Rio’s

リオデジャネイロで行ったシュラスコのおいしいレストランがなんとＮＹにもあるということで行ってきました。１人前５０ドル。カイピリーニャはなんと目の前でライムなんかを潰して作ってくれます。リオと比べると、お店の規模が小さいのと、リオほどにぎわっていなかったのもあったけど、なんだか懐かしい感じがしました。少しずつ、って言ってるんだけど、結構大きく切られちゃって、すごいいっぱいの肉を食べた気が・・・。あたしってば、ここんところ、ほんと肉づくし・・・。

I heard that there was a restaurant in NY, which was a branch of the restaurant we went in Rio and whose Brazilian BBQ was so tasty. Therefore, we went there. It cost $50 per person. I was very happy because they made Caipirinha just in front of me by using fresh lime. Compared with that in Rio, the restaurant was smaller, and not
so crowded than that in Rio. But the restaurant brought me back some memories. Although I requested the staff to serve me a little, they gave me a large cut of every meat. So I ate too much again... Anyway, recently, I have eaten a lot of meat almost every day!!!

The Empire State Building

やっぱりＮＹに来たら、一度は登らないとということで、エンパイアステートビルに登ってきました。８６階の展望台は、外に出ることができます。１８ドル。なんとその上にも行くことができて、１０２階の展望台は室内のみで、追加で１５ドル。さらに、エンパイアステートビルディングの前には、特急で展望台まで行けるチケットが売ってて、５０ドル近くしてました。時間を金で買うのね・・・。展望台に上ったのは、７時半ごろ。ちょうど夕焼けが見られてとても美しかったです。で、１０２階の展望台に上る頃には日がすっかり落ちて夜景まで見られました。大満足かな。

When one goes to NY, everybody should go up the Empire State Building once. So did I..The 86th floor observatory, we can go outside. It costs $18. We can go up further to the upper floor, the 102th floor observatory, we cannot go outside and the additional fee is $15. The special ticket which made us go to the observatory very quickly were sold in front of the Empire State Building and it cost $50. We can buy time by money... We went to the observatory around 7:30pm, so we could see the sunset, and it was very very beautiful. And when we went to the 102th floor observatory, the sun went down and we could see a night view. I was very satisfied with that.

Sightseeing in NYC

今までは、ＮＹに来て、ほぼ買い物しかしていなかったので、今回は買い物なしの、完全観光旅行。到着してからアートギャラリーを１０か所ほど回りました。ＮＹにはいっぱいギャラリーがあるのですね・・・。って言っても私、アートの才能がないので、どの作品がよいかなどはわかりませんけど（笑）。それからGrand zeroにも行きました。まだ新しいビルの工事中です。ここであの大惨劇が起きたのか？と思うほど、何事もなかったように淡々とビル工事が進んでいる感じです。震災後に初めて神戸に行ったときと同じく、なんとも言えない気分でした。写真は、Grand zeroの完成図。

So far, when I came to NY, all I had done is shopping. So, this time, I will do sightseeing, not shopping. After arriving at NY, I went to about 10 art galleries. I did not know there were so many art galleries in NY. However, I have no talent for art, so I do not know which art is best. I went to Grand zero. New building was still under construction. I cannot believe the tragedy really occurred here, and men were working as if nothing had happened. I was deeply concerned with this scene as well as when I went to Kobe first after 1995 Kobe earthquake.

Last trip??

土日に、最後にＮＹＣに行ってこようと、ＮＹに来て、そしてなぜかブログを書いています、でも更新してない・・（最近、超さぼってました・・・）。友達とご飯のはずだったんだけど、友達から連絡が入らず、ホテルで一人お腹を空かせながらブログを書いてます（笑）。夜１１時から、他の友達と会う予定なので、それまで我慢。アメリカ生活には慣れたけど、なんとなく、一人で出かけて飲んで食べる勇気がでません。早く友達来ないかな・・・。

I planned to go to NY from Friday thru Sunday. Now I am in NY and I am writing my blog (but not updating). (I have not updated my blog recently...) Despite the promise to to have dinner with my friends, there is no call for me. So I am waiting for their call and writing my blog with my starving... I have a plan to see another friend at 11:00 pm, so I cannot eat by 11:00pm. I do never have the courage to go out for dinner alone. I hope my friend would come and see me soon.

Kotobuki

ＤＣ生活も残り１週間余りとなり、日本人トレイニーの人達と少人数でしっぽり、ということで飲みました。Kotobukiという日本食レストランに行きました。この辺では、まあおいしいというレストランです。ブリかまや、イカの塩辛や、刺身やお寿司や、いろいろ食べました。が、なんと言っても日本酒です。この日は、ジャニスにご飯を奢る会だったわけですが、彼女の大好きな久保田の万寿、720ｍ、なんと１本125ドル。。。日本で買うと、１升７０００円くらいみたいですねぇ・・・４倍以上します。運悪く（運よく）万寿が１本しかなかったので、２本目からは残念ながら他のお酒に。ジャニスはじゃんじゃん飲むので（笑）。結構高かったけれど、でもおいしかったからよし、です。

I have only about one week left before I leave DC, so we had a cozy get together with some Japanese trainees. We went to Kotobuki which was a Japanese restaurant. The level (price and taste) is so so around Ballston. we ate a broiled head of Buri with salt, Shiokara of calamari, Sashimi and Sushi and so on. But the main purpose was Nihonshu. We were going to pay for Janice, and she loves manju of Kubota. One bottle of manju (720 ml) costs S125. If we buy this in Japan, we can buy $70 per one shou (one shou is 1800ml). In DC, it costs four times as in Japan! Unfortunately for Janice, and fortunately for us, the restaurant only had one manju, after drinking one mangu, we drank other sake. Because Janice was really strong for alcohol, it was expensive but it was very fun.

RAY’S THE STEAKS

ＤＣで、安くておいしいステーキのお店として、超人気のRoy’s stakeに行ってきました。ということで、また肉です（笑）。もちろん、フィレ肉を頼んだけれど、トリフソースってので頼みました。フィレ肉の上に結構でかいフォアグラが乗っていて、30-40ドルくらいかな。前菜で、クラムチャウダー、ほたてのソテー、サーモンなんかを食べましたけど、これがおいしい。ＤＣではおいしいシーフードをなかなか食べられませんが、ここのシーフードはイケます。で、フィレ肉もおいしかったけど、　　のが味は上かもしれません。でもフォアグラ乗ってたからな、また食べたいな・・。４人でワイン２本も飲んで、いっぱい頼みましたけど、１人８０ドルくらいでした。日本より食事は安いと思います。

We went to Roy’s Steak which was the best tasty steak restaurant in DC and very famous restaurant. Well, I ate meat again ^^. Of course, I ordered fillet steak but this time it was a fillet with truffle sauce. The steak was served with a big foie gras and it cost $30-S40. And we ate clam chowder, saute of escallops, and salmon as appetizer, they were soooooo delicious. The seafood in this restaurant was really good.
Although the fillet was very delicious, meat of the Capital Grille might be more delicious than Roy’s steak. However, I like foie gras very much, so I do want to eat it again. We, four persons, drank two bottles of wine, and ate many dishes, but it cost about $80 a person. Restaurants in DC are cheaper than those in Tokyo.

The capital grille

アメリカに来て、ちゃんとステーキを食べてないな・・・と言ったら、それはダメだー、ステーキを食べないとダメだー、という話になって、ステーキを食べに行きました。ステーキは、１人前42-45ドル。ＤＣ界隈では、中高級くらいかな・・・。ワイン少しとサイドオーダを入れて75ドルくらいだったかと。私が一番好きなのは、フィレ肉なので、フィレ肉を食べましたけど、おいしかったです。アメリカのお肉も結構おいしいかも。
As I told some of my friends that I have never eaten a steak dinner, they said it was too bad, and you should eat American steak. Then we went to have a steak dinner. The price is $42-S45 per one steak; it was a little expensive in DC. Since we ordered a bottle of wine and side dishes, we paid about $75 per person. My most favorite is fillet steak, so I ate it. It was very tasty. I thought American beef was good!