A Perfect Spring Lunch

SHIN came to visit in the late morning. An old friend forever, Shin is definitely one of my best buddies. We've always got endless subjects to talk, from economics to drama to philosophy, and often could get more excited than we should. The more importantly, we always have these chats over good food. So, it was time for lunch, and we were sitting there cranking our brains trying to figure out where to go for something special.

We had French last time we met, and Yakitori the one before. So those nice choices were out of our scope. All of a sudden, I thought of a place way up on the top of a high rise building, with great view on this bright sunny spring day - the air is so clear we ought to be able to see miles and miles away from 250 meters above the ground. The place I had in mind was a tepanyaki steak house. What can be better than a nice tender juicy Japanese steak, freshly prepared by a seasoned chef in front of you, and have great service while having impeccable service around you?? The decision was a no brainer. Fantasizing the sizzling aroma arising from the huge cooking plate, we were hasting on our feet!!

The teppan place is located on the 52nd floor of the building. In the cool spring air, walking thru the sidewalk sourounded by good-looking hotels and offices, aligned with cherry trees under the bright spring sun, we were ready to attack the steak before we reached the restaurant. This is the time you started wondering if life could get any better than this, haha.

The lunch started with a totally delicious fresh sweet tomato chunks which were lightly marinated in apple vinegar, fresh lemon and sesame oil. The lightly pickled daikon slices added just enough juiciness and crunchiness to the starter. Boy, are we not ready for the steak?! As a ritual in this service-is-bigger-than-life restaurant, the chef showed us the raw steak for our inspection. We took our most serious look at the steak to make sure it was not moving anymore, and nodded the chef to let the cooking drama start.

The steak was a nicely cut Wagyu (pronounces "wah-gi-you", means Japanese beef, typically what I could not afford in the supermarket) with snow flake texture evenly distributed through it. At the rim of the steak was a nice piece of crystal white fat that the chef cut it to oil and sizzle the teppan plate. We asked the steak to be medium rear (the way you want the nice tender Japanese steak to be, if not served raw, haha), and that was exactly how it came. The first bite was, Mmm...mmm.... jui..seeii... The tenderness was what in between of a red snapper sashimi and cantaloupe, its nicely juicy with very gentle steak aroma. Another secret of Japanese teppan yaki steak is at its sauce, THAT is what separates it from the steaks we are so used to at home. Today, we had an barrel-aged soy sauce blended with vinegar and garlic powder. The steak with the sauce tasted soooo good that I seriously believed that Shin and I were becoming better friends!!

As if to reaffirm with us that this lunch was a total departure from our normal life, after the perfect spring steak ceremony, the manager showed us to a separate room to sit on a bar where we had a clear view of entire western Tokyo expanding all the way to the Mt. Fuji. That, again, made me wonder why we did not do this everyday??? The closing ceremony was presented with a beautifully decorated green tea ice cream and freshly brewed coffee. And we sat on the bar happily talking ever after.....

The Day & Meditation

The days started with meditation, that was of course if the house cleaning was not counted. (For those lazy buns like me that have problem getting up early in the morning, you should know that house cleaning in this dusk is part of the Zen ritual!!) Meditation in the morning is a great idea, provided if one can get up early enough to do that. Anything less than 30 minutes will not give you a quality meditation.

This is how I handled it: a 30 minutes mediation divided into two 15 minutes sessions. Take brisk break between the sessions. Rub your feet, arm and face to make yourself feel at ease and relaxed. Right breathing is essential. You should breathe in thru nose, and away thru mouth. Both as gentle and slow as possible. On your better days, you'll breathe so gentle as if you do not feel it at all.

The challenge is to rid off everything from one's mind. Think of nothing and let your mind rest at peace. It surely takes lots of practise to make that happen. Or, to be more accurate, to assure nothing happens. And you shall feel totally relieved and ready for the day. Whatever that will be, nothing is gonna bother you. Meditation is called "Zazen" in Japanese. Literally meaning "Zen Sitting", or "Zen Meditation". Take a look at the morning sight of Mt. Fuji, the spiritual symbol of Japan, you feel the calmness. Let zen take you for a ride. Be Zen and have a nice day.

PS. The pictures were taken in a trip to Mt. Fuji. To look for the peace not normally found in Tokyorian urban life, I tried to avoid tourists, and went to the lake at the hill of Mt. Fuji that most of the tourists, whether domestic or overseas, have little knowledge of and rearly pay a visit to. On the way to the lake, I bumped into this inconspicuous Udon & Soba place, nice and quiet, and totally intended for local villagers. In addition to the healthy and tasty udon, soba, o-bento, they also have this wonderful noodle called "Houtou (ほうとう)" which is served in a cast iron pot with lots of local organic vegetables. The Houtou, created by General Takeda (1521-1573) for his soldiers engaging in field battles, was unexpectedly delicious which deserves a thombs up!! To the dear nature lover Alex, I have to take you here to try your favorite soba, you gonna love it!!