Category Archives: Shizuoka agricultural products

Beef, 美食, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, sushi

Sushi: Wagyu Chirahizushi by the Dragon (the real one!)

May 7, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

The other day when the Missus/Dragon cooked her karaage chicken for the family who had come r place she also prepared chirashizushi/decoration susi as well!
The little difference was that when she had asked me to buy some ood beef for another dish found out I had bought some extravagant wagyu beef!

As the Japanese, especially the Dragon’s family, cannot conceive a meal without rice she decided to make a special sushi with wagyu.
She prepared the usual sushi rice (I did have to help with stirring/cutting the rice once steamed and addd with rice vinegar!). Her proportions arefor 2 large tablespoons and a little more of rice vinegar for 1 go/Japanese rice cup.

While the rice was steaming she cut the wagyu beef into small thin strips and fried them in soy sauce, sake and mirin. Once cooked she let it cool completely.
She prepared some sweet egg soboro/fine Japanese scrambled eggs.
Once the rice was ready she added the wagyu beef, finely chopped konbu seaweed, egg soboro and finely sliced cucumber and mixed the lot inside the large wooden sushi vessel.

She topped the whole with plenty of fresh daikon sprouts for decoration and balance.
The sushi vessel was placed in the middle of the table and people served themselves directly for it!

A good idea for a party?
A good accompaniment for a BBQ?

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

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美食, 野菜, 観光, 魚, 魚海の幸, Food, French Cuisine, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism, vegetables

French Gastronomy Design by Touru Arima at Pissenlit in Shizuoka City (May 2012)

May 5, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Excellent and very friendly.
Facilities: Great cleanliness overall. Superb washroom (mouthwash and toothpicks provided!)!
Prices: Reasonable to slightly expensive, very good value.
Strong points: Interesting wine list. Great use of local products, especially organic vegetables and Shizuoka-bred meat.

The other day, the Missus wanted to pay a belated (for her) visit to our favorite French Restaurant in Shizuoka City, namely Pissenlit, where Chef Touru Arima/有馬亨さん is busier than ever, what with creating a whole new range of organic jams with local produce and promoting good food at all levels in our Prefecture!
I have always been struck by the seemingly simple presentation of his dishes and I would like to share my views in this particular article!
Now, what did we have?

There were oysters on the menu!
When we debated how many we would order, we were told that one each would be more than enough, so we ordered one poelee and one in gratin!
The first one served poelee on a bed of local organic broccoli was truly enormous. I’m not lying, it was as big as the Missus’ palm!

Viewed from the other side!

You needed to cut it at least three times with fork and knife!
Absolutely succulent, a steak of the ocean?

The other served as gratin will give you an idea of the size with the very deep shell!
The sauce under the gratinee surface is ore a Mornay sauce than a Bechamel, a lot lighter and more delicate in flavors!

A view from a different angle will give you a little idea of the light and unctuous/creamy Mornay sauce!
The colors alone will have you tremble with impatience!

A true dish from Shizuoka Prefecture!

Touru calls it a warm carpaccio of bonito/katsuo topped with local organic greens.

The first picture was actually a back view. This is the front view!

A side view with the lovely mayonnaise to fully appreciate the incredbly tender bonito which had been lightly seared!

You can always expect Touru to come up with rarities!
Tablier du Sapeur!

The “sapeur” in French means a member of a special military engineer corps originally created by Napoleon who tended to copy anything Roman for his Legions.
These sapeurs used to wear a thick apron/tablier as part of their parade uniform!

They consist of veal stomach/tripes first separately cooked and then paneed in breadcrumbs!
Even the Missus who cares little for offal appreciated it!
I just loved it!

Here is another fine example of creating a superlative dish with offal: White asparaguses with Suruga Shamo Chicken livers and gizzards!

The raw and fresh enormous asparaguses were first poele before the offal was added to the same frypan!

Suruga Shamo is one of those extravagant shamo/軍鶏/fighting chickens/cocks raised in our Prefecture.
The offal was accompanied with some local bacon and organic greens for a last touch!

A true Shizuoka dessert?
Creme Brulee concocted with Shizuoka City Hon-Yama tea!
The strawberry and edible flowers are all organic from Shizen No Chikara Farm!

Another Green Fairy?
Certainly a dessert that JRR Tolkien and his Hobbits would have loved to sample!

Going for the kill! In my case!
An Italian grappa by Poli, a Marc de Bourgogne 1976 by Bernard Roy, a Vieille Fine de la Marne (Marc de Champagne) or a 15 year-old Cognac by Paul Giraud?
Well, I was born in Bourgogne, so you must have guessed!

To be continued…

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

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Bento, 美食, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, 弁当

Today’s Bento/Lunch Box (12/20): “Gucha gucha” Chirashi Sushi Bento!

May 2, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

When I asked the Missus how the bento was going this morning, she replied:
“Gucha gucha narisou!”
Which could be translated in two ways,
a) It’s going to be a mess!
b) Anything goes!
Luckily enough, she meant that all kinds of things/ingredients would be included!

She started with the preparation of the sushi rice in chirashi style/home-made free style decoration sushi.
She had prepared Japanese style sweetish scrambled eggs she added with chopped ginger marinated in amazu/sweet vinegar.

She thought for a while and then added chopped cucumber and boiled black beans and mixed the lot.
She filled the first box with it and topped it with boiled prawns and chopped parsley for plenty of colors!

For the salad box she cut a whole large avocado into large cubes and seasoned it with mayonnaise, capers and pink pepper.
She flanked it very sweet plum tomatoes (my dessert) and plenty of local cress.

She might have said, “gucha gucha”, but in fact it looked pretty well-balanced to me with plenty of volume and great taste! LOL

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Must-see tasting websites:

美食, Daikon, Daikon leaves, 野菜, 農業, Food, Food Health, Furikake, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Ginger, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Vegan, vegetables, Vegetarian cuisine

Vegan Japanese Recupe: Daikon Leaves and Ginger Furikake

May 1, 2012 dragonlife 6 Comments

As I said many times it is a shame to throw perfectly edible and delicious fresh daikon leaves when you happen to find them!
Now if you also happen to have ginger roots, soft and fresh, you can produce an even better furikake/”sprinkle” for accompany any dish or use a great snack with beer or sake!
Bear in mind that the recipe can be adapted to any root vegetable leaves (if edible!)!

INGREDIENTS: for 4 people

Daikon leaves of one daikon
Ginger root: a small cube, 3x3x3 cm
Mirin/Sweet Japanese sake: 3 tablespoons
Soy sauce: 3 tablespoons
Sesame oil: 1~3 tablespoons
Sesame seeds (grilled): as appropriate according to preference

RECIPE

-Chop daikon leaves and ginger root finely.

-Pour sesame oil in a frypan and stir-fry ginger a little first.

-Add daikon leaves, mirin, and soy sauce and stir-fry over medium-strong fire until all juices have evaporated.

-Add sesame seeds and serve!

Easy, healthy and very tasty!

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Beer, 美食, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2012/04/30): May is Hop Madness Month; Two New Hoppy Seasonal Releases

April 30, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

May is Hop Madness Month; Two New Hoppy Seasonal Releases

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

As you know, hops are dear to the hearts of the brewers of Baird Beer. We simply love hop character in beer. The hop is so important to us, in fact, that we have decided to designate May as “Hop Madness Month,” and to celebrate it through the release of sixteen different varieties of hop-forward beer. The May Hop Madness Month beer menu reads as follows:

May Hop Madness Month Baird Beer Menu:

Bohemian Pale Ale (5.0%): Saaz hops and floor-malted Bohemian barley (handpump)
Spalter Golden Ale (4.7%): Famous Spalter aroma hops from Germany
Summit IPA (6.7%): These IPAs share the same recipe but a different US hop
Chinook IPA (6.7%): These IPAs share the same recipe but a different US hop
Columbus IPA (6.7%): These IPAs share the same recipe but a different US hop
Nelson Sauvin IPA (6.7%): Same IPA recipe, different New Zealand hop
Daidai IPA (6.5%): Fruited & dry-peeled IPA
Teikoku IPL (6.5%): Our Year-round IPA fermented with our lager yeast
Continental IPA (6.7%): Double dry-hopped with 4 continental European hops
Triple-Dry Bohemian Pils (5.7%): Triple dry-hopped Bohemian-style Pilsner
Suruga Bay Belgian Imperial IPA (7.7%): Belgian yeast fermented Suruga Bay
Belgian Strong Pale Ale (8.0%): Dry-hopped with 6 European hop varieties
4-C Strong Pale Ale (6.0%): Hopping with Columbus, Chinook, Citra, Cascade
4-S Belgian Blonde Ale (5.5%): Hopping with Sterling, Santiam, Saaz, Styrian Gold
Hop Havoc Imperial Pale Ale (6.2%): 90 IBU pale ale that is double dry-hopped
Red Hop Ale (5.7%): Hoppy American-style Red Ale (handpump)
We are kicking off May Hop Madness Month with today’s general release of the following two beers: Daidai IPA and Teikoku IPL.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:
*Daidai IPA (ABV 6.5%):

Daidai is an extremely aromatic and tartly sour local citrus fruit that we marry together with three powerfully fruity varieties of American hops: Citra, Simcoe and Chinook. 65 bittering units of hops in the kettle provide a magnificent stage for the daidai fruit performance that happens in the whirlpool (juice and peels) and then again in the conditioning tank (dry-peeling). The result is magnificent — an IPA like no other.

Daidai IPA is available in both kegs and bottles (630 ml) and will be pouring from taps all over Japan (including our own Taprooms) beginning Tuesday, May 1.

*Teikoku IPL (ABV 6.5%):

Teikoku IPA, of course, is our year-round India Pale Ale whose signature character derives from the deft combination of three varieties of earthy and spicy aroma hops — Kent Goldings from England, Styrian Goldings from Slovenia, and Glacier from the United States. A robust malt backbone courtesy of floor-malted Maris Otter barley from England makes Teikoku an extraordinarily balanced and thoughtful IPA.

Teikoku IPL is the lager version of Teikoku IPA — we ferment it with our Numazu Lager yeast rather than our house ale yeast. Drinking the two (IPA and IPL) side by side provides a wonderful edification in the flavor differences derived from a single source — yeast.

Teikoku IPA also is available in both kegs and bottles (630 ml) and will be pouring from taps all over Japan (including our own Taprooms) beginning Tuesday, May 1.

May Hop Madness Month @ Baird Beer Taprooms:

During the month of May, all sixteen of the hop-forward beers on the May Hop Madness Baird Beer Menu above will be on tap at one time or another at all four of the Baird Beer Taproom pubs. The Nakameguro and Bashamichi Taprooms will devote five taps at all times to a rotation of the Hop Madness beers; the Harajuku and Fishmarket Taprooms will be pouring 2 to 4 varieties at any one time. Each Taproom will be blogging regularly about the daily lineup of Hop Madness beers that will be pouring from its taps.

There will be available at each Taproom stamp cards that we call the May Hop Madness Baird Beer Card. Any customer who enjoys all sixteen varieties and thus completes the stamp card before the end of May will receive his or her choice of a free Baird Beer T-shirt or Baird Beer logo glass (any variety). The May Hop Madness Taproom Baird Beer Card can be used at any of our four Taproom locations. It is not a pre-paid card. You may receive one at any Taproom beer counter beginning May 1– just ask a staff member.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

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美食, 観光, 農業, Food, Food Health, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism, vegetables, Vegetarian cuisine

Healthy Vegetarian Lunch at Locomani in Shizuoka City (Spring 2012)!

April 30, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

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

Whenever I have to take lunch away from work and that I wish to avoid the great but heavy on my system repasts, the place for a nice, healthy and tasty meal is Locomani only a 3-minute walk away!
They have three great lunch sets. either vegetarian or omnivore, that you can enjoy at all ease inside a comfortable all-wood set-up so conducing to relaxation. Although busy at lunch time, the atmosphere is perfectly clean as no smoking has ever been allowed there!
All the ingredients are carefully selected, most of them local and many organic!

What did I have this time, then?

Rice can be either plain white or genmai/whole. I chose the combination of the two!

Although the menus change regularly the miso soup is always vegetarian and you can expect healthy and yummy tidbits like mushrooms and hijiki sweet seaweed!

And there is always a dish of freshly cooked seasonal greens!

The main dish!
Note that organic red tea is also included!
Now if you are vegan, have a talk with the chef one day when the place is not busy and I’m sure he will know how to satisfy your priorities!

There will always be fresh and often organic salad!

This time I had delicious, crunchy and juicy deep-fried vegetable Imperial rolls!

As you can see, you don’t have to be omnivore to be satisfied!
Even if you are not a vegetarian like me!
Once again I managed to keep myself away from their cakes! LOL

To be followed…

LOCOMANI
420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajyo, 1-10-6
Tel.: 054-260-6622
Closed every Wednesday and one Monday
HOMEPAGE/BLOG (Japanese)

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Hamburgers in Shizuoka 2: Taiwan Hamburger at Gonta Chaya!

April 28, 2012 dragonlife 6 Comments

Service: easy-goin, smiling and very friendly.
Facilities: old but clean.
Prices: very reasonable, extremely good value.
Strong points: Enormous portions but very healthy slow food on the whole
entirely non-smoking!

Gonta Chaya (notice the no-smoking sign!)

This all started with an article posted by my new foodie friend at Local Lemons who wrote an article about the trouble she bumped into thanks to MacDonald’s who threatened to sue her for using the word “Mac” in the name of her new restaurant in SanFrancisco:

To state the obvious, the notorious diner, thanks to its untold wealth, is not only making a profit out of its dubious junk food, but is also suing (for money!) everyone in sight at the mere mention of the word “mac”. I wonder if all these friends of mine with a surname starting with mac or Mc will be one day forced to change it!

I do not like the burgers of that company for the simple reason that they are unworthy when it comes to nutritious value and health damage!

Unpretentious decor in Gonta Chaya. Keep to the taste!

Alright, let’s stop babbling about the horned liars and talk about real food, and slow at that!

Gonta Chaya (Manki Neko) was opened on April 15th, 2008 in Sengen Street, the thoroughfare leading to Sengen Shrine, the major Shinto Shrine in Shizuoka City. Husband and wife were originally born in Yamaguchi and Aichi Prefecture but moved to Shizuoka about 12 years ago.
They always had wanted to offer slow (and real) food and finally got their wish when they open Gonta Chaya in our city.
Not only they do greatly care for good food, but also for their environment as they uncompromisingly banned smoking from their premices!

Have you heard of Maneki Neko?

They started as a Taiwanese-Nagoya-style ramen restaurant but heir love for good meat and hamburgers incited them to add the American delicacy to their menu.
And they certainly haven’t achieved half-measures, and that with ridiculously cheap prices (count 80~85 yen for 1 US $/10 % reduction for people over 60!):
Burger menu (ramen and others is another long and yummy propostion!):
Sengen Junior Burger: 350 yen
Sengen Burger: 500 yen
Sengen Double Burger: 700 yen
Sengen Triple Burger: 999 yen
Super Sengen Burger: 750 yen (drink included)
Super Sengen Burger Double: 1,100 yen ( ” )
Sengen Oyako Burger: 300 yen
Sengen Burger Set (Lunch only)

What did I choose!
The Super Sengen Burger!
An incredible half-pounder of Australian beef, not overcooked but slow-cooked (be patient!) to the perfect cripsy outside and juicy inside!
It is further enhanced with a crispy fried piece of bacon!

As for the Super Sengen, the buns are mercifully thinner but still home-made and toasted to a crisp bite.
You are going through a real maze of tastes thanks to sauces and dressings added in the right proportion.
Open/lift the bun, and you will discover a full meal with a load of fesh vegetables!

The cheese is real sliced cheese and the egg is fried to a juicy peak!
It is a full meal, I can’t guarantee you!

The place is open for lunch every day, but for dinner only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
They offer plenty to drink from Shizuoka Sake, Shizuoka Tea Shochu, Shochu, German and japanese beer, wine and soft drinks.

They also can lodge foreign backpackers for a good price in their home above the restaurant! Will write an article about that son!

Are you convinced?

(Maneki Neko) Gota Chaya
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Baban-cho, 117-1 (just past the big red Torii Gate at the entrance of Sengen Street
Tel.: 054-254-2701
Business hours: 11:00~14:30, and dinner on Tuesdays and Thursdays

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French Gastronomy: Beau Ciel In Aoi Tower, Shizuoka City!

April 27, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service: Pro and attentive
Facilities and Equipment: Extremely clean. Superb separate washrooms!
Prices: Appropriate
Strong points: Elegant restaurant and French gastronomy. Superb panoramic view of Shizuoka from Mount Fuji to the Suruga Bay. Building totally non-smoking!

Last Tuesday I had a business meeting with some famous chefs and a wine dealer that we held around lunch at Beau Ciel Restaurant on the 25th floor of the Aoi Tower built two years ago across from Shizuoka JR Station North exit.

The whole Restaurant owned by GRANDAIR Bouquet Tokai/Tokai City Services Company, is very elegant and clean, and very reminiscent of a high class hotel Lounge/Dining room!

It is open all day for lunch, tea time/cafe and dinner. Choose a table and panoramic view near one of the big bay windows. Can you see the Sumpu Castle in the picture above?

The Chef de Cuisine is Mr. Akira Uchinokura/内之倉 who used to work at Hotel Nikko in Osaka before coming to Shizuoka two years ago.
Let me share with you the elegant and inventive lunch we savored there:

We were offered a personalized menu!

Avocado and Snow Crab Tartare with Crab Bisque Gelee/Jelly.

Pressed Confit of Hungarian Foir Gras with Balamico reduction and Dentelle/Sugar Lace Crepe.

White butter, rock salt and perfumed olive oil to accompany the bread!

Home-baked bread replaced as soon as finished!

White Asparaguses Potage on Foie Gras Flan/pudding.

Seasonal fish: Ainame/Fat Greening Poele with a soup of vegetables and cockles perfumed with fresh thyme.

From another angle!

Grapefruit Granite to prepare us for the meat dish!

A-5 Ranks “Yamagata Gyuu” (Yamagata Prefecture Beef) Filet Steak with Shizuoka wasabi, new Tea Tempura and other Shizuoka Vegetables.

The beef filet and new tea tempura!

Beautiful vegetable ensemble!

Early Summer Special dessert by Chef Patissier Higuchi!

Cherry Blossoms Mousse and Shizuoka Matcha Tea Ice Cream!

And coffee as it should be served!

To be continued… Of course!

BEAU CIEL
25F Sky Restaurant
GRANDAIR Bouquet Tokai
420-0852 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Koyamachi, 17-1, Aoi Tower, 25F (right across from Shizuoka JR Station North exit)
Tel.: 054-273-5250
Fax: 054-273-5251
Opening hours: Lunch 11:30~14:30, Tea Time-14:30~17:30, Dinner-17:30~21:00
Credit Cards OK
HOMEPAGE
Completely nonsmoking!

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Bento, 美食, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, 弁当

Today’s Bento/Lunch Box (12/18): Sakura Bento!

April 25, 2012 dragonlife 14 Comments

The sakura/Cherry Blossom Season is practically finished except in the mountains but you still can find them pickled in salt! They do make for a beautiful decoration and great decoration!

The Missus put some into lukewarm water to get rid of excess salt and make them swell.
She then mixed them with freshly steamed rice.
For more decoration and seasoning she added some home-pickled mini melon.

These mini melons come from musk melon farms in the Prefecture which is nationally famous for these extravagant fruit which need a lot of pairing to produce the best watermelons. The paired fruit are not thrown away but sold in markets as they are very popular pickled!

The side dish contained the Missus’ Japanese version of a Japanese omelette!

Plenty of colors, fibers and Vitamins with the vegetables:
Carrot and walnut salad,
salad beans and mini tomatoes,
and a bed of ice plants for the omelette!

Very thin omelette made with red pimentos and sato endo mame/砂糖エンドウ豆/sweet green peas in their pod!

Very, very colorful, so healthy and yummy!

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緑茶, 美食, 茶, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Green Tea, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Green Tea: Shizuoka Prefecture Tea First Auctions in 2012 in Shizuoka City!

April 23, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

As proved every year with this most important event Tea growers are early-risers!
Since Marufuku Tea Factory (Shizuoka City) in the person of Ms. Asami Itoh/伊藤麻美 had again kindly invited me to attend and interview at the official first day of the new tea auctions (officially) held today (April 25rd) I found myself the only European (journalist) present at the early hour of 6:00 a.m.!

As a special guest I was wearing a cap with Marufuku Tea Factory written on it (the only foreign journalist offered the privilege that day!)!

But most people must have gathered there since 5:00 a.m. notwithstanding the bad weather!

A tea massage demonstration was held outside for the benefit of the media!

It is fun to take the local media at work!

The local “Chya Musume”/Tea Ladies serving fresh tea to all! The tea was Hon Yama Tea from around Shizuoka City!

The real tea auctions had been taking place from very early inside the Shizuoka Tea Hall where (officially) 800 people were busy selling and buying green tea from all over the Prefecture!

Signs and names clearly indicated which teas were auctioned by which growers at which desks!

Mr. Fumiaki Ichikawa/市川文明さん, auctioning the tea of Marufuku Tea Factory/丸福製茶株式会社!

All the green tea on auction is asai-mushi tya/浅い蒸し茶/tea that had been lightly steamed during the previous night!

Each tray of tea was placed with an auction card and tea box with the company trademark.

The card with the proposed price and the tea box of the same company!

At the bottom of a card a client had agreed to buy one batch of 10 kg!

The time had come for the official speeches and the TV crews were ready to shoot the noon and evening news of the day.

The Chairman of the Shizuoka Prefecture Tea Growers Association.

The political bigwigs!
This is an event that the very top local politicians cannot afford to miss!

The Tea Ladies were certainly all ears!

Shizuoka Prefecture Governor, Heita Kawakatsu/川勝平太静岡県知事!

Shizuoka City Mayor, Nobuhiro Tanabe/田辺信宏静岡市長!

The auction is always concluded with the traditional hand clapping!
In this case it was done in the “sanbonjime/triple clapping” style!

Outside some were busy preparing food for sale for all those hungry people!

A local farmer was even selling tea trees in pots!

Note: In spite of all the recent radioactivity scares this year’s tea is not only absolutely safe, it is at least as good as last year’s!
Next report will be in the tea-fields picking up the Ichiban Cha (First leaves of the year)!

Marufuku Tea Factory
420-0006 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Wakamatsu, Cho, 25
Tel.: 054-271-2011
Fax: 054-271-2010
Mobile: 090-3250-4188

CHA-O (Director, Ms. Asami Itoh)
420-0006 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Wakamatsu Cho, 94
Tel: 054-253-8421
Fax: 054-253-8413
HOMEPAGE

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Japanese Izakaya: Kohaku in Shizuoka City!

April 22, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Extravagant sashimi plate at Kohaku!

Service: Very friendly and welcoming. Great explanations.
Facilities & Equipment: Very clean and great washroom
Prices: Appropriate
Strong points: Traditional and modern izakaya gastronomy. Very inventive cuisine with introduction of some Western concepts. Great seafood. Great sake list. Wine and other alcohols available. Intensive use of local products combined with ingredients from other prefectures!

It is always an intense pleasure to discover a new izakaya even in a town where you have lived for 36 years!
My good friend, Yasushi Imaizumi, owner of IMAIZUMI Co Ltd. had been raving about Kohaku so we decided to visit the place last Friday!

Located in Shichiken-Cho Street which has recently become a “back street” with the disappearance of all the cinemas/movie theaters relocated to the 9th floor of Cenova Department Store it moved to its new address under a new name last November significantly contributing to the revival of an interesting street of Shizuoka City!

A daily hand-brushed menu posted outside is always a good sign!

Takashi Kawauguchi/川口貴士さん works there everyday at lunch and dinner with a true passion for his craft. The family is helping especially his mother, a great source of local lore, and occasionally by his sister and father. The latter surprised me when he mentioned a now defunct izakaya called “Wa no Ji” I used to patronize in the late 1970’s! I wonder if he knows some of my “secrets”!

A small but traditional entrance.
Sorry for the fuzzy picture but it was a dark rainy night!
As I will report again for lunch (they apparently serve an extravagant curry with all kinds of different toppings!) I promise to come up with a better picture!

Great calligraphy again!

The place was empty at 7:00 when we entered but we soon found out it had almost been completely reserved so be warned!
Reserve a seat the counter where you will be able to share some genial talk with the chef and the regular customers!

If you don’t read Japanese, do not worry. You will probably end up with everybody explaining everything!
Now, if you do read Japanese take your time in choosing the dishes because there is enough to tempt you coming back every week!

A traditional Japanese setting!

You will discover a great attention to details with an individual wooden tray for your plates and cups!

Plenty of drinks to choose from, especially local sake and shochu from everywhere else!
But it might be a good idea to check with the Chef first!

These top-class local Shizuoka sake were not on the menu!

Neither were these sake actually concocted by a winery in Yamanashi Prefecture!

You are in Shizuoka Prefecture looking at the richest sea in Japan, so you must order a plate of sashimi which is always bound to include a great majority of local products, some of which you will never find elsewhere unless you have very deep pockets!

The specialty of Shizuoka, fresh sakura ebi/cherry shrimps, surrounded by maguro akami/lean tuna, aji/horse mackerel and saba/mackerel!

Another rare specialty from Shizuoka, raw shirasu/hard mouth sardine whiting flanked by another famous fish of our Prefecture, katsuo, bonoto sashimi!
I know a lot of people who come all the way from Tokyo just to sample those three seafoods!

But like any izakaya worth its salt, the cooked cuisine is the main attraction at Kohaku!
Home-made liver paste! As a Frenchman, I can assure you it was a real beauty!

Now, pate and terrine spell the difference between bistros back home in France, but here in Japan home-made satsumaage/deep-fried fish and vegetable paste will tell you at once which the good izakayas are!

I will have to forget other izakayas for a while as there are just too many beauties to sample at Kohaku:
Kakuni/角煮! Dongpo pork (pork belly)!

Chef Kawaguchi takes a long time in cooking his kakuni, but he will coat it with cornstarch before frying it lightly for a last touch! You simply must sample this Chinese/Japanese true delicacy!

What with all the great sake we were drinking, there was a limit to what you could eat in a single evening. Therefore we decided to try another dish for which Kohaku is celebrated: Ox tail stew!

Now, this is real Western gastronomy served with fresh fried potato wedges!
With all that great sauce available Yasushi asked the Chef to boil some pasta on the quick, which was done on the spot. Before savoring the pasta we had poured on our plate with plenty of sauce, Takashi’s sister came to us to grate some fresh parmesan on it without being asked!
Now, I call that great attention!

To be continued, of course, what with the lunch curry!

KOHAKU/旬彩こはく

420-0085 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Shichiken-Cho, 18-1, PIVOT Shizuoka, 1F
Tel.: 054-221-0589
Opening hours: 11:30~14:30, 17:00~23:00

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French Recipe: Okabe Venison Bourgogne Wine Stew and Penne!

April 20, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

My plate!

What with wild deer making themselves a real nuisance in Shizuoka Prefecture (and almost all over Japan) succulent meat is readily avalaible if you know when, where and whom to ask!
The other day my good friend Yasushi Imaizumi/今泉康さん, owner of IMAIZUMI Fashion Company and a well-known local gastronome, gave me a good 2 kg of venison from a deer that had been culled by licensed hunters in Okabe, Fuijeda City!

Being a native of Bourgogne, France, I knew the simple way to prepare it: Wine Stew/Bourguignon as for beef!
Although the meat was basically rump whereas meat on the bone would have been more proper, I still cooked it in the above manner.
This was a source of a bone of contention with the Dragon as I was for the analog recipe whereas she cooks such dishes through pressure cooking (autocuiseur/圧力鍋 !
If you are for the pressure cooker, the process is the same though the cooking will take only a few minutes but you still will need to strain and reduce the sauce.
Now, i did it the long ang and traditonal way:
-I cut the meat (about 2~3kg of it) into large chunks and marinated them overnight with a cup of whisky (you can try cognac or even vodka!), a bit of salt, plenty of pepper, bay leaves, a little sage and plenty of thyme powder (whole would have been best!).
-The next day, I took the meat out of its marinade and drained it. Some people wipe the marinade off but I don’t. The beauty of the Bourguignonne recipe is that it is wide open to priorities!
I didn’t discard the marinade!
-I cut a large carrot into big chunks, peeled a whole garlic and separated the cloves. I did not cut the latter. I peeled a large hard fresh onion. Some people would cut the onion into quarters but I wanted to keep it for the dish whereas quartered onion would have almost melted.
-I first fried cubes of baco in a little olive oil in a learge pan.
-I then fried the venison (with the bacon) all over in plenty more olive oil over a hot fire. Once the meat had completely changed color I dropped the carrot in, added some flour and cooked until the flour became a foxy color.
-I then reduced the fire to very low. I added the garlic, some tomato ketchup, the whole marinade and 2 thirds of a bottle of strong red wine (it was Italian as I didn’t have a French one!). People in Corsica also add a good portion of fresh home-made pistou/pesto, bvut I didn’t have the time or will to prepare it although I love it.
-I mixed the whole roughly and placed the onion in the middle punctured with a couple of whole cloves, put the lid on and cooked the whole on a very little fire for over 2 hours.
=I then took the venison, bacon and onion carefully out and drained the sauce.
I discarded the vegetables and reduced the sauce to a good half.
While it was reducing I cut the venison into single-bite chunks.
Once the sauce had been properly reduced I asted it and seasoned a little more and I put the venison and bacon back into the sauce and cooked it on a low fire while I was preparing some penne in plenty of salted water in which I had poured some olive oil.
I dropped the penne inside two large plates, placed plenty of venison in the middle, poure enough sauce (there was olenty left for the next two days!). On top of it all I placed the hot and (only then!) quartered onion for better effect and enjoyment. I put a finaltouch by sprinkling plenty of chopped fresh parsley all over it.

Pretty simple and open to variations!

The Dragon’s plate!

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Takashima Brewery-Hakuin Masamune-Junmai Daiginjyo Yamahai

April 19, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

Yamahai is a traditional way of making sake which leaves a lot to nature.
It is difficult to master and most breweries avoid even mentioning the name!

But Takashima Brewery in Numazu City are extremely proud of their Yamahai and do not hesitate to advertise it clearly for all to see on their labels!

And making a top-premium Junmai Daiginjyo out of a Yamahai is not only extravagant, it is also a true tour de force!
One ought to enjoy such nectar slowly out of an high quality earthenware sake cup!

Takashima Brewery-Hakuin Masamune-Junmai Daiginjyo Yamahai-Genshu

Rice: Komachi
Milled down to: 45%
Alcohol: 16~17 degrees (genshu/no pure water added)
Yeast: Shizuoka NEW-5
Dryness: + 4
Acidity: 1.5
Bottled in February 2012

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Faint golden hue
Aroma: Assertive and fruity. Bananas, oranges
Body: Fluid and a little liquorish
Taste: Fruity attack, sweetish at first but turning quickly dry.
Strong junmai petillant.
Banana backed by dark chocolate and sweet nuts with a late appearance from oranges.
Lingers for a while warming the back of the palate and throat.
Complex. Dark chocolate asserting itself with the second sip with further attack from junmai petillant and dry almonds.
So pleasant and easy to drink.
Gets drier with food with very strong junmai petillant and oranges.

Comment: A discovery!
To turn a Yamahai in such a superlative sake is simply a mark of the extraordinary skills of Takashima Brewery!
Can be indifferently enjoyed on its own or with food, a feat not easily done with Junmai Daiginjyo!
Will definitely rate as one of best 5 sakes drunk in 2012 even by April!

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Today’s Bento/Lunch Box (12/17): Wasabi Musubi and Kabocha Mimosa Egg Bento!

April 18, 2012 dragonlife 10 Comments

Some of my work brings me in close contact with local farmers and it certainly has its perks as you will discover in this particular bento!

First, the “wasabi musubi”!
But before explaining that particular bit let me say that the “decoration” consists of chikuwa/steamed fish paste roll, a variety of kamaboko you can buy anywhere and that the Missus filled with fresh cucumber and boiled broccoli flowers.

The wasabi leaves and stems were given to me by Mr. Mochizuki who cultivates wasabi in Utogi, its birthplace!
The Missus pickled them separately, with konbu seaweed added to the leaves.
She made musubi balls with freshly steamed rice mixed with pickled wasabi stems and enveloped them in pickled wasabi leaves!
I very much doubt you can do that outside Shizuoka Prefecture!

The side box contained two more products I obtained from local farmers!

The egg mimosa was made by mixing the boiled egg yolk with boiled kabocha from Mr. Oda’s Farm in Yaizu City!
The Missus added some mini tomatoes, salad beans and lettuce to complete the salad!

The Missus then introduced ton toro pork/very soft pork she cooked together with fresh shiitake grown organically by Mr. Nanjyo in Do, near Utogi. She used the recipe for tebasaki adding coca cola and chili pepper for a very zippy concoction! I know more but the Missus said this was how far I could reveal her secrets!

A very unusual and tasty bento!

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Fuji Okamura Ranch in Fujinomiya City.Fuji. Beef by Chiyoji Okamura!

April 17, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

Ever solid Chiyoji Okamura!

Last Friday after our superb lunch at Restaurant Bio-S, the owner Kazuhiro Matsuki/松木一浩 kindly drove me and my journalists friends, Camille Oger and Julien Morelo, through forests at the foot of Mount Fuji to Okamura Ranch.
Okamura Ranch is one of the three beef producers established at the foot of Mount Fuji (there are 13 in all the Prefecture).

View of Mount Fuji from Okamura Ranch!

Chiyoji Okamura/岡村千代次さん was born in Shiga Prefecture in 1955.
The fifth child of a large family there was little left for him back home.
Having graduated from Tokyo Agricultural University in 1978 he tried his hand at agriculture before coming to Fujinomiya City in 1990 to establish a beef producing ranch with 30 heads of cattle. He is now looking after 300+ heads throughout a year.

The meadows reserved to pregnant cows.

He basically breeds his own cows (there is not a single bull on the premises) from 2-months old calves bought from a calf breeder or breeds his own calves after having artificially inseminated his cows.
If a male is born he is castrated while females will be later inseminated.

Very healthy but a bit shy pregnant cows.

The cows are culled for meat after 24 months, a short time compared to meat cattle in Europe.
The abattoirs are located so far from the ranch that the cows never realize their fate and feel very little stress.
Interestingly enough, Mr. Okamura does not produce calves for meat.

A smiling cow!

The beef breed in Okamura Ranch is originally a hybrid of meat-producing cattle and milk-producing cattle.
The BSE problem a few years ago convinced him that the traceability of his meat was of the utmost importance.
He will always meet personally his clients, be they traders or restaurants, before he agrees to sell his meat to them.

In spite of the daily care (no holidays there) vital for the good health of his cows, Mr. Okamura and his wife seem happy enough to spend all their time on the ranch and in their enormous (by Japanese standards) house where they regularly hold bbq’s. After all the two of them look after the cows and have to assume all the roles of cattle farmers and veterinarians!

The cow sheds and the farm were all rebuilt in 2003 and Mr. Okamura’s Fujisan Beef was officially recogniszed as an independent beef brand by the Shizuoka Prefecture Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in 2006!

Each calf lives in its own shed for maximum comfort and well-being.

The sheds are a model of cleanliness!
What with Mount Fuji and the surrounding nature, there is no pollution and the water and natural grass are of superlative quality.
As for fodder Mr. Okamura imports it all from America through a very strictly regulated route.
The used straw and droppings are recycled as natural fertilizer for neighboring farmers.

All these animals need a lot of feed, mainly consisting of cereals including corn and barley!
Mr. Okamura’s own blend of feed devised trough his years of experience and experimenting make the difference!

The sheds are regularly cleaned and provided with fresh straw for maximum hygiene.
Mrs. Okumura takes charge of feeding the calves twice a day and of all the accounts of their business while Mr. Okamura takes care of all the rest.
Quite a few students ask to work with them as interns but only a few are accepted after careful screening.

A very hungry calf!

This is all extremely hard work and I very much doubt that the Okamuras will ever get fat. They are actually extremely fit and smiling and passionate in spite of their shyness.
The result?

Superlative meat difficult to surpass!
it was interesting to note, and Mr. Matsuki concurred, that Mr. Okamura produces an extremely tender red beef without the use of fat as found in other famed beef, a feat that will ask a lot to equal indeed!

Fujisan Okamura Ranch
418-0102 Fujinomiya Shi, Hitoana, 137-318
Tel.: 0544-52-3668
Fax: 0544-52-3668
E-mail: oka5@alpha.ocn.ne.jp

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