Category Archives: Shizuoka agricultural products

Chicken, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Soba, Soba Restaurant, Sugii Brewery, Tourism, vegetables

Soba Restaurant: Soba Sake Kawakatsu

April 24, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Friendly
Equipment: traditional. Clean. Beautiful toilets
Prices: Appropriate
Strong points: Very fresh ingredients. Most ingredients not only local but sef-grown or self-raised! Local sake and shochu!
entirely non-smoking!

Mototsugu Kawabe/河辺基次, after graduating from the celebrated Kyoto University decided to go back to its roots and help with his parents’ soba shop in Fujieda City. But he did so with a remarkable difference!

Mototsugu and his parents.

First of all, like many young people of his generation, he decided to go “local” as much as possible.

Choose you cup for your sake!

But he went one and two steps ahead: The soba served at the their restaurant are all made with buckwheat he grows himself in Fujieda City!

Yamahai Junmai by Sugii Brewery in Fujieda City!

He also grows most of the vegetables used at their restaurant and all the chicken served there comes from an average of 240 Ikkoku Shamo Chickens, a very valauble species in the whole of Japan, as they also specialize in chicken served with their soba and also in yakitori. He must be a rarity not only in Shizuoka Prefecture but in the whole of Japan for taking the pains of using so many local ingredients!

Japanese and expats alike will grow fond of the place for its traditional Japanese atmosphere!

A bottle bag from Sugii Brewery, Fujieda City! Soba Sake Kawakatsu serves no les than 6 of their brews!

I’m sure you will get tempted to take the bottle out and ask it to be filled!

As it was my first (and certainly not the last!) visit, I knew what to ask for: Ikkokoku Shamo (Chicken) eiro (chicken in stock with large leeks) Soba!

The soba are made with 100% own buckwheat!

One dips his/her soba in the broth and eats the leeks and chicken in between!

The dashi Tamago Yaki/出し卵焼き is made with the eggs of the same chickens!

Beautiful both in looks and taste!
I know quite a few expat friends who would travel all the way for it!

The restaurant serves not only 6 different sake from Sugii Brewery in Fujieda but also 3 different shochu from the same brewery!
The above shochu was made with buckwheat grown by Mr. Kawabe!

Kawakatsu Buckwheat shochu private label bottle!

蕎麦酒　/sobashyu means buckwheat shochu!

An to appreciate and finish my shochu. a beautiful plate of “okamisan no nuka zuke”/vegetables pickled in rice bran by his Mother!

Next time, see you there for dinner!

Sake Soba Kawakatsu
426-0034, Fujieda Shi, Eki mae, 1-8-4
Tel./Fax: 054-645-1770
Business hours: 11:30~14:00, 17:30~22:00
Closed on Mondays, 1st & 3rd Tuesdays

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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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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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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, 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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Earthquake, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tsunami, vegetables

April 4th: No radioactive emissions found in Shizuoka Prefecture

April 5, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

No radioactive emissions today!　All agricultural products in Shizuoka Prefecture are safe.

（Original Report）

【 Environmental Radioactivity Measurements Results inside Shizuoka Prefecture】
□Tap water radioactivity determination (nuclide analysis) results
【Sampling collection locality: Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Kita Ando】
Iodine 131: none
Cesium 137: none

□Radioactive fallout determination (nuclide analysis) results
【Sampling collection locality: Omaezaki City, Ikeshinden】
Sampling duration: April 3rd , 09:00~ April 4th, 09:00
【Observed radiation levels】
Iodine 131: none
Cesium 134: none
Cesium 137: none

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野菜, 農業, Japanese Gastronomy, Mushrooms, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, vegetables, 富士市

Shizuoka Agricultural Products: Recipes for Hasegawa Garden’s Portabella Mushrooms! Part 2

April 4, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

I was given a few enormous Portabella Mushrooms the other day among a batch of mushrooms sent to our office at Agrigraph.!

Mr. Mitsushi Hasegawa/長谷川光史さん

They are grown by Mr. Mitsushi Hasegawa in Fuji City at Hasegawa Garden/長谷川農園.

They were truly enormous!

To give you a better idea!

After last week’s stuffed mushroom-style recipe, the Missus (without me…) came a different recipe: “Ton toro” pork sauteed with Portabella Mushrooms and Yuzu Koshio!

“Ton toro” means that it is pork of higher quality, quite whitish in color, reminiscent of tuna “toro”!
The Missus first started frying the sliced ton toro pork with a little olive oil and yuzu koshio/lime and pepper paste.
She then added one sliced mushroom when the pork had started changing color. She fried the whole until the mushroom was properly cooked. The juices of the mushroom mixing with those of the pork meant there was no need for extra seasoning as the yuzu koshio paste contained enough salt.

Served with chopped leeks/scallions, a great appetizer (or main dish!)!

As we were left with one more mushroom, the Missus cut it in small quarters, fried it in olive oil and a little white wine, salt and pepper before adding the finishing touch with chopped parsley.
Simple and so delicious!

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野菜, 野菜亭, 観光, 農業, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, vegetables, Yasaitei

Shizuoka Agricultural Products: Hatada Garden Leaf Ginger at Yasaitei!

April 2, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

Ms. Aki Suzuki/鈴木朋, chef at Yasaitei.

I said in my previous article that there are many Shizuoka products worthwhile introducing not only to the general public but also to restaurants who work hard promoting food originating from our Prefecture.
Another such place is Yasaitei in Shizuoka City!

Like in the other article, after having interviewed Toshikatsu Hatada/畑田敏克 at Hatada Garden/畑田農園 in Kuno/久能 in Shizuoka City, I called Ms. Suzuki to tell her I was bringing fresh leaf ginger and I wished her to create some dishes with it to which se immediately genially agreed! Yasatei thus the second restaurant I visited on that day!

I had my usual (I’m a regular there, too…) glass of Doman Shochu (brewed by Hamamatsu-Tenjingura Brewery in Hamamatsu City) with a snack consisting of kogomi/こごみ/ostrich fern in sesame dressing.

Aki keeps things simple with a respect for the natural taste of ingredients.
The first serving was the leaf ginger cut and served with red miso paste. A great snack for the shochu!

Keeping in mind I wanted something light to accompany the drink, she lightly fried in olive oil and a minimum of salt and pepper thin strips of leaf ginger, bacon and strips of yellow sweet pimentoes.

Great balance between the salty taste of bacon, the sweetness of pimentoes and spiciness of the ginger!

She was back in true vegetarian mode for the last dish:

A salad of very lightly fried strips of leaf ginger and cucumber topped with thin strips of raw radishes for an interesting and slightly piquant salad!

Did I say I was enjoying my work at Agrigraph? LOL

YASAITEI/野菜亭
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa-Cho, 1-6-2 Green Heights Wamon 1-C
Tel.: 054-2543277
Business hours: 17:30~22:00
Closed on Sundays
Reservations highly recommended
Seating: 6 at counter + 14 at tables
Set Courses: 3,000, 4,000, 5,000 yen
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Oumuraya Brewery-Jyuube Junmai/Shimada City Gohyakumangoku Rice

March 29, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Oumuraya Brewery in Shimada City has encouraged local farmers for a long time.
They have been recently brewing sake with sakamai/酒米/sake rice by local farmers.

I’ve just found this bottle called Jyuube/重兵衛 at (Farmers Market) Japan Bazaar in Shimada City.
The rice grown is of the Hyakumangoku variety.
They went as far as decorating the bottle with pictures of the very farmers!
How about that for traceability!

Rice: Hyakumangoku (100%)
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Strong and fruity: custard, vanilla
Body: Fluid
Taste: Strong and drier than expected attack.
Fruity: Custard, bananas. Junmai petillant.
Disappears quickly with dry almonds.
Light and dry, almost discreet with food.
Dry pineapple appearing later.

Overall: A straightforward sake.
Very pleasant, fruity with a dry note.
Accompanies food well.
Very pleasurable on its own or with food.
A sake for all seasons!

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観光, 農業, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Shimada City, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Supermarkets, Tourism, vegetables

Shizuoka Agricultural Products: Japan Bazaar Supermarket in Shimada City

March 28, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Aki Suzuki/鈴木朋 doing her Sunday shopping at Japan Bazaar!

Contrary to other Prefectures, Shizuoka Prefecture does not so much grow in large mass-producing farms but more in a myriad of highly specialized agricultural ventures.
Which means a lot of cooperation needed for marketing.
The good side of it all is that buyers can visit the supermarkets selling the products of so many small farmers in one single place for the pleasure and convenience of all, especially restaurateurs.

Such a place (there are many others of course!) is “Japan Bazaar” in Shimada City!
My good friend, Ms. Aki Suzuki, Chef at my favorite vegetables restaurant Yasaitei, regularly (that is, on Sundays) drives all the way from Shizuoka City to buy her ingredients there. A must destination for her when you realize they retail the products of more than 260 local farmers!

They even sell wooden fence poles and shiitake wood logs!

It is actually located in the middle of a very scenic spot in Shimada City next to immense tea fields and not far from the Oi River.
Now, let me show what they were selling on a Sunday at around lunch time (yesterday):

Flowers in pots.

Cut flowers for ikebana/flower arrangements.

Flowers is actually a major business in our Prefecture and all year round at that!

Leeks!

These little seeds on the left are actually gardenia/kuchinashi/梔子 seeds, mainly used as natural colorant!

Broccoli!

Winter/Spring onions, tender and juicy!

Shiitake mushrooms.

Daikon. I just couldn’t help taking a pic of that strange one!

These are daikon, too!

Great traceability!

Mini tomatoes.

Great eggs from Kikugawa City. Aki would come for them only!

Organic eggs from the same producer!

Shizuoka is strawberry country!

Potatoes.

Amanatsu/甘夏 oranges.

Pampeyu! The largest citrus in the world?

Suruga Elegant oranges.

Kintsuba/sword guard cakes.

Home-made bentos!

More of them!

Shizuoka Prefecture is growing more and more of its own rice!

Great traceability again!

Rice powder/Komeko/米粉, great for wheat allergics!

Home-made soap (not for eating!).

Home-made jams!

Tokoroten/Agar agar jelly and konnyaku jelly!

Shimada beef and pork!

Aki’s basket!

Traceability again: the hens that lay the eggs on sale!

Sake made with sake rice (gohyakumangoku) grown in Shimada City and brewed by Oomuraya Brewery (next article!)

(Farmers Market) Japan Bazaar
427-0111 Shizuoka ken, Shimada Shi, Sakamoto, 4245-3
Tel.: 0547-5505
Fax: 0547-38-5507
Business hours: 09:00~17:30
50-car park
Closed on New Year only

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Chinese Cuisine, Chinese Restaurants, 野菜, 農業, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, vegetables

Chinese Gastronomy: Shizuoka Products at Cham

March 6, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great cleanliness overall
Prices: very reasonable, good value.
Strong points: Great use of local Shizuoka Vegetables and products. Great Chinese Teas!
non-smoking at lunch time/Fully non-smoking from April!

Chinese is a very popular cuisine, but when you discover it is exclusively made with local vegetables, meat and seafood, you have no reason left to ignore it!

Mr. Atsushi Tomura, a very talented young chef, opened Cham in Sptember 2008 with his wife and an apprentice.
He will actually move to another address nearer to the JR Station in April, while his apprentice will go back to his family’s business in Fujieda City.
Check both addresses and homepage at the end of this article!

Since it was my firs (belated) visit I opted for the lunch set.
It is superb combination of vegetables I stopped counted and some meat and seafood.
All vegetables exclusively come from the farm of Mr. Furuya in Asabata, Shizuoka City!
Since they obviously use only seasonal vegetables, you can expect this particular offering to change rapidly!

I’ll try to explain what I had the pleasure to savor, but I’m sure to miss a lot as they were simply too busy to explain in detail. That will have to wait until my next visit(s)!
The above is a dish concocted with5 different daikon, meat and miso paste with eggs in soboro style served with ice plants and red lettuce for warpping.

Pork belly wrapped in Chinese Cabbage and served with katsuona Leaf vegetable.

Kiku imo.

Violet and white Cauliflower and Romanesco Cauliflower and Daikon/turnips.

Ajiwai Dori Chicken roll.

Broccoli and shrimps.
Most dishes had their sauce or dressings under the vegetables for better viewing!

Wakame seaweed and egg soup.

Home-made almond toufu for dessert.

They also offer a great choice of rare Chinese teas of extremely high quality!

The one I chose was called 西湖龍井茶. a real beauty!

Naturally they other Chinese favorites suc as Shoyu raamen, Shyo Raamen, Kuro Kosy\ho Tantanmen, Kuro Kosho Chahan and Yaki Gyoza.
But that is for my next visit!

Incidentally, given one day in advance, they can devise a completely vegetarian menu on order!

Cham
420-0072 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, 2 Ban-Cho, 4-1
Tel/Fax: 054-253-1300
Business hours: 11:00~14:00; 17:00^22:00
Closed either on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Call beforehand!
(Until end of March)

Shizuoka Shi, Suruga Ku, Minami Cho, 6-7, inside Irifune Yokocho
Tel.: 054-285-71115
Business hours: 17:00~24:00; lunches on order only (1 day advance)
HOMEPAGE
(from April 17th)

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sake, shochu and sushi

野菜, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, vegetables

French Gastronomy: Shizuoka Products at Pissenlit (Spring)

March 6, 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!

I was really starving at lunch yesterday and since Pissenlit is just across the street from my work, I just couldn’t resist the temptation again!
At least it is a clever way to combine work am pleasure as this report will also go to Agrigraph!

Ordering was easy enough, but keep in mind we are talking about slow food. Therefore, I was served the above appetizer made with potatoes and octopus (cooked) to help me wait!

The vegetables dish consisted all of vegetables grwon organically by Mr. Hirokawa in Mishima City!
From bottom to top and right to left:
Stick Senior Broccoli, Beni Kururi Daikon, Black Daikon, Green daikon.
Milano Daikon, Carrot.
Romanesco Cauliflower (called Coral Cauliflower in Japanese), Kooshin Daikon and Ayame Turnip.

For another view.
The dressings were milk mousse and olive oil.

Now that I had satisfied my vegetarian steak, I turned carnivorous with wild boapoele with wine sauce.
A real boar of 35 kg which was hunted in Noda, Shimada City.

For a better view of the vegetables:
Leaf Garlic from Fujieda.
Rape plants, Chrysanthemum leaves, Petit Vert.
May Queen potato Dauphinois. All four vegetables organic and grown by Mr. Hirooka.

And now the dessert.
It deserves some explanations:

The strawberries are (right) Toukun, only grown in Shizuoka (for the moment) and Ookimi (left), only grown in Saga and Shizuoka Prefectures!
They are linked with raspberry sauce
Now, what is that cake?

It is a “biscuit chaud/hot cake) made with Hon Yama Green Tea from Abe River in Shizuoka City!

When you open it you will discover a tender cake inside the crispy outside and tea cream flowing out!
Superb!

And to finish, a great coffee with orange and ginger chocolates!

No, I don’t know yet when I’ll be back! 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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sake, shochu and sushi

野菜, 農業, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka agricultural products, vegetables

French Gastronomy: Shizuoka Products at Tetsuya Sugimoto (spring 2011)

March 5, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Ranking：
Service: Highly professional and friendly
Equipment: Great overall cleanliness. Beautiful washroom
Prices:~
Strong points:Freshest produce and ingredients only, mainly from Shizuoka Prfecture. Organic vegetables. Seasonal food only
Map (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

As it was my turn to look after Fabian, our new German intern at Agrigraph. I just took the opportunity of waht a talented French chef could create with Shizuoka products, me good friend Testuya Sugimoto at Tetsuya SUGIMOTO Restaurant in Shizuoka City!

Tetsuya was kind enough to take out all his treasures of the fridge for our young guest to discover before he chose the ingredients of the day!

Tetsuya prepared two hors d’oeuvres, the first one being yellow carrot mousse and an organic radish (the leaves were delicious) wrapped into burdock roots flakes (a non-vegan mayonnaise was used as the linking agent).

As for the second hors d’oeuvres he used 3 different types of rape flowers to be combined with

mackerel caught in the Suruga Bay off Yui!
The sauces were a dressing made with raspberry vinegar, while the other was an orange olive oil. The powder is crushed senbei/Japanese rice cracker.

He used the above organic vegetables for our main dish!

The same vegetables cooked and before their sauces were added.
One sauce was a mixture of grain mustard, miso paste and honey, while the other was pistachio oil.

The finished dish:
from bottom, right to left:
Black Daikon, Koushin Daikon, Faabe broad beans, Yacon.
Ayame Yuuki Turnip, Violet carrot, Yellow Turnip, Yellow carrot.
Petit Vert, Red Turnip, Kyoto Carrot, Hinona Turnip.
All cooked to perfection for crispiness and natural taste!

The dessert consisted of a mousse made with brown sugar and rum made from sugar cane grown in Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture, as for the mousse. The caramel sauce was made from the same sugar!

Tetsuya SUGIMOTO
４２０－００３８ Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Umeya,, ２－１３，１Ｆ
Tel./Fax: 054-251-3051
Opening hours：１１：３０～１４：３０，１７：３０～２１：３０
Holidays: undecided
Cedit cards OK
ＨＯＭＥＰＡＧＥ

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Sake Brewery, Shidaizumi Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tasting, Umeshu, Uncategorized, 志田泉酒造

Umeshu by Shidaizumi Brewery

September 16, 2007 dragonlife Leave a comment

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日本語のブログ
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I already the occasion to taste this new umeshu (“Japanese plum liqueur”) when I visited Shidaizumi Brewery in Fujieda City last August before it was put on sale. But due to a hectic schedule before leaving fro France, I did not have the time to make any report.
To amend for the hiatus, I bought and tasted a bottlelast night!

This umeshu is made with sake and ume/Japanese local plum extract, making it quite extravagant in comparison to what is usually marketed as “umeshu”)
The alcohol contenet is not so high at only 11 degrees.

Clarity: very clear

Colour: light orang-pink

Aroma: dry plums, drier than expected.

Body: light and smooth.

Taste: Complex and elegant. Drier than expected. Easy to drink and calling for a second and a third sip. Welcome acidity lingering over the palate

Overall: a great aperitif or refreshing drink on a hot summer day/night. Elegant. Adult. Deserves to stand beside European first-class fruit alcohols. Best drunk chilled or on the rocks.