Katie Pask – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today. Mon, 10 Jul 2023 15:00:53 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/05/en_rocket_1024.png?w=32 Katie Pask – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com 32 32 176746664 Mr. Sato indulges in some trendy late-night ice cream at this specialty store https://soranews24.com/2023/07/11/mr-sato-indulges-in-some-trendy-late-night-ice-cream-at-this-specialty-store/ https://soranews24.com/2023/07/11/mr-sato-indulges-in-some-trendy-late-night-ice-cream-at-this-specialty-store/#comments Mon, 10 Jul 2023 15:00:47 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=629441 
Japan’s latest sweets trend finally reaches Mr. Sato’s neighborhood!
There’s been a new trend in Japan that’s been quietly gaining popularity since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that’s late-night ice cream stores. Sure, ice cream at any time of the day is great, but there’s something almost naughty about going out to get ice cream when the sun has set.
Mr. Sato has been longing to get his mitts on some late-night ice cream for a while now. There were a bunch of late-night ice cream stores that had opened up elsewhere in Tokyo, but unfortunately the trend had taken some time to reach his neighborhood of Koenji.
Koenji is an area of Tokyo that’s known for its good food, and has plenty of bars and izakaya to keep you fed and watered. But there was simply nowhere to get a late-night post-bar ice cream — even the local Baskin-Robbins had closed down.
So Mr. Sato was delighted to see that a store called Yolu Ice had opened up in the area, just in time for the summer.
This ice cream shop offers a total of 13 different flavors on their menu, which come in beautifully presented cups adorned with chocolate, fruit, Mont Blanc, and other exquisite toppings.
The prices range from 680 to 730 yen (US$4.80 to 5.15), which is a bit high compared to ice cream you get from Lawson or 7-Eleven, but considering their late-night hours of operation, it seems reasonable.
For our resident chocolate lover, it wasn’t hard to choose which flavor to go with, and Mr. Sato decided to go with the homemade ganache chocolate ice cream (720 yen). But he was a little disappointed when he got it…
Not because of the taste — the chocolate-y flavor was rich, and the ice cream itself was light and delicious.
No, the disappointment came from how it looked. It was very dark and not particularly photogenic. “I should have gone with mango or something more colorful,” Mr. Sato thought to himself.
Mr. Sato felt a further twinge of regret when the staff pointed out a perfect photo spot in the store: an illustration of a girl, reaching out saying “ice cream please!” so that customers could offer her their own ice cream in their snapshot.
Unfortunately, Mr. Sato had already polished off his ice cream, but the staff kindly offered him a stand-in strawberry ice cream for the occasion.
So Mr. Sato’s dream of indulging in trendy late-night ice cream had finally come true. This would definitely not be the last time he came to treat himself, and he’d have to be careful not to make late-night ice cream a nightly occurrence, especially as the summer nights are getting hotter.
Fear not, Mr. Sato! There are other ways to keep cool in the summer that don’t involve eating tasty ice cream — take this portable shower, for instance!
Shop Information
Yolu Ice
Address: Tokyo, Suginami-ku, 4-25-9 Koenji-Minami
東京都杉並区高円寺南4-25-9
Open 5 p.m.-midnight (weedays), 3 pm.-midnight (weekends)
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/07/11/mr-sato-indulges-in-some-trendy-late-night-ice-cream-at-this-specialty-store/feed/ 0 629441 iceyolu1 We try a Starbucks Taiwan exclusive drink in the fanciest Starbucks we’ve ever seen https://soranews24.com/2023/06/21/we-try-a-starbucks-taiwan-exclusive-drink-in-the-fanciest-starbucks-weve-ever-seen/ https://soranews24.com/2023/06/21/we-try-a-starbucks-taiwan-exclusive-drink-in-the-fanciest-starbucks-weve-ever-seen/#comments Wed, 21 Jun 2023 03:00:39 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=625885 
You’ll struggle to find a Starbucks as fancy as this anywhere else!
Dihua Street is the oldest wholesale street in Taipei and a must-see spot if you find yourself in Taiwan, full of stores selling dried fruits, Taiwanese tea, Chinese shoes, and restaurants serving traditional Taiwanese cuisine.
But as much as we love to grab a bargain or two on our travels, we were there to find something else.
Take a walk near Dihua Street and you’ll find a building with Baroque-looking architecture, renovated from a historic red brick building.
A five minute walk from Taipei Metro’s Daqiaotou Station brought us to the building, which had the aura of a fancy hotel. But it’s not a hotel — look closely at the bottom left, and you can see the familiar logo of Starbucks!
The building was originally the residence of Ye Jin-tu, a famous Taiwanese pineapple merchant, who was known as the Pineapple King. If you look closely at the exterior, you can even see some pineapples on the walls.
These days, it functions as a Starbucks, but even the entrance still has a retro feel to it, and our Taiwan-based reporter Yui Imai, who had gone to check it out, was already feeling excited.
The first floor was where Yui made her order, but to get to the second floor she had to make her way up a winding staircase to get upstairs, where she found…
…an impressive looking seating area. The large windows let in lots of light, even with a massive Starbucks logo covering some of it.
There was one more floor to check out, and the third floor was even more stylish, with retro looking windows across the walls.
It was here that Yui spotted an open sofa seat, so she sat down to try her Taiwan exclusive drink…
▼ …The Sesame Apricot Kernel Tofu Frappuccino!
Priced at 140 Taiwanese yuan (US$4.57) for a tall size, this drink is 100-percent exclusive to Taiwan, and seems to have been a staple during summers here since it was first released in 2020.
The Frappuccino is drizzled in a rich sesame sauce and contains lots of apricot bean curd, and according to Yui, it’s super delicious!
There are other Taiwan-exclusive Starbucks drinks, such as Ruby Grapefruit Alishan Oolong Tea and the Peach Apple Cold Foam Oolong. And if they’re anything like Starbucks Taiwan’s Melon Pan burger, they’re sure to be amazing.
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/06/21/we-try-a-starbucks-taiwan-exclusive-drink-in-the-fanciest-starbucks-weve-ever-seen/feed/ 0 625885 IMG_8695 What does vegan ramen taste like? We try Veggie Brown Rice Ramen https://soranews24.com/2023/06/16/what-does-vegan-ramen-taste-like-we-try-veggie-brown-rice-ramen/ https://soranews24.com/2023/06/16/what-does-vegan-ramen-taste-like-we-try-veggie-brown-rice-ramen/#comments Thu, 15 Jun 2023 17:30:49 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=622502 
Could vegan friendly noodles be the future for ramen? Our reporter finds out!
Vegan products have become more and more popular in Japan over the past couple of years, and now that trend has made its way to the ramen aisle in the supermarket.
Ramen noodles are made of wheat flour, water, and salt, so they’re vegan-friendly. But it’s the broth that usually contains animal products — traditionally, ramen broth contains dashi (a family of fish and vegetable stocks) and other animal-based stocks.
We came across this packet of ramen in the supermarket recently from a company called Osawa. The ramen was called “Veggie Brown Rice Ramen” and claimed to be vegan-friendly, so we decided to try it out. There were three varieties of ramen available, soy sauce broth, miso broth, and dan dan noodles, with the first two costing 246 yen (US$1.77) and the dan dan noodles slightly pricier at 300 yen. All three flavours had “for vegan” on the front.
First off, we tried the miso ramen. The soy sauce broth was pretty much going to taste good regardless, and the dan dan noodles might be a bit too spicy to eat first out of the three, but our assigned taste tester Takashi Harada wasn’t feeling overly excited about the miso ramen, so he decided to get the ‘dud’ flavour out of the way first.
The miso ramen contained some dry noodles and a packet of broth powder. Just like normal instant noodles, you put the noodles in boiling water and mix in the broth at the finish.
If you didn’t know better, the Veggie Brown Rice Ramen just looks like a regular bowl of ramen. How would it taste though?
If Takashi was being completely honest, the taste was a little bit lacking compared to regular ramen. It was certainly tasty enough, but not as flavourful as non-vegan ramen.
However, it was very filling. Even though it was 80 grams of ramen noodles, Takashi felt himself getting pretty satisfied after just one plain bowl of ramen.
Next up was the soy sauce flavour ramen, in which the broth ended up being the complete opposite experience of the miso ramen’s. The noodles were thin and kind of bland, like the miso ramen was, but the broth was where this ramen really shone.
It felt a little like he was eating Chinese soba noodles, and at several points during the meal Takashi had to remind himself that this meal was indeed vegan.
Last up were the dan dan noodles. The noodles themselves tasted the same as the noodles in the miso and the soy sauce packets, but…
The broth really elevated this ramen to a new level of deliciousness. It was the kind of soup broth that you can’t stop drinking. There was a definite hit of spice, but it wasn’t so hot that it was unbearable. The level up in taste definitely made up for the fact that the dan dan noodles were slightly more expensive than the other two.
The package recommends adding vegetables such as green onions and spinach, or soy-based meat, to the vegan ramen. This would make it more like regular ramen, to the point where it may be indistinguishable from regular ramen, even.
At the time of writing, there are five different kinds of Veggie Brown Rice Ramen: shio (salt), sesame, miso, soy sauce, and dan dan noodles. Takashi particularly enjoyed the dan dan noodles, which had a nice spicy kick, and the soy sauce noodles, but all in all was pretty impressed by the variety of ideas that went into the creation of these noodles.
And while these packets of vegan ramen certainly aren’t as photogenic as say, the ones on sale at the TeamLab exhibit, they’re certainly a lot easier to get (and cheaper, too!).
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/06/16/what-does-vegan-ramen-taste-like-we-try-veggie-brown-rice-ramen/feed/ 0 622502 IMG_8883 Soup Stock Tokyo now offering free food for babies, sparks debate online https://soranews24.com/2023/05/02/soup-stock-tokyo-now-offering-free-food-for-babies-sparks-debate-online/ https://soranews24.com/2023/05/02/soup-stock-tokyo-now-offering-free-food-for-babies-sparks-debate-online/#comments Tue, 02 May 2023 01:00:04 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=622535 
Giving parents in Tokyo peace of mind with their meals, but not everyone is impressed.
For parents of very young babies, something as seemingly simple as going out for lunch at a restaurant is suddenly not so simple. Is the baby going to disturb other customers? Will there be food on the menu that’s suitable for the baby to eat? Will the restaurant even be welcoming towards children?
Well, any parents looking for somewhere suitable to take their young children should look no further than soup restaurant chain Soup Stock Tokyo, who recently announced they would be making their baby-friendly menu completely free.
Soup Stock Tokyo is a chain of restaurants that offer freshly made soup, and pride themselves on their simple but stylish menus.
As of April 25, 2023, all Soup Stock Tokyo stores will begin offering free food suitable for babies aged between 9 to 11 months old — roughly the time in a baby’s development they begin eating solid food.
The menu rotates depending on the season, but includes four different kinds of baby-friendly meals —
● Minestrone with chicken and seven kinds of vegetables
● Chicken and sweet potato rice porridge
● Hokkaido corn stew
● Rice porridge with sea bream soup and tomatoes
The baby-friendly menu contains carefully prepared soup stock, and uses hidden ingredients and tastes that your baby might normally be reluctant to try.
For kids older than 11 months, there’s also a children’s menu for 650 yen (US$4.77) which includes a soup, a choice of bread or rice, and a small drink.
The soups available are corn and sweet potato, Hokkaido pumpkin, and minestrone, and each set comes with a fukuwarai, a traditional children’s game where you have to arrange the parts of the face on a mat. Soup Stock Tokyo’s fukuwarai includes parts of the face made of vegetables included in the soup for an added element of fun. It also doubles up as a chance to keep your child distracted and lets parents eat their meal in relative peace!
The announcement that Soup Stock Tokyo would be offering free meals to young babies was met with an incredibly mixed reaction online, with many people praising the initiative —
“There aren’t many places that offer baby-friendly food, and I’m excited I can share the deliciousness of Soup Stock Tokyo with my baby!”
“I don’t have kids but I’d be happy to hear the happy, healthy voices of babies at Soup Stock Tokyo.”
“It would be a wonderful service even if it weren’t free. I’d be happy to pay for this.
There were also a decent amount of voices speaking out in protest against Soup Stock Tokyo’s decision.
“Soup Stock Tokyo used to be a place where I could relax, but I won’t be able to if customers with children come.”
“I won’t go anymore. I wanted a place that I could get a nutritious meal and relax, but the atmosphere will be ruined if kids are there.”
“I feel bad for the workers. It’s a recipe for disaster.”
An online Twitter poll saw 75 percent of voters in favour of Soup Stock Tokyo’s baby-friendly policy, with 25 percent of voters against it. But Soup Stock Tokyo themselves don’t seem to be bothered by any of the negative comments, though, as they tweeted another statement the day after their original announcement —
“Thank you very much for all the positive comments! More and more families are visiting our stores with their young children, and our customers’ lives have changed for the better. We are happy to be a place where even the smallest of customers can enjoy a meal!”
If you have small children — or just want to enjoy the “happy, healthy voices of children” for yourself — head on down to one of the roughly 60 branches of Soup Stock Tokyo across the country.
Worry not if there’s not a branch nearby though — you can always try out ramen chain Ichiran instead, for more child-friendly fare!
Source: PR Times, Soup Stock Tokyo, Twitter (1, 2)
Images: PR Times
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/05/02/soup-stock-tokyo-now-offering-free-food-for-babies-sparks-debate-online/feed/ 0 622535 main-49 McDonald’s breakfast menu in Hong Kong is like nothing we’ve ever seen in Japan https://soranews24.com/2023/04/25/mcdonalds-breakfast-menu-in-hong-kong-is-like-nothing-weve-ever-seen-in-japan/ https://soranews24.com/2023/04/25/mcdonalds-breakfast-menu-in-hong-kong-is-like-nothing-weve-ever-seen-in-japan/#comments Mon, 24 Apr 2023 15:00:14 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=621705 
The Hong Kong-Style Macaroni Soup might be our new favourite way to start the day.
Cha chaan teng are a type of casual restaurant commonly found in Hong Kong. Though cha chaan teng literally means “tea restaurant” in Cantonese, these establishments serve much more than just tea. They offer a wide range of inexpensive Chinese and Western-style dishes, including breakfast items.
Breakfast in Hong Kong can take many forms, from toast to ramen to curry. After five days of starting her mornings of at a cha chaan teng, though, our travel-loving reporter Ikuna Kamezawa was in the mood for someplace more familiar for breakfast…
▼ McDonald’s!
It was around 9 in the morning on a weekday, but the nearby McDonald’s was already packed full of people.
As well as the usual McDonald’s breakfast menu items like pancakes and hash browns, there were some uniquely Hong Kong menu items, like these Twisty Pasta Meals.
The ‘Sausage ‘n’ Egg Twisty Pasta Meal (Original Flavour)‘ seemed to be McDonald’s take on Hong Kong-style macaroni soup — a soup containing macaroni pasta, luncheon meat, and assorted vegetables swimming in a light chicken broth. McDonald’s version included a hamburger patty, fried egg, hash browns, and a drink for 36.5 Hong Kong dollars (US$4.62). For an extra 3.5 HKD, Ikuna changed her drink to an iced milk tea — a favourite of many Hong Kongers.
The broth was very mild, but the patty was incredibly rich in flavour. The two paired together well, and while it wasn’t mind-blowingly tasty, it was perfectly pleasant, and Ikuna felt like she could eat it every day. There were a bunch of more traditional Hong Kong style macaroni soup restaurants in the area, and yet many of the locals were eating this McDonald’s soup, so its reputation must be pretty solid among the locals too.
Keen to see if the menu was wildly different in the afternoon, Ikuna returned to McDonald’s later that day. The afternoon menu featured a wide variety of chicken side items, and Ikuna felt like she’d been transported to a Hong Kong branch of KFC instead.
Chicken at McDonald’s in Japan is either nuggets or shaka-chicken, a fried chicken fillet. But Hong Kong McDonald’s have lots of drumsticks, still on the bone. Ikuna decided to order three flavours — from left to right, Salt & Pepper, Original, and Honey Barbecue.
The drumsticks were sweet and tender, and reminded Ikuna of a marinated tandoori chicken. The flavours were unique and yet hard to describe. If Ikuna had eaten them blindfolded, she would have had trouble naming them specifically, but she was satisfied with them all. For Ikuna, finding hidden overseas-only gems like these from chains she’s familiar with in Japan is one more thing that makes travel fun and meals abroad special.
Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, and in Hong Kong, it might be the most delicious too, so Ikuna recommends anyone travelling to Hong Kong to wake up early and experience as many ‘breakfasts’ as you can!
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/04/25/mcdonalds-breakfast-menu-in-hong-kong-is-like-nothing-weve-ever-seen-in-japan/feed/ 0 621705 IMG_2923 Sushi from a vending machine — would you try it? Mr. Sato did https://soranews24.com/2023/04/17/sushi-from-a-vending-machine-would-you-try-it-mr-sato-did/ https://soranews24.com/2023/04/17/sushi-from-a-vending-machine-would-you-try-it-mr-sato-did/#comments Mon, 17 Apr 2023 05:00:50 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=621226 
Mr. Sato tries out some vending machine sushi from outside a branch of Sushiro.
Japan is a country known for its wide range of vending machines, but to this day there are new kinds of vending machines popping up that surprise even us. For instance, this unusual-looking vending machine that our crack reporter Mr. Sato spotted quite recently.
Mr. Sato spotted this machine outside of the Omiya branch of conveyor belt sushi chain Sushiro. Sushiro have started installing vending machines outside their stores so people can get access to sushi anytime they want, even after the store has closed. Mr. Sato was curious about what kind of sushi was available in the vending machine, so he went to check it out.
As he approached the store, there were banners outside proudly advertising the vending machine — “you can buy sushi anytime you want!”
▼ Mr. Sato found the sushi vending machine conveniently located next to a vending machine selling drinks.
The machine was decorated with the kanji of various types of seafood, such as 鰻 (unagi, or ‘eel’) and 鮭 (sake, or ‘salmon’). There were a few kanji that Mr. Sato was seeing for the first time — not only was the vending machine artistically cool, but also educational!
The vending machine was stocked with sushi from Kyotaru, which is Sushiro’s sister chain.
There were six products available for sale, all for 1,000 yen (US$7.47) or less. There were packets of individual sushi on sale in the vending machine, as well as special sushi bowls. All of them were frozen, to be taken home and eaten.
Mr. Sato decided to go with the frozen Shrimp Tartare Chirashi. Chirashi sushi, pronounced “chirashizushi”, literally means “scattered sushi”, and it’s a type of sushi meal where raw seafood ingredients are scattered on top of a bowl of vinegared rice.
The sushi was still frozen when Mr. Sato arrived home, so he checked the instructions on how to defrost it.
The instructions said to cut a slit in the frozen inner bag, then to heat it in a 500-watt microwave for about three minutes.
As soon as the three minutes were up, Mr. Sato took it out and was ready to tuck in, only another glance at the instructions told him otherwise —
“Remove the sushi from the microwave and let it sit for 20 minutes before serving.”
So, twenty minutes later, the chirashi was ready to eat.
On top of the vinegared rice, there were colorful strips of omelet, boiled shrimp, flying fish roe, and edamame. There was a layer of tartar sauce underneath the omelet, and the combination of the tartness of the mayonnaise and the acidity of the rice was excellent. The popping texture of the flying fish roe was a pleasant addition as well. Plus, it didn’t have any of that weird freezer smell that you sometimes find in frozen foods.
This chirashi bowl was really tasty, and Mr. Sato hopes that the next step in frozen sushi vending machines will be for them to sell sushi that’s ready to eat without defrosting.
The frozen sushi vending machines are currently installed at the Sushiro Omiya and Sushiro Kasukabe branches, as well as the Sushiro/Kyotaru Shigekichi Ayase Station store.
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/04/17/sushi-from-a-vending-machine-would-you-try-it-mr-sato-did/feed/ 0 621226 coldsushi17 Douhua, a delicious tofu pudding, is Mr. Sato’s new favourite food https://soranews24.com/2023/04/17/douhua-a-delicious-tofu-pudding-is-mr-satos-new-favourite-food/ https://soranews24.com/2023/04/17/douhua-a-delicious-tofu-pudding-is-mr-satos-new-favourite-food/#comments Mon, 17 Apr 2023 01:00:29 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=621013 
Our crack reporter has fallen head over heels in love with Taiwanese food!
Have you ever heard of douhua? It’s a popular snack in some parts of Asia, especially in Taiwan and China, made from soybean milk. It looks, feels and tastes like extremely tender tofu, like a tofu pudding.
It’s been popular in Japan since the tapioca boom hit around five years ago, but our crack reporter Mr. Sato hadn’t really heard about it until recently.
His love story with douhua first began when he stumbled across a restaurant called Wanamana, which specializes in Taiwanese breakfast, in Iidabashi, Tokyo. There, he became particularly fond of a dish called xian dou jiang (a savory soy milk soup), and began his journey of discovery into the world of Taiwanese breakfast food.
Mr. Sato decided to see if there were any other shops nearby that sold Taiwanese breakfast food, and came across Sao Dou Hua in Shinjuku, located in the commercial complex right next to Shinjuku Station. It turns out that this shop opened its first Japanese branch in July 2018, and has since expanded to Tokyo, Kanagawa, Osaka, and Fukuoka.
As he looked at the menu, Mr. Sato saw that they had his beloved xian dou jiang and Taiwanese-style crepes called dan bing.
They also had non-breakfast items, such as zha jiang mian (noodles served with fried bean sauce), ji-pai (Taiwanese breaded chicken), cong bing (green onion pancakes), and hujiao bing (Taiwanese pepper meat buns).
Such delicious food had been sitting under his nose for five whole years without him noticing, and he started to curse his former self for not paying more attention. He could have spent five whole years enjoying the culinary delights that Taiwan had to offer without even stepping foot on a plane!
But as he went to order, he noticed something else on the menu — douhua. Mr. Sato had never tried douhua before, but after his experience with xian dou jiang and knowing just how tasty Taiwanese soy milk-based food can be, just looking at the picture of the douhua made him instantly think “this looks delicious”.
While he was waiting for his douhua, Mr. Sato ordered a pot of white peach oolong tea (530 yen [US$3.96]). Mr. Sato is quite famously a coffee lover, but recently he’s been getting into tea. For Mr. Sato, coffee is great, but the feeling of instant relaxation you get when you take a sip of tea is just unmatched.
The tea here was great, with a sweet and pleasantly soothing aroma of peach. It was slightly sweet yet slightly bitter, and had a refreshing taste.
Soon after, the douhua arrived. Mr. Sato had gone with the ‘Yuen’ douhua, which cost 780 yen (US$5.83) The Yuen was made with taro and sweet potato dumplings, which is one of the traditional douhua toppings.
The syrup was mind-blowing. It was made from candied winter melon, and was incredibly sweet and tasty. Mr. Sato was hooked after one sip.
The douhua itself had a very unique texture. It was like tofu…but not quite, and like jelly…but not quite. If Mr. Sato had to describe it, it was similar to the smoothness of pudding. If he ate it blindfolded, he might have mistaken it for pudding.
The dumplings were a perfect match with the syrup. The texture was just right — nice and chewy — and it felt great to bite into them.
There were also some peanuts on top, which Mr. Sato assumed had been added for their crunchy texture. But when he bit into them, he was surprised to find that they were actually very soft!
Douhua itself is low in calories and is said to be abundant in plant-based protein, but — almost as if to balance out the delicious, healthy douhua — the syrup must contain an insane amount of calories. Still, even if douhua isn’t the most healthy food in the world, Mr. Sato definitely wants to try it again. Many, many more times, in fact.
If you haven’t tried douhua, Mr. Sato heartily recommends to give it a go. Maybe you’ll fall in love with Taiwanese cuisine, like Mr. Sato has!
Restaurant information
Sao Dou Fa Shinjuku Mylord Store / 騒豆花 新宿ミロード店
Address: Shinjuku-ku, 1-1-3 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku Mylord 7F
東京都新宿区西新宿1丁目1-3 新宿ミロード7F
Open: 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (Last order at 9:00 pm)
Images © SoraNews24
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/04/17/douhua-a-delicious-tofu-pudding-is-mr-satos-new-favourite-food/feed/ 0 621013 doufasao1 Tokyo standing peperoncino restaurant turns our writer into a master risotto chef https://soranews24.com/2023/04/13/tokyo-standing-peperoncino-restaurant-turns-our-writer-into-a-master-risotto-chef/ https://soranews24.com/2023/04/13/tokyo-standing-peperoncino-restaurant-turns-our-writer-into-a-master-risotto-chef/#comments Thu, 13 Apr 2023 01:00:08 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=620808 
Restaurant that specialises in one type of pasta also offers a surprising (and genius) side dish.
Our writer Seiji Nakazawa is a big fan of three things — he loves music, he loves anime, and he loves peperoncino. Italian speakers will know peperoncino as the catch-all term for chili peppers, but here in Japan, peperoncino is more associated with a kind of pasta dish, like napolitan or carbonara.
Japanese peperoncino doesn’t stray too far from its Italian roots, though, and is a simple pasta dish typically made using garlic and red pepper flakes.
Peperoncino is usually a staple at any restaurant selling pasta in Japan, but as Seiji wandered the streets of Tokyo, with his stomach starting to get those familiar pangs of hunger, he started to daydream about a restaurant that sold exclusively peperoncino. That sure would be awesome, he thought.
It didn’t take long for his dream to manifest into reality, as right before Seiji’s eyes was a restaurant that sold just what he was after — exclusively peperoncino pasta! Not only that, but it was a standing peperoncino pasta restaurant.
Seiji was used to seeing standing sushi bars, or standing soup bars even, but this was the first time he’d ever seen a standing pasta bar — and not just that, one that specialised in his beloved peperoncino. Without a second thought, he entered the restaurant.
There were seventeen different types of peperoncino dish on the menu, which was a little intimidating for a first-timer like Seiji. The waiter recommended going for a basic, no-frills peperoncino (which was a steal at just 600 yen [US$4.49]), but Seiji decided to go for the most popular dish on the menu, the Genovese-style Shrimp Peperoncino (900 yen), which was advertised as having a “classic taste”.
Seiji wasn’t sure if the pesto-y taste of a Genovese sauce would go well with the spicy kick of a peperoncino, but his mouth immediately started watering as the waiter placed the dish on the table.
The spaghetti was slightly thicker than the ones Seiji was used to, and the sauce was tasty and filling. The genovese sauce was less pesto-like and had a salty basil flavour that went well with the peperoncino flavour.
Seiji could also add his own toppings and seasonings, like powdered cheese, garlic, pepper, and shiso (perilla leaf). Seiji added some garlic and cheese. This peperoncino was simple yet comforting, and he loved it!
But even as he slurped up his last noodle and looked down at his empty bowl, he knew that the best was yet to come…
… as each dish at Tokyo Peperoncino comes with a free side of rice. So now he could enjoy his meal all over again, just with rice instead of pasta!
He added the rice to the leftover sauce, making sure to get it nice and covered…
… and voila. Makeshift risotto! Delicious!
This extra bowl of rice would surely go well with some of the other flavours of peperoncino on offer, like carbonara and curry, and Seiji was excited to come back and try more combinations.
Anyone wanting to try out their pasta/risotto dream combination should head down to Tokyo Peperoncino, but be aware that the restaurant is only open for a limited time during the day; specifically, during lunch time.
After that, you’ll have to get your pasta fix from somewhere else.
Restaurant Information
Tokyo Peperoncino / 東京ペペロンチーノ
Address: Tokyo-to, Bunkyo-ku, Hongo 2-39-2
東京都文京区本郷2-39-2
Open: 11:00a.m. – 210:00p.m.
Closed weekends
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/04/13/tokyo-standing-peperoncino-restaurant-turns-our-writer-into-a-master-risotto-chef/feed/ 0 620808 peperon3 We try the bizarre ‘Get Your Finger Chomped By A Sturgeon’ experience at a Hokkaido aquarium https://soranews24.com/2023/04/11/we-try-the-bizarre-get-your-finger-chomped-by-a-sturgeon-experience-at-a-hokkaido-aquarium/ https://soranews24.com/2023/04/11/we-try-the-bizarre-get-your-finger-chomped-by-a-sturgeon-experience-at-a-hokkaido-aquarium/#comments Mon, 10 Apr 2023 17:30:49 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=620571 
Our reporter gets her finger bitten by a sturgeon yet lives to tell the tale.
Shibetsu Salmon Science Museum is an aquarium dedicated to, as the name suggests, salmon, and has over 30 species of salmonids (a type of fish in the salmon family). But as well as being an educational space, the museum is also home to an experience so thrilling, so exciting, that our reporter Haruka Takagi knew she had to try it out as soon as possible.
You see, the museum boasts an exhibit that allows visitors to get their fingers bitten by a sturgeon!
Haruka didn’t know much about sturgeons, or salmon for that matter, despite it being one of her favourite things to eat. Still, getting the opportunity to experience such a hair-raising experience like being bitten by a sturgeon is exactly the kind of weird that we love here at SoraNews24, so Haruka knew she had to try it.
The first hurdle was actually getting there, though. Shibetsu is a town in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost prefecture. On top of that, Shibetsu is on the east coast of Hokkaido, and is half a day’s drive away from Hokkaido’s big cities like Sapporo. In fact, it might be easier to get to Shibetsu from Russia, like this man did.
Still, Haruka wanted nothing more than to get her fingers chomped by a sturgeon, and eventually arrived at the museum. Admission was pretty cheap, at 650 yen (US$4.92) for adults and 200 yen ($1.50) for children.
All kinds of salmonid were on display, like Japanese dace…
… Japanese huchen, Japan’s largest freshwater fish…
… and rainbow trout. Whereas most other aquariums have tanks filled with colourful sea creatures, the fish at the Shibetsu Salmon Science Museum were mostly silver-coloured, which was pretty interesting.
There was also another tank filled with albino rainbow trout, rarely seen in the wild…
… and a salmon run, which acts as a natural spawning environment for salmon.
The museum’s unique exhibit means visitors can watch salmon lay their eggs up close. They can also use a viewing bridge to watch salmon swimming upstream.
But while that was all very well and good, Haruka wasn’t here to watch salmon lay eggs. She was here to get her fingers bitten by a sturgeon, and the sound of people screaming nearby told her that she was getting close.
Sure enough, she saw a poster for the “Sturgeon Finger-chomping Experience“, which for some reason was next to a statue of a bear. She followed the poster (and the sound of screaming) and reached the exhibit.
The instructional poster was faded, but clear enough to understand — first, Haruka would sprinkle some sturgeon bait on her index finger, and lower her finger into the tank. The sturgeon would come and take the bait — and bite Haruka’s finger in the process!
The sturgeon’s tank was the size of a child’s paddling pool. Inside, the sturgeons were waiting, their snouts hovering on the surface of the water, waiting to be fed. They looked kind of like crocodiles waiting to pounce on their prey, and Haruka started to feel a little nervous. She wasn’t alone, either; a young girl next to her started to cry.
Still, she had travelled a long way to Shibetsu just to try this out, and she wasn’t going to back down now. Taking a deep breath, she lowered her finger into the tank… and…
*chomp!*
With the force of a boxer’s punch, a sturgeon rushed out of the tank and grabbed the food from Haruka, engulfing her entire finger in its mouth…
… but it didn’t hurt at all!
You see, sturgeon have no teeth, and tend to swallow their food whole. It was a weird sensation though, akin to being bitten by a silicon glove. The initial force of the sturgeon’s grip was quite fierce, but also oddly weak and slippery. All in all, it was a bizarre sensation.
Even though her finger remained attached to her hand, it was still quite an unnerving experience. But definitely worth a try, if not just to be able to say “I got my finger bitten by a sturgeon once.”
The Shibetsu Salmon Science Museum is a must-visit for fish fans and those who like weird things, and will give you a good excuse to visit Hokkaido — although let’s be fair, when you have views like the ones in Hokkaido’s Higashimokoto Shibazakura Park, do you really need an excuse?
Museum Information
Shibetsu Salmon Science Museum / 標津サーモン科学館
Address: Shibetsu-gun, Shibetsu-cho, Kita 1-jo Nishi 6-chome, 1-1-1, Shibetsu Salmon Park
標津郡 標津町 北1条西6丁目1番1-1号 標津サーモンパーク内
Open: 9:30a.m – 5:00 p.m
Open daily from May to October
Closed Wednesdays during February, March, April and November
Closed December/January
Website
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/04/11/we-try-the-bizarre-get-your-finger-chomped-by-a-sturgeon-experience-at-a-hokkaido-aquarium/feed/ 0 620571 Shibetsu-Salmon_014 Baskin-Robbins Japan’s ice cream popularity poll leaves out fan favourite — but why?! https://soranews24.com/2023/04/05/baskin-robbins-japans-ice-cream-popularity-poll-leaves-out-fan-favourite-but-why/ https://soranews24.com/2023/04/05/baskin-robbins-japans-ice-cream-popularity-poll-leaves-out-fan-favourite-but-why/#comments Wed, 05 Apr 2023 13:00:54 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=620329 
Baskin-Robbins Japan’s iconic ice cream flavour gets snubbed in this year’s Elections, and we wanna know why!
American ice-cream chain Baskin-Robbins (or as it’s more popularly known here, 31) is celebrating its 50th anniversary of when it first came to Japan. It’s also currently in the middle of its Flavour Election — an annual popularity poll to find out which one of Baskin-Robbins’ many different flavours is the most popular with customers. With close to 200,000 votes having been cast at the time of writing, it’s clear that this is something ice cream fans across the country take seriously, and with the election being in its third year, everyone must be keen to see which flavour will take the top spot this time.
With such an impressive roster of flavours available, it might be hard for you to pick your absolute favourite, but our reporter Ahiruneko had already decided before he’d even opened up the voting page. His vote would be going to…
… Baskin-Robbins Japan’s iconic Popping Shower ice cream. Released back in 2000 under the name ‘Millennium’, Popping Shower is a mixture of white chocolate and mint-flavoured ice cream, with popping candy spread throughout.
But as Ahiruneko went to cast his vote…
… it wasn’t on the list of flavours at all!
Try as he might, Ahiruneko just couldn’t find Popping Shower on the list of flavours to vote for at all. He checked once more and saw, written underneath the link to the voting page —
“Our by-far most popular flavour, Popping Shower has been inducted into the Baskin Robbins Hall of Fame once more this year!”
But why? In the popularity poll’s inaugural contest back in 2021, Popping Shower was declared the winner with a whopping 507,052 votes, and so in 2022’s poll it was added to the Hall of Fame, presumably as ‘reigning champion’.
But last year’s winner, Chocolate Mint, wasn’t inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, despite taking 2022’s top spot. So how come Popping Shower was ‘retired’ into the Hall of Fame after just one year?
Ahiruneko decided to ask a Baskin-Robbins representative, who told him simply, “It gets too many votes!”
In the 2021 Flavour Election, Popping Shower not only won, but by an impressive margin; it beat the second place spot, Love Potion 31, by over 25,000 votes.
▼ On top of that, its popularity was overwhelmingly well spread over all age and gender demographics.
Popping Shower ended up in the top five for all demographics, with the majority of demographics declaring it their favourite. (It’s not clear what happens to Japanese women once they turn 50 that makes them stop liking Popping Shower as much, but it’s good to see that whatever it is disappears when they hit 60.) And according to a report back in 2021, Popping Shower had been the best selling flavour at Baskin-Robbins for 13 years in a row!
So, Baskin-Robbins Japan decided to ‘retire’ Popping Shower from their Flavour Elections for the simple reason that it’s too darn popular, and including it in the election would render the whole thing pointless. Try as he might, Ahiruneko couldn’t come up with any other kind of food with such a universal appeal, transcending generations. Sushi? Yakiniku? Curry? Nope. Popping Shower may be the food that unites all of Japan.
This year’s election includes a whopping 100 different flavours that have been released over the past fifty years to choose from, so although there was no Popping Shower, Ahiruneko would have no problem finding a replacement to vote for.
Of course, the most scientifically accurate way to find out your favourite flavour of Baskin-Robbins ice cream is to sample them all. Luckily for the SoraNews24 team, Baskin-Robbins have re-released their Anniversary Box containing all 31 flavours currently on the roster, so Ahiruneko wouldn’t be alone in choosing his runner-up. Because after all, there’s nothing we like more here at SoraNews24 than eating an obscene amount of Baskin-Robbins ice cream.
Related: Baskin-Robbins Japan Flavour Election
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/04/05/baskin-robbins-japans-ice-cream-popularity-poll-leaves-out-fan-favourite-but-why/feed/ 0 620329 IMG_6249 How do the new Mister Donut x Kyoto matcha masters Tsujiri donuts taste? We find out【Taste test】 https://soranews24.com/2023/04/03/how-do-the-new-mister-donut-x-kyoto-matcha-masters-tsujiri-donuts-taste-we-find-out%e3%80%90taste-test%e3%80%91/ https://soranews24.com/2023/04/03/how-do-the-new-mister-donut-x-kyoto-matcha-masters-tsujiri-donuts-taste-we-find-out%e3%80%90taste-test%e3%80%91/#comments Mon, 03 Apr 2023 13:00:41 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=619894 
Japan’s beloved donut chain teams up once again with Kyoto matcha sweets specialists Tsujiri, but how do they taste this year?
Mister Donut, Japan’s donut and coffee chain, recently announced that they would be collaborating with Kyoto-based green tea sweet specialists Tsujiri, and releasing a new line of donuts for a limited time only. This isn’t the first time that Mister Donut (also called ‘Misdo’) and the matcha makers have teamed up, and their previous collaborations have all proved hugely popular with sweets fans all over.
This year , the new donuts were available to buy from March 29th, so we rushed out to buy some.
This selection of donuts differs slightly from offerings from previous years, as in addition to the usual matcha donuts fans have come to expect, there are also two donuts featuring hojicha, or roasted green tea.
Image: PR Times
We were keen to try all five donuts, but unfortunately the Pon de Double Uji Matcha (seen above) was sold out at all the nearby branches of Mister Donut. Luckily, though, we were able to get our hands on the other four.
They all looked pretty tasty, but we decided to start with the Pon de Koi Matcha Whip Azuki, which cost 216 yen (US$1.62).
The outside of the donut looked like this, with half of the donut drizzled in a green tea chocolate.
The inner layer of the donut had a thick, generous layer of matcha cream and azuki (sweet red beans). When matcha cream is included in desserts, sometimes the subtle flavour of the tea can get lost amongst the other, stronger flavours, but this was different. The matcha flavour was sharp, and thanks to the matcha powder kneaded into the donut dough before it was baked, the matcha flavour is anything but subtle. The sweetness is kept at a moderate level so it doesn’t get in the matcha’s way, so tea fans are sure to love this donut.
Next up was the Pon de Koi Matcha Whip Warabimochi (216 yen). As the name suggests, the donut is filled with warabimochi, is a jiggly Japanese sweet.
As well as the warabimochi, there’s more thick matcha cream inside. The matcha cream, again, has a strong flavour, but pairing it with the gentle sweetness of the warabimochi kept the bitter tea notes from being overpowering, making this a donut for those looking for a delicate balance of flavors.
Like we mentioned above, this year there are some hojicha donuts mixed in with the matcha offerings. At first glance, the Rice Flour Uji Hojicha Donut (194 yen) just looks like a regular karinto (Japanese traditional baked sweet) donut. It’s incredibly sticky, so watch out if you plan to eat it with bare hands. As for us, we’re gonna need to glove up to properly review this donut.
As the donut is made using rice flour, it’s a little more stodgy and firm than a regular donut. It takes a bit of strength to tear a piece off. The surface of the donut has a hojicha glaze, giving it a satisfying glisten.
The inside looks thick and sticky, and the dough is made using both rice flour and hojicha. Combined with the glaze, this donut has a strong tea flavour, and tastes even more like hojicha than a regular cup of hojicha does!
Last is the Rice Flour Koi Uji Hojicha Whip Donut (194 yen). This is easily the most luxurious looking of all the donuts in the batch, with a a swirl of hojicha cream in the centre of the donut.
Underneath the hojicha whip is a layer of chestnut bean paste. Delicious!
More so than a snack candidate, to us this felt more like a whole dessert, similar to Mont Blanc. True, it didn’t look like Mont Blanc, but with the chestnut bean paste in the centre, the chewy donut dough and the thick whipped cream, each bite was sending some sort of Mont Blanc signal to our brains. It was a delicious donut, but definitely not one you could eat more than one of at a time, as it was heavy and very sweet. If you don’t have a sweet tooth, just eating half of this donut might be enough to satisfy you.
In our opinion, this year’s Mister Donut and Tsujiri collaboration is even more tasty than the previous years, and matcha fans should head down to their nearest branch of Misdo to try them for themselves. The collaboration will run until late April while stocks last, but seeing as we already had trouble getting our hands on all five of the donuts, it might be best to go sooner than later.
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/04/03/how-do-the-new-mister-donut-x-kyoto-matcha-masters-tsujiri-donuts-taste-we-find-out%e3%80%90taste-test%e3%80%91/feed/ 0 619894 23_08038 Taste-testing famous ramen from Kobe turns into moment of self-reflection for Mr. Sato https://soranews24.com/2023/04/01/taste-testing-famous-ramen-from-kobe-turns-into-moment-of-self-reflection-for-mr-sato/ https://soranews24.com/2023/04/01/taste-testing-famous-ramen-from-kobe-turns-into-moment-of-self-reflection-for-mr-sato/#comments Sat, 01 Apr 2023 01:00:45 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=619757 
What was supposed to be a simple taste test makes Mr. Sato take another look at his gourmet writer credentials.
Wei-Pa is a popular Chinese seasoning sold here in Japan, and its distributor headquarters are based in Kobe City in Hyogo Prefecture. Kobe City might be better known for its world famous Kobe beef, but Wei-Pa is so well loved that special packets of Wei-Pa ramen noodles are sold throughout Kobe as local souvenirs. Wei-Pa’s distributors Kouki Shougyou even have a Wei-Pa store in Nankin-machi, also known as Kobe’s Chinatown.
Unfortunately, this fact passed our crack reporter Mr. Sato by, as he recently visited Kobe completely unaware of Wei-Pa’s Kobe roots, and even walked around Nankin-machi several times without noticing the Wei-Pa store.
Such an oversight was unlike Mr. Sato, who usually has a keen eye for spotting local hidden gems. So what caused such a rookie error?
Either way, it wasn’t all bad news for Mr. Sato, as he popped into a souvenir shop at Shin-Kobe Station on his way back to Tokyo and managed to find some packets of Wei-Pa ramen by chance. They were around 250 yen (US$1.88) a pack, although he lost the receipt and isn’t quite sure. Mr. Sato… are you OK?!
And so the packet of Wei-Pa ramen made the journey back to Tokyo in Mr. Sato’s bag… where it remained hidden until around a month later, when Mr. Sato was feeling peckish but too lazy to go out and buy lunch. It was then (and only then) that he remembered his souvenir ramen, and rushed to look in his travel bag, finding the packet nestled sadly at the very bottom. He’d packed away his travel bag without even taking out the contents first. Mr. Sato… have you finally upgraded from ossan to grandpa? Are you going to start every sentence with “Back in my day…”?
The packet contained two servings of ramen noodles with two sachets of soup paste. And if you look closely at the noodles…
… you can see a cheerful face waving, and it seems that this man is the chairman of Kouki Shougyou. “These would make good designs for masking tape,” Mr. Sato mused as he removed the tape from around the noodles.
Cooking the ramen was, like most instant ramen, pretty straightforward — put the noodles in boiling water for three minutes…
… and then add the soup paste. Mix in the paste gently and transfer to a bowl to serve.
And that’s it! You can add toppings like char siu pork or green onions to make it more fancy, but Mr. Sato is a simple man; as long as the noodles and broth taste good, he doesn’t need anything more.
Luckily for Mr. Sato, the ramen was very tasty, and made him feel like he was in a Chinese restaurant. He started to feel a little guilty that he’d left something that tasted so great unattended in a bag, shoved in his closet, for over a month, but boy was he glad that he’d remembered it. The familiar taste of the Wei-Pa spices with the tasty noodles was absolutely delicious. He slurped up his last noodles, pleased with the fact that he’d found a tasty, hidden gem only found in Kobe City.
But then, after a quick Google search, Mr. Sato discovered that Wei-Pa ramen can easily be bought outside of Kobe; it’s available on Amazon and can even be found in stores like Village Vanguard. Mr. Sato had gone all the way to Kobe to buy ramen you can literally buy anywhere in Japan.
So all in all, Mr. Sato’s journey with Wei-Pa ramen was a delicious one, but definitely one that caused him to reflect on his actions. It was a miracle that he’d managed to accidentally stumble upon a store selling the ramen to start with, but add to that the fact he then lost the receipt, and then forgot about the ramen entirely for a month, and it would be easy to say that Mr. Sato has lost his touch, and maybe he’s getting too old for this gourmet writing malarky.
However, we here at SoraNews24 know better, and we know the real reason for Mr. Sato’s blunders is that he’s still physically recovering from eating a huge melon bread. Taking on such a monster understandably requires an adequate amount of rest to recover, and Mr. Sato clearly needed a bit more time before he dove back into the fray of gourmet reporting.
We’ll let it slide this time, Mr. Sato.
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/04/01/taste-testing-famous-ramen-from-kobe-turns-into-moment-of-self-reflection-for-mr-sato/feed/ 0 619757 cweipara1 Waiter, there’s a SNAKE in my soup — we try Cantonese delicacy snake stew in Hong Kong https://soranews24.com/2023/03/27/waiter-theres-a-snake-in-my-soup-we-try-cantonese-delicacy-snake-stew-in-hong-kong/ https://soranews24.com/2023/03/27/waiter-theres-a-snake-in-my-soup-we-try-cantonese-delicacy-snake-stew-in-hong-kong/#comments Sun, 26 Mar 2023 17:30:54 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=619098 
Locals can’t get enough of this Hong Kong cuissssine, but it’s not for the faint-hearted.
When our resident world traveller and reporter Ikuna Kamezawa visits a new country, she makes it her mission to find local delicacies and hidden gems not found in your average guidebook. Her recent trip to Hong Kong was no different, but with many spots that may have been considered ‘hidden gems’ in the past having now become well-known and popular, she’d have to work a little harder to find somewhere truly known just to locals.
So after what felt like an eternity trekking through the back alleys of the Hong Kong streets, Ikuna stumbled across a small restaurant called Se Wong Hing. Ikuna isn’t fluent in Cantonese, but all over the shop the character 蛇 could be seen, which in Japanese is read as hebi, or snake.
Yes**,** Se Wong Hing (or ‘Snake King‘) is a shop specialising in snake meat. Snake is eaten in many places all over the world, but outside of Okinawan snake wine, in Japan snakes are about as commonly found in toilets as on dinner tables. So for Ikuna, this was a real novelty, and a great opportunity to try something you’d never find in Japan.
The menu looked to consist of two set meals — set A, which was HK$140 (US$17.83), and set B, which was $173; pretty pricey for a lunchtime meal, but around normal for dinner. Ikuna wasn’t sure of the difference or what would be coming as part of her set, and to be honest she had very low expectations as to how delicious her meal would be. But you only have one life, and she knew that if she didn’t at least give snake a try, especially from a restaurant named ‘Snake King’, she’d regret it later.
So, she ordered set A and went inside to sit down.
Ikuna was slightly reassured upon entering the Snake King restaurant, as it was full with other customers, silently wolfing down their bowls of snake. There was a bunch of writing on the walls of the shop which she couldn’t read, so decided to assume it was talking about all medicinal benefits and high nutritional value.
She also decided to ignore the white shelves on the right…
… which had the words 毒蛇 (poisonous snake) written on them.
Not three seconds after making her order, Ikuna was given a bowl of soup. A bowl… of snake soup, in a thick, starchy broth!
The broth seemed to have come from this large silver container found outside the shop. There was a container for the soup, and also a container full of cooked rice to accompany Ikuna’s soup.
Soon the rest of her order arrived — as well as her bowl of snake stew, she also had a bowl of a thinner snake broth, and what seemed like takikomi gohan — seasoned rice with a mixture of meat, vegetables and other toppings.
Ikuna hadn’t been expecting to get two bowls of snake soup, but then again she hadn’t really been sure what to expect, so she got stuck in right away, ready to do battle with the Snake King.
First off was the snake stew in the thick broth. Snake meat is pretty expensive, but a very generous helping was added to this soup, which also included chopped kikurage mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and ginger. The stew tasted surprisingly good. The snake meat had a nice texture to it as well and looked and tasted similar to chicken neck. The broth was thick and flavourful, and Ikuna enjoyed it a lot.
Next up was the bowl of thin snake broth. Ikuna sensed this one might be more medicinal than the previous bowl, and it did indeed taste more bitter. Instead of snake meat, this bowl seemed to contain snake extract instead. Ikuna didn’t particularly enjoy this broth, but appreciated the probable health benefits she’d get from eating it.
Finally, the bowl of rice. It was topped with a rich sauce, as well as intestines, peanuts, and green onions, and Ikuna couldn’t get enough of it. But as she gobbled it down, a bead of sweat ran down her forehead, and she realised that she’d been sweating non-stop since her first bite of snake soup. Is this the magical healing power of snake soup? Had she been unknowingly served some of the poisonous snake? She wasn’t sure, but as she took her last bite of the rice bowl, she was absolutely drenched in sweat.
Taking on the Snake King is no easy feat, and something beginners should not rush into lightly. But at the same time, snake soup is a delicacy that’s been loved by the people of Hong Kong for centuries, and is definitely worth trying at least once.
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/03/27/waiter-theres-a-snake-in-my-soup-we-try-cantonese-delicacy-snake-stew-in-hong-kong/feed/ 0 619098 IMG_3213 Hawaiian pancake chain Eggs n’ Things brings sakura pancakes to its Japanese menu https://soranews24.com/2023/03/26/hawaiian-pancake-chain-eggs-n-things-brings-sakura-pancakes-to-its-japanese-menu/ https://soranews24.com/2023/03/26/hawaiian-pancake-chain-eggs-n-things-brings-sakura-pancakes-to-its-japanese-menu/#comments Sat, 25 Mar 2023 16:00:17 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=619063 
Spring-inspired crepes and beverages are also available!
Along with the rest of Japan, pancake chain Eggs n’ Things are celebrating the arrival of spring, and with it, cherry blossom season, and have added sakura-flavoured products to their Japanese menu. The chain was originally founded in Hawaii back in 1971, and for almost 40 years only had stores in the U.S. But back in 2010, the first branch of Eggs n’ Things outside of the U.S. was opened in Tokyo’s Harajuku, and there are now 31 branches across the country.
For a limited time only, customers can enjoy the taste of spring with Eggs n’ Things’ Sakura Pancake and An Butter Crepe, with sakura-flavoured seasonal drinks also available.
▼ Sakura Pancake, 1,848 yen (US$14.14) for eat-in, 1,296 yen for take-out
First off on the menu are the Sakura Pancakes. Slathered in a mildly sweet mascarpone sauce with a generous helping of sakura-flavoured chocolate heaped on top, these pancakes are the perfect treat to eat under the cherry blossom trees. For customers eating in, the pancake also comes with a mountain of sakura-flavoured whipped cream, with sakura-flavoured syrup drizzled on top. You can’t get much more sakura than this!
The pancakes are served with a sanshoku dango (the iconic ‘three coloured rice dumplings’) skewer which comes with a sakura-flavoured bean paste.
▼ An Butter Crepe — 1,540 yen for eat-in, 1,404 yen for take-out
The An Butter Crepe is another seasonal item on the menu. It’s a crepe filled with a thick, smooth red bean paste and comes with sakura-flavoured shredded chocolate sprinkled on top.
As well as these two desserts, Eggs n’ Things also have two springtime-inspired drinks on their menu for a limited time.
▼ Sakura Lemonade — 715 yen for eat-in, 702 yen for take-out
The Sakura Lemonade is a refreshing drink with sakura jelly floating on top, like sakura petals.
▼ Sakura Milk — 715 yen for eat-in, 702 yen for take-out
Rounding off the seasonal menu is the Sakura Milk, which is a mildly sweet cup of warm milk with a whipped cream topping. As you bring the cup up close to your lips, the soft, sweet aroma of sakura wafts up through your nostrils.
Much like the sakura themselves, you only have a limited time to enjoy Eggs n’ Things’ spring menu, and it will run until Monday, April 17.
Source: Eggs n’ Things Japan via Entabe
Images: Eggs n’ Things Japan
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/03/26/hawaiian-pancake-chain-eggs-n-things-brings-sakura-pancakes-to-its-japanese-menu/feed/ 0 619063 2304_PRPhoto Japan’s first made-to-order natto store will make you fermented beans without the putrid smell https://soranews24.com/2023/03/23/japans-first-made-to-order-natto-store-will-make-you-fermented-beans-without-the-putrid-smell/ https://soranews24.com/2023/03/23/japans-first-made-to-order-natto-store-will-make-you-fermented-beans-without-the-putrid-smell/#comments Thu, 23 Mar 2023 13:00:14 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=618942 
Could this be the answer that all natto-nay sayers have been searching for?
Out of all the traditional food that Japan has to offer, you’ll struggle to find one that’s more divisive than natto, or fermented soy beans. Natto has a reputation of being notoriously despised by foreigners, due in large part to its distinctive aroma and mucus-like texture. But it’s not just non-Japanese who find natto polarising — a recent online survey found that around 62 percent of Japanese people enjoy eating natto, but the remaining 38 percent of respondents claimed they found it only tolerable or didn’t like it at all, claiming to only eat it for its nutritional benefits.
Our crack reporter Mr. Sato isn’t particularly averse to natto though, and in fact quite enjoys the taste. For him, the ammonia-like smell that accompanies a bowl of natto is just part of the experience, and something he’s become accustomed to. Just like the great philosopher Dolly Parton once said, “if you want the natto rainbow, you gotta put up with the natto rain.”
Still, he understands why natto can be so polarising, and thinks he may have stumbled across a solution to turn almost anyone into a fan of the fermented soy beans: a store selling custom-order natto.
Called Natto Bar Koganean, the store is located in Tokyo’s Kuramae District, and is Japan’s first customisable natto store. The concept of the store is to order natto the way you like it, just as you would cocktails in a bar.
There are many elements that you can customise to make your own preferred natto. There are three sizes of soybean: big, small, and coarsely ground. There are also ten toppings to choose from: dried kelp flakes, kimchi, onion, ume plum, seaweed, red shiso (beefsteak plant), quail egg, dried bonito flakes, green chilli miso, wasabi, and chilli oil. If you can’t choose, you can pick from the pre-made natto pots, pictured above.
Mr. Sato was mulling over which combination of natto to get when something else caught his eye. He’d spotted a packet of Naniwara natto (594 yen / US$4.48) and a packet of Takehime natto (648 yen / US$4.89).
Natto was traditionally made by wrapping cooked soybeans in rice straw and letting them ferment, and it seemed both the Naniwara (wrapped in rice straw) and Takehime (wrapped in bamboo) natto were made in a similar fashion. The soybeans used for the natto were domestically grown, and the natto culture was made from a natural strain found on rice straw.
Mr. Sato decided to taste test the Takehime natto first. Most natto comes in a plastic box or cup, so he was surprised to see the natto nestled inside the bamboo itself.
The soybeans were big and beautifully round, and looked nice and firm. Mr. Sato believes that the bigger the bean is, the tastier it will be, so he was expecting a explosion of flavour with this natto!
The Naniwara natto came wrapped in rice straw, which didn’t seem to be an ideal container for natto…
… but as Mr. Sato unwrapped the straw parcel, the beans inside were perfectly fermented, thanks to the natural cultures found on the rice straw. Unlike the bamboo, the rice straw wasn’t just a nifty way to contain the natto; it was actually used to make the natto itself!
These beans were also nice and big, but they weren’t as sticky as the ones in the Takehime natto were. They were more slimy, and Mr. Sato prefers a sticky bean to a slimy bean. But more than anything, Mr. Sato was surprised at the smell of the natto. He had been expecting that familiar, putrid scent to waft to his nostrils, but instead was met with the aroma of… absolutely nothing. The natto didn’t smell of anything at all!
For someone like Mr. Sato, who believed that natto, by definition, is “stinky but tasty”, this discovery rocked him to his very core. Up until now, natto claiming to be ‘odorless’ had left him disappointed, but this natto seemed to tick all the right boxes. It looked like natto, and if it tasted like natto then the possibilities would be endless!
The soybeans had a firm but chewy texture, and Mr. Sato could taste a mild sweetness from the soybeans. It was a very delicious but mild-tasting natto, though, so Mr. Sato recommends trying it with a dash of soy sauce. According to Natto Bar Koganean’s online store, it tastes even better when mixed in with the rice, and also with a hint of salt to bring out the sweetness even more, but Mr. Sato didn’t read this until after he’d polished off his bowl. Oops!
So in the end, Mr. Sato got to enjoy a tasty bowl of natto without having to endure the smell, and may never be able to go back to regular supermarket natto again. Aside from the store Mr. Sato visited, there is a branch in Osaka’s Tosabori District, and all natto can be custom-ordered online, and for anyone who is put off from eating natto because of how it smells, Mr. Sato recommends you give Natto Bar Koganean a try.
Restaurant Information
Natto Bar Koganean (Kuramae branch) // 納豆BAR 小金庵（蔵前店）
Address: Taito-ku, Kuramae 3-18-4 Life Core Kuramae 102
東京都台東区蔵前3丁目18-4 ライフコア蔵前102
Open 10 a.m. -7 p.m.
Closed Wednesdays
Website
Photos ©SoraNews24
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/03/23/japans-first-made-to-order-natto-store-will-make-you-fermented-beans-without-the-putrid-smell/feed/ 0 618942 ankogane3 Japanese fast food chain Mos Burger to release fish-free fish burger https://soranews24.com/2023/03/21/japanese-fast-food-chain-mos-burger-to-release-fish-free-fish-burger/ https://soranews24.com/2023/03/21/japanese-fast-food-chain-mos-burger-to-release-fish-free-fish-burger/#comments Tue, 21 Mar 2023 03:00:27 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=618602 
Soy Sea Burger joins the line-up of the chain’s animal-free menu.
Japanese burger chain Mos Burger have been on the meat-free train since back in 2015 when they started offering customers soy patties made from soy-based vegetable protein. They made headlines back in 2020, when they became the first fast food chain in Japan to offer a 100-percent vegan burger on their menu, and they’ve continued to add more animal-free products to their line-up, like their vegan teriyaki burger.
But while beef burgers and chicken burgers have gotten a vegan alternative, the chain’s popular Fish Burger has so far eluded the grasp of MOS-eating vegans throughout Japan… until now.
▼ The Soy Sea Burger — 490 yen (US$3.70)
Called the Soy Sea Burger, this new burger is a vegan replica of the Fish Burger, made without any animal products. The burger bun, the patty and the tartar sauce are all completely vegan.
The ‘fish’ patty was made using a soy protein, carefully selected to create a look and texture similar to white fish, and the batter surrounding the patty was adjusted to maintain maximum crispiness. The tartar sauce, usually made from eggs, is created using cooking oil to replicate the smooth texture and the rich flavour of the egg-based original. The sauce comes in a sachet so you can add as little or as much as you’d like. The burger bun is made using soy milk, which is added in a butter-y form to create a moist texture. Spinach puree is kneaded into the bun to give it a slightly sweet vegetable taste, and an iconic green hue.
MOS Burger are creating their new burger in line with the SDGs (sustainable development goals) set forward by the United Nations, specifically, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water), which states the importance of conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. By creating their Soy Sea Burger, MOS hope to protect and preserve marine resources, and show that it’s possible to enjoy a ‘fish’ burger that doesn’t actually use any fish.
Customers should be aware that the burgers will be made in the same kitchen area as food containing animal products, and will also be produced in the same factory that produces products containing animal products.
The Sea Soy Burger will be available in most Mos Burger stores nationwide from March 24 until mid-July.
Source: PR Times
Top image ©SoraNews24
Insert image: PR Times
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/03/21/japanese-fast-food-chain-mos-burger-to-release-fish-free-fish-burger/feed/ 0 618602 KB-1 Retro PlayStation bags and accessories take you back to the ’90s without breaking the bank https://soranews24.com/2023/03/18/retro-playstation-bags-and-accessories-take-you-back-to-the-90s-without-breaking-the-bank/ https://soranews24.com/2023/03/18/retro-playstation-bags-and-accessories-take-you-back-to-the-90s-without-breaking-the-bank/#comments Sat, 18 Mar 2023 01:00:48 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=618484 
Celebrate your love for Sony’s flagship home console with these cute (and cheap!) accessories.
For many people around my age (thirty… something), the original Sony PlayStation (later named PS One) was our first venture into the world of 3-D home console gaming, and some of us still hold many a fond memory of those sweet 32-bit graphics.
▼ Not to mention its unparalleled start-up sound.
The world of gaming has moved on a lot since those heady days of the original PlayStation, but that doesn’t mean the world has forgotten about it, and now, thanks to a new collaboration with Sony and Japanese discount store Thank You Mart, you can display your love for the console via tote bags, cushions and much more.
Thank You Mart is named because many of its products sell for the bargain price of 390 yen (US$2.93), and the numbers 3 (san in Japanese) and 9 (kyuu) combine together to read ‘sankyuu’, or ‘thank you’… although the addition of tax takes most products up to at least 429 yen. But the name “Thank You (not including tax) Mart” isn’t quite as snappy, so you’ll just have to give them the benefit of the doubt.
This is the second time Sony have teamed up with Thank You Mart, with the first round of collaborative items including a phone case and a pouch with the PlayStation logo, but this time they’ve decided to go further, with products made in the image of the actual console itself.
▼ Controller cushion — 1,287 yen ($9.66)
This cushion designed in the shape of the original PlayStation controller is 30 centimetres (12 inches) wide — arguably a bit bigger than the actual controller, but the iconic triangle, square, circle and cross buttons will take you right back to the days of playing Street Fighter II and desperately bashing any combination of buttons you can think of.
▼ Controller mats — 429 yen each
Or perhaps this pair of mats, designed in the shape of the main console and controller, is more up your alley. Both mats are roughly 60 centimeters (23 inches) wide.
Let’s have a look at what else is featured in the collaboration!
▼ Tote bag — 858 yen
▼ Compact mirror (429 yen), silicon coin case (858 yen) and fluffy coin case (429 yen)
▼ Pass case (429 yen), clear pouch (429 yen), flat pouch (429 yen)
▼ Stickers (214 yen)
All items went on sale mid-March at all 95 branches of Thank You Mart throughout Japan. They are also available on Thank You Mart’s online store, although at time of writing most items were sold out online.
For PlayStation fans or fans of retro gaming in general (and yes, it hurts me in my soul to call the PS One ‘retro’), this is a great and reasonably priced way to show off your love for Sony’s flagship gaming console. Alternatively, there are other, extremely creative ways to display your adoration for the PS One, like this amazing light-up clock.
Related: Thank You Mart
Source, images: PR Times
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/03/18/retro-playstation-bags-and-accessories-take-you-back-to-the-90s-without-breaking-the-bank/feed/ 0 618484 2319-479-69b242232eef67e16d7f421 Take a trip back in time with an Edo Period-style hanami at the Oedo Fukagawa Sakura Festival https://soranews24.com/2023/03/16/take-a-trip-back-in-time-with-an-edo-period-style-hanami-at-the-oedo-fukagawa-sakura-festival/ https://soranews24.com/2023/03/16/take-a-trip-back-in-time-with-an-edo-period-style-hanami-at-the-oedo-fukagawa-sakura-festival/#comments Thu, 16 Mar 2023 05:00:51 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=618374 
One of Tokyo’s most scenic cherry blossom viewing spots has a lot more to offer than just space for a picnic!
It’s official — sakura season is well and truly here in Japan, and now that the government in Tokyo has decided that cherry blossom parties are good to go again, we can expect to see hoards of people setting up picnics underneath the trees, enjoying the sakura’s famous beauty.
And while there are plenty of great spots to check out, Tokyo’s Oedo Fukagawa Sakura Festival not only lets you view around 270 beautiful sakura trees, all situated along the banks of the Oyokogawa River, but lets you view them from the comfort of an old-fashioned river boat.
The row of trees stretches for around 1.3 kilometres (0.8 miles) along the river, and are famous for their low hanging branches, which dangle close to the water’s surface. The type of trees seen are Somei Yoshino cherry blossom trees, which were cultivated during the Edo period (1603-1867) in Tokyo.
But it’s not only the trees that give off an Edo vibe — visitors can also make their way down the river on an old-fashioned river boat to really feel like they’ve taken a trip back in time. With the boatman steering the ship with an oar, and nearby boats carrying staff playing the shamisen (a traditional Japanese string instrument), this is certainly a unique way to experience the sakura this year.
▼ More modern, engine-powered boats are also available.
The festival also has a lot of other things on offer — from 5:00p.m. to 10:00p.m., the cherry blossom trees will light up, making for a spectacular night-time view.
There will be special events held intermittently over the festival’s two-week time period, including Hanami Cafe, a pop-up street vendor area that will be selling local specialties like Fukagawa rice and grilled scallion skewers.
There will also be a local performance by the Fukagawa Canoe Club, jazz music played by a local band, and the fence along the Oyokogawa River will be lined with past and present photographs of the riverside scenery. There will also be panels on the history of the river’s flood control methods.
▼ Here’s a summary of the festival from last year.
The Oedo Fukagawa Sakura Festival will take place this year from March 18 until April 2, but given how early the sakura have been forecast to bloom this year, it might be better to head there sooner rather than later, given how famously fleeting sakura are.
Source, images: PR Times
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/03/16/take-a-trip-back-in-time-with-an-edo-period-style-hanami-at-the-oedo-fukagawa-sakura-festival/feed/ 0 618374 32524-3-3597ca0149c524952e1d8bb2 The drink, not the doughnuts, is the best part of Krispy Kreme Japan’s new Lotus Biscoff lineup https://soranews24.com/2023/03/13/the-drink-not-the-donuts-is-the-best-part-of-krispy-kreme-japans-new-lotus-biscoff-lineup/ https://soranews24.com/2023/03/13/the-drink-not-the-donuts-is-the-best-part-of-krispy-kreme-japans-new-lotus-biscoff-lineup/#comments Mon, 13 Mar 2023 05:00:05 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=618057 
Belgium’s popular cookie once more teams up with Krispy Kreme Japan, but will their products satisfy our resident Biscoff superfan?
Krispy Kreme are no strangers to coming up with exciting and tasty ways to enjoy a simple doughnut. In the past they’ve brought us treats with a Japanese twist like these matcha doughnuts, or flavours that combine Japanese and European tastes like these yuzu pannacotta ones.
Krispy Kreme Japan is now once again drawing inspiration from Europe, specifically Belgium, for their latest offering:Lotus Biscoff topped doughnuts.
Biscoff cookies are a buttery biscuits with a sweet and slightly caramelised taste and a warm, spicy kick that makes them perfect for pairing with coffee or tea. They aren’t commonly found in Japan outside of import stores, but our reporter and sweet tooth P.K. Sanjun is a huge fan of them.
So when he heard that Krispy Kreme were bringing their Biscoff topped doughnuts back to Japan, he couldn’t wait to get his hands on them. This is actually the second time Krispy Kreme have teamed up with Biscoff, so if they were re-running the collab, it had to have been pretty well received the first time around. Besides, doughnuts? Good! Lotus Biscoff cookies? Good! This was sure to be a winning combination!
This time, the items in the collaboration were the Lotus Biscoff Caramel Cream doughnut and Lotus Biscoff Bitter Chocolate doughnut. Both doughnuts cost 324 yen (US$2.37) for takeout and 330 yen (US$2.42) for eat-in.
The Lotus Biscoff Caramel Cream, as the name suggests, is a fluffy ring doughnut with a thick layer of caramel flavoured cream on top, covered with crushed Biscoff cookies and a whole Biscoff cookie as a garnish.
The Lotus Biscoff Bitter Chocolate is dipped in dark chocolate, with white chocolate drizzled on the top. Two Biscoff cookies are placed on the top.
They certainly looked like the doughnuts of any cookie lover’s dreams, but according to our resident Biscoff fan, they didn’t live up to his expectations. They were perfectly decent-tasting doughnuts, but they would have been just as delicious with or without the addition of the Biscoff. He’d been expecting the cookies to elevate the taste and blow his Lotus-loving mind, but sadly, P.K’s mind remained fully intact.
Luckily for him though, the doughnuts are not all that’s on offer in the Biscoff collaboration, as there is also a Krispy Frozen Lotus Biscoff drink on the menu!
▼ The Krispy Frozen Lotus Biscoff (637 yen for take out, 649 yen for eat-in)
While P.K didn’t think much of the doughnuts, the drink was another matter entirely, as it tasted like he was drinking Biscoff in a liquid form.
It was a thick, buttery shake with a hint of warm spice, and was exactly what P.K. had been expecting when he’d heard about a Krispy Kreme and Lotus Biscoff collaboration. With every sip, P.K. was inching closer and closer to a Biscoff-y paradise.
Krispy Kreme Japan’s Biscoff treats are on sale now, and will be available until mid-April. Biscoff doesn’t really have much of a presence in Japan at the moment, and collaborations like this one are rare, so for true, “Biscoff in my blood” fans like P.K, trying this drink is an absolute must.
Top image: Krispy Kreme Japan
Other images ©SoraNews24
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/03/13/the-drink-not-the-donuts-is-the-best-part-of-krispy-kreme-japans-new-lotus-biscoff-lineup/feed/ 0 618057 IMG_3362 Coffee-infused rice for rice balls and curry? Taste-testing a recipe from Japan’s coffee experts https://soranews24.com/2023/03/10/coffee-infused-rice-for-rice-balls-and-curry-taste-testing-a-recipe-from-japans-coffee-experts/ https://soranews24.com/2023/03/10/coffee-infused-rice-for-rice-balls-and-curry-taste-testing-a-recipe-from-japans-coffee-experts/#comments Fri, 10 Mar 2023 01:00:37 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=617823 
Soaking your rice in some Italian Roast makes a world of difference!
For those of us who struggle to wake up in the morning, there’s nothing more comforting than the soothing aroma of freshly brewed coffee. But sometimes, just drinking coffee is not enough; sometimes, you need a little extra to get you going. And thanks to this recipe from Japanese coffee specialists Kaldi, you can enjoy the aroma of coffee with the taste of some delicious rice.
We’ve tried cooking rice with coffee before, but this recipe seemed to be a little more advanced than our ‘coffee in a rice cooker’ method, so we were keen to give it a go.
All you need are four ingredients to make what Kaldi have named ‘Aromatic Bean Rice‘. We decided to go with the exact ingredients listed in the recipe, but you can substitute alternatives from other brands too.
▼ We used Kaldi’s Italian Roast coffee beans, and a bag of mixed salad beans, as well as salt and water.
Interestingly, Kaldi recommend using different coffee beans depending on what season it is, and incidentally their choice of beans for summer is their Ice Blend coffee. Seeing as it’s nearing the end of winter now, we used Kaldi’s Italian Roast, which has a rich bitterness with moderate acidity.
The cooking process is pretty simple. After you grind and brew your coffee beans, soak your rice in the coffee for around 15 minutes, so the rice absorbs it.
Then cook your coffee-infused rice in a rice cooker as normal. As the rice is being cooked, it lets off a fragrant scent, similar to charcoal-broiled coffee, which fills the whole room.
Once your rice is cooked, all that’s left is to add the mixed salad beans and the salt and mix it in with the rice.
The salad beans add an extra level of texture to the rice, and are also a fun way to represent the coffee beans.
As for the taste, you can definitely feel the crisp after-taste and richness of the coffee beans. If you’re a fan of drinking espresso coffee, this recipe might be right up your street.
There are lots of fun ways to use this coffee-infused rice, too — we used the rice to make some onigiri (rice balls). After shaping the rice, we just sprinkled a bit of extra salt on the top. While it looks like a regular soy sauce flavoured rice ball, the taste is a unique savoury flavour that you’ve likely never tasted before.
We also tried it with some curry. Not only are the tastes of the rice and curry very complimentary, the coffee-infused rice looks a lot more sophisticated, like you’re dining at a fancy restaurant.
If you’re a fan of coffee and want to try out a fun and simple way to elevate your rice, give this recipe a go. We aren’t entirely sure what heating up the coffee rice in our rice cooker does to its caffeine content, so it’s probably best to avoid eating this late at night, or giving it to young children. In those instances, it might be worth trying tapioca infused rice tastes like, instead.
Photos ©SoraNews24
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