Author Archives: Kayoko Akabori


March 1, 2008

California Soul: Hot Date with Oishii Eats (LA)

by Kayoko Akabori

In LA, I was finally able to meet up with my personal favorite food blogger, Oishii Eats aka Jeni (I hope her name isn’t a secret). I’m embarrassed to say, but in the overcrowded sea of food blogs, OE is the only one that I consistently keep up with- it’s totally unpretentious, easy to navigate, […]

February 28, 2008

California Soul: Silverlake Edition (LA)

by Kayoko Akabori

It’s all in the air/ You hear it everywhere No matter what you do/ It’s gonna grab a hold on you California soul… California soul…— Ashford & Simpson It’s in my bones, I can’t shake it off- California is IN me. Took a week off to attend a wedding in San Francisco, and detoured through […]

February 25, 2008

Mangiamo 2007: El Brillante (Madrid)

by Kayoko Akabori

On my way back to NY, I had a stop over in Madrid for a few hours. Marta and Jose whisked me from the airport to take me to a dream lunch of my favorite Madrileño dish- Bocadillo de Calamares. Basically, a sandwich filled with fried calamari. GENIUS!!! It truly is a priceless invention- nothing […]

February 23, 2008

Mangiamo 2007: Da Enzo

by Kayoko Akabori

In Rome we stayed in Trastevere, which is a hip, bohemian hotspot on the other side of the Tiber, near Vatican City. It’s a great neighborhood, sorta Williamsburgish, lively at all hours of the night- lots of bars, clubs and restaurants. For my last supper in Italy, I wanted a typical Roman meal- and Trastevere […]

February 22, 2008

Mangiamo 2007: Bar del Cappuccino

by Kayoko Akabori

There’s nothing like walking into a coffee shop that makes the best cup of coffee EVER. That’s what happened in Rome- we happened to walk into Bar del Cappucino, without a clue that the barrista is a middle aged man named Luigi Santoro, who has won countless number of prizes for his cup o’ brew– […]

February 21, 2008

Mangiamo 2007: Enoteca Corsi

by Kayoko Akabori

For not really having any premeditative restaurant agenda, Matt and I did really well in Rome. The city’s such a maze, that it’s best not to have your heart set on any one restaurant- you’d just get frustrated going around in circles looking for it. We were walking around towards the Pantheon in the afternoon […]

February 20, 2008

Mangiamo 2007: Campo dei Fiori

by Kayoko Akabori

Located right next to the Jewish Ghetto, and near Piazza Navona in Rome, Campo dei Fiori is a glorious outdoor food market. I’m just reading on Wiki that it’s been open every morning, since 1869! Imagine that! Here’s Maria, founder of the market. Kidding (but you know she’s been here before you were even born). […]

February 18, 2008

Mangiamo 2007: When in Rome, Drink a Bud

by Kayoko Akabori

The best thing to do in Rome is to just walk around aimlessly. You’ll stumble upon Bernini fountains, majestic cathedrals, and random marble columns and arches that have been around for thousands of years. This is my little lunch on Janiculum Hill, snuggled between Vatican City and Trastevere. Just me, a Bud (I must have […]

February 14, 2008

An Animated Valentine’s Day

by Kayoko Akabori

Embarrassed about this blatant plug, but I’m really excited about what we’re doing tonight at work, so I’m sharing it with all ya’ll. Our film series, Dawn of Japanese Animation at Japan Society, opened to great success last night with a sold out house. The program was even deemed HIGHBROW BRILLIANT – we’re right next […]

Purple Cabbage Pasta

by Kayoko Akabori

Last week at the farmer’s market, I accidentally bought a purple cabbage, mistaking it for radicchio. DUH! So what to do with a head of purple CABBAGE? I recalled Bittman’s coleslaw piece from a few weeks back, but who wants to make coleslaw in the middle of winter? HELL-O! I needed something to last me […]