Saturday, December 13, 2014

Kansai trip + Cafe hopping

A couple weeks ago, I went on a quick trip to Kyoto and Osaka with a dear friend from Toronto. Although the trip was short, it was filled with sweet sweet memories. Kyoto was absolutely charming and I always feel welcomed in Osaka.


Of course, I didn't forget to hop all the best cafes these cities have to offer.
My first stop was % Arabica Kyoto. Located steps away from Kiyomizu Temple, it is new home to Junichi Yamaguchi, Tokyo's 2014 Free Pour Champion. Although the cafe was extremely packed, my latte tasted amazing!


Second stop in Osaka was a coincident and an absolute gem! Mill Pour is a tiny cafe in Shinsaibashi with a nice seating area outside.
To be honest, this is the best mocha I've ever had! The barista who trained in Australia was kind enough to chat with us and making my friends and I feel welcomed over really great coffee!


Thursday, December 11, 2014

MTH x Gris


Hello! New theme is now up in our shop. Today's template is a minimal, 2 columns theme in grey

color. Click here to see a live demo. Don't forget to check it out!



Monday, December 01, 2014

MTH x Tulle


Hello, Today I'm so excited to introduce our new blog project on MTH. We are now offering pre-
made blogger template on etsy. Our first theme, Tulle is a pre-made blogger template. Tulle template
is a minimal and clean customizable design. You can easily adjust width, change fonts and colors of
your choice.




See live demo, here.

Available for purchase as little as $15, here.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Saturday Surf NYC x Daikanyama

The first time I discovered Saturday Surf NYC was through Nathan Williams of Kinfolk's Instagram post. I thought, what a beautiful space, doesn't look like Japan. 
Little did I know it was a men's apparel store that happens to have a cafe in it. 

    
The shop/cafe, located approximately 10 minutes away from Daikanyama station,
has a beautiful patio overlooking Tokyo city.  





I spent about a good hour sketching and relaxing on SS NYC's patio. Sipping coffee outdoors really reminded me of life in Canada, where I'd spent hours outdoors and coming up with great ideas for my next painting. 

Although Daikanyama slightly intimidates me with all its fancy shops, I will definitely bring friends back here for a nice cup of coffee and good conversations.

Saturday, October 04, 2014

Weekend cooking: Thai winged bean salad

Ecstatic was the word I could describe when I found winged bean at a farmer's market.
I didn't know they could be found in Japan! 

Winged bean salad, or ยำถั่วพู are one of the most loved salad dishes in Thailand. 
The nutty flavor mixed with Thai style spicy and sour salad dressing makes this dish an absolute favorite. 

I thought it would be complicated to make, but not at all! I spent my Saturday 
making this and not disappointing at all!

Here's what you will need: 

5-6 winged beans
Half a lime or lemon
1 clove of garlic, smashed
1-2 dried chili
2 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs Thai chili paste
1 tbs sugar
Toasted coconut flakes
Toasted peanuts
5-6 Boiled shrimps
1 Boiled egg
Fried red onions or shallots

   
Directions:

1) Cut the edges off winged beans and cut them into thin slices. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove then soak in ice water to preserve the crunchiness.
2) Boil the shrimp until cooked. Remove and set aside.
3) In a different pot, boil eggs until fully cooked. Remove and set aside.
Cut into wedges after cooled down.
4) To make the sauce, combine Thai chili paste, sugar, fish sauce and lemon juice. Mix well until everything is dissolved. Add in crushed garlic and sliced chili.
5) Remove winged beans from the ice water and dry them off.
6) In a large bowl, mix winged bean slices, roasted coconut flakes, roasted peanuts, fried onions, shrimp. 
7) Add in the sauce and mix well.
8) In a plate, scoop in the salad and decorate with boiled eggs on the side! Voila, fin!

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Tokyo Cafe Map

3 months ago, I was transferred to work in Shibuya. Gotta admit, not a big fan of the crowds...but despite all the hustle bustle, Shibuya's gems are the great coffee around the area. 

Here's my illustration interpretations of my favorite coffee places around Shibuya. Not ranked in orders, they all have their different charms!


Saturday, September 06, 2014

Earl Grey Obsession

Needless to day, I am a big fan of Earl Grey Tea. There is something about the
aromatic, rustic bergamot smell and the citrus taste. 

This love for Earl Grey Tea has transcended into looking for Earl Grey scented products. Here is my wishlist for September, hopefully I will be able to get my hands on them soon!


Monday, September 01, 2014

Pretty fonts and free!


Today I'm loving these pretty fonts! I hope you find these fonts useful for your blog or website.

They can be found at herehere or here.

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Streamer @ Gohongi

I'm already a big fan of Streamer Coffee Company but I was ecstatic to find out that they decided to open a new location in my train line. Streamer Gohongi, located under the train tracks of Gakugei-Daigaku station 
is their most attractive location yet.

As much as I love their coffee, the space was what drew me in the most! Decorated in a warehouse like feel, Streamer Gonhongi consisted of a 2 story spacious lot.


Great coffee. Suave space for me to spend my precious day off. 
Courteous staff and talented barista. Seriously couldn't ask for more. 

Streamer Gonhongi is located at: 2-36,Chuuouchou,Meguro-ku,Tokyo


Sunday, August 17, 2014

Summer Sonic x Arctic Monkeys

I love concerts. I love everything about it. The music, the energy, even the crowds! When I heard Arctic Monkeys will be making a stop in Japan, I did not hesitate about going. This time they joined Japan's annual music festival, Summer Sonic.

The festival consisted of a 2-day event, both in Tokyo and Osaka. I chose Day 1 since some of the bands I like will be playing! Unfortunately, I couldn't make it to see Phoenix. Definitely next time!


Usually a baseball stadium, QVC Marine Field turned into a concert event for the day!


Beach stage was fun and energetic. Felt like I was in Southern Cali! 


When Arctic Monkeys came on stage, they did not disappoint. They played a bunch of tracks from AM and a couple of their oldies while front man Alex Turner lead the show with his psychedelic, cool, charisma on stage. 

The crowd in Japan is a little more mellow than the ones I am used to but overall a really fantastic show! Looking forward to seeing more live bands in the future!


Monday, August 11, 2014

Summer desktop wallpaper



Today's freebie is a desktop wallpaper that is inspired by fun, colorful palette like this, here, and a 

combination of my recent discovery of a brand called Unelefante

Hope you enjoy this very colorful wallpaper!

widescreen: 1920x1200

full screen: 1600x1200

Friday, August 08, 2014

Good finds: Olive Juice.

I fell in love with this quirky video by Celia Rowlson-Hall, a New York based filmmaker and choreographer.
Her video Olive Juice is absolutely charming, using quotes and idioms about love and arranging them in a choreographed short film.


View her short film here!


This short film totally stole my heart. View more of Celia's works on her website.

Friday, August 01, 2014

Summer drink: Coffee Jelly Iced Mocha



Summer can't be complete without summer drinks! Today, I'm loving my coffee jelly iced mocha.

If you can find an instant coffee jelly at your local supermarket, this drink will be super easy to make! It's ok if you couldn't find one, just simply follow these instructions.

Coffee Jelly / Pudding (found via allrecipes.com)

1 (.25 ounce) package unflavored gelatine
2 tablespoons hot water
3 tablespoons white sugar (Optional)
2 cups fresh brewed coffee

- Dissolve gelatin in the hot water in a small bowl.
- Pour gelatin mixture, coffee, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Pour coffee mixture into glasses for individual servings or a large pan for cubing.
- Chill in the refrigerator until solidified, 6 to 7 hours.

//

Iced Mocha (adapted from homecoffeerecipes.com)

2 shots of freshly brew espresso
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar
Ice
Milk or soy milk

- First put the cocoa powder and sugar in your cup. Next pour in the espresso shots or coffee. Stir well.
- Pour coffee jelly into the glass, follow by half a cup of ice.
- Fill the cup the rest of the way with the milk and mocha espresso mix.
- Enjoy!

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Summer essentials, V.1


Summer in Japan can be brutally hot! If you are visiting Japan this time of year, make sure to pack

and wear light. I love Zara long dress shirt (from 2011 collection) // Tank tops in every colours are a 

wonderful idea, found via my pinterest // Summer nail polishes via Harper's Bazaar // Last but not

least, my current favorite Tom's Correa Sandals

Friday, July 11, 2014

Coffee, lately

In both June and July, I went on a coffee frenzy. I've had  chance to commute to downtown Tokyo
several times and I have been collecting my data! Here are a few places I stopped at recently.

Makers Coffee, Yoyogi-Koen.
Cool space and great coffee. They have a pretty cool table for people who love to get their coffee fix
and work on their project! Too bad that half the time I'm there, they're closed.


New Coffee Steppers, Harajuku.
This place was an absolute surprise! I walked around the busy neighborhood and stumbled upon
this little gem of a coffee shop located inside a design store. New Coffee Steppers is a little shop created by the
owners of Little Nap in Yoyogi-Koen.The barista was kind enough for me to snap a picture
while she made her free pour! Absolutely gorgeous!


Sarutahiko, Ebisu.
This tiny coffee shop is located in the posh neighborhood Ebisu. It's quite a popular and
long standing coffee place with wide selections.  It was absulutely crowded so I was glad
we were able to get some seats! Really great mocha here!


That's it for now! I'll be sure to make more coffee stops in the next few weeks! 
So glad Japan's coffee scene is starting to pick up!

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

seoul cafe wrap up

Wrapping up my Seoul cafe hopping post!

Something that I always do while I travel, I cafe hop in foreign cities.
I find it exciting to visit local cafes and try carefully crafted coffee. This time, I planned to
try out at least 5 places but my schedule did not allow me so I only visited 2.
They were both very good in different ways.



First stop, 5extracts in Hongdae. The cafe, a 10 minute walk from Honggik university station, 
has a nice rustic decor that is cool but cozy at the same time. 



I tried a caramel latte, something I rarely have but I was glad to get a little sweet kick in my
coffee. The result was not disappointing, very warm and the latte art was beautiful!


My second stop was Coffee Lec. Located in a small alley in the fancy area of Garosugil, 
cafe owner Sean An was Korea's Barista champion from 2011. 



Coffee Lec reminded me of a Jazz bar with a 1920's vibe. I spent about a good hour or two chatting with my good friend
while taking a break from shopping. The mocha I ordered tasted wonderful and the service was amazing as well. 

Definitely had a great coffee experience in Seoul. I'm so glad to see people dedicated to making good coffee!
Please check back for more updates to come at Milk+Toast+Honey. I will cafe hop at local cafes in Tokyo again!