Category Archives: Shizuoka

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (March 2011) Panic-buying abating in Shizuoka

March 19, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

(Cheap brand) bread gone…

The past week has been marked by some panic-buying, especially in Tokyo, but here in Shizuokka people are slowly becoming more reasonable in spite of the fears provoked mainly by foreign media and alarmist Embassies who haven’t realized that their apocalypse announcements have been closely watched by Japanese viewers.

No so many instant noodles gone yet.

Shizuoka is nonetheless the most earthquake-prone area in Japan, but its citizens are gradually accepting the situation with a lot of calm in spite of their private concerns.

Still more than half of the larger instant noodle meals left.

I paid a visit to the nearest Shizutetsu store, part of a local mega supermarket chain to have an idea for myself of the situation.

Half of the protein biscuits gone. They are French…

Interestingly enough only 3 types of merchandise were sought after:
Toilet paper, Fresh bread and instant noodles.

Breads and cakes almost gone…

I understand the buying of toilet paper and instant noodles, but fresh bread? How long can you keep it?

Plenty of juice, milk and yoghurt left.

No panic for fruit and vegetables!

Maybe bananas are going faster…

Stacke of meat and fish.

I hope that my friends abroad will understand that the Japanese are markedly wiser in the event of a major catastrophe!

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Japan, Shizuoka

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (March 2011) News

March 17, 2011 dragonlife 16 Comments

To all the friends who got worried about my dear ones and me during the last past few days, I would like to extend my grateful thanks and recognition!

It does look bad to unaccustomed people/viewers, and it is bad, but not as much as some people would like to announce.
True to say, nearly 12,000 citizens are dead or missing and more than 100,000 people have been displaced in a catastrophe of unseen proportions in modern Japan (although it suffered even more greatly in the unrecorded past).
To compound misery, there have been accidents at a few thermonuclear electicity plants.

Now, I would like to reassure everyone about the latter in spite of the hysterics shown by the German and French Embassies in particular: the radiation is not enough to be harmful to humans, and I hope it will stay so.

Moreover, one has to keep his/her perspective: what would have happened if Japan were not the most sophisticated country in the world when it comes to earthquake disaster prevention? Most of the victims disappeared in the incredible tsunami, not so many during the earthquake itself.

On the other hand, there was no rise in crimes, no looting, no riot, but a great patience and wisdom in spite of the overwhelming worries. Restaurants offered free meals in affected areas, small town mayors are working their hearts out for their citizens (“We will fight! Gambaru!”), and everyone is starting cooperating and gathering food and commodities all over Japan.

Japan will survive and become once again a model to emulate.
Mark my work, Japan and the Japanese will come out the stronger out of this ordeal!
Yes, they can!

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熱海市, 観光, 農業, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Tourism

Atami, The Hot Spring City of Yore 2

March 11, 2011 dragonlife 10 Comments

Botarga/Mullet Roe/Karasumi/カラスミ!

The shopping streets in Atami City are quite old-fashioned. You almost seem to slipped back 30 years when you stroll along them browsing old-fashioned shops of every kind.

Once out of Atami JR station you will find two parallel streets going down sharply on the right. There you will find the epitome of land and sea products of the region.
Will you follow me?

Atami is located at the northern tip of Izu Peninsula, which means an access to an incredible number of fish. Can you believe that Shizuoka produces 50% of all dried and semi-dried fish in Japan?
And of a great quality!

These dried fish are shirasu/白子/sardine whiting. Rare of that size (and not cheap!)!

The himono/干物/dried fish on the left are not cheap either: globefish/fugu/河豚!

One Japanese confectionery typical of Atami is Onsen Manju!

Onsen manju/温泉万寿/means hot spring steamed sweetmeat cake. Many shops are competing with each other!

A great array of fresh fish paste cakes you eat either as they are, or as oden! Very tasty!

A giant Japanese brochette! The sugn says to be carful and not to push the dispaly with your hands (appe\arently some did with a disastrous result!)!

One great thing about Japan is that most (Japanese-style) restaurants display their cuisine as plastic models in their shop windows! At least you have a good idea of what is available!

More seafood left out to dry to become tasty himono! Traceabilty garanteed!

More, including rare tuna himono (bottom right)!

Now, the beautiful kinmedai/金目鯛 (Top righ) is expensive (but not by Tokyo standrds!)!

Izu Peninsula and Atami City are also famous for all kinds of citruses!

Golden oranges/貴金柑　(front) are beautiful and expensive!
They tend to come up with a new variety every year in that region!

Now, if you want to eat sushi, you will know that the seafood is fresh!

Although this is a sushi chain of the cheaper kind, they have the merit to explain clearly the varieties and the prices (very reasonable!)!

Now, what are these?

Karasumi/カラスミ/Botarga, or mullet roe! You can find anything more traceable. This is a truly expensive gastronomic marvel, even in Shizuoka!

A last long look at the shops and then we’ll go to another toursit attraction!

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Fuji-Takasago Brewery, Fujinomiya City, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, 富士高砂酒造

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Fuji-Takasago Brewery-Tokubetsu Junmai Diamond Fuji

March 7, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Although the Fuji-Takasago Brewery in Fujinomiya City is part of a larger conglomerate, all the staff is from Shizuoka Prefecture and the sake there are made exclusively according to methods prevalent in the Prefecture.

Moreover, they are active in promoting sake rice grown in Shizuoka Prefecture.
In this particular case half of the rice used for this brew is Homare Fuji, a Yamada Nishii hybrid developed in Shizuoka Prefecture.

Rice: Yamada Nishiki and Shizuoka-grownHomare Fuji
Rice milled down to 60%
Dyness: +6
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottlled in November 2010

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Fruity: pineapple, custard. almonds
Body: Fluid
Taste: Very dry attack backed up by Junmai petillant.
Fruity: dry almonds, custard.
Quickly disappears with a soft custard note.
Very soft and easy to drink in spite of its softness.
Turns dry with food.
Goes very well with fish and sashimi.
As nurukan/lukewarm: Turns sweeter with a short strong junmai pang with a quick comeback on the drier side.
Oranges and custard.
very pleasant as a warm sake.

Overall: Very pleasant and easy to drink sake.
Goes well with any food, raw or cooked.
A sake to please everyone!
A great sake for a great party!

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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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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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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美食, 静岡, 豚骨ラーメン, Gastronomy, Gourmet, Japan, Ramen, Shizuoka, Tonkotsu ramen, 日本

Ramen: Tonkotsu Ramen-Professional Recipe

November 23, 2009 dragonlife 42 Comments

Here is the “professional Recipe for Tonkotsu Ramen as promised!

INGREDIENTS: (will provide 3.5 litres of soup, enough for quite a few servings!

-Pork bones: 5 (2500 g)
-Water: 13 litres

RECIPE:

Bring frozen bones to room temperature in plenty of water.
It should take about 2 hours. If you cook frozen bones directly, the blood will solidify and will be very difficult to get rid of.
If you can get fresh bones, skip this step.

Fill a very large cooking pot with water and bring to boil.

Switch off fire as soon as the water boils. Drop in the bones and let cool. This process will help you get rid of the blood and blood vessels easily.

Leave it to cool down for 30~40 minutes.

Drain the water off the bones in a large strainer.
Throw off the water.
Check and take off any blood or blood vessels for the bones.
Don’t forget to clean the pot!
Break all the bones in two with a hammer.

Fill the pot again with clear water and bring to boil.
Drop the bones inside.

Keep cooking over a strong fire and scoop out foam and unwanted matters coming up on the surface (this should take 20 minutes at the most).
As the bottom might get hooter than near surface, stir with a large ladle from time to time.
If the inside of the pot over the water surface gets clogged with matter or gets dark, switch off fire, clean with a clean cloth and switch fire on again.

Above picture shows the soup after all unwanted matters have stopped coming up.

Cover with a lid and a weight to prevent steam coming out from under the lid. Keep simmering on a low fire.

That’s how it looks after 1 hour.
Keep cooking.

That’s how it looks after 3 hours.

That’s how it looks after 6 hours.

That’s how it looks after 10 hours.

And after 12 hours (start early in the morning!)!

Keep cooking. Remember you are aiming at 3.5 litres of soup.
After 12 hours you may raise the fire to accelerate the cooking.
Keep the lid on!

This is what you are looking for!

This is how the bones will look after 15 hours of cooking!
Cooked at last!

Filter the soup and here you have your tonkotsu base soup ready!
After that it is up to you and your preferences: add miso, tofu, salt, sesame oil, garlic chips and your little secrets!

Now what secret ingredients have I thrown in? LOL

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Shizuoka, Uncategorized

Vegetarian French Cuisine: Roquefort Blue Cheese and Potato Gratin

November 21, 2008 dragonlife 6 Comments

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Here is a dish for friends with a big appetite and some of my friends who appreciate vegetarian food such as Allison!

Ingredients (for 2 to 4 people):
Potatoes: 5 medium to large
Butter: 50g
Flour: 30g
Milk: 100cc
Thick sour cream: 100g
Roquefort cheese: 40g (If not , use any other strong blue cheese)
Garlic: 2 cloves, chopped
Basil: a few leaves, chopped
Italian parsley: a few sprigs, chopped
Thin leeks: a couple stems, chopped
Salt: to taste
Pepper: to taste
Nutmeg: to taste

Recipe:

Peel potatoes, rinse and cook for 15 minutes in boiling salted water.
Drain and cut in thin slices.
Butter the inside of a shallow oven dish (25×3 cm).
Preheat oven to 200 Celsius degrees.
In a saucepan, on a small fire, melt butter and cook garlic and all herbs gently for a couple of minutes. Add flour and stir until mixture is smooth. Add milk first and mix well with a whisk, then add sour cream and mix again. Mix in salt and spices to taste. Switch off fire and mix in Roquefort cheese as smoothly as possible.

Place a first layer of potato slices evenly inside the oven dish. Sprinkle a little salt, pepper and nutmeg. Repeat operation until all potatoes are used up.
Pour cheese sauce evenly on top of potatoes and cook for 25 minutes. Serve at once.
This is also a good snack to accompany a strong beer or cider!

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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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.

Shizuoka, Shizuoka Beer, Uncategorized

Shizuoka Beer 3-1: Wind Valley Beer/Kaze No Tani no Biru-Weizen

September 11, 2007 dragonlife 2 Comments

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Wind Valley Beer/Kaze no Tani no Biru (風の谷のビール）Weizen is brewed by a Company located at the foot of Mount Fuji. It sells various kinds of products from organic fruit juices to dairies.
Its beers are sold under the label Oratche.

This particular beer is an organic beer using 50% of wheat malt.
It is unfiltered and should be kept in a cold environment because of its live yeast.

Clarity: smoky (unfiltered)
Colour: golden
Foam: light, tends to disappear quickly
Aroma: light, oranges, yeast, banana, cloves
Taste:: very yeasty taste, dry withe a strong accent on cloves.

Overall: A beer very remiscent of German Weizen. Refreshing and light with a sharp character, but does not linger too long. Would go very with cheese and cold meats.

Homepage (Japanese)

Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tempura, Uncategorized, 天婦羅

Simple Recipes: Dragonfruit Shoots Tempura

August 23, 2007 dragonlife 8 Comments

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The Missus came back home last night with an unsual “vegetable”: Dragon Fruit Shoots.
The Japanese have come with the best idea to sample any new vegetable: tempura!
Technically speaking it originated in Portugal whose sailors introduced it to Japan a few centuries ago. The word itself is Portuguese.

My better (worse?) cut them into halves and prepared batter. She favours her own style, heavier than the Japanese, but lighter than the European/American “fritters”

She took the opportunity to add some other tempura made with shrimps and goya.
Served with ma-cha tea powder and salt mixed with sakura/cherry blossoms powder, it just turned out perfect with beer and sake!

Shizuoka, Shizuoka Beer, Tasting, Tenjigura Brewery, Uncategorized, 天神蔵醸造

Shizuoka Beer 1-1: Tenjingura Weizen

August 17, 2007 dragonlife 2 Comments

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Since we are in the middle of an extraordinarily hot summer, it is about time we delve in the local beers! And there are more than you might think! Considering the abundance of great water in Shizuoka Prefecture, we should wonder why we are not afloat lakes of beers put out by local breweries!

The first of a (hopefuly) long series shall start with a brew by Tenjingura Brewery in Hamamtsu City:

Name: Tenjingura Beer-Weizen
Yeast: German Weizen yeast
Ingredients: More than 50% Wheat malt
Volume: 330 ml
Alcohol: 5%

Colour: Nice darkish amber
Clarity: Clear
Foam: fine and disappearing quickly
Aroma: Bread, yeast
Body: Velvety on the palate
Taste: Fruity, Yeasty, bread

Comments: Both refreshing and nourishing. Almsot sweet with very little acidity. A beer for all seasons.

Tenjingura/Hamamatsu Brewery-Distillery
420-0808 Shizuoka Ken, Hamamatsu City, Tenjin Machi, 3-57
Tel.: 053-4616145
Fax: 053-4633851
Homepage

Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tasting, Uncategorized, Vegetarian cuisine

Izakaya: Nanase

August 13, 2007 dragonlife 2 Comments

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It was the turn of Mr. Kawashima, a member of our “Monthly Monday Eatout Group” to choose our meting place in August, and he elected for our ever-growing group (we accounted for 7 participants this time!) an original izakaya called Nanasei.
The restaurant was created 6 years ago by Mrs. Junko Sunada on the first floor of the large house she lives in with her family.
Actually the first floor consists of a counter (see picture above, sitting 6) and a Japanese tatami room (sitting 6~7).
The place is very comfortable and easy-going but sophisticated at the same time, all that for comparatively reasonable price. You have more the impression to eat at home than in izakaya/restaurant. It makes the place all the more attractive for small groups searching relative peace and quiet in an intimate environment.

Mrs. Sunada makes a great use of local products, especially vegetables, with an accent on lightness and familiar (as of family) tastes, all the while creating original cuisine for all to enjoy, whatever the age or gender. A vegetarian (that I am not) could very well order or reserve a full meal there!

The more you eat, the more you feel like drinking, and I have a suspicion that Mrs. Sunada has mastered the art to induce a customer into sampling her drinking menu!

Now, the last is the real reason behind our friend’s choice!
As he is a fervent lover of sake, the menu gives him ample cause for rejoicing apart of the beer and wine:
I will cite only the truly local sake among the long list:
Kaiun (Doi Brewery, Kakegawa City)
Shosetsu (Kanzawagawa Brewery, Yui City)
Hatsukame (Okabe-cho, Sida Gun)
Karakkaze (Hana No Mai Brewery, Hamamatsu City)

I would recommend Nanasei both to couples and groups who wish to share a gastronomic adventure away from the tussle of the town.
Set menus and a la carte are available. I would suggest both for value and interest to choose the set menu of the day and eventually add one or two more dishes if you are still hungry!

Nanase
Address: 420-0833 Shizuoka City, Higashi Takajo 2-40 (Go up Kitakaido from Shin Shizuoka Center, turn right at Casino Pachinko, second corner)
Tel.: 054-2495551
Fax: 054-2486644
Business hours: 17:30~22:30
Closed on Sundays and 2nd and 3rd Mondays
Reservations advised

Shizuoka, Uncategorized

Cafe-Labo Confectionery and Cake Shop

August 9, 2007 dragonlife Leave a comment

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For the 6 years it has been in business in this fickle city, CAFE-LABO and its chef-patissiere, Ms. Takami Kawanaka, have achieved a solid reputation of quality, originality and reliability under the guidance of its mother company, Settle Down.

Predominantly French-style cakes, biscuits, jellies and assortments, both classical and avant-garde, are made and re-invented in close relation with seasons and trends.

A staff of 6 will help you choose individual cakes for your own consumption, your special ones and parties alike.

Not only will you be tempted by the vast array of confectioner, but also by the wines imported exclusively by Settle Down Co. from Alsace, Beaujolais, Bourgogne and Banyuls as well as jams and sweets from all over France!
My favourites?: “Figue” and the”macarons”!

Access: From Kusanagi JR or Shizutetsu Stations, 10 minutes walk

Address: 424-0886 Shizuoka City, Shimizu Ku, Kusanagi, 46
Tel.: 0543-441661
fax: 0543-441670
Business hours: 10:00~20:00
Closed on Tuesdays
Credit Cards OK

Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tasting, Uncategorized

Shizuoka Agricultural Products: Nashi Pear

August 9, 2007 dragonlife 5 Comments

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The Nashi pear, Pyrus pyrifolia, is sometimes called the Asian pear . It has also been called Japanese pear or Taiwan Pear, as well as sand pear, apple pear, bapple, papple, and bae, from the Korean 배. In India is it called nashipati. Nashi pears are widely grown for their sweet fruit, a popular food in East Asia. They are sweet on the tree and are eaten crisp or else bletted.

Nashi pears generally are not baked in pies or made into jams because they have a high water content and a crisp, grainy texture, very different from the buttery European varieties. Also, Nashi pears are not as intensely sweet, having a more refreshing, light taste.

They are grown in various areas in Japan under different cultivar and brand names.
I have the luck to be offered every summer a full box of them coming from Yaizu City where their brand name is “Shinsui”/新水. They are the perfect fruit for a hot summer and have far more value than a whole bottle of soda!