Category Archives: Japanese Gastronomy

野菜, 観光, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Soba, Soba Restaurant, Tourism

Soba Restaurant: Soba No Mi

April 23, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service: Friendly
Equipment: a bit old but clean
Prices: Appropriate
Strong points: Very fresh ingredients. Old-fashioned atmosphere
entirely non-smoking!

It’s been some time that a lot of friends have advised me to pay a visit to Soba No Mi, one of the most-established soba restaurants in Shizuoka City.
I finally managed to find some time on this afternoon lunch to check on the establishment!

It is a bit small in spite of the large entrance, but it certainly looks authentic!

I love the sober-looking nore/entrance curtain!

Another large noren inside makes for a clever partition between the guests sitting at tables (12) and those sitting on the tatami at the front of the establishment (~8).

The menu was larger than expected, and I chose a favorite I can find in all soba restaurants worth their name: Momioroshi Soba and Tempura.
Notice that all soba are over 95% buckwheat, a pretty high level by any standards!

For lunch (except on Sundays) you will be offered an additional small bowl of rice mixed with buckwheat seeds. Tasty! Of course you will also be served some o-shinko/Japanese pickles.

I do have a rule of the thumb for any soba restaurant worth reporting on: they must at least serve one local sake!
After all, in Edo times people drank sake at soba restaurants!

Masu Ichi, Junmai Ginjyo by Masu Ichi Brewery in Shizuoka City!

The buckwheat noodles were served with colorful buckwheat sprouts/hime soba, and dry seaweed, finely chopped thin leeks, and plenty of momijioroshi/grated daikon mixed with chili pepper.

The tempura consisted of beautifully fresh kogomi/Ostrich fern (sansai/mountain vegetable) and succulent shrimps!
I ate the tempura as it is first (it doesn’t need any seasoning) with the rice. Later I poured the soba sauce into the soba and mixed it with the seaweed, chopped leeks and momijioroshi. I finished my meal by pouring some soba dashi (stock soup) into the leftover soup to drink the lot as a beautiful soup!

Definitely worth a second trip!

Soba No Mi
Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Kawabe Cho, 2-2-3
Tel.: 054-251-8000
Business hours: 11:00~21:00 (or until soba are exhausted)
Closed on Tuesdays and third Wednesdays
HOMEPAGE

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Bento, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, 弁当

Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’11/26): Bamboo Shoots Bento!

April 22, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Bamboo are in season and “take gohan/bamboo shoots rice” can be seen everywhere!

A very colorful rice dish!
The Missus prepared the finely chopped carrot and the bamboo shoots (cut into small triangular pieces) beforehand to soften them a bit and than steamed them on top of the rice before mixing the lot.
She placed a fresh sansho/Japanese pepper sprig (very much in season) on top for more color and seasoning.

A solid side dish! (I’m just recovering from a very bad cold and I need the calories!)

Pork fillet she pan-fried and which she seasoned (while still frying) at the last second with mayonnaise and capers. Very Italian/French/Japanese!
Shizuoka-grown Ameera Rubbins Peral Tomatoes, green and white asparagus tip, stick Junior Broccoli and lettuce.

The other showing the kabocha and sweet black beans salad!

I did have a dessert consisting of ornage, grapes and prunes!

Healthy, solid and really tasty!

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’11/25): Soboro Bento!

April 21, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Soboro in Japanese cuisine means an ingredient presented in small lumps, be it scrambled eggs or minced meat!. It does for great decoration in bentos!

Hint: for a better design divide your topping slightly at a slant instead of a straightforward division and use the division line for a better accent!

The Missus used minced pork (you can use beef of course!) which she pan-fried with a generous portion of black sesame seeds. It was slightly sweet as the Japanese like it. For design (it is edible) she placed a sprig of sansho/Japanese pepper.

The second half was covered with sweetened srcumble eggs.
As for the “division line” she boiled some peas in their pods (edible). Thn she cut the pods finely for the line and placed the peas for extra color over the eggs.

The side dish was colorful as usual!
From the left, stick junior broccoli, boiled and seasoned with crushed walnut coarse powder, home-pickled myoga ginger in sweet vinegar, “chikuwa” (fish paste tubes) stuffed with home-pickles fresh ginger roots, and local oranges.

The colors should be enough to attract anyone!LOL

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野菜, 観光, 農業, Japanese Gastronomy, seafood, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism, vegetables

Japanese Izakaya: Shizuoka Local Products at Bu Ichi!

April 21, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Very friendly and easy-going
Equipment: Very clean overall. Spacious and beautiful toilets
Prices: reasonable to slightly expensive, but very good value!
Strong points: Extensive use of local land and sea products. Great sake and drinks in general!
Map

I just cannot remember how long I have been a fan of Bu Ichi. It is the kind of establishment I always keep in my mind as a reference.
Why is that?
Simply because its Oyakata/Chef, Mr. Takeshi Satoh, attaches so much importance on obtaining the best products locally, be it from the land or the sea.

Not only food is chosen with an extra care but the sake (mostly local), the shochu and even the wine have been selected to pay full tribute to the essentially Japanese gastronomy served in a very friendly atmosphere.

There will always be a small detail to make you realize you are patronizing a true Japanese izakaya of a different level!

Since most of the food is local, you will not find anything fresher.
To cut a long story short, the other day I simply asked Mr. Satoh to serve me local food only, be it sashimi or vegetables.
Here is what we were served:

All the seafood came from the Suruga Bay!

Octopus/Tako/蛸, Hanadai (also called Chidai)/kind of grouper/とだい, both from Mochimune/用宗.

Isaki/Chicken Grunt/イサキ, from Sagara/相良.

For a better view of the hanadai (front)!

Don’t miss Bu Ichi’s tempura!
Fukinotou/ふきのとう/Giant butterbur and Na no Hana/菜の花/Rapeseed flower, both form upstream Abe River, Shizuoka City.

For a better view!

“Shizuoka Yasai No Moriawase Sarada, Wafu Goma Dressing”/静岡野菜の盛り合わせ和風胡麻ドレッシング/Shizuoka Vegetables Salad, with a Japanese-style sesame dressing!

From a different angle.
There were no less than 10 kinds of vegetables, all from Shizuoka City!

We finished that particular (light) dinner with a typical Japanese soup: Wakatake No Suimono/若竹の吸い物/a delicious light broth containing young bamboo sprouts for upstream Abe River in Shizuoka City!

We did accompany this dinner with a couple of great local Shizuoka Sake. Actually I’m planning to survey their whole range but that is for another report! LOL

Bu-Ichi/武市
Chef/Owner: Takeshi Satoh/佐藤武史
420-0032 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho, 1-6-10, Dai 2 Matsunaga Bldg. 2F
Tel.: 054-2521166
Business hours: 17;30~22:00
Closed on Wednesdays
Reservations advisable
Credit Cards OK

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Bento, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy

Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’11/24): Sakura Bento!

April 20, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Today’s name, Sakura Bento, had two reasons for it!
One, the sakura/Cheery trees were in full bloom in Shizuoka City.
Two, The Missus had decorated the rice with a salted (edible) cherry blossom!

Having steamed the rice, she placed it in the first box before sprinkling with dry red shio/perila furikake, finely chopped Japanese cucumber pickles, home-pickled sansho/Japanese pepper seeds and a cherry blossom!

A very colorful side dish with pk\lenty of home recipes!

Potato and peas in (and) their pods (cut to size after being boiled), boiled carrots a (some cut as pine trees!) and lettuce.

Zauteed chicken rolls of two kinds, one containing home-pickled myoga ginger leaves, the other young ginger roots also pickled in sweet rice vinegar.
Lettuce again and weet plum tomatoes.
The dessert consisted of apples simmered in kirsch, lemon and honey!

Plenty of colors, the Spring is definitely around the corner!

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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!

April 19, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

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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Chicken, 農業, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products

Amagi Shamo Chicken Farm in Izu City: Toshiyaki Horie

April 14, 2011 dragonlife 5 Comments

Toshiyaki Horie (extreme right) with his father and employee

Shizuoka is probably more famous for its high quality chicken outside than inside the Prefecture, but the locals are beginning to realize what kind of treasure they have been sitting on all that time!

The reason that Shizuoka people don’t know much about their avian treasures is that such high quality chicken has to be raised away from the cities, in altitude and in close contact with the nature for rigorous hygienic conditions.

We conducted the interview before paying a visit to the chickens inside a visitors room Toshiyaki had been himself where I discovered his hobby: drum/taiko/太鼓 making!

Third-generation farmer Toshiyaki (33) made all these by hand from scratch. Playing the drums is a good past time that keeps him fit for a work that requires constant attention!

Ventilators for the summer.

Toshiyaki’s father started raising shamo/軍鶏 chicken, originally a species from Thailand, 23 years ago.
Whereas their chickens are labeled Amagi (from Amagi Plateau) Shamo, they are a species derived from the Ikkoku Shamo/一黒軍鶏 raised in the Western part of the Prefecture.
They are raised from just-born chicks sent by Hoshino Chicken Farm in Shimada City.
The main difference with their cousins in the west is that Toshiyaku adds natural food to the usual grain feed such as wasabi leaves (Izu City is the largest producer of wasabi in Japan) and soy milk from a local tofu shop. Their water comes from a river raging down just along the farm. Moreover, the hygiene is strictly maintained with soil between the shacks being cemented over and regularly spread with liquid chalk.
They keep the chickens in four different locations according to their age. Every time they move one age group, all the soil on which the chickens live is moved and renewed entirely. The removed soil will find its way into the natural fertilizer shack to be sold to local farmers.

The chicks will be kept in enclosed areas until 30 days old as they have to be kept warm then.
Incidentally, I had to take the pics without a flash as the chickens must be kept free of any stress!

The feed silo.

They will be moved to another shack until 60 days. They will be inoculated once during that period.
The total number of chickens is around 3,000 at all times, half of them male.
Toshiyaki has also started selling their eggs 3 years ago.

They will be moved to a third shack until 90 days old. Males and females will be separated then. All the chickens will be vaccinated a second time before being moved to their third shack.

The blue container is filled with soy milk.

Female chickens.
They will be culled between 120 and 150 days,
This is hard and very precise work. Except for the taking of their feathers done in a water-filled spinning machine, all has to be done by hand from bleeding (unavoidable or the meat would irremediaby spoiled) to dressing. Their livers and hearts and shirako/白子 are all delicacies that have to be of the uttermost cleanliness. Raw Amagi Shamo sashimi and livers are a delicacy in Shizuoka Prefecture!

The male chickens.

Now, I know at least four restaurants which serve this unique Amagi Shamo Chicken.
Moreover, Toshiyuki takes part in many gastronomic events. Expect a series of articles soon!

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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野菜, French gastronomy, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

French Cuisine: Shizuoka Agricultural Products at Bistro Gawa!

April 12, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Friendly
Facilities: old but very clean. Very clean washroom!
Prices: very reasonable
Strong points: excellent French cuisine without ostentation. Great local products from the land and the sea
entirely non-smoking!

People and restaurants in Mishima City in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture are lucky!
Mishima and the mountains of West Hakone is a paradise for vegetable growers and organic agriculture in general!

Bistro Gawa is located inside an old unpretentious building just near the Mishima Hitokoji Station (Izu Hakone Private Line)

Although it is perched on the second floor you can’t miss it with its very visible menu boards before opening and

and after opening!

Make a point to look at the specialties of the day!
Not that they do not use any artificial taste additive!

Once inside you know what kind of cuisine to expect!
It is a small place with only 12 seats at tables and 6 more at the counter. It is a good idea to call and reserve beforehand.

This was my first visit and as I was due to hold an interview in Shuzenji in the afternoon, I took the opportunity to take my lunch there. Lunch is always a good sign of what level to expect.
Although they accept any order from any menu they propose three different sets for lunch: Petite Palette (650 yen), normal lunch (1580 yen) and La Palette (1880 yen).
I chose the latter with a glass of wine I could choose from 4 different bottles.

It consisted of Jamon Serrano (Spain) atop a salad of organic greens from Hirokawa Garden and black and white rice in butter with sauteed wabuta (Japanese pork).

Cheese creme Brulee, Medai brandade (a brandade made with a local grouper), marinated mackerel and pan-fried black bass from Suruga Bay.

Non-mayonnaise potato salad and vegetables sticks, all organic from Hirokawa Garden.

Home-baked bread.

Organic Spring cabbage potage.

And the coffee was served with real milk and sugar, a clear indication of better attention in Japan!

This is only a start as there is a good menu to go through and also as I will have to visit Mishima City very regularly in the coming weeks.
See you at dinner next, then!

Bistro Gawa
411-0856, Shizuoka ken, Mishima Shi, Hirokoji Machi, 1-37, 2F
Business hours: 11:30~14:00, 18:00~
Closed on Sunday, Thursday lunch and Saturday dinner
Tel.: 055-972-5040
Cards OK (+5% handling fees)

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Dessert, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism, Travel, vegetables, Vietnam Cuisine, Vietnamese Restaurants

Vietnamese Cuisine: Shizuoka Agricultural Products at Annam

April 11, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Very friendly and attentive
Equipment: Very clean and beautiful washroom.
Prices: reasonable
Strong points: Authentic Vietnamese cuisine prepared by all-vietnamese staff!
Great use of local products.
Entirely non-smoking!

Owner: Ms. Le Thi Hong Vinh
Chef: Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Mai

Good authentic Vietnamese Restaurants are only found far and between in Shizuoka Prefecture, but here in Shizuoka City we are lucky enough to have the real (and probably the only one!) article: Annam!

It has become such a reference that they will have to move next June to a better suited location right in the middle of downtown Shizuoka in front of Nakajimaya Grand Hotel where they will find like-minded company.

Their menus offer a great variety and they do make a true effort to use local ingredients, especially vegetables. Shizuoka Prefecture being an agricultural treasure trove, it explains why we are blessed with so many top quality establishments!

Actually, they can devise you an entirely vegetarian (or anything else) repast given enough time in advance. By definition, Vietnamese food is healthy and one ought to sample its authentic form (as opposed to fast food oriented diners) regularly.

Since my work is to make discover restaurants that serve high quality, healthy and local food, it was only a pleasure to visit Annam once again, the more for it that their menus keep pace with the seasons!

As I was having lunch by myself I decided to sample at least three dishes and stay away from the carbohydrates!
My first dish ( a pretty long name in Vietnamese) was Sauteed Seasonal Vegetables.

Pan-fried with just the right amount of seasoning, the local vegetables including delicious Jew’s Ear mushrooms were scrumptious, cooked to perfection to allow you to enjoy their true taste and savors.
They also certainly made for great appetizing colors!

The second dish could have been called a “meat” dish, although the latter has nothing to do those big lumps of greasy meat served elsewhere: Sauteed Herb Beef!

The beef is cut into small enough pieces and wrapped in herbs before being fried.

The herbs will trap the beef juices and make for a really tender and delicious morsel.
It is such pleasure to pick the wrapped pieces one at a time with your chopsticks and have all the savors spread through your palate as you bite into them.

My last dish was Chicken sauteed in Lemon Grass.
A curry note was also added to them for the perfect spicy balance.

Everything was cut into the proper dainty size for maximum enjoyment.
I do agree some rice would have been welcome to top it with, but I said I was here to taste!

But I couldn’t escape a dessert: Violet Sweet Potato “Cie”!
A typical Vietnamese dessert, it is concocted with violet Sweet Potato, coconuts milk and tapioca. Just the right sweetness, and plenty of satisfaction without being overwhelmed.
Make sure you keep some space for one of these desserts!

Looking forward to report again in June!

ANNAM
420-0858 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tenmacho, 17-9
Tel.: 054-250-2266
Fax: 054-250-2323
Business hours: 11:30~14:00, 17:30~22:00
Closed on Monday (or next day if National Holiday)
HOMEPAGE
Credit Cards OK

NEW ADDRESS FROM JUNE
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Koya machi, 6-6, Mitsuhisa Blg, 2F

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Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka agricultural products

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Takashima Brewery-Hakuin Masamune, Fujisan No Hi

April 10, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

The actual and very long name for their sake is:
Takashima Brewery, Hakuin Masamune, Heisei Nijusannen (2011), Fujisan No Hi (Mount Fuji Day), Asashibori (pressed in the morning), Homare Fuji (rice variety), Junmai (no alcohol added), Genshu (no water added), Origarami (natural pressing)!

Takashima Brewery has always been keen to create limited brews for local events and this particular one was not only made with Shizuoka-grown sake rice but also for Mount Fuji Day!

Rice: Homare Fuji 100%
Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 17~18 degrees
Pressed on February 23rd, 2011

Clarity: very clear
Color: Transparent if not stirred as it contains white lees
Aroma: Sweetish, custard, banana. Very pleasant
Body: fluid, light
Taste: Sweetish attack. Complex. Welcome alcohol. Turns dry later.
Lighter but deeper than expected.
Pineapple, macadamia nuts, custard, dry almonds.
Lingers only a little with a very dry note.
Changes little with food. Especially great with fresh vegetables.
Junmai and white lees (sake kasu) very present for some extra impressions.

Overall: A very interesting sake with a more complex taste than expected.
Light enough in spite of its high alcohol content.
A sake that should please true sake lovers in search of unusual brews!

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
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野菜, 観光, French gastronomy, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Tourism, vegetables

French Cuisine: Local Shizuoka Land & Sea Products at Pissenlit

April 9, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

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

When one wishes to sample products both from the land and sea of Shizuoka Prefectures, there are many establishments worthwhile to visit, but Pissenlit and Chef Tooru Arima are certainly a top reference among them.

I recently had the opportunity to share lunch there with some friends, so let me describe what we sampled:

Organic carrot (Hirokawa Farm) soup for starter.

Organic spinach quiche and its organic vegetable salad. All organic vegetables used at Pissenlit come from Mr. Hirokawa’s Garden in Mishima (I will soon pay him a visit!)!

Some of my friends opted for the pan-fried suzuki/鱸/black bass caught in Sagara/相良 with its organic vegetables.

For a different view of the vegetables especially!

I personally opted for the fried/baked wild boar (hunted in Shimada City) in wine sauce with its garnish of organic vegetables.

A single will not give you a complete idea of the full dish, so here is one more!

And another one!

No so many explanations this time as I was busy socializing to note down everything, but I will make an extra effort next time!

No dessert?
Yes, but it was the same as in my last report! LOL

PISSENLIT
420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo, 2-3-4
Tel.: 054-270-8768
Fax: 054-627-3868
Business hours: 11:30~14:30; 17:00~22:00
Closed on Tuesdays and Sunday evening
Homepage (Japanese)
Credit Cards OK

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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!

April 7, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

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

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sake, shochu and sushi

Bento, 駅弁, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Tourism, 弁当

Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’11/23): Chirashi Sushi Bento!

April 6, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

Chirashi Sushi could be called “mixed sushi” or “decoration sushi” and it is very popular dish in Japanese homes as it is both very practical and tasty!

They also make for beautiful colors!
The Missus first prepared the sushi rice while she lightly boiled some shrimps.
She added chopped home-pickled myoga ginger, Japanese scrambled egg, shrimp cut in small pieces, home-pickled sansho/Japanese pepper seeds, diced avocado to the rice and mixed the lot.
She topped it with boiled shrimps and a sprig of sansho/ki no mi!

Beautiful, isn’t it?

The salad box was very healthy: boiled Shizuoka-grown Stick Junior broccoli, orange wedges and strips f red pimento. The sweet beans (very Japanese!) were my dessert!

Just love these chirashi sushi!

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

Shizuoka Agricultural Products: Italian-style Vegetables at Aquavite!

April 6, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

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

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sake, shochu and sushi

野菜, 農業, Japanese Gastronomy, Leaf Ginger, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tempura, Tourism, vegetables

Shizuoka Agricultural Products: Kunou Leaf Ginger at Tomii!

April 6, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Professional & Friendly
Facilities: Very clean overall, beautiful toilets
Prices: reasonable to expensive
Strong points: great choice of Shizuoka sake. Seasonal cuisine only. Shizuoka oden. Top-class Japanese food at reasonable prices
Non-smoking at counter

You will never be disappointed at Tomii as they work only with seasonal ingredients.
Going there just for a quick snack is something of an adventure!

When I visited the place last night at around 6:30, they were in a bit of roar busy as they were with large reservations.
They still found the time to prepare a delicacy before I moved upstairs to Aquavite!

As I said in other articles, Kunou District in Suruga Ward in Southern Shizuoka City is famous for its leaf ginger (also called stick ginger, or hashoga/葉生姜 in Japanese).
Tomii had some fresh ones on hand and prepared them rolled in fine pork slices and dipped into batter before being deep-fried.

This is a very popular delicacy in Shizuoka City restaurants and I never tire of it, what with the slightly different recipes found in various establishments.
The deep-fried leaf ginger prepared at Tomii was a great and delicate marriage of flavors between the ginger which had become almost sweet thanks to the cooking and the succulent pork dipped in fine and light batter!

Do try it!

TOMII
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa-cho, 1-2-7, Tomii Bldg, 1F
Tel.: 054-274-0666
Business hours: 17:00~22:00
Closed on Sundays
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)