During my recent visit to Tallinn, Estonia, I was attending a convention and some of the events held during the day took place at Vene Kultuurikeskus or the Russian Cultural Center, a former officers’ club of the Soviet navy.
The ceiling of the main hall
Lunching
Maybe it had something to do with the way the building was built but the whole time it was so cold inside!!
It had been such a long time since Paul H., someone we did lots of business with in the ’90s and who is a very dear friend, and I got together which we regularly used to do in London. We had just been exchanging messages when I quite suddenly confirmed a trip to London and let him know I was coming to the city.
On the day I was leaving for Tokyo, we met up for lunch at his suggestion at this very nice Thai restaurant in Soho.
I arrived about five minutes early and Paul was already enjoying a beer in the lounge. I obviously joined him.
Great food and old memories. Loved every moment.
What I mean to say is that October being my birthday month, I had a few birthday eats but here are the ones unrelated to my birthday. So here we go.
Outside and inside the venue at Loud Park 15, a metal festival. You’ve got to eat to survive the long hours.
Out with colleagues in Akasaka @ Rusticanella for some tasty Italian.
One of the “regular” dinners with a colleague and a mutual friend in Sangenjaya and Italian it was.
At a jazz club in Omotesando.
My current favorite sweets-turned-lunch, acai bowl.
Random lunch I had at a random cafe in Hanzomon.
I rarely have people over at my apartment but two years in a row, I hosted a birthday party mainly for a particular ex-colleague but also for other ex-colleagues and myself as our birthdays are close enough (well, not really but anyway).
I made the easiest and the tastiest beef dish I know as with last year.
We like our meat somewhat fatty as exemplified by the so-called “Kobe beef”.
Porcini risotto was another dish I was serving. Japanese rice is not quite fit for making risotto though.
The table set. We were six people.
Appetizers provided by guests.
The beef dish that was served with Japanese basil, red onion, and a soy sauce based sauce with a touch of lemon.
The salad
An attempt to create a birthday feel w/o cake.
Pleased at the end of the evening.
Had to do a quick business meeting in a Thai restaurant a couple of weeks ago with someone who can go on eating Thai food all day, everyday of the week.
Though I was the host, she volunteered to serve everyone the “pad Thai” we ordered.
She did a great job at that, mixing condiments and stuff.
A blog by Ayako Mathies 