Little ghost, little ghost...

Happy Halloween to all who celebrate this spooky fest!

These clever little ghost chocs, from L. A. Burdick in Walpole, New Hampshire, are too cute to eat. Underneath their scary white chocolate exterior you won't find anything resembling ectoplasm. Instead be treated to a luscious rich, dark truffle. Much nicer.

The L. A. Burdick store in Walpole is so lush and beautifully presented - it's a joy to be in. Needless to say, their extensive range of chocolates are fresh and delicious. Dr handsome scored a free choc because the attentive assistants liked his glasses. Nice for some!

But don't stop the gourmet treats there. Next door is a French-style bistro where we enjoyed a relaxing lunch - very nice. Further along is a neighbouring providore that specialises in local produce. Those of you who know me will understand the degree of my delight as I gazed at the display of local handmade cheeses [not a plastic wrapper in sight]. Just glorious!

More mushrooms ....

So many mushrooms....

I always check out the extensive range of fungi whenever I'm in Tokyo, which must be a source of amusement for the Japanese shoppers as I stare in wonderment at the variety, freshness and cheap, cheap prices. It's a strange mix of elation and disappointment as I can't buy any because I have nowhere to cook. Yes, I have contemplated eating them straight from the pack and cutting out the middleman. I wouldn't mind at all.

Crunchy chrysanthamum at Miyakawa

Ah, yes - more tempura from the wonderful Miyakawa restaurant, Aoyama-dori, Tokyo. Just look at that chrysanthamum flower! A thing of beauty to be sure. This was part of the Dr Handsome's Tempura Set - just fresh out of the wok. He particularly liked that the freshly cooked tempura was delivered by the chef in a steady, seemingly never ending, continuous flow. A tempura fantasy realised.

Tempura at Miyakawa, Aoyama

Miyagawa is a lovely little restaurant in Aoyama that serves Kansai-style tempura and apparently has had a loyal following of regulars for over 40 years.

My favourite place to sit is at the counter so that I can watch the chefs work, but there are a couple of tables if you prefer.

For lunch there are two options: ten-don [delicious rice topped with mouth watering tempura, 1500 yen] and tempura lunch set [2300 yen]. The chef was happy to make mine vegetarian and the result was inspirational!

The seasonal flowers and vegetables were fresh [as was the seafood on display] and the tempura, crisp and light. Included that day was a chrysanthamum flower, crysanthamum leaves, ginger flower buds, garlic cloves, a clump of mushrooms, green chilli, eggplant, pumpkin, a type of sweet potato and a small round green vegetable threaded onto a skewer [a type of eggplant?]. Soup, tea and 3 kinds of pickles are also served with the set.

The service is great and the staff are really friendly. Well of course we had to go back for a second time!

Nearest station: Omote - Sando [Cross to the other side of the street and continue left away from the intersection. Continue down the street past Prada and Comme de Garcons until you reach the main road. Miyakawa sits on this corner in a small, white building. The entry is through a single door at the top of a few stairs.]

Address: Palace Aoyama 1 F 6-1-6 Minumi-Aoyama, Minato-Ku, Tokyo

Telephone: 03-3400-3722

Hours: 11.30am-2.00pm, 5.00pm-9.00pm; Closed Sunday

Welcome to Truck Patch!

Finally, after much discussion, deliberation, procrastination and encouragement; my blog site is a reality. Mind you, it's early days yet but I have so much to post, it's hard to know where to begin. So, stay tuned for lots about food and travels.

Just to get you in the mood to hear about my latest travels to Tokyo, I've included a photo of the main gate at the Sensoji Temple at Asakusa - just restored and very beautiful.