Bento, 美食, 観光, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Sushi: Sushi Sets, Bentos and Takeouts at Shizuoka City Department Stores-3

August 9, 2013 dragonlife 4 Comments

Shirasu (steamed sardine whiting) donburu and Enroku (large rolls and inari sushi)

Due to the incredible wealth of fresh fish all year round, there is an enormous consumption of sushi at every level in Shizuoka City, from very cheap takeouts to expensive ( but certainly not as expensive as in Tokyo, qulity fro quality!) sushi restaurants.
Next time you come to Shizuoka City for a few days and are looking forward to budget sushi do visit the local department stores where you will have the surprise to discover tasty, from reasonably fresh to very fresh, and reasonably priced sushi sets, bentos and takeouts you can take beck to the hotel or into a park for instant pleasure.
Naturally I would advise the foreign (and Japanese) residents to do some homework!
As for prices count 100 yen for 1 US $ or 130 yen for 1 Euro!

As promised in Part 1 I will take you next to Matsuzakaya Department Store just across Shizuoka JR Station
As the supermarket is located in the basement you can access to it directly through the underground passageway from the station!

All all tuna set! O-toro and Chu-toro nigiri and a negi-toro (grated tuna) inn gunkan style. Note that the wasabi is separately served to suit all priorities. At 800 yen a giveaway!

A more extravagant set including O-toro and Chu-toro, salmon, clams, salmon’s roe, sea urchin and white flesh fish! Only 1,285 yen!

Among others this set features chu-toro, ama ebi/sweet shrimp, ikura/salmon’s roe and broiled conger eel! 980 yen!

Kaisen Donburi, a cheaper and full meal devised as a donburi with ingredients arranged atop sushi rice including clam, octopus, boiled prawn, tuna, squid, shredded omelet, pickled mackerel and so on. At 580 yen ridiculously cheap!

A more sophisticated set of sushi nigiri featuring Chu-toro, crab, saurel, red clam, ikura and kanpachi/amberjack or yellowtail. At 680 yen for the sushi lovers!

This particular set has obviously been designed for a couple as all ingredients come in twos!
At 1480 yen it is very cheap as it includes sea urchin, ikura and tuna!

This set called “Hagoromo”, a name found on matsubara Beach which has just become a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in the company of Mount Fuji, is perfect for a full lunch or dinner as the nigiri have been devised smaller on purpose but still featuring such ingredients as tuna, conger eel, pickled mackerel, boiled shrimp, raw salmon and so on. Only 780 yen!

“Maguo Zukushi Set”/All tuna set!
As nigiri with slices of raw tuna, gunkan containing negitoro/grated tuna and tuna sushi rolls! At 780 yen you can enjoy tuna in 3 different ways!

Another budget-like sushi set featuring a great variety of ingredients including tuna, squid, seared salmon, kampyou maki rolls and so on! Only 580 yen!

All kinds of rolls for less than 300 yen a pack!

Very reasonable and yummy set of 8 (less than 700 yen) and 4 (less than 300 yen) nigiri sushi which allow you to choose a predetermined ingredient at a reasonable price to complement your meal!

Now, if you come late in the afternoon, at about 5:30 or later you might be able to profit from bargained prices but you will have to hurry as it is a real battle to get them after office hours! 680 yen, can you beat that?

11 x nigiri sushi for 880 yen!

A truly extravagant set of 12 x nigiri sushi for 1,180 yen!

next i will take you to two different places inside Cenova Department Store, about 15 minutes walk from Shizuoka JR Station!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Matcha Dipped Baguette, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, 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!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

焼酎, 美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Fujieda City, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Shochu, Tourism

Shizuoka Shochu Tasting: Sugii Brewery-Saisuke Imo Shochu

August 9, 2013 dragonlife 2 Comments

Sugii Brewery in Fujieda City not only creates superlative sake renown all over the country, but they also produce a whole range of extravagant shochu made mainly from local products!

Shizuoka-grown Azuma sweet potatoes
Yeast: Shizuoka NEW-5 (sake yeast!)
Alcohol: 25.5 degrees
Bottled in March 2013

Clarity: very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Dry “sweet Potato”
Body: Fluid
Taste: Assertive but almost shy and dry well-rounded attack.
Complex: Raw sweet potato or potato without the sweetness!
Dryness tends to expand all over the palate.
Very strong character typical of all sweet potato shochu, but with more elegance than expected.
Drinks superbly poured on plenty of ice, but like all good shochu can be enjoyed with cold green tea, mineral water or with hot water and umeboshi.
Actually, such a good shochu calls for an unlimited number of combinations although I thoroughly enjoyed it on its own!

Overall: The perfect drink for strong and heavy izakaya gastronomy, but I I know a lot of friends including Sissi, would drink it straight or on the rocks!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

BULA KANA in Fiji
Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

美食, 観光, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, sushi, Tourism

Sushi: Sushi Sets, Bentos and Takeouts at Shizuoka City Department Stores-2

August 8, 2013 dragonlife 4 Comments

Devising your own sushi meal at Shizuoka JR Station Parche Department Store!

As promised in Part 1 I will take you next to another part of Shizuoka JR Station Parche Department Store. It is actually the first part of the market you can enter from inside the station. It is replete with all kinds of food to take out from Chinese to oden and of course sushi!

In that particular part of the supermarket sushi are sold by Uogashi Sushi Restaurants Chain Company which hails from Numazu City in the Eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture.
One of their attractions is that offer individual sushi nigiri all individually wrapped!

There are loads to choose from and I can tell you you will have a hard time choosing form them!

They also offer very reasonable (580 yen) shirashi donburi you can take home or to the office right away!

Kohaku Donburi/Red and White Donburi!
A combination you will probably never see away from japan: steamed shirasu/sardine whitebait and grated tuna (raw)! A delicacy!
At 500 yen, a giveaway! Mind you shirasu is a Shizuoka specialty!

Tokujyo Mizore Donburi.
At only 780 yen, another giveaway including crab, sea urchin and raw tuna served as chirashi sushi!

Temaki sushi! hand-made sushi “roll” conceived in a conical form easy to handle and eat!
Prepared and sold individually!

For a closer look!
Priced between 140 and 220 yen.
Note that the nori/dry seaweed is kept dry!

Tappuri (a lot) anago (conger eel) donburi!
At 980 yen it is still a bargain considering the spiraling prices. The fact that is a Shizuoka-bred fish does help!
The broiled fish is very soft and a real delicacy!

Next I will take you to Matsuzakaya Department store just across from Shizuoka JR Station

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Fujinomiya City, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Fujinishiki Brewery-Fujinishiki Fuji Sekai Bunka Isan Junmai

August 7, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

As I said before, with the advent of Mount Fuji and Matsubara Beach being chosen as the New UNESCO World Culture Heritage, the sake breweries have been scrambling to put on sale brews commemorating the event!
Fujinishiki Brewery located in Fujinomiya City at the foot of Mount Fuji, came up with a beautiful label representing Mount Fuji in different seasons!

The small label on the bottle neck states the recent registration and election of Mount Fuji and Matsubara Beach as a new UNESCO World Cultural Heritage!

Rice milled down to 65 degrees
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in June 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very faint golden hue
Aroma: Fruity. Coffee beans, nuts, loquats.
Body: fluid, slightly syrupy
Taste: Sweetish attack backed up with assertive junmai petillant.
Fruity and complex.
Nuts, chestnuts, loquats, apricots, notes of coffee beans.
Linger for a while before disappearing on a drier note.
Tends to mellow with food.
Marries beautifully with food, although it tends to take a back step.

Overall: A typical sake from Fujinishiki Brewery conceived to marry beautifully with food, especially izakaya food, although it tends to make itself discreet then.
Eminently drinkable on its own at all temperatures.
Take it to great BBQ outdoors or as a present!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

焼酎, 美食, 酒, 農業, Fujinomiya City, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shochu, Tourism

Shizuoka Shochu Tasting: Fujinishiki Brewery-Kaguyahime no Sasayaki Mugi/Grain Shochu

August 7, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Fujinishiki Brewery in Fujinomiya City at the foot of Mount Fuji distills the only “Mugi Shochu”, that is a shochu made from grain/barley in Shizuoka Prefecture!

Extremely-reasonably priced but nonetheless extravagant mugi shochu, it makes for a nice present with its box!

Grain; Barley
Yeast: grain yeast
Alcohol: 25 degrees

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Rich and fruity. Faint banana, almonds.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Solid and fruity attack.
Complex and sophisticated: bananas with a late appearance by almonds.
Very refreshing in spite of the the strong alcohol.
But for a beginning on an almost sweetish note, it will abandon you on a drier note with hints of nuts.

Overall: There is no need whatsoever to mix it with water!
Pour it on plenty of ice and sip it slowly!
Can be enjoyed at any time in the afternoon and evening as an aperitif or as a digestif.
Drinks most splendidly on a warm summer night!
Drink it slowly as it is dangerously tempting!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Fujinomiya City, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Fuji-Takasago Brewery-Takasago Homare Fuji Junmai

August 7, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

As I said before, with the advent of Mount Fuji and Matsubara Beach being chosen as the New UNESCO World Culture Heritage, the sake breweries have been scrambling to put on sale brews commemorating the event!
Fuji-Takasago Brewery being located on the slopes of Mount Fuji had just to join in with a beautiful retro-style label!

Rice: Homare Fuji (Shizuoka Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in June 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Golden hue
Aroma: Assertive and fruity. Pears with notes of banana. Alcohol.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Well-rounded fruity attack backed up with some palate-warming junmai petillant.
Complex: pears, chocolate, persimmon.
Disappears quickly on a strong nutty note.
Mellows with food for a great marriage.

Overall: A typical sake from Fuji-Takasago Brewery.
Shizuoka Prefecture-grown Homare Fuji sake rice seems to come into many intriguing guises demonstrating that the same rice with basically the same water and yeasts can give birth to a great variety of bectars!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Crustaceans, 美食, 静岡市, 観光, 魚, 魚海の幸, Fish, Fish Markets, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, sushi, Tourism

Sushi: Sushi Sets, Bentos and Takeouts at Shizuoka City Department Stores-1

August 7, 2013 dragonlife 6 Comments

Sushi Lunch Bentos fro sale at 500 yen at Shizuoka JR Station Parche Supermarket!

Let’s start with the big supermarket on the first (ground) floor Of Parche Department Store located above and around Shizuoka JR Station!
First go to the fish and seafood area at the very end of the supermarket near the fish stand where they conduct interesting sushi lunch set sales!
500 yen a box is cheap away from Japan!

Yamakake!
A Shizuoka specialty featuring grated yam and raw tuna atop sushi rice.

Unagi Hitsuma Bushi!
Another Shizuoka specialty featuring pieces of broiled eel and shredded omelet atop sushi rice!

Tekka Donburi!
Plain tuna slices atop sushi rice!

Hoso maki Tume Awsase!
Set of 7 different thin sushi rolls!

Ebi katsu maki!
Sliced Deep-fried prawn sushi roll!

Ni Anago!
Another Shizuoka specialty: broiled conger eel atop sushi rice balls in nigiri style!

A bit of extravagance!
Madai/True seabream nigiri
Zuwaigani/Snow crab nigiri!

A general view of the sushi takeouts you can purchse till evening!

And another one!

Next time I’ll take you to another part of Shizuoka JR Station Parche Department Store!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

笑い, 観光, Humor, Japan, Japanese Culture, Shizuoka, Tourism

Weird Japan (33): Yield Someone Or Yield To Someone?

August 5, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

When the omission of a single word can lead to confusion!

I found this sign posted on the window of a local train in the west of Shizuoka Prefecture!
To think that so many English-speaking people are available….

For your information the sign reads:
“Please yield those who need this seat”

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Justlovefoodleith
BULA KANA in Fiji
Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Baird Beer, Bars, Beer, Beer Brewery, 美食, Drinks, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Beer, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2013/08/05): Two Summer Seasonal Releases: Japan Tale Ale & Asian Beauty Biwa Ale

August 5, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Two Summer Seasonal Releases: Japan Tale Ale & Asian Beauty Biwa Ale

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

One of the great gifts of the summer season surely is nature’s bounty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Two local fruits, harvested in early summer, are of particular appeal to us because of their usefulness as adjunct ingredients in beer: ume and biwa. Fresh, whole, non-processed fruit that is added to either wort or beer and then subject to the fermentation process can lend wonderfully bright, yet subtle and nuanced, flavors to the final brew.

We are thrilled to share our enthusiasm for this type of locally harvested, in-season fruit beer brewing with you through the release of two classic Baird Beer summer seasonals: Japan Tale Ale and Asian Beauty Biwa Ale.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:
*Japan Tale Ale 2013 (5.5%):

Brewed with a host of indigenous Japanese ingredients (un-malted wheat, korizato sugar, fresh ume plums and, of course, lovely soft Numazu water) Japan Tale Ale is lightly hopped, pleasantly tart and extremely refreshing. It’s hazy, milky-white color and snow-white foam collar are reminiscent of a Belgian witbier. It drinks, though, like a beer version of a well-made ume sour (a popular drink served in traditional Japanese pubs that is made with distilled shochu and plums and served carbonated on ice).

We are now accepting orders for Japan Tale Ale 2013. Shipments from the Numazu brewery will begin Tuesday, August 6. It will begin pouring from the taps of our Taproom pubs tonight (Monday, August 5). It is available in limited quantity in both kegs and bottles.

*Asian Beauty Biwa Ale 2013 (5.5%):

Biwa is “the small, yellow, edible, plum-like fruit of the loquat tree.” We had no idea what it was until our partner-friend-carpenter-farmer, Nagakura-san, brought some in several years ago for us to taste and then brew with. It is an extremely subtle fruit that harmonizes sweetness with tartness. Asian Beauty Biwa Ale is coyly fruity, spritely effervescent and delicately firm — like a true Asian beauty!

We are now accepting orders for Asian Beauty Ale 2013. Shipments from the Numazu brewery will begin Tuesday, August 6. It will begin pouring from the taps of our Taproom pubs tonight (Wednesday, August 7). It is available in limited quantity in both kegs and bottles.

Cheers!

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Bars, Beer, Beer Brewery, 美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Numazu City, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Beer, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2013/08/01): Harajuku Taproom 4th Anniversary

August 5, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Harajuku Taproom 4th Anniversary
Dear Taproom Friends and Baird Beer Enthusiasts,

Thank you all for helping us celebrate the Fishmarket Taproom’s 13th anniversary last month. But don’t put down those glasses yet! Harajuku Taproom will be celebrating its 4th Anniversary this weekend (Saturday, August 3rd and Sunday, August 4th)! Events are rare for our youngest taproom, so we always plan to go big for our anniversary bash! First, we have the release of Harajuku Taproom’s Special Anniversary Lemon Lager, which will be followed by a list of seasonal Baird favorites including:
Bakayaro Strong Ale
Temple Garden Yuzu Ale
Cool Breeze Pils
The one-keg only early release of Japan Tale Ale
The Harajuku Taproom and Alias Collaboration Beer: Second Strike Apple Ale
Summer Mikan Ale
And of course, Baird Brewing’s full lineup of year-round beers!

Many of these are one-keg only, so don’t miss your chance to get a taste of these fantastic seasonal treats!

The kitchen will also be preparing special anniversary dishes. This year, our famous anniversary gyoza will feature Iberico pork! Portions are limited, so we apologize if we run out early! Besides our delicious yakitori, kushi-katsu and sashimi are just a couple of the special dishes we will have to offer this weekend, so make sure to grab a bite with your beer!

In order to accommodate as many guests as we can, we will create standing-only sections as well. We thank you for your cooperation! So come on down to Harajuku and help us celebrate our 4th! The Taproom staff are ready to make sure you have a great time!

See you there!

Bryan

Harajuku Taproom
Harajuku 4th Anniversary
Saturday, August 3rd and Sunday, August 4th
Open from 12:00 – 24:00

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

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