Category Archives: 野菜

美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Tempura, Tourism

Tomato Tempura at Uzu!

August 10, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Excellent and very friendly. Very Japanese atmosphere.
Facilities: Excellent washroom facilities. Great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable.
Strong Points: Great sake from Shizuoka and Japan Great Shochu. Home-made umeshu. Mainly local products, especially organic vegetables.
Non-smoking on Sundays and National Holidays

Tempura must be one of the most known facets of Japanese cuisine!
It looks simple enough but good tempura does need a lot of experience and great skills!
And when it comes to serve water-filled vegetables as tempura it becomes a true challenge!

As mentioned before, instead of venturing into long-winded reports about full meals I take at my “regular spots”, I will concentrate on their seasonal dishes!
Now, Mr. Kenya Yoshimura/吉村健也さん is a master of vegetables.
I just can’t imagine the timing and the temperature but when the tomatoes came on my table last night I was once again nonplussed by the sheer simplicity of the dish in its presentation!

This is actually a regular dish at Uzu although the tomatoes will change with the seasons!
In winter I remember having had the same with green tomatoes! The heat had enhanced their hidden “umami” to the point one forgets they were actually unripe!
But the present red tomatoes (organic by the way!) were ripe. I just don’t know how they didn’t explode in the hot oil!
They come with home-made yuzukoshio seasoning. The perfect “marriage” of flavors!

That was how I “presented” it to myself!
All these flavors breaking inside the palate…

To be continued…

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

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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, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Japan, Pork, Shizuoka, Tourism

Italian Gastronomy: Shizen No Chikara Garden Organic Vegetables and Mangenton Pork at Aquavite!

August 7, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

<a href="http://shizuokagourmet

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!

On August 6th, Aquavite opened the second page of their “Shizen no Chikara Garden Presents” Series featuring organic vegetables from Shizuen no Chikara Garden in Shizuoka City and Mangenton Pork from Sanoman Co. in Fujinomiya City!

As this kind of report is both work and pleasure I always sit at the counter to be able to share a word with Chef Aoki!

And like this focaccia with organic mini tomatoes I can see everything coming out of the oven!

Little beauties, aren’t they?

A menu was provided for all to consult and take away!

This was service, semi-dried tomatoes and mushroom crostini.

First pasta dish: Cold Capellini with organic tomatoes and Italian water buffalo Mozzarella.

For another view!
Lke all the vegetables of the day, the basil is organic from Shizen no Chikara Garden.

My piece of focaccia!

The antipasti misto!

Grilled eggplant/aubergine rolled in raw ham.

Kabocha pumpkin marinated in balsamico.

Okra and their flowers!

Potato fritatta and goya/bitter melon fritatta!

Okra flower!

The second pasta dish!

Home-made stamp pasta corzetti with oba/large perilla leaf sauce and sauteed shrimps!
That soft sauce was a beauty indeed in perfect coupling with the home-made pasta!

Beautiful finish as usual. The care of a great chef!

The pasta stamp!
Which means that each piece of pasta has to be cut individually!

The main dish!
Mangenton pork belly confit and Shizen no Chikara Garden organic vegetables combination!

The Mangenton having been confit beforehand, the fat was crispy and combining so well with the leaner meat without any fat dripping away!

This is what I call a flying tomato!

For a better view of the vegetable design!

I know you were waiting for it: the dessert!

For a closer view at the tip of the “fork”!

Blueberries and raspberries tart!

Soft red tea panacotta!

To be continued… of course!

AQUAVITE
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

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美食, 野菜, 農業, French Cuisine, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Tourism

French Gastronomy: Shizuoka Komatsuna and French Summer White Truffles

August 4, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

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!

I’ve decided it is about time that I ceased to describe the full dinners of some of my favorite restaurants for the simple reasons that so many dishes deserve an article of their own!
In the future you can expect a full dinner (not all, mind you, especially for the new establishments I’m bound to discover) to be fragmented into delicious episodes!

The other day Tooru Arima/有馬亨さん surprised me again with one of his typical creations: Shizuoka-grown komatsuna and French Summer White Truffles!
The komatsuna/小松菜/Japanese mustard spinach (they don’t taste like mustard!) were organic naturally, and from Hirokawa Organic Garden in Mishima City.
Komatsuna is usually stir-fried, pickled, boiled and added to soups or used fresh in salads. It is an excellent source of calcium.
It is very popular in Japan, Taiwan and Korea and Shizuoka is a big producer and exporter.

Since truffles, be they French or Italian, black or white, are naturally organic, the whole dish can be considered as fully organic except for some sauce ingredients.

Tooru kept things simple by frying the komatsuna in olive oil with a minimum of salt and pepper.
As the komatsuna produce a lot of juices when fried, Tooru added lemon juice and fond de veau/veal stock to the juices for the perfectly balanced light sauce the vegetables deserved.
He then “simply” sliced plenty of those white truffles all over them!
Extravagant!

Note that he could have made the dish completely vegetarian or vegan (he would on request!) by replacing the fond de veau with Madeira wine for example!

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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Must-see tasting websites:

美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Fujinomiya City, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Tourism, vegetables

Organic Vegetables at Kitayama Organic Farm (2nd interview)

August 4, 2011 dragonlife 6 Comments

My purchase of the day!

As promised last Sunday I went all the way to Fujinomiya City yesterday to pay a visit to the Hirakakis’ Kitayama organic farm!
Masaaki Hirakaki/平垣正明さん (45) was kind enough to pick me up at the station in his small pick-up truck to drive me all the way to their home across his fields.

Masaaki Hirakaki/平垣正明さん！

Once again it was flaming hot and I certainly appreciated the slight drop in temperature as their fields lie at an altitude of 400 meters at the foot of Mount Fuji (which was lost in the clouds then). Mind you, it can be bitingly cold there in winter!

They grow all kinds of vegetables here and there on plots of land totaling 6,000 square meters!

When you discover all that natural grass (tough to keep in check!) between the rows of vegetables and among them you understand quickly that no insecticides, herbicides or agrichemicals are used there!

I just couldn’t catch all the names of the fancy vegetables, some of them in some kind of Italian. I just sweated too much and was too busy to take pics to jot down all the names! Next time I will take a secretary along…?
Anyway, these chili peppers are a sweet variety!

Common (?) green pepper.

Dwarf violet eggplant/aubergine.

Big and round violet eggplant/aubergine.

The same in its row.
Notice that the ground is protected with black vinyl to keep off insects.

Long and thin “thread eggplants/aubergines”!

Very crunchy and juicy Japanese cucumber!

Sweet potatoes/satsuma imo!
Again tough work to pull off that grass (used as compost later!)!

Beautiful pumpkin with an impossible Italian name!

The same and its flower!

I love all those healthy pumpkin flowers!

Instead of using insecticides or herbicides Masaaki “burns” the soil under vinyl sheets with the help of natural sun light and heat!

There is certainly no lack of pure water constantly flowing from the slopes of Mount Fuji!

Green okra!
Some plants are marked with a ribbon to indicate they are let grow freely to supply next year’s seeds!

Okra flowers are edible!

Big violet okra grown for their seeds!

Masaaki also grows his own rice, half for his own consumption, half for sale!

Have you ever seen rice flowers?

These tomatoes are not let to grow on stalks. They are for cooking, not to be eaten raw!

Sweet white corn field! It has to be protected with nets to fend off rampant civets!

Incredibly sweet and juicy eaten raw!

The Hirakakis (both 45 and so young!) in front of their home they built with their own hands!

Part of the day’s crop on sale!

Their home is such an intelligent jumble of bits and pieces, including some real antiques!

They do have many friends of all ages from all sorts of locations to help them organize regular parties!
Many of them are producers I will soon visit!

Organic shallots left to dry outside.

Rare organic chicken and quail eggs from a friend’s farm!

We actually went back to the fields to pick my favorite banana peppers! Incidentally these grow upwards!
The Hirakakis, professional photographers, moved here from Shizuoka City 6 years ago.
At the time Kiko had a pet rabbit she fed with organic carrot leaves grown by a friend.
They started to grow organic carrots for the pet, which developed into full-fledged organic agriculture!

Little beauties, aren’t they?

Tomatoes for cooking!

Kiko san fried the same tomatoes with olive oil, a little salt and pepper and cheese!
So sweet and delicious!

We ate them with these enormous organic sweet basil leaves!

I purchased all these for my friends in their izakaya!

Aki Suzuki/鈴木朋さん at Yasaitei/やさい亭 in Shizuoka City!
She does not look too happy, not because of the beautiful vegetables she holds, but because I caught her on a busy day! LOL

Can you guess which ones I brought?

To be continued…. I mean these trips to Fujinomiya City!

Kitayama Organic Farm
Masaaki and Kiko Hirakaki
418-0112 Fujinomiya Shi, Kitayama, 3102
Tel./Fax: 0544-25-2795
Mobile phone: 090-2261-8821
HOMEPAGE
Orders accepted according to personal priorities and seasonal availability!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, French gastronomy, Gastronomy, Japan, Shizuoka, Tourism

French Gastronomy: Kakegawa Tomato Jelly and Gaspacho with Hokkaido Salmon at Pissenlit

August 2, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Kakegawa City and its neighborhood are celebrated all over Japan for its superlative tomatoes.
Chef Tooru Arima/有馬亨さん, who is very particular about his vegetables, obtains his tomatoes from Mr. Ishitani/石谷さん and comes with some very interesting, and delicious, creations with a vegetable which has become so common!

The tomatoes come into two facets of this beautiful dish:
First the tomato jelly which “rides” a piece of marinated salmon called “tokishirazu”/時鮭, a variety from Hokkaido. This jelly is made from sieved tomato pulp, gelatin and the strict minimum of (secret?) spices, salt and pepper.
Second the soup, or gaspacho, made with the same sieved tomato pulp and first-class olive oil.

For a better view!

The bed of lettuce is organic from Hirokawa Garden in Mishima City!
Served chilled, it makes for the perfect appetizer in hot summer! I can assure I didn’t leave a drop of the gaspacho!
And it is so healthy!

A little pice of the same marinated salmon with coarse ground pepper!

To be continued…

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Fujinomiya City, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Organic Vegetables, Tourism, vegetables, Vegetarian cuisine, 有機野菜

Organic Vegetables at Kitayama Organic Farm (1st interview)

August 1, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

As the second Sunny Sunday Event was held in front of Parco Department Store, Shizuoka City, yesterday I went to check if Ｉ could find new participants to this local market featuring shops and growers from all over the Ｐrefecture.

It certainly paid off as I had the pleasure to meet Masaaki and Kiko Hirakaki/平垣雅章と紀子さん, a very young-minded couple from as far as Fujinomiya City at the foot of Mount Fuji, an area celebrated for its many organic vegetables growers!

Kiko had this great idea to exhibit their vegetables in pots, pans, baskets and boxes and provide customers with osier baskets to choose their vegetables at their own leisure!

These beautiful pumpkins are not easily available in Europe but here in Japan they are very popular!

It is certainly a great pleasure for a lot of people to discover that such common place vegetables are also grown organically!

So cute and so appetiｚing!

Actually Mr. and Mrs. Hirakakい are also professional photographers who decided to seriously grow organic vegetables 4 years ago!

They were so passionate explaining everyone all about their vegetables, their season, their taste, the best way to cook them and so forth!

They certainly attracted some major celebrities of Shizuoka Gastronomy!
I very much doubt I will be able to take such a picture at ease any time in the future:
Ms. Tokiko Hirano/平野斗紀子さんof Tamara Press
Mr. Testuya Sugimoto/杉本哲也さん, Owner/Chef at Tetsuya Sugimoto
Mr. Tooru Arima/有馬亨さん/Owner/Chef at Pissenlit
Mr. Fujio Satsukawa/薩川さん/Owner/Chef at Chez Satsukawa
It also shows that the Hirakakis have attracted some serious interest!

Look at the beauties I bought and that the Missus is going to prepare for us tonight!

I will have ample opportunity to explain all about their vegetables and varieties as I’m going all the way to Fujinomiya City and interview them very soon!

Kitayama Organic Farm
Masaaki and Kiko Hirakaki
418-0112 Fujinomiya Shi, Kitayama, 3102
Tel./Fax: 0544-25-2795
Mobile phone: 090-2261-8821
HOMEPAGE

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Must-see tasting websites:

Bento, 美食, 野菜, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, 弁当

Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’11/40): Maabou Nasu Bento!

July 20, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

The rain has not stopped, neither the wind…
Actually the typhoon is really upon us today…
I had to walk all the way to the office today…
Well, I suppose this is good for my health!

Today the Missus made “maabou nasu”!
Usually the word “maabou” is associated with “maaboudoufu/麻婆豆腐, a dish prepared with tofu.
Check “Maboudoufu/Mapo doufu/麻婆豆腐” for better understanding!
“Nasu/茄子”　means “eggplant/aubergine”. It replaces the tofu!

The Missus first fried some minced pork in oil and spices.
Incidentally, I wasn’t allowed inside the kitchen. Hence the link above to check the recipe.
She then fried cubed eggplant/aubergine and green pepper in a hot sauce of her own making before adding the minced meat and stir-fry the whole before pouring it over steamed rice and sprinkle it with sesame seeds.

The side dish included three different potatoes of three different colours from her family’s garden!
She included her specialty, a half-boiled egg sprinkle with black sesame seeds, home-pickled cucumbers with wakame seaweed, lettuce and Ameera Rubbins Pearl Tomatoes.

For a better view of the salad made with white, pink and violet potatoes (not sweet potatoes!)!

Looking forward to more of the same potatoes! LOL

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Bars, Beer, 美食, 野菜, 観光, Gastronomy, Izakaya, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Pork, Shizuoka, Tourism

1st Agrigraph Japan Brew Bar in Shizuoka City!

July 17, 2011 dragonlife 6 Comments

At long last after 2 months of intensive preparations Agrigraph Japan opened its first Brew Bar/Open Air Beer Hall on Saturday July 16th on Aoi Space just behind the Shizuoka City Hall!

This event followed a new concept:
The food was provided by 6 izakaya/bars in Shizuoka City: Uzu, Mando, Hana Oto, Yasaitei, Odakkui and Growstock.
Furthermore, the food was conceived with agricultural products of Shizuoka Prefecture including vegetables and meat. The latter was provided by Sanoman Company from Fujinomiya City!

The whole staff of Agrigraph with the help of people working for Suntory and Subway Companies were put to work including some pretty (?) ladies!

Everyone had gathered in the intense heat at 12:00 to erect the tents, place and lay the tables, etc. Even the IT and translating staff contributed! I can tell you they neeeded plenty of water when I visited them first around 13:00!

Sweaty work to erect that tent!

Shaping up!

Ice porters?

Pretty (?) ladies posing again for posterity!

Precise work!

Now, these ladies are pretty!

The man in charge of the engines!

Hands off!

Call for the last meeting.

Animated discussion on last-minute changes!

The Rainbow machines which will dispense cool mist all over the site. Real Hi-tec!

The dustbins! Low tec but indispensible!

Things certainly looked different when I came for my second visit at 15:00!

Map and photos of the producers contributing their food to the event! What about that for traceibility for such an event!

The same event will be held again on Friday July 22nd and Saturday July 23rd!

All the (very reasonable considering the quality!) prices were clearly indicated!

Mrs. Yuriko Kato, President of M2 Labo and Agrigraph Japan and Mr. Kenya Yoshimura, owner of Uzu izakaya! (in hots discussion?)

Everything at the ready!

Mr. Sano from Sanoman!

Mr. Takeshi Hirai, General Manager of Beck Company (Mando & Growstock)!

The last (hot) pep talk!

The last details being checked!

The venue was about to start when I left at 13:00. When I came back after 18:00 the place was still quite busy!

It was still very hot and the Rainbow cool mist machines were running at full speed!

Still plenty of work to do!

Mangenton Pork sausages from Sanoman!

Comparing notes!

Great healthy vegetable pickles from Shizuoka Prefecture! Perfect with beer!

Staff at the Pump Station!

Not ready to leave yet!

Just had enough time to savour those cute healthy sausages! One of them incudes Shizuoka Wasabi!

Looking forward to next week!

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Bento, 野菜, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, 弁当

Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’11/32): Nokorimono Bento!

June 14, 2011 dragonlife 6 Comments

The Missus is still very busy settling around in around our new appartment.
So, when she asked: “Do you want a bento today?”
I replied: “Yes, if possible!”
To which she commented” In this case, “nokorimono no bento” today!
“Nokorimono” means “leftovers (or what’s ever left in the fridge)!

Plenty of vegetables as you can see, and all locally grown.
After steaming the rice she prepared burdock roots/gobou/牛蒡 in “kinpira” style. She fried some red and green peppers in olive oil and wasabi dressing and black sesame seeds.
The okra served raw with katsuobushi/dry bonito shavings/鰹節.
She then topped the rice with the three of them.
When I ate from that box, I mixed the whole a bit beforehand.

As for the side dish, she first boiled local white and yellow potatoes and then fried them with a tin of yakitori!
She added boiled morokko ingen/モロッコいんげん, a large variety of string beans (these are usually grown for their beans, but the Japanese like them young) knotted for design and some pearl tomatoes!

Very healthy and yummy leftovers, but where was my dessert? LOL

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

美食, 野菜, 農業, Gastronomy, vegetables

Zucchini Flower Fritters (updated)

June 6, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

Zucchini flowers have been a long-time favorite of people living around the Mediterranean Sea, especially in Italy and French Provence.
The Japanese have recently grown fond of not only zucchini, but also their flowers and are growing them with a vengeance!
It is little wonder they come up with their own, if much simpler, version of zucchini flower fritters!
Since we are again in season (at long last) I tohought it might help some friends!

INGREDIENTS: For 4 people

-Zucchini Flowers: 4
-Prawns/shrimps: 6 (medium-sized)
-Mozzarella Cheese (they make it in Japan, now, even in Shizuoka Prefecture! And that from real water buffaloes!): 1
-Onion: 3 tablespoons (very finely chopped)
-Flour: as appropriate (or if you are Japanese food cognizant, use tempura batter. Rice flour is OK, too)
-Lemon juice: 1/2
-Baby leaves mix for accompaniment: as much as you like!
-Salt: as appropriate
-Pepper: as appropriate
-White wine: a little

RECIPE:

-Take the pistils out the zucchini flowers.

-“Peel” the shrimps if necessary and clean them. Cut them into 2 cm long pieces. Cut off half of the zucchini green part (not the flower) and cut again into 1 cm long pieces.

-Lightly fry the zucchini and shrimps with olive oil. Season with a litle salt, pepper and white wine. Transfer into a bowl and let cool for a while.

-Cut the mozzarella into small pieces and add into the bowl. Mix the lot.

-Delicately open the zucchini flowers and fill them with the above mixture. Do not fill completely as you need to close the flower by twisting their extremities.

-Either wrap the flowers in a little flour or tempura batter and delicately them fry them in shallow olive oil.

-Serve with baby leaves seasoned with a very little salt, some pepper and wine vinegar, and a wedge of lemon/lime.

美食, Dessert, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Tourism

Vegetarian Italian Cuisine at Piatto!

June 6, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

Service: Very friendly and relaxed. Slow food!
Equipment: Great cleanliness and splendid washroom
Prices: Appropriate
Strong Points: Vegetables, especially local and organic whenever possible. Local products. Good French and Italian wine-list

I’m not a vegetarian, but if one can come up with a superlative vegetarian dish I will not hesitate!
And if the vegetables are organic and local to boot I will ignore meat and fish for the whole meal (and postpone the latter to my next visit! LOL)

Kazuo Igarashi originally comes from Tokyo, but with a wife from Shizuoka and a constant access to extravagant ingredients convinced him to open Piatto in downtown Shizuoka City on June 12th 2006.
Since then he has acquired such a fame that his own peers advised me to pay him a visit as soon as possible!

Kazuo’s cuisine is definitely Italian in inspiration but his small establishment is a happy fusion of European and Japanese influences with plates and dishes being chosen among the artworks of three different potters. Food is served on wooden (wood and fabric material and colors are everywhere!) trays with wooden chopsticks and spoons (although you can ask for forks and knives!) and in art glassware. Frankly speaking I would need to write a separate article to describe the place (which I will do next time!)!

I almost cried when I found a Mercurey white wine on his menu! Mercurey is my home-place back in Bourgogne, France!
A very tasty appetizer was served in a beautiful glass: yuuba (skimmed tofu sheet) with parmegiano, pepper and olive oil!

A first for me!

“Bagna Couda”: Italian-style hot dip vegetable tray!

The small deep dish was placed on larger pot containing a combustible to heat the dip.
Both the dish and “burner” were made of sophisticated Japanese pottery!

The dip recipe is a secret of course but it does contain parmegiano and anchovy paste!
I did not leave a drop!

The vegetables, all local and most organic, were more of a Japanese concept, proving that superlative Italian gastronomy can be successfully achieved anywhere if you have quality ingredients!

A little explanation here:
The eggplant is mizu nasu/水茄子, a variety which is eaten raw. The renkon/蓮根/lotus root and takenoko/筍/bamboo shoot are definitely Japanese in concept.
And even more so the mini melons eaten as vegetables in our Prefecture!

Kazuo’s focaccia seems to be known all over town.
Carrot focaccia to finish my dip sauce!

What did I tell you about pottery?
I know some people who would visit the place just to have the pleasure in eating with them!

A risotto was of course on the cards!
I just asked Kazuo to concoct me one with vegetables!

It just shows that green can be become such an appetizing color in the hands of a great chef!

Even the dessert was local!
Can you guess?

I almost took the same picture: Cherry tree flower Ice cream! Yes you read well: flowers!

I’m afraid this is still a bit short of an article as Kazuo Ishigarashi’s cuisine will take time to explore, but don’t woory, I’ll be back soon!

PIATTO
Shisuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Kooyamachi, 5-12, 2F
TEl.: 054-253-8844
Business hours: Lunch, 11:30~14:30 on Monday, Saturday, Sunday & National Holidays. Dinner: 17:30~23:00
Closed on Thursdays
Credit Cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese and a little English)

野菜, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism, Vegan, vegetables, Vegetarian cuisine, Vegetarian terrine

Vegan Feast with Shizuoka Products at Yasaitei!

June 5, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service: Very friendly and attentive
Facilities: Very clean overall. Superb toilets.
Prices: Appropriate
Strong points: Great choice of local & Japanese vegetables. Kansai-style oden. All traditionally-clad ladies staff in a traditional izakaya. Good wines, shochu and sake List.

Chef Aki Suzuki/鈴木朋 never rests on her laurels in a constant search for new local vegetables of the best quality and freshness to please and titillate her customers.
Luckily enough, Shizuoka Prefecture is fast developing into THE reference when it comes to variety and quality of vegetables in Japan.
Moreover, whenever a producer cannot achieve a full organic culture the predominant trend is to reduce any artificial fertilizer or pesticide to a strict minimum.

The result is that the general level has reached such an elevated status that vegetables imported from other Prefectures are of an unheard quality.
It is thus easy to understand why restaurants and izakayas in Shizuoka Prefecture are increasingly using only the safest vegetables as a matter of course!

A very Japanese setting!
With my first glass of my favorite local rice-shochu, “Doman” by Hamamatsu-Tenjingura Brewery, the o-toshi/first snack was a morsel that vegans would run for!

Tokoroten/心太/seaweed jelly!
Served with some finely chopped dry nori/seaweed and Japanese hot mustard, it makes for a delicious healthy snack, even for an omnivore like me!

The sashimi plate of the day!
All the vegetables came from Shizuoka Prefecture and almost half of them were organic!

I know this corn as I have already written about it. Kankan Musume Corn by Takeshi Ichikawa in Iwata City. Served raw, it is so juicy and sweet!

This ko aka daikon/radish/小赤大根 come from Shizen no Chikara Organic Farm in Shizuoka City. Their raw leaves are great with grain mustard!

Juicy daikon and crisp perilla leaf/shiso/紫蘇. The sweet onion/tamanegi/玉葱 behind the shiso leaf is also from Shizen no Chikara Organic Farm.

Juicy tomatoes (from the same farm!), crispy cucumber and quaint ice-plants!

Organic carrot backing up the chopped sweet onion!

As usual the “dressing” consisted of top-class kome miso (the miso paste contains whole rice grains), sesame oil and salt!

Aki san had just received organic broad beans (you can eat them raw!). I asked her to prepare some as tempura!

Little jewels!

And I was off to my second report of the night… LOL

YASAITEI/野菜亭
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa-Cho, 1-6-2 Green Heights Wamon 1-C
Tel.: 054-2543277
Business hours: 17:30~22:00
Closed on Sundays
Reservations highly recommended
Seating: 6 at counter + 12 at tables
Set Courses: 3,000, 4,000, 5,000 yen
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

Chinese Cuisine, Chinese Restaurants, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Restaurants, Tourism

Chinese Cuisine: Hana Oto

June 4, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service: Very friendly and attentive
Equipment: Great general cleanliness. Beautiful toilets
Prices: reasonable
Strong points: Great use of local ingredients in beautiful Chinese Cuisine. Great sake and shochu!

Whatever the nationality or the genre of the gastronomy, a good chef makes an exclusively use of ingredients not only superlative but whenever possible local! Only then the skills make the difference between a good and a great chef!

The entrance to Hana Oto/華音 is simple and unassuming, always a good sign!

Chef Yuusuke Toozaki/登崎雄介 had recently to move to a larger establishment to be able to welcome all his guests!
It is always a good idea to reserve a seat either at the counter or on the tatami floor!

The man himself (frightening smile!)

First of all he caters for all tastes as far as drinks come!

A shochu paradise!

You may as well as consult him before choosing a shochu if that is what you want!
Of course beer and wine are available!

Nice tokkuri!

As for the Japanese sake, there is plenty to choose from, too!
At least three great sake from Shizuoka Prefecture are catered!

Now Hana Oto is one of the rare restaurants serving Amagi Shamo, arguably the best chicken in the Prefecture and probably Japan!

This chicken is, among others, fed with wasabi leaves and soy milk from Izu Peninsula!

Served with freshly grated Shizuoka wasabi (and maybe a little soy sauce), a rare delicacy!

On that night I had beautiful sake brewed by Eikun (Yui) and Sugii (Fujieda) breweries!

Jukusei Tomato to Tamago Pirikara Itame/熟成とまとト卵ピリ辛炒め/Stir-fried hot ripe tomatoes and eggs!

Toozaki san makes an extensive use of the best quality vegetables of the Prefecture!
These ripe tomatoes were grown at Suzuki Tomato Garden in Shizuoka City!

A fulfilling and healthy dish with a great balance!

Unctuous eggs fried to perfection!

Nasu no Shyouga Shoyu Itame/茄子の生姜醤油炒め/Stir-ried eggplants in ginger and soy sauce!

These eggplants were grown organically in a family garden in Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City, proving a great search for the best ingredients!

Matsuki Farm Romeenu Retasu to Hikiniku no Pirikara Itame/松木ファームロメーンレタストひき肉のピリ辛炒め/Hot stir-fried Matsuki Farm Romaine Lettuce and minced meat!

The Romaine lettuce was organically grown at Matsuki Farm in Fujinomiya City!

Well, you can be assured this is only the start of a long relationship considering the untried dishes and the changes with seasons!
Keep tuned! LOL

HANA OTO/華音
420-0032 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Ryougae Cho, 5-8, Shin Kamogawa Bldg., 2F-D
Business hours: 17:30~24:00
Closed on Mondays

美食, 野菜, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Tourism, vegetables

Daikon or Turnip Leaves Furikake Recipe

June 2, 2011 dragonlife 18 Comments

My new Swiss friend Sissi and her pals at With a Glass got stuck with daikon and other root vegetable leaves and asked me to help with a few recipes!
Japan gastronomy has the great merit to accomodate as much as possible of any vegetables you can get your hands on as they know too well that thrift and simple recipes come hand in hand!

Here is a simple and easy to adapt “furikake” recipe you can use on top of a bowl of rice or on its own!
“furikake” means ‘condiment to be sprinkled over a dish”.
By the way daikon leaves is daikon ha/大根葉 and turnip leaves is kabu ha/蕪葉!

INGREDIENTS:

-Daikon leaves or turnip leaves: the equivalent of the leaves of one root (you might have to increase that particular ingredient. Do experiment!)
-Seame oil: 1 + 1/2 tablespoons
-Sake/Jappanese cooking sake: 2 tablespoons
-Mirin/sweet sake: 1 + 1/2tablespoons
-Soy sauce: 1 + 1/2 tablespoons
-Katsuo Bushi/dry bonito shavings: 2 pinches
-White roasted sesame: 2 tablespoons
-If you have them, dried small shrimps (saura ebi or others) or small dried fish

RECIPE:

1) Wash the leaves throroughly and cut thin.. Heat frying pan and pour sesame oil in it.

2) Fry daikon/turnip leaves over a strong fire.. Once they have become soft, add sake, mirin, and soy sauce once a t a time and fry each time until ingredient is absorbed.

3) Add seame seeds and katsuo bushi and fry just a little. If you have the shrimps and fish first fry them over a frypan with as they are and add them at the last moment with the sesame seeds and katsuo bushi..

Serve hot or lukewarm over a bowl of hot rice.
Can be kept inside a Tupperware in the fridge (no need to freeze) and served cold or reheated1

Will come with more soon!

Cakes, Coffee Shops, 美食, Dessert, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Tourism, vegetables, Vegetarian cuisine

Vegetarian Japanese Lunch at Locomani!

June 1, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

Service: Very friendly although a bit shy!
Equipment: Great overall cleanliness
Prices: reasonable
Strong points: Vegetarian menus. Healthy rice flour cakes.
Completely non-smoking!

Light-hearted vegetarianism has become increasingly popular with vegetarians and non-vegetarians in this City and Prefecture.
The access to abundant vegetables, many of them organic all year round, is the main reason. Another reason is that this region of Japan is noted for its exceptional gastronomy and that gastronomes are happy to switch to a healthier and lighter fare from time to time to give a much needed rest to their system!

A Mediterranean look to the facade!

Menus of the day written on blackboard outside,

and inside!

All wood warm atmosphere inside.

Keep an eye (and a space inside your stomach!) open the home-made very healthy cakes!

Cream cheese cake!

Natural brownies made with rice flour!

Apple and walnuts pound cake made with rice flour!

Mr. Shigeyuki Aoshima/青島茂幸 prepares at least 2 full vegetarian and one non-vegetarian courses every day apart of single dishes and others.
As the menus change regularly according to the vegetables in season one does not tire from visiting the place regularly!
This time I chose the “deep-fried soy bean meat lunch course/大豆ミート唐揚げランチ”!