Tosca

The other day, I went to the Italian restaurant, "Tosca."

We went there lunch time. It has course of $ 35, as well as a la carte.
We ordered lunch course. The portion was big for me, but it tasted very delicious.

Garganelli

Stinging nettle Garganelli with Amatriciana ragu, farm fresh herbs and Provolone cheese
The texture was my favorite one.

Branzino Spagnolo

Roasted Spanish sea bass with spring garlic sauce, fava beans, oven dried chery tomatoes and fresh herb olive oil.
The fish was baked crispy, and the sauce was also delicious.

Tiramisu

Chef's modernized Tiramisu
It was creamy and delicious.

Smithsonian National Zoological Park

I went to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park yesterday.  The nearest metro station is Redline's Woodley Park/Zoo.

Entrance of the Zoo

No charge for entrance.

Asia Trail

Asian Small-Clawed Otter

Asian Small-Clawed Otters.
They were so cute!

The next is the Giant Panda!

Giant Panda

Panda is so popular.

Eating, eating, eating ...

Pringles' vending machine. I've never seen pringles vending machine.

 
It was interesting. I was really excited.

The Zoo covers 163 acres and it takes several hours to see all of the animals and exhibits.  To make your walk around the Zoo more enjoyable, wear comfortable shoes and clothing, as the Zoo is set on hilly terrain and some paths are steep.   

Daikaya

"Daikaya"- a new Sapporo ramen style restaurant opened in Chinatown, Washington D.C.  I went there with my friends in the evening. The shop was such a crowded one, and we had to wait for around 20 minutes.

Miso Ramen

I ordered Miso Ramen and added a boiled egg. The soup was leaning on the salty side, but still it was very delicious. The price is average in the United States.The space was clean and modern. The staff was friendly.　I left the restaurant with satisfaction.

Peak bloom of the cherry blossom at the Tidal Basin

This time, I write about cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin.

D.C.'s cherry blossoms reached the peak at the beginning of this week.  It was still cold at the previous weekend, and the flowers were not in bloom almost. During these a few days, however, it became warmer, and cherry blossoms got finally flourished at a stretch.

The Tidal Basin is a man-made inlet adjacent to the Potomac River in Washington, DC. It was created in 1897 as a means for draining the Washington Channel after high tide.  Visitors are drawn to the area during cherry blossom season.

Approximately 3,750 cherry trees are situated on the Tidal Basin. Most of the trees are Yoshino Cherry.

I got to the Tidal Basin by taking Metro to the Smithsonian Station. From the station, I walked for around 10 minutes.

Curbside Cupcakes

Today I would like to introduce "Curbside Cupcakes."

According to their website, Curbside Cupcakes is Washington DC’s first mobile cupcakery.  They first hit the road in November, 2009 and they now have three trucks bringing the “Cupcake Bliss” to Washington DC, Arlington, & Montgomery County.  They also have a delivery service. I personally never encountered its truck, but a new shop has opened at Pentagon City. So, I finally tried it.

There are several cute sweets.

 

Since this was my first attempt, I bought a Chocolate cake. In my opinion, chocolate is one of the safest flavors for me in the United States.

This is it. The taste is not bad. But I prefer softer cream. Maybe, it's my fault because I am not used to eating butter cream...

 

Hana Japanese Market

This is a supermarket which offers Japanese food.

 This is the only Japanese food shop in D.C.  The size is small, but there are kinds of goods.  All of them are Japanese food. The price is standard in the United States, considering the cost of importing.  They are selling, including but not limited to:      
Japanese vegetables;      
Fresh eggs that can be eaten raw;      
Rice including brown rice;      
Rice balls;      
Japanese bread;      
Oden ingredients; and      
Natto.  

By the way, some people might wonder why I noted onigiri. But I cannot buy rice balls at supermarkets and convenience stores in D.C., not like in Japan.  There are more kinds of natto at Hana than ordinary supermarkets in Japan.     

Hana Market   
2000 17th St, NW  Washington, DC 20009  
Tel: (202) 939-8854  
Open 7 days a week　  
10:00am - 8:00pm　

Peak bloom of the cherry blossom

According to the National Park Service (NPS), it has updated the peak bloom prediction of the cherry blossom trees for April 6-8.
Peak bloom is defined as the period when 70 percent of the blossoms on the Yoshino Cherry trees are open; however, the blooming period can last up to 14 days.

Kindle...

I am wondering if I can use free 3G access to Kindle store outside the U.S.
Recently I received a message from Amazon that they charge a fee for the usage outside the States.
If it is real, then, this is disappointing because it is different from what I have heard from Amazon Japan. I need to confirm the exact situation.

Air charges passengers by their weight

Air Samoa is the first airline which started to charge passengers by weight.

It says its pricing policy that it implemented is the fairest way to charge for a ticket.

Is it good for people to be motivated? Anyway, I must keep dieting to avoid additional charge.

Tax Return

I dispatched the document to IRS for tax return at the USPS. I am wondering why I must submit the document even though I have no earning here. This is different from Japanese practice.