Category Archives: Uncategorized

Cakes, Japanese Gastronomy, Restaurants, Shizuoka City, Uncategorized, Vegan Dessert, Vegan Gastronomy, Vegan Restaurant

Vegan Cakes at LOCOMANI in Shizuoka City!

November 30, 2019 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Very friendly although a bit shy!
Equipment: Great overall cleanliness. Excellent washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Inventive vegan menus. Healthy rice flour cakes.Mainly local products.

The other day I decided to visit my good friends at LOLCOMANI in Shizuoka City for coffee and cakes in the afternoon as lunches are always impossibly crowded, especially with ladies wishing for a healthy lunch offered by this reference vegan restaurant (I am no vegan, but I can appreciate from time to time, and it is always a pleasure to introduce it to my vegan friends!).
As for the cakes they tend to vary with the seasons and ingredients available, so make a point to check them beforehand.
If you cannot read the Japanese menu the owner’s wife will make it her pleasure to explain it in simple English!
As for the drink menu there is plenty to choose from the organic coffees and tea and the home-made vegan fruit drinks!

Chocolate cake!
All cakes are basically made with rice flour in case of some clients being wheat flour allergic!

For a better view with its soymilk cream and sweet nuts sauce!

Organic Coffee!
Actually LOCOMANI’s teas and coffees are well above average, although a bit weak for some, but well-balanced and tasty!

Half cakes set!
LOCMANI have a policy to have their clients taste as many of their cakes as possible. So instead of ordering a full serving of one cake, you can combine two half servings for better enjoyment!

Chiffon cake!

Fruit cake!

For vegans and others with a sweet tooth but mindful of their health!

LOCOMANI
420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajyo, 1-10-6
Tel.: 054-260-6622
Opening hours 11:30~18:00 (11:30~15:00 0n Sundays)
Closed every Wednesday and one Monday
HOMEPAGE/BLOG (Japanese)
GOOGLE MAP

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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

Kikugawa City, Morimoto Brewery, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka Prefecture, Uncategorized

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Morimoto Brewery-Koshu Roman 2011Genshu Junmai

May 24, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

On Sunday May 22nd, I had the occasion to meet again an old friend, namely Hitoshi Morimoto, owner and master brewer at Morimoto Brewery in Kikugawa City at a great izakaya in Shizuoka City, Hana Oto, which took part in the annual Shizuoka De Hashigo Sake event!

The sake served for this special event was a real and very gem, a koshu/aged sake brewed in 2011 and matured at room temperature. It goes without saying that you need incredible expertise and a lot of courage to create such a nectar!

Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 17 degrees
Pasteurized only once
Matured at room temperature
Bottled in 2011

Clarity: very clean
Color: golden
Aroma: dry and fruity. Dry Sherry
Body: fluid
Taste: deep, fruity attack backed up with only a little junmai petillant.
Complex: dry sherry, plums
Lingers for a while before departing on drier notes of greens and more sherry.
Varies little with food but a sweeter note of white sherry.

Overall: simply extravagant and a very rare experience!
Absolutely splendid sake to be enjoyed as a sherry, either at room temperature or lightly warmed.
The kind of sake you appreciate like a fine sherry after dinner in special company!
If you really wish to pair it, do so with roast beef, BBQ, yakitori and cheese!

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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

Uncategorized

Oden at Yasaitei in Shizuoka City!

February 3, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: Very clean, Beautiful washroom
Prices: reasonable
Strong points: Vegan and vegetarian Cuisine possible any time, Izakaya gastronomy, local products, oden. Good list of sake, shochu. Wines also available.

Yesterday evening the temperature suddenly dipped and I was hungry as I still had work to do before finally heading for home.
It was then about grand time i visited a favorite izakaya of mine, namely Yasaitei in Shizuoka City!
This is the kind of place you can enter any time provided it is not full (and it can be at certain times and on the week end!), have a quick snack, a drink, a little talk and move out!
When you know that all the food is healthy and satisfying you need not worry about your health or weight!

I had come early enough as I know some delicious oden were ready at this cold time of the year.
Yasaitei’s oden are particular for the fact that they are Kansai-style, that is cooked in a light broth, as opposed to the very dark soup prevalent in this city. Although both are delicious, the former is far healthier!

But before my oden were prepared I had ordered a glass of fine shochu from Amami Island in Kyushu and sipped it on the rocks with my o-toshi (snack coming with the first drink): seaweed, grated Japanese yam and shirasu/sardine whiting!

My oden plate served in traditional pottery dish with plenty of broth and chopped scallion and some yuzukoshio/yuzu and pepper seasoning!

Chikuwa/fish paste tube, ganmodoki/deep-fried soft tofu, ito konnyaku/Hard jelly filaments made with the tuber of a konjac.

And daikon under the chikuwa, simmered to a great softness and very elegant taste!
“Oden” can be translated with the French word “Japanese Pot-au-feu!”
I wish I could cook it for my friends back home in France!

YASAITEI/やさい亭

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
Individual orders (carte) welcome
Parties welcome

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Fish Markets, Japan, Shizuoka City, Uncategorized

Local Shizuoka Fish & Seafood At Parche Fish Market In Shizuoka City: Including Red Sea Slugs!

January 7, 2015 dragonlife Leave a comment

After the long lapse caused by the End of the Year and the New Year Holidays, new arrivals can be at last be seen at the Fish Market in Parche inside JR Shizuoka Station!

Customers are only starting to come, but it should gete as busy as usual soon!

What fish do we have in the day’s mixed batch?

Hirame/平目、鮃、比目魚: sole, flatfish
Inada/イナダ: Young Buri/鰤/Yellowtail
Houbou/方々: red gurnard, red robin
Mizukarei/水鰈 (also called Mutsukarei/鱫鰈): Round-nose flounder
Akamutsu/赤鱫、赤鯥 (also called Nodokuro/喉黒): rosy seabass, red gnomefish
Amadai/甘鯛: tilefish
Anago/穴子、海鰻: conger eel (from Miyagi Prefecture)!

A strange but very popular seafood: Aka Namako/赤海鼠 (written locally 赤なま子!): red sea slug, red sea cucumber!

Thees log silvery fish have been caught by hand!

Tachiuo/太刀魚、魛: scabbard fish, cutlass fish!

Kose/コセ: A variety of Stripped jack!

Renkodai/連子鯛: Yellowback seabream!

Kasago/笠子、瘡魚: False kelpfish, Marbled rockfish (top)!
Aka kasago/赤笠子：Red False kelpfish, Red Marbled rockfish (bottom)!

Donko/鈍甲,貪子: Dark sleeper!

Shiro mebaru/白眼張、白眼張魚、白鮴: white Japanese sea perch-rockfish!

Amadai/甘鯛: tilefish (top)!
Kuromutsu/黒鱫、黒鯥: Black gnomefish (bottom)!

A Shizuoka specialty: Shirasu/白子(Namashirasu/生白子 if raw): sardine whiting!

A shrimp which made Shiuoka famous all over Japan and beyond: Sakura ebi/桜海老: cherry shrimp

Should plenty more varieties soon!

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Festivals, Fuji City, Uncategorized, Yoshiwara Gion

Yoshiwara Gion Matsuri – Fuji City

June 15, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

A must-see by Tokyobling’s Blog!

Tokyobling's Blog

A couple of weekends ago I visited the massively fun Yoshiwara Gion Matsuri, in Shizuoka prefecture’s Fuji City. Like last year’s festival it was huge fun, from morning to midnight and I enjoyed ever second of it. I took these photos near the end of it, following the wonderfully decorated dashi, each crewed and representing a specific neighborhood in the city. Here’s the dashi of Sumiyoshicho and some of it’s very cool looking crew. These dashi are the pride of their neighborhoods and the people take great care of them, making sure they are in top notch condition for the annual festival. I heard somewhere that a typical prize for one of these is about 300 000 USD! Later on, walking down the street I came upon a dashi-seriai (山車競り合い), which roughly translates as “dashi showdown”! I think there were 5 or 6 of them, all drawn up in a…

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Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Snack, Uncategorized

Japanese Appetizer (O-toushi/お通し): Pon Kara Maguro/Deep-fried Tuna

May 27, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

O-toushi/お通しis actually a bit difficult to translate.
In a Japanese (in Japan) izakaya it is an appetizer that is served with the first drink and that you pay for in general in lieu of a cover charge.
I have nothing against such a notion as it gives you a good idea of the chef’s skills!

Last night Dragon found some bincho maguro, a cheap variety of tuna imported from Vanuatu in the South Pacific, in the refrigerator.
Having thawed it, she cut it into mouthful-sized pieces.
She then sprinkled some ponzu and sake on all the pieces before adding flour and curry powder to coat them completely roughly mixing the pieces inside a bowl. She wouldn’t tell me what other spices she added…
Last she fried them slowly with only enough oil until they reached a nice “foxy color”.

She finally served some in a small bowl with hand broken lettuce, a wedge of lemon and some tartar sauce!

Very tasty, healthy and the right appetizer for the first beer or sake of the night!

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Flowers, Hamamatsu City, Hamana Lake Flower Garden, Uncategorized

Flower Alleys, Hedges, Squares & Houses in Hamana Lake Flower Garden in Hamamatsu Ciy!

May 24, 2014 dragonlife 2 Comments

We spent no less than 4 hours inside the enormous Flower Garden in Hamamatsu city and took more than 180 picture!
I am not going to complete as this allows me to write a series of articles on different themes!
This fifth one is titled Animal Flower Alleys, Hedges, Squares & Houses!
I will concentrate on flowers on the posts after this one!

Many blue flowers in this alley!

Many white flowers in this alley!

One of the many gardeners working there!

Rose hedge!

Alley corner palette!

English country house?

Square full of squares!

Rose canopy!

Another rose hedge!

A Liliputian house! For kids only!

Italian garden!

A stage garden?

A flowery house!

A bed of succulents!

A water alley!

Hamana Lake Flower Garden
Hamanako Flower garden
浜名湖フラワーガーデン
10th anniversary of the 2004 Pacific Flora Garden Exposition and the 21st Japan Urban Greenery Shizuoka Festival

Open until June 15th

Hamamatsu City, Nishi Ku, Murakoshi Cho, 5348-3
Tel.: 53-488-1811
ENGLISH HOMEPAGE

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Uncategorized

Italian Gastronomy: Quick Dinner at Soloio (April 2014) in Shizuoka City!

April 15, 2014 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service: Pro and very friendly
Equipment & Facilities: Great overall cleanliness and superb washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Fresh local ingredients whenever possible. Both traditional and inventive Italian cuisine. Good wine list at moderate prices. Open late!

The other day, having been busy all day as it is bound to be on holidays (!) we decided it would be better to visit our friends at Solio Italian Restaurant in Shizuoka City, Aoki Ku!
As they serve only slow food it was perfect for relaxation and great food!

Sommelier Mieko Osawa/小澤三江子さん and Chef Takehiko Katoh/加藤武彦さん

As Takehiko is very particular about the vegetables he uses, one ought to have a go at his great bagna cauda!

All local vegetables including some from his own garden!

I never tire of looking at them!

On that particular day one item than Frenchmen cannot ignore was on the menu!

Ris de veau/veal sweetbread with mushrooms in Marsala wine sauce!

Actually both Takehiko and Mieko had just come back from a week-trip to Italy!
They offered us some succulent wild boar and pork salami served with cold confit onion!

Takehiko is also very careful about the fish he serves especially as carpaccio!

Madai/Japanese red seabream from Shizuoka Prefecture!

Pasta is always made with the best and freshest ingredients!

White fleshed fish and spring cabbage linguine!

Might look simple enough, but I can guarantee that the taste is superb!
We certainly never eat what we can make at home, and there are secrets that will never be fully revealed!

SOLOIO

Chef Takehiko Katoh/加藤武彦さん/Sommelier Mieko Osawa/小澤三江子さん

420-0858 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tenmacho, 9-7, Kita, 1
Tel./fax: 054-260-4637
Business hours: 16:00~24:00
Closed on Monday
Credit cards OK
Private parties welcome!
Happy hour: 16:00~17:00: 1,000 yen set-3 appetizers plate and 1 glass of house wine!
Smoking allowed BUT Non-smoking until 20:00 everyday!

Uncategorized

Tequila Diner’s Smoked Chicken Gizzards at Aoi Beer Stand in Shizuoka City!

March 18, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Easy-going and friendly
Facilities: Very clean overall. Beautiful washroom inside Den Bulding.
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Craft beers only!

The other day in the afternoon I felt really thirsty and a little hungry, so another visit to Aoi Beer Stand in Aoi kU, Shzuoka City was on the cards!

The 11:00~23:00 opening hours make it such a practical place!

there seems to be a little mistake…

Corrected! “Setsugekka”!

Tequila Diner’s smoked chicken gizzards! テキーラダイナーさんの砂肝スモーク!
Tequila Diner is one of the best Hamburger Restaurants in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City!

The craft beer: Setsugekka by COEDO Breweing Company in Saitama Prefecture!
Great ale!
Can you see the waitress’s juicy arm? LOL

With the gizzards!

Crunchy and tasty, a perfect snack for a great beer!

AOI BEER STAND
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Miyuki Cho, 4-6, Den bill, 1F
Tel.: 054-260-5203
Opening hours: 11:00~23:00
Credit cards OK
FACEBOOK

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Uncategorized

Japanese Fish Species 11: Turbot-Makogarei-真子鰈

April 25, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

“Makogarei/真子鰈” or Pleuronectes yokohamae Gunther for the specialists is one of the many kinds of turbot indigeneous to Japan.
You will find it on the markets between June and August.
Depending where you live, you might do well to know its other names: “Aome” (Sendai), “Mushibirama” (Konahama), “Mako” (Tokyo) or “Amakarei” among many.
It is net-caught all around Japan.

It has comparatively a lot of flesh for a turbot, making it a choice morsel for nigiri or sashimi.

It can reach a length of 45 cm. Contrary to many other fish, the size will bear no incidence on the taste, but if you wish for extra taste, avoid female specimen bearing eggs/roe, and if possible, although a bit extravagant, choose a live fish (possible at Parche, Shizuoka JR Station!).
A good sushi or Japanese restaurant will deep-fry the bones and head for you, making for a great snack with great ale!

As a sushi nigiri, it is served as it is, and can be savoured with a little salt and lemon juice only as seasoning.

Many people also ask their sushi nigiri seasoned with tare/sauce.

One more way is to present it as konbujime/marinated in seaweed.

Being a large fish, it can be easily manipulated into bo sugata sushi/baton sushi with the rice inside the fish.

Small specimen are appreciated grilled whole with some lemon, soy sauce and grated daikon.

Another popular cuisine is to stew/simmer the whole fish in soy sauce, mirin and sake as ni-zakana.

The sperm sacs/shirako of the male specimens are much appreciated in European-style cuisine!

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

Must-see tasting websites:

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

ファッション, 観光, Fashion, Fashionistas, Japan, Japanese fashion, Shizuoka, Tourism, Uncategorized

Japanese Ladies Fashion In Shizuoka 2: FLORAISON

April 19, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

Manager Sakura holding a 3.1 Philliplim skirt

As to answer requests in particular from Sissi, Quizoxy and Bena nDR in particular, I though it might be helpful to introduce the best fashion boutiques in Shizuoka as well!

FLORAISON in Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, is one of the boutiques owned by the very top fashion retailer in Shizuoka Prefecture, namely IMAIZUMI Co Ltd. (in Japanese, but have a look at the pictures!).

Staff Natsumi holding a CARVEN one-piece dress.

Although IMAIZUMI Co Ltd. as a whole covers all upscale fashion for all ages, FLORAISON specializes in elegance for adult ladies from young to not so young.
Their brand list, both made up of creations from famous houses and little-known small designers is impressive:
3.1 Philliplim
CARVEN
Sacai
MUVEIL
Ilian Ioeb
SEE BY CHLOE
SHARE SPIRIT
Marylin Moon
Athena NY and many others!

A small view of the dresses available.

FLORAISON was opened fairly recently in 2008 and has been looked after ever since by Sakura San, a young and ever-energetic manager.
Her BLOG is a must-see! Although written in Japanese it is a goldmine of photographs on fashion and gastronomy!

Elegant bags for career women and young ladies!

The boutique offers the whole gamut from shoes to bags, accessories and all imaginable clothing according to seasons!
Although the designers are quite stable their creations come and go quickly, so regular visits are on the calendar!

Their shoes are not only elegant but so practical!

And beautiful belts and scalves for the last touch!
Actually they also offer a very interesting range of original accessories, but I will have to take more photos!

FLORAISON
Imaizumi Co. Ltd.
Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho, 1-6-14 (behind Isetan Department Store)
Tel.: 054-271-8945
Business hours: 11:00~20:00
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
BLOG (Japanese)

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美食, 観光, 魚海の幸, 鳥貝, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Heart Clam, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, sashimi, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, sushi, Torigai, Tourism, Uncategorized

Japanese Shellfish Species 4: Heart Clam-Torigai-鳥貝

March 22, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

“Torigai/鳥貝” has many names in English: Heart Clam, Surf Clam, Japanese Cockle. In Japanese it is called “Bird Shell”!
They appear on the market in Spring and earlier in Shizuoka Prefecture. They are mainly found in Tokyo Bay, Ise bay and Seto Inner Sea. Some are imported from Korea, but catches can wildly vary, especially with the occurence of “red tides”. A lot are imported from Aichi Prefecture to Shizuoka.

TORIGAI-SHELL

They must be absolutely fresh to be consumed.
One easy way to check if they are still fresh is to slam them on the wooden board. They should immediately retract, even if cut out. They are at their cheapest between March and May.

Torigai in its natural element

Torigai Ngiri sushi!

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Uncategorized

Weird Japan (2): Junk Food Bar in Shizuoka City!

January 16, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

Someone will have to explain the meaning of the word “junk” to some people here! LOL
Maybe they are confusing junk food with fast food, although I would like to know what they mean by “soul” as well!

Americans will understand that “Jumbo Dog” probably means “Jumbo Hot Dog”, but what is a “Got Burger” or “Junk Rice”?

They are quite insistent about it with “Junk Food & Bar” pasted on the entrance door!

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With a Glass,
Clumsyfingers by Xethia
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Today’s Bento/Lunch Box (11/54): Kuri Gohan Bento!

October 13, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

The Japanese love chestnuts as a vegetable, especially with rice which they call Kuri Gohan/栗ご飯!

Usually the Japanese cook the rice with preserved chestnuts, but as the latter came raw from the Missus’ family garden they were boiled separately and later mixed with cooked rice and black sesame seeds.

The color of the chestnuts is not as beautiful as those coming from preserves, but they look real and yummy!

I could also have called this bento, sesame chicken bento!

The Missus coated chicken filets/sasami with golden and black sesame seeds before frying them in olive oil.
She later placed them in the box over a bed of cress with some lemon for seasoning and radish for decoration.

She added stir-fried spicy burdock roots chips and her specialty, half-boiled onsen tamago/hotsprings egg!

For dessert, kaki/persimmon/柿from her family’s garden!

Very healthy seasonal yummy bento indeed!

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Wagashi/Japanese Cakes at Mochi No Ie in Shizuoka City

October 1, 2011 dragonlife 6 Comments

If you happen to visit the Toro Ruins or the magnificent Serizawa Keisuke Art Gallery in Shizuoka City take the time to visit Mochi No Ie just inside the Toro Ruins Park!

You are in for a time slip!

The whole 180-year old farm house was brought piece by piece from Okkaizu/奥会津 City in Fukushima Prefecture some time ago!

It harbors a traditional Japanese restaurant serving local o-mochi/rice cakes and soba/buckwheat noodles at hours coinciding with the opening hours of the Serizawa Keisuke Art Gallery.

The watermill wheel was also brought all the way!

This is Japan!
Can you see the goldfish?

Beautiful noren representing a rabbit pounding rice cakes on the moon!
They have another shop inside Shizuoka City JR Station with the same noren!

Of course inside is all wood!

Traditional Japanese fireplace!
The whole house is a microcosm of country life in 19th Century Japan!

Green tea is served in cups with the design of the place!

The small shop inside the house where you can buy o-mochi and soba to take back home!

One can either sit at tables or on tatami straw mats.

They also serve soba (for another report) but they are famous for teir mochi/soft rice cake of various kinds.
The above is Karamimochi/からみもち, an appetizer version served with grated daikon and freshly grated wasabi!

You break the whole thing with your chopsticks and mix it before savoring it. Great with beer!
Moreover, it is vegan as they use only rice flour to make them!

A combination of two true Shizuoka wagashi/Japanese rice cakes: Abekawa mochi/安倍川もち made of rice flour covered with sweatmeats/anko/餡子, and Kinako mochi/きなこもち rice flour cakes served with dry soy beans flour.
Again these cakes are vegan!