Arabian Rock - Ueno

Strains of Arab pop , a cool name and hunger pangs drew us to Arabian Rock.

A Japanese belly-dancer greeted us and presented us with an Aladdin's lamp. She said "Rub the lamp and your wishes will be granted".

A stairway lit by brass lanterns led to a glowing pyramid and our own two-man nook decorated with Moroccan wall tiles and plush floor cushions.

To add to the fantasy, we received a basket of golden eggs to ward off bad luck. "Please peel off the shell" we were advised. Very bunga telor-ish. (Bunga telor, boiled eggs traditionally given as party favours at weddings and represents fertility in Malay culture).

With dramatic flair, a waiter emerged with a flaming dish of beef teppanyaki .

Flavourful tofu tajine, cod roe potato cheese gratin, chicken tandoori kebab and couscous salad ensured our wishes were indeed granted.

Happy and satisfied, the Alhady Arabs reluctantly crawled out of their alcove for their next adventure.

Grazing choices in Tokyo

A Groupon meal at Shibuya entailed acquiring a free coupon from the website which promised a 1500 yen rebate. Sounds good at the outset. You are drawn to gimmicky visuals of themed rooms like Alice in Wonderland, Ali Baba's cave for the experience of dining with a difference. Reservations are quickly confirmed for the only available dining time at five thirty or wait for the next weekend.

Without a glimmer of a chance of getting a themed room this time, it only got worse. Ushered into a cubicle reeking of smoke sent spasms to my bronchioles. Request for a smoke-free room landed us in a four-person cubicle, separated from the other couple by a pull-down screen. There were several restrictions to meal selection too inane to mention. Adding insult to injury the bill was presented minus the rebate offer. Surprising for Japan indeed. They pride themselves in honouring deals. For another horror Groupon story read this.

http://www.retaildoc.com/blog/groupon-worst-marketing-business/

My favourite lunch place, Dexee Deli at Lumine 1 food court, serves up a quick low cal nutritious meal. On offer is a protein choice of fish, chicken-tofu or beef patty, and recently added green chicken curry, two vegetable choices and sekihan (red rice) with a drink for a value price of 900 yen!

Thai Khao San, located directly opposite, is popular for its unique hawker-styled seating arrangements ie stools around large round tables, suited for a shared dinning experience with total strangers.

Korea town, Shin Okubo, is teeming with Korean restaurants and supermarkets and Zainichi, Japanese-born Koreans living in Japan since before the war. Our favourite spot is a little establishment on the second floor specialising in Korean fried chicken with Yangnyom sweet hot sauce and sesame seeds. Another yummy fried chicken dish is the soy and garlic version. The secret to the crispy crunch is the double frying technique with only a dash of seasoning.

Obviously this meal negates all previous efforts at eating healthy . . . but what the heck. If you haven't tried yangnyom you haven't lived!

Dining alone in Tokyo

Nestled behind Takashimaya in Shinjuku and up a steep flight of stairs, a charming woody, nature-inspired cafe lay waiting to be discovered. The warm humid evening begged for the airy patio.

A light meal, a good book and my trusty camera were good company.

I had reached a pivotal part of my current read, South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami, and was savouring each and every word. You know the feeling that you don't want the story to end . . . not just yet.

Enjoying the aroma of coffee and the night skies brought an end to another day.

In search of Usavitch

Usavitch. Imagine an anime version of prison break, an odd couple of rabbits, Kirenenko (red) and Putin (green) and their antics in a Soviet prison. Later they escape to a shopping mall and share hilarious adventures. My mission was to find Putin, as Kirenenko was missing his friend.

After checking out the well-loved store, Don Quixote, in Shinjuku, where I had bought only Kirenenko (because I liked the red stripes) on a previous trip, there seemed to be a dearth of Usavitch merchandise on the shelves. Have they stopped production after the earthquake? Not good news for fans.

Next stop Harajuku. Bypassing the Goth shops, and at the risk of sounding bigoted, The Closet Child, I actually was looking for something much more innocent called Kiddy Land. Stumbling upon The World Connection, Usavitch was on the first floor! Yes! Mission accomplished.

At closing time, other sights take prominence like the graffiti . . .

. . . and the dimly lit narrow side streets. Only a handful of vendors continued to call out to dwindling customers while cute Lolita's were pulling down shop shutters.

The adventures of Putin and Kirenenko continue . . .

Singapore Seafood Republic, Shinagawa

Cross the overhead bridge in front of Shinagawa JR Station and you can't miss the chilli crab signboard.

Hey are we in Singapore? Raffles Hotel? A refreshing change from cramped smoky restaurants. A colonial bungalow with al fresco seating . .

. . . and spacious, cool indoor dining.

A friend working at the restaurant gave us the royal treatment and drinks on the house.

Singapore fried mee hoon turned out to be rather insipid and merely coloured by kunyit (safron). The chili crabs and steamed mantau (bread), on the other hand, were incredibly like the stuff we get at home. Satay was good, but the peanut sauce was microscopic in amount. An interesting twist was the added pineapple dip.

French doors open out into a courtyard, complete with green canvas umbrellas and shady trees, very much a reminder of home.

Ue wo Muite Aruko aka Sukiyaki

Kyu Sakamoto, a popular crooner, released the single Ue wo Muite Aruko in Japan by Toshiba in 1961 which became the top ranking pop song. When released in the USA in 1963, it soared to number one of the Top Billboard Hot 100's and sold 13 million records internationally.

For the past month, Japanese broadcasters stopped airing commercials altogether. Suntory, the beverage company, broke the silence with this rendition of Sukiyaki by Japanese celebrities to revitalise the nations' spirit. It's a song about a man who keeps his face up to keep his tears from falling. Lyrics are below.

I look up when I walk so the tears won't fall

Remembering those happy spring days

But tonight I'm all alone

I look up when I walk, counting the stars with tearful eyes

Remembering those happy summer days

But tonight I'm all alone

Happiness lies beyond the clouds

Happiness lies above the sky

I look up when I walk so the tears won't fall

Though my heart is filled with sorrow

For tonight I'm all alone

(whistling)

Remembering those happy autumn days

But tonight I'm all alone

Sadness hides in the shadow of the stars

Sadness lurks in the shadow of the moon

I look up when I walk so the tears won't fall

Though my heart is filled with sorrow

For tonight I'm all alone,

Ochanumizu, the Guitar Planet

Five minutes from JR Ochanomizu station you will hit guitar planet where the streets are lined by stores selling guitars new and old, electric and acoustic, six string and 12 string, picks, slides, straps, cases etc etc

A sight for sore eyes, especially if you have a yen to spend.

Sidewalks showing the writing on the wall.

If you can't buy one, make one . . .

. . . 'and she's buying the stairway to heaven'.