ボッカ・プリン ...or That's Not a Water Balloon, It's Dessert

There was a weird looking tube sitting in my host family's fridge, filled with what looked like water balloon shaped mochi.

Well, after dinner (鮪丼 and a piece of 海老フライ) 母さん brought out the weird tube -- that, now that I think of it, vaguely resembles a canister of tennis balls -- and asked me if I would have some プリン (pudding) from Hokkaido. Apparently, you pierce the balloon with a toothpick and eat it with caramel sauce. Well, I've had water balloons explode on me before and let's just say that I did not want to be covered in pudding.

(Photo: Bocca Purin)

I chickened out on the first stab, but the second time I got it. To my relief, the purin didn't explode; the wrapper snapped right off, and I got to enjoy the most delicious purin I've ever tasted in my entire life. Admittedly, I haven't sampled a great many number of puddings, but this one was so creamy and delicious with the caramel sauce lending it just the right amount of sweetness that I feel it's safe to declare Bocca Purin among the best.

Eating Around Baba, Pt. I

My host mom doesn't really cook, so I end up cooking at friends' houses or eating out. A lot. So I thought I would talk about some of the places I frequent~

やすべえ (ya-soo-bay) is a really awesome noodle shop and one of my favorite places to eat. Exiting Takadanobaba station, head past the big box and at the ロッテリア beside The Hub (English pub), make a left. At the next street, make a right--there should be a コンビニ on your right. Walk straight down the street and you'll soon find the noodle palace known as Yasubee on your left!

Their specialty is つけ麺 (tsuke-men), a type of noodle dish where the soup is served separately in a bowl and the noodles are served chilled on a platter and you dip them into the broth as you eat.

The thing I really like about やすべえ　is that 並　regular, 中　medium, and 大盛り　large noodle sizes are ALL THE SAME PRICE. So you can eat a lot here at no extra cost!! Of course, I wouldn't recommend eating the large (I've tried, ugh) and even the medium can make you feel too full. The best flavor is without a doubt the 辛味つけ麺 (karami tsukemen), which is really flavorful with a touch of spiciness. If you really like it hot, then ask them to double the spiciness, it's free~ Also make sure to request the 味玉 (aji-tama), a flavored hard-boiled egg that's really savory. ^_^

サンマルクカフェ！ST MARC CAFE ☆

If you ever seen the logo for サンマルクカフェ (St. Marc Cafe) in the morning, STOP. And go in for breakfast!

My hotel roomie Chelsy and I both missed the breakfast buffet at the Sunroute Hotel. Ugggh, even though I woke up early, I am way too slow getting ready in the morning! >:O But Chelsy was super awesome and grabbed me something yummy on the way to orientation at Waseda. What a sweetie~ ♥

They call it the びっくりタマゴ (bikkuri tamago), and it's ham and egg baked together in a flaky croissant-like pastry--so good! I hear that I'm supposed to lose weight in Japan, but if I keep eating these things I don't think I will. XD It's weird, because I dislike breakfast and usually can't stand ham, but for some reason this was the most delicious thing I've ever eaten, kyaaa.