Little Pieces of Home from Japan PART 2

This is the continuation of my last post in which I described different aspects of life in Indiana that I miss. Japan, miraculously enough, has continually met my expectations for my life here as well as given me nostalgic pieces of home here and there. You find those pieces in the most unexpected places! Occasionally you'll wander through a convenience store or perhaps a new grocery store that you have discovered and catch a glimpse of a Campbell's soup label, be tempted by a KitKat Bar, or maybe even mesmerized by the sudden discovery of Kraft Mac&Cheese. You'll find that you can quickly pick out the one item on the whole grocery store shelf stacked with hundreds of products that bears legible English writing as well as pick out those trusty brands Americans know and love. Just the other day Joel and I were gathering up some groceries from a little market and found ourselves buying Bertolli alfredo and tomato sauce, pasta, vanilla and chocolate wafers, and chips and salsa desperately searching for items to satisfy our 'western' cravings. It's not just about the food however, it's about having a little piece of home, whether that means riding our bikes all the way to Baskin Robbins to enjoy a delicious treat or sharing a meal of chicken alfredo and watching American movies on Netflix.

I'm sure by now you have gotten the impression that Joel and I are 'foodies' and have missed certain aspects of American cuisine. As I mentioned in my last blog, I have been desperately craving Mexican food from our hometown where we became 'regulars' often indulging in the delicious cheese dip (which is impossible to find here) as well as burritos etc. The Mexican cheese dip is the worst craving of them all. Don't get me wrong I love Japanese cuisine, however the lack of cheese in this country is extremely disheartening for a cheese lover! As a matter of fact, while Joel and I were discussing restaurants that we missed from back home, we threw around the idea of turning the bathroom into a kitchen with the tub being a huge crock pot for cheese sauce and the sink for salsa! We came to the conclusion that this would be too much work however. 

Anyway, Joel and I set out on a quest to find Mexican cuisine here, and sure enough Google turned up many suggestions. We narrowed our options down to the best reviewed (#2 restaurant out of over 2000 in all of Kyoto) Mexican restaurant we could find. Conveniently not to far from our house, La Jolla Mexican restaurant satisfied all of our expectations and offered a fantastic Southern Californian atmosphere and a delicious meal made with the freshest ingredients! La Jolla is quite a small place, with only 3 tables and about 12 chairs making it very personal and the perfect setting for a romantic private dinner. It's hidden down a small side street so unless you are looking for it, it would prove hard to find. 

We dined on tasty guacamole with freshly made tortilla chips, chicken and steak burritos, and a delicious shrimp and avocado salad. Joel even indulged in a incredibly delicious margarita. Hand made from fresh ingredients, his margarita was delightful, not too sweet, not too sour. Perfection!

We have visited La Jolla twice so far and intend to visit many more times during our time here in Kyoto. As always, Thank You Japan for coming through for us, and thank you readers for following!

Little Pieces of Home in Japan

My sincerest apologies to my readers for my long procrastination on my blog. It has been far to long! However, I had to wait until the creative juices were flowing at the optimum level ( honestly I was experiencing a little bit of writers block) and was busy hanging out with my hubby, bike riding, exploring etc. But now I've got several stories and thoughts to share with you, so here it goes! 

Although there is an extremely vast contrast between American culture and Japanese culture, occasionally we'll discover something that gives us a little taste of home. Sure there are definite improvements in our lives that have resulted from our big move to Japan such as spending more quality time together spiritually and with nature, the beautiful art of public transportation that Japan has mastered, and the gift of discovering and viewing something new everyday. However, sometimes a girl just wants her Classic Rock radio station back playing some Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, or perhaps some Beatles. Sometimes a girl, especially this girl, craves her favorite Mexican restaurant from back home, or fries and a burger! The list could go on and on....

However when I'm feeling a little aggravated from the abundance of tempura and noodle serving restaurants, and the strange American rap music that they play in stores but don't actually know what the song is saying, Japan comes through for me once again and I am given a little piece of home! 

Much to my surprise, my classic rock craving was fulfilled a few weeks back when we attended the JET program pub quiz that one of the long time JET participants puts on as a way for the group to get together, laugh, drink, and just have a great time together. Many of you might not know this, but one of my observations about Japan has been that there are several hidden gems whether it be a bar or restaurant, that very few people know about. When walking down the street, especially if you are a tourist and don't know what to look for, you would never know that down that alley or inside that little building could be some of the most authentic representations of Japanese culture. There are sometimes tiny bars that serve only drinks, maybe only sake and beer, that only have a few seats at the bar. Sometimes it's a restaurant that is positioned in a tiny dimly lit alleyway, that could be fantastically delicious, but you would never know it's there! A peak inside might reveal some business men having drinks, or maybe even a geisha! 

That being said, how Alan (the long time JET) found this bar is beyond me! It is on the second floor of this small building on a street that few cars go down and is good for bike riders and pedestrians. The bar is quite small and narrow, and could only accommodate about 35 people comfortably. When you walk in you are met with the sweet sound of music, not just any music, rock music! This isn't something that you see, or should I say hear, everyday in Japan so it was quite the shock to me! The owner is a very interesting character that stands out against the clean cut image of Kyoto with shoulder length black hair and classic rock records and posters that line the walls of the bar. 

The owner behind the bar with all of his records and c.d.s

A poster that was on the wall right next to my seat 

He has just about any classic rock song you could think of, whether it be on vinyl or c.d., he'll play whatever you want. We had an absolutely fantastic time at the pub quiz, speculating the answers to the questions with our team members, laughing at Alan for his hilarious ramblings (he's a great host), and enjoying the wonderful atmosphere of the bar. The music was just the piece of home that we needed!  

A view of what the bar looks like 

Intense Deliberation 

Tune in for Little Pieces of Home in Japan PART 2 for some more western inspired Japanese experiences. Thanks for reading!