There Was Plenty of Fish in the Sea

Today was an awesome day for me. I fullfilled a personal dream to see the famous Tsukiji Fish Market here in Japan!

So last night we get back from partying it up in Shinjuku around 1 a.m. However to see Tsukiji you really have to get there early. In fact many people just stay awake and head there around 3 am!

I on the otherhand woke up at 4 am with a groggy and soft head from all the beer I drank only three hours earlier.

I dragged myself out of bed and hit the street just before 5 am. I was concerned that I was late, but luckily I found that thie first bloody train doesn't even roll until 5:19 am.

So I braved the dark streets and empty subways of Tokyo with a smattering of bad Japanese phrases and skeleton directions to get me across the city. No problem.

Actually it really was no problem. I arrived in the area and quickly followed the maps that lead me to what I presumed should be the market. It was.

Tucked away in a giant warehouse whose flourescent lights pierced to dark of night was the Tsukiji Fish Market. Inside were rows and rows of fresh and live seafood being unloaded, cleaned, carved, bought and sold. In spite of the blood and gore, the market was really clean and the air was like a sweet ocean breeze. Among the different tables of produce were the most amazing assortments of fish, crabs, lobsters, prawns, squid, clams, and other sea creatures that I had no idea existed. Here are a few shots courtessy of me:

I can't say enough that I was so happy to be here. It was like busting into a strange underworld party which happens every night while the rest of the world sleeps. Here I saw old skool fisherman and mongers doing what they had been doing for generations. I also saw the diligent chefs who brought their straw baskets to Tsukiji to arm their restaurants with only the freshest catch of the day.

However the real star of Tsukiji is the giant Tuna. Good lord. I knew they were big, but I had no idea that they were giants!

Notice the picture with two guys handling the Tuna? They were using knives and saws that were close to five feet long! When you see these huge fish all about you, it feels like you are among aliens. They sure looked tasty too! I kinda imagined walking up to one of these Tuna and just taking a bite out of the side a la Homer Simpson.

So I left the market as the day was breaking. I knew I had to complete the adventure with a trip to the nearby sushi restaurants and sample the catches of the day.

So while I was wandering around the area next to the Tsukiji Market I came across many small eateries, knife shops, and dry goods stores. However what caught my attention was this guy doing grilled teriyaki fish over hot charcoal on the street. I couldn't resist stopping to get a nice hot piece of fish! Good price too as this hand sized tidbit was a mere 200 Yen. Strangely enough, the old guy cooking this fish could speak to me in Mandarin! Damn that fish tasted good. I gobbled it up while I continued my search for sushi.

And I found it. This little shop here was one of the few that wa actually open as the time was just before 7 am. I was a little apprehensize at first since I wasn't sure how I would communicate with the restaurant, but I had to go in. I couldn't wuss out now.

So I went in and was greeted by the staff and I found a seat at the bar. There were a few other people in there still shaking off the night's debauchery of partying and boozing. Perfect.

So I found the menu and as luck would have it, there were pictures of the different "Happy Meals" I could order and so I was set. A breakfast of raw fish could only be made perfect with beer so I ordered a big bottle of Kirin (I pon beeru kudasai!) with my pirated Japanese.

The burly chef proceeded to put together my meal with various pieces of fish and his trusty blade and blow torch. Yes. A blow torch was used to quickly blast the surface of two of my sushi.

When the plate hit the table I said to myself, "Oh crap. There is sea urchin and salmon roe here. Everytime I ate those back in Canada I nearly puked.

So I poured up and decided to eat the offending sushi pieces with a glass of beer ready to wash away the unpleasantness. But you know what? It didn't suck. Those fresh sea urchin and salmon roe were not at all like what I had before. They were savoury and lovely without any traces of fishiness or funky tastes! And all the other pieces of sushi also exceeded in flavour. BEautiful!

I finished my meal, drank my beer, paid the bill, and hit the street with a total sense of contentment. I can't believe I conquered Tsukiji. I realized a lifelong dream and all before 7:30 am.

Tokyo Decadence

Ok, so I have been in Tokyo for just under two days now. WoW!


This city kicks butt! In comparrison to the other cities I have been to across Asia, this one feels the most similar to Canada. However there is still a dinstinct asian flavour unique to Japan here.

Tokyo has the cleanliness and order of Singapore, the crowding and energy of Hong Kong, and the pleasant weirdness of Shanghai.

So in the short time I have been here I have managed to experience a few interesting things and caught them on digital film to boot!



As mentioned in an earlier post, I had authnetic sushi in Tokyo the other night. WoW! It was so delicious! Here you won't find the flourescent green wasabi paste and soy sauce condiment. The deal is that you take the sushi in your chopsticks, flip it over so that you dip the fish in your shoyu, and then eat it in one bite. It was awesome. Just remember not to throw your hot towel at the sushi chef. We watched this one assh*le westerner do that and the restaurant hushed to siolence as the chef stood there, with knife in one hand and the offending towel in the other. He had this look like "What the HELL? Did you just throw your dirty towel at me in MY castle?" Needless to say that punk in his cheap-ass racing jacket got tossed. Even his friends pretended they didn't know him as he got ejected solo.


I LOVE JAPANESE TV! There was this show that actively searched out "maniacs". That means they were showcasing people who were fanatic about things. There was a guy who was a "Junction Maniac", meaning he loved cul-de-sacs and other road junctions. He thought about them, and photographed them. But here on the left is the "Extreme Ironing Maniac". This guy went to extreme lengths to push the physical and mental boundaries of ironing clothes. We saw photos of him ironing clothes on the top of mountains, and he even demonstrated extreme acrobatic ironing where he ran and jumped past a board while grabbing and iron and doing a streak across a dress shirt. The best though was his attempt seen here, at extreme surfing ironing.


Another thing here in Japan is the endless sightings of random cuteness. What I mean is that here, there, and everywhere you will spot these really cool drawings of silliness that kinda add to the surreal experience of being in Japan. In the same street of modern buildings and parking lots, you will run across old temples and such. So when I walk about Japan and see these random cute things, it is kinda like wandering about in a weird dream.

Can't explain it much better than that mate.


Check it out. We went to the Toyota Showroom yesterday and saw the magic of Toyota. Here was this awesome future concept vehicle. It is essentially a one seater pod with an expanding and retracting wheel base. What that means is that it has different modes where you can sit upright like in a regular chair and work at a desk, or it can recline and you can hit the road in what I call "Speed Mode".


This vehicle is so cool. It makes you think of the days when you were a kid and wanted own your very own Gundam. Well it looks like the way things are going at Toyota, you may eventually be able to purchase a Gundam in Fire engine red, with no money down on a three year monthly installment plan. CD Player standard.


Behold! The food of the Rising Sun! We have grilled Okonomiyaki from this terrific "do it your damn' self" restaurant I went to about eight years ago. Still delicious and the beer comes in iced frosty mugs!


When I spotted these "Chocolate Bandaids" I had to buy them. Come on! When I come across a crusty bandaid, the first thing I think about is the sweet melting taste of chocolate. Don't you?

How about these awesome fish pancakes. They are sure to become a rage across asia soon. They are essentially pancakes pored into a fish mold and filled with sweet bean paste, and mochi. Yum!


And finally we have the Sacrifice Shot for this blog. I ran across "Nato Sushi" in a convenience store in Nishi-Shinjuku. Nato is essentially soy beans that were rotted to the point that they are swimming in a sticky slime that produces unyielding stands of mucous like funk that only a runny nose can match. Well I ate the bugger and found myself liking it. Not bad. But the seaweed that you wrap around the rice roll is so dry that it has a way of sticky to your lips and tearing at them the same way a frigid flag pole does to little kids in winter. Ouch! My lips look like I caught the VD.


So, here it is morning in JP, and I got fresh batteries in my camera. I will have more to say later. Ja ne!

I am in Japan

I left Singapore two days ago, spent a last night in Hong Kong, and arrived in Tokyo yesterday. It:s been pretty cool over here so far and have seen quite a lot of the familiar and the new since I have been here.

Don:t believe that I am in Japan? I:ll prove it by typing something on this wild japanese version iBook:

は歯は歯。医ルレてぇをrl＿えf

ok, I have no idea what that meant but I think I made my point.

Anyhow, Im off to go find some crazy lunch now.

ps: I had some sushi last night and lemme tell y,all something: sushi in North America aint like this. I watched the man pull a fish out of a tank and transform it into sushi. No frozen blocks of over priced salmon here boy. I never thought sushi could taste like butter.

Confirmed

Ok, first off, let me admit that I am a geek at heart. There I said it.

Anyways many years ago I saw this anime called, "Akira" which at the time was the most expensive and techically sound animated movie ever to come out of Japan (see back in those old days, anime was an unknown cult thing that people would watch from pirated VHS tapes or even the dreaded 12 inch laser disc).

So in "Akira" there was this super cool motorcycle which was featured in the story. It was awesome and heart pounding, but there was something "not quite right" about it when I watched it.

See, aside from being perplexed about a "Citizen" sponsor decal on the bike, there was just something bugging me about the design of the bike. I thought the bike was cool, but something was bothering me about it.

Then yesterday while shaking my leg at a coffee shop here in Singapore, I realized what bugged me about the Akira motorcycle. YES, it took fifteen years to complete the circle:


The supercool Akira bike is in fact...a SCOOTER!

It's undeniable! Confirmed!

What is likely the lamest mode of transportation, was in fact the Akira motorcycle...or rather the Akira Scooter. Sure even this scooter looks kinda cool in the photo here, but try to imagine how it looks with someone actually riding it. Lame.

So now that I have put this "cold case" to rest, I can move on to the next great mystery of life: Was "Slimey" Oscar the Grouch's friend or pet? And why did Oscar live alone on Sesame Street when his sister Sally seemed homeless?

ADDENDUM

I went to Changi Point Beach today and "planted my flag" in Singapore. Not certain, but I think this claim scrawled in the sand is legally binding.

Like the crazy Irishman said in Braveheart:

"Yeah. It's my island. I own it. It's mine!"

'nuff said.

Bak Ku Teh Battle

This week I went to the two top Bak Ku Teh (Pork Rib Soup) places in Singapore. What makes these two places the best in S'pore? Simple: Public popularity, long history, and celebrity sightings. So what do the two best in S'pore have in common? Well besides the aforementioned, they have Donald Tsang in common (CEO of Hong Kong SAR).

The first one I went to is called the Ng Ah Sio Stall and it is widely regarded as the best of the two. In fact just a few days before I went, the ex-Prime Minister of Thailand, Mr. Thaksin went there.

When interviewed about the surprise vist, the old time owner said "He seemed like an ok guy. I dunno. I was too busy to notice them. About twenty of them sat at my back tables. I didn't pay them much attention but I know what they ordered. He even thanked me after he was done."

So what about Donald Tsang? Well about a year ago, he tried to go to this place for dinner, but this place is only open from 6 am to 2 pm. So when Donald called up the shop to make a place for dinner, they said no to him.

I guess no one is above the law when it comes to this old guy's Bak Ku Teh. Heh heh heh..

So when he couldn't get Dinner at the Ng Ah Sio Stall, he had to go to the competition. This place is called the Outram Park Stall. That's kind of a funny name since they are located in Tanjong Pagar. Apparently they moved here from Outram Park about 15 years ago, but kept the name sake.

Here is a shot of the Bak Ku Teh I had yesterday. So when The Donald couldn't get his first choice he settled on this place. Once again this is one of those old timey places where the owner is as antique as his furniture.

So how do the two compare? Well it is largely a matter of personal taste, but since I am the Lord and Master of this blog, I will give you my lore and you will accept it as the ultimate authority over all things Bak Ku Teh:

In terms of service, Outram Park is better. The staff tirelessly run around pouring you refills on soup and any other tidbits you'd like to eat. Want more You Tiao (fritters)? No problem. Want more soup? They refill you without even asking. Not to say that Ng Ah Sio had shabby service, but Outram Park was better.

In terms of portion sizes, I gotta give it to Ng Ah Sio. They definitely gave you a little more in comparisson to Outram Park. Although I do have to say that I prefered the taste of Outram Park's stewed pig trotters more than Ng Ah Sio's. This shot of Ng Ah Sio's trotters is definitley a larger portion than Outram Parks' and you do also get this tart and savoury dip of chilli sauce that goes with it. But still, the scale tips slightly towards Outram Parks' trotters in terms of superior flavour. (photo of Outram Park trotter not available due to camera man's preoccupation with eating them).

The kung fu tea that is served with Bak Ku Teh is a must. The idea being these tiny thimble sized servings of strong tea is used to help you digest the fat from the pork. It is also a very enjoyable way to pass the time on a lazy day in the shade. So who wins? Ng Ah Sio. Reason: Their tea was stronger and lasted longer. Furthermore, the hot water kettle next to your table was kept piping hot by old skool charcoal pots rather than the electric ones at Outram Park.

So the verdict?

Ng Ah Sio wins by virtue of its Bak Ku Teh soup. The difference between Ng Ah Sio and Outram Park is that Ng Ah Sio's soup is thicker and is chocked with loads of garlic which give you a very rich soup experience. Otram Park's soup is heavier on pepper and so it has a spicier flavour, but the soup is thin by comparisson. So Ng Ah Sio beats Outram Park.

So who is the ultimate winner? ME! Because I am in a position to sample both Bak Ku Teh's and render the verdict. Therefore my kung fu is stronger than Donald Tsangs! Muha ha ha ha ha ha....

Ice Cream Sammidge

Just a quick post here. I was puttering around City Hall area here in Singapore today and decided to stop for an ice cream. Let me tell you that in Singapore when you buy and ice cream sandwich it literally is a sandwich: A block of ice cream, in a folded slice of colored bread.

However the bread is soft, chewey, and slightly sweet so it makes a nice dessert ingredient. You could also opt for wafers instead of bread for your sandwich, but why go half tilt, when you can go full bore. Be local and authentic and have a true ice cream sandwich lah.

The choice in ice cream ranges from chocolate, durian, chochip, sweet corn, assorted fruit flavours, etc.

Best of all, this big ice cream sammidge cost me a mere $1 Singapore. Not even Ben or Jerry can beat that!

McNew Year

Good Lord! The peeps at McDonalds have unleashed the "Prosperity Meal" and the "Longevity Meal" in honour of Chinese New Year!

It's basically your choice of a chicken or beef burger with fries or potato wedges. You can also get a Mandarin Orange Ice Tea instead of the usual assortment of syrupy pop drinks.

Just to let you know, I had the beef meal.

Ugggh!

The things I do for this blog.

It was awful! Especially since I took a bite and realized it was the same crappy "McPepper" burger I tried in Hong Kong. They tricked me into ingesting the same crappy burger which I painfully swore I'd never eat again! Just the thought of that gross wadded beef flavour makes me ill.

How ironic that it is now referred to as "Prosperity" or "Longevity". I am now $7 Singapore dollars poorer, and the only longevity I am experiencing is my indigestion. Damn you McDonalds!

Scenes from the Kopitiam

Ok, So I've been in Singapore for over a week now and I have been running around trying to find the flavour of Singapore. What I mean is the uniqueness of the city and the life of the people. Instead of finding the culture of Singapore, I have been running into malls, western bars, and even a Hooters!

But, what I realized is that the culture of Singapore resides in its hawker centres. These being the outdoor food vendors who sell their wares late into the night. In these places you will find families, young couples, kids, and even scoundrels huddled together eating dishes of exotic food. Most of these dishes are old favourites which nourished the people before, during, and after the war, the occupation, the union with Malaysia, and subsequent independance afterwards.

This is where they sell the infamous "Roti Prata". I believe it came from India's Roti Paratha, but I love the Singapore version more; chewy and savoury, served with a rich curry of chicken, dahl, or whatever you please. Watching the lady make this treat is kinda fun. She pounds out this stretchy dough until it is so thin it looks like she is folding wet laundry. Once fried in oil, the crunchy dough has a nice grilled flavour that matches the curry perfectly. Mmmmm....I wish I was eating one right now! Yummy.

I went to a hawker centre in Little India one day and decided to try some of the puffs there. That being the curry and the sardine puffs. Also took down a Tiger beer to even out the lunch. After I ate the baked treats, and finished my stabilizer, I looked around and noticed how much beer was being poured at 1 pm in the afternoon. These dudes were all about relaxing, making big forts out of the empty giant beers on their tables, and then having a nice afternoon nap in the shade. Awesome! If the MBA career doesn't work out, I know where to go spend my days.

This is a shot I stole of a boss at the hawker centre. It was around 9 at night and it was raining cats and dogs, but that didn't stop this dude from styling around the customers with his shades. He ran this fried noodle stall, chatted with some regulars, and traded friendly insults with another shop owner who came around to sell drinks. He was cool. But I later found out that this guy might actually have an eye problem so the shades may not have all been about Stylin' and Profilin'. Even so, he was still the king.

Well, I have a couple more weeks left in Singapore. During that time I am going to keep looking for the "Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" side here. Till then I will keep sampling the culture the best way I know how; through food and drink. Yum!

Singapore Lah

I am in Singapore. I arrived a few days back on Wednesday afternoon and have been relaxing in complete comfort.

Well almost complete. It is about 5 degrees warmer than Hong Kong and a hell of a lot more humid. Kinda reminds me of when I first arrived in HK back in August.

Typical westerner all hot, red faced, and greasy. Yuck!

But I am doing ok here in S'pore. I have adjusted to the climate. Furthermore S'pore is experiencing a lot of rain these days. In fact last month there was so much rain, that there was flooding as well as landslides. Land slides! Singapore is an island so it really can't afford to let too much land slide away right?

Anyhow the food is one of the best parts of S'pore. The locals seem preoccupied with finding it, consuming it, and planning for the next meal all at the same time. Can't blame them though as the food at hand is your choice of Indian, Malay, and several varieties of Chinese style cooking as well as some awesome hybrid styles. Delicious!

Here in South East Asia the flavours and life is a lot more raw. Spicy baby!

I'll have some more snaps in the next couple of weeks. I'm also trying to put together a short trip to Malaysia assuming a certain agitant from my past can get his sh*t together and meet me in KL.
Yeah! I am talking about you Z*m! Wah lao! Faster a bit lor!

A Proper Beijing Post

Just realized that I have yet to make a decent post about Beijing. That's silly.

I loved my time in Beijing. I should say so since I actually went there twice in a month!

So what did I do in Beijing? I visited my buddy Scott, his family, and his friends. I explored the city on my own and saw the old and the new.

I went to the Forbidden City, The Summer Palace, the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, the assorted Hu Tongs, and of course WangFuJing.

So here is a recap of what I found in Beijing.

Here are shots of the Forbidden City. The other shot is that of the Mausoleum of Chairman Mao ZeDong. He was embalmed and is eternally lying in State.

I saw Chairman Mao abt 20 years earlier and here he was again. Not much changed from what I could remember. Just be respectful while you are there since this may be literally the longest running funneral in the world. People were laying flowers in droves and some were even crying or offering prayers.

Here is a street just off WangFuJing (DongHuaMen) where they have a nightly bazaar of delicacies.

Here you'll find dumplings, seafood, sweets, BBQ, snakes, insects, scorpions, sea urchins, and a lot more. If you aren't sure if it is edible, just see if it is served on a stick. If it's on a stick, it means its digestible. Ever consider eating a starfish? I did....it tastes almost as good as it sounds. Bleah...

Here is a special thank you to my buddy Scott. While I was in Beijing we laughed and chatted about all things ridiculous and important. I miss you buddy.

One night he and his friends took me out for Peking Duck (Beijing Kao Ya). Of all the places to go, they took me to what was the most famous duck restaurant in China. This caligraphy was written in praise by Zhou En Lai who was Mao Ze Dong's second in command. He loved this place so much, he wrote this commemoration and it hangs on the wall of the dining room.

This was the Summer Palace (Yi He Yuan). A bitter cold day, but splendid in terms of history. This is where the Emperess Dowager Ci Xi ruined the country by squandering precious money on shiny toys and glittering monuments. It's also where you can see a stone boat she had made to commemorate herself. Incidentally the boat doesn't move. Does it actually float? Dubious.

This is a shot of a typical Hu Tong in Qian Men area of Beijing. That means it is the old part of the city where the buildings and life are as they were since the 30's. Very old and dilapidated. But the people do still live here.

Though old and dusty, these Hu Tongs are beautiful. If you walk through them you will experience a lot of quiet and peaceful contemplation. You will take a walk through time and imagine how life might have been during the Cultural Revolution. Or you just might comfortably get lost for awhile.

Behold! The Temple of Heaven (Tian Tan). Here is where the emperors of old would go to pray for good harvests meaning a prosperous land for himself and the people.

The temple itself is where ceremonies would be held. The platform is where the Centre of the Universe is and the Heart of the Universe Stone marks the exact centre. This is where the emperor would stand to make himself heard to Heaven.

I stood on this stone and looked above. From this spot I stood where the emperors had stood and saw the same sky which they prayed too. Amazing.

Here is one of the last times in Beijing. We drove 140 km from the city centre to go to Si Ma Tai. A place where few people venture to see the Great Wall (Chang Cheng). It is old and it is crumbling but it is honest and real. Unlike the more accessible sections like BaDaLing, the stones are original and not newly paved for the great unwashed to tramp on. To stand atop this wall is to be astonished by the ambitions of ancient people and to feel like you are literally standing on top of the world.

And what did I think of while I was there? Home, people in my life, and what to eat for dinner.