tokyo food file

life is a (Thai) beach... in Kamakura

As soon as the weather gods throw the heat switch, I move into Southeast Asian summer mode. Thankfully there's a great Little Thai beach down in Kamakura, just a one-hour ride away from the city.

It's not the sand or the laughably low surf that draws me to Yuigahama Beach. It's the promise of SIngha Beer, green Thai curry and the friendly ministrations of the Thai staff. And the view, of course...

If you've never been down to this stretch of coast, this is how it looks...

This year there's more Thai food than ever. The LIttle Thailand stalls are not in their usual place right by the bridge: they're about 100 meters further down the waterfront. This is my current favourite — not just for the charming welcome...

...but also the aromas wafting off that grill.

There are plenty of tables there, but I like to get an order to go.

The kai yang is pretty fine...

— and so is the spicy Thai sausage.

Here's my Japan Times column from two years ago.

And here's a map link... 

hanami days are here again

The city can cancel the official illuminations and discourage the revelries — but at least it can't halt the blossoms themselves...

 

Along the Meguro-gawa, the sakura are as splendid as ever.

 

The only question is: what are we all going to be eating/drinking this evening? Sweet potatoes from the ishi-yaki imo wagon?

 

 

New York hot dogs? Pink bubbly? Pad Thai?

  

 

Turkish doner kebab? Southern Indian finger food?

 

 

Naka-Meguro is nothing but eclectic.

Tuesday night foraging @ Thai Garden

Shibuya's newest Thai outfit — just opened 2 or 3 weeks ago — and it's pretty good for the neighbourhood (just off Center-gai). It's run by a friendly couple who speak little Japanese and less English. But it hardly matters, since the menu covers the standard gamut.

The shrimp crackers were on the house, to nibble on until my tod man plaa arrived...

...which was to nibble on until my chicken in red curry arrived.

All in all, nothing special but no complaints. I'll probably go back on another Tuesday. And when I do, I'll post a few more pics of the interior etc...

Here's a no-brainer map of how to find it... 

the final thai take-out of the summer

The end of August does not signal the end of the hot summer weather. But it does mean that the beach huts must shut down.

So that will mean no more take-outs from the perennially popular temporary Thai kitchens...

These are some of our favourites...

Kaeng khiao wan — green curry with chicken, eggplant, bamboo and piman pepper in coconut milk, with Thai basil and a good tingle of heat...

laab gai (spicy chicken "salad")...

tod man plaa/tod man gung (fish/prawn 'cakes'); and the fragrant pork sausage, packed with plenty of spice and rice and cellophane noodles...

This kind of food never tastes better than when you have sand between your toes.

My column on the Thai food stalls on the beach in Kamakura ran last summer in The Japan Times.

Our favourite of the four restaurants that run the kitchens here is Ban Phu Thai, which is based in Narita. I've always been tempted to make a stop-off there for a good spicy meal before flying out!

exotic Pretz sighting

Like birds blown off course from far-off climes, we sometimes get sightings of strange and exotic snacks on these shores.  

Such as this spicy Pretz from Thailand.  Larb flavor, like the fiery 'salads' consumed in Issan.

 

It's a big wide world out there...