"Japanified"

"Super Dry" Asahi.

While this is Japan's No. 1 beer, I'm not sure I prefer it over Sapporo. Asahi is certainly very dry, if you like your beer that way. I think I prefer dark lagers over light. The headier the better!

Asahi Beer.

Straight from Tokyo.

Daifuku.

Daifuku is a thin, glutinous rice cake (mochi) filled with sweet red azuki beans - the same beans used to make my refreshing warm-weather favorite, pat bing soo. This white variety is the most common, though daifuku also comes in different shades. My friend Wendy loves these. I took just a quarter of it and had my fill already. They're way too sweet to eat in one sitting!

Mochi is nice. Mochi is rice.


Shiitake & Choy.