美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Fujieda City, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Shizuoka, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Morimoto Brewery-Junmai Dai-Ginjyou Yamada Nishiki

August 28, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

When one can combine work and pleasure… What more can you ask?
This is the third report of a three-article assignment on sake brewed by Morimoto Brewery in Kikugawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture!

Rice: Yamada Nishiki (Shizuoka-grown)
Rice milled down to:40%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Dryness: +3.0
Acidity: 1.6
Brewed in 2010 and bottled in 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Faint golden hue
Aroma: Discreet, fleeting. Fruity: custard, dark chocolate, banana.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Dry and fruity attack backed by junmai petillant.
Strong start from bananas before perception of coffee beans and dark chocolate.
Disappears quickly on a drier note.
Dark chocolate and coffee beans make a comeback with almonds with further sips.
Eleagant but very assertive.

Overall: A sake to be enjoyed for its own sake!
Even chilled shows complex facets and elegance.
Keeps surprising you with new impressions lurking behind each sip.
To be enjoyed at leisure preferably in great comapany.
There is no need to accompany it with food although it is assertive enough to happily marry with light vegetable salads in particular.

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With a Glass,
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

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

美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Morimoto Brewery-Junmai Ginjyou Yamada Nishiki

August 28, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

When one can combine work and pleasure… What more can you ask?
This is the second report of a three-article assignment on sake brewed by Morimoto Brewery in Kikugawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture!

Rice: Yamada Nishiki (Shizuoka-grown)
Rice milled down to: 50
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Dryness: +1
Acidity: 1.3
Brewed in 2010 and bottled in 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very faint golden hue
Aroma: Dry and fruity. Fleeting. Banana, custard
Body: Fluid
Taste: Smooth attack. Fruity: banana, custard.
Just dry enough to allow for an easy appreciation.
Disappears quickly with lots of custard and almonds on a warm note.
Coffee beans and dark chocolate appear with further sips

Overall: An elegant, complex and fruity sake whose facets tend to surprise as they strike your tongue and palate.
A sake to be savored on its own as an aperitif if chilled on a hot evening, or if at room temperature as a great digestif on a winter evening.
Naturally marries well with any food but would gain more by being enjoyed on its own in special company!

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Morimoto Brewery-Sayogoromo Tokubetsu Junmai

August 28, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

When one can combine work and pleasure… What more can you ask?
This is the first report of a three-article assignment on sake brewed by Morimoto Brewery in Kikugawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture!

Rice: Homare Fuji (Shizuoka-grown)
Rice milled down to: 60%
Alcohol: 15 degrees
Dryness: +3.5
Acidity: 1.4
Brewed in 2010 and bottled in 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very faint golden hue
Aroma: Fruity. Complex. Banana, vanilla.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Dry attack. Fruity: banana, coffee beans.
Disappears quickly on an even drier note.
Very little junmai petillant.
Dark chocolate and almonds appear with second sip before vanishing on a very dry note.

Overall: Very dry but smooth sake typical of Morimoto Brewery, which has always entertained the image of a “maverick” brewer in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Eminently drinkable on its own although it would make for the perfect accompaniment to heavy izakaya-style food.
Would also marry well to desserts, especially chocolate.
A brew for the dry sake lovers!

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美食, 野菜, 農業, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Miso, Shizuoka, Tofu

Vegan Smoked Tofu Recipe!

August 27, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

It is sometimes a hard world for vegans when it comes to find new ideas and recipes, even you love tofu!
My good friend Sissi in Switzerland reminded me it might be time to republish some of my old recipes!
Here is a simple way to prepare and enjoy tofu as it was a big piece of cheese!

Vegan Smoked Tofu!

INGREDIENTS: for ? People

-Tofu: a large piece 300~400g or more
-Miso of your liking, as much as you wish
-Soy sauce, not too much (beware of the salt)
-Japanese Sake or mirin, a little just for the taste
-Spices, if you wish!

RECIPE:

-As the tofu shouldn’t be too soft, choose “momendofu”, or slightly solid.

-Place the tofu on a clean cloth.
-Top it with a clean plate or board.
-Put a heavy weight on top.
-Leave it like this for half a day. The tofu will reduce to half.

-Smear the whole tofu on every face with plenty of a mixture of miso, soy sauce and other ingredients of your choice. The more, the better.

-Wrap it carefully in cellophane paper and leave it in the fridge overnight.

-Take it out of the fridge and take off the cellophane paper.
-Let it dry for 2 hours at room temperature over a piece of kitchen paper.

-Smoke inside a Chinese smoking set for 1 hour.

-Very practical for smoking small quantities!

-Here you are! Enjoy!

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美食, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Soba, Soba Restaurant, Tourism, 吉野そば

Soba Restaurant: Yoshino

August 27, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

Service: Shy but friendly
Facilities: old but clean. Traditional
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: 10 wari soba. Good list of Shizuoka sake.

As I said before there a lot of soba restaurants of various levels in Shizuoka Prefecture, but Yoshino is definitely a member of the Big League!
It seems that all the doctors of the neighboring clinics have made it their main lunch lair!
But do also come for dinner as there is enough on the menu to attract you again and moreover they serve some top-class sake brewed in our Prefecture!

A traditional entrance to an ancient institution!

True Japanese atmosphere inside!

Among the single dishes I recommend two of them;
-Tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette!

Very light and fine, it is not easy to achieve this way!

Yaki miso/Grilled Miso!

It is actually a mixture of white miso paste, buckwheat and yuzu spread on a wooden spatula and cooked under a grill!

You will find it only at good soba restaurants!

I noticed they are using wasabi salt by Tamaruya Co.!

Actually I should have said 3! Buckwheat and Sakura shrimps tofu!

You will find this delicacy only in Shizuoka Prefecture!

I ordered 10 wari soba tenpura set!

10 wari soba (jyu wari soba) means that the noodles are 100% made of buckwheat flour, whereas the cheaper 8 wari soba (Hachi wari soba) contains 20% of wheat flour!

Seasonal tempura!

Beautiful vegetables!

Crispy prawns!

Soba tsuyu/Soba soup to be added to the remaining accompaniment of sauce, scallions and wasabi to be drunk as a soup!

Now, Yoshino serve their own traditional Japanese dessert: Soba Shiratama Senzai!

Cute, isn’t it?

It is topped with ice cream covered with matcha tea powder. The white balls/dango are made of buckwheat and rice flour. The small jelly cubes are made of Japanese agar agra!

The bottom half is filled with azuki beans and anko/sweetmeats!

I’ll take you dinner there next!

To be continued…

YOSHINO
420-0839 Shizuoka Shi, Takajyo, 1-7-10
Tel.: 054-255-3277
Business hours: 11:00 until they run out of buckwheat!
Closed on Tuesdays

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Japanese Izakaya: Maguro-Ya (Honten)

August 26, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service: Shy but friendly
Facilities: old but clean. Traditional
Prices: Appropriate
Strong points: Tuna! Tuna! Tuna! Good list of sake and shochu

A lot, and I mean varieties as well as volume, of tuna swim past Shizuoka Prefecture and it simply becomes evident that a Japanese izakaya would specialize in tuna gastronomy, be it raw or cooked!

We have such a place in Shizuoka City called Maguro Ya/まぐろ家, that is “Tuna House”!
It is located on the second floor of a venerable building in Takajyo, an area replete with izakaya as well as first-class restaurants.

Their menu is certainly worth taking photographs as the explantations become a real study!

Even the snack coming with the first drink includes cooked tuna (featured above with duck and pickled cucumber and octopus salad)!

The following will give you a good indication of you can sample at reasonable prices:

“Three-colored Tuna Sashimi Plate”!

Hon-maguro Akami/Blue Fin Tuna lean part (back).

Hon-maguro Chu-toro/Blue Fin Tuna semi-fat part (belly).

Tonbo-Maguro Toro/Albacore Tuna fat part (belly).

Maguro Kushiyaki/Tuna brochette with plenty of mayonnaise and chopped scallions.

There are plenty of sake, shochu and more for all according to their tastes and priorities!
They also serve 4 different sake from Shizuoka Prefecture in the traditional Japanese way: overflowing glass!

The menu is not all tuna! Try their deep-fried prawns!

Sizzling hot, they will please all, Japanese and expats!

Negitoro and daikon salad. Grated tuna with plenty of thin daikon sticks.

A healthy salad served with an egg yolk you mix with all beforehand!

They offer a six-nigiri sushi plate according to the season!

But the personal reason for my visits is their tuna hamburger (called slider in some countries!)!

A slice of tuna is prepared as deep-fried seafood and sandwiched inside a bun with lettuce and tartar sauce!

Far healthier and tastier than many offerings in notorious diners! LOL

To be continued…

MAGURO-YA
Shizuoka Shi, Aoi ku, Takajyo, 1-11-8, 2F
Tel.: 054-251-410
Business hours: 17:00~24:00
Credit Cards OK

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French & Italian Dessert: Mascarpone Tiramisu & Glazed Organic Fig!

August 25, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable to slightly expensive, good value.
Strong points: Interesting wine list. Great use of local products.
Entirely non-smoking!

The other day after the two succulent eggplants/aubergines dishes I savored at Pissenlit in Shizuoka City I simply had to have a dessert:
Italian-style Mascarpone Tiramisu with a glazed fig organically grown in Shimizu ku, Shizuoka City!

I had some problems choosing the top picture, so I’ll show you the other two!
First, the second one!

And next, the third one!
Frankly speaking, as for the pictures, I did not know whether to taste the tiramisu or the fig first!

I opted for the Mascarpone Tiramisu!

It might be a classic of the Italian Gastronomy but I must say I’ve not been often impressed with this type of dessert…

But Chef Touru Arima’s creation reconciled me with the whole of Italy!
Unctuous and so well-balanced with neither the coffee or the mascarpone taking the lead!
Niether a cake, a cream or an ice-cream, it was difficult to describe lost as I was in savoring it!

Now for the glazed organic fig! The mint is organic, too, by the way!

It is inddeed a large variety grown organically at some altitude in Shimizu Ku in Shizuoka City, an area well exposed to the sun.
It was first pan-fried with plenty of brown sugar and then finished inside the oven.
Cutting through the sugar crust gave you the impression of breaking a creme brulee!
For all the sweet taste of its crust, the warm insides produced a highly perfumed flavor which married so well with the first flavor encountered through its crust!

To be continued…

PISSENLIT
420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo, 2-3-4
Tel.: 054-270-8768
Fax: 054-627-3868
Business hours: 11:30~14:30; 17:00~22:00
Closed on Tuesdays and Sunday evening
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
Credit Cards OK

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French Gastronomy: Organic Eggplants, Foie Gras and Organic Burdock Root Sauce

August 25, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

As I said yesterday the seasons change and excellent gastronomy follows the same seasons! Fortunately it’s not all about the heavy rains we have been treated with these days!
It is the season for eggplants/aubergines in Japan and Shizuoka Prefecture!
This is the second of two creations I have just savored for lunch at Pissenlit: Eggplants/Aubergines, Foie gras and Burdock Root Sauce!

Incidentally, all the vegetables used in this recipe are organic and were grown by Shizen no Chikara Garden in Shizuoka City!

The eggplants/aubergines, a variety callled bei-nasu/美茄子, were first fried and then baked to allow them to basorb back their own juices while protecting the shape of their cuts and juicy tenderness!
They made for a soft bed for the foie gras whose strong taste they balanced so well!

For all the succulent calories it was also a very well-balanced healthy dish with the fibers and vitamins provided by the lettuce!

The foie gras!
It was simply sauteed/”poele” before its juices and fat were reduced with Madeira and Port wine and added to the burdock root sauce.

As for the burdock root, not only it was a true beauty but it was also a mystery!
Chef Touru Arima would only tell me that it consisted of finely chopped burdock root, a short and white variety, olive oil and juices of whatnot…
To think that such a simple root can be turned in the perfect sauce makes you the humbler for it!

To be continued…

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French Gastronomy: Eggplants and Crab Terrine at Pissenlit!

August 24, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

The seasons change and excellent gastronomy follow the same seasons!
It is the season for eggplants/aubergines in Japan and Shizuoka Prefecture!
This is the first of two creations I have just savored for lunch at Pissenlit: Eggplants/Aubergines and Crab Terrine!

For once I will start from the bottom:
The tomato sauce is made with “mateta” tomatoes organically grown by Mr. Ishitani in Hamamatsu City!
As the terrine was warm, the colder sauce made for more a combination than a contrast contributing just enough sweetness to the aubergines!

As for the terrine itself the aubergines organically grown by Mr. Hirokawa in Mishima City were very probably first grilled and then peeled before being placed into a terrine dish with the snow crab/suwagani. The terrine was served warm (not hot) for a very pleasant soft touch on the palate!

As for the sauce with its beautiful golden color it was conceived with olive oil and curry powder.
When you realize that aubergines originally come from India, it is only natural to serve them in a manner reminiscent of the gastronomy of their birthplace!

Some garam masala powder added an artistic touch as well another spicy contribution to the whole dish!

The crown of the dish consisted of two unctuous gnocchi made with “kujyukuri kabocha/九十九里” (from Hokkaido) that Italians would kill for!

To be continued…

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Akihiro Matsushita: Organic Sake Rice Grower in Fujieda City!

August 24, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Akihiro Matsushita/松下明弘, Yuuji Miyata/宮田祐二 and Densaburou Aoshima/青島傳三郎!

Akihiro Matsushita is a true pioneer!
No less than 17 years ago he decided to grow all his rice organically, a revolution at the time that did not please many people in the very closed world of Japanese farming!
Fortunately things have changed since then…

15 years ago Akihiro contacted Densaburou (Sake Brewmaster’s name) Aoshima of Aoshima Sake Brewery in Fujieda City to aks him if he would be interested in creating sake with truly organic rice. Densaburou is also a true pioneer in his own closed Japanese sake world who gladly accepted the challenge.
And it certainly was a challenge!

Aoshima Brewery in Fujieda City! Kikuyoi/喜久酔 is their main brand name!

I’ve known Densaburou for quite some time now, and the fact he speaks fluent English does help when I introduce him to foreign fans of his nectars!

Yuuji Miyata/宮田祐二, Ryohei Miyake/三宅良平 and Densaburou Aoshima/青島傳三郎
Whatever the occasion, this is Japan, and nothing will start before business cards have been exchanged!

The fact I know quite a lot of people in the Japanese sake world in Shizuoka Prefecture even helps with my Japanese friends and colleagues.
Before meeting Akihiro Matsushita in his farm, Yuuji Miyamata, the man in charge of the development of Homare Fuji Sake Rice in Yaizu City and Ryohei Miyake, an official from the Shida Haibara Agriculture and Forestry Bureau joined me to visit Densaburou at his brewery as we were all going together to Akihiro’s place. Densaburou does not use the Homare Fuji Sake Rice in his brews but he entertains warm relations with all people concerned with the sake business in his region.

Akihiro is a shy gentleman who will nonetheless quickly open and talk passionately about his trade.
And you certainly need to be passionate and extremely knowledgeable to convince people in one of the most conservative regions of Japan!

Keeping his own fields separated from non-organic growers is no longer a problem, but it was open conflict when he started his venture. He does not remember how many times he had to clean his own fields of mountains of rubbish thrown into them during the night…
But since then Akihiro has been recognized and accepted as a true grower as amply proved by his JAS Organic Grower Recognition and his Shida EM Organic Agriculture Association Chairmanship!

Not only his fields, but surrounding areas have to be kept clean of any chemicals and unwanted materials.
Even so, rice growing within a few meters of the perimeter of his fields will not be sold or used!

Yamada Nishiki, the most famous sake rice variety in Japan! The grains will appear end of August!
The soil being part of the Ooigawa River bed is sandy. The same sand is river sand formed by the constant rubbing of stones.

A single look at the water and soil will tell you this is organic environment with all these bugs and snails!
Akihiro and Densaburou had once thought of ducks to keep their fields clean of bugs. Unfortunately the local stray cats put an end to the trials!

Although Mr. Miyata’s field is not concerned with Yamada Nishiki Sake Rice, his expertise is always welcome!

Akihiro’s fields of organic sake rice and those or normal edible organic rice occupy a lot of land here and there. I asked him if he would be interested in exporting some. He replied that he wouldn’t have enough land to do so! An unequivocal proof of his peers’ and customers’ recognition!

Everyone soon forgot me so passionate their discussions had become!

For all his extremely busy life, Akihiro still finds enough time for constant research: organic black rice!

This passion and thirst for new solutions just proves that Japan and its people, for all the cataclysms that regularly visit them, might bend now and again but will never break like the stalks of their rice!

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French Dessert: Shizuoka Soy Sauce Cake, Frozen Orange Compote & Orange Honey Sorbet at Tetsuya Sugimoto!

August 23, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service: Highly professional and friendly
Facilities: Great overall cleanliness. Beautiful washroom
Prices: Appropriate
Strong points: Freshest produce and ingredients only, mainly from Shizuoka Prefecture. Organic vegetables. Seasonal food only.

Map (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

This the fourth of the four-part report on the lunch I had the other day at Testuya Sugimoto in Shizuoka City!
And since it is the last episode, it is naturally the dessert!
But this dessert is a Shizuoka concept!

First of all, the bottom part of the “ice cream”!
It was made with a mandarine orange grown inside a greenhouse in Hamamatsu City, Western part of Shizuoka Prefecture.
Tetsuya first peeled it, cooked it as a compote and then froze it!

The sorbet was made with orange flower honey conceived in Nishiura, Numazu City, Eastern Part of Shizuoka Prefecture!

Now, the cake is even more striking!
It is basically a mousse firmed up with gelatin. The mousse was created with soy sauce from Shizuoka Prefecture!
As for the sugar used in the same cake, it comes from sugar cane grown in Kakegawa City in Central Western Part of our Prefecture!
Its bottom was lined with Genoise short cake and the top sprinkled with more crumbled Genoise.

The soy sauce used in the cake is called “Hon Maru Tei” and is made by Amano Co. Ltd. In Gotemba City in the Western Part of Shizuoka Prefecture!
Testuya explained that soy sauce is not all about a salty taste and that creations are practically unlimited with such an ingredient!

As for the sauce, the chocolate might not be of Japanese origin nut the mint is organic and from Shizuoka Prefecture!

To be followed…

Tetsuya SUGIMOTO
４２０－００３８ Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Umeya,２－１３，１Ｆ
Tel./Fax: 054-251-3051
Opening hours：１１：３０～１４：３０，１７：３０～２１：３０
Holidays: undecided
Credit cards OK
ＨＯＭＥＰＡＧＥ

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Suruga Shamo and Organic Vegetables at Tetsuya Sugimoto!

August 22, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Map (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

This the third of the four-part report on the lunch I had the other day at Testuya Sugimoto in Shizuoka City!
Shizuoka Prefecture has been making itself a name all over Japan with its superlative chickens for quite some time now.
The chicken used by Testuya Sugimoto in this dish is Suruga Shamo bred by Mr. Moriyama up in the mountains of Shizuoka City in Ikawa!
These shamo chickens were originally Ikokku Chicken from Thailand bred in conditions and with food only found in our Prefecture to become a brand of its own!

Tetsuya uses only the males for their firmer and richer meat.
He will first fry the pieces on their skin before finishing them in the oven.
He does the same with the vegetables, all organic from Hamamatsu and Fujinomiya City.
As for the vegetables, he used okahijiki, Morokko ingen/large string beans, Sanjyaku susage, another long variety of string bean, mini carrots, Mangan Toogarashi, a variety of large mild chili pepper, Murasaki Shishito/violet chili pepper, butternut and Kouriuki gourd!

For another view!

As for the sauce he uses the juices of the chicken and vegetables with French Banyuls vinegar and Madeira Wine!
Incredible traceability for an extraordinary dish!

To be followed…

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Sashimi: Shizuoka Fish at Ekimae Matsuno Sushi Restaurant!

August 21, 2011 dragonlife 6 Comments

Red-tail Horse Mackerel/oakaaji/尾赤鯵!

Service: Very friendly, attentive and informative
Facilities: Overall clean if a bit old-fashioned
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Mainly local fish. Local sake. Always ready to improvise!

It is not friends like Sissi or LouAnnn I’m trying to convince, but more gastronomes like Chuck and Melinda whom I would like to pull screaming out New york and Tokyo to convince them to give up on what I call “decoration/trompe l’oeil sashimi amd sushi”!

One does not need to patronize an Edomae-style Sushi Restaurant and spend untold amounts of yen or dollars to truly experience this side of Japanese gastronomy so popular all over the World.
Just go to a good local sushi restaurant in Japan (and even abroad if like-minded!) which is willing (and should be!) to serve local fish as much as possible!
If you come to Shizuoka it is only an embarrassment of choices, but I definitely would recommend Ekimae Matsuno Sushi in Shizuoka City as they are one of the rare sushi restaurants that open all day and serve whatever you fancy!

Fine, you would say, but show us!
No worries there, mate (gal)!
Here is what I savored for lunch there today. I even asked them to exclusively serve me sashimi from Shizuoka (Suruga Bay, Izu Peninsula, etc.)!

Seguro iwashi/背黒鰯/Black Back Sardines

These seguro iwashi are very much in season right now with a lot of (fish) fat. They were actually served as a “snack” with my first drink (sake). Plain sashimi to be enjoyed with a little soy sauce.

Hirame/平目/Sole-Flatfish-Bastard halibut-Olive flounder

Hirame is abundant in the Suruga Bay.
Note that the little piece at the bottom is “engawa/えんがわ/the piece along the fish by the narrow fins” that we throw away in Europe!

Marusaba/丸鯖/Round mackerel

Served as “han-nama/半生/half-raw, that is lightly seared or boiled, it is so fresh in taste and absolutely without any “fishy” smell or aftertaste!

Tachiuo/太刀魚/Scabbard Fish.

One of my favorite fish. It is best appreciated (as above) in “aburi/炙り/ seared fashion after being sprinkled with salt. No need of soy sauce to appreciate the different textures and tastes as you bite through it!

Aji no Tataki/鯵の叩き/Horse Mackerel

The Suruga bay, especially around Yui and Kambara is one of the famous spots in Japan for Aji/Horse mackerel.
Simply served as Tataki/cut thin with grated ginger and chopped scallions and a little soy sauce!

No need for fancy seasoning!

Ekimae Matsuno serve the same fish lightly marinated in rice vinegar!

Katsuo hara/鰹腹/Bonito belly

Shizuoka is famous all over the country for its katsuo/bonito, but few people have had the occasion to try its belly part!

Kisu konbujime/鱚,鼠頭魚/Sillago

Sillago are a celebrated morsel all over Japan, but Shizuoka is particularly blessed with shirogizu/白鱚/white sillago!

Served as konbujime/昆布締め/marinated in seaweed, it does not need any soy sauce!

Oakaaji/尾赤鯵/Red tail horse Mackerel

This is a variety of horse mackerel with a deeper red flesh you will not see often away from these shores!

Perfect in tataki/thinly cut style with chopped scallions, grated fresh ginger and chopped nori/dry seaweed!

To be followed… I mean with more local fish from Shizuoka Prefecture!

EKIMAE MATSUNO SUSHI/駅前松乃寿
Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Koya Machi, 3-3 (Just in front of Shizuoka JR Railway Station
Tel.: 054-252-0123
Business hours: 11:00~21:00
Closed on Wednesdays and 3rd Tuesday
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, French gastronomy, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism

Vegetarian Organic Steak at Tetsuya Sugimoto!

August 20, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

Map (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

This the second of the four-part report on the lunch I had the other day at Testuya Sugimoto in Shizuoka City!
It certainly makes for an astonishing creation as it is a completely vegetarian hot dish conceived with local products of the highest quality!

All vegetables are organic, either from Hamamatsu City or from Matsuki Bio Farm in Fujinomiya City!

The large green eggplant/aubergine was first cut into a “steak” and fried/baked with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
Actually all vegetables were cooked in the same manner!
These included 2 types of zucchini, green and yellow, violet onion, “Seniorita” sweet red pimento and “Nitakikoma” tomatoes which were first half-dried before being sauteed.
Can you recognize the vegetables at the left extremity?

And those in the middle?

Or those at the right extremity?

A photo from the top might help you!
Incidentally the Italian parsley is also organic!
Were it not for the dressing, it would be vegan!

Beautiful taste, satisfying bite and an artistic composition!

To be followed…

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Must-see tasting websites:

美食, 観光, 農業, French Cuisine, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, seafood, Tourism, vegetables

Appetizer at Tetsuya Sugimoto: Hamamatsu Eggplant & Mochimune Sardine Whiting!

August 19, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Map (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

It had been quite some time since I paid a visit to arguably the best French restaurant in Shizuoka Prefecture, namely Testuya Sugimoto in Shizuoka City.
Therefore, I went for lunch there today to “enquire” about the latest developments!
It ended up into a full lunch, and as it was a bit too long for a single article let me describe each dish in its individuality for easy reference!

Very slightly different photograph!

This is an appetizer combining the wealth of the land and that of the sea of Shizuoka Prefecture as well as both Japanese and French concepts/aproaches of gastronomy.
The whole is conceived as a cold appetizer.
The organic eggplant/aubergine from Hamamatsu City was first grilled. Then it was carefully peeled before being lightly marinated in the Japanese o-hitashi style.
The shirasu/sardine whiting from Mochimune was first steamed before being lightly chilled.

The white color of the shirasu was enhanced by the small cuts of various organic vegetables from Hamamatsu City placed in so artful a manner!
The whole was seasoned with a beautiful olive oil and Testuya’s lemon vinaigrette!

For the record I paired with a dry white wine from Koshu, Yamanashi Prefecture!

So healthy, artful and delicious (and simple!)!

To be followed…

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

SHIZUOKA GOURMET

Monthly Archives: August 2011

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Morimoto Brewery-Junmai Dai-Ginjyou Yamada Nishiki

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Morimoto Brewery-Junmai Ginjyou Yamada Nishiki

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Morimoto Brewery-Sayogoromo Tokubetsu Junmai

Vegan Smoked Tofu Recipe!

Soba Restaurant: Yoshino

Japanese Izakaya: Maguro-Ya (Honten)

French & Italian Dessert: Mascarpone Tiramisu & Glazed Organic Fig!

French Gastronomy: Organic Eggplants, Foie Gras and Organic Burdock Root Sauce

French Gastronomy: Eggplants and Crab Terrine at Pissenlit!

Akihiro Matsushita: Organic Sake Rice Grower in Fujieda City!

French Dessert: Shizuoka Soy Sauce Cake, Frozen Orange Compote & Orange Honey Sorbet at Tetsuya Sugimoto!

Suruga Shamo and Organic Vegetables at Tetsuya Sugimoto!

Sashimi: Shizuoka Fish at Ekimae Matsuno Sushi Restaurant!

Vegetarian Organic Steak at Tetsuya Sugimoto!

Appetizer at Tetsuya Sugimoto: Hamamatsu Eggplant & Mochimune Sardine Whiting!