Category Archives: Japanese Gastronomy

Eel Gastronomy: Ishibashi Restaurant in Shizuoka City!

May 24, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Kind and smiling
Facilities & Equipment: Ancient but very overall very clan. Pleasant washroom
Prices: Slightly expensive
Strong points: Traditional eel gastronomy. Freshly cooked only, slow food

Can you guess why the noren/暖簾/entrance curtain seems to be inverted?

It is because the restaurant wants its customers to remember its name as they leave!

The other day I was lucky enough to be invited to lunch by a Japanese business whose company I had interviewed!
he took to Ishibashi Restaurant in Suruga Ku south of JRShizuoka Station, definitely the most tradtional establishment of its kind in town!

Many famous customers have left their autographs!

The place is all built of dark old wood, making a very special atmosphere, although it is a bit too dark for photographing!

The kitchen!

Since it is all tatami seating, it might be a good idea for some to choose a seat by the wall to rest your back and knees!

They even have an irori/traditional Japanese fireplace!

Incidentally the side menu is only for side dishes and drinks as they serve two kinds of eel dishes, shiroyaki/without sauce and kabayaki/with sauce, broiled!
We ordered the latter!

The full lunch with steamed rice, soup with eel liver, and pickles!

The broiled eel!
Note that if you do not like the skin, just leave it!

They even served the deep-fried bones!
Crispy and very healthy!
All animals are kept alive until the very last second!

The hot soup with the eel liver!

An extravagant experience!
But do not forget to bring a good camera!

ISHIBASHI/うなぎ専門石橋

422-8053 Shizuoka City, Suruga Ku, Nishi nakahara, 1–6-13
Tel.: 054-281-5432
Opening hours: 11:00~14:30, 17:00~20:30 (11:00^20:30 on week ends and National Holidays)

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Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Firefly squid, Japanese Gastronomy, Snacks

Japanese Appetizer (O-toushi/お通し): Firefly Squids & Kimchi!

May 23, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

O-toushi/お通しis actually a bit difficult to translate.
In a Japanese (in Japan) izakaya it is an appetizer that is served with the first drink and that you pay for in general in lieu of a cover charge.
I have nothing against such a notion as it gives you a good idea of the chef’s skills!

Firefly squids are called Hotaru ika/蛍烏賊 in Japanese!
They are minuscule and are called so because they are luminescent and brighten the sea along your boats!
Here in Shizuoka they are sold in supermrakets either fresh and raw or boiled.

Dragon found some boiled at the supermarket yesterday.
Their seafood taste is quite strong as compared to raw ones and seasoning is needed indeed!

Dragon had also bought them with plenty of relatively mild kimchi!
She added some to the suids (half and half) and green shiso/perilla leaves torn into small pieces.
To eat with chopsticks!
Perfect with beer!

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Izakaya, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka City

Izakaya: Nochi in Shizuoka City (first visit)!

May 22, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: A bit shy but so friendly
Equipment & Facilities: Overall very clean. Excellent washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Great array of Shizuoka Prefecture sake. Izakaya gastronomy

Nochi is a typical and heart-warming traditional izakaya tucked away on the 4th floor of one of those “Drinking buildings” prevalent in Shichiken Cho, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City!
I had the chance to pay it a belated first visit during the “sake hashigo” event in Shizuoka City last Sunday!

a “heaven/haven” replete with Shizuoka Prefecture sake!

On that particular day they were assigned the introduction of Oomuraya Brewery in Shimada City!

Kinuyo Fukushima/福島絹代さん busy serving while hubby Noriaki/徳昭さん is busy in the kitchen!

All that sake blurred my eyesight! LOL

A proud Kinuyo San with a rare bottle of Oomuraya brewery which is usually sold sold in 4 go/720 ml bottles!

A representative of Oomuraya Brewery was ther on hand to help the staff!

The o-tshi and the sake of the day!

For the connoisseurs!
On that particular day I didn’t have time for a full report but here are at least two dishes Nochi is popular for!

Dashi tamago yaki!

seasonal sashimi!

Look forward to full report soon!

NOCHI
Chefs and Mama: Norikai & Kinuyo Fukushima/福島徳昭・絹代さん

4200-0035 Shzuoka City, Aoi Ku, Shichiken Cho, 8-25, PISA Bldg, 4F
Tel.: 054-253-5556
Business hours: 17:~26:00
Closed on Mondays

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Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Snacks

Japanese Appetizer (O-toushi/お通し): Marinated Vegetables and Mussles

May 22, 2014 dragonlife 2 Comments

Last night Dragon treated me to a double marinade!

vegetables marinade consisting of vegetables cut in sticks of the same size:
Ha shooga/fresh leaf ginger, myoga/Myoga ginger, cucumber marinated in olive oil, rice vinegar and what else served with homemade miso umeboshi and sprinkled with black sesame seeds!

as for the mussles she had some boiled and frozen in the refrigerator.
After thawing them she stir-fried them in olive oil, vinegar and chilies and served them sprinlkled with some finely chopped scallions!

Great with sake!

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Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka City, sushi

Sushi: Dinner at Sushi Ko in Shizuoka City (May 8th 2014)!

May 11, 2014 dragonlife 11 Comments

Service: Pro and very friendly
Facilities: Very clean. Excellent toilets
Prices: Reasonable to slightly expensive
Strong points: Great variety of seafood from Shizuoka Prefecture and the rest of Japan. Great list of sake and shochu

Last Thursday it had been almost 3 moths day for day that we hadn’t visited our favorite sushi restaurant in Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Aoba Park Street, namely sushi Ko/すし幸!

Thursday is a good day (early if you want a good seat at the counter!) because it is a day when newly arrived fish is on the menu!

A very typical Shizuoka o-toushi (first snack): sliced turbo shellfish/sazae/サザエ in wasabi!

Katsuo/鰹/Bonito is in season!
We usually ask it without its skin!

As we had come early, we had all our time, exspecially in the light that Chef Birukwa hadn’t come back from his break yet!
I took the opportunity to have a good look at another chef preparing an order for a group sitting on the tatami!

It is always great fun to observe the progress and the technique!

Raw shirasu/sardine whiting/生しらす, gaper clam/mirugai/ミル貝, seared spledid alfonsino/kinmedai aburi/金眼鯛炙り, mackerel/saba/鯖, horse mackerel/aji/鯵, tuna lean part/maguro akami/マグロ赤身, yellowtail/kanpachi/カンパ, salad gunkan/サラダ軍艦！

Dragon always asks for “pon kara maguro”/deep-fried tuna with onion slices and grated daikon seasoned with chilies!

squid/ika/烏賊 is also a great seafood found in the Suruga Bay!

It’s best savored in “somen style”/thin noodles style!

It is usually seasoned with grate fresh ginger and finely chopped scallions!

You dip them into “mentsuyu”/cold noodles stock soup!

Sole/Hirame/平目 nigiri!

Sweet shrimps/amaebi/甘エビ nigiri!

Chef Birukawa had finally come back and we could order a favorite not listed on the menu!

Sushi Millefeuille, Japanese style!

This time, as we asked for Japanese style”, it contained cucumber/kyuuri/胡瓜, yellowtail/kanpachi/環八, herring roe/kazunoko/数の子, and topped with finely chopped scallions and katsubushi/dried bomito shavings.
The mayonnaise around it also included ikura/イクラ/slmon roeO!

Another must fro Dragon: scallops gratin!

A sushi classic: negitoromaki/ネギトロ巻! roll containing grated tuna belly fish and finely chopped scallions!

Nigiri for vegans! Menegi/芽ネギ/scallion sprouts!

To finish another specialty of Chef Birukawa not listed on the menu!
Spicy scallops roll/pirikara hotate maki/ピリ辛帆立巻!

Inverted roll containing dry seaweed, scallops, flying fish roe, agekasu/cold deep-fried batter, wasabi and mayonnaise. The rolls are sprinkled with golden sesame seeds for the finishing touch!

With summer around the corner we will be looking forward to a different kind of seafood next time!

SUSHI KO
420-0032 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho, 2-3-1 (Aoba Park Street)
Tel.: 054-251-9701
Business Hours： 17:00~25:00. 17:00~23:00 （Sundays）
Closed on Wednesdays
Reservations recommended
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE</strong> (in Japanese)
Smoking allowed. Private room can be arranged for non-smoking (4 people)

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Japanese Appetizer (O-toushi/お通し): Slow-fried New Potatoes

May 5, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

We are in season for new potatoes which are available everywhere these days!
The beauty about new potatoes as there is no need to peel them off as their skin is an added taste and texture!

As dragon was working late on that day I for once prepared the day’s o-toushi!
Using a Staub (similar to Le Creset) wrought iron pot, I slowly fried new poatatoes with the skin in olive oil, butter, a little bacon, salt and pepper.
I took the them out once their skin had reached a nice “burnt” appearance and placed them in a small pot (discard the bacon as it will be burnt out), sprinkled them with a little black pepper and hand-shredded parsley!

Perfect with the first glass!

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Dye works, Japanese Gastronomy, Noren

Japanese Gastronomy on Noren/暖簾/Entrance Curtains by Koutarou Mizuno/水野光太郎光太郎!

April 29, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

the other as I was reporting on the Tea Festival in kanaya, Shimada City, I was invited by a local to visit a special art exhibition privately held by a local citizen!

I understood at once it was about dye works when I found the noren/のれん/entrance curtain!
Shizuoka Prefecture is famous for many dye works artists including Keisuke Serizawa and his disciples!

The artist name was Koutarou Mizuno/水野光太郎!

Koutarou Mizuno was actually born in kanaya in 1911!
he graduated from the Japan university industrial studies Faculty in Architecture in 1932.
He was very active in teaching in many national schools until 1977 and departed from this world in 1992 aat the age of 81
After a fateful meeting with wood block print artist shigeru kuriyama/栗山茂 in 1950 he became an active dye-work artist from 1951 until his last days!

The artist’s sketchbook!

The initial dye works!

The artist kept his passion alive till his last days!

Vegetable Noren!

fruit noren!

Eggplant noren!

Daikon noren!

The exhibition included other dye works such as these fruit!

Vase noren!

Flower kimono!

Flowers and plants partition!

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Himono, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka

Sun-dried Fish/Himono/干物: Extravagant Artisanal Himono at Kaneichi Shop in Mochimune, Shizuoka City!

April 27, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Shizuoka prefecture produces no less than 50% of all sun-dried Fish or himono/干物 in Japanese and some of them are simply extravagant!
It was an essential way to preserve fish in Japan and still us. The difference is that presently it is becoming more and more a delicacy!

If you get Mochimune JR Station, walk straight to the sea side and proceed on the right along the street bordering the beach you will eventually find this man-sized billboard!

The writing of the wall under the roof is not much of an indication but all that netting is there to fend off birds from a real gastronomic treasure trove!

Now, I have been in Japan for more than half of the years I have lived in this world and this is the first time I found the sight of a whole monkfish/goosefish being hung for sun-drying!

I wonder how long it takes to dry completely in this natural way!
And how much would it cost? LOL

A true artist!
Such a praise might surprise some but Mr. Yoshikata Nishina/仁科好方さん has many a talent as I will have the pleasure to explain right away!

For all his diminutive size, mr. Nishina ha enough energy for two!
When he noticed me hovering the fish being dried in the sun he welcomed me with an enormous smile and invited me right inside, repeating “Don’t worry abut buying, but please do visit my shop at ease!”
Which of course I did, only to find myself admiring at more than the succulent-looking dried fish on display!

when I saw that ink paiting on the wall I remarked that it reminded of exactly the same artist’s work hung on the wall of my dermatologist back in Shizuoka City!
The answer came up immediately with a grin: “Well this dermatologist actually lives in the neighborhood and it is I who painted it!”

he went to explain that since he decided to leave his company work quite a few years ago to embark into this venture close to the sea and nature he found himself with plenty of time to indulge into painting and all kinds of activities!

His talents certainly account for no bounds!

Even wood sculpture!

Madai/Japanese red snapper!

But his art is also emphasized by attention to details and health!
he does not use any coloring agents, drying agents or any artificial means!
All the fish is exclusively dried in the sun and wind outside and nothing else, with the addition of some salt and soy sauce!

Another type of local seabream!

Salmon. Not local but carefully chosen from Chile!

A rare deep-sea fish from Numazu!

Large squids!

Extravagant Japanese red seabreams and squids!

Most of these will be sold in Matsuzakaya Department Store in Nagoya City!

No wonder you have to keep the birds from such delicious morsels!

these are more usual mackerels seasoned with sesame seeds!

You don’t have to go all the way, but can order everything n the Internet!

KANEICHI/かねいち干物店

421-0123 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ishibe, 5-10
Tel.: 054-259-5647
Fax: 054259-5478
E-mail: shop@himonoyasan.jp
HOMEPAGE

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Izakaya: Dinner at Oddakui in Shizuoka City (Spring 2014)!

April 26, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Very friendly
Facilities: Overall, very clean. Superb washroom! One main room, one bar and private rooms
Prices: Appropriate to a little expensive
Strong points: Local traditional cuisine. Great sake and shochu!

The last time I had the occasion to visit Oddakui in oi Ku, Shizuoka City was with two Singaporean gusts last fall!
Last night was a much needed opportunity not to miss!

Oddakui since its last transformation last year has become a very busy place and it is always a good idea to reserve!

This time we decided to sit at the counter of the main room facing the street which includes a big horikotatsu room which can be divided according to the parties!

We did drink quite a few sake that night but the first drink was an ice cold beer typical of Shizuoka!

Aright, what did we have?

Whelk shellfish that came as the appetizer with the first drink!

An enormous fresh salad!
Always a good idea at the beginning of a well-watered dinner!

A Shizuoka specialty:
Deep-fried kuro hanpen/dark sardine past cakes!

Deep-fried satoimo/taro roots!

And naturally a great dish of sashimi of local fish prepared in the other room housing the bar!

Difficult to find such a combination of raw food aoutside our prefecture: sakuraebi/cherry shrimps and shirasu/sardine whiting!

Iidago octopus, marinated kodai seabream and katsuo/bonito!

Hirame/sole!

Oddakui’s specialty: Char siu!

Oddakui is also popular for its oden!

Our choice: Gyusuji/beef tendons, daikon, qail eggs, chicken eggs and satsumaage!

For the ladies?
Oddakui even serves a succulent home-made dessert: Creme brulee!

See you there again! You bet!

ODAKKUI/おだっ喰い
420-0034 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa Cho, 1-8-1, Aoba Yokocho, 2F
Tel.& Fax: 054-253-6900
Business hours: 17:00~24:00
Closed on Mondays
Cards OK
HOMEPAGE In Japanese but have a good look!

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Japanese Appetizer (O-toushi/お通し): Vegetables and Potato Chips salad!

April 24, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Sometimes so-called junk food can be put to a good use!

We always have some kind of potato chips, the dried ones sold in packages, bags, and what else!
Dragon took some of a very hot/spicy kind and crumbled them into small pieces.
She made a salad with boiled string beans, and shredded fresh carrots, sliced black olives some mayonnaise, pepper and what else.
At the last moment she added the crumbled potato chips.
The dish thus conceived had a very pleasant extra crunch and zip!

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Bamboo shoots, Japanese Gastronomy, Snack

Japanese Appetizer (O-toushi/お通し): Bamboo Shoots!

April 23, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Bamboo shoots are in season, although they are going to disappear as fresh produce very soon.
We still can find them raw or already boiled in supermarkets all over Japan, and especially in Shizuoka where they grow early!

Dragon bought a large piece already boiled at the big Cenova market in Shizuoka City.
She washed it first and then cut it in fairly large long pieces.
She fired hem in a little oil and soy sauce and a little seasoning of her own until their surface became crispy and brown in some places!

Served with chopped scallions it once makes for a tasty and healthy morsel!
Vegetarians and vegans should particularly enjoy the satisfying crunch!

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Japanese Gastronomy, Kimchi, Snack, squid

Japanese Appetizer (O-toushi/お通し): Boiled Squid and Kimchi!

April 23, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Dragon had found some boiled squid and kimchi at the supermarket.
Kimchi is Korean but it is one food that all Japanese have adopted as their for a very long time!
The kimchi provided enough seasoning on its own, but Dragon also added black sesame seeds for extra taste!

Sprinkled with some finely chopped scallions it makes for a very healthy and tasty morsel to enjoy with your drink! wine in this particular case!

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Japanese Appetizer (O-toushi/お通し): Mashed Kabocha Salad

April 22, 2014 dragonlife 2 Comments

Kabocha, or Japanese pumpkin, is a very versatile vegetable often associated with soup or tempura.
It can be prepared in a Western way by boiling it first and make a mash while it is still hot.
Fragon then mixes it a little mayonnaise, broken boiled egg, black olive slices and little pepper.
last she sprinkles it with hand-broken parsley!
Makes for some elegant colors and is so yummy it does disappear quickly!

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Japanese Appetizer (O-toushi/お通し): Mini Tomato O-Hitashi!

April 15, 2014 dragonlife 2 Comments

When we can get plenty of small/mini tomatoes we just peel them (drop in hot water first and they’ll peel easily away!) and marinate them in hon dashi/Japanese soup stock (preferably konbu/seaweed) and mirin inside the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours.

Serve them with their soup and fresh parsley!
Of course, variations are infinite!
Think of the presentation, too!

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Japanese Gastronomy, Sakura ebi, Snacks, wasabi

Japanese Appetizer (O-toushi/お通し): Sakura Ebi/Cherry Shrimps & Pickled Wasabi Stems!

April 12, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

The sakura ebi/cherry shrimps season in Shizuoka Prefecture has just started, but they are stil few in and between, so when we can find some, we just grab them!

Wasabi is in season all year, but this is a time of the year when we can easily get their fresh stems here in Shizuoka!
Since the stems, leaves and flowers are even more beneficial to the human body than the roots, it is one more item we grab as soon as we can see it!

A little light soy sauce is enough to season the sakura ebi. A little grated ginger and finely chopped scallions will complete well enough the seasoning!