gochisosamashita

Happy New Year!

So I celebrated by going home to New Jersey where we had a big family dinner with a few extra guests. It was really relaxing, just talking, not caring about work, and enjoying my surroundings.

Went to Saigon Grill for lunch today with parents. Took forever to find parking. I would say combined efforts equal 25 minutes.

For dinner, I went to Aburiya Kinnosuke, where we had Tofu in bamboo basket, Scrambled Egg with Eel, Tsukune, Pork Cheek (Robata Grill), Miso Cod, Eggplant, Asparagus, Hangar Steak with Plum Sauce, Chicken Meatballs in Hot Pot, and White Rice Cooked in Earthenware with Sardines and Salmon. The meal was light but filling. The flavors were expected and fairly light. It was tasty, but nothing really blew me away.

For dessert, we decided to go to Kyotofu, a dessert-specialty establishment in Hell's Kitchen. I had gone a couple of months ago, and really enjoyed the Kaikei. Tonight, we had the Chocolate Mochi Cake, Crystal Plum Sake Anmitsu, and the tasting menu, the most unique of which included the Sancho Pepper Cheesecake (creamier and sweetier than I remembered). It was a nice touch, not too heavy, not too sweet, though I do feel partially disappointed. The service was not up to par, the wait was extra long (40 minutes, much longer than the "15 minutes" ETA), and the anmitsu was already in the sampler. However, Kyotofu is still a great experience, and the tastes are fresh and unique. Upon leaving, I tried to say gochisosoma (which apparently is too informal), but was not loud enough; however, my sister was successful in complementing the chef (though I am not too sure if Ritsuko Yamaguchi paid attention).