Category Archives: Italian Restaurants

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!

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

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

Italian Cuisine: Dinner at Contorno in Mochimune!

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Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable.
Strong points: Many local products be they from the land or the sea. Organic vegetables. Car park.
no-smoking-logo1 Entirely non-smoking!
Map

Mochimune in Shizuoka City is famous all over Japan for its shirasu/シラス/sardine whiting but it has other treasures to be discovered such as white peaches, oranges, a whole array of fish and seafood and a more than excellent Italian restaurant, Contorno!
I had never visited it for dinner although I had the occasions to enjoy great lunches there.
I finally had the opportunity when the young IT staff of Agrigraph joined me for dinner on a busy Friday evening!

As I had three specialists armed with all kinds of electronic devices with me, for once I didn’t have to worry about taking photographs!

The heat had been hellish that day so a beer was in order!

All vegetables used at Contorno are cultivated organically at Nagomi Farm in Fujinomiya City and the salmon is smoked on site!

24-months old raw Parma Ham!

The same with an organic vegetable salad! Extravagant!

The Italian wine amateurs will be happy to learn that Contorno has a decent list for all tastes and budgets!

For the connoisseurs!

Contorno is also renown for its pizza entirely prepared, fermented and baked in a large oven on site.
The above pizza is a Mochimune specialty: Shirasu and mozzarella pizza!

A second great pizza made with semi-dried tomatoes (organic) and raw ham!

I judge the quality of an Italian Restaurant on its gnocchi more than anything else!
These gnocchi in peperocino sauce and large prawns are a certainly a must in Contorno!

It certainly deserved a closer view!

If you must have pasta, then I would definitely recommend their short pasta!

And don’t go for anything fancy! The tomato peperocino is the best!

Served with a beautiful piquant olive oil for the customers who like their food spicy!

If you can manage some space in your stomach you must try Contorno’s desserts!
The sole lady among us couldn’t resist this chocolate cake in blueberry sauce!

As for the “boys” it was cappucino! Sorry, I had already sipped half when I took the picture!

See you again in the Fall/Autumn!

CONTORNO
421-0122, Shizuoka City, Suruga Ku, Mochimune, 5-1-10, Sunrise Mochimune (5 minutes walk from Mochimune JR Station. Second stop after Shizuoka)
Tel.: 054-2565877
Business hours: 11:30~14:30, 17:00~21:30
Closed on Wednesdays
Credit Cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
BLOG

Lunch sets: 1,480 yen~
Dinner: Appetizers: 500~yen, 1,000 yen~
Pasta: 930 yen~
Pizza (oven-baked): 1,180 yen~
Carte available

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美食, Dessert, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Hamamatsu City, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Tourism

Italian Gastronomy: Orta Ristorante in Hamamatsu City!

4 Comments

Service: Very friendly and attentive
Facilities: Superb cleanliness through and through and beautiful washroom.
Prices: Appropriate
Strong points: Authentic Northern Italian Gastronomy. Good wine list. Very fresh ingredients, local whenever possible
Entirely non-smoking!

In a Prefecture noted for its superior Italian gastronomy, Orta Ristorante must have earned its place in the top three of this part of Japan with a population equivalent to that of New Zealand!
Sebastiano Bonomi Pattini came to Japan at the tender age of 20 from his native Piemonte and has plied his trade in this country for nearly 15 years now.
A few years ago he left his restaurant in Mikkabi to open Orta Ristorante in the busy centre of Hamamatsu City North of the JR Station.

He chose his place well on the second floor of a building facing busy Act City.

His restaurant is spacious (although you had better reserve!) and overlooking a new green and quiet area recently developed for the benefit of the citizens by the local government.

The whole establishment has been conceived for the best enjoyment of your repast whether in good company or in contented loneliness!
As I live far away from the City of Hamamatsu and therefore don’t know when I will have the opportunity to come again, I opted for the best of the 4 excellent lunch courses, Marchatte!

The first appetizer is a morsel which gives you a clear indication of what to expect!

Mozzarella and ham baked on a crostini!

Naturally, all bread is baked on site!

Home-smoked salmon served as it should be!

Not only beautiful, but absolutely delicious!

Served with savory bread!

Elegant meal in an elegant place!

As I mentioned that I have a fondness for gnocchi more than for pasta (spaghetti et al) Sebastiano came in person to enquire what I would like!

In the end I was served a superlative gnocchi with cheese and broccoli cream sauce with small parmegiano galettes!
Enough to make me come back!

The meat dish certainly deserved the name of fusion gastronomy: Charolais veal from Australia. Extravagant!

Note that the very light polenta was made local corn. Actually all the vegetables were local!

The dessert plate! A real symphony!

Blueberry cheese cake (I think I know where the blueberries come from!), chocolate cake and mango ice-cream. I didn’t leave the sauce untouched I assure you!

Great coffee and petits fours are always a true indication of a great restaurant!

Sassicaia! You couldn’t have a better indication of the wine list!

Well, it is only a queetion of time until I enjoy dinner there!

Chef/Owner: Mr. Sebastiano Bonomi Pattini
Orta Ristorante
Hamamatsu City, Naka Ku, Banya, 675, 2F
tel. & Fax: 053-455-0321
Business hours: 11:30~14:, 18:00~22:00
Closed on Tuesdays
HOMEPAGE
Credit Cards OK

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

Vegetarian Italian Cuisine at Piatto!

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)

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観光, Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Restaurants, Tourism

Italian Cuisine: Dinner at Il Castagno!

2 Comments

Service: Very friendly and attentive
Equipment: Great general cleanliness
Prices: reasonable
Strong points: Great appetizers. Home-made pasta!.
Entirely non-smoking!

Not many chefs spend their good time making their own fresh pasta in Japan, and that only would be a good enough reason to visit Il Castagno in Shizuoka City!
But Chef Kenji Inami 謙司, who spent quite some time in the South of Italy, also endeavors to use ingredients from our Prefecture, be they vegetables, meat or fish for the best freshness and quality!

I’ve visited his restaurant countless times but only for lunch. Since we have just moved in the neighborhood we finally had the chance to share a full dinner there!

One cannot enjoy a true Italian dinner without (lots of) wine!
This white Lugano was perfect for a start!

We started with the set of appetizers!

Vegetables and Parmegiano quiche!

Deep-fried Parmegiano balls!

Home-smoked salmon!

Home-made ham!

Squid ink pasta!

Pork Pate di Campani with home-made pickles!

Exclusively home-made bread!

By then the white wine had disappeared, so we switched to a fine Montalcino red!

The Suruga Bay in Shizuoka has enough varieties of fish to satisfy any cuisine in the world!

Madai/red seabream~grouper!

We then naturally switched to pasta mode!
I dare say that Il Castagno offers the best (home-made) short pasta in town!

But you must also try his own style of Bolognese long pasta!

For a closer view!
Next time I’m thinking of a pasta only dinner! LOL

Yes, we still had room for dessert!

Fig compote!

Tempting, aren’t they?

Sorry, but I couldn’t resist the cheese!

It is a promise: next time all pasta!

Il Castagno
420-0843 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Tomoe Cho, 48
Tel/Fax: 054-247-0709
Business hours: 11:45~14:00, 17:30~21:00
Closed every Monday and 3rd Tuesday
Credit cards OK (dinner only)
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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美食, 野菜, 観光, Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Japanese Gastronomy, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Tourism, vegetables

Shizuoka Vegetables: Shizen No Chikara Garden Party at Aquavite!

4 Comments

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! Private room can be made non-smoking, too!

Yesterday a party for 23 happy guests was organized by Shizen no Chikara Garden (“The Power of Nature”) at Aquavite with the help of Chef Masaru Aoki/青木勝!

A printed menu had been prepared for everyone for easy comprehension (if you asked for the translation in Italian, anyone would have understood! LOL)

I usually make a point to come a bit early at such parties “to take the temperature”!
The place was used to full capacity on that day!

The preparations started as early as the day before!
Incidentally I was sitting at the middle of the counter away from the crowd!

Real battle in the kitchen!

The Focaccia before being baked!

Out of the oven!

On the plate!

Organic vegetable directly from Shizen No Chikara Garden!

The first appetizer!
Can you guess what these green leaves are?
Green tea!

Second appetizer. Remember that all the vegetables are organic from the same Garden!

Cute little Spring onion!

Aquavite-style Barniacauda!

From another angle!
Such fun and pleasure dipping first-class vegetables into sophisticated dip!

Aiko pearl tomato spaghetti!

Unlike the other guests, I had the pleasure to witness their creation in front of my very eyes!

Involtini: broad beans and ricotta paste-filled Asahi Chicken roll!

.

From another angle!

Baked risotto!

The Involtini!

It was such a pleasure to break it up!

Making desserts from vegetables for such a big party is just unpractical, so Chef Aoki came with his own!

Sherbet created with musk melon from Fukuroi City!

Chef Aoki’s (very) special Tiramisu!

A big thanks to chef Aoki for a true pro’s work!

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

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

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

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野菜, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Japan, Restaurants, Tourism, vegetables

Italian Cuisine: Shizuoka Agricultural products-Lunch at Via Del Borgo!

2 Comments

On a hot day (and the temperature has been hovering around a very unseasonal 30 degress celsius these past days) an Italian restaurant is probaby a good bet for lunch.
About time to check the latest lunch menu at Via Del Borgo, then!

One good thing about this spacious restaurant is that you can choose your spot among the available space without having to explain your reasons (not evident in Japan!)

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I have already introduced Chef Takahiko Katoh/加藤隆彦 and I intend to folllow him around if he intends to go independent someday (all great chefs are bound to in Shizuoka), so let's have a look at what I had the pleasure to taste this time:
Onion confit crostini!

Antipasti misto!

Grilled zucchini and bamboo shoot (the latter from Shizuoka) and pork and vegetables roll.

Light vegetable omelette.

Avocado and Scallops with pomegranate seeds and balsamico dressing.

Home-baked bread, premium olive oil and wine!

White beans and asapragus tips soup.

Crispy asparagus tips (not the overcooked and soggy stuff!)!

I said before this the place for risotto!
Chicken ragu and mushrooms risotto!

For a better view!

For once I chose the fish main dish: pan-fried and oven-baked red grouper with cold fruit tomato ratatouille and hot sauteed vegetables.
All ingredients are from Shizuoka Prefecture!

The fruit tomatoes offered an intriguing contrast with their chilled swetness!

All vegetables sauteed to perfection to enhance their taste and flavor: small spring onion, okra, rape seed flower and maountain wild mountain vegetables!

I usually do not eat cooked fish skin but the marriage of the tender flesh with and of the crackling skin of this madai/真鯛/red grouper was too much to ignore and I was rewarded with a supreme experience! Probably the “simplest” and best way to enjoy white-fleshed fish!

Panacotta and fruit for a light and delicious dessert!

Instead of the usual coffee I had a refreshing orange juice and the little biscuits!

To be continued… LOL

Service: professional and friendly
Facilities: Extremely clean overall and beautiful washroom
Prices: reasonable
Strong points: Local products extensively used. Good Italian wine list. Private rooms available.
Private rooms can be made non-smoking with full isolation!

VIA DEL BORGO
420-0034, Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa Cho, 3-2-7
Tel.: 054-221-7666
Business hours: 11:30~13:30, 18:00~21:00 (last orders)
Private rooms available.
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
Credit Cards OK

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

野菜, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Recipes, Shizuoka, Tourism, vegetables

Italian Cuisine: Shizuoka Agricultural products as Appetizers: Osteria Porta Porta!

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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 is back with a vengeance after opening his new Italian Restaurant, Osteria Porta Porta on the 28th of March in Takajyo machi, Shizuoka City!

I’ve always been a great fan of his simple and delicious recipes from Southern Italy.
This is the kind of place you can visit either at lunch or dinner and ask for wine and a plate of appetizers and be more than satisfied!

The restaurant used to be a Japanese establishment and it has been reformed into a clear clean place with a bright atmosphere.

Next time I shall sit here for lunch!

But make sure to have a good look at the specialties of the day!
You are certainly in for a good surprise or two!

Great choice of pasta! Take your pick!

And also check the wine list. Wines come at 2,900 yen to 25,000 yen a bottle. I can assure you there some very decent offerings at very good prices!

For this first quick lunch visit I ordered a plate of appetizers with my wine!

The vegetables are all from Fujieda City In Shizuoka prefecture.
The pork is from Italy for the most part but Hidetake also makes his own!

Scrumptious crostini and all!

Now, this is a surprise: the first artichoke of the year (they take one and a half years to grow) grown by a farmer in Yoshida-Chi. The same farmer also grows fennel! Hidetake and I will interview him before the end of the month!

great plate of cheeses with Italian honey for the Italian gorgonzola!

For another view!

I’ve already said that an Italian restaurant which serves real sugar and fresh cream for lunch is always a telltale of good quality!

Next time see you at dinner! I want to try that fennel gratin!

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

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

野菜, Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism, vegetables

Italian Cuisine: Shizuoka Agricultural products as Appetizers: Aquavite!

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First appetizer from the side.

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!

You don’t need to go for the whole course to sample Shizuoka agricultural products at your favorite restaurant.
If it is a good enough restaurant, especially in Japan and Shizuoka, a great chef will be more than happy to serve you a few appetizers of his own with the drinks you have pordered. True to say, you do need to build a special relation with the chef, but that is one reason why you visit the restaurant, isn’t it?

First appetizer from the top.

Last night I did visit Aquavite in Shizuoka City where I asked the chef, Masaru Aoki/青木勝 to concoct a few tidbits as I was having a late break from work.
I did have quite a few but I will introuce the best two of the evening!

The first appetizer “from the back”.

The first appetizer consisted of a scallop lightly fried in olive oil to keep it half raw inside. It was topped with a piece of fried lotus root/renkon from Asabata, shizuoka City and decorated with shavings of home-made karasumi/カラスミ/botarga in Italian or boutargue in French, a Shizuoka specialty of the dried mullet roe.
The salad spinach came from Nagomi Organic Farm in Fujinomiya City.

The second appetizer.

The second offering of the evening was not all from Shizuoka Prefecture but it was certainly worth a second and third look!

The Little Summer Tomatoes came from the Shizen No Chikara Farm in Shizuoka City and were fried in olive oil just long enough to extract their sweetness.

The fresh shiitake mushrooms had been sent by a friend of Masaru’s from Nagano Prefecture.

The topping/decoration was created with finely chopped Italian raw ham fried to a crisp!
The whole needed little seasoning, what with the sweetness of the tomatoes and the saltiness of the ham, finely balanced with the juicy shiitake mushrooms!

This promises to be the beginning of a neverending story!

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

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

Please check the new postings at:
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野菜, 観光, Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Japanese Gastronomy, Tourism, vegetables

Italian Cuisine: Horie Farm Amagi Shamo Chicken at Aquavite!

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Masaru Aoki opening the “sample box” sent by Toshiyaki Horie

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!

Mr. Toshiyaki Horie had promised me during his interview that he would send me samples of the great chicken, Amagi Shamo/天城軍鶏 he raises in the middle of the Izu Peninsula, and I had promised I would put these to good use!

I finally received the samples by “cool box” delivery on Saturday morning!

Toshiyaki had already undressed the (enormous) chickens (I’m sure there were two of them inside!) and separated the “fleshy” parts from the “bony” ones!

I left complete free reins to Masaru’s imagination and just asked him to prepare some dishes he would prepare for his own clients at Aquavite.
That is what he came up with:
Amagi Shamo Sasami and Tomato Marinade.

The “sasami/breast fillets” were very lightly seared before being tossed/marinated with Little Summer Kiss Tomatoes (organically-grown by Shizen No Chikara Garden) with the minimum of seasoning. The almost raw chicken melted in your mouth.

Amagi Shamo Warm Salad.

The small turnips/Kokabu/小蕪 and wasabina/wasabi flavor lettuce/山葵菜 were also organically grown at Shizen No Chikara Noen.

The chicken having very little fat under its skin, the latter turned quickly a crackling brown when pan-fried, making for a very tender flesh and a crispy skin to be savored together with the vegetables for best effect!

Small flesh and skin pieces of Amagi Shamo sauteed with organic vegetables.

The carrot and very young spinach were grown at Nagomi Organic Farm in Fujinomiya City.
The small pieces were reminiscent of Japanese-style crispy karaage/deep-fried chicken! A great snack for wine (or beer, or sake!)

And finally the pasta dish!

The “chirimen” cabbage and all the other vegetables were from Chizen no Chikara in Shizuoka City!

The pasta are tagliatelle.
No need of any sauce I can assure you. Such a natural dish with the true savors exploding from the pan-fried chicken flesh and crackling skin mixed with the vegetables fried to a minimum to capture their essences and the softness of the tagliatelle. Extravagant and so simple in concept!

Looking forward to the next place serving this Amagi Shamo Chicken!

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

HORIE CHICKEN FARM/堀江養鶏
410-3203, Shizuoka Ken, Izu Shi, Yaguma, 296
Tel.: 0558-87-0644
Mobile: 090-7449-5655
Fax: 0558-87-0763
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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

Please check the new postings at:
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野菜, 観光, 農業, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism, vegetables

Shizuoka Agricultural products: Italian Cuisine at Via Del Borgo!

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Service: professional and friendly
Facilities: Extremely clean overall and beautiful washroom
Prices: reasonable
Strong points: Local products extensively used. Good Italian wine list. Private rooms available.
Private rooms can be made non-smoking with full isolation!

During the past 3 years, Via del Borgo and its Chef, Takahiko Katoh have established a solid reputation as one of the best Italian restaurants in a City and Prefecture replete with them. His secret is simple enough: top-class local products whenever possible complemented with top-class foreign ingredients and a will to experiment!

Chef Takahiko Katoh/加藤隆彦 and Manager Mieko Kozawa/小澤美江子

The service is all done with a smile great attention.
Do not hesitate to ask if something not available on the menu can be prepared for you!

The restaurant stands in a quiet district of Shizuoka City by a small park.
The place certainly looks more Italian than many!
So do come in and relax!

But before entering, do not forget to read the “Specialties of The Day” board!

On that day they had a favorite Italian wine of mine!: Mastremilio 2004 Villa Caprareccia in Toscana. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes.

Broad beans and Mozzarella Crostini for the appetizer.

The fish carpaccio was madai/真鯛/Red Seabream from the Suruga Bay with tomatoes pieces, pomegranate and violet daikon sprouts!
The whole seasoned with top-class olive oil!

The bread and others are naturally all baked in situ!

The vegetable dish was Organic vegetables from Matsuki Bio Farm in Fujinomiya City. Cooked/steamed in “cocotta/heavy wrought iron pot”, they were served with a Baniacanda sauce made of anchovy, crushed garlic and olive oil!

Beautiful, aren’t they?

Chef Katoh is famous all over the city for its risotto!
There are always at 5 to choose from on his menus!
This superlative dish was made with broad beans and mozzarella!

Shizuoka Prefecture is steadily and surely establishing itself as a producer of top-class meat in Japan.
This pork comes from the west of Shizuoka Prefecture and fed with cereals: Enshyuu Mugi Ton/遠州麦豚 (“ton” for pork, “mugi” for barley or cereals, Enshyuu for the West of Shizuoka Prefecture!). A pork that many Italians would cross the seas for!

The pork and the organic vegetables from Matsuki Bio Farm were simply grilled with the minimum of salt, pepper and herbs for the best flavors!
The orange “potato” is an Anno sweet potato!

We had enough for the day. The desserts will have to wait for our next visit!

VIA DEL BORGO
420-0034, Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa Cho, 3-2-7
Tel.: 054-221-7666
Business hours: 11:30~13:30, 18:00~21:00 (last orders)
Private rooms available.
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
Credit Cards OK

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

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野菜, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, vegetables

Shizuoka Agricultural Products: Italian-style Vegetables at Aquavite!

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

Since Chef Masaru Aoki/青木優 took over the Kitchen at Aquavite last year, the trend has focused on healthy and local products for the renewed pleasure of their customers!

You do have to keep your eyes (and ears) open as the ingredients turnover is sometimes overwhelming because Chef Aoki uses only seasonal ingredients with a great care from all the Prefecture.
So last night I paid them a visit after my short stop at Tomii!

Chef Aoki knows that I rarely bother with menu. I just told him to serve me the vegetables of the day, and he immediately complied without fuss but with great enthusiasm.
The first dish (above picture) was Hakusai Na No Hana/白菜菜の花, something between a Chinese cabbage and a rape plant. That particular vegetable I had no idea about was organically grown at Shizen No Chikara Nouen/自然の力農園/Nature’s Power Garden.

The vegetable was fried with only olive oil and a very little amount of butter and a minimum of salt and pepper to not interfere with the true taste of the vegetables. Actually the same method was adopted for the whole with some harder vegetables being lightly boiled first. This vegetable was served with very fine cuts of lard!

Chef Aoki showing a Daikon No Nabana/大根の菜花
I forgot to mention I always eat at the counter where I can keep talking to the chefs while admiring their work!

The main vegetable dish of the day!

Now that main dish was a beauty and coming from all corners of Shizuoka:
From left to right, Broccoli from Hokubu Jiman Ichi Market, Komatsuna and pearl tomatoes (organic from Shizen no Chikara Nouen), small turnip/kokabu and red-heart daikon/koushin daikon (organic by Nagomi in Fujinomiya City) and small lotus roots/renkon (Asabata, Shizuoka City)!

For a closer view!

And another one!

And an extra tidbit: carrot and Kale cabbage from Hokubu Jinan Ichi Market in Shizuoka City!

Looking forward to my next visit!

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

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

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