Le monde de Tokyobanhbao: Blog Mode gourmand

A cosy fall

Sat 10 Oct, 2020 · Decoration, Fashion, Food

Autumn is here, and the bad weather and dreary days has come along. To make the most of this season, which often discourages people from going outside, there’s nothing like staying quietly at home to hibernate in a comfy cocoon. Last year, I have already talked about the pleasures of autumn and my tips on how to feel good at home.

Today, here are a few additional tracks and little pleasures of the moment that help me face the gray outside. Hopefully this will inspire you to make everything around you cosy… and more especially during this special year!

Warm candles

Candles “La bougie herbivore”

The obvious accessory to bring a little comfort inside your home… and above all a warm olfactory atmosphere. My favorite candle is the crackling candle from Wabi-Sabi (“Nuage végétal” perfume) but I like it so much that it is finished (I have to order another).

In the meantime, I use two candles that were given to me by a friend on my birthday in January (Thanks Sylvain<3) : “Okinawa Mist” from La bougie herbivore, which has a spring rather than autumn scent: cherry blossom, sea air but since there is no more season, it doesn’t matter! The 2nd one is “Eternal Fig” with more greedy accents (fig, edelweiss) in accordance with the season. An ephemeral pleasure but so pleasant!

A comfort at all times

Whether furniture or clothing, it’s time to take refuge in soft and comfortable materials.

If you have an eye for decoration, you’ll see that I’ve swapped my Eames chair for this new rocking chair, more “cottage style”. We gave our Eames to a nephew who is settling in his studio for the first time and took the opportunity to replace it with this one, even more cosy! When it will be colder, I will add a plaid but the seat is already very soft.

Socks “Dirty dancing” Odette & Lulu (Thanks Noémie <3)
Rocking chair “Dilma” AM.PM

On the clothing side, I’m betting on natural materials: fleece cotton sweatshirt and fun socks (I haven’t taken out the thick woolen socks yet) and off-camera, you can count on me to hang out in a Winnie onesie, UGGs and wrap myself in a plaid! By the way, I’d like to invest in flowing, stylish, comfortable and warm indoor pants. If you have any recommendations, I’m very interested!

Comforting series and movies

It’s time to balm your heart with an avalanche of romantic comedies! I’m quite a fan of romantic comedies (much more than Halloween horror movies). So here’s my selection of favorite “soppy” movies/series (I’m excluding for the moment the romantic Christmas comedies because it’s still too early: let’s save some ideas for later!).

Emily in Paris : The series that is very popular at the moment and that people love to hate. For my part, I came out of this screening with a big smile. Of course, one is tempted to be sarcastic by pointing out all the unrealistic and extremely cliché situations of this series… but, let’s put aside our cynicism a bit, let’s take what these romcom episodes have to offer (i.e. lightness, romance, humor and good humor (and cherry on the cake with the charisma of Lily Collins, Lucas Bravo (Gabriel) and the mostly endearing characters) : Of course it’s far from perfect and it irritates, us, french people (and influencers haha) a little bit, but I had a great time watching it (I detailed my personal feelings on highlighted stories on Instagram).
The kissing booth A teen movie I’ve already talked about here
Isn’t it romantic ? A rather successful parody of romantic comedies
Clueless For the nostalgia of the 90’s and a Paul Rudd really really cute
Far from the madding crowd Country atmosphere and romantic love story (I was already talked about it here)
Dawson’s creek My all-time favorite series, with beautiful and cozy fall moments spread throughout the 6 seasons.

An inspiring reading

The Monocle guide to cosy homes

To dream and be inspired by cosy homes from around the world, I found this book “The Monocle guide to cosy homes” (I was so seduced by the book Monocle about Japan that I had to look at this one too).
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It shows different ways to bring cosiness in the house: you don’t necessarily have to add plaids and candles to make a cosy interior and that’s the interest of this eclectic book about decoration. Photos, portraits, texts, the cosy is analyzed in all the details.

Caring sounds

How about a comforting fall playlist? When it rains, I really like to listen to sweet and nostalgic sounds from bands like Travis (they released a new album “10 songs” absolutely perfect for fall!), Keane, or to throw some folk playlists, as if I was in a cabin in which a fireplace crackles (with marshmallows! = haha! You can feel the irreversible after-effects of an untimely viewing of romantic comedies )

Another way to hear relaxing whispering in your ear: Podcasts! I discovered 2 podcasts of Florie Vine quite “feel good”: an old one called “Simple & Cité” rather oriented towards minimalism and slow life.

But she also hosts a second one called “Bulles nomades” which describes her vision of happiness in various themes (optimism and realism, how to develop her creativity and confidence etc…). The tone is always benevolent, non-judgmental and allows for a certain introspection and keys to appreciate more what is presented to us every day.

Pamper your body

Since we’re staying at home, we might as well please our skin! Here are a few fetish products to take care of mine, especially with the first cold of autumn. I am now trying to prioritize natural cosmetics with little impact on the environment and those of the Les inspyrées line fully fulfill this task.

I had already talked about it in the past: I am fully seduced by the sustainable and reasoned approach of this brand (I know well the founder’s, a friend, ethics and environmental convictions). Here are the products that I use at Les inspyrées and from which I’ve got full satisfaction:

LE SERUM MON OEIL ! : A 100% organic vegetable eye contour oil (prickly pear, jojoba oil, calophylla, arnica …) that reduces wrinkles, bags, dark circles while preserving this sensitive part of the face. I like the fresh side of the roll-on.

LE BAUME FONDANT APAISANT CORPS : No more crocodile skin with this nourishing and soothing composition (shea butter, hemp oil, sacha Inchi, calendula, chamomile, rosemary): the pot lasts really long too!

EAU TONIQUE “PURIFIE MOI !” : A hydrolat which regulates mixed to oily skins, made up of a mixture of floral waters, always organic and from French origin (Melissa, thyme, laurel): I apply it morning and evening instead of the lavender water which I used before (this one regulates even better!).

This list of cosy little pleasures is far from being exhaustive and there are many other ways to bring cosy into your home: you can also choose to cook good little dishes, do manual work (embroidery, knitting), sleep or simply do nothing! The most important thing is to enjoy yourself, no matter what the weather is like outside! (English translation by Quiterie)

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My Outfit

Sweat-shirt American vintage (déjà vu ici)
Pantalon La Redoute collections (déjà vu ici)
Chaussettes Odette & Lulu

The city of Ozu

Fri 2 Oct, 2020 · Food, Illustration, Travel

Let’s go back to our Japanese road-trip which is more than a year old. This trip seems so far away now… as if it was lost in another dimension! I’m holding the good end to finish telling you everything but as I don’t think I’ll be going back to Japan anytime soon, this gives me an excuse to continue traveling with you by proxy.

Today’s stopover is the small town of Ōzu in Ehime prefecture. We did a day-trip and fell under the charm of this unknown city. More beautiful discoveries!

Go to Ōzu

If you followed our previous stop, you know that we were in Matsuyama and that we stayed there 3 days (2 nights). During this short period of time, however, we chose to go to Ōzu for one day knowing that the car ride is only about 50 minutes.

This would certainly not have been possible if we hadn’t rented a car (or else, we would have had to keep an eye on our watch all the time to not miss the train and manage the possible buses while here, we had a total freedom).

The city of Ōzu is nicknamed “Little Kyoto“, which already gives you a glimpse of its historical profile. Traditional alleys and remarkable monuments did not make us regret this escapade and you will understand while reading this article!

Hike in Shirataki Park

As soon as we arrived in the city, once the car was parked, we headed towards this completely deserted path.

The red Japanese bridge spanning the Hiji River and the sign indicating the route imply that it would be even better to go there in autumn. I let you imagine the same scenery tinged with flaming leaves.

In the meantime, these pictures taken at the end of May reveal the summer side of the place. It was so pleasant to walk on this shady path, discovering a waterfall, then traditional statuettes hidden in the moss: the “yume warabe (夢わらべ)“.

“Yume warabe” statuettes on our path

These jovial looking statues are supposed to make the person who looks at them regain the soul of a child and, in a way, encourage the walker in his ascent.

Even if the path is admirably well maintained (impeccable cobblestones and hiking poles graciously provided = Welcome to Japan), it’s steep!

At the very top, we can cross some altars and mini-temples to meditate: Spirituality is deserved given the steepness of the stairs to get there… but the reward is at the top with a nice view of the village.

Pokopen Yochoko

Back to civilization (or almost, since the village of Ōzu was particularly empty), we wandered through the alleys looking for an open restaurant, which was not easy (I will list some addresses at the end of the article).

During our stroll in this almost ghost town, we stopped at Pokopen Yochoko square, for a return to the 60s. It was quite confusing to wander in this fairground, without the laughter of children, the crowd and the animation.

Creepy? A little… but it makes you want to go back there on a Sunday because it must be more animated that day since they open these retro booths, as in the old days (=every Sunday from April to November and every 3rd Sunday from December to March: you’ve been warned!)

We still had the chance to visit this museum called “Coke & Van goods museum”. If you are interested in the Japanese pop culture of the 60s and 70s and you have a cult for vintage objects, this place is for you.

This Ali Baba’s cave is filled with anime figurines (Goldorak and Astro boy!) as well as an astronomical collection of Coca-Cola merchandise.

A traditional Japanese dwelling from the 60s has even been reconstructed to recreate this vintage atmosphere. A real time travel.

Ōzu castle

This castle is older than the one at Kōchi since it was built in the 14th century. It also overlooks the city. I just have this picture to show you knowing that we didn’t arrive in time for a visit of the inside nor of the dungeon (the view from above could have been nice).

Garyu Sanso

Visiting this house was like a dream and zen. Garyu means “sleeping dragon”… not so zen!

In the past, this house was used as a place of contemplation and stroll for the Shogun but quickly fell into ruin and was then restored from 1897 to 1907 by a rich merchant, Torajiro Kochi, an aesthete in his spare time.

Thankfully he decided to spend his money in the reconstruction of this house! Beauty comes in the smallest detail, whether it is in the garden, the door handles that would please Batman or this round window with the light coming through, supposedly representing the moon.

And final blow with this “Furo-an” tea pavilion overlooking the river, with its pontoon looking like a boat. We liked this place so much that we chose to post a picture of it in our living room, to feel like we were there every day.

Stores and restaurants

During our period of visit we did not meet any tourists and hardly any inhabitants. In spite of this low affluence, we found some addresses where we could eat and bring back souvenirs.

TOKOTOKO Tearoom : The only address open for lunch that day (it was about 2pm, that explains it).

Zenzai

They mainly serve coffee, tea and sweets but we managed to find a delicious “Cheese on toast“: toasted bread with cheese that served as lunch and as dessert, the “zenzai”: a sweet red bean soup usually served with mochi but here, with a sticky rice cake and a dorayaki (Japanese waffle). We still remember how delicious it was!

RARIRURERO Restaurant :This restaurant next to the castle was also a source of delights and a change of scenery.

We discussed (a very big word considering the language barrier!) with the owner, who was also part of a team of traditional Yosakoi dancers (=the dance of Kōchi) considering the numerous photos and trophies which decorate the establishment.

She was happy to introduce her discipline to two French tourists… so I would like to pay her a tribute with this article!

Mmmmmmh ! A Parfait !

The menu was entirely written in Japanese, so we picked a little bit at random by relying on the pictures: spaghetti with mushrooms, stew with melting cheese, Parfait and fruit tart, sesame seeds for dessert. Copious and once again a delight!

HANANOHITONOHIBI : This dried flower store was a pure marvel: we bought this dried branch of ??? (if anyone knows the name of the plant I am interested) and a small glass bottle.

My little souvenir from this shop

If you are a fan of a refined and country atmosphere, this delicate store should be a must for you. Here is the instagram account of the store, for the pleasure of the eyes.

Other points of interest

Here are a few other ideas to visit, if you are lucky enough to stay around for a longer period of time:

INARIYAMA PARK : In November, a festival takes place in this park in the middle of the blushing maple trees.

TOMISUYAMA PARK :To be admired more in spring, when the rhododendrons are in bloom; in shades of pink and fuchsia.

LE PONT MIYUKI : A roofed wooden bridge built in 1773 over which the hero of Kōchi, Sakamoto Ryoma (I showed you his statue on Katsurahama beach) crossed.

I hope that this visit of Ōzu pleased you and made you travel.

The next step will be even different as we return to Kōchi Prefecture for a night in the mountains at Otoyocho, Nagafuchi, in a 100 year old house transformed into a guesthouse where the sweetness of life and the notion of “Slow life” take all their meaning. Slow down a little bit… and see you soon! (English translation by Quiterie)

My summer memories

Sun 20 Sep, 2020 · Food, Illustration, Travel

After more than a month of absence on the blog, here I am again for a “Best Of” article from this summer 2020. I didn’t move too much from Paris except for a few days in various places in France, they were short but at least it was a change of scenery and a feeling of well-being like never before.

There was no question for us to leave France and we managed to make the most of what this particular summer of 2020 had to offer. So here is a small summer summary of different activities, which may inspire you!

My summer destinations

Bike ride along the Canal de Bourgogne with Lionelou <3

DIJON

I use to go there from time to time to meet my friend Lionel and this time was an even more precious moment since it was the first time I went there this year, after this locked down that we lived/ endured as best we could. It was the first time I had escaped from Paris since January, which was very invigorating.

If you followed me on Instagram, you saw that our reunion was sporty and greedy: Bike ride along the Burgundy Canal, picnic, stroll in a Japanese garden, dinner on the terrace… We finally took advantage of the pleasures that we had been deprived of last spring… A certain freedom found again !

LA CLUSAZ

3 days of escape in the mountains near La Clusaz. An escapade decided at the last minute that allowed us to familiarize ourselves with the joys of the mountains in summer.

The experience was invigorating, brought me the dose of lightness and wide open spaces that I was waiting for these vacations (with some aches and pains as well).

PARIS

My Parisian summer was rather studious but interspersed with nice days during which I played the tourist in a relatively empty Paris. This doesn’t change too much from my annual habits because you know that I like to enjoy Paris in August.

The opportunity to quietly discover exhibitions with friends, new yummy addresses, to climb aboard the Paris balloon for the first time in the André Citroën park, to visit the Disneyland Paris park without crowds or long queues. To see the capital from another angle, it has its charm!

Disneyland Paris with Jérémy is always a good idea !

Le Ballon de Paris at André Citroën park

BELLE-ÎLE-EN-MER

Lighthouse of la Pointe des Poulains

The bonus destination at the end of summer, also decided at the last minute to enjoy the sea air from Brittany. Here again, we mostly enjoyed nature in a wild and unspoiled setting. Add to this a calm of early September and here we are with a perfect destination to recharge our batteries!

To reach this paradise, we drove to Quiberon where we left the car in a long parking lot (Parking Kerzon, the closest to the pier) and crossed the ocean by ferry (45mn). It is also possible to cross with your vehicle on board but we did not want to carry too much and preferred to explore the island on foot or by bike

Aiguilles de Port-Coton, sunset seen from our hotel and Pointe de St Marc

The program: seafood, crepes, walking and cycling under the skies and bright sunshine as well as quick swimming sessions. If you would like to have more logistical or touristic information, feel free to ask me in the comments or review my Instagram “Summer 2020” stories. I won’t detail too much here otherwise the article might become way too long.

My music of the summer

This summer was for me rich in musical discoveries since many artists I love have released OP and pop music is back !

I compiled a SUMMER 2020 playlist that accompanied my summer holidays, which you can find on my Deezer : Here it is listed here with some small personal annotations.

BASTILLE : WHAT YOU GONNA DO ??? New single with the more “Rock 90s” sound of my darlings Bastille along with Graham Coxon from Blur
LITTLE MIX : Holiday Spicy Holiday Ambiance with this song of one of my favorite girl bands
MILEY CYRUS : Midnight Sky Catchy melody and 80s vibes
KYLIE MINOGUE: Say something Elegant and airy: Glad to see that Kylie has always been renewing herself since the 80’s.
DUA LIPA, MADONNA, MISSY ELLIOTT (THE BLESSED MADONNA REMIX) : Levitating “Club » remix, dancing from the original track of the brilliant album “Future nostalgia” by Dua Lipa
CLEAN BANDIT, MABEL, 24KGOLDN : Tick Tock Another very danceable track from the hit maker Clean Bandit
KYLIE MINOGUE : Say something (acoustic) I insist on this one because this quieter acoustic version deserves to be listened to
CHVRCHES : Forever Discovered thanks to the Spanish Elite TV show.
LÉON : And it breaks my heart Broken voice and heady melody with violin
CARLY RAE JEPSEN : Summer love Light Pop music from the interpreter of “Call me maybe”.
THE WEEKND : In your eyes I guess you haven’t missed this addictive song this summer: simple and effective!
SAVAGE GARDEN : To the moon and back lovely flashback, ode to my favorite album of the summer 98 : I still love it!
WALK THE MOON : Lost in the wild Discovered thanks to “The Kissing Booth 2” Netflix movie
SELENA GOMEZ, BLACKPINK: Ice cream Sound delicacy and eye candy with this pastel videoclip
HARRY STYLES: Watermelon sugar Sound delicacy again
DUA LIPA : Hallucinate One of the most energetic track of my favorite album of the year
TRAVIS, SUSANNA HOFFS : The only thing The come back of Travis the scottish band that I adore, with the Bangles singer : So vintage !
THE KILLERS : My own soul’s warning Not really convinced by their last album but I’m still a Brandon Flowers and The Killers fan
AMADOU & MARIAM : Sabali Discovered by listening to it in a cocktail bar in Dijon, this collaboration between Amadou, Mariam et Damon Albarn (team Blur again !) mixes 2 different styles for a great result !
MELANIE C : In and out of love Catchy song by our Sporty Spice with some rythms that kinda sound like Dua’s Lipa “Don’t start now” in the verses
LANA DEL REY : Happiness is a butterfly Nostalgic and light
KODALINE : Brother One of my favorite tracks of this group, a real declaration of brotherly love
ÁSGEIR : Higher Islandic charm and big wild spaces envy
BTS : Dynamite South korean energy booster

My summer readings

I haven’t read much (and no novels for that matter) but here’s what delighted my summer: :

GOODBYE THINGS by FUMIO SASAKI : The very interesting experience of a former manga publisher Fumio Sasaki who went from a stressful, materially overloaded life to a minimalist life with the discovery of a new philosophy of life much more fulfilling.

Even if I understand the author’s enthusiasm, I would perhaps blame him for his excessive advertising for Apple over the pages (the brand and Steve Jobs are mentioned at length in the book). Having said that, the general idea of detaching from the material is very inspiring, something I’ve been adhering to (albeit in a less extreme way) for several years now.

MAGAZINE B : KYOTO : Korean magazine found at Centre commercial (2, rue de Marseille 75010 PARIS), in the same vein as the Monocle book : addresses, portraits, beautiful photos of the city of Kyoto.

RUMIC WORLD by RUMIKO TAKAHASHI : Short news from Rumiko Takahashi (the author/drawer of Ranma 1/2 and Maison Ikkoku) always full of humor and tinted with traditional legends.

DIM DAM DOM : I finally decided to subscribe to this magazine since I am a faithful reader since its release in 2018 by collecting each magazine. This summer issue was perfect, with a discovery of the west of France, in all its aspects: iodine and nature at its best.

My summer viewings

Once again, I didn’t want to stay screwed in front of my TV or at the movies this summer but I have a few series/movies to share with you anyway.

THE KISSING BOOTH 2 : I was waiting for it with a haste mixed with a certain fear of being disappointed because we all know what happens with the 2nd opus in general! As expected, it wasn’t as good as the 1st movie (probably because of the “cold” relationship between Noah (Jacob Elordi) and Elle (Joey King)… on the screen as in the city) but it’s worth watching. A 3rd episode is in the works : I’m not excited about it but I’ll watch it anyway… of course !

ELITE : 3 seasons of a series that kept me on the edge of my seat at the beginning of summer : Murder, suspense and high school romances sprinkled with eroticism. It seems that a sequel is in preparation but according to me, it will probably be the season too much. The plot is gripping without requiring too much thought/concentration: Perfect for summer!

TENET : First film I’ve seen in the cinema since the reopening of the cinemas and it was worth it! A spatio-temporal plot mixed with James Bond action, with several senses of reading as is usual with Christopher Nolan. With Robert Pattinson as the icing on the cake! I even feel like going to see him a second time to check all the advanced theses.

My summer good addresses

Seafood with a view at Castel Clara hotel

Here is a quick list of addresses that caught my attention this summer. It may still be useful if you come to visit these places, preferably in summer!

DIJON

La Brasserie des Beaux arts : The shaded terrace on the square des Ducs side is a pleasure to taste their home-made dishes
Glacier Simone & Maurice : Artisanal ice-cream parlour with flavours that change every day: gingerbread, tangerine or yoghurt: everything is good to taste (once again on a bench in the square des Ducs).
Monsieur Moutarde : Cocktail bar (with or without alcohol) in a place with a neat retro decor (bonus point for the inner courtyard).

LA CLUSAZ

La Scierie : Perfect Savoyard restaurant where I enjoyed a delicious tartiflette and conchiglionis stuffed with langoustines in a warm setting.
L’ourson : Cozy decor and mountain specialties.
Pâtisserie Patrick Agnellet : Great choice of fruity, creamy and favorite sweets for the Montagnard (Shortbread cookie covered with soft caramel and dried fruits)
Hôtel “Au coeur du village” : Warm service, cosy atmosphere of the rooms and breakfast with delicious homemade products..

PARIS

Mama Shelter West : A terrace overlooking the Versailles exhibition center (and discreet view of the Eiffel Tower) with a sunny atmosphere reinforced by two-colored parasols. The Italian-influenced food is good without being exceptional, but you really feel like you’re on vacation there.
La Javelle : At the foot of the balloon of Paris, guinguette ambiance to have a drink.
Hank Burger : Vegan burger that you advised me to try last time with my burgers top 5 : delicious and juicy !
Carré Pain de mie : Japanese soft bread sooo soft ! (you have to try the delicious “crémeux matcha” as a dessert !)

BELLE-ÎLE-EN-MER

Hôtel Castel Clara : A breathtaking view, an efficient and friendly staff as well as homemade cakes and delicious oysters at the breakfast buffet (what do you mean… oysters are not you in the morning? ;-)). The decoration (corridors, rooms, indoor swimming pool) deserves to be updated but the view, the service and the quietness of the place compensate for this lack.
Crêperie Les Embruns (in Sauzon) : Enjoy a complete “galette” and apple and salted butter caramel pancake with a view on the port, what else?
Biscuiterie La Bien Nommée : Cakes and shortbread with salted butterscotch caramel to bring back as a souvenir. (English translation by Quiterie)