Category: Food

Brunch Perfection: Brother’s Cafe – Namba, Osaka

honeyaubreyLeave a comment

I love breakfast.

I absolutely do and in addition to coffee, I have to have it every morning or I have no energy for the rest of the day.  Sometimes I might also get a little grouchy.  But I don’t like to have it too early in the morning.  The best breakfast is eaten after 10am but before noon.   Oh yes, so sorry…. that actually makes it brunch.  So I retract my statement.

I love brunch.  I do.  🙂

Another highlight during our trip to Japan was the food.  So much food!!!! Of course Japan has the most exquisite selection of food and they are served to perfection.   From the sushi to the takoyaki to the noodles to the broiled salmon to the supermarket bentos, everything was just… perfect.

And for brunch lovers like me who are searching for the PERFECT breakfast/lunch cafe, let me introduce to you Brother’s Café.

BrothersCafe1_HoneyAubrey

Brother’s Café is a quaint little pancake house in Namba, Osaka- their second location is in Umeda.  Brother’s Cafe serves a variety of pancakes, toasts and sandwiches.  They also serve coffee, which smells decadent as you enter the shop, and matcha.  It was here that I was introduced to spoon pancake-  a pancake soooo fluffy you can eat it with a spoon.  Spoon pancake is limited to their Namba location and takes 20 minutes to bake.  It tasted heavenly and worth the wait.

Here are photos, I’ll let you swoon (and maybe even drool a little ;P)

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Coffee & Matcha Love
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One of their specialized toasts, with grilled vegetables and chili sauce
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Cornflake french toast
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Another version of their sweet & savory french toast
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The undeniably delicious and one-of-a-kind spoon pancake

Still drooling?  Here’s a quick little video of our dine-in…

Brother’s Café is a cozy restaurant that can satisfy even the biggest sweet tooth…..including me!

Aloha,
Honey

Happy Pi(e) Day! A recipe of No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

honeyaubreyLeave a comment

It’s March 14th, aka 3.14, aka short for mathematical ratio of a circle, aka pi (3.14159265359 and it goes on).  What makes it most important this year is it is Rounded Pi Day, 03.14.16.  Get it?  This year we can round it up to four digits!

So in honor of  Pi Day and all things with a circumference, I baked pie.  Because what’s round and sounds like pi?  😉 Ok, well, I made pie.   I came across a delicious no-bake recipe of No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie from AllRecipes.com and decided to try it!

With a little bit of tweaking of the toppings, here is the end result:

It’s melt-in-your-mouth delicious!!!  Especially for those whole love peanut butter AND chocolate.

Below is my version of this recipe, (No Bake) Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

INGREDIENTS
(1 1/2) cup powdered sugar
(1) 8 oz. package cream cheese
(1) cup peanut butter (your choice, smooth or crunchy, I used smooth Skippy peanut butter)
(1) cup milk (I used 2% reduced fat milk)
(2) 8 oz. frozen whipped topping — (or (1) 16 oz. package)
(2) 9-inch graham cracker crust

TOPPINGS
Chocolate Syrup (I used Hershey’s double chocolate sundae dream)
Chocolate Bar (I used Lindt Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Torte)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together.
2. Mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth.
3. Fold in whipped topping.
4. Spoon into two 9 inch graham cracker pie shells; cover, and freeze until firm. Should be frozen between 2 1/2 – 3 hours.
5. After pies are frozen, squeeze chocolate syrup in zig zag motion.
6. Grate some parts of the chocolate bar and sprinkle on pies.
7. Cut remaining chocolate pieces and add as topping.

The great thing about this recipe is you can also make it “low fat” by substituting ingredients with their light versions- light cream cheese, skim milk, light whipped topping and reduced fat peanut butter.

Unlike the infinite and complex pi number, this pie is so  simple to make, so easy as pie!

Happy Pi Day!!!

 

 

 

Comfort Soup for the (Cold) Soul — Arroz Caldo

honeyaubrey6 Comments

Today I had the (unpleasant) experience of feeling under the weather. Stuffy nose, sore, itchy throat, pounding headache and constant sneezing. Ughhhhhh. Fortunately, this happens very rarely as I like to believe I have one of the best immune systems. When the sickness comes around I also like to deny that it’s there. I’m admitting it now because, sigh, I’m getting older. (Yes, another ughhhhhhhh!)

Growing up in a Filipino family, my mother always made arroz caldo to soothe our sickness.

What exactly is arroz caldo? It is a type of congee (rice porridge) that originated from the Chinese, but officially named by the Spaniards as “Arroz Caldo” since the Filipino natives had a hard time pronouncing Chinese terminology. Anyway, mama’s arroz caldo was easy to digest, keeping our tummy warm from the cold was the best medicine. Psychologically that must also be another reason why I hated and denied being sick because it made me miss her even more. Arroz Caldo was the closest thing to her being by my side again. I never learned her recipe, so as an adult, whenever I would get sick I’d seek the best arroz caldo in the island. So far, Thelma’s Restaurant in Waipahu is the most comforting.

Tonight, I was brave enough to make my own. (Recipe below)

ArrozCaldoRecipe_HoneyAubrey

 

 HONEY’S ARROZ CALDO

(Serves 4-5)

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

1 tbsp Olive Oil
3 Garlic Cloves (peeled and minced)
1/2 cup Onion (minced)
1/4 cup Root Ginger (peeled and minced)
1 lb Chicken (cut or shredded – you can add more if you’d like)
1 cup Jasmine Rice (uncooked)
2 tbsp Fish Sauce (I used Patis)
7 cups Water
2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:

4-5 Boiled Eggs (depending on how many you’re serving)
1/4 cup chopped Scallions (green onions)
3 Lemons (sliced) or lemon juice

HOW TO COOK:

In a big pot, sauté garlic, onion, and ginger in oil. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned, add fish sauce and continue to cook for a few more minutes. Add rice, until lightly browned, then add water and bouillon cubes, and bring to a boil. Make sure to remove scum from rice that floats to the surface of the pot. Lower heat, continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is tender and rice is thickened and cooked. Serve immediately, as it tastes better hot. Garnish on top with sliced boiled egg, green onions and a hint of lemon or lemon juice.

——

Surprisingly, it turned out not-so-bad. Although I hope this comforts you in your not-so-good days as it did for me tonight.

 

❤

Honey