Japanese Drum Concert！Brighton and Hove Japanese Club 20th Anniversary Open Day!

The longest ever the title of this blog, but I don't know how to show my excitement for this event!!!

Japanese TAIKO Drum Artist Mr. Joji Hirota is coming 

to B&H Japanese Club again!!!!

Then, an-an will be participating to this special big event have a stall.

Time : Sunday 10th February

　　　12:00~16:00
Place: Brighton and Hove High School Montpelier Road BN1 3AT
It is about 10-15 min on food from Brighton Station.
There is no parking space for guests in the premise.

Admission fee : Adult : £1, Children : free
(no top up admission fee for Japanese Drum performance! Please don't miss this opportunity!)

an-an will have a large stall for Wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) .
There are also calligraphy, Origami workshops, Japanese food and Cake stales
More over, you can have your portrait by professional Manga artists!!!

Cannot be better!!!

This time, ruffle prizes are really gorgeous for the 20th anniversary!
One prize from an-an is ...

Invitation two people for Japanese sweets Wagashi Workshop with a meal... worth £50!!!

Please take part in the ruffles!!!

The leaflet is at my cafe, so please come and take one for you.

January Sweets and Events

Happy New Year!
I will try my best to fill up my small cafe with everybody's smiley faces this year, too!

I cannot believe it's already 10 days into 2019!!!
Christmas decorations are taken away and towns are back to normal.

I hope you had a lovely Christmas and New Year holidays.
I was working really hard in night and days till the New Year's Eve and sleep all day on the New Year's Day.

This year is Wild-bore's year (Pig year in Chinese). Wild-bore is known as "cannot stop dashing towards something once it's find the aim". But I am not going to act like that. I know I need to be more carefully find the "it"... just like a pig finding truffle under the ground.

Well, Cafe an-an is going to have 5th anniversary in June. Maybe, maybe something will happen...((((；ﾟДﾟ))))ｶﾞｸｶﾞｸﾌﾞﾙﾌﾞﾙ

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January Sweets

Petal Mochi　£1.80 each

This is a special sweets served at tea ceremony during this New Year's period. Miso seasoned white bean paste is wrapped in pink and white Mochi. You can see candied burdock root can be seen from the both ends, which add an interesting texture and flavor into this sweets. （Vegan)
This contains Soy.

Black bean Mochi　￡1.50 each

This each mochi has 7 Black soy beans for good luck. People also eat this sweet black soy beans in the New Year's period for hoping a good health in this coming year. Chunky Adzuki Bean paste inside（Vegan)
This contains Soy.

Sweet Adzuki Bean soup　£2.00 a bowl
This is a hot warming soup with three mochi.（Vegan)

Sweet Adzuki Bean soup with Ice cream　£2.50 a bowl
Ice on top of hot soup with seasonal fruits. （Non-Vegan)
This contains Milk.

Dorayaki　￡1.50 each
Please chose the filling from Smooth or Chunky Adzuki Bean, or Matcha Green Tea paste.
This contains Eggs, Wheat (Gluten) and Honny.

Daifuku Mochi（Smooth・Chunky）　￡1.00 each

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January Event

Thursday 17th　Okonomi Yaki & Night Cafe　
　　　　　　Please reserve table for use of Hotplate.
Thursday 24th　Okonomi Yaki & Night Cafe　
　　　　　　Please reserve table for use of Hotplate.
Thursday 17th　Okonomi Yaki & Night Cafe　
　　　　　　Please reserve table for use of Hotplate.

Saturday 2nd February
               　Croydon Japanese school holds second hand markets. I will have the last sales at this school. from 10:00 to 12:00 (No public entrance between 10:50 and 11:30)

Sunday 10th February 　Brighton and Hove Japanese Club Open Day

　　　　　　Annual event for Japanese Saturday School. Please see more detail on this page nearer time. It will be the 20th anniversary, so I may do something specall...

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Japanese afternoon tea was planned sometime in January or early February. However, as I have two large events in early February, it will be postponed to the late February. Sorry for the inconvenience. 

Mottainai is Climate-Friendly

 Pumpkin Korokke lunch and Tofu Gyoza side put in a customer's tiffin. Some customers bring in washed plastic take away containers to re-fill again.

I read the following article... and I thought I want to write my opinion.

[WIRED on line]
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/climate-change-myth-busting?fbclid=IwAR1uyPi7gnZ82RhkrPRqVbKxVJCn8bpy6HtQISRXYyeRt9a5Kx_d5LA-3Oo


This article is talking about what I am always thinking about.
The reason why plastics are used so widely and quickly is we thought saving logistics cost and product's shelf-life by using plastics.

We still excavate 1000 years old cookery pots from deep in the soil. However, they did not have impact to the climate. Why? Because, the volume was not as massive as the use of plastic now.

Use of plastic is ok.
But we need to change our thoughts towards anything we use.
We have to use anything everything as long as it can last.
First we need to change shopping how to chose something last long, versatile and with up/down-cycling possibilities.

I don't believe becoming Vegan is the solution to be Climate-friendly.
For example, Cotton and Jute wont keep us warm in winter. We might be able to buy cotton 100% corduroy jacket, but they are very expensive.　
So we put the heater's temperature setting higher or we need to rely on artificial wool, such as Acrylic or Polyester...
I don't think so.
If we have sheep's wool or alpaca wool as they are there produced without harming animals, we should use it.
If leather is by-product after someone had eaten its meat. Thats ok to use, too.
But NO animal should be killed for getting its leather or far. I am totally against of it.

The point is that "we need to consume". If we cannot avoid consuming something, use it up as 'nothing to waste'.
"Mottainai もったいない" is a Japanese word some people has forgotten to use.
"Mottainai" will require a lot of learning and remaking skills to fulfill.
However, that is the skills we now need to have to be Climate-friendly.

Fist of all, we should try to reduce the amount of goods for the Kerbside collection.  On both general waste and recycling materials...
I always think before putting anything into the bin, how we could avoid putting so much waste.

Then our way of shopping will be changed.

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We will give away a stamp for bringing your lunch box or mugs for take away.

Exchange one free drink and one free meal once it's filled up.

December Sweets and Events

It's December.
(I am not going to go any closer to the event happening on 25th.)
Already!!!

This photo was taken when I visited the History Museum behind the Himeji Castle, which is now known as the World Heritage, with my old friends in a winter few years ago. The Museum has sessions of dressing up (they are quite serious ones as you can see). The costume my daughter is wearing is "Ju-ni Hitoe", "a Kimono consists of 12 layers". It was funny that she could not move even an inch, as it was really heavy. In old days, Ohime-sama, Japanese princesses, were thought to be really quiet. Here is the real reason of it.

Now I started thinking about wearing Kimono more. I really need to practice how to put on Kimono.

Only 10 days left for Osechi (New Year's special meal box). There are a few left.
Please make an order before sold out.








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December sweets

Chestnuts Daifuku Mochi　£1.50 each
Sweet candied chestnuts and chunky adzuki bean past wrapped in mochi.
It will go with a cup of strong Sencha green tea.
Using plant based ingredient only.

Satsuma Daifuku Mochi　£1.50 each
Limited sweet till Christmas.
Fresh Satsuma and White bean paste is wrapped in soft Mochi.
Cinnamon flavor will add a feeling of festive.
Using plant based ingredient only.

Baked Chestnuts Cake　£1.80 each

Chestnuts and white bean paste is baked in butter rich biscuit dough.

This contains eggs, wheat (gluten) and dairy.





Steamed Chestnuts Yokan　£1.80 piece（£６.00/a bar）
This steamed aduki bean cake is full of candied chestnuts pieces.
This contains wheat (gluten). Using plant based ingredient only.

Pumpkin Kintuba squares　£1.50 each
Unfortunately Organic pumpkin from Namayasai suffered from the weather and we have got just enough for making some for the Touji, Winter Solstice. We believe that we eat pumpkin on this day to go through the rest of winter healthily.
This contains wheat (gluten). Using plant based ingredient only.

Dorayaki pancake sandwich ￡1.50 each
please choose fillings from Smooth adzuki beans pasete, Chunky adzuki beans paste, or White bean paste with Matcha green tea.
This contains wheat (gluten) eggs and honey.

Daifuku Mochi 　£1.00
Please choose fillings from Smooth adzuki beans paset or Chunky adzuki beans pasete.

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December Events

Thursdays 6th, 13th and 20th. We will have the Okonomiyaki and Night cafe. 
　　　　We recommend to make reservation to use Teppan for Okonomiyaki.


Saturday 22nd  The last opening day before Christmas. 
　　Opening our is same as Fridays, 11:30 -17:00

Sunday 23rd ～ 30th Winter Closing.
      Sorry for the inconvenience.

Monday 31st The New Year's Eve
　　12:00 ～ Osechi will be ready for taking home.
　　14:59　Count down to 2019 in Japan!
　　17:00　Closed　
　　Only Soba (Backwheat noodle) in broth and Inarizushi served on this day.
      Wagashi can be purchased only for take away.
      We expect the cafe will be very busy upto 2 pm on the day.
      Please try to avoid the peak time.
      Taking away soba is also available.

Please take care of yourself and your family and get through to 2019 happily!!!
The cafe an-an is open again on 3rd January in 2019.

Japanees Afternoon Tea "Chrysanthemum"

Next Japanese style afternoon Tea is on 16th November.
All are made from plant base ingredients and suitable Vegan.

Menu　

The first 
Broth with Daikon radish
Boiled Chrysanthemum leaves with Sweet soy sauce
Grilled Shimegi mushrooms
Chrysanthemum sushi

The second
Persimmon Kaki Daifuku Mochi
Kintsuba with Sweet Potato
Baby wiled bore Mochi (with roasted soy flour)
Mitarashi Dango (with Sweet soy dip)

The third
Chrysanthemum（Nerikiri）
Kuri Kinton（shaped chestnuts paste）

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the menu might be altered due to ingredients availability.

Please tell us which session you would like to book seats.
We have only 8 seats per session.
£12.00 per person. including your favorite drink under £2.00.
We regret say as the seats are limited, so a child occupies a seat would be counted as a person.

Morning session
10:00-11:30
Late afternoon session
16:00-17:30
Evening session
18:30-20:00

I look forward to seeing you there.

Introduction...? for November newsletter.

…Well, I was writing this month's newsletter.. but I got ill before finish it.
Its due to the clock change. I never get used to this twice a year adjustment.

On the day of Halloween, Nobody cared my masked face. But now people started giving me a confused glance. I am just being very Japanese. I don't want to share this horrible cold to anyone.💦
So, I am witing this in Bed... please be patient.

A big event this month would be...
Cancelling Okonomiyki Night cafe on 8th, as I have a study group in London.

Japanese style afternoon tea on Friday 16th November. the Theme is "Chrysanthemum". Hopefully the flower will last by then...

Then, its the time of.... thinking about the end of 2018!!!
Please order "New Year bento, Osechi for one". As soon as the order reaches to 30 sets, it will be finished. one set costs ￡18, or £25 in a set of miniture Oju box（Its only for rent. I will return ￡5 when you bring back the box. ）If you like us to fill your Oju box (one 25cm x 25cm for one set), please bring it by 15th December.

Please check more detail on the following newsletter.
I will try to recover asap...(;^ω^)

October Sweets & Events

We have bright and fine days in England South, but the sun is already in autumn colour. Something a bit sad is Cherry tree is not getting coloured very well. Normally, they coloured yellow to red and falls off... but this year most of cherry leaves are turning into brown from edge. I am hoping to be better a bit...

Another shocking thing is I missed chestnuts picking!!! I have a really big chestnuts tree on my street and it normally gives me a good amount of really sweet chestnuts. When I realised, there is non left on the tree...

I just enjoy autumn for now in the gentle sunshine...

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October Sweets

Rabbit cake ￡1.50/each

This year's thirteenth night's moon is on the 21st October. If you enjoyed the fifteenth night's moon on the Moon festival, please look up the sky on that day. Otherwise.... (it's just superstition.) Rabbit cake will be at the cafe till this day.
This contains wheat flour and gluten.








Mitarashi Dango　￡1.50/each

As moon festival's sweets, this rice dumplings on skewer is eaten warm. Please give us about 10 mins to warm up. Sauce contains soy sauce made with Wheat flour and Gluten. 





Kimi Shigure  ￡1.50/each

This sweets represent a crack of dry ground after a long rain. Smooth Adzuki past is wrapped by short custard like flavored paste.
This contains Egg yolks.







Sanshoku Dango　￡1.50/each

Dorayaki　smooth Adzuki、chunky Adzuki、Matcha green tea、￡1.50/each
This contains Gluten and Eggs.

Daifuku　smooth Adzuki 、Chunky Azuki、￡1.00/each

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October Events

This month seems to be very quiet...
4th（Thu）Okonomi & Night Cafe
　　　　　Please book a table if you like to use a Teppan hot plate.
11th（Thu）Okonomi & Night Cafe
　　　　　Please book a table if you like to use a Teppan hot plate.
18th（Thu）Okonomi & Night Cafe
　　　　　Please book a table if you like to use a Teppan hot plate.

22th（Mon）～ 26th（Fri) Please watch this space as the cafe may close depending on the stuff shortage due to the school holiday. 
　
29th（Mon）～November ２nd（Fri）Halloween ＆ Day of the dead　
You may find a special menu for these special week.

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Mushrooms are on season!
How about Japanese curry with Japanese mushrooms?
Please check on the black board in front of the cafe.