Sunday, December 27, 2015

EASY JAPANESE COOKING! [Vegan]


Vegan Miso Soup

Serves 4

[Ingredients]

4 cups water
3 pieces of konbu
3 tbsp miso paste
Whichever other ingredients you want to add

* Miso soup comes in endless varieties. You can try adding mushrooms, tofu, green onions, just to name a few!

[How to Cook]

1. Put water and konbu in a saucepan and let the konbu soak for an hour
2. Turn the heat on medium
3. Remove the konbu just before the water reaches a boil, turn off heat. This broth is called dashi stock.
4. Cut the ingredients into bite size pieces
5. Reheat the dashi stock on high and bring to a boil
6. Add ingredients and cook until soft
7. Reduce the heat to low and dissolve miso into the dashi stock. Turn off the heat just before it comes to a boil.

Tofu Teriyaki with Tomato

Serves 4

[Ingredients]

3 pieces of freeze dried tofu
1 tomato
* 4 tbsp soy sauce
* 4 tbsp sweet sake (mirin)
* 4 tbsp water
* 1 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp potato starch
1 shiso leaf
sesame oil

[How to Cook]

1. Soak the freeze dried tofu in water for 15 minutes, then squeeze to remove water.
2. Cut the tofu into bite sized cubes and coat with potato starch.
3. Cut the tomato into cubes.
4. Combine all * ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
5. Heat sesame oil in a frying pan and cook tofu for 3 minutes. Flip over and cook for another 3 minutes. Eliminate extra oil.
6. Reduce heat to low and add tomatoes and * sauce.
7. Cook until tomatoes are fully cooked and some of the sauce has been absorbed into the tofu.
8. Arrange the tofu and sauce on plates and garnish with thinly sliced shiso leaves.

Grilled Eggplant with Sweet Miso Paste

Serves 4

[Ingredients]

3 small eggplants
* 1 tbsp miso
* 1 tbsp sugar
* 1 tbsp sweet sake (mirin)
sesame oil
sesame seeds

[How to Cook]

1. Peel the eggplants in alternating strips, then cut into 1.5cm which slices.
2. Heat the sesame oil in a pan and saute the eggplant until it changes to a golden brown colour.
3. Mix the * ingredients in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute.
4. Arrange the sauted eggplants on plates and top with * sauce. Sprinkle a few sesame seeds on top.

Spinach Tofu Salad

Serves 4

[Ingredients]

1/2 bunch of spinach
1/3 of a carrot
50g of edamame
150g firm tofu
* 1/2 tbsp miso
* 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
* 1/2 tbsp sugar
* 1/2 tbsp sweet sake (mirin)
* 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

[How to Cook]

1. Wrap the tofu in a paper towel and place on a tray. Place a plate on top as a weight and wait for 30 minutes to remove excess water.
2. Boil spinach in a pot. Squeeze out extra water and chop into 3cm long pieces.
3. Cut carrot into thin strips. Boil in a pot. 
4. Boil edamame and remove from pods.
5. Combine * ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add tofu and blend until smooth.
6. Add spinach, carrot and edamame and blend gently. 



Monday, April 6, 2015

Tokyo YouTube Hanami 2015 ♡ 花見オフ会2015年

Hey guys!! :D

Just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who came to the YouTube Hanami party this year! 
今年の花見オフ会パーティーに来てくれた皆さん、本当にありがとうございます!

Being able to put a face to all the lovely comments I receive is wonderful <3 
優しいコメントをいつも残してくれてる皆さんにやっと会えて、嬉しかったです♡

Also I recognised a bunch of you from last year's party, and it was so cool to see you again! 
去年の花見に来てくれた方も結構居て、また会えて嬉しいです!!

Here are some shots from the party! 
今年の花見で撮った写真をどうぞ〜














Thank you for the amazing gifts <3
素敵なプレゼントをありがとうございました♡



Here are some purikura from the after party with Rachel & Jun, Miranda Ibanez and Mimei & PDR
アフターパーティーで撮ったプリクラです♡





Thanks for stopping by♫



Monday, January 12, 2015

The Best Cat Cafe in Tokyo

Ekoneko Cat Cafe 



Hours: 12 noon ~ 10pm 
Cost: 1100 yen per hour (includes drinks)
*The cafe is sometimes closed on random days, 
but in general they are open all days of the week
Address: 〒176-0012 Tokyo-to,  Nerima-ku, Asahigaoka 1-73-1
Mita Building 2F 
(If you get lost, just ask someone near the station: "neko cafe wa doko desu ka?" and hopefully they can point you in the right direction. 




I first discovered this cat cafe because it was located really close to my old apartment. But after visiting several different cat cafes I’ve realized that I was super lucky to have come across this one, because it is sooo much nicer than any of the others! Even though I live a little further away now, I still go back there quite often. But!!!! They recently opened a new branch in Kouenji called 'Neko no Uchi' so I’ve been going to that one! Because that shop is just starting up they don’t have as many cats as the main branch, but the feel of the shop is very similar so I’m really liking it. (Plus there’s a really delicious doughnut shop on the way to the cafe, so BONUS).



Anyways, back to what’s so awesome about these cat cafes.

   First of all, I just really like the cozy feel. The spaces are a lot smaller than some of the larger cat cafe chains, and it gives them an at-home kinda feel.

   THE CATS. They are all so friendly! Like un-catlike friendly. I’m always surprised at how willing they are to come sit on my lap and cuddle. They also all really get along with each other. It’s so cute seeing them all curled up together in a cat bed grooming each other. My cats can’t even handle being in the same room with each other, haha. The bigger chain cat cafes specialize in pure bred cats, and more often than not they aren’t very sociable, and just seem very unhappy in general :(



   They have vending machines and small fridges filled with different drinks. The vending machines have a little bit of everything from coffee to hot strawberry milk to corn soup! And I love how it’s all you can drink. You don’t need to worry about paying for expensive drinks like some of the other cafes.

   All the cats at these cafes are rescued from the street and nursed back to health if they have any problems. PLUS they’re all available for adoption! (Except for the cats that are chosen as staff for the cafe). I just think that’s so cool how the money that you spend at this cafe goes back into taking care of stray cats and finding them happy homes, so I am happy to spend my money there.



So yeah, that’s why I think these are the two best cat cafes in Tokyo! If you’re in Japan for a short visit and only have time for one, I recommend visiting the main branch near Ekoda station!


Thanks for reading ♥︎

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Sharla's Top 5 Places to Hang Out in Tokyo!

I've gotten lots of questions about my favourite spots to hang out in Tokyo, so here you are! A countdown of the top 5 places in Tokyo that I like to spend my free time in! 

5. Shibuya

In the Maruhan purikura area 
In high school I was really into gyaru fashion, so Shibuya was always my first choice for shopping. It’s home to Shibuya 109, which is a large shopping tower filled with clothing shops catering to gyaru style. There’s also a 109 Mens located nearby for current Japanese men’s fashion. Nowadays I like to visit Shibuya for the cafes and purikura! Shibuya has some really amazing cafes, one of my favourites to date is the ‘and people’ cafe. They have some really yummy & creative drinks and cocktails! (http://andpeople.co.jp) You can’t make a trip to Shibuya without taking some (or in my case way too many) purikura pictures! Purikura stands for ‘print club’ which are Japanese photo booths that print out sticker photos. The Maruhan building located near Shibuya station has a great selection of purikura machines on the basement floor. The machines are notorious for doing crazy things to your face… widening your eyes, making your nose and mouth smaller, your skin clearer etc. But the machines nowadays allow you to choose how much you want it to mess with your face. If you have naturally large eyes I recommend choosing the ‘natural’ setting. A machine that seems to be very “big eye friendly” is the LADY BY TOKYO machine. So look for that one if you don’t want to end up with an alien face ;)

4. Harajuku

Harajuku is my current favourite place to shop for clothing and accessories in Tokyo. I think the wide selection of styles is what really makes it fun! You can find visual kei, lolita and gyaru fashion all in one spot. If you’re not into those kinds of fashion, Harajuku also sells lots of basic casual clothing and cute accessories. My two favourite shops are Spinns and WeGo! They’re super affordable and their stock is updated frequently, so there’s always something new to check out. 




If you’re looking for more expensive higher fashion brands, Laforet shopping center is a good place for that! Also, make sure to get a crepe from one of the several crepe shops that line Takeshita Street. My personal favourite is the shrimp salad crepe. Sounds gross, I know. But I promise it’s yummy! Makes a nice replacement for a sandwich. 


ALSO GO TO NOA CAFE. The best waffles I’ve ever had in my life. The apple cinnamon ones are super yummy, but basically all of the flavours are amazing, haha. It’s located just past the entrance of Takeshita Street on the right side.





3. Odaiba

Odaiba is located on a man made island in Tokyo Bay. Arguably the best part of Odaiba, is the train ride to get there. The Yurikamome line that takes you to Odaiba is my all time favourite train to ride in Tokyo. It’s an elevated train line and the view of Tokyo Bay is gorgeous! The night view from Odaiba Diver City shopping area is also amazing!! If you’re lucky, Rainbow Bridge will actually be rainbow! (The only time I’ve seen it rainbow coloured was on Christmas eve though…) Also don’t miss the 115-metre ferris wheel! When it opened in 1999 it was the tallest in the world. The ride is 16 minutes long and costs 900 yen. You can choose a coloured cabin, or one of the clear-bottom cabins if you’re up for a challenge. The ferris wheel lights up at night, displaying various patterns in over 100 colours. There are often some events happening on the racetrack located near the ferris wheel! 





2. Inokashira Park

You could easily spend a whole day in Inokashira Park and not run out of fun things to do. First of all, the park itself is gorgeous! It’s a nice break from the tall buildings and lights of the city. In the center of the park you’ll find Inokashira Pond, which is filled with gorgeous koi! Don’t forget to take a ride on the swan boats~ (Be warned: Apparently there’s an urban legend that if you ride with your significant other, you will break up! Uh oh…) There’s also a zoo inside the park! Inokashira Park Zoo has a variety things to see from elephants to fennec foxes. Red-crowned cranes and deer roam freely throughout the park. Once you’re finished exploring the park, you can take a small walk down the street to the Ghibli Museum!



1.   Nakano Broadway


It’s hard to explain the amazingness that is Nakano Broadway in one small blog post. THIS PLACE IS HEAVEN. If you are into collecting something, ANYTHING, I bet you Nakano Broadway will sell that thing. Sailormoon merchandise, Furbies, Pullip dolls, pokemon plushies, collectable Godzilla movie posters, cosplay goods, manga, gachapon toys, military gear, model cars, anime figurines, the list goes on! Basically Nakano Broadway is 3 floors of shops packed with really cool stuff. Save space in your suitcase because you’re gonna need it after shopping here!


Thanks for reading ♥︎

Friday, January 2, 2015

JOYRICH Lucky Bag 2015 | ジョイリッチ 2015年福袋 ネタバレ

今日JOYRICHの福袋届きましたー♥︎
I got my JOYRICH lucky bag in the mail today!! SO MUCH EXCITEMENT. 

Price: 10, 800 yen

10, 800円でした。けっこういい値段だと思います。
I thought the price was a really great deal considering most JOYRICH pieces cost over 10,000yen each. 

JOYRICHはとても大好きなブランドなので福袋すぐ注文しました♥︎
JOYRICH is one of my favourite fashion brands, so as soon as I saw they had a lucky bag for New Year's, I had to get it! 

さっそく中身をチェック!
Let's see what's inside! 

.
.
.

Swinging Stripe Mickey Snapback 
Memorial Garden Floral Mesh Zip Up
Memorial Garden Shoulder Bag

Malcolm Stuart x JOYRICH Stickers
Paris Bikini (Mickey)



好きなものばかりだー!めっちゃ嬉しいです★ さすがジョイリッチ!
Ahh!! I love it all!! I think I got a really great bag this year :) There are usually at least one or two pieces in my lucky bag that I'm not happy with, but this JOYRICH bag is awesome!!

来年の福袋早く欲しいです(笑)
I'm already looking forward to getting next year's lucky bag, haha.