Category Archives: Tempura

Japanese Gastronomy, Japanese Restaurant, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Soba, Tempura

Soba, Tempura & Local Products at Yuriyama in Ikumi, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture!

November 30, 2019 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Shy but very kind and attentive
Equipment: Overall very clean. excellent washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Home-made soba/buckwheta noodles, tempura, and local farmers’ products

The other day a good friend of mine, Mayumi, owner of the Flower Shop Pepiement in Shimada City, was kind enough to drive (look at bus access below) drive me to an authentic local farmers restaurant and shop called Yamayuri/Mountain Lily up the road leading to Ikumi in the northern part of Shimada City. I already had the occasion to use this same bus twice up to its final stop and I would definitely suggest anyone to take and discover the true back country of japan with all kind of quaint sites!

The shop alone is worth the trip!
Better come early to pick the best choice of local seasonal vegetables and fruit!

And don’t miss all the home-made jams, preserves, pickles and discover the tastes of real rural Japan!

The restaurant is just left past the entrance!

Place the orders before entering the restaurant! Even you do not understand Japanese the menus are explained with pictures. Just point and pay beforehaand!

The local vegetables used in the dishes of the day!

The restaurant includes a soba classroom!
Even if you only wish to eat there taking pictures is welcome!

More pictures depicting the activities of the day inside the restaurant!

Hot soba!
Of course the soba are made afresh every day!

Cold soba!

I could not resist their gyoza!
Actually excellent and light and tasty!

Cold soba mounted with fresh hot tempura!

The tempura might look rough (don’t forget this farmer’s wife cooking!) but you can’t beat the taste of fresh local vegetables! A delicacy for vegetarians!

If you have a day off do combine the restaurant and shop with a slow trip in the midst of rural Japan!

Address: 427-0232 Shizuoka Prefefecture, Shimada City, Ikumi, 5202 (access by car or Ikumi Sem Midosawa Yuki/伊久身線御堂沢行き community bus line every hour from Shimada Station north exit. Get off at Yamayuri/やまゆり bus stop. First bus leaving at 7:00, last at 20:00, return bus first at 6:14, last at 18:54. Count 40 minutes trip. Only 8 buses a day!)
Tel.: 0547-39-0193
Opening hours: 10:00~16:00 (better check on the phone first!)
Closed on Thursdays and Fridays (open on Fridays in August)
Soba/Buckwheat noodles preparation classes, Table BBQ, Ground Golf, Farmer’s wife cooking class, etc.
GOOGLE MAP
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
FACEBOOK
CHECK IKUMI’S FACEBOOK!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Fukuoka, Japanese Gastronomy, sashimi, Tempura

Gastronomic Destination : Fukuoka (2)- Sashimi & Tempura at Seimonbarai!

February 1, 2015 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: very friendly and easy-going but attentive
Equipment: Very clean overall. Excellent washroom
Prices: reasonable to slightly expensive
Strong points: Upper class izakaya. Great seafood. Good drinks menu

Fukuoka, being a major harbor in the north of Kyushu Island it benefits from a plethora of fish and seafood than you can enjoy fresh in many downtown upper class izakaya.
One such place is Seimonbarai/せいもん払い in Kawabata Cho, an area replete with such establishments.

Sashimi plate for one person!

We hda the occasion to savor the food there for a simple and quick but very enjoyable dinner!
We concentrated on two of their specialties, namely sashimi and tempura!

Kampachi/環八/Amberjack, Hotate/帆立/scallop, Ama ebi/甘海老/Sweet and Fugu no Kawa/河豚の皮/Globe fish (Puffer) skin!

Chutoro Maguro,/中トロ鮪/Semi-fat Tuna, Akagai/赤貝/Bloody Clam, Kaibashira/貝柱/Small scallops and Chiisai Awabi/小さい鮑/Small Abalone!

The small abalone was alive and “dancing” under the lemon juice!

Great tempura assortment including Satsuma Imo/薩摩芋/Sweet Potato, Ninjin/人参/Carrot, Shishito/獅子唐/Shishito Peppers, Kabocha/南瓜/Kabocha Pumpkin, Nasu/茄子/Aubergine/Eggplant, Kisu/鱚/Sillago, and Kuruma Ebi/車海老/Large Prawn!

To be enjoyed with wine, sake or shochu!

SEIMONBARAI/せいもん払い

812-0026 Fukuoka City, Hakata Ku, Kami Kawabata Cho, 5-107
Tel.: 092-291-2055
Opening hours: 17:30~23:00
Closed on Sundays
Credit cards OK
Reservations highly advisable!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, 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, Pie
rre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 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, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

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

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Japanese Gastronomy, Philately, sushi, Tempura

Japanese Gastronomy on stamps: Sushi and Tempura!

October 25, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Japanese gastronomy lovers and philatelists rejoice!
The Japanese Post is going to issue two very important stamps on October 30th!

The stamps will be issued in sheets of ten stamps, priced at 18 yen each.
This has become necessary with the consumption tax raise!

Although the size, format and design of the stamps and min-sheet might be that of commemorative stamps, they are actually a temporary regular stamps!

Sushi and tempura!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Japanese Gastronomy, Kyoto, Tempura

Tempura Restaurant: Lunch at Tenshuu (天周) in Kyoto!

June 12, 2014 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service: Attentive and smiling
Facilities and Equipment: Old fashioned but overall very clean. Excellent washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Tempura!

Kyoto has a lot to offer to rich tourists and affluent people but it also caters for all budgets.

We found that Tenshuu seems to be very popular especially at lunch with customers of all ages, Japanese or expats!

Quite a few famous people have left their signatures!

Only two chefs in the kitchen but they work non-stop!

Very popular with young ladies!

Actors from nearby Kabuki Theater count among their customers!

At lunch the restaurant serves serves a unique menu of four differentdonburi/bowls filled wih rice and topped with tempura!

Each customer is served his/her personal tray!

You can add your own seasoning with matcha powder, Japanese pepper of shichimi/seasoning mix!

My order: mixed tempura with conger eel and large prawn!

Served with miso soup and uji tea, plenty of volume!

Dragon’s order!

All conger eel!

TENSHUU/天周

Kyoto City, Higashiyama Ku, Shijyo, Nawate, Higashi iri, Kitagawa
Tel.: 075-541-5277
Opening hours: 11:00~4:00 (Donburi/bowl menu only), 17:30~21:00 (courses only)
Closed on Wednesdays

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

レシピ, Buckwheat, 美食, 蕎麦, 静岡県, 静岡美食, 静岡市, 観光, 農業, Food, Fujieda City, Gastronomes, Gastronomic Photography, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Culture, Japanese Gastronomy, Non-smoking restaurants, Photography, Recipes, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Shizuoka Sake, Soba, Soba Restaurant, Tempura, Tourism

Soba Restaurant: Kishigami in Shizuoka City!

February 1, 2014 dragonlife 6 Comments

Home-cured duck soba!

Service: very friendly, attentive and informative
Equipment & Facilities: Spotless clean. Superb washroom. Entirely non-smoking!
Prices: Reasonable to slightly expensive
Strong points: Ju wari/100% soba/buckwheat noodles. Tempura. sake list!

Kishigami Soba Restaurant is located in a celebrated touristic area of Shizuoka City in Utsunoya famous for its many Edo Period houses and inns along the Old Tokaido Road.
It makes for the perfect stop for refreshments in the middle of nature!

It is not that difficult to reach actually.
Just take the bus to Fujieda City at platform 7 in front of Shizuoka JR Station north exit and get off at Utsunoya just before the Fuijieda Tunnel.
Cross the road and take the paved street on the right side snaking up the mountain and you will discover it in the middle of an Edo Travel Inn Village!

The menu is waiting for you outside!

100% buckwheat noodles!

Have a good look inside before choosing a table!

A traveling artist actually drew this picture of the restaurant during his only visit!

The spotless clean kitchen manned by two generations!

Traditional Japan!

A real wood fire stove!

All warm wood!

Although it is open only at lunch time the menu is really extensive!

The elder daughter, Ms. Kayoko Kishigami/岸上香誉子さん is very knowledgeable with sake and a seasonal brew by Sugii Brewery (Fujieda City) was on offer that day!

The Japanese sake from nearby Fujieda City!

Elegant earthenware and glassware!

My friend’s order!

Ten Oroshi Soba!

My order!

Kamo/Duck Oroshi Soba!

The sobayu/buckwheat noodles boiling water to add to the leftover soup and wash it all down!

A meal is not complete at Kishigami without their superb tempura!

What do we have there?

Soba Dango/Buckwheat balls!

Green leafy vegetable!

Maitake/hen-of-the-woods, ram’s head and sheep’s head mushroom!

Avery original dessert: buckwheat balls with hot sweetmeat/anko shiru!

SOBADOKORO KSHIGAMI SOBA RESTAURANT

Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Utsunoya, 232-2
Tel.: 054-258-5664
Opening hours: 11:00~14:00
Closed on Mondays and 3rd Tuesday of the month (next day in case of a national holiday)
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, 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, 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, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

レシピ, 美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Restaurants, Shimada City, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Soba, Tempura, Tourism

Soba & tempura at Setsugekka Restaurant in Shimada City (Spring 2013)!

April 29, 2013 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service: Very friendly and attentive
Facilities: Great overall cleanliness. Beautiful washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: High quality soba. Beautiful tempura. Great local sake

Soba and Tempura are two of the most representative foods of the Japanese gastronomy but it is not easy to find a restaurant serving both separately or together with equal skill and quality.
Luckily enough, thanks to an incredible wealth of fresh products, shizuoka boasts some of the best restaurants you could find in Japan.

The other day we thought it was about grand time to visit Shimada and Setsugekka again. Actually, I wouldn’t mind visiting the establishment as they serve only seasonal tempura!
Incidentally as they take their holidays in Hawaii every year they can manage English!

WE always inside the little cozy room by the entrance with a window onto the street!

I ordered the menu with three different soba, all 100% buckwheat.

The soba tofu which comes with the first drink! A real delicacy!

The tray as it is served before the tempura are brought to you one at a time!

The salt!

The grated daikon!

The chopped scallions and grated wasabi for the soba!

Stick senior broccoli and hard mouth sardines tempura!

The fish is also called “shirasu”!

The slender stick senior broccoli!

A beautiful tempura assortment!

Sakura cherry blossoms, cuttlefish and spring onion!

Brussels Sprout and Fukinoto tempura!

Paprika and cauliflower tempura!

Cold yuzu soba!

“Dark” soba!

Plain soba!

The sobayu/soba boiling water to add to the rest of the soba sauce as a soup!

Red grapefruit and fruit for dessert!

looking forward to the next visit in early summer!

SETSUGEKKA/雪月花
Shimada City, Hontouri, 2-3-4
Tel.: 0547-35-5241
Opening hours: 11:30~14:30, 17:00~22:00
Closed on Monday and third Tuesday
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking for lunch!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

BULA KANA in Fiji
Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, 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, 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, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, 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!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

美食, 酒, 観光, 魚, 魚海の幸, 車海老, 農業, Food, Gastronomes, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tempura, Tourism, 天婦羅

Tempura Restaurant: Tempura Naruse in Shizuoka City!

June 2, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

Service: Very friendly, smiling and attentive
Facilities & Equipment: Great cleanliness overall. Superb washroom
Prices: Moderate to expensive, but extremely good value
Strong points: Authentic traditional tempura gastronomy at its best with superlative products, a lot them local. Superlative attention and explanations!

There are not many great tempura restaurants in Shizuoka Prefecture in spite of the abundance of superlative ingredients be they from the land and the sea.
But at least the best in the Prefecture, namely Narusei, would be on par with the best establishments in Tokyo and Kyoto!

Chef Takeo Shimura/志村剛生 originally hails from neighboring Kanagawa Prefecture and moved to Shizuoka City 10 years ago.

five years he finally opened Narusei in Takajo, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City and has never looked back since then!

The restaurant seating only 7 guests at a wide counter in front of the Chef is a model of traditional Japan all of warm wood and of incredible cleanliness enhanced by the fact that smoking is completely prohibited!

The fresh vegetables of the day!

Chef Shimura and his lady apprentice take care of the food while Mrs. Shimura look after the customers in a very efficient, unobtrusive and ever-smiling manner!

Chef Shimura uses a traditional but extravagant mixture of 90% sesame oil and 10 % cotton seed oil in two different pots at different temperature!

A great attention is taken for the smallest detail.
Pot of tsuyu/soupstock to dip your tempura in!

Great local sake served in earthenware!

Takeo Shimura at work!

I was so impressed with the earthenware that I forgot to take a close picture of the Makogarei/Turbot sashimi!

Crystal salt!

Two kinds of salt, finely chopped dry myoga ginger and freshly grated daikon to use at your discretion and to be replaced if used!

And also freshly pressed lemon juice!
Alright, what did I have for dinner, then?

Wara aburi aji/Horse mackerel seared over straw fire!

Mikawa Bay hand-picked Asari sakamushi/Cockles steamed in sake! Enormous!

Prawn tempura!
I had two actually, but everything was served one piece at a time!

The prawn heads as suage/deep-fried!

Ebi no miso no tempura/The brains of the prawns in tempura!

Aori Ika/Bigfin Reef Squid!

Eggplant/aubergine tempura!

Scabbard fish/Tachiuo and shiso tempura!

Broad beans Tempura!
When I mentioned that I love eating them with my fingers, Takeo Shimura replied it was the actually way to truly enjoy tempura!

Great teamwork!

Suruga Bay Amadai/Tilefish with its scales!

Aomori No Mozuku to Aori Ika no Mimi/Mozuku seaweed from Aomori with the “ears” of Aori Ika/Bigfin Reef Squid!

A second bottle of sake!

Grilled mekabu seaweed!

Shizuoka Onion tempura!

Hamaguri/Common orient clam tempura!

The best-ever fried potato: Shizuoka potato tempura!

Sweet green Manganji Toogarashi pimento tempura with dried bonito flakes!

Anago/Conger eel tempura!

Deep-fried conger eel backbone!

Anago no kimo/Conger eel liver tempura!

O-shinko/Home-pickled vegetables!

kakiage Chazuke/Rice served in hot tea with a kakiage tempura!

Kabosu citrus sorbet for dessert!

NARUSEI?
A special place for a special occasion!

TEMPURA NARUSE-てんぷら成生
420-0839 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Takajyo, 2-5-12
Tel.: 054-273-0703
Opening hours: 17:30~22:00
Reservations highly recommended
Closed on Mondays
Credit Cards OK
Entirely non-smoking!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, 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:

美食, 蕎麦, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shimada City, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, Soba, Soba Restaurant, Tempura, Tourism, 天婦羅

Japanese Gastronomy: New Year’s Lunch at Setsugekka Soba Restaurant!

January 8, 2012 dragonlife 6 Comments

Yuzu/Lime and Jyuwari Soba!

Service: Very friendly and attentive
Facilities: Great overall cleanliness. Beautiful washroom
Prices: reasonable
Strong points: High quality soba. Beautiful tempura. Great local sake

It is a tradition in Japan to eat soba on the New Year and the Missus and I do not hesitate to spend some time in the train to savor them at our favorite soba restaurant, Setsugekka in Shimada City!

Next to the Restaurant is the great site of Oomuraya Sake Brewery (with the brewmaster standing outside as we arrived!). No wonder the sake served at Setsugekka are superlative!

If it’s available, make sure to take the small room overlooking the street!

A nice little corner away from the crowd!

But the whole place is so pleasant and comfortable!

The kitchen!

A nice little snack coming with the first drink: Soba tofu coated with kinako!

Very Japanese!

Another snack: deep-fried soba!

The soba tray is set on the table before the first tempura is served!

But first, the appetizers!

Miso yaki! Miso paste mixed with whole soba seeds cooked under the grill.

Plain juwari/100% buckwheat noodles in cold water to allow you to appreciate their true original taste!

Buckwheat/soba tofu served in soy sauce with grated yamaimo, whole grilled buckwheat seeds and grated wasabi!

Shimonita/下仁田 leek tempura with katsuobushi!

Bamboo shoot, carrot and taro tempura!

Shrimp and lily bulb kakiage tempura!

Next, the soba! All seiro style!

I had two types of soba, while the Missus had three: first elegant yuzu/lime jyuwari soba!

Plain thick jyuwari soba!
Note the well-used vessels!

Plain thin jyuwari soba!

And the desserts!

A rare buckwheat ice-cream!

I still haven’t visited the place at dinner! Next article?

SETSUGEKKA/雪月花
Shimada City, Hontouri, 2-3-4
Tel.: 0547-35-5241
Opening hours: 11:30~14:30, 17:00~22:00
Closed on Monday and third Tuesday
HOMEPAGE
Entirely non-smoking for lunch!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

With a Glass,
Clumsyfingers by Xethia
Adventures in Bento Making, American Bento, Beanbento, Bento No1, 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, My Bento Box, 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

Beer, Chinese Cuisine, Chinese Restaurants, Crustaceans, 牛肉, 美食, Dessert, 酒, 野菜, 観光, 魚, 魚海の幸, 車海老, 農業, Fish, French Cuisine, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Gastronomy, Izakaya, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Restaurants, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tempura, Tourism

Memorable Gastronomy with Shizuoka Products in 2011!

January 3, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

Fujiyama Wagyu Beef, Utogi Wasabi and Ameera Rubbins Pearl Tomatoes!

2011 was an eventful year for many reasons, some unwanted, even dreadful, and others more conducive to social happiness. I would prefer to remember the latter to help nurture a positive attitude towards a future we cannot predict! Being a convinced agnostic hedonist does help but I’m sure that gastronomes, whatever their credo, will realize how lucky we are in Shizuoka to be able to attain to ever-growing pleasures with seemingly simple local ingredients!
Here is a proposal for a full course, albeit a long one, representative of a dinner I would have enjoyed in 2011!

APPETIZERS/STARTERS:

Rainbow Trout Sashimi Plate!
These rainbow trouts are raised by Mr. Kunugi in Fujinomiya City!

in any repast drinks are most important as they are they insure the link between the dishes!
Japanese sake brewed by Takashima Brewery in Numazu City!
These labels are of a particular interest as they advertized the edible seaweed varieties found in Shizuoka Prefecture!
Note: For friends who may not drink alcohol I would recommend ginger ale made with Shizuoka-grown ginger or Shizuoka green (and black!) tea under various forms!

Tomato Tempura!
Uzu Izakaya in Shizuoka City serves it regularly with organic tomatoes seasoned with home-made yuzu koshio paste!

Sakekasu tempura!
Setsugekka Soba Restaurant in Shimada City serves this tempura concocted qith sake lees produced by their neighbors at Oomuraya Brewery!

Carrot Soup and Carrot Leaves Mousse on a Tomato Bed!
All vegetables are organic served at Pissenlit in Shizuoka city making use of the whole vegetables!

Vegetables in Banya Cauda style!
As served at Piatto in Shizuoka City! All vegetables are organic and grown in Shizuoka!

FISH & SEAFOOD

Steamed Black Bass/Suzuki/鱸 from Suruga Bay and vegetables by Mr. Furuya in Asabata, Shizuoka City!
As prepared and served by Cham Chinese Izakaya in Shizuoka City with a light warm vinaigrette!

True Seabream/Madai/真鯛 with cockles and vegetables, all from Shizuoka!
As served Italian-style by Il Castagno in Shizuoka City!

Imperial Prawn/Sakura ebi/車海老 Tempura!
As served by Setsugekka Soba Restaurant in Shimada City!

MEAT

Fujiyama Wagyu Beef, Utogi Wasabi and Ameera Rubbins Pearl Tomatoes!
As prepared by the Missus and I!
Fujiyama Wagyu is one of the thirteen varieties of wagyu bred in Shizuoka Prefecture which positively compare to Kobe Beef!
The wasabi is grown by Maruichi Farm in Utogi, the birthplace of this most remarkable ingredient!
The Ameera Rubbins Pearl Tomatoes are grown in Iwata City!

Foie gras poele on Corn Galette with Madeira Sauce!
This can qualify as an extravagant appetizer too!
The galette was concocted at Pissenlit in Shizuoka City with high-grade Kankanmusume Corn grown by Chouchou Farm in Iwata City!

Jidori Chicken Poêlé served with a Old Mimolette Cheese topping!
Fuji City is famed for its Jidori Chicken and Gentil in Shizuoka City serves it in extravagant simplicity with a topping of 24-months old Mimolette Cheese!

DESSERTS

Soy sauce and Brown Sugar Mousse Cake, Frozen Organic Mandarine and Lemon Sorbet!

Tetsuya Sugimoto in Shizuoka City is a master of off the beaten track desserts!
The soy sauce is created by Amano Company in Gotemba City and the brown sugar is made with sugarcane grown in Kakegawa City. As for the mandarine and lemon, they are of course organic!

Carrot Crème Brulée and Mandarine Caramelisée!

As served at Pissenlit in Shizuoka City. Both the carrot and mandarine are organic!

Organic Carrot ice Cream!
This could be served as an appetizer, a refresher between dishes or a dessert at Comptoir de Bios in Shizuoka City!

Pheasant Egg Pudding and brown Sugar ice Cream!
Again created by Tetsuya Sugimoto in Shizuoka City with pheasant eggs produced in Hamamatsu City and brown sugar made from sugarcane grown in Kakegawa City!

Naturally I still have missed a lot and I sincerely hope I will be able to introduce other discoveries by the end of this year!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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

美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Tempura, Tourism

Tomato Tempura at Uzu!

August 10, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Excellent and very friendly. Very Japanese atmosphere.
Facilities: Excellent washroom facilities. Great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable.
Strong Points: Great sake from Shizuoka and Japan Great Shochu. Home-made umeshu. Mainly local products, especially organic vegetables.
Non-smoking on Sundays and National Holidays

Tempura must be one of the most known facets of Japanese cuisine!
It looks simple enough but good tempura does need a lot of experience and great skills!
And when it comes to serve water-filled vegetables as tempura it becomes a true challenge!

As mentioned before, instead of venturing into long-winded reports about full meals I take at my “regular spots”, I will concentrate on their seasonal dishes!
Now, Mr. Kenya Yoshimura/吉村健也さん is a master of vegetables.
I just can’t imagine the timing and the temperature but when the tomatoes came on my table last night I was once again nonplussed by the sheer simplicity of the dish in its presentation!

This is actually a regular dish at Uzu although the tomatoes will change with the seasons!
In winter I remember having had the same with green tomatoes! The heat had enhanced their hidden “umami” to the point one forgets they were actually unripe!
But the present red tomatoes (organic by the way!) were ripe. I just don’t know how they didn’t explode in the hot oil!
They come with home-made yuzukoshio seasoning. The perfect “marriage” of flavors!

That was how I “presented” it to myself!
All these flavors breaking inside the palate…

To be continued…

UZU
Shizuoka City, Otowa-cho, 3-18
Tel.: 054-249-6262
Business hours: 17:00=23:00
Closed on Mondays and first Tuesday
Reservations recommended
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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

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

Shizuoka Agricultural Products: Kunou Leaf Ginger at Tomii!

April 6, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

Do try it!

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

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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

Simple Recipes: Dragonfruit Shoots Tempura

August 23, 2007 dragonlife 8 Comments

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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日本語のブログ
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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!