Las Chillonas Mexican Restaurant in Hamamatsu: Good Break from the Usual

It's easy to find Italian, Indian, French, Chinese, Korean and Philippine Cuisine in Hamamatsu. The area around the Hamamatsu Station is surrounded by various restos of these kind. A Mexican Restaurant is a different story. In almost a year of my stay here I only got to eat in one Mexican Restaurant- Las Chillonas.

Las Chillonas!

Las Chillonas is a family-owned little restaurant tucked in the quiet street of Motohoma-cho. It's situated on the first floor of a Hispanic family's house. It's safe to assume that the second floor is their living quarters.

The facade and interior of the restaurant are nothing fancy. You can't miss it though with it's orange walls that stands out along the neighborhood. It's reminiscent of cheap restos in Mejico and sidewalk food places. Though there's nothing grand about the place, it's clean and presentable including the toilet. 

interior of Las Chillonas

The menu is in Spanish and in Japanese. Since I have little knowledge of Spanish, I can understand most of the words. I think some food terms are common so it wouldn't be really difficult for English speakers to choose. (Eg: burrito, taco, nachos, etc.) The menu has pictures so you'll get a picture of what you can get anyway. 

My friend and I ordered some nachos for appetizer. The toppings are just okay though I wish they could have added more cheese. The nachos are also a bit stale. It's not as crispy as I would want it to be. Nonetheless, we finished them. 

Some Nacho Lovin'

I had a Chimichanga. It's a mixture of meat and vegetables wrapped in crepe. I had chicken Chimichanga but I think beef would taste better. Mine wasn't as flavorful as I hoped it would be. It's still good though especially with a small drop of hot sauce. The serving was kinda big for me I only finished 2 thirds of it. 

(More on Places in Japan, here.)

Chicken Chimichanga

My friend had tacos. They're delicious. That's it!

It's also great to note that the place has vegetable offerings so even vegetarians can dine at Las Chillonas. 

Beef taco

For drinks, I recommend trying Jamaica or Tamarind drinks. Both are uniquely tasteful and smooth I can't choose which I like better. There are also alcoholic drinks which I haven't tried. They have a small bar with various wines and liquors.  

The staff is courteous on the average. Prices are reasonable. The only downside of this place is their unpredictable opening times. They are not open regularly so check first before coming. 

Their contact number is 053-482-9484. 

How to get there: 

1. You can walk from Zaza City for 20-30 minutes. In this case, you'll be needing a Google Map. 

2. Take the Entestu Line from Hamamatsu Station. Get off at Hachiman Station, the third station from Hamamatsu. It's a five-minute walk from Hachiman Station. 

Las Chillonas
Restaurante Mexico
Address: 430-0942 Shizuoka-ken, Hamamatsu-shi, Naka-ku, Motohama-cho 290-4
Tel: 053-482-9484
Lunch hours: Monday – Friday, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Dinner hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 5:00 pm – 12:00 am

For More Review: http://mmm-fruit.com/2011/05/hola-las-chillonas/#.UZlrYqKmiAg

How to Renew Your Residence Card in Japan

So two weeks ago, I went to the Immigration Office to have my residence card renewed. Good thing that I did not wait for the last minute (like when my card will expire the day before) . It takes about two to three weeks before a new card can be released. Although I have never experienced my card being checked by the  police, I would still feel safer knowing I have an up-to-date card.

sample Residence Card in Japan

Here are the things I brought when I renewed my card.

1. Passport (Not expired of course)

2. 1 Passport-Sized Picture with focus on the head and shoulders. It shouldn't be more than 6 months.

3. Application Form for Extension of Stay. This can be downloaded or this can be filled up at the Immigration.

4. Residence Card.

5. Tax Certificate.The company I work for sent it to me last December.

6. Visa Sponsorship Letter or Certificate.

The process is fairly simple. Just prepare everything before coming to the immigration office. Submit all the documents. Once your name is called, you'll fill up a postcard that will be sent to you. This will serve as your notification when you need to return and get your new residence card.

(More on Living in Japan, here.)

Unless your application has problems, you'll be able to get your card within two to three weeks. I'm getting mine next week. Yey!

A Chikan or Not a Chikan: Molesting with Consent?

So there's this man who "molested" a woman on a train because they agreed to do it. This is one of the weirdest news I've read so I'm sharing... 

Reference: http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/man-arrested-for-molesting-woman-after-being-invited-to-do-so-online

Man arrested for molesting woman after being invited to do so online

CRIME MAY. 13, 2013 - 06:55AM JST ( 44 )

TOKYO —

Wakayama police have arrested 26-year-old Masaya Ogawa for the indecent assault of a 23-year-old woman aboard a commuter train. Adding a bizarre twist to the story, Ogawa claims that she was asking for it.

He doesn’t mean that in the lame wearing-a-mini-skirt-is-asking-for-it way that other sex offenders use. Ogawa says that this was a prearranged session of “molester-play” set up online between him and the woman.

The incident occurred on April 30 at around 7 p.m. on a train running from Kokawa Station to Wakayama Station. Ogawa was sitting next to the woman who was in the window seat when his hand began to creep toward her skirt. Eventually his hand began squeezing her stomach and thigh without restraint.

Photo Credit: http://iwasben.com/category/japan/

At this point, a second, unidentified man who was standing near the door began groping the woman from behind grabbing her breasts. The woman had said “please stop” and the standing man disembarked at the next stop. However, Ogawa continued to grab at the woman’s body. The entire train ride lasted for about 20 to 30 minutes with the groping ongoing throughout. When the train came to its final stop at Wakayama Station, the pair got up to leave. However, as they got off the train, the woman suddenly grabbed the man by the arm and took him to the station workers. They then delivered Ogawa to police.

After his arrest on May 8, Ogawa made a statement saying, “I was looking on a website for people who want to molest to meet people who want to be molested. I got the time and train car information from a woman on that website.” The woman, however, flatly denies ever using that website. Police investigated the “molester-play” website where Ogawa claimed to have met the woman and found postings such as “is there someone to molest on the Wakayama Line?” along with train times and seat locations. They were also able to find the second man who got off the train partway through the site.

The investigation is still ongoing. The woman had said that she always sat in the same seat during her commute, so police are looking into the possibility that Ogawa was catfished, meaning that someone pretending to be the woman online set him up to “molester-play” her.

The world seems to be getting stranger by the minute.