Wrapping Up 2016

My short trip to Penang, Malaysia was over as of December 30th in time for me to be back in Tokyo for the new year celebration, the most important of the holidays and very much a family event in Japan.  The Penang report will continue later but here is a post to wrap up the year 2016 with scenes from my monthly “eating around the world” get-together with a couple of very good friends.  The rule we try to keep is that we go to a place managed by someone from the region (not always possible but we manage for the most part) and we try not to repeat the same region.

Here we go.

January:  Paraguay

February, nao’s birthday month:  Hong Kong

March:  Moldova

April:  Afghanistan

May:  Kenya

June:  Palestine

July:  Spain, the first time to repeat a country though in a good way to celebrate taka’s birthday

August:  Pakistan

September:  Tibet

October:  Basque Country, my birthday month

November:  As with every year, this month is saved for “Beaujolais Nouveau”

December:  Christmas which we save for French or Italian dining every year and try to choose a restaurant where we are not forced to eat a Christmas menu.  Italian it was for 2016 managed by a chef from the south of Italy.

Happy new year’s eve!!

 

Afghan Dining in Tokyo

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My two good friends and I tried an Afghan restaurant a couple of weeks ago as part of our monthly experience of “eat-the-world” in Tokyo get-together.

The restaurant offered Asian dishes that were not necessarily Afghan as well but we tried to stick to our theme though the cheese platter had nothing to do with that.  And the seared lamb seemed a bit more Japanese than Afghan.

The main dining room became packed quickly. There was more seating in the back with tables and chairs.

PAO Caravan Sarai