Japan

Arashiyama

% ARABICA Kyoto Arashiyama

Walden Woods, Kyoto

Weekenders Coffee, Kyoto

Nara Park

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Mori Art Museum

National Art Center, Tokyo

Sensō-ji Temple

Yoyogi Park

Golden Gai, Shinjuku

Recommendations for Kyoto

Coffee:
Walden Woods
% ARABICA Kyoto Arashiyama
Weekenders Coffee

Food:
Otsuka
Breakfast Kishin

Sightseeing:
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Gion
Fushimi Inari Taisha

Recommendations for Tokyo

Coffee:
Onibus Coffee Nakameguro
Koffee Mameya

Food:
Shin Udon
Savoy Azabu-Juban
Tsukiji Fish Market

Sightseeing:
teamLab Borderless
National Art Center, Tokyo
Mori Art Museum
Sensō-ji Temple
Yoyogi Park

Tips

• Purchase a JR Pass if you’re traveling between cities to save tons of money.

• Purchase a PASMO card for easy travel on trains, subways, and buses.

• Renting portable wifi (like Pupuru) is super affordable and easy to pick up/return at the airport.

Jupin & Resham's Engagement

When Jupin asked me to shoot her and Resham’s engagement session, she said she wanted a sunset shoot in traditional Indian outfits with props. I had no idea what this would entail, but everything turned out beautifully! Shout out to her entire family for helping with the shoot, with everyone directing, styling, and lugging heavy props back and forth through grass burs. We were definitely chasing light by the end of it since we couldn’t bring the props down to the main preserve and had to wing it, but everyone made it work!

Michelob ULTRA Pairing: Shrimp Spring Roll Recipe

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Michelob ULTRA. The opinions and text are all mine.

Around the holidays, potlucks are never ending! It can make you feel like you’re overeating too much, and I hate that bloated feeling. That’s why this year, I chose Michelob ULTRA over wine. A glass of Michelob ULTRA has 60% less carbs and 20% less calories than a glass of wine! To take it even further, I thought I’d share a recipe that’s best paired with this light beer: Vietnamese shrimp spring rolls.

Spring Roll Ingredients:

• 8.5” rice paper

• lettuce

• bean sprouts

• cucumbers

• mint

• basil

• cooked vermicelli noodles

• boiled shrimp (I use 3 shrimp per roll)

Peanut Sauce Ingredients (taken from Nerds with Knives):

• ¾ cup (190g) creamy peanut butter

• ⅓ cup (80ml) hot water

• ¼ cup (60ml) hoisin sauce

• 2 tablespoons (30ml) rice vinegar

• 1 tablespoon (15ml) soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon (15ml) fish sauce

• 1 medium garlic clove, grated

• 2 teaspoons (10ml) toasted sesame oil

• 2 teaspoons (8g) sugar

• 1 teaspoon (12g) chili-garlic paste

Step 1: Peanut sauce

The peanut sauce is super easy to make: take all of the ingredients and whisk them together in a small bowl. This is your dipping sauce for the rolls later!

Step 2: Wet the rice paper

Fill a large bowl or shallow plate with water and then wet the rice paper. You only need to wet it for 1-2 seconds for it to start getting soft. Lay this down to start building your spring roll.

Step 3: Assemble

Put the lettuce down first. Then you can start adding in the noodles and other veggies. Save the shrimp for last! They go up top, spaced above the lettuce. You’ll see why in the next step.

Step 4: Roll!

Now comes the fun part! Start by rolling from the bottom up, and roll all the way up to the lettuce. Fold the edges in and then continue rolling, including the shrimp. This is for presentation purposes: the shrimp will sit nicely above everything else!

Watch below to see how to roll!

All done! There you have it - a simple, easy, and healthy dish to bring to potlucks and pair with a light Michelob ULTRA! Enjoy!