Monthly Archives: February 2011

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Italian Cuisine: Shizuoka Products at Aquavite!

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Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great and very large washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable to expensive. Top-class Italian wines. Private room for~8 people.
no-smoking-logo1 Non-smoking at counter!

Like many restaurants in Shizuoka City and Shizuoka Prefecture, many restaurants are going through changes for many reasons including some unavoidable.
When chefs decide to leave to work under other skies recruiting new and good staff is vital.
Aquavite has had to go through that time and came out for the better!

The new team (Chef: Masaru Aoki/青木優 and Maitre d’Hote: Kazuma Mochizuki/望月計満) is not only young and enthusiastic, but also professional and endeavouring to use as many local products as possible.

Vegetables from Shizuoka Prefecture!

They are always on the lookout for new producers and farmers when it comes to vegetables and fruit!

Antipasto Misto (Broccoli and Cauliflower in Anchovy sauce, stewed red and yellow pimento with dry tomatoes, mizudako octopus and Inca mezame potato and mushrooms and shrimps)

Like all good Italian Restaurants Aquavite bake their own bread!

They also propose a great variety of pasta!

Now, this excellent pasta was made with Barilla N05 spaghetti and a ragu of cuttlefish caught in the Suruga Bay!

Fish and seafood is the true specialty at Aquavite.
The above is matodai/John Dory or St. Peter’s Fish caught of Numazu Harbour fried in Meuniere style with a herb sauce!

This succulent sauteed chicken is “Jidori/地鶏” from Fuji City. All vegetables are Shizuoka-Grown!

Artistic and delicious tiramisu for dessert!

Real coffee served the proper way!

And exquisite home-made Italian biscuits!

Looking forward to the next visit!

Address: 420-0034 Shizuoka Shi, Tokiwa-cho, 1-2-7, Tomii Bldg. 3F
Tel. & fax: 054-2740777
Opening hours: 11:30~14:00, 18:00~22:00
Closed on Sundays
Homepage (Japanese)
Credit Cards OK

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Chrisoscope, Agrigraph, The Agriculture Portal to shizuoka!

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’11/8): New Box Bento!

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The Missus has acquired a new bento box set!
Like two others we have, it comes from the north of Japan in Akita Prefecture, It is rectangular, a shape we didn’t have. Moreover it comes it comes with your name lacquered on top (on order!)!

She steamed the rice separately and later mixed it with na no hana/菜の花/rape flower (strange name, if there is one!) she had lightly boiled and goma to ume furikake/dry sesame seeds and umeboshi seasoning mixture.
Simple but very effective!

The set is provided with a separation bar of the same wood (almost completely hidden by the lettuce. Look at the “corner” where the kabocha salad has been introduced.)
The egg is a marinated boiled quail egg.

In the corner formed by the separation bar is filled with the Missus’ special kabocha/南瓜/pumpkin salad which included their green skin and cheese.
The separation bar is almost competely (on purpose) concealed by lettuce.

The meat part was provided with soft pork slices (twice for better taste) fried in breadcrumbs and later seasoned withh BBQ sauce.
More vegetables came in the shape of boiled white asparaguses and Brussels sprouts. Ameera Rubbins tomatoes made for the finishing touch with more vitamins.
More of these came with Shizuoka-grown Benihoppe strawberries.

I know there exists a triangular bento box somewhere… I wonder if I could tempt the Missus…

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES

Clumsyfingers by Xethia
Adventures in Bento Making, American Bento, Beanbento, Bento No1, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box, My Bento Box, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat; Bento Lunch Blog (German); Adventures In Bento; Anna The Red’s Bento Factory; Cooking Cute; Timeless Gourmet; Bento Bug; Ideal Meal; Bentosaurus; Mr. Foodie (London/UK); Ohayo Bento

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Shizuoka Oden Fair Coming Soon!

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One of the most celebrated traditional gastronomic events in Shizuoka City (and Japan), the Shizuoka (Shizooka in local dialect) Oden Fair will be held from Friday, February 11th to Sunday, February 12th!

The event will be held in two different locales:
-Aoba Park/青葉公園・青葉シンボルロード and Aoba Square:青葉スクエア
Time: 11:00~20:00

-Shichiken-cho Doori/七間町通り and Gofujuku-cho Doori/呉服町通り
Time: 11:00~17:00

No less than 17 shops, restaurants and izakayas from Shizuoka will sell Shizuoka-Style Oden and 6 shops from other parts of Japan and one foreign will be doing the same in Aoba Park.

One the other hand, 11 shops from Shizuoka will sell Shizuoka-Style oden, and 6 shops from other areas of Shizuoka Prefecture will serve local specialties in Shichiken-cho.

Do come early as it promises to be very busy and crazy like in precedent years (and probably more! LOL).

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Chrisoscope, Agrigraph, The Agriculture Portal to shizuoka!

Please check the new postings at:
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Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2011/02/04)

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Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin
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2011 Release of Mikan Ale; Upcoming Big Beer Winter Weekend

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

I am excited to announce that today marks the 10th annual release of the first fruited ale ever brewed at Baird: Carpenter’s Mikan Ale.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Release:
*Carpenter’s Mikan Ale 2011 (ABV 6%):

The mikans used in this brew are fresh, succulent, and local — harvested on the Heda land and by the hand of our carpenter friend, Nagakura-san. The Baird brewers hand-process the harvested mikans, shaving off the outer skin of the peel and pressing the juice. Both peel shavings and juice are added to the brew during wort production and before fermentation. The mikans serve to add depth and complexity to an already sumptuous ale; their role is to complement, not dominate.

This 2011 version of the Carpenter’s Mikan Ale is different in several respects from its 2010 predecessor. For starters, it is a darker hue of orange-red than previous due to the use of Japanese red sugar (akato) instead of sudakito sugar. We also lowered the starting gravity of the wort somewhat to bring the alcohol percentage down to six. We then went back to fermenting with our house Scottish ale yeast rather than using the American ale yeast strain of last year. Finally, we added a bit more mikan juice and peels per unit of wort than we had in the past.

The character of this year’s version is marked most notably by the succulent aroma and piquant flavor of sweet-tart mikans and their wonderfully symbiotic interaction with our selected hop varieties (Centennial, Perle, Cascade and New Zealand Cascade).

The Carpenter’s Mikan Ale is available both on draught and in bottles (633 ml) at fine Baird Beer retailers throughout Japan beginning Saturday, February 5. It also can be purchased direct from the brewery via our online E-shop.

Upcoming Taproom Events:
*Big Beer Winter Weekend 2011 at the Nakameguro Taproom (Friday, Feb. 11 – Sunday, Feb. 13):

Each winter we use one of our Taprooms as a venue for a celebration of strong and fortifying beers. We call this celebration Big Beer Winter Weekend. During this long holiday weekend, a collection of strong ales and lagers will be served simultaneously and paired with cuisine designed to complement these robust and warming libations. The Nakameguro Taproom will again play host to this year’s Big Beer Winter Weekend which will kick-off at noon on Friday, February 11 (Japan national holiday).

This year, in a addition to a terrific lineup of big Baird Beer and American imported craft beer, we will for the first time be pouring a variety of specially selected strong Japanese craft ales and we anticipate hosting guest appearances by the various Japan brewers. Please keep your eyes on your email inbox as a full Big Beer Winter Weekend menu and schedule will be forthcoming shortly.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE


The Japan Blog List

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Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery
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Fish: Shizuoka Marine Products from the Ocean; Dried Fish/Himono/干物 at Mochimune!

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Houbou/竹麦魚、魴鮄/Bluefin Robbin (Red Gurnard) Himono

Mochimune is known all over Japan for its fishing harbor whose main catch is shirasu/白子/Whitebait. The fishing for the latter will come into full gear in Spring, but that is for another article.

The signs for shirasu/しらす will be floating everywhere soon!

Mochimune is also a fine touristic spot known for its large black pebble beach and great views of the Izu Peninsula on clear days!
Quite a few interesting shops and restaurants (one coming soon!) are to be discovered among the narrow streets.

“Marukai”, a small fish shop

Of course one can discover all the fish and the processed goods at the fish Market beside the harbor, but it is also great fun to wander away along narrow avenues to look at the small shops processing and selling seafood from the Suruga Bay.
One typical product, and Shizuoka Prefecture produces 50% of the total in Japan, is “himono”!
Himono is sun-dried fish that Japanese (and foreigners) are very fond of grilling any time of the day or the year.
Each shop has its own recipes and they are all worth a second and third look!

Saba/鯖/mackerel from Marukai drying across the street!

For a closer view!
I consider it the best way to appreciate mackerel. Perfect snack with a good beer!

You will also find orange trees everywhere (I don’t think their owners will really mind if you pick one to taste!LOL)

These are Houbou/竹麦魚、魴鮄/Bluefin Robbin (Red Gurnard), a true specialty fish from Mochimune.
Also great fresh and prepared at the local Italian restaurants!

Tai/鯛/Seabream form Mochimune. A bit extravagant for a dried fish.

Aji/鯵/Horse Mackerel from the Suruga Bay. You can eat them all. Great source of calcium!

Koshiotai/a small seabream variety from Mochimume. Can also be eaten whole.

Look forward to my next visits and reports!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Chrisoscope, Agrigraph, The Agriculture Portal to shizuoka!

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Fruit Cocktails by Wataru Matsumoto 12: Ookimi & Toukun Strawberries

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This article could well been titled “Strawberries: From the Shizuoka Producer to the Gastronomic Table: Cocktails at Botanical!

After Gentil, I went to visit my good friend, Wataru Matumoto/松本亙, bartender/owner at Botanical, Shizuoka City to ask him to create a couple of his famous fruit cocktails with the Ookimi and Tokun Strawberries from Yaizu City!

Ookimi Strawberries on the left and Toukun Strawberries on the right!

Toukun Strawberry Cocktail (Cai Pirigna style)

These strawberries have a very strong perfume of peaches although their taste is llight and elegant.

INGREDIENTS:

-Strawberries: 2 large, diced
-Cachaca 51 (Brazilian Sugar cane rum, 40 degrees proof): 1 measure
-Sugar: 2~3 teaspoons
-Lime juice, 1 cut
-Crushed ice: 1 cup

RECIPE:

-Dice/cut the strawberries
-In a large glass drop the strawberries and all other ingredients.
-Shake the whole Boston-style.
-Pour in a “rock glass”.
-Top with some more crushed ice and decorate with a strawberry.

Keep a spoon handy, especially if you are in a hurry.
You can either drink this very refreshing cocktail slowly or eat it!
Rum enhances the strawberries for a very elegant drink

Ookimi Strawberry Champagne Cocktail

These strawberries have a great balance bewteen sweetness and acidity and an elegant taste.

INGREDIENTS:

-Ookimi Strawberries: 3
-Syrup: 1~2 teaspoons
-Mumm Champagne: 1 measure
-Absinthe/Pastis: half a teaspoon
-Crushed ice: just a little

RECIPE:

-Pour all the ingredients into a blender and blend well.
-Add 1 more measure of Mumm Champagen and pour into a long glass.
Decorate with a star anise seed.

Very elegant with the sweetness of the strawberries appearing late on your palate!

BOTANICAL (Comfort Bar)
420-0082 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho, 1-6-13, Shade Bldg, 1F
Tel.: 054-221-8686
Opening hours: 17:00~01:00
Closed on Mondays.
Credit Cards OK

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Chrisoscope, Agrigraph, The Agriculture Portal to shizuoka!

Please check the new postings at:
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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’11/7): Quail Scotch Eggs Bento!

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Today’s bento was certainly very healthy with all those vegetables!
But the Missus had been experimenting for that particular one!

First of all she had wanted to make Scotch eggs for some time.
But chicken eggs being too big for a bento, she used (high quality) quail eggs she had first boiled and marinated in soy sauce, sweet rice vinegar and I don’t know what.

She first steamed rice with finely chopped carrot and broccoli and mixed it once ready before filling the first box with it once it had cooled down.
She put boiled half-cut Brussels Sprouts in the middle before topping the lot with half-cut quail scotch eggs.
The meat around the eggs is minced pork seasoned with nutmeg and other spices.
She put the last finishing touch with some black roasted sesame seeds.

The salad was kept simple and healthy: on a bed of lettuce. mini-radishes, cut celety, yellow frut tomatoes, cheese and boiled black beans.
I seasoned the lot with sesame dressing I keep handy at work!

Healthy, wasn’t it?

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES

Clumsyfingers by Xethia
Adventures in Bento Making, American Bento, Beanbento, Bento No1, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box, My Bento Box, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat; Bento Lunch Blog (German); Adventures In Bento; Anna The Red’s Bento Factory; Cooking Cute; Timeless Gourmet; Bento Bug; Ideal Meal; Bentosaurus; Mr. Foodie (London/UK); Ohayo Bento

Please check the new postings at:
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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’11/6): Oiled Smoked Oysters Bento!

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The Missus used one of her favourites for bento, namely oiled smoked oysters.
It sounds a bit of a conflict but the oysters are really smoked before being preserved in oil.
They come in tins in Japan (not cheap) and their whole contents can be used to great effect!

The Missus steamed the rice with the oysters but kept the oil aside for a start.

After she had mixed the rice and oysters once steames, she further seasoned the whole with the rest of the oysters oil and home-pickled sanshou/Japanese pepper/山椒. She finally added thinly sliced boiled snap green peas (meaning eaten with their tender pods) for improved balance.

As for the side dish, the Missus concentrated again on balance between colors, ingredients and nutrients.

Boiled broccoli seasoned with gomadare/sesame dressing and powdered sesame seeds, “ameers rubbins” mini-tomatoes (really sweet, a real dessert by themselves!), yellow fruit tomato and lettuce.

Of course my favourite tamagoyaki! This time plain and sweet, as for a real dessert!
More lettuce a shredded carrot and walnut salad to top it all.

Once again, very tasty and fullfilling!

Clumsyfingers by Xethia
Adventures in Bento Making, American Bento, Beanbento, Bento No1, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box, My Bento Box, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat; Bento Lunch Blog (German); Adventures In Bento; Anna The Red’s Bento Factory; Cooking Cute; Timeless Gourmet; Bento Bug; Ideal Meal; Bentosaurus; Mr. Foodie (London/UK); Ohayo Bento

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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