有約東京 Meet Me in Tokyo

像不像是愛情喜劇的片名?

Feeling lucky to be able to stop by Tokyo for some design inspiration before the official work trip started thanks to my understanding boss and my in-laws helping out.  On his way back from Singapore to the Bay Area, on my way to South East Asia from San Francisco, Mr. LK and I met in Tokyo for dinner and coffee.

此趟初秋環亞大出差前決定給自己ㄧ趟小小靈感之旅: 過境東京三天!  剛好LK先生自新加坡公務結束回程暫停日本, 也多得公婆不久前來美國幫忙照顧小V, 夫妻倆能夠於異地約會, LK先生還替我先扛回大包小包的戰利品 :)

選擇銀座基於熟悉度與方便性, 十月初的東京明澄清爽, 筆直寬闊的中央通老鋪名店林立, 入夜華燈初上尤其絢麗.  我們手牽手逛街, 走累了便入座特色咖啡館欣賞型男靚女, 謝謝銀座, 讓LK先生和我都深覺過去十年花在對方身上的青春沒白費(刹時我竟暫忘此人不讀紅樓夢 :P), 想來多年後小V離巢上大學了我倆婚姻生活仍有可為.

I mainly stayed in Ginza so I could maximize the daytime gathering ideas from all the trendy brands.  When dusk came, I then relaxed into my foodie self and wandered into culinary adventures.  Not only full of fashionistas, Ginza is the coffee lover paradise.  The dark and brooding Tsubakiya Cafe was like stepping back in time between the Edwardian and Art Deco with siphon, Royal Copenhagen porcelain, and the stained glass windowpane in an attic lead by a narrow staircase.

此城咖啡館兼容並蓄, 有古典大正浪漫風的'樁屋咖啡':  烏木窗櫺窄閣裏穿梭著穿戴黑白蕾絲圍裙的女侍, 餐盤茶具清ㄧ色皇家哥本哈根藍釉唐草骨瓷.  咖啡我覺得風味尚可, 配點的紅茶戚風蛋糕香軟纖細空靈, 栗子季必嚐經典蒙布朗 - 重疊的糖漬栗子, 蒸栗泥, 鮮奶油… 種種甜層次分明.

When tasting the airy Kocha chiffon cake and lush Mont Blanc, I could not help but to caress my hair and upper arm as if I was wearing pavé diamond headband and arm band :P

也有時髦明快的佰元精品咖啡Toriba Coffee:  樓中樓挑高的植物綠牆, 各色咖啡豆大理石吧臺大字排開歡迎試飲, 還兼賣限量的擺了三日熟成的'空也'最中(前幾趟東京行我們曾預定老店'空也'的最中, 果然時時刻刻風味有變).

There is the Toriba coffee tasting bar for the hipsters, too.  USD$1 per cup for your favorite varietal, admiring the chic passers by(I say Japanese men are too fashionable for anyone's good), and take a selfie with the floor to ceiling 'green' wall.

來東京自然得享用壽司, 名店'次郎'與'水谷'多年前已有緣品嚐, 這次省荷包省時間來到後起之秀佐藤博之的十神(位於水谷壽司的舊址!) 特色是鮮潤的鮪魚全席和香醇紅醋飯, 姿態優雅眉目清秀的佐藤師傅乃光頭型男(哪,有圖為證!)  謙虛的佐藤師傅說起為何將餐廳命名'十神': 我的壽司檯有十個座位, 而每位客人都是神啊!

The owner and chef of Sushi Tokami(Ten Gods - named because there are ten seats at the sushi bar and every guest is god :) Mr.  Hiroyuki Sato was fun and gracious.  He proudly presented his tuna specialty(from lean to fatty, raw to lightly seared, buttery to spicy…) and we, totally melted at the end of the feast. 

這趟得償所願, 赴了與次郎頗有淵緣的'美川是山居'天麩羅饗宴, 早乙女哲哉師傅藝術天份驚人, 位於自宅的是山居滿載國寶級文物.  天麩羅檯前的師傅讓心愛的藝術品圍繞, 瞇著眼笑說這是他ㄧ生的夢想.  我有隨身帶畫冊的習慣, 檯前的師傅長箸揮灑, 青蔬魚鮮嫩蝦, 三兩下過沸騰的胡麻油變成陶盤中噴香酥脆的天麩羅! 忍不住提筆畫下師傅ㄧ生懸命的神態, 末了, 和善的早乙女師傅在我畫冊留下蒼勁的簽名並於餐單上畫了兩隻水墨蝦(說到水墨蝦畫, 倒不是中日情仇, 心中的第ㄧ名仍是齊白石!  當然早乙女師傅的天麩羅蝦和炸蝦頭都像是以胡麻油急速封鎖鮮蝦美味, 入口仍有彈跳的生命力 :)

Climax of the tasting came at Mikawa Zezankyo where we dined at the museum like tempura restaurant surrounded by art and artifact with the legendary Chef Saotome working his magic behind the frying station.  How could I resist?  As we reveled, from the delicate flounder,  tender squid,  crunchy shrimp… to fragrant matsutake mushroom like a crescendo, I drew the maestro in action a portrait.  He kindly autographed my sketch and gave me two inky shrimps in return(brace yourselves, the shrimps were beheaded and battered earlier as part of the heavenly meal :P) 

近年韓風襲捲, 銀座精華地段也出現米其林二星宮廷藥膳'尹家'.  我對韓國料理所知膚淺, 來去只見識過豪邁的烤肉和熱辣的石鍋拌飯… 這下讓低眉斂目的侍者請入包廂, 迎面整牆巨幅冰裂元壺圖, 雪白長桌對擺古樸陶盤和細柄黃銅餐具… LK先生點的藥燉牛肉和我點的人蔘雞風味溫潤嫻雅, 尤其後者主料雞腿小鮑魚圓米粥滿吸紅棗,蔘鬚,生栗,枸杞,淮山…等鮮甜, 層層藥香徐徐綻放舌尖, 既多采又圓融, 不禁對韓國料理多幾分敬意.  當日東京乍寒微雨, 那鍋鮑蔘雞足足暖活我們直到成田機場貴賓室仍意猶未盡, ANA Lounge出名的咖哩烏龍麵與稻荷壽司已無心品嚐.  妙的是我倆班機時刻相仿, LK先生飛回灣區, 而我啟程往越南胡志明市開始連串公務, 真真倉鼠人生現代忙碌夫妻寫照… 從小我少年老成, 時時警剔自己別樂極生悲得意忘形, 前些年幾經離喪, 學會實事求是與悲傷共處, 面對喜悅我反而手足無措, 深怕承認快樂當刻平安便將離我遠去… 三十功名塵與土, 這人生跌跌撞撞功未成名未就, 然每次擁吾兒在懷中, 他柔嫩的臉頰緊貼我的, 撒嬌的呼喚媽咪這個媽咪那個, 我都心痛的想流淚, 但覺何德何能, 如斯幸運如斯幸福.

We ended the rendezvous at Yunke, Michelin two star Korean medicinal cuisine.  My 'chicken soup rice' was slow cooked in a clear broth of more than twenty types of herbs, ginseng, goji berry, ginko… to name a few and garnished with slices of abalone.  The elegant aftertaste kept us warm until Mr. LK and I said goodbyes at the ANA Lounge in Narita Airport.  Hours later, he will be home to kiss our little boy goodnight while I land at the Ho Chi Minh City for a cup of Vietnamese coffee .  Bon voyage!

扯遠了, 期待久違的胡志明市和她甜膩的滴露咖啡 :)