(Art Club) The results and plan from now!!

The An-an Japanese Art Club started as a trial on 15 January.　Thank you for coming！We had a fantastic time.

We asked everyone who participated on that day to fill in a questionnaire.

It was very interesting and showed that everyone was interested in Japanese art as well as cooking and lifestyle. We would also like to focus a little on Japanese beauty as seen through language and Japanese customs.

At the very end, I have posted a link to the questionnaire form, so if you are interested, please give us your contact methods and email back to info@an-an.co.uk.  Alternatively, if you would like a full questionnaire form in Word Document, please contact us at the above address. You can also find the form at the cafe.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

First, here are the results of the questionnaire. We will omit the questions, so if you are interested, please check the questionnaire form.

(1) In order of most requested.
　　No. 1   Japanese sweets workshop
　　No. 2   Ikebana workshop
　　　　　Japanese food workshop
                  Origami (advanced)
        No.３  Making eraser stamps
       Sashiko (Japanese embroidery), kintsugi and furoshiki (wrapping cloth) 

(2) Sunday afternoons were the most popular, followed by Friday evenings, Wednesday evenings and Monday evenings.

(3) ￡5-£10 (materials not included) is the most common, followed by ￡10-£15 (materials not included).

(4) We start with Adults only workshops, as most people wanted Adults only workshops. We could also consider workshops for children during the summer holidays.

(5) We are interested in how Japanese language, diet, art and art are reflected in the way of life. Other

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Calligraphy and Suiboku-ga (ink painting) (picture writing) classes

On the third Sunday of every month from 2pm to 5pm, we will continue our calligraphy and suiboku-ga (ink painting) classes.

Spare brushes are available, but you will be asked to buy your own personal large brush (￡10) as it is consumable.

The class costs ￡10 per person (participation fee) and includes Japanese tea and small sweets.

Drinks and cakes and sweet treats will be available to purchase on the day.

Please note that only those over 18 years can take part in.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Upcoming workshops (weekday evenings or Sunday AM/PM)

Feb Japanese food workshop (tofu and beyond!)
Mar Origami workshop (advanced level)
Apr Japanese sweets workshop (Daifuku fruit and cherry blossom paste)
May Ikebana workshop
June Making Eraser stamps

July & August Weekday mornings Workshops for children aged 12 and over

From September onwards: kintsugi, furoshiki (wrapping cloth), sashiko and some kind of festive festival workshops are being planned.

We will send you more information about the calligraphy class and the February workshop to the contact details you gave us in the questionnaire. Please reply there if you would like to participate.

We look forward to learning about art with you.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Click here for a link to the survey form.

An An Japanese Art Club

Advisor.

Nanae Koimai

Attended calligraphy classes from the second year of primary school to the second year of junior high school. Attended art college preparatory school in high school, graduated from Musashino Art Junior College, completed Fine Art BA (Hons) at the University of Brighton, and is currently studying for a postgraduate course at the same university with an interest in installation. Exhibited in Brighton and London. Temporarily returned fully to Japan to work as an interior coordinator for a renovation company. After getting married, left the art world to raise her children in Brighton, but took the opportunity to come back to work as an artist organiser from Japan, and to modestly take part in art activities such as calligraphy and art workshops, and charity workshops for primary schools and playgroups. Hoping that as many people as possible can be exposed to Japanese art.

Noriko Jazayeri.　

Attended calligraphy classes for six years in primary school. Started oil painting and cartooning in the art club at high school and awarded a few times in the oil painting category at the Kobe City Exhibition. After completing BA (Hons) Graphic Design, I worked as an in-house designer at a company for 9 years. Having a break to concentrate on raising my children, but started making Japanese sweets to satisfy my craving for them. While running a Japanese café, I have been selling wagashi and conducting workshops in London and Brighton to promote wagashi in the UK, and in October 2021 I gave a highly acclaimed lecture on wagashi at Kew Gardens 'Japan', and since then I have been invited to attend The Japan Society and Japanese Embassy related events.
My favourite piece of work is the cafe sign made from reclaimed deck boards.

This Year's Direction is "slightly south of south south-east"

 

 

Celebrate Setsubun this year by throwing beans and eating ehomaki rolls to bring good fortune.

Friday 3 February.

The direction of blessing is "slightly south of south south-east".

If you make a reservation, we will deliver them from 12:00 on 3 February until 5:00 in the evening.

Four different types of ehoumaki, each containing seven ingredients (seven gods of good fortune),
will be sold uncut. Face the direction of blessing and eat without talking so that the good fortune does not spill out of your mouth.

That's all there is to it.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Kaisen ehoumaki £11

(Sushi prawns, squid, salmon, tobiko, smoked mackerel, crab cakes and cucumber)

Classic ehoumaki £10

(Sushi prawns, smoked mackerel, cucumber, dashimaki tamago, dried tofu, crab cakes and dried shiitake mushrooms)

Salad ehoumaki* £10

(Fried prawns, dashimaki tamago, lettuce, cucumber, kaiware daikon, carrot and spinach)

Veggie ehoumaki* £9

(Dashimaki Tamago, Koya-tofu, Cucumber, Spinach, Grilled red pepper, Dried shiitake mushroom, Dried radish)

*Vegetarian and vegan ehomaki can also be made using avocado and inari-age.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

We will prepare as many ingredients as possible, but we recommend ordering by 2 February, the day before the event, as we may sell out.

You can ensure your order by texting the café's phone number. A confirmation text will be sent back as soon as we receive it.

Happy New Year！！！

 I am so shocked that I missed the New Year Fireworks on the River Thames.

Normally, I manage to watch the annual fireworks on TV even though I'm half asleep, but due to the effects of being penetrated on the eve of New Year's Eve, I had lost my memory by 8am when I finished eating my New Year's Eve soba.

It's kind of mushy. I feel as if the year hasn't started yet. Even though we ate osechi and ozoni. I didn't give my children New Year's money 💦.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

It's the morning of the 3rd, the last day of the New Year, and I'm writing this blog in the IKEA restaurant after driving my son to Gatwick Airport because the railways are on strike. The strike has been a disaster this winter, letters have not been delivered, train timetables have been non-existent, and I've had to wait until Christmas to get a bit of light. Before Christmas, I had set the temperature in my room low in order to reduce the utility bills a little, but once Christmas came, I didn't care about that. It's the UK I'm afraid of the bill.

And what I wanted to say was, "My aspirations for this year". What is it? Is this the right kanji? Well, it's a goal.

To make wagashi and Japanese sweets better known.

That's what it's all about.

Sweets are a luxury item. It is a food that will not kill you if you don't eat it.

But I think there are many nutrients that reach the heart.

I think the heart needs coffee and tea to relieve the café, and sweets to give it the excitement of seasonal and event-specific changes that it can't help but look forward to.

The café is relatively quiet except lunchtime. You can have a relaxing cup of tea and browse through the manga and art books in the café, or you can catch the manager, who seems to be free, and have a chat with him. If you think, "I'm glad I came to the Japanese café An-an!" I would be very happy if you think, "I'm glad I came to the Japanese café An-an".

As spring approaches, there will be more and more beautiful and colourful wagashi on offer. Please come and try them.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

January Wagashi

Hanabira mochi (flower petal cake) ￡2.50

These rice cakes are a simplified version of the osechi eaten at New Year's, but made into a single wagashi. The inside is filled with miso bean paste and the softly cooked burdock root is so tasty that it still has a little crunch to it.

Contains soya beans.

Black soy bean daifuku ￡2.00

Daifuku mochi made from sweetened black beans, one of the 'mamemame-shi (may you be well)' items in the Osechi. These black beans are boiled black without wrinkles, which also means "stay young, beautiful and healthy".

Contains soya and wheat.

Zenzai ￡2.50

Served at the Kagami-Biraki (Kagami-biraki) ceremony to share the blessings of the rice cakes offered at New Year's. Hot, sweetened Zenzai and rice cake with cold vanilla ice-cream to your liking.

The ice cream contains dairy products. Can be changed to soya milk vanilla ice cream.

(Available from around 10 Jan Eat in Only).

Thin-skinned Inaka Manju ￡2.00

Steamed sweets are wrapped in grated aromatic yam skin. It also contains sweetened chestnuts, making you feel like you're getting a little bit better for your money. (On sale from late Jan).

Various small rice cakes ￡6.00

Enjoy the mochi with seaweed & wasabi soy sauce, mitarashi, soybean flour and sweet bean paste.

Contains soya. (Eat in Only)

Koshi An & Grain An Daifuku (￡1.50 each) and Dorayaki (Matcha, Koshi An or Grain An ￡1.80 each) are always available. However, as they are limited in numbers, it would be helpful if you make a reservation in advance if you are buying more than five.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Events in January

OkonomiYaki Evenings
Every Thursdays 17：30~20：00

We are trying to restart Okonomiyaki Evenings from this month as the eggs seem to be back, Eat in/Take away, both slots need to be booked in advance. Please contact the café. (If no bookings are made by 5am on the day, Okonomiyaki Evening may be cancelled for that day. Please understand).

Japanese Art Club

Sunday 15 Jan (time to be announced).

Japanese art will be introduced and workshops will be held. The first session will be on calligraphy. We will introduce how to make New Year's calligraphy and how to draw simple ink paintings. (Age group 13 years and up).

On the day of the event, we will serve free Ozenzai, as it is Kagamibiraki day.

The first session is Drop-in without reservation. Feel free to come along.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

wishing you all good health and world peace...

Best wishes for the year 2023.

All the staff of An-an

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)

❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅

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 

❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅

We also have more fun for children.

❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅

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.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

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...

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

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.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

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