HOORAY! We celebrated two years of marriage on February 15th, 2016! (But didn't this JUST happen???)
We were excited to celebrate here in Tokyo and this day was made even more special because Loren had arrived just the day before. We took the opportunity to go to Lawry's The Prime Rib, located near our station in Ebisu Garden Place. We all enjoyed our cuts and would definitely go back.
The most memorable part of the night, though, was after we got outside and Loren realized that she was missing a glove. As she was kneeling on the ground, digging around in her purse, one of the waitresses came running outside with - voila - the glove! There was a lot of thanking and bowing and more bows in return. Adorable. The waitress was absolutely beaming. I think it made her night that she made ours.
We also had a long standing reservation at the Park Hyatt's Kozue Restaurant set for the following weekend. Known for its' spectacular views and the fact that "Lost in Translation" was filmed there, we were very excited to try it for ourselves. (And, Mom & Dad sent us a surprise anniversary gift - dinner on them - so we were even MORE excited to get out there and enjoy ourselves!)
Well, as it turned out, that Saturday night was full pouring rain. Our perch on the 52nd floor didn't do us much good. We were sitting in a cloud.
Still, we had a delightful waitress (who learned her English somewhere in the midwest) and enjoyed a delicious traditional kaiseki meal in a beautiful, modern setting. Dining photos were not encouraged on the hotel's website so I held back (mostly). For the sake of the blog, here are some professional photos of this gorgeous spot (and the view we wish we had!).
Our entertainment for the night was listening to the couple behind us play a loud game on their phone. The dings and bells were annoying but the hilarity of it in this fancy restaurant just made it extremely amusing. Tim snagged a shot of them.
OUR MENU ~
Octopus, hen clam, shiitake, urui greens, herring roe 先付 飯蛸 青柳 椎茸 ウルイのばら子和へ
Snow crab dumpling, yam, turnip, butterbur, clear soup お椀 丸仕立 津合蟹真薯 狐長芋 聖護院蕪ら 蕗の薹
Prime tuna, squid, sweet prawn sashimi 造り 本鮪中とろ 烏賊巣籠 甘海老
Hassun, 7 kinds of delicacies 八寸 七品盛り
Grilled yellowtail, shogoin radish 焼物 鰤上身酒汐焼 鰤兜 聖護院大根オイル焼
Wild boar, vegetables, white miso, hot pot 進肴 猪鍋 白味噌仕立 針牛蒡 金時人参 白葱
Steamed rice, crab, scallops, miso soup, pickles 食事 海鮮おこわ蒸し 汁 香の物
Chestnut ice cream, deep fried bread デザート 栗のアイスクリーム 揚げパン添へ
Like I said, I tried to refrain from taking photos but had to sneak a few in. Here's our "7 Kinds of Delicacies".
One of the most interesting parts of our meal was the blowfish (fugu) that we ordered on the side because we were intrigued. Due to its' natural toxicity it requires special preparation in order to eat it safely. This one was deep fried. YUM.
And we had never had sashimi like this before. Usually our fish is served firm but this fish was extremely soft. Rarer than rare.
And it wouldn't be a proper anniversary without a little cake, right? Strawberry shortcake with candles!
We loved our night at Kozue but love what it represents even more. We now have two exciting, challenging years under our belts that include sharing a life abroad.
We're ready for whatever Year 3 has in store!
