June sweets and events

This month did not start very well... Although, it is an celebrating month of cafe an-an!!!

It started slowly with children's half-term. Then my health had gone down really worse to worst.
I could not move my neck and arms. My upper body and head was in pain and felt really sick at one point.

Now I am slowly better as I did some exercise including Pilates. The side effect of Pilates was still here on my tummy... my tummy muscle is screaming...

 Half term's bad weather had gone and summer again. Lovely sunshine.

It's finally SUMMER!!!

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Sweets of June

Ichigo (strawberry) Daifuku Mochi　　　　　　￡1.50 each
British Strawberry season has arrived! It's really tasty. Not only sweetness, I can taste refreshing sourness and juiciness.  It's the best strawberry Daifuku in the UK.

Warabi Mochi with Kuzu　　　￡2.00 each
Very summer sweets. Kuzu jelly is not sweet, so please sprinkle plenty of Kinako (Roasted Soy flour) and black honey. prepared on only Tuesdays and Fridays.

Waka Ayu (Young Sweet Fish)　　　　　　　　　　　￡1.50 each
Before the river fishing is open in July, we can see a lot of young sweet fish swimming up the treams. Those powerful young sweet fish is the model of this sweet. Yuzu flavored sweet mochi is wrapped by Dorayaki skin.

Yomogi (Japanese Mugwarts) Daifuku
This mochi is made with Yomogi, which is still used as herbal remedy, from Organic Japanese Vege farm Namayasai. My kitchen is filled with this very refreshing mint like aroma. Chunky Adzuki bean paste inside.

Thankfully, more customer puchasing Wagashi. If you are buying more than 5 sweets, could you please let me know in advance. As the cafe has very limited space and shop's temperature is very high in late afternoons, I don't make sweets in bulk.　if you like to purchase sweets more than 5, please ring or email (order@an-an.co.uk) the cafe to order two working days in advance.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Events in June

This month, Wa cafe an-an is having the second birthday.
It's been a whole year since we did the first anniversary!!!

Those events I introduced as anniversary special became frequent occasions.
Have you tried Japanese Afternoon session or Okonomiyaki weeks?

Japanese says a good restaurant is trained by it's customers.

i would like to thank you all the patient customers. So, I would like to invite some of you to the special events.


Hisako is going to Japan to stay for a while for her son. So I need to do the events before hand.

Monday 13th June (! Wow, it's already today???)
an-an Birthday Cake Buffet
It's postponed to Friday 24th. 
But I will try to be there around 10am. Not necessarily have any cakes, though...


Thursday 16th & Friday 17th June
Japanese Afternoon Tea "Summer has come???"
I will make a lot of early summer sweets.
Do you have any request for the 1st plate? How about cold noodle?
The second and the third plates are as usual.
You can enjoy variety of Summer sweets on this occasion.

Please choose time and make a booking.
Thursday 16th : Morning session (10:00 - 11:30), Evening session (18:30-20:00)
Friday 17th : Afternoon Sesson (16:00 - 17:30)
Each session will have maximum of 8 people.
Children who take a seat will be counted as one.
Please book as soon as possilbe.


24th June (Friday)
an-an  Birthday Buffet - Bring your homemade cakes Buffet

Please bring your homemade cakes. It needs to be something you can proud of, as it will have your name on the display! You will be exchanging some tips of baking cakes.
If you are not good at baking cakes, don't worry! If you pay £5.00 to cover the baker's drinks.

I will keep eyes on the food safety during the buffet, however, an-an cannot take responsibility of sudden weight increase, and etc... Please consume cakes and sweets on your own risk!!!

There will be another blog to come soon.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

I am a bit scared of large events in July... but I want to enjoy this anniversary month with an-an's lovely customers.

Bank Holiday Monday

cafe an-an is closed on bank holiday Monday. Since I have no help this week because of the half term school holiday, service will be slower than usual. sorry for the inconvenience.

和カフェあん庵は、5月30日の祝日はお休みです。
今週はハーフタームのため、人手が足りなく、お待たせすることがあります。申し訳ありません。

Okonomi-yaki week again!

I have got so many requests for having Okonomi-Yaki as regular menu.
I cannot make it as regular, but I can make it as a regular event.

So, here comes Okonomi-Yaki Week, again!

From Monday 23rd to Friday 27th of May, I will serve Okonomi-Yaki as well as usual menu.

...AND, I will have Okonomu-Yaki Night on Tuesday 24th, as my husband can look after kids.

Starts at 7:30 and finish 9:30.

Okonomi-Yaki Night is Adult Only. This time you will have Teppan on the table to cook Okonomi-Yaki by youeselves. Its just like Okonomi-Yaki Bar in Jaapan. 

Please book your seat... yes, seat, as you may need to share table and Teppan with other customers. 8 persons maximum. Eat as much Okonomi Yaki and Yakisoba with one drink for £10.00. As an-an does not own the licence to sell alcoholic drinks, please bring bottles only for yourselves.

This time you can order small sides (£2 per item) along the Okonomi-Yaki. Chicken or Tofu gyoza, Edamame, Miso Soup, white rice, Kimchi Fried rice, etc.etc.

If you like to book seats, please go to this link. info@an-an.co.uk.

I will reply you asap.

Look forward to seeing you!

soy cooking

Here is another dish with Soy beans... I made a very traditional dish from Okara, soy pulp. 

Yes, Soy beans are very common ingredients for Japanese and cannot cook anything without it.
As you know, our cooking sauce are made from Soy beans, such as Soy sauce and Miso pasete.

We make Tofu from Soy beans.... Tofu is only made from Soy milk, which was squeezed juice from Beans.

Have you had any question where has all the pulp after squeezing soy milk?

We eat soy pulp in this way, for example.

My friend, who makes homemade Tofu gave me some fresh okara.

Carrots, mangetout, konnyaku (yum potato jelly) and dried siitake mushrooms are cooked in with soy sauce, mirin and stock from dried mushrooms and konbu seaweed. suitable for vege.

this will b served with lunch set menu today. if you have any allergy to any ingredients, please let me know.

May sweets and Events

What was the last month's weather???
My garden had some thin snow settled for a second. Then warm sun came out to melt and dried in next 5 min.

Aaaaagh! I fell asleep and now it's the 2nd May....
So now i need to announce today, Cafe an-an is closed due to the May Bank Holiday.
Sorry for this short notice. From tomorrow, it will be "Business as usual".


＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Sweets from May

Sakura Mochi (Cherry Blossom Mochi) £1.50 each
Sakura had finished in Japan this year, but still full bloom to come here in the UK. Well, an-an is in the South Eeast England, so British Sakura should last a bit longer.
There are very short stock of Cherry leaves this year, but Sakura Mochi should be in the Cafe as long as I can make it.

Kashiwa Mochi (Smooth paste、Japanese Mug-wort & Chunky paste、Sweet Miso White bean paste ）　£1.50 each
the 5th May is "Children's Day" in Japanese Calendar. So I will start selling Kashiwa Mochi afer this May bank holiday. If you want to have sweets delivery on the Saturdays to Croydon Japanese School and Brighton Japanese Club, Please order by 5th to order@an-an.co.uk.

Ichigo Daifuku (Strawberry Mochi) £1.50 each
Yey! British Strawberry season is coming... (still greenhouse grown strawberries, but still very tasty!) Fresh Ichigo Daifuku will be on the Cafe counter on Mondays and Thursdays till October The number is limited, so the first comes first served. If you want to order more than a few Ichigo Daifuku, please order at lease 3 days in advance.

Sanshoku Dango & Mitarashi Dango (Three Colour & Dango with sweet soy sauce)　£1.50 eacg
These need to be with Cherry Blossoms. So I will carry on selling these a bit longer.

Dorayaki (Pancake Sandwich)　£1.50 each
Please choose the fillings of Smooth Adzuki paste, Chunky Adzuki paste or Japanese Green Tea& Bean Paste.

Daifuku Mochi　（Smooth、Chunky、Japanese mug-wort and Chunky Adzuki paste）　£1.00 each

Wow, this month cafe will have variety of sweets!

There is very limited shelf space for Wagashi at the counter, I recommend to order in advance... even from one sweets.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Event in May

Thanks for coming to the Cherry Blossom Japanese Afternoon Tea. There are some people did not get the notice till last minutes and missed the event.　
This is the photo from the third plate. Next Japanese Afternoon Tea will be planned sometime in June. I will advertise well in advance next time!!!

So, here is the plan of May event....|

Nothing in the line!!!!!!! (;´･ω･)。。

For now, I am making a lot of Kashiwa Mochi for the Children's Day on the 5th May.
That's all....

Anyway, Cafe an-an's 2nd Birthday is coming in June, so I shall make a lot of exciting plan.　I shall make a lot of sweets, too.

I want to do the home-made cake buffet again on the Cafe an-an's Birthday. If the weather is good, I can have more people outside, too!

If you have anything interesting and exciting event, please contact me. Any suggestion will be welcome!!!

Now we shall enjoy the most beautiful time of year here. I really like walking around to see neighbors' front gardens.

Well, I know I need to make MY front garden a bit better...

Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) afternoon Tea

It was really busy early half of April...
My parents visited us and had a short holiday in Windsor...
Thanks for donation for Blooming Boundary Project led by Councillor Robert Nemeth. He finished in good shape. The donation was handed in directly to him on Friday when he came to have lunch.

I haven't felt time goes so slowly like this for long time... I think it was really busy first two weeks.

Now, I can start preparing for the Sakura (Cherry blossom) Japanese Afternoon Tea.

Cherry blossom has gone in Japan, but it's starting now in the UK. Buds of cherry tree in my garden is getting bigger. Well, it's still not so exciting, so please allow me to use a bit old photo.



The first dish will be a small Bento Box packed with traditional spring menu.

The second dish will be consists of 4 typical sweets on Hanami (Picnic under Cherry Blossom).

The last dish will be two Sakura shaped sweets for traditional tea ceremony.

Normally, all the dish should be suitable for vegetarian. However, if it is a traditional Japanese Lunch box, Salmon cannot be avoid... So, if you are vegetarian or fish allergy, please let me know. As well as, eggs. Hum, I will have some extra to swap to whatever, whatever... So, please let me know if you have any concern.

Schedule on Friday 29th April
Morning Session - 10:00 ～ 11:30
Afternoon Session - 16:00 ～ 17:30
Evening Session - 18:00 ～19:30

*Afternoon and Evening sessions are later than previous schedule. Max 8 people can book on each session. First comes first served.
*£10 per person. Children can join the session, however, they will be counted as a person and charged £10, if they occupy seats.
*One drink included.
* Please understand you may need to share a table with other guests as we only have two tables.

Please reserve seats with Text on the shop mobile (07923 900344) or info@an-an.co.uk. Please do NOT leave any message on the mobile, as we cannot receive the recorded message.

an-an is looking forward to seeing you in the afternoon tea.

和Japanese Cafe an-an
２７　Boundary Road, Hove, BN3 4EF
０７９２３　９００３４４

April's sweets and Events

It's almost the end of 1st April.
Today, Okonomi-yaki week is finished.

It was really busy. Thank you so much! ｍ（－＿－）ｍ

Unexpectedly busy in these last 3 days and some of you had to wait for nearly one hour for the lunch... I am so sorry and thank you so much to be so patient.

I regret to say, but I would need to close the cafe on Monday 4th and Friday 8th due to stuff shortage during Spring school holiday. Moreover Sushi would not be available between Tuesday 5th to Thursday 7th.

From Monday 11th, an-an will serve normal menu during the normal opening time. Of course, Sushi will be back, too.  I will order really fresh fish for Sushi from the local fishmonger.

I cannot wait to go back to the normal routine!!! (ie. kids go back to school...)

My burnt out head could write English.

 Is this board on the window clear? or do I need to explain?

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

April's Sweets

Sakura Mochi (Cherry Blossoms) 　－　Smooth Adzuki bean paste wrapped by half-mashed sticky sweet rice. Leaves are from Organic Farm in Lewes, Namayasai, and pickled in British sea salt. £1.50/sweet.

Uguisu Mochi (Nightingale Sweets) - Smooth Adzuki bean paste wrapped by smooth soft Mochi, and sprinkled plenty of Uguisu Kinako (Roasted Green Soy Flour)£1.50/sweet

Hanami Dango (Sanshoku Dango) - three colour rice dumplings on a bamboo skewer £1.50/skewer. available from 11th April.

Dorayaki - Please chose filling from Smooth, Chunky or Green Tea bean paste. £1.50 each.

Daifuku - Smooth, Chunky, Japanese mugwort, Strawberry... Please order them on order@an-an.co.uk at least 2 days in advance.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

April Event

Monday 4th 
Friday 8th      Cafe is closed.

Japanese Afternoon Tea is coming on Friday 29th April.
It will be the cherry blossom Festival.

10am
3:30 pm
5;30 pm

please chose the time slot before the space goes... I only have 8 seats for the each session.

Please let me know Allergy or Vegan on the time for orders.   Please apply within the cafe or email on order@an-an.co.uk                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Looking forward to seeing you!