[Shanghai] ABC Cooking Studio

Categories other
[Shanghai] ABC Cooking Studio

ABC Cooking Studio

Add: Joy City 4F, 166 Xizangbei Lu 西藏北路166号大悦城4楼
Tel: 3639 0556
Hours: 10am-10pm
Website: www.abc-cooking.co.jp/srv/cn
Price: First-time trial 50 RMB/class, regular price 100~200 RMB/class (membership-based)
Visited: Feb 2011

ABC Cooking Studio, a wildly popular women-only cooking school in Japan, opened its first Shanghai branch in Joy City. I originally came across the studio when I was window shopping in Tokyo Midtown at Roppongi, and remember well the brightly-lit, colorful interior filled with well-groomed, apron-clad Japanese ladies looking like busy bees. When I saw that the Shanghai branch is offering a trial class for only 50 RMB, I immediately called to schedule an appointment.

A friend and I arrived 10 minutes before our 3:00pm class, changed into indoor slippers, put on the aprons, and were ready to go.

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[Tokyo] Fukusaya 福砂屋

Categories tokyo
[Tokyo] Fukusaya 福砂屋

Fukusaya 福砂屋 is a historical cake shop famous for its Castella (カステラ), a simple Japanese sponge cake made with sugar, flour, eggs, and syrup. Though it is now a specialty of Nagasaki, Castella originally came from Castile of Portugal, and was brought to Japan in the 16th century. Fukusaya has been baking these divinely fluffy and moist Castella cakes since 1624, and their website quite clearly explains the process. As impressive as the taste, on the other hand, is the packaging. Let’s go layer by layer…

First, a yellow wrapping paper that depicts the founding date of Fukusaya, the shop’s various locations, and its signature bat-shaped logo. In Chinese (which the Japanese also use in the form of Kanji), “bat (蝠)” has the same pronunciation as “happiness/luck (福)” , which is why Fukusaya chose the bat as its store logo.

Inside the yellow wrapping paper is a thin but sturdy yellow paper box, again with the bat logo.

Opening the paper box reveals a sealed washi paper-textured spun polyester sleeve.

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[Tokyo] Meiji Shrine 明治神宮

Categories tokyo
[Tokyo] Meiji Shrine 明治神宮

Meiji Shrine 明治神宮

Add: 1-1, Kamizono-chō, Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0053
Tel: 03-3379-5511
Hours: varies throughout the year, check website for details
Website:www.meijijingu.or.jp/english
Price: free
Visited: Jan 2011

Meiji Jingu is an expansive Shinto shrine built in 1920 as a dedication for Emperor Meiji and his wife Empress Shoken. A must-visit for first-timers in Tokyo.

At the entrance there is, like at all other Shinto shrines, a temizuya where you are supposed to cleanse yourself before entering the sacred ground of the gods. Here’s the drill: rinse your left hand, rinse your right hand, pour water into your left hand, rinse you mouth (but don’t touch the dipper directly with your lips), rinse your left hand again, and finally, rinse the dipper before putting it back.

We happened to run into a Shinto wedding procession, which apparently happens quite often as it is a popular practice to get married in Meiji Shrine. The procession was led by two priests and two shrine maidens, followed by the couple under a red umbrella, and finally family and friends. There were plenty of spectators snapping pictures here and there, forming another line outside the procession. Quite a view.

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