After 10 Years, I'm Leaving: My 2025 Favorites
- Sarah
- Dec 30, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Dec 31
Why does time feel like it flies by so fast as you grow older? I was watching a video on this… and I completely forgot what it said. So I hope that video finds its way into your algorithm and you discover the answer for both of us.
Nevertheless, this year flew by fast, and I took the time to reflect on what I've done this past year. Sometimes it's hard to choose your #1's, so I decided to share my top 3's of 2025 instead. Little did I know at the start of the year how much these small joys would matter as everything else shifted around me.
Food and travel—I'm sharing my favorite meals I cooked, go-to ingredients, kitchen tools, restaurants I kept returning to, and the trips that made this year memorable.
I'm also linking my Amazon store so you can also purchase my favorite items:
*No, it's not Amazon affiliate because I keep running into errors, and I gave up for the time being.
*Disclaimer: None of mentioned places or items were sponsored.
Meals that I Chef'd Up
Not including what I filmed…
Simple yet classy: Spicy Peach Yellowtail Crudo I've been on a crudo/carpaccio craze this year. I had an early version of this crudo, but without the peach and spice. The addition of these two really elevated the whole tasting experience. Check out my blog post here: https://www.merosplate.com/recipes/spicy-yellowtail-peach-crudo
My busy lady dinner meal: Mayo-Mustard Renkon Chicken My go-to quick recipe on a busy night that can be cooked in less than 30 minutes. Easily meal-prep-able as well!
The crowd pleaser: Persimmons, Mozzarella, Jamón Serrano Plate Ok, this one took me by surprise with how much of a crowd-pleaser it was during Thanksgiving. Four ingredients, maybe 5 minutes.
My Go-To Ingredients
I’ll buy these on repeat or ration it as long as possible.
黄金の味 甘口 Ougon no Aji Amakuchi
Steak, pepper lunch, donburi… the possibilities are endless! I haven't quite mastered the art of making sauces. Although this is technically a yakiniku sauce, I use this as a marinade on busy days when I come home late There are spicier versions out there for the spice adventurers.
八幡屋礒五郎七味唐辛子 Yawataya Isogoro Shichimi Togarashi
Also known as seven-flavored chili peppers, this all-purpose condiment consists of red chili flakes, sansho pepper, sesame seeds, nori seaweed, shiso, dried orange peel, hemp, and poppy seeds. This is the perfect condiment to use as a finishing seasoning and add a small kick to your dishes. I used this to elevate my simple meals—ramen, rice and fried eggs, and even my spicy peach yellowtail crudo.
みそのこ Miso No Ko (アンダンスー, Andansu)
My mother took a trip to Okinawa and brought this back for me. I am currently rationing this Okinawan specialty because I need to savor it as long as possible. Andansu is pork miso paste, or fried pork and miso, which consists of chunks of pork back fat, miso, sugar, awamori, mirin, and sesame. This goes great over a bowl of rice.
Kitchen Tools
These tools cycled endlessly from my dish rack to the stove to the sink.
Aimedia Fish Frying Pan Set
Although I technically bought this at the tail end of 2024, it was greatly used this past year. It's a versatile pan where you can, of course, grill, as well as stir-fry or just use it to cook all your side dishes in one pan. It doesn't stick and it's easy to clean.
Tamago Egg Pan
I love this pan. This is part of my daily life—I make a cheese omelet for myself every morning for breakfast. Small, light, easy to clean. You can use it for more than just making tamagoyaki.
Recolte Food Processor
A recent purchase I made this year. I've always wanted a food processor. I love the size, shape, and easy-to-use features.
Restaurant Repeat-Offenders of 2025
The criteria is that I have to have gone back at least twice this past year…
Match Point
I've always liked Match Point, but since moving to Japan in 2024, I made frequent visits there this past year. This is the place I go to on a Friday night after a long week of work if I can't decide what I want to eat. They satisfy most of my cravings—from fresh tuna sashimi to pizza and pasta to delicious healthy salads. Address: 5 Chome-1-13 Zushi, Kanagawa 249-0006
Pizzeria B
Living in Italy for five years as a child made me spoiled from the beginning… But I'd say Japan takes their pizza game just as seriously as Italians. Close to home, this is my favorite Italian restaurant in Zushi. High-quality pizzas and I love the fresh appetizers. Address: 5 Chome-6-15 Zushi, Kanagawa 249-0006
Conveyor Belt Sushi Misaki
I've come to love tuna since living in Japan. But at the same time, I've become quite a snob about the quality and type of cut, admittedly… My favorite is arguably the best cut (and typically most expensive): 本鮪 (hon maguro), or bluefin tuna. Although this particular sushi-go-round isn't serving what you'd expect at a Michelin restaurant, it still hits the spot and satisfies my cravings for tuna sushi at a reasonable price.
(Multiple store available across Japan)
Memorable Experiences
In no particular order.
Shimanami Kaido Bike Trip This was on my bucket list for 2025. I saw this bike trail show up on my social media feed and it intrigued me enough to look more into it. I yearned to see the breathtaking views during the island hopping between towering bridges. Green islands dotted the blue ocean and I felt like the scenery was literally sparkling. I used to do a lot of hikes, so I was also looking for an active adventure. This is my first long bike trip, and I'd say this is an easy way for beginners to accomplish this roughly 50-mile bike ride.
Check out my blog post here: https://www.merosplate.com/post/exploring-the-shimanami-kaido-a-2-day-bike-itinerary
Taiwan Trip with My Mother Since my semester abroad in college was cut incredibly short in Taiwan due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I've been meaning to go back. My mother also wanted to experience Taiwan, so we took a mother-daughter 4-day trip to Taipei together. Taipei has a special place in my heart. The food (obviously), the people, and the scenery… I can't get enough of it. I plan to make more trips to explore the rest of Taiwan.
Check out my blog post here: https://www.merosplate.com/post/taipei-3-night-4-day-itinerary
Suwa Weekend Trip Suwa took me by surprise. I was rewatching Your Name by Makoto Shinkai, and as the scene of the lake showed up, I thought it would be a great idea to check out the place that inspired it. Suwa served as the inspiration for the fictional town of Itomori in the movie. Not only was the scenery breathtaking and special, the town itself had a lot to offer. Tucked away in the mountains of Nagano prefecture, biking around the lake is a popular activity, as well as taking a dip in the onsen or even the footbaths throughout the town. There's a small "hip" scene as well, with local cafes, really awesome thrift stores, and restaurants. This place was the perfect weekend getaway.
Check out my blog post here: https://www.merosplate.com/post/tracing-itomori-a-weekend-in-suwa-the-real-life-your-name-town
Reflection
Looking back at this year's meals, travels, and moments, I'm happy that I was able to achieve my goals to travel to Taiwan and the Shimanami Kaido. However, my motivation to create—like developing new recipes or writing more blogs—was lacking. Perhaps like most people at the beginning of each year, I was eager to accomplish a million things. One of my main goals for 2025 was to focus on my professional work and become truly qualified in what I do. That dedication earned me respectable notice in my workplace. The downside? Long working days, to include the weekends, which put my hobbies (like this) and maybe my sanity on the back burner. But nevertheless, I felt proud of what I achieved.
I've also made a huge decision: to switch my career. When people ask me why, there are three main reasons. First, I feel financially comfortable enough to pursue my dream of opening a cafe. Second, I feel burnt out in my current job. Third, the people—the culture of the community matters a lot to me.
2026 will be a year of transition and reclamation. A smooth transition out of a career I've started almost 10 years ago and reclaiming my creativity are two areas I will focus on in 2026. If you’ve made it this far, I hope you’ll continue to follow along on this journey.
Wishing everyone a happy holiday!
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