Happy Happy Melon Pan is back this weekend!

ACCORDING TO THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED.
SAD NEWS.

Website:  http://happy-happy.jp/#6  

This is a new website that really doesn't have a lot of information, but you can also find them on Facebook under ...

幸せのメロンパンHAPPｙHAPPｙ.

To read a previous post about this scrumptious melon pan, please click HERE.

For delicious, mouth-watering, hot melon pan, head over to AEON (formerly Daiei Department Store) on Chuo-dori this weekend, Friday, July 8th to Sunday, July 10th.

A word of warning, they raised the price of the melon pan to 220 yen.  

Still, more than worth it!

The Closing of Kame House Burger カメホウス・ハンバーガー 022-374-5747

Click HERE for a previous write-up on Kame House.

Website:  http://www.sendai-burger.com/index.html

Address:  仙台市泉区中央１丁目22-1.   Located on Route 35, about a three-minute walk from Izumi Subway Station.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Weekdays lunch:  11:30 am – 2:45 pm.     Weekdays dinner:  5:30 pm – 10:30 pm.

Sundays and Holidays:  11:30 am – 8:30 pm.   Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

It is with a heavy heart that I write that Kame House Burger will be closing at the end of September.

Apparently, the owner is moving on to bigger and better things in Tokyo, so this hamburger joint will soon be history.  

Luckily for me, I’ve already dined there twice within the last two weeks with a couple of good friends to share the moment, and I plan on returning at least once more for ole’ time’s sake.

I was never a frequent visitor to Kame House due to its location in Izumi, which made it quite a trek for me.  Still, it was worth the trek when I did make it.

A week ago I visited on Friday during lunchtime with my good friend, Tony, who had never been to Kame House but had always wanted to go.  He seemed to really like his Double-Burger.  The place had quite a few customers but it was no problem getting a table.

This weekend, I was fortunate enough to have my dear friend, Yvonne, accompany me to the famed burger restaurant.  The place was crowded!  And we ended up waiting about twenty minutes for our table.  I ordered my usual Double-Burger (1100 yen) without sauce, and my companion went with the Avocado-Cheeseburger with Barbeque Sauce on the side. We both split an order of Onion Rings.

Double-Burger

Avocado-Cheeseburger

Onion Rings (Scrumptious!  But pass on the salsa)

The meat patty in my burger on this second visit seemed thicker than my previous encounter, with a strong and delicious peppery flavor to it.  The fries were good and I was quite happy with the onion rings.  Yvonne seemed to really enjoy her burger as well!

My disappointment came as I had my heart set on a chocolate milkshake to go with my burger, only to be informed that shakes are only served after 5:30 pm.  Despite my pleading and puppy dog eyes, I was given a stern “ごめんなさい.”  That’s why I plan to go back one more time, but after 5:30 pm.

If you have never been to Kame House, I urge you to rush down as soon as you can to try one of the best burgers in town!  For those of you who have devoured the greasy goodness, return before it’s too late!

**Yvonne was gracious enough to give me permission to use her photos for this post.  I am very grateful as she is a much better photographer than I am.  Thanks, Vonnie!

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IKEA Restaurant イケアレストラン 050-5833-9000

Website:  http://www.ikea.com/jp/ja/store/sendai/

Address:  仙台市太白区あすと長町 2-1-1.   Located across the street and to the side of Nagamachi JR Train Station.  Also easily accessible from the Nagamachi Subway Station.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open:  Not yet, but the Grand Opening will be on Thursday, July 17, 2014.  Until September 30, 2014, the store will be open from 10 am – 9 pm.  But after that the store hours are as follows:  

Sunday – Friday: 10 am – 7 pm.  Saturdays and Holidays:  10 am – 9 pm.

Today, I got a special sneak-peek inside the brand-spanking new IKEA Store thanks to my friends, Tony, who gave me his “invitation only” Family Day at IKEA ticket, and Yvonne, who works there and provided the ticket.

I don’t remember visiting my local IKEA back in the States very often, and I never ate at their restaurant, so I can’t do a comparison, but I was quite impressed with the number of foods available at this Sendai IKEA restaurant, which included salmon, tandoori chicken, and roast beef among its many entrées .

My wife went with the Salmon Lasagna for 616 yen, with a slice of Arctic Bread for 60 yen.  It was the first time for her to ever try a salmon lasagna, and she really liked it, especially the salmon taste.  She also stated that the Arctic Bread didn’t have a lot of flavor by itself but that it went well with the lasagna.

サーモンラザニヤ・アークティックブレット

I chose the Swedish Meatballs for 599 yen, a Mini Bread for 90 yen to accompany it, and a butter packet for 20 yen.  The ten meatballs came with gravy, cranberry dressing, and mashed potatoes.  The meatballs were not extraordinary, but quite good, and the cranberry dressing added a nice touch to the flavor.  I’m not a big fan of mashed potatoes (I’m picky), but I enjoyed these!

スウェーデン・ミートボール

For dessert, my wife decided upon the Apple Cake for 299 yen and a Café Latte from the Drink Bar for 120 yen.  I picked the Cinnamon Roll for 90 yen.

アップルケーキ&シナモンロール

Both the Apple Cake and Cinnamon Roll were not very sweet, and had tastes that were nothing like their traditional counterparts.  Despite this, we still thought they were quite tasty, perhaps due to both having a nutty flavoring to them.

So IKEA is not a traditional restaurant, but that's what they call it.  It's more of a cafeteria, and our two complete meals plus dessert came in at under 2000 yen.  I would say that overall, we were both totally satisfied with our meals.

Since I never experienced eating at an IKEA Store, I don't know if this is standard practice there, but I found it interesting that you don't pay for your meal until you are done with it (unlike most cafeteria-style joints). After placing your selected platters on your tray, you proceed to the check out lane.  The clerk will give you an itemized receipt, and then you go off to find a place to sit.  When you are done with your meal, you take your tray to the disposal area, and then use an automated register to pay for your meal.  I had never seen this before.

If you’re shopping at IKEA, visiting their restaurant might provide a nice needed break from wandering around the huge store..   

But, if you want to save even more money, go to their Bistro on the 1^st floor past the checkout lanes.  They sell hot dogs for 100 yen and soft cream cones for 50 yen!  The hot dog looked good but I was already full from the restaurant.

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Happy Happy Melon Pan Truck Returns!

Website:   http://happy-happy.jp/shop/index.html

To read a previous post, please click HERE.

I'm happy to report that the Happy Happy Melon Pan truck will be in front of Daiei Department Store starting tomorrow, Friday, May 23rd till Monday, May 26th.

Maybe I'll see you there!

Happy Happy Melon Pan returns for four days!

Website:  http://happy-happy.jp/shop/index.html

To read a previous post on Happy Happy Melon Pan, please click HERE.

What a treat!  Starting tomorrow, Friday, March 21st till Monday, March 24th, the mouthwatering melon pan truck will be parked in front of Daiei Department Store!  

I'm willing to brave the snow for this taste of heaven!

UPDATE:  I'm trying to cut back, so I only bought ten this time!

Montana モンタナ 022-376-6444

Website:  http://www.welcome-montana.com/

Address:  仙台市泉区福岡字森下2-3.   Located way out in the boonies on the way to Izumigatake and Spring Valley Ski Resort on Route 223.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open weekdays from 11 am till 7 pm, weekends and holidays open till 9 pm.  Closed Tuesdays.

Upon returning from a recent snowboarding trip to Spring Valley, my good friends, Yvonne and Fong, and I stopped by the Montana restaurant.  I heard about this famed American restaurant some time ago, and had visited once before a few years before I started my blog.

From the log cabin architecture and the Pontiac Trans Am in the parking lot, to the interior rich with Americana artifacts, this place so reminded me of my homeland.

Sitting near the wood-burning stove added an additional sense of coziness and warmth.

But my companions and I were starving, and although we enjoyed the atmosphere, we wanted to dig into some good-ole American grub!

We started off with an order of french fries (682 yen), which were actually thick potato wedges.  Crispy on the outside and seasoned just right!  Although, they seemed to be oven baked rather than fried, this was a plus as they were not the least bit greasy.  What a great way to start a meal!

フレンチフライ

Following the fries, came the Big Burger Sandwich (1312 yen w/drink), and true to its word, it was BIG!  Vonnie and I would have been better off had we shared one sandwich as we originally had planned, that’s how big it was.   However, it was mostly the romaine and iceberg lettuce that added to its size, along with the thick slices of bread, and not the amount of beef. The hamburger patty itself was quite flavorful, but I would’ve preferred to have it cooked just a little more thoroughly.

バーガーBIGサンド

Next came the Cowboy Rice (945 yen), which we ordered out of curiosity.  “What the hell is Cowboy Rice?” was the question being asked at our table, where two of the three diners were American born and bred.  According to the menu, this dish is a Montana original mix of chili, cheese, and rice.  To be honest, I didn’t have my glasses with me at the time, and had I read that it had cheese, I would have passed on it.  But after sampling a couple of spoonfuls, I would also recommend that you pass on it, too!  No flavor whatsoever.  It seemed as if they opened a can of Hormel chili beans and put it on top of the rice.  If this is what the cowboys ate, no wonder there ain’t many left.

カウボーイライス

Because our eyes were much bigger than our stomachs, we finished off our American-style feast with the Max platter of spareribs (2940 yen).  In my opinion, spareribs should be so tender that you can separate the meat from the bone with a fork, and then let the succulent beef or pork melt in your mouth.  

Well, I had to use a knife.  And, I had to chew… a lot.

Although the barbeque sauce was delicious, these were not the finger-licking spareribs I remember from home.

スペアリブステーキ

One thing I found interesting, in a good way, was the coffee that came with the hamburger set we had chosen.  I normally do not care for flavored coffees, but Montana’s coffee had what I believe to be a hint of cocoa, which was enjoyable.

Overall, I think you should try Montana if you are in the area, but I wouldn’t drive out of my way for a meal here.  My normal-eater friends were in agreement with me on this.

The next time I’m returning from Spring Valley, I would definitely want to stop in Montana for their tasty Big Burger, fries, and coffee, but that’s about it.

An old photo from a few years ago of the Chili con Carne.   More like a can of Hormel Chili.

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Happy Happy Melon Pan Truck - This weekend: Jan. 24 - 26, 2014

Website:  http://happy-happy.jp/index.html

To read a previous post on this mouthwatering melon pan, please click HERE.

This weekend, Friday, January 24th till Sunday, January 26th, the Happy Happy truck will be parked on Chuo-dori in front of Daiei Department Store.

This is the fifth month in a row that the luscious melon pan truck has come to Sendai.
Let's hope it's a monthly ritual!

See you there!

65th Tōhoku University Festival 第６５回東北大学祭 022-795-7849

Website:  http://www.festa-tohoku.org/index.html

Access:  It’s roughly about a fifteen-minute bus ride from Sendai Station, but it would be best to look at the following website for the various bus routes.  Not far from the Sendai International Center.

http://www.festa-tohoku.org/access/access.html

Runs Saturday, November 2^nd, 9 am till 7 pm, and Sunday, November 3^rd, 9 am till 6 pm.

Sorry that this is a little late, considering that by the time you read this the first day of this festival has already past.  But at least you have Saturday and Sunday to head down to an interesting foodie event, as well as lots of entertainment.

My wife and I stumbled upon this event two years ago while out for a drive after lunch, and we were disappointed that we had eaten before finding so many interesting goodies at this festival.

On that day, I managed to make room for a Malaysian (actually, I forgot what country’s dish this was) crepe filled with a peanut paste that was quite delicious!  

Malaysian (?) Peanut Crepe (?)

And from a different food stand a small, yet delightful plate of baked apple slices!

Baked Apple Slices

But the campus was teeming with tents offering sooo many other tantalizing treats!  And so it seems that the tradition continues this year!

I counted 78 different food options available at this year’s festival!  Too numerous for me to go into detail.  But even a picky eater like me is sure to find something that would please my palate.

And the atmosphere of the festival was so 懐かしい, as the youth and exuberance of university life reminded me of hectic, yet fun-filled college days.  Damn, I’m getting old.

Go on an empty stomach with lots of change in your pocket and I’m sure you’ll enjoy a day full of fascinating flavors and engaging entertainment!

Kau Kau Hawaiian Kitchen カウカウハワイアンキッチン 022-796-2556

Website:  http://hawaiian-kaukau.net/top

Address:  仙台市青葉区一番町2-7-3日泉ビル２F.   Located on Ichibancho between Aoba-dori and Minamimachi-dori, closer to the latter.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Lunchtime is from 11 am to 1:30 pm, but open till 4:30 pm, and reopened from 6:30 pm till 10 pm.

Today, while heading down Ichibancho to a tried and true meal at CoCo’s Curry, I stumbled upon a new scene, a Hawaiian scene.  What caught my eye was the tantalizing egg, bacon, and pancake set advertised on their outside blackboard.  

Could this be true?  An American-style breakfast?  

I had to forgo my original plan and divert my grumbling stomach to the second floor of the 日泉Building where I found Kau Kau at the end of the hallway.

I’ve never traveled to Hawaii, so I don’t know what those islanders eat, but according to this restaurant. it’s pancakes!

Upon entering, I found a few Hawaiian leis, palm trees, and two TV monitors displaying sights of Hawaii, as well as the two waitresses wearing Hawaiian shirts making up the motif of this restaurant.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, when you enter any ethnic restaurant in Japan, you pretty much have to be willing to overlook a few (or a lot of) things.  So I considered what was done to create a Hawaiian atmosphere as cute, and decided to focus on the food.  

Maybe I should have stuck to praising the decorations.

Kau Kau offers a number of lunch sets that range from 700 yen to 900 yen (tax not included), which come with a salad, drink, rice or pancakes (some only with rice).  The variety of options include:  hamburger patty, garlic shrimp, SPAM, coconut cheese risotto, アヒアポ丼,and モチコチ chicken, though I have no idea what the Japanese means on the last two selections.

Although the hamburger patty and chicken lunch options did look tempting, I stayed true to course and went with the sunny-side up egg, bacon, and pancake set  (800 yen + tax) from their regular menu.

After ordering, I was directed to help myself to some salad, which I thought was a nice service.  There were two big fish-shaped wooden bowls filled with loads of iceberg lettuce (the cheap stuff) with an eensy-weensy bit of color in it, perhaps a shaving of carrots or red cabbage.  But I was starving and so I loaded up my plate.  The dressing was tangy with an unrecognizable, yet pleasing flavor.  Next to the dressing was a big bottle of Heinz 57 Ketchup.  Do Hawaiians put ketchup on their salads?

While waiting, little by little the restaurant started filling up.  I noticed when a plate of banana-chocolate pancakes was brought to a table nearby.  I didn’t want to stare but, at a glance, the two pancakes appeared to be quite big and topped off with a volcano of whipped cream, yet the platter also seemed to be lacking in the banana and chocolate portions. 

When my meal arrived, I immediately started fussing with my camera to take photos for this post.  Apparently, that was time well wasted as a couple of minutes later the first forkful that entered my mouth with lukewarm egg and bacon told me I should have gone with the first shot and then dove into the food.

ベーコン＆サニーサイドアップパンケーキ

Hot breakfast food should be served very warm, not lukewarm, as it was in this case.  Luckily, the pancakes (actually, two halves of one big pancake) were served pippin' warm.   

Surprisingly, I was not given any syrup!  I don’t know if this was an oversight, but when I asked for it they didn’t apologize for not giving it to me originally.

Other than the serving temperature of the egg, I had no problem with it.  The bacon was Canadian bacon, limp yet tasty (no offense, Canadians) and not the traditional, crispy bacon served in America.

The pancakes were good, but not great.  Nothing wrong with them, but my local IHOP back in the States is much better.  In Sendai, more flavorful flapjacks can be found at Mitsubachi 38.

My platter also came with a salad that included a few more slivers of carrots and red cabbage, which made me wonder why they offer a free salad to begin with.

Kau Kau also provides a number of alcoholic and fluit (sic) beverages, if you so desire.  I also noticed Eggs Benedict at the bottom of the menu; a first in Japan.

Overall, this is not a bad meal; it’s just not a great one.  I’m tempted to return to try the hamburger patty and the chicken.  If you’re in the area and looking for something different, I think you should try Kau Kau and see for yourself.

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Kagayaki Pâtisserie 菓々YAKI 022-353-7334

Website:  http://tabelog.com/miyagi/A0401/A040102/4014179/

Address:  仙台市宮城野区岩切分台1-4-4　ルシアンKATOビル１F.   Located about 400 meters from Iwakiri JR Station on the JR Tohoku Line.  Or if driving, just off of Route 35 coming from Route 8, behind the COOP Market.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open: 11 am – 7 pm.

One of my best friends, Yvonne, recommended this unique restaurant to me some months ago, and although she gave a very enticing description of the fare offered at Kagayaki, I just couldn’t wrap my head around the idea of bread being served as a meal. 

Since this restaurant was Yvonne’s idea, I asked her to join my wife and me for lunch on a recent Saturday afternoon to delight in these baked goodies.

There were four different meal options on the menu, including one brunch set, and all came with a salad and soup.

Let me get the soup and salad out of the way.  Actually, there’s not much to talk about.  They were both pleasing, but nothing to write home about.

Soup

I went with the B set for 680 yen, which included the following three types of bread:

-Shrimp and broccoli with white sauce gratin:  Maybe it was because I’m a picky eater, but I really didn’t care for this.  I like broccoli and I’m usually okay with shrimp, but I wouldn’t normally order anything that came with white sauce or gratin.  I guess it was to be expected that this would be my least favorite. 

-Buttered potato with corn:  This was quite good, as it reminded me of my beloved corn bread.   I could’ve gone for another slice of this!

-Herb and green bell pepper, onion, cherry tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese:  This pizza-tasting slice was also very savory.

エビとブロッコリーのホワイトソースグラタン、

じゃがバタ焼きもろこし、プロヴァンス

My wife and Yvonne (both non-picky eaters), both ordered the Brunch Set for 680 yen, which came with the following bread selections:

-Italian Blue Cheese and Miyagi zucchini:  My better half stated that this was her favorite, and she really enjoyed devouring this one.  Yvonne also expressed that she preferred this slice over the other three. 

-Small fish and tomato:  Nope, my wife didn’t care for this one, but still, she cleaned her plate.  My normal-eater friend wasn't impressed with this one, either.   Perhaps the restaurant might want to rethink this dish.

-Herb and green bell pepper, onion, cherry tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese:  This was the same slice that came with my set, and it was a winner of the 'good taste' award by unanimous decision.

ブルーチーズとズッキーニ、プロヴァンス、
小魚の和風トマト

We all opted for hot coffee for an additional 200 yen, as well as ordering dessert.

My wife decided upon a slice of chocolate cake.  I pleaded for a taste and found it to be nice, but not very sweet.

Chocolate Cake

Yvonne went with a strawberry sundae (350 yen), and I went with a banana chocolate sundae, only to be informed that they were out of bananas.  They offered me a choice of any other fruit substitute for a 50 yen discount.  I requested strawberries instead and it went well with the chocolate sauce.

Strawberry Sundae

Psuedo-Banana/Chocolate Sundae w/Strawberries

I recommended Kagayaki to a friend of mine, Keiko (another non-picky eater), and she purchased three loaves of bread to take home, I believe at a cost of 1200 yen each.  She mentioned that, unlike me, she liked the shrimp and broccoli the best, with a chestnut and mushroom loaf coming in second.  I’m guessing she thought the cheese bread came in third.

If you get a chance, sit by the window to catch a glimpse of the bullet train streak by every now and then.

There’s plenty of parking if you travel by car and the restaurant itself is quite spacious.

I recommend Kagayaki due to its uniqueness, as I’ve never run across a meal such as this.  If you’re looking for something different, try some unconventional slices of the staff of life.

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Café Mozart カフェ モーツアルト 022-263-4689

Website:  http://tabelog.com/miyagi/A0401/A040101/4002447/

Address:  仙台市青葉区一番町3-１１－１４　丸和ビル３F.   Located on Ichibancho between Chuo-dori and the Forus Department Store, on the third floor in the building next to the KFC.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open everyday from 11:30 am to 11 pm, but lunch lasts only till 2:30 pm.

Okay, so I’m a little late in posting this one.  But some time ago while enjoying the Pre-Aoba Matsuri festivities, I decided to search for a new eatery for this blog.  I strolled around Chuo-dori and Ichibancho looking for that hidden gem that I had yet to experience.  Most of the restaurants I saw seem to violate my rule of "less means delicious" when it came to their advertising.  Most places went with loud and flashy, trying to attract attention, which probably meant that they're not very good.  I saw two young ladies perusing a small, indiscreet blackboard sign, and all three caught my eye (for different reasons).

Café Mozart possesses a very casual and comfy atmosphere.    The theme of the cafe seems to be that there is no theme at all.  None of the furniture matches.  Separated into two different dining areas, there are a few coffee tables with relaxing looking armchairs, a sofa, and also a piano.  In the section I was sitting in I saw ten different types of tables, including long tables for a group or for individuals to share.   

On this day, the lunch menu provided only three options:  a shrimp, squid, and mushroom cream pasta (Yuck!  I don’t do squid or cream.  I’m a picky eater!).  A bacon with cream cheese sandwich (I don’t like cream cheese).  And a basil chicken pasta with vegetables.  I went with the third option for 900 yen, which came with the pasta, salad, and a beverage.  I also splurged for dessert and chose the chocolate cake for an additional 250 yen.

たっぷり野菜のバジルチキンパスタ

The pasta was light, buttery, and tasty.  I especially enjoyed the crisp yet tender chickpeas disbursed among the pasta.  And speaking of tender, the slightly seasoned chicken melted in my mouth!  My only complaint would be that the succulent chicken was not in abundance.

The salad, due to its very pleasing sesame dressing, was quite refreshing.

The chocolate cake had a walnutty taste with a hint of sweetness to it, and by itself was just okay.  But when I mixed it with the accompanying cocoa powder, chocolate sauce, raspberry sauce, and the whipped cream, it was delicious!

This went extremely well with the rich, flavorful coffee.

ショコラ・デ・モーツァルト

A fine selection of coffees, teas, and desserts are also on the menu.

All in all, I’d say that this was a very light meal that, with the dessert, satisfied my hunger.

There are a number of other Café Mozarts in Sendai, so this review pertains only to the one on Ichibancho.

This Café Mozart seems to attract a younger crowd, as I noticed that I was the oldest one in the place, but this seems to be a great place to take a break from the shopping crowds and enjoy a coffee or a light meal no matter what your age.

Hmm.  I saw this on the menu but I'm not sure what this coffee tastes like.  

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Some Recent Items

If you haven’t already heard, the Tohoku Oktoberfest 2013 is in full swing at Nishikichou-koen just north of Kotodai-koen, and will run until Sunday, June 16th.  This festival is open everyday from 4 pm to 9 pm, but opens at 11 am on the weekends.

Here is their website:
http://www.oktober-fest.jp/2013tohoku/index.html

There are usually two Oktoberfests held in Sendai, the smaller, less popular one in June, and the bigger, genkier one in September.  My wife and I decided to stroll on over today to check out the scene and we were quite surprised at how big this year’s June festival is, and how lively it has become.  All the tents were packed with Deutsch-loving Japanese people.

Sure it’s a lot of overpriced food and drinks, but it’s great to see people having a good time!  Of course, we heard the standard “Roll Out the Barrel” from the German polka band, but it was funny to hear them play the theme to the Benny Hill Show.  What was funnier was watching a woman in heels run through the tent while they were playing this tune.  Seemed fitting to see someone scuttling across with this background music.

From the Konig Ludwig food/beer stand we tried the German potatoes (500 yen) and the 3 types of sausages platter.  The German potatoes were not bad, but nothing special.  The sausages were pretty good, but definitely not worth the 1400 yen price.

ジャーマンポテト

グリル3 種盛り合わせ。Tasty, but 1400 円？ 

Instead of satisfying our cravings for German fare, these tidbits merely enticed us more, so we headed down to one of our favorites, Brunenheim, which was down the street.

At Brunenheim we had some real German potatoes (710 yen), tasty garlic toast (530 yen), and a platter of potatoes with four different grilled sausages that tasted much better than the links at the Oktoberfest, and at a lesser price (1080 yen).

ガーリックトースト

グリルソーセージ

A poster outside of Brunenheim.  Cracks me up every time.

And if you head down to either the Oktoberfest or Brunenheim on Sunday, June 9th, be sure to stop at Kotodai-koen for the Jazz Promenade in Sendai.  I heard a few fantastic jazz groups today playing some familiar tunes.  It reminded me how great it is to live in Sendai where you can go downtown and be entertained by talented people for free.  I love Sendai!

Also, if you haven’t seen the TV commercials, Baskin-Robbins 31 Ice Cream is running a Happy 4 You! campaign that allows you to purchase four mini-scoops of ice cream for only 400 yen.  These mini-scoops have 40% more volume than the double small scoops.  I believe this campaign will run until June 28th.

My Happy 4: Rocky Road, Chocolate, Cookies n' Cream, Chocolate Chip

And this Thursday, June 13th, marks the return of the Happy-Happy Melon Pan Truck in front of Daiei.  Please click the name to read about my previous posts about their delicious melon pan.  The truck will be parked at Daiei till Monday, June 17^th.

UPDATE:  I forgot to mention that next Saturday, June 15th, from 10 am till 3:30 pm at Kotodai-koen is the 食肉まつり.  I don't know what this is exactly, but a meat festival doesn't sound bad to me.