Category Archives: 美食

美食, 観光, French Cuisine, French gastronomy, Gastronomy, Iwata City, Japanese Gastronomy, Tourism, vegetables

French Cuisine: Harmony in Iwata City

May 27, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service: easy-going and friendly
Facilities: good general cleanliness
Prices: reasonable
Strong points: Most of ingredients are local!
Completely non-smoking!

Do not be misled by the somewhat passé look of this Restaurant and Souvenir Shop along a busy thoroughfare and its interior of a past gone.

The decor might be out of date but the food is alive and worth regular visits!

The sign is not easy to miss in any case!

A retro look?
Maybe, but Chef Hiroyuki Adachi is on a mission: he has devoted his life and craft to the local producers, breeders and fishermen and endeavored to make them known to all through his exclusively seasonal menus he offers his guests whoever they are!

Each month witnesses a different lunch course titled according to the flavor or ingredient of the season/month!

Mr. Adachi has little problem finding his ingredients, surrounded as he is by arguably the richest garden in Japan in Iwata City!

A quick walk in the vicinity after lunch (before the next interview) certainly revealed how good food was close by!

Many farmers offer on-field lessons!

Strawberry seedlings being prepared for the next season!

Chef Adachi and a young farmer, Takeshi Ichikawa (my next interview), who supplies sweet corn (beautiful raw!) to the restaurant!

As this was my first visit I opted for the “mini-dinner course lunch” to get a good idea of the food offered at Harmony!

Enormous appetizers plate!

Semi-dried tomato in olive oil and its essence jelly in the small glass beside it!

In between local vegetables octopus and local seared black bass.

Local vegetables and fruit!

The seared black bass from Hamanako!

A very tasty soup of local seasonal vegetables!

Home-made matcha and turmeric bread!

Local “tai”/red grouper in Southern French style with its local vegetables!

For a closer look!

Beautiful local vegetables!

From another angle!
The “white flower” is actually a lily bulb! Delicious!

Enshyuu Mikawa Beef Filet!

Beautiful and so tender steak! Extravagant in Japan!

The steamed local vegetables. Great with the beef sauce!

Very healthy rice mixed with black rice!

And now the local dessert plate!

Natsu mikan orange blanc mange and strawberries!

Japanese-style matcha roll cake!

Now, why is Mr. Adachi’s creme brulee so famous?
The secret lies under the cream!

Iwata tomato sherbet!
Now, this is a creation!

I hope you understand why I’m planning to travel all the way from Shizuoka City again (1 hour by train!)!

HARMONY
438-0831, Shizuoka Ken, Iwata Shi, Kamishinya, 499-1
Tel.: 0538-21-1511
Fax: 0538-21-1515
Business hours: 11:00~14:00, 17:00~21:00
Closed on Mondays, 1st & 3rd Tuesdays
Big parking available
HOMEPAGE

美食, 茶, French gastronomy, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Talk

French Cuisine at Pissenlit: Suruga Beef, Hirokawa Organic Vegetables and Fukumaru Green Tea Tempura!

May 26, 2011 dragonlife 6 Comments

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

This superb dish conceived by Chef Tooru Arima at Pissenlit in Shizuoka City has a history I actively contributed to!
To make a long story short I spent this morning high in the mountains in Hirano picking the first tea of the year in the fields of Marufuku Tea Factory (details at the end of this article) and I was really starving when I came back downtown at noon. I decided to visit Pissenlit as I had a couple of ideas in mind!

I did enjoy a full meal before and after the main dish but allow me to concentrate on the latter as it is a true Shizuoka Gastronomic experience!
First the beef is fillet of local Suruga Beef raised in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City. It was prepared as a classic French steak with Madeira sauce!

Except for the tea leaves the vegetables come from Hirokawa Organic Garden in Mishima City.
As usual Mr. Arima steamed them to perfection preserving their taste, flavor and crispiness!

Marufuku Tea Factory Organic Tea Fields in Hirano, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City!

Mr. Bunji Itoh grows among others two varieties of green tea organically in altitude (over 800 m.!) up in the mountains of Hirano, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City near the source of the Abe River.
I joined him and his daughter, Asami, to pick up the first leaves of the year (Ichi ban cha)!
While workers were busy cutting the rest of the fields I was invited to hand-pick my own new tea leaves, a great honor if there is one!

I knew how to choose and pick the tender tips like the one shown above.
I found myself with a whole bunch of them. By bunch I mean a bag full of them!
The ideal idea came to my mind (sometimes my brain works in the right direction…): I brought them to Mr. Arima at Pissenlit who was more than glad to obtain the first leaves of the year of authentic organic tea from his own city. There are all kinds of ways that a great chef can accommodate them but probably the best one is tempura!

Tender new tea leaves as tempura is not only a gastronomic experience but you can imagine how difficult it is to get the opportunity to taste such a delicacy reserved to the first day of the first crop of the year!
I very much doubt you can be served it even in the best restaurant in Tokyo!

What’s going to be next…? I already have a clear idea! LOL

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

Marufuku Seishya Co. Ltd. (Mr. Bunji Itoh)
Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Wakamatsu Cho, 25
Tel.: 054-271-2011
Fax: 054-271-2010

美食, 野菜, 観光, Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Restaurants, Shimada City, Shizuoka, Tourism, vegetables

Italian Cuisine: Shizuoka Agricultural products: Fennel Gratin at Osteria Porta Porta!

May 23, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

Service: Very friendly and attentive
Equipment: Great general cleanliness
Prices: reasonable
Strong points: Great appetizers. Mainly local vegetables. Good wine list.
Non smoking at lunch time!

Chef Hidetake Suzuki/鈴木秀武 has his own “secret” source of vegetables in his own home-town, Fujieda City, about 20 minutes away by train from Shizuoka City.
When I say “secret”, it is actually more or less true as the farmer who grows these Italian/French vegetables do it on the chef’s request.
Although the two of us will visit that particular garden very soon, I am not allowed to divulge the name or its address!

Regular customers or friends at such an establishment do not need to look through a menu. A quiet word to the waitress (“please ask the chef to prepare a small antipasto misti for a start”) and a succulent array of appetizers will quickly materialize!

The artichoke also comes from that “secret” garden in Fujieda City!

Beautiful Ameera Tomatoes (and other vegetables) from Shizuoka Prefecture!

But I came for this: fresh fennel grown in the “secret” garden!

Fennel gratin!
It was on the specialty of the day menu last week and although it had disappeared I knew there was still some of the vegetable in the fridge!

Incidentally, when I was a kid there were a lot of leafy vegetables I wouldn’t eat including fennel.
My departed Mum must be screaming at me from where she is seeing me having developed a craving for them!

A very light bechamel sauce emphasized the natural taste of the fennel.
As it was hot I did take my time to savor it! LOL

In France we usually boil or steam the fennel beforehand or even fry it to soften it first, but it becomes a totally different dish.
This gratin with its fennel just cooked enough to enjoy its true taste is not only delicious but also so healthy!

What will the chef come up with next time…

Osteria Porta Porta
420-0839 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Takajyo, 2-13-11, Topia Takajyo, 103
Tel./fax: 054-266-7320
Business hours: 11:30~14:00, 17:30^22:00
Closed on Wednesdays
Credit cards OK from July

美食, French gastronomy, Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Tourism

French Cuisine: Grill Kuramoto

May 22, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service:A bit shy but friendly
Equipment: Great general cleanliness. Beautiful washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Interesting combination of French and Japanese bistro-style cuisine. Traditional tarts and cakes.
Entirely non-smoking!

Sometimes one wonders how you could define some restaurants in Japan as they very often tend to combine many genres at the same time.
Grill Kuramoto in busy Gofuku-Cho in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City is a typical example!

Unusual for such an establishment it is located on a basement floor, although the stairs are welcoming!

I wish they could serve it on their menu! LOL

The interior concept is a bit unusual too.
If you wish to see chef/owner Tsuyoshi Kuramoto at work, you can sit at the semi-hemispherical counter looking over the kitchen.

Or you can sit at a cozy table, especially when in company. And don’t forget the establishment is entirely non-smoking!

You might need to keep some space for one of their desserts!

I went for lunch for my first visit and I must admit they do have set courses above the average.
The appetizer was carrot and sea urchin mousse with consomme jelly.

Can you see the sea urchin?
Mr. Kuramoto uses local products whenever possible, especially eggs and vegetables.

The second appetizer was a remarkable seafood and vegetable terrine.
The red eggs are flying fish roe.
Very light and tasty!

Typical French Bistro fare!

The main diush was definitely a Japanese bistro offering: “omu rasiu/rice omelette”!
If you sit at the counter you will be able to pick up Ｍr. Kuramoto’s tricks!

The omelette is perfectly cooked outside.

But the omelette is very light and almost runny under its firm outside.
The rice reminiscent of paella inside makes it a very interesting dish!

Creme brulee for dessert!

Creme brulee has become integral part of Japanese gastronomy these days, and this particular one is a proof ot the Japanese chefs’ mastery!

Real cream and real sugar with coffee (important)!
Will have to check their dinner soon!

Grill-Kuraramoto
420-0081 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Gofuku-cho, 2-5-17
Tel.: 054-255-3090
Business hours: 11:30^14:00, 17:30~20:00
Closed on Wednesdays and 3rd Tuesday
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

美食, Dessert, 農業, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Gastronomy, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Tourism, vegetables

French Cuisine: Shizuoka Agricultural Products by Ms. Keiko Kubota at Gentil!

May 13, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Ranking：
Service: very professional
Facilities: Very clean, superb facilities.
Prices:~ Slightly expensive to expensive
Strong points: Beautiful and fresh ingredients presented and combined to perfection. Local ingredients whenever possible. Superb wine list. The best cheese trays in Japan! Everything thoroughly and kindly explained!
Map
Non-smoking at tables (bar’s smoke does not reach tables)!

Things have been moving recently at Gentil, The oldest French Restaurant in Shizuoka (founded in 1964!)!
The chef having had to leave due to his wife’s conditions, Ms. Keiko Kubota, the only Japanese Compagnon d’Honneur du Guilde des Fromagers (フランス熟成士の組合ギルドデフロマージュからコンパニオンドヌール), decided it was time to take things in her own hands. With the help of an able apprentice (the whole staff is feminine!) she has taken the reins of the kitchen to propose a very healthy and sophisticated gastronomy based on local products.
She is coming with all kinds of refreshing ideas I plan to report on in earnest.
Let’s start with the “quick” lunch I had the other day!

Have a look at the appetizers’ plate above before you read the explanations!

Kokabu/small turnip soup made with the whole vegetable inclusding its leaves.
This kokabu is grown by Mr. Muramatsu in Fujieda City!

Left: kochi/鯒/Sand Borer Flathead sashimi in carpaccio style and kasago/瘡魚/False kelpfish; Marbled rockfish in escabeche style.
The fish were both caught in Suruga Bay and the vegetables as well as those below were grown by Mr. Tanabe in Hamamatsu City!

Zucchini and cress roll, red daikon/koshin daikon/紅芯大根 over roasted ham from Mr. Kuwahara in Fujinomiya City. Actually the raw ham was purchased from Mr. Kuwahar before being processed by Mochizuki in Ikawa.
How about that for traceability!

This chicken called “Jidori/地鶏/ raised by Mr. Aoki in Fujinomiya City was first processed in Japanese-style “nanbanzuke” before being sauteed to perfection.

For a better look of the chicken and the fresh vegetables!

The whole was topped with thin slices of old Mimolette chesse for a superlative mariage of savors (don’t forget this THE PLACE for chees in the whole Prefecture if not in the whole country!)!

The dessert tray!

This sorbet was conceived with “Ibupiacce” roses grown in Shimada City!

Shizuoka Matcha pound Cake!

Panacotta made with coconuts milk and milk, sorbet made with Shizuoka-grown strawberries and a little “ai/for love” biscuit!

Ms. Kubota told me she expects me in June for experiments with cheese and local products!
You bet I will come!

Restaurant Gentil
Address:420-0031 Shizuoka Shi, Gofuku-cho, 2-9-1, Gennan Kairaku building, 2F
Tel.: 054-2547655 (Reservations advisable)
Fax: 054-2210509
Opening hours: 12:00~14:00, 18:00~last orders for meals at 21:30. Bar time 18:00~23:30. Closed on Mondays.
Credit cards OK
Homepage　(Japanese)

美食, 観光, Fujinomiya City, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Tourism, 富士宮市

Yakisoba: Fujinomiya Yakisoba-The real one!

May 10, 2011 dragonlife 6 Comments

Fujinomiya City is famous all over Japan for the so-called B-Class Gourmet Fujinomiya Yakisoba.
Actually I have little liking for this “B-Class Gourmet/B-Kyu-Gourmet/B級グルメ”　branding which has been invented by scoop-hungry TV channels in Japan with a total disregard for authenticity and true local gastronomy.
Well, at least some honest gastronomes are fighting hard to put things into their right place!
Yesterday I spent the whole day in Fujinomiya City as I was invited to a grand BBQ (article coming soon!) where a true Fujinomiya-style yakisoba was prepared with the best ingredients that could be found in Fujinomiya City!

The pork, the same as shown in above picture was provided by Sanoman Co/さの萬株式会社 which produces some of the best pork in Japan.
As for vegetables, good quality cabbage (especially in the Spring!) grown in Fujinomiya City is enough as it will contribute all the water you need!

Just a little good oil to fry the pork and the cabbage together. The pork will add all the necessary extra fat for a lighter fare!
Good salt and pepper only for first seasoning! The yakisoba are first put on top while more pork is added.

And naturally who else but Mr. Sano, President of Sanoman, would graciously volunteer to cook it all!?

Hot work, even for Mr. Sano!
Luckily the BBQ was held at Bayern Meister Bier run by Stephan Rager, the only German Brewmaster to run his own Brewery in Japan (article coming, too!).

The best yakisoba are not prepared with water, but with beer!
And Stephan added his own beer! Extravagant!
(A lot of picture taken for posterity!)

A good (not cheap common stuff!) yakisoba sauce chosen in person by Mr. Sano and here you are:
Healthy, tasty, simple and extravagant Fujinomiya Yakisoba!

美食, Dessert, 野菜, 観光, French gastronomy, Gastronomy, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Tourism, vegetables

French Cuisine: Veal and Macha Creme Brulee at Pissenlit!

May 9, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Time to visit one the very best French restaurants in Shizuoka Prefecture: Pissenlit!
In this particular case I just barged in on Sunday for lunch and looked at the specialties of the day board!

For once I couldn’t drink alcohol and opted for Chef Arima’s delicious ginger ale made with real ginger roots!

To help me wait for my order (after all, all good food is slow food!) I was offered rillettes made with wild boar hunted in Noda, Shimada City! I could have ordered it!LOL

The appetizer was a delicious salad of udo and bamboo shoots. They had been lightly steamed/boiled before being served with a succulent vinaigrette. Udo/Aralia Cordata is a kind of sansai/山菜/Wild mountain vegetables. This particular one was found up Abe River in Shizuoka City. The bamboo is also grown in Shizuoka Prefecture.

A vegetarian delight!

And now for the main dish: veal!
Veal is not easy to find bred in Japan and even more difficult bred in Shizuoka Prefecture!
This extravagant meat comes from a one-month old 120 kg calf bred in natural environment with its herd.
Chef Arima shared half it with Matsuki Bio Farm’s Restaurant in Fujinomiya City where the calf hed been raised.

The veal was pan-fried/oven-roasted before being seasoned with a beautifully soft Dijon mustard seed sauce. The perfect marriage!

It was presented atop an extraordinary pancake made with potatoes/seri (セリ/Chinese celery or Japanese parsley) and cheese! I garantee you that pancake alone is worth ordering!

As usual the vegetables were all organic from Hirokawa Garden in Mishima City!

I never tire of looking at (and tasting) them!

Always cooked to perfection for maximum enjoynment of their true savors and tastes!

The veal is a beautiful pink with juices oozing instead of the unhealthy dry white samples imported to this country!

And now a real Shizuoka dessert: matcha creme brulee!

Shizuoka-grown Benihoppe/Red Cheeks strawberries!

It is just a pleasure to crack the caramel open and to delve into the cream below!

And the more you delve, the more matcha!

To be continued…

Bento, 美食, Ekiben, 観光, 駅弁, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Tourism, Travel, 弁当

Shizuoka Ekiben/Railway Station Bento: Haru Chisen

May 8, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

About this time of the year Tokaiken Co. offers a seasonal ekiben at Shizuoka JR Station called “Haru Chisen/春千扇”, or “The Thousand Fans of Spring to celebrate the most important season in Japan! It is slightly more expensive (1,000 yen), but it is certainly worth it!

The box is the color of cherry blossoms, the symbol of Spring!

The contents are clearly indicated as usual!

As you lift the cover you will find another film of transparent paper protecting the food inside.

Now, what do we have?

Sansai maze gohan: Rice steamed together with wild mountain vegetables. Another indication that we are in Spring!

Shiozuke sakura no hana: edible cherry blossom preserved in salt!

Let’s have a look at the section on the left… beautiful colors!

Flower-shaped daikon pickled in sweet vinegar on na no hana/rapeseed flowers and umeboshi-pickled daikon.

Tara no me/a Japanese wild mountain vegetable.
Tofu edamame fuwafuwa: deep-fried tofu cake containing edamame and other vegetables.
Tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette.

Now, let’s turn to the right section: More colors!

Nimono/simmered vegetables: Carrot, taro, shiitake mushroom, green peas in their pod, bamboo shoot and cherry-blossom-shaped jelly.

Now for the “main dish”: pork shuumai/dim sung, sawara/young Spanish mackerel (from the Suruga Bay) and deep-fried chikuwa/fish paste roll stuffed with umeboshi paste.

By now you should know the color of Spring in Japan!

To be continued…

Bento, 美食, Ekiben, 観光, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, 弁当

Shizuoka Ekiben/Railway Station Bento: Shizuoka Monogatari

May 5, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

Even if the many ekiben/Raliway bento/Railway Box Lunches at Shizuoka JR Station are all prepared by the same company, Tokaiken Co., they still have to satisfy not only a great variety of individual tastes but also “multiple tastes”.
Some people don’t want rice only or not one kind of the latter.
Shizuoka Monogatari/静岡物語 (Shizuoka Story) is a typical example of an ekiben conceived to satisfy an eclectic customer!

Orange is the official color of Shizuoka Prefecture!

As usual everything is clearly indicated!

No, the picture is not blurry. It is only that the food is protected by a film of hard transparent paper!

Now, what do we have here?

Due to the design of the ekiben I will have to repeat myself!
The rice at the bottom is topped with deep-fried cherry shrimps/sakura ebi, only found in Shizuoka Prefecture!
The spaghetti are peperocino style!

The rice at the right has been steamed with Shizuoka green tea!

Bottom left: Nimono/stewed vegetables: carrot, bamboo shoots, string beans.
Bottom right: Yaki saba/grilled mackerel and sweet beans dessert (called “uguisu mame”)
Top left: Unagi kabayaki/broiled eel with pickled leaf ginger and lettuce
Top right: Maguro Kakuni/stewed tuna cubes, Kuro hanpen/Sardine paste (both Shizuoka specialties)

Bottom right: Shuumai, soy sauce bottle and apricot preserve dessert
Top right: Tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette (containing minced meat) and pickled daikon

To be continued….

美食, 野菜, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Tourism, vegetables

Japanese Cuisine: Shizuoka Agricultural & Marine Products at UZU!

May 1, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Mixed salad of organic vegetables from Matsuki bio Farm

Service: excellent, easy-going and very friendly
Facilities: great washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: very reasonable, good value.
Strong points: Very fresh local ingredients, especially organic vegetables extensively used. Local sake. Home-made umeshu. Great shochu list.
Non-smoking on Sundays and National Holidays!

I just can’t stop re-visiting Uzu. I just have too many reasons for that: the food there is exclusively seasonal and so healthy.
For once I was lucky to have dinner there on a National Holiday, meaning that smoking was completely prohibited!

Uzu is off the beaten tracks away from the bustling centre of Shizuoka City, a small haven of Japanese tradition.

But it is safe to say that their sign is modern calligraphy art!

The day’s specials are always hand written on paper posted outside.

They are written by Chef Yoshimura’s wife. Bring a Japanese friend with you to help you understand the menu. It is worth it as all the farmers and breeders of the food served inside are clearly stated!

The snack coming with the first drink included Sakura Ebi/Cherry Shrimps tofu! A great way to serve the specialty from Yui!

We first had the haru Yasai Gorogoro salad, a salad made with all kinds of organic Spring vegetables grown at Matsuki Bio Farm in Fujinomiya City!

From another angle to show the beautiful raw mushrooms. The dressing was also vegetarian!

For once we didn’t have a sake from Shizuoka Prefecture but Hitakami/日高見 from Miyagi Prefecture. We had to pay cash for this sake as part of it woill go to help the victims of the recent earthquake in Miyagi Prefecture! What a great way to contribute!

For the sashimi we had a combination of the sea and the land!

Benimasu/salmon trout from Fujinomiya City!

Isaki/Chicken grunt from the Suruga Bay.
The freshly grated wasabi is from Umgashima, Shizuoka City!

Amagi Shamo Chicken bred in Shuzenji, Izu Peninsula: Amagi Shamo Chicken innards and leaf Ginger in Shichuan style/Amagi Shamo Naizou to Ha Shouga, shisen style.

For a closer look!
This dish has been inspire by a friend of Mr. Yoshimura’s. I will dine there soon!

A cute serving on a beautiful earthenware dish!

We did drink fresh water, with the difference that all the fresh water served at Uzu come from the well of Hatsukame Brwery in Okabe!

Amagi Shamo thighs grilled to perfect balance served with fresh wasabi sauce!

Now, I know a lot of people who would like to try this dessert:
Vanilla and brown sugar ice-cream topped with umeshu and its chopped ume! Ume is Japanese plum, and ume shu is made with ume, sake and shochu!

Don’t worry, there will be many other reports on this great Shizuoka Izakaya which is the epitome of our Prefecture’s gastronomy!

UZU
Shizuoka City, Otowa-cho, 3-18
Tel.: 054-249-6262
Business hours: 17:00~23:00
Lunch on reservation only
Closed on Mondays and first Tuesday
Reservations recommended
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

美食, 静岡, 豚骨ラーメン, Gastronomy, Gourmet, Japan, Ramen, Shizuoka, Tonkotsu ramen, 日本

Ramen: Tonkotsu Ramen-Professional Recipe

November 23, 2009 dragonlife 42 Comments

Here is the “professional Recipe for Tonkotsu Ramen as promised!

INGREDIENTS: (will provide 3.5 litres of soup, enough for quite a few servings!

-Pork bones: 5 (2500 g)
-Water: 13 litres

RECIPE:

Bring frozen bones to room temperature in plenty of water.
It should take about 2 hours. If you cook frozen bones directly, the blood will solidify and will be very difficult to get rid of.
If you can get fresh bones, skip this step.

Fill a very large cooking pot with water and bring to boil.

Switch off fire as soon as the water boils. Drop in the bones and let cool. This process will help you get rid of the blood and blood vessels easily.

Leave it to cool down for 30~40 minutes.

Drain the water off the bones in a large strainer.
Throw off the water.
Check and take off any blood or blood vessels for the bones.
Don’t forget to clean the pot!
Break all the bones in two with a hammer.

Fill the pot again with clear water and bring to boil.
Drop the bones inside.

Keep cooking over a strong fire and scoop out foam and unwanted matters coming up on the surface (this should take 20 minutes at the most).
As the bottom might get hooter than near surface, stir with a large ladle from time to time.
If the inside of the pot over the water surface gets clogged with matter or gets dark, switch off fire, clean with a clean cloth and switch fire on again.

Above picture shows the soup after all unwanted matters have stopped coming up.

Cover with a lid and a weight to prevent steam coming out from under the lid. Keep simmering on a low fire.

That’s how it looks after 1 hour.
Keep cooking.

That’s how it looks after 3 hours.

That’s how it looks after 6 hours.

That’s how it looks after 10 hours.

And after 12 hours (start early in the morning!)!

Keep cooking. Remember you are aiming at 3.5 litres of soup.
After 12 hours you may raise the fire to accelerate the cooking.
Keep the lid on!

This is what you are looking for!

This is how the bones will look after 15 hours of cooking!
Cooked at last!

Filter the soup and here you have your tonkotsu base soup ready!
After that it is up to you and your preferences: add miso, tofu, salt, sesame oil, garlic chips and your little secrets!