Ran Hotei ランほてい

I have been meaning to post about this special place for so long. Feeling more than a little guilty Randy san! Gomenasai.....

I'd stopped into Ran Hotei a couple of times when shopping in Sanjo Shotengai (an old fashioned shopping arcade on Sanjo Street on the western edge of Kyoto city) to enjoy some of their completely addictive desserts (like the kinako and caramel fudge cake above - TO DIE FOR!), wonderful selection of teas and drinks and even to grab some take out such as the Matcha (green tea) fudge cake and the Houjicha pudding (roasted green tea flavoured creamy custard) both below - but on the third occasion I managed to meet the now famous owner Randy Channell - an ex-pat Kyoto local who has become a master of tea. Randy-san both performs and teaches tea ceremony and has, many times over, been the subject of Japanese TV programmes and magazine articles on the matter. 

To be honest I was expecting someone of his talents and long standing within the community to possibly be a little snobbish or at the least frustrating... Some foreigners residing in Japan try a little too hard to 'become Japanese' which can be equally jarring to fellow ex-pats and the Japanese locals ... But he was NONE of that. Really down to earth, passionate about what he does and trying his best to share his knowledge and maintain a successful business.

If you are looking for some education in English about the art of Japanese Tea in a non intimidating way (held in an intimate space above the teahouse) - or just a really lovely spot for a cuppa and something sweet - or some of Randy's homemade curry (he was making some while I was there - it was also delish!) then do look up Randy Channell or Ran Hotei.

The space is really lovely for spending time in  - particularly towards the back of the teahouse/cafe - I love the old tiles and manhole cover inserted into the flooring on the way to the bathroom by the garden which is an unexpected tranquil patch in an old school shopping arcade. There are many finds like these in Kyoto an I love stumbling across them - but it is also nice to have a heads up when you are planning a trip so I am happy to be able to share them with you. Sanjo shotengai is a a short walk south from Nijo Station and worth making a visit if you are in the area.  The "local" vibe in the arcade is a nice step away from the regular tourist haunts. 

And for a closer look at the sweet stuff....

Houjcha pudding

                     Caramel fudge cake with kinako (nutty roasted soybean powder) cream

Matcha fudge cake with fresh cream

Milk and cookies at Iyemon Salon

Kyoto's Iyemon Salon is one of those places that's easy to go to any time of the day - they do brekky  - a rarity in Kyoto town, lunch, dinner and pretty much everything in between in the calm but cavernous space.  Plus there is internet available if you need it and a great little design store upstairs.  

One afternoon not so long ago a friend and I stopped in for a cuppa after a long walk and found that they have a delightful little cookie plate on offer with your drinks.. mine this time, an iced Matcha milk. Oishii! The perfect afternoon pick me up. 

More HERE (don't forget to use Google Chrome with auto translator on so it converts to English or your own language. 

Ippodo - Kyoto いっぽど

Recently I met with friend Kyoto Foodie at Ippodo - a famous Kyoto tea shop on Teramachi dori north of Nijo dori and South of Marutamachi dori. He introduced me to Koicha - a very thick tea made from a larger than usual quantity of matcha (maccha) or high quality, powdered green tea.  Michael tells me it has about 5 times the amount of tea powder normally used and therefore packs quite a punch of caffeine - however the buzz is not that of coffee (due to a component in tea that brings on a certain calm and relaxation) -so one is awake but not climbing up the walls. 

Although the mixture has the appearance and viscosity of green wall paint its flavour is smooth, savoury and deep - meaty if you like.... I love Matcha but this is not a version I would opt for every day... a special occasion Matcha perhaps. It is certainly a must to try once. 

As always with Matcha/Maccha a traditional sweet (Wagashi) is served alongside it. As it is the beginning of summer the colour of the top sweet reflects cool and calm. At formal tea ceremony you are usually invited to eat the sweet first before drinking the tea but its fine to be more casual at Ippodo - sipping and nibbling as the urge takes you.

Once you have finished the majority of the Koicha the waitress will remove your cup and whisk hot water into it so that you can enjoy the rest of the tea as the standard thinner matcha. A two for one deal - what's not to like. 

I won't give too much detail about the tea itself or Ippodo - instead I will link you to Kyoto Foodie's post from 2007 plus a link to the shop itself. If you have never experienced a traditional Japanese tea ceremony but want to taste some professionally made matcha then make sure you check out Ippodo - its only a short walk north on Teramachi from the city shopping district.  You can pick up a variety of tea to take home too!

While we are on the subject of sweets - ok so not quite on but lurking around it, any excuse and all that - check out these beautiful summer offerings. They both turn up in shops around May/June for the rainy season and early summer.   The first, made from beans, with a jelly like top set with Kanten and green maple leaf promotes the "feeling" of cool. 

The second is a speciality made from a seasonal fruit - Natsu mikan or summer mandarin/tangerine. The slightly bitter juice is sweetened and made into a jelly before being set in the hollowed out fruit skin. It is chilled and sliced into wedges for serving -  and eaten with a small spoon. So refreshing on a hot day. 

A meander through Taipei - March 2012 Part 1

In March I took, what I thought would be, a quick trip with a friend to Taipei to check out the local cuisine and culture. After two, terrifying, aborted landing attempts into a foggy Taipei airport we were redirected to Khaosiung in southern Taiwan. After landing we spent 2 frustrated hours on the aircraft then a further 2 hours in the airport with no communication from the airline and next to no connection to the outside world  - finally they took us to a hotel and the following morning we took a 5 hour road trip (quite literally a road and not much else to see) back to our original destination....  Highlights of our view below..

Basically we lost a day and an evening and about 10 years off my life. I was fairly certain I was living my last moments on that aircraft but fortunately I live to tell the tale.  

We knew we had to make the most of our remaining two days and I think we managed to pack quite a lot in. It was around 30C which was about 20C higher than what we had left so it was a bit of a shock to the system but a rather pleasant one all the same.

Completely drained from the journey we walked just a few minutes to the famous 101 building close by and ate dinner at the first place we found - the DinTaiFung dumpling restaurant- I know, I know they are all around the world  - but it was a no brainer and we were desperate. As we were in DTF's  birthplace we mistakingly thought it might be "better" than its franchised sisters - which by all accounts aren't too bad at all.  It was pretty inconsistent -  but sadly it ended up being one of the better meals of the trip.  After dinner we strolled around what turned out to be a rather colourful (literally not metaphorically) city - then ended up having an underwhelming massage in a joint nearby our hotel. (btw I do recommend the HOME hotel  - great location and comfortable rooms - the included breakfast is rather average but it puts something in your body before you head out into the day - and its cheap enough to fill up elsewhere if you need to.

I do like this whole "city" bike idea! Even if its been years since I have ridden one - although I am on a challenge from friend Ricky to get my butt on one sometime soon so I can experience true freedom in Kyoto! Dinner below for those who are interested. 

   

the towering 101 building below

 A happy ending to our massage - cookies and ginger tea - cheers!

First stop the following day was the National Palace Museum teahouse..

After a long morning roaming the exhibitions of the museum (which I highly recommend - but be prepared for the hoards) and sipping and dining in the fabulous tea house on the roof we stopped for a much needed foot massage - boy did they work our poor, tired feet. No pain no glory as they say. It was fabulous and about $10AUD for half an hour.

 We floated away refreshed and headed for the Shilin Market past some stunning architecture - old and new. There was something about this building below that seemed so out of place, but so right. 

The Shilin market (below) is reportedly the most touristy of all the night markets and I'd have to say I agree and wouldn't bother to return - the smaller markets are far more interesting - however the bustling food hall under the market is well worth visit.

Here's the highlights from the aboveground market

 

   

OK -  .forget that above ground stuff - underground was where the "goods" were waiting...

spicy stinky tofu.... that it was

I thought these were fat, porky sausages... until they split them open and started filling them with relish and real pork sausage goodness... Sticky rice in sausage casings - acting as bun for your "dog"! fantastic!

Cheese on a stick... no really.

on the way out we stopped for "bubble tea" as you do in pretty much any asian country you can think of these days... apart from almost choking on "small bubble" it was very refreshing in the humidity of the fading day. 

which way did you say?

We stumbled across this gorgeous temple on the way home and were welcomed to come in and take photos...so we did.

The sign says it all.. I thought it was funny enough that Blue Nun still existed but I have only just now realised we were being invited to enjoy a Blue Nun's buttle!  

Then on to find a local arts and culture festival - however it wasn't quite ready for us - the colourful temple area was worth a look anyway.

Strolling into the evening we came apon a tea shop - and proceeded to spend about an hour indulging the tea master and his pet pooch - it was actually nice to stop and rest for a while and he was very nice - so was the dog.... they certainly had a routine up their sleeves

won't you buy some tea????

 What about if I entertain you with a little dancing  - human style..??? eh?? eh??

x

Grand finale ... whaddya think? wanna buy some tea??

How bout I drink some with you??

just one more pose and my job is done.. this one will clinch that sale for sure...

This is where we got lost....after walking miles in the wrong direction....

We tried this joint for dinner... again not bad - but didn't rock our world 

Mushrooms in rice paper

and

Layered tofu and black egg with pork floss and sweet soy sauce

crisp pork belly n hot mustard  and stuffed lotus

pan-fried taro cakes with preserved meat

The local drop - not bad at all

Stay tuned for part two where I feature some particularly ..ahem.."earthy" food markets... I'll try not to make it too graphic - even though I know some of you can't get enough blood and guts!

**Obscure tip... Taipei has wonderful bookstores with large english language sections - Japan could take a leaf out of their, oh... well you know.