We were on the hike now, walking between Nakano and Koenji. The original plan was to start while it was light and get to Asagaya around dark, but there was the crap weather, with the wind and the rain and the darkness. Once we spent an hour in another izakaya, the whole walking-outside thing wasn’t very appealing.
Michael Jackson is always appealing though. This mural was too wide to fit the frame, but if you can parse the stylized script, it says ‘Love ya Foorever!’
We walked around Koenji a lot when we got there. There are several very nice full-length shopping streets, and I do mean full-length. If you know what I mean. But we were indecisive and on the edge of grumpiness, and it took a long time to pick a place. Finally we ended up seeing this sight, and it seemed like the answer to some prayers.
Had any of us been a black Snoopy we would have grinned and danced too.
I’m always nervous in Kyushu places – when the centerpiece of the cuisine is intestinal, you can never rest easy that you’re going to get edible items. The top left boiled chicken in particular had the look of something that used to be closer to the heart of a bird but was really just normal meat (and tasty). Next up, miso-marinated grilled pork belly. So fatty. To the right, a bottle of Man Rei – I give the shop an extra point (metaphorically) for having interesting local nihonshu; Man Rei is from Karatsu and is probably the least popular of the sakes I know from Saga (which you know I love). Bottom row outsides are fried fish and fried chicken, both competent. In the middle was a foil packet with mushrooms and meat and lots of cheese, and on a cold, rainy night, this hit the spot even more than all the other hot, meaty items. Yay for meat.
They were really nice here; I just want to let you know their schedule according to the gurunabi page:
OPEN: A day, the moon 17:30-24:00; fire – tree 17:30-03:00; Fridays and Saturdays 17:30-04:00 [aside: not gold and dirt?]
CLOSE: I am without holiday
03-5327-6002
By the way, I’m not a Rush fan, but I liked that video a lot. Did you notice how Alex seems to be holding the acoustic in a funny way in the beginning? He’s playing it on a stand so he can wear the electric guitar for the majority of the song. Kinda beats the Jimmy Page approach (not on attitude though). Also nice to see him playing a Tele for a change, and cool that he’s actually using the blue-glowing H&K amps that he endorses.
I still had to chuckle when Geddy started singing.
Anyhoo, not bad, but they’ll always be Canadian to me.