Say Hello To OrigaMirna

Added on by the ikebana shop.

It is always a pleasure to meet another person who shares an interest in one of the things we are passionate about: ORIGAMI!  Mirna is originally from Croatia.  She moved to Canada with her husband and four-year old daughter in 2013.  She recently visited our shop and brought with her a lot of origami energy in the form of these mini kusudama set as mini origami trees.

Kusudama is a type of origami where many identical pieces (usually conical or pyramidal) are sewn (or glued) together to form one ball of flower.

Kusudama-making images courtesy of Mirna Blažinčić Čonkaš.

Mirna's love for origami began when a cousin introduced her to the art.  She was 8 years old.  She was fascinated by the fact that a sheet of plain square paper could be transformed into something complex (though not necessarily so!) and beautiful.  In time, she not only learned more complicated pieces but also came to appreciate the process itself.  

 
“The process of folding a complex model is like meditation. I forget about plans for the next day. All worries and fears disappear. And when I’m finished, in addition to a beautiful flower or a mysterious unicorn, I feel relaxed, refreshed and empty-­minded. In a positive way, of course.”
 

We are happy to have some of Mirna's work available at the shop.  Every piece is unique and made with plenty of love, patience and attention to detail.  All hand-made, of course!

Please also visit her facebook page to see what else she's been up to!

 
“Although I’ve learned many complex models since then, I’m always happy to return to the crane and try fold it as perfectly as possible.”
 

Image courtesy of Mirna Blažinčić Čonkaš.

Geequinox 2015

Added on by the ikebana shop.

A BIG thank-you to everyone who visited our booth at Geequinox Ver 2.0 last weekend!  Many of you came in your wonderful cosplay.  Here are some images at the event.  Wish we could have taken more pics!

The Attack On Titan Survey Corps descended on our booth!

Here's Luffy from One Piece!

Sayaka Miki from Madoka Magica!

Celebrity cosplayers too!

Buzz Lightyear looking all serious in a meeting. :-D

Wasn't that fun? :-)  A BIG thank-you to the organizers who made this happen.  See you in Ver 3.0!

My Ikebana: Showing Water

Added on by the ikebana shop.

I use a simple glass container to show purity of water.

Inside, statice stems are arranged in a horizontal manner to contrast against the long, tall cylindrical vase.

A small mass of statice blooms is created not only on the inside but also on the outside to keep the arrangement a bit off-balanced.  (How does the statice mass stay in place?  Secret revealed below!)

Here is the whole arrangement.  

I hope you like it.  --Miyako

 

Here is the secret to affixing the blooms at the top of the container: Plastic kenzans!  They have suction cups to keep them in place.

Find out more about the plastic kenzan here.

My Ikebana: Simple Pine Re-Construction

Added on by the ikebana shop.

This arrangement's theme is about deconstructing and re-inventing a pine branch.

After being separated from the branch, the pine needles are re-arranged to show a certain flow, somewhat a downward cascading movement.  At the same time, the tiny branches shooting from the main pine limb are displayed.   The yellow freesia reminds us of the coming of spring. 

Here is the whole arrangement.

I hope you like it.  --Miyako

My Ikebana: Curved And Straight Lines

Added on by the ikebana shop.

This arrangement brings together curved and straight lines.

Myrtle branches make the straight line component whilst eucalyptus and birch branches provide the curves.  

The chrysanthemums on the left side look as if they are peeking through the eucalyptus to give the arrangement a sense of depth.  One bloom mixed with the towering myrtle puts more emphasis to the unbending component.

The connection of birch branches combine the two elements into one whole arrangement.

I hope you like it.  --Miyako

Ikebana With Coirón

Added on by the ikebana shop.

Coirón?  We've never heard of this material before until once again our friend, Ana Luisa from Chile, introduced it to us, albeit vicariously. (See what she has shown us in the past here.) 

Coiron is a strong fibrous grass that grows in bunches.  It is predominantly found in southern South America.  

[Poaceae] Festuca gracillima2
(Source: Flickr)

In the summer, the coirón bakes in the sun and turns into a naturally bright golden colour.  The grass is woven together to make baskets and other traditional crafts.

 

Wild Chilean coiron collected from the hills near Lake Colbun.


Lake Colbun (Source: Flickr)

Where is Lake Colbun? Right here!

Our friend from Chile, an enthusiastic ikebanista, shared with us some photos of her arrangements using coirón.  It must be wonderful to be able to work with such interesting material!

 

In the arrangement, she uses deep fuschia peonies to contrast the golden yellow of the coirón.  The wavy lines create an interesting sense of motion!

These special coirón pieces were woven by Chilean artisans.

 

The arrangement to the left has blue hydrangeas and yellow roses.

The coiron form a captivating "cover" for the glass vases.

The work below is an archived photo (40 years ago!) of an arrangement using coirón by Ana Luisa's teacher, Maria Undurraga MacKenna (rank of 1st Grade Komon).  We love this arrangement as it uses the coirón to add a certain lightness around all the chrysanthemums.  It is a good contrast against the two arrangements above where the woven coirón drapes over the arrangement as a more solid material.

Thank you, Ana Luisa Quiñones, for sharing lovely ikebana with us!

Halifax's Little Japanese Secret

Added on by the ikebana shop.

We are often asked: "Where can we find authentic Japanese cuisine in Halifax?"  There are a few places, for sure...like Sushi Shige, Daruma Sushi and Ko-Doraku.  Let us let you in on a secret about the latter one, Ko-Doraku...right next to the "fast food" area, a new space has been created meant for finer Japanese dining...and it is not just sushi!

Shuji Manabe, who runs Ko-Doraku, has been in the restaurant business since 1985.  After completing training at "sushi school" in Japan, he was hired by the Suisha Gardens in Ottawa.  A young man looking for adventure but not really knowing much about the world outside Japan, Shuji-san hopped on a plane to Ottawa without really knowing where it was...not to mention that it was the capital of Canada!  But after that, there was no looking back.  Shuji-san was hooked on the restaurant business.  His expertise of course is Japanese cuisine.  

He settled in Halifax in 1992 and went on to set up a number of Japanese restaurants through the years--Daruma Sushi, Momoya Restaurant, Doraku (now re-named Suzuki Restaurant).  Each time he sold a business, he found himself setting up another one later on.  

"Ko-Doraku" means "child of Doraku".  When Shuji-san sold the old Doraku Restaurant on Dresden Row to the current owner, he envisioned a less hectic pace with Ko-Doraku, settling on serving the lunch time crowd at his current location at the basement of Spring Garden Place. 

But soon, his passion for Japanese cuisine could not be stopped.  He took over the space beside Ko-Doraku and created a full service dining area where people can relax and enjoy Japanese food...not just sushi...and not just what you can find in the regular Ko-Doraku menu.  And therein lies the secret!  More on that later...

The restaurant is called "Dora-Q"....a little play on "Doraku".  In Japanese, "Doraku"「道楽」means "hobby or something one does for fun".  When applied to a culinary setting, it takes on an epicurean nuance, which is very apt.  Shuji-san describes Dora-Q as his "hobby", not conceived for its business potential but more as an outlet for his love for Japanese cooking.

The interior is gorgeous, beautiful obi are draped all over and there is an elegant display of samurai armour and uchikake kimono.  The photo on the left below is the waiting lounge where you can enjoy a drink or two whilst waiting for your table to be ready.  The actual dining area is on the other side of the white curtain.

Shuji-san now runs the restaurant with his young business partner, Erika Tokuyama.  Together, they keep the place humming!  Shuji-san plays the mentor and has this to say about Erika-san: "One of the happiest moments of being a teacher is when we see that the student has the potential of one day surpassing the teacher.  I see that in Erika-san."

This night, we had a sukiyaki dinner...which is not on the menu!

If you must know, sukiyaki is a Japanese meal where thinly sliced beef is simmered in soy sauce, mirin and sugar, along with vegetables, tofu, shirataki (stringy konnyaku jelly), etc.  When cooked, diners take what they want from the pot into their own bowls to eat.  Some people like to dip the sukiyaki in raw egg (optional!)

What a joy to eat there!  Great surroundings and good food on exquisite Japanese tableware.  (Shameless plug: Some of the pottery came from our shop! ^_^)

IMG_7361.jpg

So is the food authentic?  We ask Shuji-san if he guarantees that the food they serve will be exactly like it is in Japan.  His answer: an honest "no".  

Shuji-san explains.
"It is absurd to think that you can find all the original Japanese ingredients here in Atlantic Canada.  Sometimes it is simply not possible; sometimes it is too expensive to make any sense. What Erika-san and I could offer is the fact that we 'know' Japanese food.  We know it with our minds, our hearts and our bodies.  We don't need to 'copy' anything.  We know how the food should taste like and how it should be presented.  We may lack some ingredients but we prepare our food in the Japanese way...so we are proud to call it Japanese cuisine, even if it won't be exactly like what you will find in Japan." 

Indeed, the sukiyaki was as authentic as it could get!

So, how does one go about it?  The secret is to call a few days ahead and tell them what you want.  A certain familiarity with Japanese food would definitely help but is not necessary.  Dora-Q will help and offer suggestions.  So would you like a yaki-zakana teishoku (grilled fish meal), shabu-shabu or perhaps a proper tempura meal?  Let them know in advance and they will prepare everything with utmost care.  Why are they doing it this way?  The kitchen is not very big enough to accommodate a full-blown menu....for now.  We don't know how long this system will continue but we suspect that when clear favourites are identified, a regular menu would not be far behind.  The key is to first let customers know that there is more to Japanese food than sushi!

Dora-Q is located at the basement of Spring Garden Place (5640 Spring Garden Road).  They also have a direct entrance on Brenton Street. Contact them at (902) 423-8787.

Updates as of January, 2023

In 2020, Shuji-san and Erika-san sold Ko-Doraku. The new owner is also Japanese and continues to operate the restaurant successfully to this day.

In the same year, Shuji-san and Erika-san opened the new Doraku restaurant on Ochterloney St., Dartmouth NS.

Sadly, in December, 2022, Shuji-san passed away. Doraku restaurant continues to operate with Erika-san at the helm.

March Break Pokémon Origami Workshop!

Added on by the ikebana shop.

Do you like Pokemon?

We are planning an origami workshop for the spring break  We will make 3 versions of Pikachu.  Participants will also get a free Pokémon sticker set in a little Poké Ball container! Please see the poster.

Date: Mar 21st, Saturday
Time: 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Venue: our studio (right above the shop)

Cost: $8 plus HST per person.  All materials are included.
Max 10 persons.  Advanced registration is required.  First come, first served!

Please call or email to book your spot.
Tel (902) 407-0487
email: shop@theikebanashop.com

If we get fully booked and more people are registering, we might have another workshop at 3:00-4:00 p.m.  But this is not guaranteed yet.

Hope to see you soon!