sanrensho

As someone who loves Japanese apple varieties, I have to say that the situation on this side of the ocean has improved dramatically. Five years ago, NZ Gala apples were my default eating apple for their crispness and sweetness, since Fuji apples weren't commonly available. Nowadays, Fuji (or "Fugi" as it is often misspelled) apples are as common as our traditional North American varieties, at least here in Vancouver. The size of the local Fuji apples has also increased, and the flavor (and percentage with mitsu) seems to improve with every passing year. The imported Chinese Fuji apples we get here in Vancouver are also interesting, but lack the sweetness and density of the real thing. Good crispness, but least similar to the real thing. NHK had a fascinating documentary on the development of the Fuji apple last year, and the trials and tribulations it went through before achieving widespread popularity in Japan.

The syrupy interior is referred to as "mitsu" and, for Japanese, is highly prized as an indication of an apple's sweetness. (I have no idea if this latter part is actually true.) Basically, an amber "vein" that shows up in the cross-section of the apple. Found in Fuji apples and I'm pretty sure other Japanese varieties. Fuji apples from Washington and BC also sometimes have "mitsu," but not always. My wife comes from an apple growing region and has relatives who own an orchard, so she's pretty picky about her apples.

As Smallworld pointed out, this is not true. If that's the way CNN reported it, then it's misinformation. When I moved to Japan in '92, Japanese apples were plentiful and could be had for as little as 50 yen/piece in Tokyo. By the time I left in '98, US apples were commonly available at supermarkets but the price of Japanese apples wasn't affected. (It's been awhile since I've visited, so I don't know what the situation is now.) The US varieties being sold in Japan at the time were no competition for Japanese apples, at least from the standpoint of Japanese preferences in an eating apple. Furthermore, the US product didn't have the highly-prized "mitsu" like a good Japanese apple, so they were two distinct products from the point of view of the Japanese consumer. Sort of like comparing apples and, er, oranges. As for quantifying "inexpensive," I always thought that Japanese apples were inexpensive and great value considering their size (Japanese apples are typically huge!) and the cost of living in Tokyo.

Have you tried Patricia Austin's bran muffin recipe? If you overfill your muffin pans so that the batter is mounded above the height of the pan, you will get crunchy/crisp tops every time. However, you may have to use a lower temp (longer baking time) as my last batch came out a little raw inside. (I was trying not to overcook the bottoms.) http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=63111&st=30

Thanks for the heads up. Sorry to hear they are gone.

The popcorn store, the vendor selling books across from Liberty Wines, and the malaysian place are also gone. To be honest, the place was looking a bit barren when we were there two weeks ago. I hope management has the good sense to get in some new vendors before the peak tourist season. There's a new pastry/cake shop on Lonsdale and 3rd, but I haven't tried it yet. The dessert place close to the Quay is Piece of Cake. I think it's worthwhile to take a bus to upper Lonsdale and work your way down from there. Lost of interesting Persian food stores and bakeries along the way to explore.

If you're talking about the dim sum restaurant next to the Holiday Inn (on the corner), I would second that recommendation.

I know your clientele is not too adventurous, but how about something like a Japanese souffle cheesecake? Very light and not at all "dense" like most cheesecakes. I have a link somewhere if you're interested. Mousse-based desserts would be my choice during the summer. Or how about panna cotta? OOPS: I reread your post and realized that you have limited refrigerated space. As far as baked goods go, I think the idea of using more (seasonal) fruits such as berries is a good one.

Have you checked the rubber gasket? I have a similar sized pot and the only time it bubbles out of the side is when I don't have it tightened enough. And I've never had coffee come out of the side, just some water escaping/bubbling out.

I think that is mont royal. ← Mount Royal Bagel Factory (I got the name wrong) is on 701 Queensbury Ave. I Love Bagels is at 105 E. 12th, just off Lonsdale.

That would be I Love Bagels. As I mentioned, they changed ownership a few years back, but I haven't tasted any of their bagels recently.

Mont Royal Bagel Factory? Their bagels are quite good, though I've never had theirs fresh out of the oven. I Love Bagels (on Lonsdale) used to be good, but they changed ownership and we stopped going there. I've been a fan of Siegel's ever since they opened their shop just off the Burrard St. Bridge, although I rarely make my way out there now.

Another vote for Patricia Austin's recipe. Thank you. Outstanding muffins. I used prunes instead of dates, corn syrup in place of the molasses, and added about 1/4C of pecans. I don't think I'll be tempted to buy bran muffins again now that I've tried this recipe.

Well, I think this goes back to what Hiroyuki alluded to, which is the Japanese familiarity with strand noodles (somen, soba, ramen). Availability is not a major factor, IMO. Although spaghetti is certainly the most common type of pasta available in Japan by a wide margin, it isn't at all difficult to source other shapes.

Mamacharin is just slang for a typical commuter bike, the type that get left in front of train stations all over Tokyo and Japan. The best thing to do would be to borrow one. I'm not aware of any rental outfits per se. You can actually walk from Nakano to Koenji in around 10 minutes, but a bike let's you explore further. Then again, walking is really the best way to get the full experience and not miss anything.

I lived in Koenji (next station from Nakano) for five years and have relatives there, so I have done a fair bit of exploring in the area. Nakano Broadway is quite the experience. The entire mall feels like an underground labrynth, even though most of it is aboveground. There are a lot of otaku shops in that mall, so it's a fascinating place to explore and a great place for finding obscure CDs, etc. Check out the food floor/market area in the basement for some possible interesting finds. The restaurants in that mall are quite small and I don't recally anything particularly outstanding. Koenji, and Nakano to a lesser extent, is heavily populated by students and rock musicians, so the emphasis is on value. There are a few ramen shops of note in Koenji, and a few live house (live rock music) establishments if that interests you. Oh, Koenji has a little narrow aisle of food stalls that might offer some interesting things to buy. It's nothing big, though. Just follow the produce shops in front of the station. A mamacharin (commuter bike) would be a great way to explore both areas.

Matcha powder in tiramisu works fine. It is definitely more subtle, but I didn't find it clashed with the espresso in the savoiardi biscuits. I made two versions and my wife preferred the matcha version. The only negative was that the matcha powder had a tendency to stick to silverware. As for using matcha in ice cream, just let some vanilla ice cream soften slightly before mixing in the powder, then freeze it again. That is the way my parents always made it in the days before matcha ice cream became commercially available in North America, and what I do when I have the occasional hankering for green tea ice cream. Last year, we were treated to a semi-informal tea ceremony by a Japanese student who had studied chado for quite a few years. Surprisingly, the tea wasn't very bitter at all.

You might want to check a Persian market. I recall seeing these at the various stores on Lonsdale. Never purchased any, so I might be wrong.

My wife and I were there on early Saturday evening as well, and ordered the exact same thing (but with linguine). I agree, the rose sauce was excellent and loaded with garlic, yum. The Neapolitan crust was also good, although my wife felt the pizza was a tad salty. However, that didn't stop her from engulfing half the pizza. We will definitely be back, this time with the kids in tow. Very casual atmosphere, we noticed the owner's young daughter was milling around the restaurant. BTW, they do not serve dessert, but it was a non-issue as we were stuffed by then.

I wonder if Nikuya Meats on Hasting might carry it. They are a Japanese butcher, and since (raw) horse meat is considered a delicacy in Japan, they might be worth a try. Info: #107-2828 E.Hastings St. Tel:604-216-2983 Ask for "basashi" (raw horse meat). I've had it a few times in Japan, but it didn't leave any particular impression on me either way.

I've been in the position of both hosting Japanese clients and accompanying Japanese executives on business trips to Vancouver. (I lived in Japan for six years and worked for Japanese firms for eight.) Unless they specifically ask for French/Italian food, your safest bet would be to take them to a high-end Chinese restaurant. Second choice would be Japanese (never as good as they can get at home, but still a good choice for the weary traveler). A seafood restaurant would also be appealing for Japanese travelers.

Carbonara for me. All the prep can literally be done while the spaghetti is boiling. About 10 minutes from start to finish. In fact, we made some tonight. As usual, I could not make enough of it for the four of us.

I like to make ume dressing (honey umeboshi paste, rice wine vinegar, oil, sugar, salt/pepper). The taste of ume is quite subtle and not overpowering. I like the idea of using umeboshi in potato salad.

Thank you. I've actually been lurking on and off for two years or so, but finally decided to take the plunge. Let me know what you think about the (small) squeeze of lemon in natto. It doesn't seem to adversely affect the stickiness of the natto when mixed. None of Easternsun's examples sound odd to me, but I do draw the line at furikake on steak!

Natto mixed with a bit of lemon juice, dash of shoyu, and green onions. Although I grew up in a Japanese family (here in Canada), we never ate natto. Hence, I find that a dash of lemon juice makes natto much more palatable. My wife (Japanese to the core) is not impressed when I do this.