SPCC '66 @ 45TH

My graduating class, Form 5 in 1966 at St. Paul's Co-educational College celebrated our 45th Reunion a couple of weeks ago at the World Trade Center Club in Hong Kong. What you see is a beautiful, custom-designed toy model of the age-old, time-honored, #33 Macdonnell Road front gate of our alma mater.  It has become the logo or brand image of SPCC. The souvernir is unique because inside is a music box that plays our School Hymn, "We Build Our School on Thee Oh Lord ... ".  Thousands before me and thousands after will immediately embrace the opening notes, it is like returning to the womb.  David Chu, our Class Monitor, is a renown industrialist in the toy industry and this meaningful gift comes from him.

There were 85 of us, including family, some of us have known each other since primary school so we are talking about at least 50 years of friendship if we count from Form 1, in 1961, and 56 years if we backtrack even further to Primary 1, in 1955.  Collectively and unabashedly we enjoyed 5 hours of uninhibited teenage behavior, reliving our school days. Business tycoons, senior civil servants, professionals, academics, retirees and of course full time grannies ... we were 'whole' again as the gap of half-a-century closed at lightning speed.  It was a sentimental and warm journey, it was magic, as we anticpate our Jubilee, the 50th Reunion in 2016.     

NOODLES!

One of our closest friends, a noodle aficionado, once remarked " ... I have never met a noodle I did not like!" Well, he would be in heaven in Japan. Every culture has its own interpretation of a good bowl of noodles and Japan is no exception. What made them slightly different is in addition to their own versions under the large umbrella of the ramen, udon, and sorba categories Japan has incorporated certain aspects of Chinese noodle recipes. As for marketing, just look at this unique display in front of a large 'fits-all-taste' noodle joint on Tenjimbashi.

By the way, we think Shinsaibashi has lost its local flavor in a big way. What used to be a fascinating walk with kimono shops, hardware stores, gifts shops, and local produce outlets is now swamped by franchised names like ... Zara. On the food front Macdonalds, Crispy Creme and Subway have popped up to replace indigenous, local snack stops both tourists and locals love. Hello? While this is all sad to see the saving grace is the survival of Tenjimbashi, off Minami Morimachi Station. This long stretch of covered shopping is like Shinsaibashi in its yester years, abundant with a much more interesting parade of retail outlets. We strongly recommend this walk.

Speaking of noodles, there was a Japanese movie from at least 15 if not more years ago by the name of 'Tenpopo'. It is the charming story of how a widow managed a neighborhood ramen shop via the help of a Robin Hoodish truck driver. It had to be the first ever Nippon foodie movie that made the international stage, and it was masterly. There was a scene when a ramen guru showed novices how a bowl of ramen is to be appreciated and religiously consumed, step by step. It was a classic, as classic as the famous Gone with the Wind or Casablanca scenes if you ask me, or any noodle lover. It is not easy to get this DVD, not even in Japan as I have tried so good luck looking for it.  Of all places, my exJ&J Mentor Russ picked mine up from a ABC retail store in a Sydney suburb, of all places.

SHOPPING

While Dora continues her never-ending quest for the best shopping mall on Planet Earth, I have given up altogether. My vices in this space used to be watches, spectacles and shoes. I never seemed to have enough of them until retirement when the penny dropped ... I can only wear one of them at any one time! I used to shop for my 'Central Uniform' twice a year, off-the-rack, mostly at Brooks Brother and when I feel miserable, hating my job, and myself, at Zegna. Retail therapy really works, try it. Needless to say, I do not do that anymore. I learned the principle of 'Less is More' by gradually giving my collection to charity.

That said, I am back into 'Elective Shopping' these days, for our grand twins, Jamie & Sonya Fung. We were at Hankyu and had the best time wandering around the kids floor ... clothes, shoes, acessories and of course very creative playthings, rather than just toys. It does not take a marketing genius to realize the potential of this huge market (cosmetics is still #1 I should think) and the choices, out of this world, we were born two generations too soon. As for prices, I really do not know how parents in Japan can afford to clothe their kids, if price tags at these super malls are any guide. Ours are not quite 1-year old but judging from the dedication and smiles on Grandma Dora, I can confirm she is tickled pink by the opening of yet another shopping frontier.

Meet my new pal, the Japanese speaking Big Teddy ....

GOLD DRAGON RAMEN

My first ever bowl of Gold Dragin ramen, or 'lamen' in proper Japanese accent, was 18 years ago on a Rotary trip. It was our Sister Club signing ceremonies with the Rotary Club of Mido-suji in Osaka. Rotarian PP Kenny Shui was the event Leader since his hair care business required him to frequent the Japanese market. We brought our families but one of the evenings was designated a 'guys night', code word for indulgence, all clean fun in food and drinks, no dirty stuff. It was an incredibly cold night and after a few hours of non-stop alcohol infusion the party needed solids to stay balanced, in the stomache, since our brains turned liquid hours before.

Kenny took us to this street joint, under a tent with heaters and we had ramen ... we thought we died and went to heaven? The formula was; superbly cooked al dente ramen, in a seriously thick soup of pork bones in different seasoning, thin slices of char-sui, plus chopped spring onions & chives. To add to this already flavorful mix were all-you-can-tolerate condiments of; finely grounded black pepper, minced garlic, Korean kimchi, and extra chives. It won the hearts of many then, it still wins today, when I paid homage. It was a sentimental journey, our girls were 14, 9 & 6 then and they are 32, 27 & 24 today. Need I say more? Back in 1993 it was standing room only, next to a long bench and one pays when one is handed the piping hot bowl. Today there is a large structure with tatami seats, and coupons are dispensed from a machine. If I remember correctly it was Y500 then and Y900 now, not bad after 18 years, right?

Where is it? Shinsaibashi is a tourist favorite even though it is not the same place as it was before, and I will explain why in my next blog. Walking up Shinsaibashi fom the Midosuji end, you will cross the canal over a bridge but before you enter the next section, Ebisubashi, make an immediately left turn.  You will see the famous 'giant crab' logo and Gold Dragon is down the road, on your right, an eternal landmark that you cannot possibly miss.

Lastly, the Japanese created Ajinomoto, what the non-believers call MSG, which I must admit I am slightly addicted. It is one of my sins that will eventully return to haunt me, I am told. This not so secretive ingredient is in the soup, which any card carrying ramen convert would savor, rght up to the last drop. On the other hand, this may explain why there is a faucet next to the condiments where free pouring of ice water is de rigurer. Do drink a few cups before you leave, please, you will not regret it.

KOBEYA SULPHIDE BAKERY

Imagine a well known bakery from Kobe, operating a Spanish style tapas restaurant, in Osaka? Well, it was intriguing enough a story we bought it, and had quite a good casual meal there. This eatery is called Kobeya Sulphide Bakery Restaurant, with Dinga-Bell as the logo but please do not ask me why ... It is located on the 10th floor of the Lucua Building which houses many shopping outlets that appeal to the younger tribe, the ultra cool set. Lucua was the finale of Dora's 10-hour ritualistic inspection tour of the brand new Osaka Station Shopping Complex and we were (at least I was) so exhausted Kobeya was a most welcome stop.

The primary customer base must be no more than their early 20's and for a moment we thought price was a key attraction. We could not be more wrong! What we had was authentic, with a respectable selection of classic tapas fare .... grilled sardines, braised tripes, chorizo sausages, roast duck and for appetizers we had a trio of Iberico ham (not the top cuts but Spanish nonetheless) and a fresh garden salad, regrettably with no olives. Then came the first basket full of bread. WOW! Look at the bread menu, now we know why they call themselves a Bakery Restaurant because 'Bread is Their Winner', sorry for the bad pun attempt. As soon as we finished the 1st basket, orders were taken for the 2nd, and more after that, an offer we simply could not refuse. Just the bakery end of the meal was worth it, and we would be happy with bread, olive oil and a bowl of mixed Spanish olives.

Dinner for two, with one beer, came to HK$200 per head. I know, there was nothing significant to speak of but we still enjoyed every bit of it. BTW back to our gut feel the younger set was there because of price, wrong again. We were the only one watching our wallets, the young couple sitting next to us ordered the whole 9-yards, bubblies to start, and a full bottle of red to wash down the paella. They must feel so sorry for us old folks, on pension probably, who gingerly shared a Suntory draft. All of a sudden we feel old, and so hopelessly out of the loop. Tapas in Osaka? Stop wondering now, it is reality at Kobeya Sulphide, the one and only!

TEMPURA @ OZEKI'S

We were taken by the Yosukes to a small home style tempura restaurant in the Abeno Ward. Owned and operated by a mother-and-son team, it only seats 8, and we were the only guests last night. To many who like Japanese cooking, the devil in tempura is the batter ... to start with, the flour must be right, the water to mix it must be the right temperature and then there are as well guarded industry secrets as there are tempura chefs. Ozeki-san's winning formula, without question, has to be the fluffiness of his end products. It was so lightly dusted we have to look hard for it, even after deep frying. Apart from the ususal parade of prawns, matsutake, pumkins, sweet potatoes, lotus roots, gingko nuts, sweet onions, morsels of succulent fish, squid, eel and so on, the show stopper was the chopped shrimp wrapped in a single orba leaf ... just like that, with no seasoning and the taste was beyond description. We had 3 portions each, and wanted more.

As in any foreign land, it always makes a huge difference when one is taken to the 'truly local eateries' where one's local contacts regularly patron. The mood and the comaraderie define the meal almost as much as the food. Though a relatively young man, Chef Ozaki is in a league of his own. We did not ask but somehow the 'presence' of the father was felt throughot the evening. We have been to rated tempura restaurants in Hong Kong, as well as in Tokyo, but this is the best one we have encountered yet.

If you happen to be in Osaka, and if you are interested take the subway to Abeno Station, get off and ask direction to Matsusaki Avenue which is to your left as you pass Abeno Central. This tiny eatry is a mere 10-minute walk, it is well worth the effort, trust me.

3-IN-1

Have you seen one of these? I ran into this at the men's room at 1010, a department store near Osaka Station. Three functions are built into one sink .... top left nozzle for liquid soap, right nozzle for water and the elongated, rectangular outlet at the front is to blow dry your hands. Gone are sticky soap left on the surface, dripping water from wet hands, reluctant paper towels that refuse to come out one square at a time, the practice of wiping your hands on the seat of your pants, and yes, the lackadaisical toilet attendants who growl at you for intrusion of his private space. When I am done washing my hands the sink looked like it was never used, glisteningly clean. To whoever invented this gadget, presumably a Japanese, hats off!

INSPIRED!

This may not look much but it has inspired me to do more TKT work on my consomme. This is an amazingly tasty consomme or broth of duck prepared with a few large chunks of char-grilled leek, a mix of Japanese mushrooms, slivers of sweet onions, and served with a slice of lime. We had a late lunch in this faceless, tiny noodle joint on the underground thoroughfare between two departmemt stores under Osaka Station, and what a treat it was. Absolutely delicious! The al dente udon picked up the beautiful flavors or both the duck nuggets and the well seasoned consomme. Sprinkled with classic spiced pepper, the few perfect mouthfuls hit all the right spots. I took copious notes, and wondered out loud if a Cantonese BBQ Roast Duck is doable in the recipe. I will share my research findings in due course, watch this space.

30 YEARS LATER

Dora and I have a soft spot for Japan, a country we used to visit at least twice a year for the first 10 years of our 30 years together. Why .... because we like the culture, the adventure in food, the nick-knacks, the genuine friendship, but above all it was the farthest we could afford to get away for a breather without putting a dent in our meagre 'travel budget'. I still remember it took us 3 whole years to save enough money for our first trip to America as a family, and airfare then was a fraction of what it is now, without the surcharges and taxes. Europe was never a consideration then, it was way too expensive, and too far away with the 3 girls coming on stream.

Fast forward 30 years this trip to Osaka is actually the first time, in a long while, for us to return on our own! We dearly hope to return to our bi-annual routine again now that we have the freedom, the budget, and the time ... for me that is, Dora is a bona fide Diamond Member of the 'Never Retire Society' ... but before all that we shall need to first of all, stay healthy, and of course, stay married?

What do you think? Do we look like we have a chance?

OSAKA YAKI FEAST

The closest English word one can use to describe 'yaki' is 'grill', except there must be a multitude of ways to 'yaki' in this country where cooking is an art form. What we had at the Yosuke household was 2 recipes that put Osaka on Japan's culinary map ie 'Tako-yaki' and of course, the one that made the city famous, 'Okonomi-yaki'.

'Tako' is octopus, a key ingredient in 'Takoyaki' which was served, or rather cooked at the table with a special gadget that grills up to two dozens at one go. In addition to octopus cut in cubes, shredded cheese, pickled pink ginger bits, chopped scallions, crispy butter flakes are mixed in a batter of simply just flour, water and seasoning. A special sauce that tastes like a marriage between OK Steak Sauce and Worcestershire is used as a dip. We consumed 2 full rounds as appetizers, the leftovers you can see on the flat pan which is used for the main course.

'Okonomi' means 'anything you like' ... and it is such an apt label for what is essentially a Japanese pancake cum omlette, sans eggs ... except a tiny bit of egg wash to marinate or rather soften the cabbage which, together with squid and bacon are added to the batter this time. It takes skills to flip this baby, and to make the skin cripsy without burning it. The sauce is something to behold; mustard, mayo, dark soy, Bonito flakes, and lastly a generous sprinkle of Nori. Voila ... 'Okonomi-yaki'!

Yaki-2-Ways, it does not get any better than what we had in the age-old, graceful and very traditional Yosuke family home.

A GREAT HONOR!

Dora and I were deeply honored to be invited to the home of Junko & Iwatsu Yosuke for a 'Yaki' evening. We have been friends for almost 20 years through the Sister Club arrangements between the Rotary Club of Mido-suji in Osaka, and the Rotary Club of Hong Kong Northeast where I was a Charter Member.

It was an eye opener for us. We have never been to a vintage Japanese home, complete with a small zen garden that only shows up in Samurai movies. It is a grand family home in a quiet suburb of the city, one that oozes tradition and history. The formal portrait of the Emperor & Empress of Japan reminds one of a Thai family, where the monarchy is held in high regards. The home may have served 3 generations but it is immaculately kept, as expected. I particularly like the space called 'tokonoma' which in Chinese character means 'bed space'. I believe this is where beddings are kept during the day, to be lay-out on the 'tatami' at night for sleeping, a pragmatic Japanese approach to maximize use of limited space in any household, big or small. The house has 2 storeys, their married children used to occupy the rooms upstairs. Like us Junko & Iwatsu are empty nesters who now cherish their life with each other, and who long to see their faraway grand kids in Hokkaido. Perhaps it is my own sentiments at work again but there is an unspoken sense of melancholy here, one only parents with grown up children who are not nearby can identify. That said, even if your children are 'nearby', proximity does not mean in any way they are 'close to you', which is a different definition altogether. To all you loving parents, I am sure this will ring a bell. Such is life, what can I say?

Arigato .... our very dear friends, for such a privilege. We are forever grateful, and look forward to reciprocate at our humble B&B in Hong Kong, come visit soon!