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Shizuoka Tea Cakes (1)

November 27, 2007 dragonlife 2 Comments

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As everyone knows (do you?), Shizuoka Prefecture is the first producer of green tea in Japan. It is no surprise then to see different usages for tea. I recently discovered at Suruga Raku Ichi Store in Asty, Shizuoka JR Station (other article to appear soon) a couple of cakes made by Hamamatsu Bunmeidoo.

They appear as “castella”, one called “Chyattera” (Chya/tea + Castella), with half of it seasoned with tea, and the other one, “chya Mikan” (Tea + Orange), with some sweetmeat (anko type jam) and orange flavoured part in the middle.
Both cakes are very tasty, but not too sweet or cloy. Go very weel with a cup of hot green tea!

Hamamatsu Bunmeidoo
Hamamatsu City, Higashi Ku, Jian Machi, 1401
Tel.: 053-4620002

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Shizuoka Agricultural Products: Wasabi Dressing

November 21, 2007 dragonlife 2 Comments

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Shizuoka has claimed world fame for being the first to grow wasabi in the 17th Century (in yutogi, Shizuoka City exactly) and for producing more than 80% of the wole Japanese output, but people tend to forget that it can be put to many uses apart of using it for sashimi, sushi and the ubuquitous makisushi/rolled sushi!

One more great use has been initiated in Mishima City in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture: Wasabi Dressing!

It is not at all hot, but almost sweet and makes great accompaniment for any salads, on omelettes (Japanese or traditional) and mixed with sauces. I (and my better/worse) half ae still disovering more usages!

Definitely worth a try! Moreover it contains a crowd of healthy ingredients!

Wasabi Dressing
Kameya Co.
Mishima City, Heiseidai 5
Tel.: 0120369981
Can be bought in Asty, Shizuoka JR Station

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Shizuoka Izakaya: Takasagotei

November 14, 2007 dragonlife Leave a comment

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If you happen to be staying, let’s say for a single night in Hamamatsu City, near the JR Station, I would suggest you visit Takasagotei Restaurant on the second floor of Hamamatsu Sago Terminal Hotel just right of the JR station south exit.

As a hotel izakaya since the 1970’s they are definitely above the run of the mill level of the fare usually delivered in business hotels.

Their sashimi offerings are within the good level prevalent throughout the Prefecture.

I found their mushroom tenpura (vegetarians, please note!) excellent.

They also had an unusual “shirasu gyoza” (deep-fried whitebait dumpling), which would go well with a beer.

They also have the great merit to offer a large range of Shizuoka sake out of their long drink menu, which warrant a visit by other Prefectures’ guests:
Hana no Mai (Hamamatsu City: 2)
Hamamatsu-Tenjingura (Hamamatsu City: 1)
Senju (Iwata City: 1)
Doi-Kaiun (Kakegawa City: 1)
Oomuraya-Wakatake (Shimada City: 1)
Isojiman (Yaizu City: 1)
Hatsukamei (Shida Gun-Okabe Cho: 2)
Shosetsu (Yui: 1)
Fuji-Takasago (Fujinomiya City: 1)

Takasagotei
430-0926
Hamamatsu City, Sunayama-cho, 322-7, Hamamatsu Sago Terminal Hotel, 2F
Tel.: 053-4538686
Business hours: 11:30~14:30, 17:00~22:00

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Vegetarian Cuisine: Yasai Tenpura (2)

November 14, 2007 dragonlife 2 Comments

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(mushrooms tenpura)

I’ve come with some other morsels for vegetarians (I’m not, sorry, but I do commiserate!):
Above is a tenpura made with seasonal mushrooms in Takasagotei Izakaya in Hamamatsu.
Actually you could eat almost any edible mushrooms this way!

This particular fine (thin) leafy plant is called “Ashitaba”. It is quite common and very cheap in our Prefecture and all over Japan. It just shows how you cantry any leafy plants. There is no limit to it! I ordered the above at Oikawa Izakaya in Shizuoka City.

Now, this one is bit more exotic/ethnic as this is kimchee tenpura, which shows that tenpura knows no frontier. Crunchy, it has plenty of texture. Was served at Oikawa Izakaya in Shizuoka City.

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Cafe Scene

November 14, 2007 dragonlife Leave a comment

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Cafe Scene, an old favourite of mine since its foundation in 1989, is the type of Cafe difficult to classify.
The more pleasurable for it. Frankly speaking, I find myself in a dilemna as to what I should laud first:
-The music: great jazz allday long fromthe owner’s private CD collection. If you are a jazz fan, he will certainly come up with a favourite artist of yours.

The coffee: superb quality, each cup (all different, mainly Wedgwood), lovingly prepared in front of the customer if you sit at the counter.
-The coziness: an old wooden counter seating 9 guests on high wooden chairs and a table by the window, the perfect place for special compnany.

-The owner: Mr. Otsunori Uehara moved to Shizuoka City from his native Osaka in 1987 to open his Cafe the following year. A very mild man with the delightful renants of his birth place patois, he is always ready to engage in a pleasant discussion when not concocting one of his his great brews or absolutely extravagant breakfasts.

-The atmosphere: most customers are faithful patrons who help preserve an amosphere of calm excellence away from the bussling centre. Wood everywhere, bric a brac of all kinds (Mr. Uehara is a collector. Of what? I would be hard put to explain!). Looking around is a small adventure in itself.
-The food: you must try Cafe Scene breakfasts! I will not tell you more!
And keep an eye for the two daily cakes.

For the record:
Original coffees (3), Straight coffees (6: Brazil~Blue Mountain), Coffee a la carte (7)
Soft drinks (11), including a delicious 100% grapes juice
British tea
Ground coffee on sale, too
Breakfasts, especially popular and god value (350~700 yen, all inclusive)
Cinnamon Toast (vegetarians!) 600 yen

Cafe Scene
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Oote Machi, 45, (near Miyuki Street-Hontori Street intersection)
Tel.: 054-2733200
Business hours: 07:00~20:00 (from 08:00 on Saturdays)
Closed on Sundays

Homepage (Japanese)

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Sakura Ebi Season!

November 14, 2007 dragonlife 2 Comments

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I visited Yui Harbour after interviewing Kansawagawa/Shosetsu Brewery to stop at a booth selling cooked sakura ebi/sakura shrimp just caught in the morning.

Sakura Shrimps are caught twice a year and this just happens to be the Autumn catch Season.
If you have the time, go or stop there around lunch, go to the harbour (10 minutes walk from Yui JR Station, buy and eat “sakura ebi kakiage” (a kind of sakura shrimp tenpura/200 yen) with a bowl of “kisetsu miso shiru” (seasonal miso soup/100 yen).
If you are hungry ask for the sakura ebi don (a large bowl of rice topped with a generous portion of sakura ebi kakiage/600 yen).
Do not forget this is the only place in Japan you can eat them that fresh from the ocean!

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Tea for food: Fugetsuro

November 3, 2007 dragonlife 2 Comments

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(from top middle, clockwise: Salted Cuttle fish marinated in tea leaves and rice yeast, Conger eel pike and urchin in green tea jellied fish broth, Tea leaves walnut tofu curd, Tuna simmered in green tea with tea leaves dumpling cake, Matutake mushroom cooked in tea leaves)

On Thursday, November 1st was held a Tea Dinner Party at Fugetsuro Restaurant, Shizuoka City, as part of the events organized for the World Tea Festival.
Apart of the usual personalities, that food was the main interest.
“Tea for food” was the them a opposed to “tea as drink”.

Mr. Hitoshi Yamada, Master Chef at Fugetsuro was asked to design a dinner for some 120 guests including tea in all dishes.

Including the first dish described above, the menu ran as follows (I let you judge!)

(Raw fish assortment: Tuna, seabream, sole, seasoned with fresh tea, edible flowers, salt and soy sauce)

(Surugani: tea sob/buckwheat noodles, seabream cooked in whole rice, “kouyou” carrot, tea leaves)

(Oven-baked black pork seasoned with tea, five color vegetables, tea sauce)

(Tofu bean curd and whole rice Pouch, deep-fried tea leaves. Seasoned with “macha” tea salt)

(Autumn salmon marinate in seaweed and tea, yuuba/bean curd sheet. Seasoned with golden vinegar)

(Tea rice, salmon roe, soup)

(Persimmon, grape, “macha” tea Bavarois,green tea cube jelly)

Fugetsurou
420-0852 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Koya Machi, 11-1
Tel.: 054-2526500
Fax: 054-2528411
Homepage (Japanese)

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Vegetarian Cuisine: Yasai Tenpura

October 31, 2007 dragonlife 2 Comments

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(Pic taken at Tomii Restaurant)

I heard a lot of vegetarians cmplain about the lack of cuisine and variety in this country.
I cannot/may not surmise for the whole of Japan, but I’m certain that Shizuoka Prefecture does not deserve this criticism. It is the largest and most varied poducer of vegetables (and partly of fruit) Prefetcure in the whole country!

(Pic taken at Yasaitei Restaurant)

Now, one way to eat great, tasty and hot vegetarian cuisine (notice I use the word cuisine, not food) is to order vegetable tenpura (“Yasai Tenpura”) in your/his/her favourite restaurants!
Alright, “true” vegetarians will retort that they use egg white in their batter. If you are that strict, you can always try and cook them yourself, using corn starch instead of egg white. This is not the purpose of this article, but if you wish me to tell you the recipe in detail, I shall be happy to oblige! (Absintheur, you can always use plain oil instead of sesame oil in Czech Republic!)

(Pic taken at Oigawa Restaurant)

Good Japanese restaurants and izakaya wil be glad to serve you tenpura made up with only vegetables, like we did last week with Lojol.

Ask for “yasai tenpura”. If the chef enquires whether you wish anything else, just say “yasai dake” (“only vegetables”). If he asks you what you would like to eat in particular, reply: “makashimasu!” (“as you see fit!”). I’m certain you will end up with season vegetables only, and if you come back to the same place, the chef will remember you and suggests all kinds of vegetables and combinations!

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New Summer Orange Drink

October 31, 2007 dragonlife 2 Comments

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A lot of fruit varieties are grown in Shizuoka Prefecture from to oranges to bananas and dragon fruit.
Some of them find their way into great refreshing drinks produced by completely local farmers association.
This particular one is called New Summer Orange Drink and has been put out by the Izu Taiyouu Nokyou in Kawazu, kamo Gun, Izu Peninsula.

It contains only 30% of pure orange juice, but is rich in vitamin C and carotin. Added ingredients include grapes juice and honey. It sweet, but only a little, tangy with a nice honey backdrop.
Definitely makes for a good drink for anyone, including sportsmen/women and children.
Can be bought In Asty, Shizuoka City JR Station.
For more information, call: 0558-368316

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Karasumi

October 31, 2007 dragonlife Leave a comment

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Karasumi, known as “boutargue” in French, or as “btarga” in Italian, is the dried roe pouches of the mullet.
It is a quite expensive morsel in Japanese cuisine as well as in Europe (that is the real one!).

Numazu City is quite renown for its karasumi, and fishermen have just started drying them under the sun, after getting rid of blood vesels, carefully cleaned them and sprinkled them with salt.

They are served thinly cut as they are in Japanese restaurants, or used in Italian and French restaurants, especially with pasta.

This year’s catch was only one fourth of the usual expectation, so brace yourselves when you open your purse!

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Shizuoka Beer 2-2: Bayern Meister Edelweiss

October 28, 2007 dragonlife 2 Comments

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Bayern Meister Beer Co. Ltd. is based in Fujinomiya City and has employed for some while a Master Brewer from Southern Germany called Stefan Rage who is deservedly making his own name in the Shizuoka microbrewery world.

“Edelweiss” is the second brew I had the pleasure to taste.

Product name: Edelweiss First Class Premium Beer
Contents volume: 330 ml
Alcohol: 5.5%
Ingredients: malt, hops and live yeast all imported from Southern Germany.

Clarity: clear and clean
Colour: Dark orange
Foam: disappearing quickly. Soapy head.
Aroma: Sweet and fruity
Taste: Fruity, Yeasty, tangy, moreish (British expression), looking forward to drinking more.

Comments: Refreshing and reassuringly solid.Nice long aromatic aftertaste. Can’t wait fro the second glass

Tasting conducted by Patrick harrington & Robert-Gilles Martineau

Bayern Meister Beer Co. Ltd.
Shizuoka Prefecture, Fujinomiya City, Kami-Ideji, Kawaharatan, 1254-1
Tel.: 0544-443311

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Shizuoka Beer 1-2: Tenjigura Porter

October 28, 2007 dragonlife Leave a comment

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This is the second brew from Tenjigura Brewery in Hamamatsu City:
　
Name: Tenjingura Beer-Porter
Unfiltered
Ingredients: Malt, Hops
Volume: 330 ml
Alcohol: 4.5%

Colour: dark coffee
Foam: fthin head and disappearing quickly
Aroma: light
Taste: Fizzy, light/Bitter caramel

Comments: Refreshing drink, for a hot day. Good as a thirst quencher.

Tasting conducted by Patrick Harrington & Robert-Gilles Martineau

Tenjingura/Hamamatsu Brewery-Distillery
420-0808 Shizuoka Ken, Hamamatsu City, Tenjin Machi, 3-57
Tel.: 053-4616145
Fax: 053-4633851
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Shizuoka Beer 4-1: Autumn by Gotenba Kogen Beer

October 28, 2007 dragonlife Leave a comment

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Autumn (or “kooyou”, “red Leaves” in Japanese) is a seasonal limited beer brewed by Gotenba Kogen Beer Co Ltd. (actually the brewery itself owned by Yonkyu Company is located in another locationin Gotenba City):

Gotenba Kogen Beer/ Autumn
Barley and Wheat Malt
Alcohol: 5.5%
Contents: 500ml

Foam: Plenty. Firm head
Colour: Light amber
Aroma: Sharp
Taste: Lager. Strong dry taste at first which tails off quickly.

Comments: Typically Japanese. Does not linger much.
Tasting conducted by Patrick Harrington and Robert-Gilles Martineau

Gotenba Kogen Beer Co., Ltd.
719, Koyama, Gotemba-shi, Shizuoka-ken, 412-0033
Tel 0550-87-5500
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Cake Shop: Chocolat Fin

October 25, 2007 dragonlife Leave a comment

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Mr. Fujio Nakagawa opened his renown cake/confectionery shop back in 1988 after learning his trade and honing his skills in Tokyo for 10 years and in Shizuoka for another 10 years.

His cakes and creations are definitely French inspired with the difference that they are aimed at knowledgeable adult clientele.

Cakes vary in shape and taste with the seasons, especially fruit, including such classics as “Chibouste” (my personal favourite) and Mont Blanc. he makes great use of true liqueurs which give this extra note that so many other cake shops lack.
His biscuits, chocolates and meringues have to be tried.
Very smiling and attentive service by young full-time staff.
Order-made party and birthday cakes of any size any time.

Chocolat Fin
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo Machi, 1-3-7 (2 minutes walk from Shin Shizuoka Center)
Tel. & fax: 054-2516321
Business hours: 10:00~20:00

Also: Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Shin Shizuoka Center, Basement 1F
Tel.: 054-2215878

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Simple Recipes: Bonito Sushi

October 22, 2007 dragonlife Leave a comment

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My better (worse?) half came up with this idea after she got hold of quality “katsuo tataki” (slightly grilled bonito).
She prepared the sushi rice balls according to tradition with the addition of fine pieces of pickled fresh ginger (as this is the season rigt now).

She then placed a slice of bonito seasoned with ponzu with more thin sliced pickled ginger, “tobikko” (flying fish roe) and finley chopped thin leeks>

Ｇreat with sake!