The Japanese Highball

If you don't know what a highball is, I'm not surprised. I don't feel that the drink is really popular in the US, given all of the other mixed drinks available in clubs these days. But thanks to a successful advertising campaign and marketing by Suntory less than 10 years ago, the highball is served in pretty much every restaurant in the nation.

Highballs were popular in post-World War II Japan, too. From the 1950s to 1980s, whisky drinks were popular at izakayas, the Japanese pubs where salary men go to drink and socialize with their coworkers. But like the stereotypical image of a salary man, highball is an old man's drink. Beer grew in popularity and Suntory was going under. In 2008-2009, the company took some steps to try to appeal to younger drinkers.

The Japanese highball is made with Japanese whisky, usually Suntory. It's pretty simple, just whisky and soda water, served over ice in a tall glass like you see below.

There are several variations on the highball now, such as an "oolong hai" using an oolong tea mixer. And chuhai is a highball drink using shochu liquor. You can buy canned chuhai and highballs in convenience stores now, and bottled Suntory (and other Japanese whisky brands) are on hand to make your own highballs.

What you see above was my first and only highball so far. I drank it Saturday night at a party, and found it to be exactly what you'd expect if you mixed whisky and soda water - a somewhat bubbly watered-down whisky.

So I switched to cola-hai that night, which is whisky with Coca-Cola (or Pepsi or some other cola; Coke is king in Japan but you never know). Cola-hai drinks are sweet, just like you'd expect a whisky with Coke to be. And my favorite drink is Jack and Coke (thanks, Craig, for introducing me to that drink) so it works for me! (I should note that I have had some chuhai at parties too. But that's for another day.)

Singapore: Joo Chiat and Katong: Food and History

Singapore is a mix of old and new. Yesterday's Thieves Market is an established cultural landmark dating back over three fourths of a century, while the Esplanade, Merlion, and Palace Bay Sands all are modern creations.

Singapore's location means it's always hot, and its historical architecture, built back when air conditioning wasn't really an option, reflects its climate. Buildings all have lots of large windows with shutters: windows which can be opened to help air flow through the building and keep things cool. 

An entire neighborhood full of these buildings has been preserved in Joo Chiat and Katong. The area developed as a residential neighborhood in the early 20th century, with many of its residents being Peranakans. 

Many of the houses now have cafes, coffee shops, or restaurants and the area serves as a destination for foodies. There are plenty of shops selling traditional clothing, crafts, and other wares. There are also hotels to be found in the area. 

As you'll tell from my pictures below, I was only able to visit at night. There is some sightseeing to be done, and of course you should plan to shop and eat during your trip. This is yet another area I have to return to on a future trip, but you can get a feel for the architecture and dining options in my photos below.

My evening walk started from Paya Lebar MRT Station, where I walked south down Joo Chiat Road to East Coast Road. From East Coast Road, several buses make their way back toward downtown Singapore or nearby MRT stations.

Be sure to check out the photos below!

 (Hey. Lian! I wonder if that's pronounced like "Ryan" or "Lee Ann"... and they spelled tire tyre.)

My USA Dining and Shopping Lists Revealed

I'm not sure how interesting this post will be, but I thought I'd just share a list of everything that I wanted to eat and buy when I was in San Francisco. Perhaps it'll give someone traveling to America an idea of foods to try or gifts to bring for Americans living in Japan.

The lists are not really in any order, other than perhaps how quickly I was able to consume or put them in the shopping cart. Bold items are ones I really miss!

And before you judge me too harshly, know that there isn't much healthy stuff here because I get plenty of healthy food here. My favorite vegetables are relatively easy to come by, though bell peppers are a bit pricey.

First, the dining list. This will have a bit of commentary.

• In-n-Out: cheeseburgers, french fries, and milkshakes all in one delicious shop
• bacon: it's different in Japan
• tacos and nachos: good Mexican food isn't cheap in Tokyo
• Chicago-style pizza: Tokyo's Devil Craft is pretty good but SF's is better
• sausages: good spicy Italian sausages!
• Jack in the Box: jalapeno poppers are the major draw for me
• bacon, egg and cheese biscuit from McDonald's - you can't get that in Japan
• New York-style pizza: Pizza Hut is okay, but I miss Taraval Pizza
• Buffalo wings: there's nothing like a good Buffalo wing sauce. I brought back nine bottles of sauce (thanks Mom!) for chicken nuggets and such here.
• popcorn shrimp: why can't I find this in Japan, with all the fried shrimp here?
• chili: my mom makes great chili
• kung pao chicken: my favorite Chinese food, and I absolutely missed this. Seriously, I could probably do without almost everything else on the dining list, but this was a must-have. I really need to learn how to make it myself.
• sub sandwich: Subway is okay here, but I think the better sub sandwich shops in SF have much tastier toppings
• pot pie: something I don't ever see in Japan
• cheesesteak: meat, cheese, bread.
• fish and chips: not a necessity, because I can find it easily here
• biscuits and sausage gravy: a southern breakfast specialty
• clam chowder in a bread bowl: a San Francisco staple
• Taco Bell: there is one location now in Tokyo, but the menu is unique. American Taco Bell may be really unhealthy, but it's great fast food.
• lasagna: something else I don't usually find in Japan, despite its love of pasta
• waffles and pancakes: American versions are a part of a balanced breakfast, where Japanese people eat them as deserts (I didn't get waffles but I had some good pancakes - I can make them here in Japan by myself now too).
• country-fried chicken: southern comfort food, but I didn't get to have any
• Chicago dog: I did get a chili cheese dog, but Chicago dogs are my favorite, with all the tasty veggies and hot peppers

Next, let's look at the snacks and desserts:

• banana and chocolate cream pie
• Fritos pie: Fritos with chili and cheese. If only they had Fritos in Japan. They have Funyuns.
• ice cream: I wanted mint chocolate chip and Oreo. Both have recently became available in Japan, though they might not last that long.
• donuts: American donuts are different from those provided by Mister Donut and others.
• ice cream sundae: originally I wanted a banana split, but I can't eat bananas anymore apparently.
• croissants: after eating them on this trip, they are about the same in both countries
• biscuits: I went to KFC for these. I bet I could find them here if I looked.
• pumpkin pie: one of the important desserts!
• chocolate cake: another important dessert - American cakes are much richer, especially the chocolate
• cornbread: after being in Japan for 3 years, this was a craving. I do enjoy cornbread from time to time, though.
• cinnamon rolls
• smoothie: I can get these here, but American ones are thicker
• chips and cheese: corn chips and cheese with flavor are both tough to find in Japan. Well, I can find them, they're just expensive. At 7-11, I could get a tray of corn chips with as much cheese (and chili, jalapenos, and other toppings) as I'd like. Really, if I just had a lot of that cheese sauce, I could probably work with that.
• frozen lemonade: something I've found is fairly easy to get in Japan if you look in the right places
• cookies: peanut butter sweets aren't common in Japan, and most Japanese cookies aren't soft and chewy
• Slurpee/Icee: I don't see these too often here. Theme parks have them occasionally, and there are a couple convenience stores that have the machines. But Japanese people tend to enjoy kakigori, which is shaved ice topped with flavored syrup.
• cheese: again, Japanese cheese doesn't usually have a lot of flavor. I have found some okay options.
• milkshake: McDonald's just isn't enough

And finally, my shopping list. These are mostly candies and snacks that are overpriced or impossible to get here:

• Sunkist Fruit Gems: didn't even find these in San Francisco
• Orange Chocolate: something else I didn't find - either orange jelly sticks covered in chocolate or the large ball of chocolate shaped like an orange with orange flavor
• pretzel and chip dips: again, shut out on these - I wanted dry powders that I could add ingredients to to make a dip
• fudge: we discussed making some at home but there wasn't enough time
• See's Candies: best chocolate in the US
• salt water taffy
• Fig Newtons: a small craving
• unique Oreo flavors: I can get regular, chocolate, and green tea here
• chili mix
• mint chocolates: I went with York Peppermint Patties
• Twinkies: mmmm
• applesauce: how come I can't find this in Japan?
• ginger snap cookies: another small craving
• Hostess cupcakes: like Twinkies, a guilty pleasure
• Hohos: They taste like Hostess cupcakes, but are ever so slightly different
• Milano cookies: I see regular Milanos in Kaldi, but orange and mint Milanos never make it to Japan
• candy corn
• Peanut Butter Twix
• Peanut Butter MnMs
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (see a trend here?)
• Skittles (usually cost $2 per small bag when you can find them here)
• pudding and Jello: am I missing something? Why can't I find this here?
• Stove Top stuffing: I found a box of this at the import store, but it's highly seasonal here
• mac and cheese: a single box runs about $2.50-$3.00 at import stores
• Hamburger Helper: I never see this in Japan, but I think I recently found a similar product
• pork and beans: not something I ate often, but sometimes you just need pork and beans.
• instant oatmeal: amazingly expensive here
• Buffalo wing sauce: As I mentioned, I brought 9 bottles back with me. The import store sells a single bottle of wing sauce for about $9.
• Spaghettios: like pork and beans, sometimes you just want round noodles in sauce.
• pretzels: thin pretzels are pretty expensive here
• Fritos: impossible to get in Japan
• cookie, cake, and brownie mix: You can get some in Japan, but I wanted peanut butter-flavored
• Rice Krispies treats: I don't think they even sell Rice Krispies here.
• brownies
• drink mix: I've seen a few instant drink mixes, but nothing inexpensive like Kool-Aid. I brought back a bunch of instant mix pouches of Crystal Light and Safeway's brand.
• Runts candy
• Ravioli
• Cheetos: different in Japan
• CornNuts
• Whoppers
• Swedish Fish
• Junior Mints (chocolate mint candy is just starting to catch on in Japan, and it's pretty mild, not the strong peppermint flavor of Junior Mints and York)
• Mike 'n' Ike
• Good 'n' Plenty: licorice candy is rare in Asia
• Twizzlers
• Pop Tarts: delicious and easy breakfast or snack - I brought six boxes back and could have had more. Individual packs of two pastries often sell here for about $4-5 online, not available in stores! I didn't eat Pop Tarts very often in the US, but I sort of "rediscovered" them as an inexpensive breakfast option (as far as US prices go - as cheap as 33 cents per package).
• Red Hots candies
• Neccos

And some staples that are really expensive here:

• talcum powder: it's not the same and much more expensive. The small bottle I bought will probably last me five or more years, but for someone with a baby, the cost will add up
• paper bags: lunch bags tend to run about 10 cents each or more, and are usually used in crafting. I get the feeling there is a business supply store somewhere selling them much cheaper, because I get them with purchases from time to time. But you won't find them in supermarkets like you do in America
• deodorant: it is really different and usually ineffective, but there are import laws so be careful (I think you can bring in 12 packages without a problem, but check to be sure)
• sunscreen: I brought a few tubes back with me. I am told there are differences between Japanese and American sunscreen, 

California Dreaming: Pictures from my Return Home

After living in Japan for over three years, I finally returned home for a couple weeks in early June. I've been back in the Tokyo area again for two months now, but I've uploaded some of my random photos to share.

 My first stop off the plane: In 'n' Out Burger.

 The Double Double was good. I can get pretty good burgers here, too. But there's something about those fresh french fries that make them second to none! I killed several cravings at once: cheeseburger, french fries, chocolate shake, and root beer.

 Flowers. Pretty.

 Maybe I didn't realize it when I was living in SF, but there are a lot of Japanese restaurants in town. This one is new - it opened after I came to Japan - and pretty close to my house.

 El Toro was my first ethnic food stop. I missed those nachos and fruity aguas frescas!

 I always love the tacos there, but I really wanted some nachos with everything on it. I couldn't finish, but I certainly tried!

 El Toro is located in the Mission District, home to several murals. One particular alley is full of politcal messages.

 Whether or not you agree with the messages each panel has, the artwork is great.

 There is a lot of food in this post, isn't there. Chocolate cream pie was on my list, and my family picked one up somewhere. Just as good as I remember! And I think I had half a dozen Slurpees in the two weeks I was there.

 I was never really attached to Jack in the Box when I lived in California, but they have some more-unique menu items compared to other fast food joints. Curly fries, jalapeno poppers, and some strange version of a taco were my dinner one night.

 This street is a bit of an oxymoron. Go down this street to get to St. Charles Ave. But it's not a through street. This is a pedestrian shortcut not accessible to vehicles.

 It's a little overdone here, but Taraval Pizzeria's cheese pizzas are always tasty. Even with the crispy cheese I enjoyed my light lunch.

 I'd taken public transit to get to the Great America amusement park in the past, but never via BART. The Milbrae stop had this statue of a baseball player inside the station.

 More flowers!

 Speaking of train stations, this was also the first time I used SCVTA light rail to get to Great America. In the past, I took the bus from a nearby Caltrain station. All in all, a pretty easy (though lengthy) way to get to the park from San Francisco. Driving is much faster!

 A couple more desserts! The pumpkin pie was homemade (right, Mom?) and tasty, but that giant chocolate cake slice came from the Safeway grocery store. Cakes in America are much richer than those found here.

 What you see here is my favorite Chinese food, kung pao chicken. This particular version has no vegetables or peanuts in it. That's a ton of chicken in spicy sauce along with a couple servings' worth of white rice. After eating the chicken (and veggies, if I get them) I mix the rice with the remaining sauce to make spicy rice!

Despite being gone for over three years, when I walked into the restaurant the woman working the counter recognized me instantly. That's good service!

 This is a chili cheese dog from somewhere. I wanted a Chicago dog, but my favorite hot dog restaurant shut down and it seems like the entire chain is gone. I don't have a suitable replacement in mind yet. This dog came from A&W, a restaurant chain based on the root beer usually sharing the same space as a KFC. Yes, I got some KFC too (biscuits are yummy!) and a root beer float.

 I asked my mom for a cupcake. I guess I didn't really need it after that big cake slice. So she got me this thing with a plastic high heel decoration. The cupcake was delicious, don't get me wrong. And I kept the high heel. I'm not sure what I'll do with it, but I'm sure it'll make a nice conversation piece at some point.

 I got an awesome sub sandwich from a place on Taraval I had never been to before called Lou's Cafe. The sandwich was filling (actually, it turned into two meals) and really delicious, and they use a really spicy sauce that gives it an even bigger flavor boost.

 Speaking of bread, I took a picture of this. Why? Because it's free bread in a restaurant. You never get that in Japan!

 I got fish and chips toward the end of my stay. This was at a fairly nice cafe, but they were still tasty like the cheap ones. Sometimes "gourmet" food loses the unique flavor that makes cheap grub special.

 Oh, and I did get steak, too. It may not look great (the lighting isn't so good for photos) but Outback Steakhouse has pretty good cuts of meat.

 Yes, I got Krispy Kreme donuts, too.

Amanda, do you read my blog? It was nice to see non-Japanese names on Coke bottles, but I didn't find a Ryan.

As you can see, my return home had a lot of dining adventures. Yes, I did other things - amusement parks, baseball, walking around town, and of course lots of time with my family. But some of those pictures will show up later, and some of those are just for family and friends.

And for my Japanese readers interested in going to America, this might provide some dining ideas you might not have thought of.