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!