Festive Season's Opening Hours

 

Tuesday 20th - Thursday 22nd Open as usual 9 am to 5 pm

Friday 23rd Open at 9am and close at 2:30 pm

Saturday 24th - Friday 30th Closed

Saturday 31st Open for Ohmisoka (大晦日) Countdown for 3pm (12am JSTM) and close at 5 pm

Sunday 1st - Tuesday 3rd January Closed

From Wednesday 4th January Open as usual 9am to 5pm

Sunday 8th January Open for Calligraphy workshop (Please check on Facebook Event)

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We still have some Children's Free Breakfast tokens, which was donated by customers a year ago.

I want to release them again in this school holiday, so it's Free for any children under 10.

Breakfast Served from 9:30 to 11:00 am
 (Please choose one meal and one drink)
-1 fried egg and beans on a toast
-1 French toast and fruits comports
and
-One carton of Juice (Apple, Orange or Ribina)
-Babyccino 

Tea Served from 3:30 to 4:30 pm
(Please choose one meal and one drink)
-1 Chicken Katsu and Curry with rice
-Tuna Mayo Rolled sushi (half)
and
-One carton of Juice (Apple, Orange or Ribina)
-Babyccino 

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We also have more fun for children.

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We wish you merry Christmas 

and Happy Hoppy 2023!

Please order "Osechi Box for One" now

I thought that the demand for Osechi would decrease this time as everyone could now go back home to Japan, but it seems that this is not the case and we have already received several enquiries.

So here we go...

This photo is from last year, so we may not be able to make it exactly as it is, as some of the ingredients are no longer available, but we would like to start accepting orders with the condition that we will replace any missing ingredients with ones of equal or greater value.

Please send the TEXT message "Osechi order" with your name and your mobile phone number to the cafe telephone, 07923 900344. If you don't receive confirmation message in 3 working days, please contact the number again.

As for what we can definitely include...

Datemaki, Japanese-style chicken meatloaf, chestnut kinton, red and white namasu, vinegared lotus root, black soy beans, Gomame, prawns, Onishime (konnyaku, koimo, burdock, lotus root, shiitake mushrooms, dried tofu), grilled salted salmon

We may have a most problem with Kamaboko fish cakes...? We have six weeks from now, so we will do our best collecting all the ingredients.

So this year's "Osechi for one" will be £30.00 per box. (with rice cake & instant miso soup).

We will have 20 box in total (no more than two boxes per person). The box needs to be picked up from 1pm on 31 December and only those who can come to our shop to pick up their order can order.

Please pay inadvance by bank transfer (we will give you the details when you make your booking) or pay at our cafe counter.

This year is only a month and a half left.

Next year will also be a hard one for many of us... but let's all do our best.

**Additional information**.

On the first Sunday of the new year, the 8th January, we would like to hold a workshop of  Calligraphy and ink painting (Suiboku-ga).

Drinks and refreshments will be served.

More information will be in the December newsletter.

November newsletter

 We're in winter time this week and it's finally getting colder... not 💦.

The weather has been unbelievable, with daytime highs of 20°C.

Is it global warming after all?

In the UK, utility bills have recorded an extraordinary increase, and I wonder if nature is doing us a favour by helping us to not have to turn up the heating as much, or if it's the calm before the storm...

I can't make any big changes, but I may not be able to go back... but I can make a few changes in my own life alone, so I try to start there.

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You may all be wondering, when can I plant my planters...? It happened on the second weekend after they were installed at the beginning of September.

The wind became so bad in the evening that the cover of the retractable roof section of the pagola, which should have been tied securely, opened and broke. I had underestimated the sea breeze in Brighton.

So I tried to buy parts to repair it, but after folding it and sending it all back, I was told it would take another six months to be able to deliver a new one, so I'm trying to figure out what to do. So the planter has already been left for almost two months without any soil in it. Ahhh, next spring we are planning to have a cherry blossom viewing with the weeping cherry tree flowers...

I would like to manage to deal with this in an environmentally and bank account friendly way as much as possible. Sob...

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This month's planned sweets are.

Chestnut buns ￡2.50

A large chestnut bun filled with chestnuts. Perfect with Japanese tea or coffee. It is a dish that reminds you that autumn has arrived. Flour (including gluten), eggs and dairy products are used.

Chestnut Daifuku ￡2.00
This is also a large Daifuku filled with chestnuts. Try it with a cup of strong Japanese tea.

Kabocha kintsuba (pumpkin sweet) ￡2.00
Delicious pumpkins from the organic farm Nama Yasai have arrived again this year. This kintsuba is made with the flavour of pumpkin. Made with wheat flour (including gluten), PlantBase.

Inoko mochi　￡1.80

This sweet is a shape of baby wild boar.
These rice cakes are eaten on the InoHi in November, with the wish that our family will grow big and healthly like wildboars. Please eat it with a generous dusting of yellow soybean flour. Made from soya beans. (PlantBase).

Sweet potato Mont Blanc ￡3.30 a slice

Fluffy brown sugar-flavoured sponge, smooth sweet potato pacing and sweetened apples with a hint of sourness... we believe this is a cut above the original chestnut Mont Blanc. Please give it a try.








Chestnut Mont Blanc ￡3.50 a slice
After the sweet potato comes the chestnut Mont Blanc with a brandy-infused adult flavour. It never fail your expectation. Try it!

Apple pie ￡3.00 a piece
These small, single-serving apple pies are a real treat, even if they don't contain any flour or butter. I like mine with a scoop of cold ice cream (+£0.50) on top of the hot pie.
If you want PlantBase, you have a choice of ice cream.

Spiced carrot cake ￡2.80 a slice
Spiced carrot cake is a classic. It is made without nuts, but with sunflower and pumpkin seeds. The little carrots on top are sweetened carrots and should be eaten with relish. Flour (gluten) and eggs are used.

We always try to have two types of daifuku and three types of dorayaki available, but if you plan to buy more than five wagashi, please let us know in advance so we can prepare them for you.

We also take orders for whole cakes. Orders are accepted up to a week before you come to collect your cake. For more information, please contact the café at.

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Events this month

From 1 November, we will start taking orders for a special Osechi for one person. Numbers are limited, so order early. More information will be in the next edition of the newsletter.

This month's 'Okonomiyaki Evening' will be held every Thursday on the 3rd, 10th, 17th and 24th from 5.30 to 8.30 (last order 8.00).

It seems to be becoming quite established. There is the problem of closing too early, but we are strongly forbidden by the neighbouring residents to use the café after 9.00 am, so we do our best to stay open until 8.00 pm. We apologise for the inconvenience.




Saturday 19 November The café will be closed due to a business trip to London to sell Japanese sweets. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. As the sale is at the London Japanese Language Supplementary School, general admission will be limited. Please understand.

Sunday 27 Nov Japanese craft workshop & Christmas fair.

More details in next newsletter. Craft workshops start at 10am. It costs £35 per person (including materials) with tea and refreshments. Students are welcome. Languages will be in English and Japanese. Afterwards, the Christmas Fair will start at 14:00. Japanese knick-knacks, tableware and drinks will be on sale, as well as Japanese sweets.

Extra.

Schedule for next month. It's the start of the year ---💦.

We will close at 3pm on Friday 23 December, and on Saturday 31 December we will only be serving New Year's Eve soba (buckwheat noodles) and delivering Osechi (traditional Japanese New Year's Eve dishes).

After the New Year, we will be open from 4 Jan.

Thursday evening is OkonomiYaki Evening！！

 

 OkonomiYaki Evening is open from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm.(The last order is at 8:00 pm) every Thursday.

Please call 07923 900344 to order.

Eat in or Take away available.

Sorry we don't do delivery.

Collection Only.

Thank you!

xx

October sweets and calendar

 

This year's Otsukimi date is very early.

Now, I know there is always a time difference between the lunar calendar and the Gregory calendar, but the first Saturday of October is the 13th moon night, the so-called chestnut moon.

However, the chestnut in the neighbour's tree are still green. 

I was going to do the presentation I did at Kew Garden last year at the café, but due to the Covid, I am still not in perfect health and will have to wait until the next time 😢.

We are very sorry for all the inconvenience and worry we have caused in the last two weeks. Even though after the test was negative on the seventh day, I was bedridden for almost two weeks with headaches, joint pains and fatigue due to breathlessness. I really thought I need to be a bit fitter...

What shocked me the most was the sense of taste gone somewhere... Everything tasted so funny. 

I thought I was going to go mentally crazy from the shock of the difference between the taste I expected and the taste when I ate it. Who said Covid made people loose weight... It was not my case at all. I was constantly looking for the taste I want to taste. As the result, I gained nearly 5 kgs😱

Now I am happy I can taste coffee, but I still can't taste Dashi. I can recognise the general taste of sweet, spicy, salty, sour, etc., but I don't think I have yet regained the sense of taste to guess what is used in the ingredients.

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October Sweets

Strawberry Daifuku ￡2.00 per piece　

As I could hardly make these in September, I will make them until the first week of October. If you missed An-an's strawberry daifuku this summer, this is the week to get them. If you have a large number, it would be helpful if you make a reservation in advance.

Bunny buns ￡2.00 each.　

We also make these until the 13th night of the moon. Rabbit buns with white bean paste are steamed and plant-based. Contains flour and gluten.

Otsukimi Rolled cake ￡3.00 per slice.　

A rich chocolate and banana roll cake that captures the full moon. Contains egg, flour, gluten and dairy.

Halloween cupcakes ￡3.00 each.　

We will be selling a variety of scary and cute decorated cupcakes again this year, available from the third week of October. Please look forward to seeing what the designs will be.

Made with flour (gluten), eggs and dairy products.

Autumn Mont Blanc ￡3.50 per slice.　

Sweet potato and apple Mont Blanc. Rich sweet potato cream wrapped around a fluffy sponge.
This contains Egg, flour (gluten) and dairy 

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October events.

Okonomiyaki nights are planned every Thursday from 13 October.

Please check our Facebook event page for more details and menu. (Both eat-in and takeaway are by appointment only).

Weekly lunch plans (with miso soup or one drink)

Week 1 Set A Yaki Soba, chicken cutlet or thick fried tofu
              Set B Beef bowl or Kitsune bowl

Week 2 Set A: Sushi set, seafood or veg.　
              Set B Neapolitan (with fried egg) Chicken or Veggie

Week 3 Set A Japanese salad (chicken or tofu) with onigiri
             Set B Omelette rice (chicken or mushroom)

 

Week 4 Set A Curry rice with chicken cutlet or autumn vegetables
              Set B Nagasaki Champon (Seafood or Veggie)

These plans are subject to change depending on the availability of ingredients.

Every Tuesday, we will announce the weekly lunch of the week on Facebook and Instagram. Please refer to our Facebook and Instagram pages.

I'd love to make more events for this month, but my health is not yet up to scratch, so I'll leave it at that for now. I'm also planning to hold various Christmas markets and traditional Japanese art workshops towards the end of the year, so I'll keep quiet until then.

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Well, everyone, it's getting colder, take care of yourselves💓.

Apology and this week's opening hours

  

先週よりCovid-19の陽性となってしまい、たいへんご迷惑をおかけしております。
Sorry for the short openin hours and limited menu during the last week

19日月曜日の朝、体中が痛くなり、もう一度LFTをしたところ、陽性になっていました。

The morning of Monday 19th, I found I was positive after testing with LFT, as I had really bad body ache and tiredness. 

高熱が出ることもなく、咳が止まらなくなることもありませんでしたが、倦怠感と体中の痛み、そして息苦しさで、陰性になった今もかなり活動が制限されています。

No high fever, No cough... I just had pain all over my body, tiredness and short bleath. I still have the symptons and limited activities although I am now LFT negative. 

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引き続き今週も、下記の営業時間とメニューで皆様をお待ちしております。

Opening Hours
2時にラストオーダー、2時半に閉店
火曜日、水曜日、木曜日、金曜日のみ営業

9:30 am - 2:30 pm (2:00 pm Last order) 
Tuesday to Friday. 
Saturday, Sunday and Monday are closed

Limitted Menu
モーニングのサービスはありません。
お食事のサービスは11時半からです。
寿司セットは、ご注文お受けできませんので、ご了承ください。

No Breakfast service
Lunch Menu starts from 11:30 am
Sorry No Sushi set available during this period. 

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私の体調が整い次第、通常の営業に戻ります。
皆様の温かい言葉、たくさんの励ましの言葉、本当にありがとうございます。

Cafe will be back to normal on my return.
Thank you for your warm saports.

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写真は、この度高野山でお世話になりました福智院さんの美しいお庭です。
This photo was taken at the Temple spa Fukuchi-in in Koya-San. It's garden was very beautiful and well looked aftered. 

Long waiting is finished! It's Okonomi-Yaki nights!!!

Well, I don't know if I can call it a night, since it doesn't get dark until 9pm during Summer time...

As we have announced, we are planning to make as many okonomi-yaki as we can between 5pm and 8pm on the 4th and 11th Thursday of this month.

Anyway, okonomiyaki takes time to cook, so please forgive me if there would be a short queue.

This time, if the weather is good, you can have it on the terrace. However, the sun in the late afternoon is glaring... 💦 If the weather is fine, please bring your sunglasses.

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First of all, please make a phone call to make an order. 

07923 900344

(Please make sure you speak to a member of staff to confirm your booking, as you may not be aware if you are sent by text).

We can only make four Okonomi-yaki at a time, so when you place your order we will specify a time for pick-up etc. Of course, If there is no queue, the waiting time might be still 20 minutes .

If you come to the shop without ordering by phone, we may ask you to come back in a bit later, depending on how many tables are available.

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Awww... i haven't done Okonomi-yaki night for so long and I am so nervous.

So here is the menu. ↓Please click here to enlarge the menu.

"Oh, it's so cheep!" We hope you'll think in that way. After all, it's The street food of Nippon, so it can't be expensive! We'd like to serve beer and other beverages, but not this time.

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The price of rice has gone up so much that I thought I'd try with 'Kona-Mon" food, just like Kansai people do. I wonder how long this shortage of Japanese food surply continues... 😢.

August break and some news...

 I have finally, finally recovered from the jet lag from Japan.

I apologise for any inconvenience caused to you by the shortened opening hours and menu changes during my absence.

Since my return from Japan, I have been surprised by the incredibly fast increase in prices, although the price of petrol has gradually come down. The price of rice, which is an essential part of Japanese food, has almost doubled, while the price of soy sauce and chicken meat for making chicken katsu has risen by 30%.

In order to keep An-an going long, I decided to take time to re-arrange an-an.

We will therefore be taking a summer holiday from 1-13 August. We apologise for the inconvenience.

We will work hard for the next two weeks to make the café a more relaxing place for everyone to spend time.

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This week we are serving yakisoba as our special lunch of the week, as we were unable to make the yakisoba we had promised the first week of July. Choose between chicken katsu or pumpkin croquette topping. This also comes with a drink (including miso soup) for up to ￡2.50, so please come along.

If you can, we'd prefer you eat in, but you can also take your yakisoba home.

Yaki-soba will also be served in the first week of August (16-20 August) after the summer holidays.

By the way, lunch set B is the teriyaki lunch.

Come and try it before the summer holidays start.

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And what a surprise! For those of you in the London area, thank you for your patience.

Finally, we're allowed to go to London to sell our wagashi!

Sunday 7 August, free entry and lots of other fun for the kids, so whether you're in the area or just visiting London for the first time in a while, please pop along.

I'll be there with lots of sanshoku dango (three-coloured dumplings), strawberry daifuku and more.

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Now, we are bringing back our Okonomiyaki Night, which has been requested by many of you.

So far, we are planning to have them on Thursdays during the summer holidays, 4 and 11 August, from 5 to 8pm.

We will let you know the detailed menu and other details in August.

This time, we are thinking of having a terrace where you can eat in, so please come and join us on a summer evening. (Reservations required).

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We've just brought back from Japan the shaved ice machine we've always wanted!

It is a real fluffy shaved ice.

We have now started with three types: honey lemon, strawberry milk and Ujikintoki.

Try shaved ice made with an old-fashioned hand-cranked shaved ice machine.

If you want Plant Base shaved ice, you can change honey to maple syrup and condensed milk to Plant Base Icecream when you order.

(To be continued until the end of September).

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During the summer holidays in August, we will be clearing out our stock.

We will be selling items at half price, including those nearing their expiry date, so we look forward to welcoming you to the café over the next three days until this Saturday.

Well, it's unbelievably cool in the UK after the heat wave of just a week ago, but watch out for colds and Covid and enjoy the British summer!

Temporary opening hour and limited menu starts from today...

Thank you all for your support towards cafe an-an,

As we have mentioned in our previous blog, from today there will be a limited menu and opeining hours will be shortened. 

We have hot and cold drinks as usual from 9am-3pm however due to shortage of staff, we are limited in food options therefore we will only be able to make the pecial of the week as well as sandwiches and rolled sushi.

Apoloies for the incinvenience caused 

The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Week

 

Well, this week, events are taking place all over the country to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's coronation and the Platinum Jubilee.

In the midst of all this, we will be offering afternoon tea on both holidays (2nd and 3rd), one of the things we have been wanting to do since we moved in.

Japanese Afternoon Tea

and

English-style Japanese afternoon tea

The two types of tea are served this time. 

As you may know, we have been to the Japanese Afternoon Tea several times in the past, but it is almost (?) plant-based (plant-derived food). It is an afternoon tea with a focus on Japanese sweets, although it is vegetarian food.

English-style Japanese afternoon tea is an afternoon tea that incorporates Japanese elements into the basic afternoon tea. This is a vegetarian afternoon tea, with ingredients such as gelatine replaced with kuzu or agar.

Both are £20 per person. (As this is during half-term, each adult can share with one child (under 14 years). However, for the second child or more, each child will have to order their own afternoon tea.)

Please note that on both public holidays (2nd and 3rd), afternoon tea will only be served from 1.00pm to 5.00pm and no hot food will be served on the day. Please note that there will be no hot food service on the day.

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Menu

Japanese Afternoon Tea

Sushi and kobachi of seasonal vegetables

Seasonal Japanese sweets (strawberry daifuku, stemed cake with rose, green tea and strawberry Agar jelly)

Roses and corgi Nerikiri

(contains soy)

English-style Japanese afternoon tea

Three sandwiches (pumpkin croquette, egg roll with cucumber and eggplant dengaku)

Scones (choice of green tea, fruit or plain) + cream & jam or an-an's special sweet bean paste

Strawberry shortcake, Yuzu trifle, dark Matcha mille crepe

(Contains wheat, gluten, dairy, egg and soy).

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So, ladies and gentlemen, enjoy this historic week!

Congratulations, Queen Elizabeth!

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June opening hours

Please check before you come as many days have changed opening hours.

Report of Japanese Arts and Crafts workshop - Kintsugi -

Sorry for taking so long to write about this event.

Here is a report on the Japanese Craft Workshop that took place on Sunday 3 April.

Because of the short notice and the fact that the first craft was kintsugi (metal-joining), there were only three participants, including myself. So, I think we were able to take our time and satisfactorily kintsugi.

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The mug on the left was a one-off piece made by a friend of participant A's in France, and it had a very good grip, but it had a big chip on it and had been used as is for a long time.

The plates in the middle and on the right were a gift to the café. They were just right for serving a special lunch, but in an accident two of the five plates were broken, and I kept wondering whether I should throw them all away. On the right side, the cracks were so bad that I had given up, but the instructor said, "Let's do it!" and he helped me.

First, the cracks were attached with a special glue and the missing parts were filled with quick-drying clay. After it dried, it was actually very difficult. Anyway, we sanded and smoothed the unevenness so that it wouldn't disappear. This was probably the most time-consuming part. My arms hurt!

And then a short break for a snack😋

When we regain our strength, we knead a mixture of gold powder and nikawashi, and fill in the cracks. This is where the beautiful lines of gold unique to kintsugi are formed.

Here is the mug after restoration. The colour matches so well.

And this, oh my! These are the plates that were cracked to pieces!

It's a little hard to tell from the photo, but the colouring, combined with the gold lines, has taken the plates to a whole new level of charm💖.

We will continue to serve special weekly lunches on these plates. Enjoy!

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Now, I'm going to invite an instructor to conduct a workshop like this once a month, which is associated with Japanese art techniques.

Next time in May, we are planning a workshop on flower arrangement, as it is the beautiful season of flowers.

Please keep watching this space!!!

Let's start from April (or May...)

  Spring has come... flowers in full bloom...

Where has the blue sky I was looking up yesterday gone? and who said we might get snow at the weekend?

Some of you may have already noticed, or I think we all have, that we are seeing the prices of products going up one, two, three or even four times.

The hardest part is that the overall price of imported foodstuffs from Japan has gone up, and is still going up. On top of that, the price of chicken has gone up by 125% and rice by 115%. It is becoming doubtful whether we will be able to make katsu curry at a price that people afford to eat it for lunch.

I had sincerely hoped that the price increase would only be a short term issue, but the situation has become unbearable.

But there are still people who have to eat lunch while they are working... So we tried to keep the prices as unchanged as possible, including the weekly menu and basic sandwiches.

And I really don't want everything to be just sad news, so I thought, as it's April in the new financial year, after Covid's restrictions are lifted, I'd like to talk about something positively new to start.

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One
Once a month, on a Sunday, I would like to run a workshop related to Japanese arts and culture, and the first one in April is 'Kintsugi' - a process of metal-joining. As there is a risk of allergic reactions to lacquer, it is a simple 'kintsugi', a method that does not use lacquer. The process can be shortened from a few weeks to half a day. In May, I may have Wagashi workshop. 
Other instructors are also always welcome.

Two
We would like to start a Japanese craft group every Thursday, called Morning Coffee & Craft Club. The language can be either Japanese or English. Let's have fun chatting and making needlework goodies. We will start on 5 May and make coasters with Sashiko. (The fee depends on what you want to make, so please ask when you make your booking.)

Three
The always requested "Okonomiyaki" by everyone is back. First, we will serve it as a weekly lunch from 19 to 23 April, and from May we will be grilling okonomiyaki twice a month on Fridays in our trailer. Enjoy the Japanese street food feeling. Dates and times will be announced in our monthly newsletter and on Facebook and Instagram.

Four.
Extended opening hours until 5am.
As a recent trend, the road conditions are quite bad on top of the rising petrol prices. Therefore, we are shifting our opening hours so that staff can get to the café at the cheapest possible train times. We will serve brunch in the morning from 9.30am and lunch from 12pm until 2.30pm. Otherwise, enjoy drinks, cakes, sandwiches and sushi rolls.

Five.
The Japanese afternoon tea is back.
Sorry for the inconvenience, but reservations are required. Please book at least one week in advance.
￡18.00 per person. this will include;
     Seasonal veggie sushi set + miso soup
     3 pieces of seasonal Wagashi
     2 seasonal fresh Jo-Namagashi
     & Tea or coffee of your choice.

Sixth.
We will also have a Japanese-English language exchange.
First & third Saturdays from 3pm to 5pm. Free to attend with the purchase of food and drink from the café.
We'll give you some theme, but we'll have a good chat anyway!

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Well, now that I've made a public statement here, there's no going back!

Plans are subject to change, but everything new will be carried out in sequence.

First of all, we can't do anything without your participation, so we look forward to your requests. We look forward to seeing you.

Visit to Dojima Sake Brewery (part 1)

  On a cold day before the Christmas holidays, a thought popped into my head...

"I want to eat Kasu soup!"

I read in a Japanese article a long time ago that a Japanese sake brewery had opened in Cambridge, and if they make sake, they must have sake lees! And quite a lot of it...

I was born and grown up in a hometown not too far from the eastern part of Kobe, where are many large sake breweries, so sake lees have been quite familiar to me. And soon after I thought about the sake Kasu (lees) soup, I have a ridiculous craving for sake-kasu steamed cake.

First of all, we inquired whether they sell sake lees.

It's not easy to get any short holiday " I knew it's short notice, but can I come and buy some sake lees during the Christmas holidays?" I asked, and they kindly said that I could come.

Then my son got sick, and I thought it might be COVID... so I gave up the visit during the Christmas holiday, as it got too busy for preparing the New Year's Osechi. (It wasn't COVID after all, just a cold💦 so No one else in my family fell ill...).

At the same time, the brewery posted me 1kg of sake lees and the invitation for the private viewing of the woodblock print exhibition in February. (Thanks for her kindness. I really appreciate it!!)

The sake lees I received was very beautiful! I mean, the sakekasu I know is in the form of a very hard plate, but the sakekasu from Dojima brewery contains so much sake in it that I thought I could still squeeze sake out!

Using this, we devised a recipe, adjusting the various flours and steaming times. The result was a delicious steamed cake.

And with this, we visited them the other day on the 12th of February for the event of the print exhibition.

To be continue to part 2.

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This is the link to Dojima Sake Brewery website.

You can order their Sake leese by mail.

Dojima sake brewery

Visit to Dojima Sake Brewery (part 2)

Dojima Sake Brewery is located in Fordum Abbey, a manor house with extensive grounds, including a Japanese garden, a studio for In-house potters to create their works and a tea room under construction.

Mrs Sachiko Purser, a print artist, led us through an exhibition of her woodblock prints in the Manor House, and although not a large collection, there were many interesting stories to tell about each prints.

Mrs Purser used to be a woodblock print artist and I could not hide my excitement as I have sturdied and written essay about Ukiyoe in my Uni days. We were very much artists of the manual work and we enjoy it. Pen to paper, knives to curve the wood... We talked about how recent art require more and more a digital skills. 

In the living room with the fireplace lit, hostes of the tea ceremony made cups of tea and served sweets to all the guests. It was very dignifying atmosphere in the calm manner. I learnt about the tea lessons held three times a week at the House. If I lived a bit closer, I would really join the lesson! 
I have to mention eveyone in Kimono looked so beautiful. (I couldn't take the photo because it was too solemn. Sorry!)

At the end of the day, we were given a special tour of the sake brewery, which we thought we had missed booking. This year's brewing had not started yet, which was convenient for me as I get drunk from the smell of sake.

A small group of 6 (3 young guests joind us) followed Kumiko san, who is the Marketing Director of Dojima Sake brewery.

During the tour I was struck by how difficult it is to reconstruct Japanese traditional way to produce Japanese traditional food on the other side of the world.  I fully understood about the difficulties and differences in food hygiene laws, water and distributions in the UK.

(Left) The rice is very polished and the grains are much smaller than the rice we normally eat.

(Right) This is the koji (bacteria grows on rice) breeding room. Only the Toji (master brewer) is allowed to enter this room. This is where the Toji takes care of the koji for three days and three nights.

Two types of rice are used to make sake. One is Akita Sakekomachi, which is used to ferment the sake, and the other is Yamada Nishiki, which is used to grow the koji. Speaking of Yamada Nishiki, it is very famouse rice for making Sake in Hyogo Prefecture...we share the same hometown! As I was saying so, two of the young people on the tour with us told me they were also from Hyogo Prefecture! They are neighbours, from Takarazuka and Amagasaki, next town to Kobe city. It really is a small world. We were talking about how we miss kasu-jiru, Lees soup! 

These are brewing vessels. You can see how large it is to compare with the gentleman, who is really tall! In the each brewing vessel, rice, water and koji are brewed in three stages. This is called San-Dan-Shikomi

Our guide Kumiko san told me she is also focusing the Sake Lees. It will be more interesting aspect of promoting the UK brewed Japanese Sake. 

For example, 300 to 400 kgs of Sake leese produced to make 1000 bottoles for Sake. As long as Sake is produced, Sake leese will be produced. So, we can make as many Saka steamed cakes as we want!!!

Finally, we had a sake tasting session. Oh, to compare ￡1,000 per bottle worth of sake!

What a luxury!

I can't tell you how much I regretted to have Alcohol intolerance then!  I only had a small sip of the sake I liked best, called "Kake hashi (can be pronounced Ken-Bridge, too)" it means a Bridge to bring together. I brought most of it home with me. I drank it before I went to bed and fell into bed with it. Heavenly!  This sake is fermented not with water, but with Dojima, a pure rice wine that has already been made. It was very rich, fruity and delicious. This Kakehashi can age like wines. 

From left to right: "Dojima" 2021, "Dojima" 2020 and my favourite, "Kakehashi".

And on the way back, we were allowed to buy a lot of sake lees.

Now I have a fridge full of sake lees, mmmmm💓.

Now, I'm going to make a lot of steamed cake, and then I'm going to make a sweet sake to serve at Ohinasama... Now I have to find some peach petals!

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You can find more about Sake and Sake leese on their website.

Dojima Sake Brewery is starting a tour.
You can apply here!

It's a bit far from Brighton, but from London it's just over an hour away.
The Japanese garden with cold cherry blossoms and snowdrops was lovely💓