居酒屋 千年の宴 (sen nen noutage) Izakaya short review

Firstly, this is a chain 'Japanese' bar. So you do not have to go to the one I went to. 千年の宴 can be translated as "A thousand year's feast (or banquet)". The name gives me a feeling that it is a celebration to something important... or why else a thousand years?

Ginger Ale with White Wine

I find it intriguing that they would put Ginger Ale with White Wine... (I've had Ginger Ale and Beer... and it was good... so perhaps this would be a good mix too).

impressions:

• too much ice
• combination is ok... (prefer Ginger Ale and Beer more)

It was... good... but I like Ginger Ale and Beer SO MUCH MORE... this was ok... but somehow the combination made the White Wine not very "winey" and the Ginger Ale lost it's distinctive taste.... it doesn't seem like a really good match.

Appetizers

The appetizers were very savoury. They were well marinaded with salt and sesame oil (and the likes) They were really good. After having these appetizers, I was excited to try the other items we ordered.

Onigiri

Having Onigiri at an Izakaya is strange... but to my surprise these onigiri was really good! It tasted so much better than the Onigiri available at convenient stores... it was so tasty. I was also impressed with the sour plums (梅干し) on the side. You can choose how you like your onigiri.

Omelette

This was a very typical omelette. It was well made and tasted quite good. It was served really warm.

raw octopus with wasabi

I know this doesn't look so appetizing... but it was really good!

The Wasabi was extremely overpowering... but it was a good combination with the octopus/squid! I can't tell the difference between Octopus or squid... the wasabi was simply too strong.

Omelette rice? guess again!

Omelette filled with Yakisoba

This was a surprise for me... The usual Japanese dish has rice inside. But tada! This one had Yakisoba inside! It was very delicious. It was on the sweet side but still extremely delicious!

Fried 山藥 with cheese

This was one of the highlights of this meal... (山藥 translates to Yam/山芋/Yamaimo). It was really good. There was some wasabi salt to pair it off. I would never have imagined combining Yamaimo with cheese was ever a good idea. But this was definitely a surprise for me... they were so well matched.

fried Chicken

It might seem like ordinary fried chicken but these were extremely crispy! The presentation doesn't look very appealing but the taste was really good. Unlike most places, the chicken was well marinaded. When I took my first bite, I was surprised as to how juicy it was.

Sashimi salad

There were lots of octopus sashimi inside. It was a strange Greek salad drizzled with a herb filled oil topped with pepper. It was very delicious though. I highly recommend it. The quantity was quite big :).

Hokkaido Milk Cheese Cake ice cream

This was another highlight of the evening. Hokkaido Milk Cheese Cake Ice Cream. I was already full when my friend decided to order this... there were two scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream with Cheese Cake bits at the bottom. It sounds simple but it was really REALLY delicious! :9

Score: 9/10
Website: no website

Ichiran ramen 一蘭ラーメン review

Ichiran

It has been a long time since I have written a review for ramen... so here's to break the chain and let's get started!

Whenever I ask someone to give me a ramen recommendation, Ichiran ramen seems to always be one of the first answers. Whenever I passed by a Ichiran Ramen it is hard to miss because there is always a long line (long line = 20 people waiting). If you have been following me for a while, you will know just how much I  loathe lines and waiting. 

Ichiran 

A few weeks ago, I FINALLY had the opportunity to eat at Ichiran, the line was much shorter and I was really hungry. When I got near the front of the line, I had to order from a vending machine, I chose their best selling Tonkotsu Ramen (Pork Bone Broth Ramen). It cost ¥890. It is more expensive compared to other ramen shops but I was excited. 

I was then given 2 sheets of paper with a clipboard indicating how I wanted my ramen: everything from the texture of the ramen to the intensity of the flavour to how much garlic you want... etc. The whole process was very foreigner friendly and the staff tried to be as helpful as possible for first timers. 

I thought it would be interesting to take a picture about the info of their ramen. Once it was our turn to go inside, we were excited. The eating area contained booths for privacy. If you went with a friend, you can close the panels so you can talk. There was a window facing us and we had to give our ramen preference sheet and order from the vending machine to the person standing on the other side of the window. 

eating area and ramen

Once our ramen came, they would put shades so we can eat in private. It is also to call our server by touching a button (no pressing... just a light touch). The whole experience was very interesting and unique. We had unlimited water which we could help ourselves to.

impressions of ramen:

• very rich soup
• a very unique taste
• the bowl of ramen was much smaller than most ramens in Tokyo
• their special sauce was slightly spicy but added a really nice kick to the whole experience
• unlike most ramen shops, the meat was very fresh and tasty
• the noodles were very thin (Hakata style (博多))
• no egg :(

Ichiran's  (一蘭) Tonkotsu ramen 豚骨ラーメン屋らーめん　とんこつ

To put it simply: I liked it! despite it being slightly pricier and smaller quantity it was really tasty. I liked the overall experience and enjoyed eating ramen privately. 

I highly recommend their special sauce (the red sauce shown in the ramen picture) because it really intensified the flavour of the soup. It is spicy but tolerable. The next time I go, I plan to order 1 1/2 scoops of this sauce to make my ramen taste better. 

I was kind of disappointed that we had to pay for our own egg because this ramen is already slightly more expensive than most.

I finished!!!

I would definitely be coming back! I had a wonderful experience. It is slightly more expensive than most ramen shops in Tokyo and the quantity is much smaller... but the taste was really unique. It can satisfy your hunger. Most tourists come for the experience (eating privately) and it has become slightly commercialized... but the soup base/broth is definitely good. I also like that we were able to personalize our ramen!

Score: 8.5/10

Website: https://www.ichiran.co.jp/english/

素爪ケア(nail crack relieve) review

For all us nail polish fanatics out there, a chipped nail is devastating... it can ruin a perfect manicure. It is unfixable. To this, a certain Japanese company has a solution: cover it with a clear coat so it does not bother you. It is suppose to hide the crack as well.

素爪ケア product

Out of curiosity,  I decided to give this product a try. I didn't have an obvious chipped nail, the chip was not obvious on camera. The chipped nail caused a bit of my nail polish to fall out. This product cost ¥950... so it should have some credibility to work... right?

I tried to zoom in on the crack, but it just showed blurriness #fail

I applied a thin layer but nothing happened... then I tried to apply a thick layer.... I waited for it to dry... for it to harden so it can form a protective layer...

Nothing.... NOTHING! There were no changes. I didn't expect a change in appearance since it was a clear coat... but it didn't repair my nail, it didn't stop the crack from getting worse. It was just... the same... as if I applied a regular top coat... the crack area wasn't protected... I could still move it around... without any effort

Such a gimmick...

Classification: Gimmick

Score: 0/10

Website: 

Japan McDonald's マクドナルド BBQ Pork burger (バーベキューポークバーガー) review

Japanese name: バーベキューポークバーガー

English Translation: BBQ Pork Burger

For those who have been in Japan would know just how expensive beef is. Japan's McDonalds has come up with BBQ pork to minimize the use of beef. Their solution was Pork. BBQ Pork.

close up of burger

what's inside the burger (based on my tastebuds)

• lettuce
• ketchup
• pickle slices
• slice of melted cheese
• pork sausage patty (the one they put in their breakfast sandwiches!!!!)

I am quite impressed... when I ate this burger I didn't miss beef.  I really liked that they chose the breakfast sandwich pork sausage patty making it extremely flavourful. The combination was quite good.

I haven't seen this burger outside of Japan yet... so it might be a regional Japanese limited edition... if you get the chance, I would recommend you try this out :).

Score: 8.5/10
Website: http://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/quality/basic_information/menu_info.php?mid=7080

Forever 21's Detangler Brush review

Forever 21's Detangler

I don't know about you guys, but whenever my hair is wet, it somehow feels much more fragile. Due to the thinness of my hair strands whenever I try to comb my hair, I hear 'snaps" resulting from certain hair strands giving in to the knots and tangles and breaking my hair! It is tragical... for both my hair and me.

I have heard of Tangle Teezer for a long time... but it isn't easy to find the original one. It wasn't available in Toronto.

impressions:

• gets rid of tangles
• didn't rip my hair out
• works and detangles my hair
• brush bristles are a little too short

bristles

The other day, I was walking into Forever 21 and found this Tangle Teezer knockoff. It is called Forever 21's Detangler. It looks almost identical to the original, all the way to the shape. The only exception is that there is a handle for Forever 21's version.

I also found the original Tangle Teezer at Tokyu Hands... and I discovered that the bristles for the Tangle Tamer was much longer and stronger. There were also variations in sizes making it catch every piece of hair easier.

Price differences:

Forever 21's Detangler costs around $8.75 USD
Tangle Teezer costs around $12.95 USD

Verdict:

Back to Forever 21's Detangler, I am definitely impressed... this is definitely not a gimmick product. I managed to get rid of all my tangles and my hair didn't snap because it was very gentle. The only drawback is that the bristles are too short (this is where the original Tangle Teezer wins) so I tend to miss sections of hair because it cannot grab onto most pieces properly. There isn't a huge difference in prices, however, if you are a penny pincher, Forever 21's Detangler will do the trick (and it has a handle!), but if you are looking for a quality product, you should definitely buy the Tangle Teezer.

Classification: not gimmick
Score: 8/10
Website: no website

How I use Vaseline

Sorry for being MIA... I had numerous visitors these past few months... So I didn't have the chance to write any reviews... However, since it is near the end of the year, I feel the need to write one final blog entry before we start fresh!

It's no doubt that one of the more "commonly" used products in the world would be vaseline. (please excuse any typos or grammatical errors)

It is not only cheap but also very safe and useful. (This post was not sponsored).

Obviously Vaseline has many uses... these are the ways I use Vaseline regularly:

sleeping mask
Every time I wake up from using a Vaseline Sleeping mask, my face feels so soft and moisturized. What I usually do is put: a layer of serum on my face, then my regular moisturizer then use a thin coat of vaseline to hold everything in.

What I like about this "sleeping mask is that I do not have to worry about my pores being clogged (that has never happened before) because Vaseline is made out of petroleum jelly it is non-comedogenic... it will not clog pores. According to Vaseline's website, Vaseline provides a good barrier between your skin and the elements without damaging the health or appearance of your skin while also keeping its moisture in.


DO NOT make a thick layer... not only will you attract dust and hair will stick to your face, but vaseline will be everywhere from your pillow to bed sheets. Do not over coat.

eye shadow base
one of my classmates in grade 7 told me about this... her mom taught her to use vaseline as an eye shadow base. Not only does it keep your eyelids well moisturized but it also helps the powdery eye shadow stay and last all day. Again, do not over use... a thin thin layer will do the trick!

lip therapy mask
During winter when we have our heaters on high and summer when we are blasting that AC, our skin gets dry.
As a lip therapy, I like to smother a slightly bigger layer before I go to sleep, the next morning my lips are so silky smooth!
I also like using Vaseline's Lip Therapy, it is a bit different (I'm not aware of the differences in ingredients since they are both Petroleum Jelly), but I wouldn't recommend using this as a lip mask... it was made for quick relief. I have tried using it as a lip mask but it didn't work as well as I thought it would...

lip gloss
Vaseline has a natural greasy shiny look if you are looking to make that lipstick slightly glossy (without overdoing it) Vaseline is a great option, as it moisturizes your lips and adds a slight shine to your lipstick/lip tint.

hand cream
I like to pair this with one of Crabtree and Evelyn's hand therapy creams. I like to use vaseline as an extra coating to seal up my Crabtree and Evelyn's Hand Cream, it

photo credits: istock.com

relieve open wounds
I actually "invented" this method by myself. I accidentally cut my finger and it hurt so much! I was desperate and found a jar of Vaseline lying around, so I decided to put some to cover the wound. To my surprise it felt less painful, in a few hours the wound shrunk a bit.

Vaseline is amazing!! :D

Saborino's Morning Mask 朝用マスク review

32 pack

info:

Contains 32 sheets/pack
Price: ¥1300/pack
Producer: Styling Life Holdings BCL Company
Manufactured in Japan

Type: Cotton mask sheets

A new revolutionary product seems to have hit the shelves lately in Tokyo drug stores and I was glad to find it. This is an awesome product which claims to be "breakfast for your face" it is suppose to include cleansing, skin care (Japanese English) and moisturizing. It also preps your skin for make up. All this can be achieved in 60 seconds!

directions

impressions:

• very cool and minty
• calmed my skin (from dryness)
• my skin felt refreshed
• I didn't want to take this mask off... (is it possible to leave it on longer?)
• the fit isn't perfect... (I had to adjust and readjust several times)
• so... we have to leave it on our faces for more than 60 seconds... (I usually leave it on till the mintiness has disappeared... (approximately 15-20 mins)).
• it made my t-zone break out... after using it for 2 days...

boo!!! did I scare you? :D

I LOVE this mask... seriously LOVE it! I love the cool sensation it produces because it really wakes me up in the morning. The cool sensation also helps calm my skin so it can properly absorb the nutrients.

Here is a list of how the ingredients help our skin:

• Cleansing: Apple fruit acid
• Tightening: Peppermint extract, Cucumber extract, Tea Tree leaf oil, Grapefruit leaf oil
• Moisturizing: Collagen, Hyaluronic acid, Orange oil, Avocado extract, Honey

Pros:

• refreshes my skin
• mintyness!!!
• you can cleanse, skin care and moisturize your skin all in one step
• lovely smell
• hygienic
• quality of mask (material) was very good, it might contain cotton
• handy... they were like a box of wipes... saved table space!

Cons:

• made my t-zone area break out
• need to apply on face for 15-20 minutes (not 60 seconds)
• the mask shape did not fit my face
• mask was not "moist" enough

Verdict:

This is a lovely mask. I love the mintiness and I love the conveneince, but it made my t-zone area break out... over all this is a really good mask... but I wouldn't recommend using it every day.

Score: 8/10

Website: http://www.stylinglife.co.jp/groups/bclabo.html (company website)