、私とミンディに、ダイソンって言う店で、ラーメンを奢ってくれた。ミンディは、初めてラーメンを食べる時だったから、ワクワクしていたよ！何度もうどんを食べたことがあるのに、世界的に知られているラーメンは、まだだった。

There were complimentary eggs on the table, and plenty of spare bowls, spoon, chopsticks, etc. A pretty convenient setup, isn't it?

テーブルの上にサービスの玉子があって、予備の箸、ボール、スプーンなども自由に使えたということ。かなり便利なと準備よね。

Plus there was a menu of the popular items up on the wall.

壁にも人気のあるメニューが張っておいてあった。

Our spread!

ミンディと私の選んだもの！

First, chicken karaage. It was really tasty, but it came out super hot. We had to leave it alone for a little bit before we could eat it, hahah. We also ordered chaahan (fried rice), which you can see in the previous picture.

まずは、鶏から揚げ。すごく美味しかったけど、ちょう熱くて、ちょっと置いておいてから食べなきゃいけなかった、笑。前の写真に見えるけど、チャーハンも食べた！

Mindi, enjoying her ramen immensely!

美味しいラーメンを美味しく味わっているミンディ！

As for the ramen itself, I went with char siu (Chinese pork)...

ラーメンその物は、私がチャーシューにして。。。

...and Mindi decided on beef.

。。。ミンディは牛肉にした。

We both made use of the free eggs. They gave the broth even more body and velvety richness. It was superb! My favorite type of noodle is still udon, but ramen is quite awesome as well!

ミンディも私もサービスの玉子を入れてみた。スープの食感がさらにコクも贅沢な感じになって、美味しかった～。

一番大好きな麺類はやっぱり、うどんだけど、ラーメンも旨いよね！

Ummm....

Err.... Long time no post? I don't really have an excuse for not writing on here in over a month, other than distraction. Actually, I don't even have a proper post to put up right now. For the time being, though, I'll show you some awesome shots we took of the sunset the other day. Enjoy!

えーとね。。。。久しぶりだね。一ヶ月以上前から、色々なことで気が逸れて、何も書かなくて、申し訳ない。

今は、完成した記事がないけど、とりあえず、この間の素晴らしい夕焼けの写真を楽しんでください！

In the Classroom, Here and There

So there are a lot of differences in the way classes are conducted between Japan and America. Particularly in terms of what is expected of student behavior.

In America, students are to voluntarily participate in activities. For instance, if the teacher asks a question, it's normal for someone among the students to raise their hand and answer. The teacher doesn't want to *make* someone give an answer, and picking someone to answer is viewed as a kind of last resort.

However, in Japan, it's a different story. In my experience, students who will offer to answer a question without being called on are few and far between. For me, a teacher, this is a problem. As an American, and coming from that culture, being forced to call on students because no one is volunteering feels really awkward and embarrassing.

But, there is an even more troublesome difference. That being the student who doesn't answer even if they ARE called on. The first time I saw this in action, I was really kind of shocked. Staying silent even when spoken to, and ignoring a question, is the epitome of rudeness to me. If, in my high school, a kid had done something like that, they'd be thrown out of the classroom, and on top of that, most likely sent to the principal's office to get told off. It's well and truly unacceptable.

If you're wondering why a (Japanese) student wouldn't answer, it's not because of anything malicious. It's just that not knowing the answer is hideously embarrassing here. But none-the-less, if say a student were to study abroad in America or somewhere, they'd be in for a *very* rude awakening. Wouldn't that suck?

I know I can't change this aspect of Japanese culture. But I want to, as much as possible, increase these kids' English communication skills, and in turn their confidence, so they can participate in class without hesitation. I don't even mind if they bluntly say, "I don't know." It's far better than saying nothing at all! It might (probably) take me all school year, and be slow going, but I'll get there with them eventually.

日本では、授業の行い方がアメリカのと違うところがおおい。特に、生徒の期待されることが全く違う。

アメリカなら、授業で生徒が自ら活動に参加することになる。例えば、先生が皆に質問するとしたら、生徒は誰かが当てられずe 手を上げて答えるのが普通なんだ。先生が答えさせたくない、生徒を当てて言ってもらうのが、苦肉の策とされる。

しかし、日本は、話が違う。私の経験では、当てられないで質問に答えてくれる生徒が少ない。教師の私にとっては、それが困る。アメリカ人だから、生徒を返事させてやるとは、恥ずかしく感じるんだ。

でも、それよりずっと困る違いがあります。それは、当てられても答えない生徒です。初めてみた時、本当にびっくりしたよね。話しかけられても黙って、質問を無視するとは、アメリカ人の私にとって、一番無礼なことから。もし、私が通った高校で、生徒がそんなことやったら、教室を出させられて、その上に校長室に行かせられて、校長に怒られてしまうだろう。誠に頂けないことなんだ。

どうして答えないかというと、何も悪い気持ちじゃなくて、多分、答えが分からないのが恥ずかしすぎると思う。それにしても、もしアメリカとかに留学したら、日本人の生徒が行き成り知らせてしまって、困るでしょう？

私がとても、この日本の文化を変えられないと、分かっている。けど、ならべく生徒の英語表現力を増したり自信を増したりして、遠慮せずにもっともっと参加してもらいたい。素直に「I don't know」って答えてもらっても構わないよね。何も言わないよりずっとましだからね。一年度全部かかるかもしれないけど、毎日少しずつでも頑張るよ！

Carrot Cake Oatmeal

I'm a devoted follower of Katie, the Oatmeal Queen, so it's no surprise I like oatmeal.

However, I tend to put my own touches on it. This breakfast concoction is one of the results of said touches.

My carrot cake oatmeal!

Here's what goes into it:

25g rolled oats
5g Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer (I just love the flavor of this stuff; you can sub soy flour for it)
5g Hull-less "naked" barley flour
A couple spoonfuls of cooked pearl barley
A pinch of chia seeds
30-40g of finely chopped carrots
Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
Salt and sweetener to taste

Put all ingredients except the cooked barley together in a bowl, and add a cup of water or milk of choice. Nuke for 5 minutes. Do this in a BIG bowl so it doesn't overflow! I like my oatmeal pudding-y, so I chill it after cooking. This also makes it wonderfully thick.

When it's the consistency/temperature you want, top with an extra shake of cinnamon and eat! I also sprinkled sesame seeds on mine, because I love sesame and carrot together.

レシピーは、撮りあえず英語だけで書きます。日本人の読者の方は、英語で頑張っていきましょう！　（おそらく、後で日本語にも直すが、いつするか、まだ分かりませんので、よろしくお願いしま～す！）