I met up with an old friend to catch up on more than a year's worth of events. A lot has happened and a lot of advice was exchanged. To make this visit more memorable, we each introduced each other to a new place.
First we went to Harney and Sons which was my suggestion. You can have long conversations there without being disturbed. Our visit there lasted a good two hours. We went for a large pot of cherry blossom flavored green tea ($8), a dark chocolate macaron ($3), raspberry shortbread cookies ($4), and vanilla scones ($7). Keep in mind that it is a very dainty setting and portions are on the small side. As much as I don't like to admit it, I'm pretty much paying for a comfortable seating location, not the food.
My friend liked the tea, but I wasn't that big of a fan. It was an artificially infused flavor that tasted like bubblegum rather than flower. I would rather try their other teas which they have a huge selection of. A majority of their menu is simply made up of tea choices. The macaron was for my friend because she had never tried one before. Her response was that it had a really rich chocolate flavor. I ordered the same scones I had last time which still taste good by the way. Cream and jelly are very compatible spreads for scones by the way. I decided to try the shortbread cookies this time. On a small plate were two flat cookies. Small as they were, I savored them slowly. They broke apart easily and tasted great. They were not too sweet and they go well with teas.
Our second destination was Hakata Hot Pot and Zen 6 at St. Marks Place. I rarely venture into St. Marks. My friend on the other hand was very familiar with it and introduced me to Hakata Hot Pot as a spot she frequented with our other friends. It was a bit too early for dinner service, but we were pretty damn hungry as Harney and Sons was more of a snack for us. My friend showed me the menu and the prices seem reasonable. We were seated very quickly as it was still fairly empty. The store is on the small side. There's a long bar stretching from the entrance to the back of the restaurant.
I introduced my friend to okonomiyaki which I had been dying to try for a long time. I got a seafood one (around $10.50 I think) and she got a chicken one. On the side I got a yakitori (around $6.50). When our okonomiyaki came, it was piping hot and it smelled delicious. I couldn't hold back and cut myself a piece. It was then when the overwhelming hunger took over my sense of logic. The food scalded my tongue, but I wanted to swallow it so bad. It was just how I had imagined it, crispy and savory. The only seafood I really tasted was the baby shrimp. The rest was carrots, onions, and cabbage in egg batter. This is definitely a good item to go with alcohol. Hence it was part of the izakaya menu. Not so surprising was that yakitori was also a part of it. It was very tender and marinated overnight. The sauce was more watery than thick and it was much sweeter than I had imagined. The small complimentary greens were daikon sprouts. They were so full of the taste of daikon.
I have to say given the chance, I would visit Hakata Hot Pot again. Their hot pot looks very appetizing and I'm willing to give their sake selection a try. Or maybe the Chu-Hi? Until next time.
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