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.

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!

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!

Little Nap Coffee Stand / Makers Coffee / Fuglen Tokyo / The Roastery byNozy Coffee / Streamer Coffee Company / No. 8 Bear Pond / The Theatre Coffee

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!

Jo Malone: Earl Grey Cucumber Cologne / TWG Tea: French Earl Grey / Formula 55: Earl Grey Soap / Kusmi: Smoky Earl Grey / Scholten & Baijings mugs / Penhaligons: Earl Grey Candle

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 here, here or here.

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

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!

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

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.

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!

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

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!