Ku-suya Rakuen

I'm not one of those people who can peck away at food and feel satisfied. I have to feel full, like there's a chunk of food in my belly. Because of that, I've learned that before I have a meal at a Japanese restaurant, I'd better eat something beforehand unless I want to end up with a terrifyingly high bill.

I'd been to Ku-suya Rakuen in Causeway Bay before, and I remembered how tiny the portions were, so I ate a couple of buns and popped a painkiller or two for good measure. (Incidentally, you might notice my references to alcohol and painkillers throughout this blog. I'm not an addict, but I do indulge in them in a very disciplined and moderate way.)

Ku-suya Rakuen is part of a group of restaurants owned by a couple of Chinese people and an Okinawan, which is why you'll find quite a lot of Okinawan dishes or drinks on the menu. It's at the 12th floor of Circle Tower on Tang Lung Street.

The interior of the restaurant. It's super tiny, seats maybe around twenty five. My friend and I sat at the bar so that I could stare at the Okinawan waiter. My mother's family has some Japanese blood, and I'm convinced that it might be Okinawan blood because most of the Okinawans I meet look like my relatives.

Ku-suya Rakuen is an alcoholic's paradise.

The famous awamori liquor from Okinawa. I really wanted to drink some, but I'd vowed not to drink any alcohol for a few days (See? Disciplined!) because I've been partaking in too much gin lately, and I've developed a worrying alcohol paunch. It could be my liver just all swollen up, though.

How cute is this cheeky little drunk? He sort of looks like the chubby version of the dude tattooed on my back.

I once got so addicted to edamame, I bought a kilo of it to eat every day. It gives you gas.

Specials.

Jesus, there is so much liquor. Obviously, you can buy a bottle to take home, and the staff are pretty helpful and knowledgeable.

My friend ordered two glasses of Nico Nico awamori, mistakenly assuming I'd be able to drink. Alas, my willpower (and fear of the paunch) is too strong. It smelled lovely, though, and I enjoyed seeing the jars being opened and the alcohol measured out.

Now, for the food! Snapper carpaccio. Well...I didn't really like it, but my friend loves snapper, and he thought it was great.

Bitter melon and tofu. I was surprised that I liked this (not a big fan of tofu, either). The slight bitterness really offset the flavour of the tofu and the pork.

Fried camembert cheese with blueberry jam. I will refrain from commenting about my period. This was surprisingly good, as well. I might try making this at home.

Must resist talking about my period.

Absolutely terrific! This is the scallops dish, and it was sheer loveliness. Cooked to perfection, the sauce was not overwhelming and the scallops tasted so fresh.

I took a picture of what the people sitting next to us ate. They mostly focussed on mainstream stuff like fried chicken wings, dumplings, tempura and yakitori. Expats.

My friend loves oysters, so we also tried the fried oysters. Also very good. I hate mayonnaise so I didn't try any of that nonsense.

Anyway, I wore my sweater from Manique over a Cotton On slip. Can you see the asymmetry of the sweater, especially how the buttons twist to one side and the slanting hem? Love it.

I ended up not wearing the tights and just wore my thigh-high boots. I finally figured out a way to keep them up! My friend got a Prada bag as a gift, and the box came with this really strong garter elastic thing. He gave me the elastic, and I sewed it to the inside of the tops of my boots, and it works! It's cutting off circulation a bit, but the vain don't complain!

The weather really got me confused because it's really cold in my flat, so I also put on a faux fur jacket from H&M. By the time I got to the MTR, though, I was so overheated that I was stripping down to the slip.