#26 Gyu-Kaku Times Square!

This month has been one of our busiest yet. Having only been in the United States for about three years, every new client is a great stride for us as a company. I have only been with the company a few months, so it's a rewarding and satisfying feeling to know that I have helped our company grow and succeed, as well as helping salons grow and succeed with their business. Best of all, the salon clients who receive the e-Cure Treatment become loyal customers who are so happy with the healthier state of their hair!

Our first appetizer: Edamame, with salt crystals.

So we had a lot to celebrate this month. In addition to all of our new customers, we are enjoying the company of an intern. Her name is Marina and she is a university student from Japan. Marina will only be with us for a few weeks, but she's an enthusiastic and fun co-worker.

My empty plate. Chopsticks at the ready!

Where to go to celebrate? Gyu-Kaku, of course! Last time we ate there we went to the Mid-town location http://www.gyu-kaku.com/ny/midtown.htm. This time we went to the Times Square location http://www.gyu-kaku.com/ny/timessquare.htm . The decor was more casual, and the menu had a few, small differences. Of course the food was fantastic and we all enjoyed a very nice meal together.  I have posted some pics here but you can view the whole album on facebook very soon http://www.facebook.com/ecuretreatment?ref=hl.

The empty grill, gettin hot and ready to fire.  



Above: Appetizer #2: Ahi Poke'. Raw Ahi Tuna seasoned & served with shredded seaweed salad and a horseradish garnish. Below: Appetizer #3: Tuna Boats - tuna pate served on top of a crispy rice ball, with sesme seeds.

The main course arrived and we enjoyed several varieties of beef, tinfoil packets of broccoli and mushrooms, and a pitcher of Japanese beer that complimented our meal perfectly.

The conversation flowed

Scallops, sausages, and more vegetable packets

It was a perfect meal for all of us since some of us have an aversion to shellfish or pork. There was plenty for all and we started to get very full very quickly.

Should we order dessert?



Iaisha and Mayu laughing while the sausages and scallops cooked. Notice the edamame is almost gone! We also enjoyed some sticky rice, seasoned with garlic, with our grilled foods.

                                                                                             

Ok, it looks like a fish but it's really Taiyaki - a delicious dessert! A rice pastry stuffed with a sweet bean curd paste and vanilla ice cream. Another dessert we enjoyed, not pictured, was a platter of banana crepes served hot with cinnamon vanilla ice cream.

It was called Banana Caramel cheesecake Xango.  Our third choice for dessert was this beautiful, layered Green Tea Mille Crepe. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and we definitely will be visiting Gyu-Kaku again!



#12 On Tea

In August, we are discontinuing the S-series shampoo in Orange and replacing it with S-4 Black Tea. Some samples arrived for us to experience this new, amazing fragrance. It made me wonder about Tea in general. What I perceive as a simple daily routine actually has a history that stretches back millenia, across world cultures and religions.
According to http://www.stashtea.com/info/history, one of the first recorded uses of tea is in China during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), in which it was taken medicinally. The earliest record of tea as an everyday beverage comes from the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE). I wonder how it was discovered: perhaps someone had some tea leaves accidentally fall into boiling water and the resulting beverage was found to be delicous, satisfying, and invigorating.
There are four types of tea to enjoy, with countless subvarieties based on where the tea was grown, what season it was picked, how it was processed after picking, and what additives are added to it before brewing.

White Tea: http://whiteteaguide.com/ is the least processed form of tea. Because of this it has both reduced caffiene and more nutrients compared to other teas.

Green Tea: According to the University of Maryland website http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/green-tea-000255.htm , green tea has many health benefits.

Oolong Tea: these tea leaves are allowed to wither in the sun and oxidize before curling and twisting the leaves. http://www.teavana.com/tea-info/oolong-tea

Black Tea: Black tea is fully fermented, giving it it's dark color. http://www.blackteas.com/history-of-black-tea.php

Tea, in any of these forms, offers many health benefits. For me, a good cup of tea with a little sugar or honey provides relaxation, comfort, and great place to dip cookies. I definitely prefer traditional black or green tea. I have discovered I do not like flavored teas. Even with the caffiene content, I enjoy a hot cup of tea before bed. Amazingly, science and medicine are still finding new uses for tea.

And now, our newest S-Series shampoo has a Black Tea fragrance. I can't wait to try it!