I was in dire need of a cucumber sandwich yesterday so I had to occupy my mind by finding out more of this very humble sandwich (which doesn't have very humble origins) on Wikipedia. According to Wikipedia, it's a sandwich for the high class British people who had lots of time to eat (cos they didn't have to work) and thus they will have a very 'light' and un-nutritious cucumber sandwich for tea, as opposed to someone who had to work hard and needed something heavy and more substantial for manual workers.
Of course, I also went to check out many sites on cucumber sandwich recipes (I was wondering if I had to pickle the cucumbers actually...) and I think one of the better sites is here (it's quite an entertaining read even if you don't really want to find out how to make cucumber sandwiches).
I decided to pickle my cucumbers so I placed them in a rice vinegar water bath (it's supposed to be cider but I didn't have that at home and I suppose something acidic will do) along with a spoonful of sugar and a dash of salt. I'm using Japanese cucumbers (the local variety looks too soggy and looks as if they will fail me on my cucumber sandwich mission) so I had the slim dainty Japenese strain (which were grown in Malaysia so it's still cheap).I suppose you can have them fresh and unpickled but I just wanted to try pickling them cos it sounded like they would taste crunchier and nicer... Btw, I used a fruit peeler to get them into really thin slices - my kitchen knife skills are lousy ++ though I must admit that the strips were way too thin and didn't have enough crunch.
After taking a bath(yay for post calls!) and letting my cucumbers soak in the water bath, it's time to dry them off using paper towels. According to the Paupered chef, it's importent to get rid of as much moisture as possible so your bread doesn't become soggy.
Prior to putting the cucumbers on the bread, it's important to spread butter/cream cheese (or one on each side of the bread as I did) over the entire surface of the bread in contact with the cucumber so that it will act as a barrier cream does on skin and the bread wont soak up the juices and become wet.Arrange the cucumbers into neat little strips (just being OCD here it's not necessary at all) but it's important to try to get the same thickness throughout the bread...
For me, the cucumber sandwich wasn't interesting enough so I decided to make a cucumber smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwich. I must admit that it's much harder than it looks and I was in danger of leaving my finger marks everywhere on the bread (it's the Gardenia bread with blue colour packaging)
For me, the cucumber sandwich wasn't interesting enough so I decided to make a cucumber smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwich. I must admit that it's much harder than it looks and I was in danger of leaving my finger marks everywhere on the bread (it's the Gardenia bread with blue colour packaging)Of course, I don't think it's worth the effort in making it again myself, but I did teach my maid how to make them. Next time I need a cucumber sandwich, I will get myself a cup of tea to go along with it :D
We had to wait a while, and during this time, we were told to admire the traditional Japanese garden, including this stone water jug thing for cleansing our hands (?). It's very peaceful and quiet.
The traditional tea room, which has a picture to admire at the side of it, as well as a depressed hearth to warm the tea. It has traditional tatami mats, and the tea masters have to bow before entering and leaving the room. Of course, everything was done in Japanese, so we couldn't understand about 99% of what was going on, whilst the 2 other elderly Japanese tourists oooh-ed and ahhh-ed over what the tea master was saying. We weren't used to kneeling Japanese style, and half way through, my legs were dying from ischemia and we all had a major case of pins and needles once the ceremony ended.
I really hope to visit Uji again, and maybe stay for 2days 1 night since it's such a lovely, quaint city, unpolluted by millions of tourist and tourist buses. And maybe next time I'll find the correct bridge (so many bridges, couldn't find the one where epic battles took place...)
I dislike work. I think I would give my right little finger to spend perhaps another year slacking around, going for holiday, and maybe staying in Japan for a year just to experience the culture and learn the language. I'm on the fast track to looking old and haggard. I'm totally going to pick a career which doesn't involve any more night duty as soon as I can help it. And I am really becoming an old person (even though I really like doing old people things in Japan), I seem to be a hermit (for at least 6 days a week) cos I'm so tired from working. All I really want to do now (apart from sleep) is to curl up on one of 
Future tai tai drinking the pear tea. Personally, I don't like the cranberries - would prefer a piece of cupcake/scone/biscuit to go with the teas rather than some pre-sweetened cranberries...
So since we were in the original Tsujiri store in Gion, Kyoto, we decided to try their special tea set (980 yen, about SGD $15.50). It's 980yen for both the Tencha and Gyokuro, which are high grade green tea.
Tencha is non-fermented green tea, grown in a shaded garden (oishita-en) and is made by steaming, then drying without rolling new tea buds. I really liked this tea - it's the non-ground/powdered version of the tea powder they use in tea ceremonies.
Gyokuro - also non-fermented, and grown in a shaded garden, these are grown for >20 days. They are then steamed, dried and rolled. The aroma is described as 'lofty' and has a mellow taste.
I personally didn't like the weird strong leafy taste of the 
This is a super heavy stone kettle which has hot water. Making the perfect cup of green tea involves pouring lots of hot water here, there and everywhere. I think you need 
It was quite fun at first, but eventually, the 
The detailed instructions of how to make tea - which we eventually didn't follow cos it was too tiring and took too long.
After steeping the tea leaves x1, we had to throw the used tea leaves into the metal container.
The tea set at Tsujiri comes with a choices of traditional hand made Japanese dessert, or with mochi. The traditional dessert changes according to the different seasons. Some of these hand made Japanese sweets can cost 1000 yen (about SGD$15).
I got the mochi dessert, which is a small bowl of mochi and kaiten jelly (like agar agar) in green tea broth, with a scoop of azuki beans (red bean paste).
The 2nd storey entrance to Tsujiri in Gion, Kyoto. 
My first full post-exam day! FINALLY (though I think I really bungled my sh*tty p**ds shorts urgh!). I am happily under-utilizing my little brain after stressing it for so many months, and squeezing it until it protests in the last 3 weeks.
So, being the old and tired person I am, I suggested to go for a relaxing tea at Arteastiq, which I have been wanting to go for about 3 weeks, after reading various reviews on it. It's located in a super-ex furniture stall Marxx (sp?) in Mandarin Gallery.
They have very interesting tea flavours, including cucumber, pear, pomelo, ginger spice etc. They were having an afternoon promotion where their English teas cost $6.90++ instead of the usual $11. The teas are only brewed when you order, so it takes a bit of time before you're served the tea.
French Rose Tea
Hawaii Hibiscus - served with a wedge of lemon
Their cheerful, colourful chairs - their colours remind me of candies. I must say that after the afternoon of chilling out and relaxing (with the storm raging outside) on their huge chairs, I feel much happier and refreshed. Their giraffe print sofas are much more comfy than the chairs though.
The furniture shop side.
I'm already head over heels loving this place after my relaxing afternoon tea here. If only I can spend the rest of my life having tea at least 1x/week :P Heard it's quite crowded during the weekends, so avoid this unless queueing is your hobby... I'm definitely coming back to try their cakes (green tea choc lava cake sounds so enticing!) as well as their light bites.
