Ahuahu South Loco Style

Our wedding anniversary was this week but since we were both coming from work, we decided to go casual for the big dinner.  We wandered around the south of the station and came upon Ahuahu South Loco Style.  Last month at the Shonan Festival we had food from their stand and the hubby loved the garlic shrimp.  Given how good the food is, we were surprised that it was empty.  I guess not many people were in the mood for Hawaiian food.

Masa had the ahi polk (marinated raw tuna) and pork and cabbage saute mix plate.

I had the garlic shrimp and garlic mahi mahi (a white fish) plate.  The garlic they put on top was amazing.  I must try to copy it but I don’t even know where to start.

Everything was really good – we’ll definitely be going back.  They have three kinds of Hawaiian beer on the menu and cranberry juice (not common in Japan) as well.

The website looks like it hasn’t been updated for a while so I hope this info is accurate.
Lunch: 11:30-14:00
Dinner: 17:30-23:00
Map: http://www.ahuahu.com/map.html
One minute walk from the south exit Chigasaki Station.

Great Fish and Chips at Bar Southerly

I was recently introduced to Bar Southerly by a fellow Chigasaki dweller and was really pleased.  I had good fish and chips and the restaurant actually had malt vinegar – an absolute must for me.  The decor was relaxed and comfortable; kind of a beach style English pub.  The front opens so you can sit at a bar overlooking the street.  The owner is really nice and speaks pretty good English so if you get lost or are having problems reading the webpage you can call.

Address:1-4-16-101 Tomoe, Chigasaki, Kanagawa, 253-0056
Map with Street View
Phone: 0467-82-9981
Hours: 11:30-23:00, food -22:00, drinks -22:30
Closed: Tuesdays

Menu

• Coffee, tea, soft drinks, alcohol
• Lunch fresh pasta lunch set 1,100yen (includes bread, salad and drink)
• Lunch pizza set 1,000yen (includes salad and a drink)
• Lunch fish and chips 1,100yen (includes bread, salad and a drink)
• Most regular menu items are under 1,000yen

The Air

When I first moved to Chigasaki I didn’t notice how nice the air was.  It was only the first time I walked along a crowded street in Tokyo that I realized something was different, really different. The air is cleaner and fresher.  More alive.

I also realize that I can see more.  My last apartment, in Saitama, was five stories, the highest building around, and we were on the top.  I could even see Mt. Fuji on a clear day.  But it’s different here.  When I look into the horizon I see nothing.  It’s a lot like Alberta where I grew up.  One of Alberta’s nicknames is big sky country and that is really true.  There is something peaceful about looking out into the horizon and seeing nothing but sky.  I also enjoy seeing the odd grain elevator in the distance but will settle for a lighthouse here.  I searched the old photos I scanned ages ago and cannot find a good picture of Alberta sky. I have some good sunset pics but that is for another post.

The picture above was taken on January 3rd after we watched the ekiden (a long distance relay race) pass by our area.  About half of the spectators did the same thing.  It was a gorgeous, sunny day and despite the relative lack of wind, someone was able to keep a kite in the air.

The picture below is of the beach I where I went to summer camp at Gull Lake.  It’s a lake beach and I used to spend parts of summer playing beach volleyball, conquest and ultimate Frisbee here.  I also used to walk along the beach by myself enjoying the feeling of sand between my toes.  I can’t wait until it warms up and I can do the same here.  I could walk for hours barefoot along the beach or on grass.

Chigasaki Farmer’s Market

One of the first things I discovered in Chigasaki was the farmer’s market on Saturday, and sometimes Sunday, mornings.  I spotted an ad for Oishi Chigasaki – a project to promote local products for local consumption – on the City of Chigasaki webpage.  Both pages are in Japanese but I was able to read enough to get the info about the market.  I moved to Chigasaki on the first Saturday of December and thus couldn’t got to the first one that month, the next week was Christmas party week and getting up at seven was not an option.  Finally, on the third weekend, despite feeling under the weather, I got on my bike and cycled over.  It took me about twenty minutes to get there because I was so tired and sick.  The next week I got there in about ten minutes.  When I arrived I was pleasantly surprised.  There was a large variety of colorful vegetables – especially purple. A lot of common winter vegetables aren’t brightly colored; Chinese cabbage, potatoes, onions, etc.  Take a look at what I bought the second week I went.

Purple cabbage, red kabu (like a turnip), yellow cauliflower, some sort of purple carrots, new potatoes, red potatoes, regular kabu and carrots.  I can’t wait to go back.  I made German red cabbage with one of the purple cabbages and posted the recipe on my recipe blog Cooking in Japan.

Chigasaki Farmer’s Market Dates for January 2010

Saturdays – 9th, 16th, 23th and 30th
Time: 8:00-9:00 or until they sell out
Place: Chigasaki Park Baseball Field near the East parking lot (茅ヶ崎公園野球場東側駐車場付近 )
Map: http://tinyurl.com/y8pagwu

Sundays – 17th
Time: 8:00-9:00 or until they sell out
Place: My Mart Parking lot (マインマート茅ヶ崎常盤町店駐車場 / 茅ヶ崎市常盤町4-24)
Map: http://tinyurl.com/y86bz77

First Post

I moved to Chigasaki at the beginning of December and have since fallen in love with the town. There are so many interesting shops and houses that I decided to write a blog about the Shonan area.
To start off. Here is a picture of the first sunrise of the year as seen from Enoshima Island. The sun rose at about 6:55. We got there at about 6:40. It took us until 9:30 to get home. On a usual day it would take about twenty minutes. Never park in the farthest parking lot from the bridge on Enoshima if the area is going to be busy. All of the other parking lots emptied before ours could start.