Picnic under the Sakura

Picnic under the Sakura | Tokyo

Spring has finally sprung and there is no better way of celebrating this glorious season than gazing at sakura in Japan.

I wasn't even planning to be in Japan for the cherry blossom season. Each area has such a narrow window for sakura that it was a wonderful surprise to be in Tokyo when the blossom was at its height. I had naively imagined myself writing haikus with blossom floating around me. In reality, about a million people and I crowded into Ueno Park to witness the event of the season! Surprisingly, it didn't matter that there were hoards of tourists and locals. In a bustling megacity like Tokyo, it was practically a miracle that we all managed to find a certain amount of peace, marvelling at this natural wonder.

Many of the locals were picnicking under the blossom and their spread was incredible, from mouth watering noodle dishes to yakitori. I got very jealous and so headed towards the many food stalls in the park. I bought some Okonomiyaki which are vegetable pancakes with cabbage in the middle, coated in a special sauce. The pancakes were so tasty, I particularly enjoyed the contrasting textures of the fluffy pancake and the crunchy cabbage. This picnic was so much better than the usual sandwich and a packet of crisps!

Ladies lunching, Okonomiyaki and prayers in Ueno Park.

Now that I had more energy to brace the crowds once more, I visited a garden that lit up an ancient sakura tree at night. The tree dominated the sky, its soft pink petals were practically glowing against the stark black backdrop. This scene was one of the most enchanting scenes I have ever witnessed. The crowd hushed as we approached this natural wonder.

It was a truly remarkable day.

Comments

Tea with a ghost? | Tiny Tim's Tearoom | Canterbury

Canterbury is such a historic city so I was looking for a traditional place for afternoon tea. Tiny Tim's Tearoom was the perfect place. Housed in a gorgeous 17th century building, this tearoom is particularly inviting with its baked goods displayed in the shop windows. Inside, Glen Miller was playing softly in the background, giving the place a nostalgic, vintage feel. Many British favourites were on offer, such as, crumpets, scones and hearty sponge cakes. I had an excellent coffee and walnut cake which had a wonderfully potent coffee flavour unlike many shop-bought ones. Served with a dollop of cream, ice cream or custard, these cakes are the ultimate comfort food. Tea is also in abundance. I tried Keemun Orchid which was a black tea that had notes of plum, orchid, sesame and pine. There are also more traditional blends for those who prefer more conventional tea. I attended this tearoom alone after a pleasant morning visiting Canterbury Cathedral. However, was I t...

Konditor & Cook | London

Crumbs to Crunch have long been fans of the cake shop, Konditor & Cook . Over the years, their signature bake, the Curly Wurly (a dark chocolate sponge with vanilla cream cheese icing and chocolate curls) has been our birthday cake of choice. However, it is dull to eat the same thing so I popped into their London Bridge bakery to check out what else was on offer. As the weather is distinctively autumnal, I tried some pumpkin spiced cheesecake. The cheesecake filling was silky smooth, not too sweet and full of spice. The crumbly pastry base contrasted well with the filling. I also ordered the new sticky toffee cake. Sticky toffee pudding is my favourite dessert and this cake version did not disappoint. The toffee cake was sandwiched with caramel, smothered in mascarpone icing and drizzled with toffee sauce. So often, toffee flavoured desserts just taste of sugar but this cake was spot on. After trying these sweet delights, I can't wait to go back to try some mor...

Fried Chicken Parfait? | Karafuneya Coffee, Kyoto

We've been around the world and tried many strange ice creams, from the tomato flavoured ice cream of Nice to the salt ice cream of Dublin . However, nothing quite matches the crazy ice creams available at Karafuneya Coffee in Kyoto. As soon as you enter this lovely cafe in the Sanjo area of Kyoto, you are greeted by an enormous number of plastic models representing the amazing desserts. The best thing about Karafuneya is the sheer range of sundaes. We were equally thrilled by the classic chocolate and strawberry parfaits and the slightly more unusual Japanese flavours, such as macha and black sesame. There were even enormous sundaes (about 2 feet tall) that you can share with all your friends. However, the real eye catchers are the more outlandish ice cream combinations. We spotted a model for a French fries parfait, a deep fried chicken parfait and an American hot dog parfait. The models actually looked surprisingly delicious, but we weren't feeling too adventurous. So ...

Crumbs to Crunch

Search This Blog