Books »The Elephant Vanishes

by Haruki Murakami (1993)

Murakami’s short story collection The Elephant Vanishes opens with what would become the first chapter of The Wind Up Bird Chronicle, a book that consumed and mesmerized me like only few great novels can. I tried to repeat that spell with his other works, but only came as close with Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World.

After finishing the second story, I was worried that this would be another miss for me and Murakami – though a miss from him is still guaranteed to be more curious and interesting than many authors’ best so I kept reading.

I was finally drawn in completely by the story Sleep, a subtly creepy story of a woman who lives two lives when she suddenly no longer sleeps. It’s a masterful study of inexplicable fears come to life, fears that sit dormant below the surface of the toil and small joys of everyday living.

Other notable favorites are Barn Burning, Family Affair, TV People, The Dancing Dwarf, and The Last Lawn of the Afternoon. Of course, every reader will have their own opinions depending on their tolerance for the bizarre surrealism that peppers his writing with such dark grace.

The best stories here have his hallmark gift for mood. You feel the people and places in essence if not in detail and are transported to strange territories that are both very near and very far from our own lives.

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Posted on February 11, 2011

Style Icons: Male »Kansai Yamamoto

Bold Designer

I’ve learned while going through photos of Kansai Yamamoto‘s awesome work that it is indeed possible to salivate over amazing costume! He’s the man responsible for the wardrobe for David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust Tour and currently produces something called Super Show that is at once fascinating, inscrutable and over the top. I am dying to attend.

There have been two retrospectives in Tokyo and Philadelphia so heres to hoping one comes to New York. Oh, and wouldn’t a chain store collaboration be simply amazing?! I’d do just about anything for one of his patchwork kimono dresses.

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Posted on January 11, 2011

Movies »Ninja Scroll

directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri (1993)

The words “Ninja Scroll” echoed in the halls of my freshman dorm. Nerds coming from all corners of the country and globe were getting introduced to anime with this bloody action packed oddity, all thanks, if I remember correctly, to one Hal Lee who passed a well worn VHS around Nickerson Hall. With explicit sex scenes, demon monsters, and arm ripping/blood soaked fights, well, needless to say the dudes were INTO it. I  however, never saw it til last night (thank you Netflix + AppleTV).

Like most things Japanese, Ninja Scroll is somewhat inscrutable, but that hardly matters. Whether you follow the story about a secret gold mine, an old man spy, and a bisexual who plays a deadly game of telephone or not, there’s just so much good stuff to look at. From rape minded rock monsters to ninja birds, from vagina snakes to magic bee swarms, the movie hits the ground running and never stops.

In short, though, Jubei is a ninja for hire who talks with the insensitive staccato of a teenage boy that just learned the word ‘shit” as in “Shit! A cast off skin!!”. He meets up with a girl ninja Kagero who is poison to any man that sleeps with her. Together they reluctantly (since they are fiercely independent, of course) join forces with a sneaky old man to defeat a team of demons with strange abilities who want nothing more than world domination through destruction and a pirate ship full of gold.

In a huge sea of anime, which is daunting to traverse, this one stands out with it’s inventive monsters drawn from folklore, stunningly beautiful artwork and a plot that speaks to my D&D heart.

The movie spawned a sequel series and word has it that Leonardo DiCaprio owns the rights to a planned live action movie coming next year.

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Posted on December 19, 2010

Restaurants »Samurai Mama

205 Grand St, Brooklyn

Makoto Suzuki, the man behind Bozu (one of Brooklyn’s most unsung best restaurants) plus the chewy deliciousness of Udon equals Samurai Mama – the perfect new spot for Jim and my first date night since baby. We arrived early before the crowds and snagged one of the few private two tops – the cozy and simple wood and brick space is dominated by a huge communal table. Udon is the name of the game here and offered in many varieties – in hot soup, dipping style, and bukkake (nothing dirty – just sauce slathered) all with different topping options from veggie to pork belly.

I opted for the traditional soup with the pork, Jim the same but as a dipping dish. Both were great, with thick, perfectly cooked noodles and a nice, sweet broth that I spiced up a bit with the red chili spices. The pork was tender and as good as it is in Bozu’s fabulous pork betty platter.

But there’s more to the menu than noodles, and you should come hungry so you can sample a bit of everything. The sushi comes in a taco form (with the nori acting as shell) and both the tuna avocado and eel avocado were outstanding. The gyoza arrived like in a surprising puffed baked appearance and was miles away from the frozen appetizer we all know so well from most Japanese restaurants. The list of sakes was varied and I opted for a smokey Suehiro glass. They had an unpasteurized bottle available (the drink I most missed while pregnant) but am really not at the point yet where I can drink half a bottle of anything.

Already garnering great local reviews and praise on yelp, Samurai Mama is sure to become another neighborhood fixture and a particularly welcome one as the nights get colder and colder and a steaming bowl of Udon beckons.

(Thanks mom and dad for the babysitting).

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Posted on November 17, 2010

Laughs »Vagina Bubbles From Hell

from The Female Ninja Magic Chronicles

This mind blowing scene from The Female Ninja Magic Chronicles has been making the internet rounds and makes it clear that I have to find a copy of this series.

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Posted on September 26, 2010

Spend a Couple Hours »Graphic Heroes, Magic Monsters: Japanese Prints by Utagawa Kuniyoshi

333 East 47th Street

Some art shows that I have been excited about (talking to you Younger Than I’ll Be at BAM) are disappointing in their scope, offering little more than the images released online, the incredible, awe inspiring, amazingly inspiring and exquisitely beautiful Utagawa Kuniyoshi exhibit: Graphic Heroes, Magic Monsters at the Japan Society is the exact opposite. Room after room offered more stunning work in this comprehensive exploration of the artist career is almost overwhelming – but in a most excellent way. My dad exclaimed it to be the best art show he’s ever been to, and if these close up images strike your fancy at all (and they are really only poor quality photos from my camera off the exhibit book) you need to see this in person. I walked away so completely inspired and can guarantee you will too.

The museum itself is also worth noting as a pretty neat spot that also features Japanese language classes, sake tastings, and other events including film screenings. Some limited reproduction prints as well as a beautiful book are available for sale on this particular exhibition.

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Posted on May 9, 2010

Restaurants »Soba-ya

229 East 9th Street

Ever end up in a pickle when you crave noodles, but it’s too warm for ramen? Enter Soba-ya where the dishes are offered cold and absolutely delicious. I loved, loved loved, my meal of cold udon, dipping sauce, and tiny shrimp and leaf tempura.

It was the kind of meal (sans tempura) that I could eat any time of the day, any day of the week. I’ve had the dish elsewhere, but there’s something indefinably special about the noodles here, which is probably why there were throngs of people waiting for a table by the time we left.

The authentic spot does unique takes on their appetizers, offering a shrimp ball with soft noodle shell version of shumai and veggie options like fried taro in broth, which was excellent.

The staff is polite and the crowd is hip to the fact that this is a step above some other St Mark’s area eateries. The restaurant also boasts a washlet, which you’ll read more about in this week’s how to spend a couple minutes section.

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Posted on April 11, 2010

Restaurants »Umami Burger

4655 Hollywood Blvd

It was a couple days into my LA trip before I had a truly notable meal. After a long and impossible wait among underage drinkers at Alegria, we left in defeat and moseyed on over to Umami Burger, the home of burgers with a unique flavor that’s a little hard to describe but wildly yummy and memorable. Not surprisingly, I’ve learned that flavor is called “umami”.

Umami is the fifth basic taste that was discovered by the premiere chef in France of the late 1800’s Auguste Escoffier. Here is an NPR story all about it.

But back to the burger joint in Los Feliz: it’s delicious. My Socal was perfect with its lettuce, oven dried tomatoes, caramelized onions, “spread” and cheese and my tempura onion rings were crispy and addictive. The meal was filling and the spot boasts an excellent beer menu and a heated outdoor dining area. The only problem? the hostess was a complete eye-rolling witch. Really weird and uncalled for, right? Good thing there was great food to make up for it.

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Posted on February 28, 2010

Recipes »Chicken Yakitori on Watercress

from Cooking Light

When I was a kid I used to love to eat yakitori at a place called… Yakitori! They’d serve the skewers in a red car-shaped plate to kids who ate in-house and it was there that I had my very first taste of sushi at a very young age (octopus).

I even have a bottle of their custom yakitori sauce (the place is still going strong in my home town) so I was hesitant to try my own hand at the dish. This Cooking Light recipe (do I cook from anyplace else lately) was not a disappointment. It’s quick, easy, not too heavy or fatty and full of flavor.

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Posted on February 28, 2010

Web Sites »Tokyo Connection

tokyo connection

artsy. delicious. busy. blinding. always sublime

I am not sure what kind of camera the author of The Tokyo Connection uses, but he manages to make the city look like the stuff of faded fantastic dreams. He even makes construction and wiring look delicious and with a subject like Tokyo for a reader like me, who has always since forever dreamed of visiting, it’s almost too much! I’m on the verge of grabbing Jim, leaving our life behind, and taking a one-way trip to Japan…

Okay, I’m back in the now again and will just have to get by with these small glimpses on the internet for now.

tokyo connection

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Posted on January 17, 2010