美食, 観光, Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Japan, Pizza, Shizuoka, Tourism

Pizzeria: Summer Dinner at Venty-Due in Shizuoka City!

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Photographs courtesy of Hiroya Unno

Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: Great general cleanliness
Prices: Reasonable
Specialty: Real Napolitan Pizza baked on wood fire
no-smoking-logo1 Completely Non-smoking!

It has just become impossible to enter Venty Due in Shizuoka City without a reservation any more!
It took me a month to be able to take the IT staff of Agrigraph there!

The reasons are simple enough: They serve the best pizzas (Napolitan-style) in the whole Prefecture!
To achieve this, they use a real oven heated with “Nara no ki/Japanese oak” delivered all the way from Tottori Prefecture on the other side of Japan!
It takes two hours to bring the oven to the right temperature of 450 degrees Celsius, but then the pizza will come literally smoking on your plate within a few minutes from the moment you ordered them!

The dough for only thirty pizzas is fermented and leavened twice every day and the ingredients, altough simple, are of the best quality!

For thirsty people Italian beer and wines are available!

They serve only three kinds of pizza.
We had them all of course!
Here we go:

Margherita Pizza!

For a closer look!

Marinara Pizza!

For a closer look!

Bianca Pizza!

For a closer look!
Are you convinced?

if you still have a space to fill, do try one of their light dishes. We had the potato croquettes and cheese puffs assortment!

Just love those cheese puffs!
Simple maybe, but with great quality, great taste and great ingredients! What more can you ask for?

22 Venty Due
420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajyo Machi, 3-21-20
Tel & Fax: 054-260-4522
Business hours:18:00~21:30
Closed on Sundays
Reservations advised.

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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

Baird Beer, Bars, Beer, 美食, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Numazu City, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2011/08/29): New Seasonal Release: Baird Belgian Wit

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Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin
bryan-sayuri.gif

New Seasonal Release: Baird Belgian Wit

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The brief hiatus in Baird Beer seasonal releases is over. Today we are debuting of a first-time seasonal brew: Baird Belgian Wit.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:

*Baird Belgian Wit (ABV 4.7%):

Witbier means “white beer.” It takes its name from the extraordinarily light, white-hued color that is the by-product of mashing with large portions of un-malted wheat. Witbiers are seen as descendants of un-hopped medieval beers that were flavored with a blend of herbs and/or spices referred to as “gruit.” Today, the poster beer for this category is the Belgian brand Hoegaarden White, which is spiced with a combination of coriander and orange peel and is very lightly hopped.

Baird Belgian Wit is mashed with a grist consisting of 30 percent un-malted Japanese wheat. We added a pinch of homegrown coriander seed, which we lightly crushed, to the conditioning tank along with a dollop of orangey NZ Cascade dry hops. Fermentation was achieved with our Belgian house yeast, originally a Belgian witbier strain.

The result is a light, fragrant and effervescent brew that manages a surprising depth of flavor. This is a perfect libation to enjoy amidst the wanning heat of summer. Baird Belgian Wit is available on draught at each of our Taproom pubs as well as at other fine Baird Beer retailing establishments in Japan. A small inventory of bottles (633 ml) also are available for purchase.

In addition to the Belgian Wit, we also are pouring a new small-batch real ale from the handpumps of our Taproom pubs: Six Nations Hop Ale (ABV 5.2%). The name of this dry-hopped golden ale derives from the fact that it incorporates hops from six different nations: US Galena, New Zealand Motueka, German Tradition, English East Kent Golding, Slovenian Styrian Golding, and Czech Saaz. The resultant hop character can best be described as earthy, grassy and floral. This unique real ale is available exclusively at our Taproom pubs and quantities are limited so stop in for a pint soon.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

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, Dessert, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Tourism

Kakigoori/Shaved Ice Dessert at Iwaraya in Shizuoka City!

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Service: Kind and friendly
Equipment: very clean
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Authentic traditional Japanese desserts!
Entirely non-smoking!

When I arrived in Shizuoka City 35 years ago there were almost more traditional Japanese dessert shops than their Western equivalent.
Now you must gear yourself on the exploration mode to re-discover them!

They are certainly worth searching for as traditional Japanese desserts are far healthier than our (delicious) Western cakes and creams. Moreover, most are devoid of wheat flour and in many cases of dairy products.

The blazing hot summer in Japan means it is the season for kakigoori/かき氷/shaved ice!
Iwaraya serves no less than six varieties!

Although Iwaraya has a long history dating back to 3 generations and 80 years ago, they opened their own shop only 5 years ago in Takajyo, a gastronomic venue in the City of Shizuoka!

It also has the great merit to be located away from the crowds near the cute Takajyo Shrine dedicated to falconry!

There is a dessert for all seasons as they also make o-shiroko, anmitsu, o-sekihan, o-mochi and waseigashi!
Great with a cup of matcha tea!

This time I enjoyed the lemon shaved ice!

The lemon is juice squeezed in front of you from fresh lemons!
Incidentally their strawberry kakigoori is made with real crushed fresh strawberries!

Now, if you have a Japanese sweet tooth to satisfy try what my friend ordered: Zenzai, a traditional Japanese dessert assortment!

Tempting, isn’t it?
Looking forward to my next visit!

IWAGARAYA/いわがらや
Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Takajyo, 1-5-12
Tel.: 054-252-0587
Business hours: 10:00~18:00 (~18:30 0n weekends)
Closed on Wednesdays

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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, 酒, 観光, 農業, Fujieda City, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Shizuoka, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Morimoto Brewery-Junmai Dai-Ginjyou Yamada Nishiki

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When one can combine work and pleasure… What more can you ask?
This is the third report of a three-article assignment on sake brewed by Morimoto Brewery in Kikugawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture!

Rice: Yamada Nishiki (Shizuoka-grown)
Rice milled down to:40%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Dryness: +3.0
Acidity: 1.6
Brewed in 2010 and bottled in 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Faint golden hue
Aroma: Discreet, fleeting. Fruity: custard, dark chocolate, banana.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Dry and fruity attack backed by junmai petillant.
Strong start from bananas before perception of coffee beans and dark chocolate.
Disappears quickly on a drier note.
Dark chocolate and coffee beans make a comeback with almonds with further sips.
Eleagant but very assertive.

Overall: A sake to be enjoyed for its own sake!
Even chilled shows complex facets and elegance.
Keeps surprising you with new impressions lurking behind each sip.
To be enjoyed at leisure preferably in great comapany.
There is no need to accompany it with food although it is assertive enough to happily marry with light vegetable salads in particular.

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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, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Morimoto Brewery-Junmai Ginjyou Yamada Nishiki

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When one can combine work and pleasure… What more can you ask?
This is the second report of a three-article assignment on sake brewed by Morimoto Brewery in Kikugawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture!

Rice: Yamada Nishiki (Shizuoka-grown)
Rice milled down to: 50
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Dryness: +1
Acidity: 1.3
Brewed in 2010 and bottled in 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very faint golden hue
Aroma: Dry and fruity. Fleeting. Banana, custard
Body: Fluid
Taste: Smooth attack. Fruity: banana, custard.
Just dry enough to allow for an easy appreciation.
Disappears quickly with lots of custard and almonds on a warm note.
Coffee beans and dark chocolate appear with further sips

Overall: An elegant, complex and fruity sake whose facets tend to surprise as they strike your tongue and palate.
A sake to be savored on its own as an aperitif if chilled on a hot evening, or if at room temperature as a great digestif on a winter evening.
Naturally marries well with any food but would gain more by being enjoyed on its own in special company!

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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, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, sake

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Morimoto Brewery-Sayogoromo Tokubetsu Junmai

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When one can combine work and pleasure… What more can you ask?
This is the first report of a three-article assignment on sake brewed by Morimoto Brewery in Kikugawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture!

Rice: Homare Fuji (Shizuoka-grown)
Rice milled down to: 60%
Alcohol: 15 degrees
Dryness: +3.5
Acidity: 1.4
Brewed in 2010 and bottled in 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very faint golden hue
Aroma: Fruity. Complex. Banana, vanilla.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Dry attack. Fruity: banana, coffee beans.
Disappears quickly on an even drier note.
Very little junmai petillant.
Dark chocolate and almonds appear with second sip before vanishing on a very dry note.

Overall: Very dry but smooth sake typical of Morimoto Brewery, which has always entertained the image of a “maverick” brewer in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Eminently drinkable on its own although it would make for the perfect accompaniment to heavy izakaya-style food.
Would also marry well to desserts, especially chocolate.
A brew for the dry sake lovers!

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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, 農業, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Miso, Shizuoka, Tofu

Vegan Smoked Tofu Recipe!

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It is sometimes a hard world for vegans when it comes to find new ideas and recipes, even you love tofu!
My good friend Sissi in Switzerland reminded me it might be time to republish some of my old recipes!
Here is a simple way to prepare and enjoy tofu as it was a big piece of cheese!

Vegan Smoked Tofu!

INGREDIENTS: for ? People

-Tofu: a large piece 300~400g or more
-Miso of your liking, as much as you wish
-Soy sauce, not too much (beware of the salt)
-Japanese Sake or mirin, a little just for the taste
-Spices, if you wish!

RECIPE:

-As the tofu shouldn’t be too soft, choose “momendofu”, or slightly solid.

-Place the tofu on a clean cloth.
-Top it with a clean plate or board.
-Put a heavy weight on top.
-Leave it like this for half a day. The tofu will reduce to half.

-Smear the whole tofu on every face with plenty of a mixture of miso, soy sauce and other ingredients of your choice. The more, the better.

-Wrap it carefully in cellophane paper and leave it in the fridge overnight.

-Take it out of the fridge and take off the cellophane paper.
-Let it dry for 2 hours at room temperature over a piece of kitchen paper.

-Smoke inside a Chinese smoking set for 1 hour.

-Very practical for smoking small quantities!

-Here you are! Enjoy!

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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, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Soba, Soba Restaurant, Tourism, 吉野そば

Soba Restaurant: Yoshino

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Service: Shy but friendly
Facilities: old but clean. Traditional
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: 10 wari soba. Good list of Shizuoka sake.

As I said before there a lot of soba restaurants of various levels in Shizuoka Prefecture, but Yoshino is definitely a member of the Big League!
It seems that all the doctors of the neighboring clinics have made it their main lunch lair!
But do also come for dinner as there is enough on the menu to attract you again and moreover they serve some top-class sake brewed in our Prefecture!

A traditional entrance to an ancient institution!

True Japanese atmosphere inside!

Among the single dishes I recommend two of them;
-Tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette!

Very light and fine, it is not easy to achieve this way!

Yaki miso/Grilled Miso!

It is actually a mixture of white miso paste, buckwheat and yuzu spread on a wooden spatula and cooked under a grill!

You will find it only at good soba restaurants!

I noticed they are using wasabi salt by Tamaruya Co.!

Actually I should have said 3! Buckwheat and Sakura shrimps tofu!

You will find this delicacy only in Shizuoka Prefecture!

I ordered 10 wari soba tenpura set!

10 wari soba (jyu wari soba) means that the noodles are 100% made of buckwheat flour, whereas the cheaper 8 wari soba (Hachi wari soba) contains 20% of wheat flour!

Seasonal tempura!

Beautiful vegetables!

Crispy prawns!

Soba tsuyu/Soba soup to be added to the remaining accompaniment of sauce, scallions and wasabi to be drunk as a soup!

Now, Yoshino serve their own traditional Japanese dessert: Soba Shiratama Senzai!

Cute, isn’t it?

It is topped with ice cream covered with matcha tea powder. The white balls/dango are made of buckwheat and rice flour. The small jelly cubes are made of Japanese agar agra!

The bottom half is filled with azuki beans and anko/sweetmeats!

I’ll take you dinner there next!

To be continued…

YOSHINO
420-0839 Shizuoka Shi, Takajyo, 1-7-10
Tel.: 054-255-3277
Business hours: 11:00 until they run out of buckwheat!
Closed on Tuesdays

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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, 酒, 観光, 鮪, Fish, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Tourism, tuna

Japanese Izakaya: Maguro-Ya (Honten)

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Service: Shy but friendly
Facilities: old but clean. Traditional
Prices: Appropriate
Strong points: Tuna! Tuna! Tuna! Good list of sake and shochu

A lot, and I mean varieties as well as volume, of tuna swim past Shizuoka Prefecture and it simply becomes evident that a Japanese izakaya would specialize in tuna gastronomy, be it raw or cooked!

We have such a place in Shizuoka City called Maguro Ya/まぐろ家, that is “Tuna House”!
It is located on the second floor of a venerable building in Takajyo, an area replete with izakaya as well as first-class restaurants.

Their menu is certainly worth taking photographs as the explantations become a real study!

Even the snack coming with the first drink includes cooked tuna (featured above with duck and pickled cucumber and octopus salad)!

The following will give you a good indication of you can sample at reasonable prices:

“Three-colored Tuna Sashimi Plate”!

Hon-maguro Akami/Blue Fin Tuna lean part (back).

Hon-maguro Chu-toro/Blue Fin Tuna semi-fat part (belly).

Tonbo-Maguro Toro/Albacore Tuna fat part (belly).

Maguro Kushiyaki/Tuna brochette with plenty of mayonnaise and chopped scallions.

There are plenty of sake, shochu and more for all according to their tastes and priorities!
They also serve 4 different sake from Shizuoka Prefecture in the traditional Japanese way: overflowing glass!

The menu is not all tuna! Try their deep-fried prawns!

Sizzling hot, they will please all, Japanese and expats!

Negitoro and daikon salad. Grated tuna with plenty of thin daikon sticks.

A healthy salad served with an egg yolk you mix with all beforehand!

They offer a six-nigiri sushi plate according to the season!

But the personal reason for my visits is their tuna hamburger (called slider in some countries!)!

A slice of tuna is prepared as deep-fried seafood and sandwiched inside a bun with lettuce and tartar sauce!

Far healthier and tastier than many offerings in notorious diners! LOL

To be continued…

MAGURO-YA
Shizuoka Shi, Aoi ku, Takajyo, 1-11-8, 2F
Tel.: 054-251-410
Business hours: 17:00~24:00
Credit Cards OK

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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

美食, Dessert, Desserts, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Restaurants, Tourism

French & Italian Dessert: Mascarpone Tiramisu & Glazed Organic Fig!

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Service: excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable to slightly expensive, good value.
Strong points: Interesting wine list. Great use of local products.
Entirely non-smoking!

The other day after the two succulent eggplants/aubergines dishes I savored at Pissenlit in Shizuoka City I simply had to have a dessert:
Italian-style Mascarpone Tiramisu with a glazed fig organically grown in Shimizu ku, Shizuoka City!

I had some problems choosing the top picture, so I’ll show you the other two!
First, the second one!

And next, the third one!
Frankly speaking, as for the pictures, I did not know whether to taste the tiramisu or the fig first!

I opted for the Mascarpone Tiramisu!

It might be a classic of the Italian Gastronomy but I must say I’ve not been often impressed with this type of dessert…

But Chef Touru Arima’s creation reconciled me with the whole of Italy!
Unctuous and so well-balanced with neither the coffee or the mascarpone taking the lead!
Niether a cake, a cream or an ice-cream, it was difficult to describe lost as I was in savoring it!

Now for the glazed organic fig! The mint is organic, too, by the way!

It is inddeed a large variety grown organically at some altitude in Shimizu Ku in Shizuoka City, an area well exposed to the sun.
It was first pan-fried with plenty of brown sugar and then finished inside the oven.
Cutting through the sugar crust gave you the impression of breaking a creme brulee!
For all the sweet taste of its crust, the warm insides produced a highly perfumed flavor which married so well with the first flavor encountered through its crust!

To be continued…

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

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

美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, French Cuisine, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Tourism

French Gastronomy: Organic Eggplants, Foie Gras and Organic Burdock Root Sauce

4 Comments

Service: excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable to slightly expensive, good value.
Strong points: Interesting wine list. Great use of local products.
Entirely non-smoking!

As I said yesterday the seasons change and excellent gastronomy follows the same seasons! Fortunately it’s not all about the heavy rains we have been treated with these days!
It is the season for eggplants/aubergines in Japan and Shizuoka Prefecture!
This is the second of two creations I have just savored for lunch at Pissenlit: Eggplants/Aubergines, Foie gras and Burdock Root Sauce!

Incidentally, all the vegetables used in this recipe are organic and were grown by Shizen no Chikara Garden in Shizuoka City!

The eggplants/aubergines, a variety callled bei-nasu/美茄子, were first fried and then baked to allow them to basorb back their own juices while protecting the shape of their cuts and juicy tenderness!
They made for a soft bed for the foie gras whose strong taste they balanced so well!

For all the succulent calories it was also a very well-balanced healthy dish with the fibers and vitamins provided by the lettuce!

The foie gras!
It was simply sauteed/”poele” before its juices and fat were reduced with Madeira and Port wine and added to the burdock root sauce.

As for the burdock root, not only it was a true beauty but it was also a mystery!
Chef Touru Arima would only tell me that it consisted of finely chopped burdock root, a short and white variety, olive oil and juices of whatnot…
To think that such a simple root can be turned in the perfect sauce makes you the humbler for it!

To be continued…

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

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

美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, French Cuisine, French gastronomy, Gastronomy, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Tourism

French Gastronomy: Eggplants and Crab Terrine at Pissenlit!

2 Comments

Service: excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable to slightly expensive, good value.
Strong points: Interesting wine list. Great use of local products.
Entirely non-smoking!

The seasons change and excellent gastronomy follow the same seasons!
It is the season for eggplants/aubergines in Japan and Shizuoka Prefecture!
This is the first of two creations I have just savored for lunch at Pissenlit: Eggplants/Aubergines and Crab Terrine!

For once I will start from the bottom:
The tomato sauce is made with “mateta” tomatoes organically grown by Mr. Ishitani in Hamamatsu City!
As the terrine was warm, the colder sauce made for more a combination than a contrast contributing just enough sweetness to the aubergines!

As for the terrine itself the aubergines organically grown by Mr. Hirokawa in Mishima City were very probably first grilled and then peeled before being placed into a terrine dish with the snow crab/suwagani. The terrine was served warm (not hot) for a very pleasant soft touch on the palate!

As for the sauce with its beautiful golden color it was conceived with olive oil and curry powder.
When you realize that aubergines originally come from India, it is only natural to serve them in a manner reminiscent of the gastronomy of their birthplace!

Some garam masala powder added an artistic touch as well another spicy contribution to the whole dish!

The crown of the dish consisted of two unctuous gnocchi made with “kujyukuri kabocha/九十九里” (from Hokkaido) that Italians would kill for!

To be continued…

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

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

米, 美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Organic Vegetables, Rice, sake, Tourism

Akihiro Matsushita: Organic Sake Rice Grower in Fujieda City!

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Akihiro Matsushita/松下明弘, Yuuji Miyata/宮田祐二 and Densaburou Aoshima/青島傳三郎!

Akihiro Matsushita is a true pioneer!
No less than 17 years ago he decided to grow all his rice organically, a revolution at the time that did not please many people in the very closed world of Japanese farming!
Fortunately things have changed since then…

15 years ago Akihiro contacted Densaburou (Sake Brewmaster’s name) Aoshima of Aoshima Sake Brewery in Fujieda City to aks him if he would be interested in creating sake with truly organic rice. Densaburou is also a true pioneer in his own closed Japanese sake world who gladly accepted the challenge.
And it certainly was a challenge!

Aoshima Brewery in Fujieda City! Kikuyoi/喜久酔 is their main brand name!

I’ve known Densaburou for quite some time now, and the fact he speaks fluent English does help when I introduce him to foreign fans of his nectars!

Yuuji Miyata/宮田祐二, Ryohei Miyake/三宅良平 and Densaburou Aoshima/青島傳三郎
Whatever the occasion, this is Japan, and nothing will start before business cards have been exchanged!

The fact I know quite a lot of people in the Japanese sake world in Shizuoka Prefecture even helps with my Japanese friends and colleagues.
Before meeting Akihiro Matsushita in his farm, Yuuji Miyamata, the man in charge of the development of Homare Fuji Sake Rice in Yaizu City and Ryohei Miyake, an official from the Shida Haibara Agriculture and Forestry Bureau joined me to visit Densaburou at his brewery as we were all going together to Akihiro’s place. Densaburou does not use the Homare Fuji Sake Rice in his brews but he entertains warm relations with all people concerned with the sake business in his region.

Akihiro is a shy gentleman who will nonetheless quickly open and talk passionately about his trade.
And you certainly need to be passionate and extremely knowledgeable to convince people in one of the most conservative regions of Japan!

Keeping his own fields separated from non-organic growers is no longer a problem, but it was open conflict when he started his venture. He does not remember how many times he had to clean his own fields of mountains of rubbish thrown into them during the night…
But since then Akihiro has been recognized and accepted as a true grower as amply proved by his JAS Organic Grower Recognition and his Shida EM Organic Agriculture Association Chairmanship!

Not only his fields, but surrounding areas have to be kept clean of any chemicals and unwanted materials.
Even so, rice growing within a few meters of the perimeter of his fields will not be sold or used!

Yamada Nishiki, the most famous sake rice variety in Japan! The grains will appear end of August!
The soil being part of the Ooigawa River bed is sandy. The same sand is river sand formed by the constant rubbing of stones.

A single look at the water and soil will tell you this is organic environment with all these bugs and snails!
Akihiro and Densaburou had once thought of ducks to keep their fields clean of bugs. Unfortunately the local stray cats put an end to the trials!

Although Mr. Miyata’s field is not concerned with Yamada Nishiki Sake Rice, his expertise is always welcome!

Akihiro’s fields of organic sake rice and those or normal edible organic rice occupy a lot of land here and there. I asked him if he would be interested in exporting some. He replied that he wouldn’t have enough land to do so! An unequivocal proof of his peers’ and customers’ recognition!

Everyone soon forgot me so passionate their discussions had become!

For all his extremely busy life, Akihiro still finds enough time for constant research: organic black rice!

This passion and thirst for new solutions just proves that Japan and its people, for all the cataclysms that regularly visit them, might bend now and again but will never break like the stalks of their rice!

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

美食, Dessert, Desserts, 観光, 農業, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Tourism

French Dessert: Shizuoka Soy Sauce Cake, Frozen Orange Compote & Orange Honey Sorbet at Tetsuya Sugimoto!

2 Comments

Service: Highly professional and friendly
Facilities: Great overall cleanliness. Beautiful washroom
Prices: Appropriate
Strong points: Freshest produce and ingredients only, mainly from Shizuoka Prefecture. Organic vegetables. Seasonal food only.

Map (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

This the fourth of the four-part report on the lunch I had the other day at Testuya Sugimoto in Shizuoka City!
And since it is the last episode, it is naturally the dessert!
But this dessert is a Shizuoka concept!

First of all, the bottom part of the “ice cream”!
It was made with a mandarine orange grown inside a greenhouse in Hamamatsu City, Western part of Shizuoka Prefecture.
Tetsuya first peeled it, cooked it as a compote and then froze it!

The sorbet was made with orange flower honey conceived in Nishiura, Numazu City, Eastern Part of Shizuoka Prefecture!

Now, the cake is even more striking!
It is basically a mousse firmed up with gelatin. The mousse was created with soy sauce from Shizuoka Prefecture!
As for the sugar used in the same cake, it comes from sugar cane grown in Kakegawa City in Central Western Part of our Prefecture!
Its bottom was lined with Genoise short cake and the top sprinkled with more crumbled Genoise.

The soy sauce used in the cake is called “Hon Maru Tei” and is made by Amano Co. Ltd. In Gotemba City in the Western Part of Shizuoka Prefecture!
Testuya explained that soy sauce is not all about a salty taste and that creations are practically unlimited with such an ingredient!

As for the sauce, the chocolate might not be of Japanese origin nut the mint is organic and from Shizuoka Prefecture!

To be followed…

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

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

Chicken, 美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Restaurants, Tourism, vegetables

Suruga Shamo and Organic Vegetables at Tetsuya Sugimoto!

Leave a comment

Service: Highly professional and friendly
Facilities: Great overall cleanliness. Beautiful washroom
Prices: Appropriate
Strong points: Freshest produce and ingredients only, mainly from Shizuoka Prefecture. Organic vegetables. Seasonal food only.

Map (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

This the third of the four-part report on the lunch I had the other day at Testuya Sugimoto in Shizuoka City!
Shizuoka Prefecture has been making itself a name all over Japan with its superlative chickens for quite some time now.
The chicken used by Testuya Sugimoto in this dish is Suruga Shamo bred by Mr. Moriyama up in the mountains of Shizuoka City in Ikawa!
These shamo chickens were originally Ikokku Chicken from Thailand bred in conditions and with food only found in our Prefecture to become a brand of its own!

Tetsuya uses only the males for their firmer and richer meat.
He will first fry the pieces on their skin before finishing them in the oven.
He does the same with the vegetables, all organic from Hamamatsu and Fujinomiya City.
As for the vegetables, he used okahijiki, Morokko ingen/large string beans, Sanjyaku susage, another long variety of string bean, mini carrots, Mangan Toogarashi, a variety of large mild chili pepper, Murasaki Shishito/violet chili pepper, butternut and Kouriuki gourd!

For another view!

As for the sauce he uses the juices of the chicken and vegetables with French Banyuls vinegar and Madeira Wine!
Incredible traceability for an extraordinary dish!

To be followed…

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

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