Beach near bills Shichirigahama

So you’ve probably been wondering why I’ve been MIA. I’ve been slowly trying to get myself back into the groove of work, household chores, exploring Japan, and transitioning back to reality after the Camino. It hasn’t been an easy transition and there are days when I just want to hop the next plane back to Europe!

This weekend, however, was not one of those times. My good friends from Iwakuni came up to visit me. It’s always great fun catching up with friends but we also had a pretty epic weekend! We checked two major Japan to-do’s off my friends’ list; Kamakura and Mt. Fuji.

On Friday, we headed to Kamakura to see the Great Buddha and Hase-dera Temple. We stumbled upon an awesome macrobiotic/hemp café where I had some  delicious hemp curry in this groovy little spot. In the evening, we headed to the coast between Kamakura and Enoshima to enjoy dinner at bills. My friends are foodies too so we ooh’d and ahh’d over the meal.  We all got different main dishes so we were able to sample the menu as much as possible. We also followed it up with his famous ricotta hotcakes with bananas and honeycomb butter. Delicious! (It is also noteworthy that we all walked away with one of his cookbooks to continue recreating his dishes at home!)

The following day, we hiked Mt. Fuji. It was a nasty day with typhoon-level winds, clouds obscuring any views, and rain. It was the epitome of my husband’s phrase, a “memory maker,” which basically means probably not the most enjoyable hike but one that you will forever tell stories about! Our friends and family will hear stories of being pulled off our feet by these winds, getting our “exfoliating” scrub by lava rocks with each gust, and walking in the clouds.

So with that, I’m going to share my attempt at bills’ wonderful Rosewater Lemonade. I had it for the first time over a year ago and have tried to recreate it several times. It’s delicious and a little bit of rosewater goes a long way. An easy way to dress up a simple lemonade!

Rosewater Lemonade
inspired by bills restaurant

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (approx. 5-6)
3 cups water
½ TBSP rosewater
Simple syrup, to taste

Simple Syrup
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar

To make simple syrup, place water and sugar in pan on stove top. Bring to a slight boil until all sugar has dissolved. Cool.

Squeeze lemons and place in pitcher. Add water and rosewater. Mix well and add as much simple syrup as desired. I typically like tart lemonade but I find with the rosewater, a sweeter lemonade works better. Add ice and lemon slices for garnish. Enjoy!