Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (40)

November 15, 2008 dragonlife Leave a comment

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I do not usually publish The Missus’ bento on Friday when I have to take the train to University as they are very simple sandwich affairs.
But for once, she decided to bring some variety, which meant extra things to carry!

Rice balls contained umeboshi/pickled Japanese plum and o-kaka/fine bonito shavings.

The nigiri/rice balls were “wrapped” in two shiso/perilla leaves each, as nori/seaweed would get soggy before I could eat them. Very tasty and healthy!

The “main dish” consisted of (from left): home-made pickles (not really visible, sorry!), fried sausages, plum tomatoes, “tamagoyaki”/Japanese omelette (she sweetend it honey on purpose) and wedges of “kaki”/persimmon for dessert.
I had a pack of vegetable juice to help it down.

Now, Japanese trains everywhere in the world are not very clean places for obvious reasons.
The Missus, like most Japanese ladies is very cleanliness-conscious. She makes a point to ensure that I carry “wet tissues” with me all the time. I certainly cannot fault her for that as I did have to eat with my fingers!
These are very common in Japan, and I always carry a couple. I wonder if my European/Asian/African/American friends know or use them!

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Taky’s: Classic Cakes (2)/Caramel & Pear Cake

November 15, 2008 dragonlife Leave a comment

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This is the second (once again for the benefit of my students!) from this new cake shop/Cafe in Shizuoka City, which has the added advantage of concocting new cakes according to the day’s mood instead of “regulars”. I simply discover new creations every time I visit the establishment!

The cake is more sophisticated than it looks at first.
It consists of a first layer of Chocolate Sponge Cake imbibed with Poire Williams Liqueur supporting a large layer of Caramel/Vanilla Mousse including Poire Williams pear chips.
It is topped again by a thin layer of Chocolate Sponge Cake and anothre of Caramel/Vanilla Mousse.
The whole is covered with a thick layer of Chocolate Ganache peppered with gold flakes!
Simply extravagant with a strong coffee!

TAKY’S
420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo, 1-11-10
Tel.: 054-255-2829
Opening hours: 11:00~22:00
Closed on Sundays

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A Recipe for trouble? Some Carrots should be left alone!

November 13, 2008 dragonlife 8 Comments

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This must be my shortest recipe ever!
They ended into carottes rapees/carrot salad!
And please don’t ask me how I peeled them!

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Simple Recipes: Scallops Salad

November 13, 2008 dragonlife 5 Comments

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My wife, a couple of days ago, was “stuck” with some succulent-looking scallops. The problem was they were too small to make acceptable sashimi. So for once, she forgot she was Japanese and opted for the European thinking.
She had some very fresh cress (cresson) grown in Shizuoka Prefecture as well as a variety of tomatoes called “Aamera”. These tomatoes are the second smallest (there is another variety looking like redcurrants!) grown in our Prefecture only (so far). They are very firm and very sweet. You could serve them together with a plate of red fruit!

So as you can see on the picture, I first made a thin bed of cress topped with avocado slices, made a rondo of scallops in the center with a core of cut aamera tomatoes. It certainly looked more difficult than it reaaly was!
Topped with a dressing of your choice, with the option of some cottage cheese and finely cut Italian parsley or basil, it makes for a beautiful appetizer!

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Shizuoka Hotsprings: Guest House Kazeyoobi

November 13, 2008 dragonlife Leave a comment

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Izu Peninsula in Eastern Shizuoka Prefecture is the most famous and oldest hotsprings area in Japan. Start either from Atami or Mishima JR Shinkasen Stations and visit this great region by train, bus or car!
If you begin your journey from Atami, take the train to Ito City and change onto the local private line and get off at Izu Koogen Station. From there you can either walk (45 minutes) or take a taxi if you are in a hurry!
Guest House Kazeyoubi in fact is a private pension with real hotsprings private bath and open-air bath fed with water coming from the nearby Ooumuro Yama, a long-extinct volcano.

The Guest House is a bit out the ordinary as it is conceived and decorated as a Spanish House with Spanish food as its main course for dinner! Plenty to please and satisfy expats! The owner actually told us that foreigners are far from being the exception, but keep in mind that they offer Japanese cuisine options as you will see later!

As I said, the whole interior decoration has been conceived along Spanish lines!

But the Japanese bath on the balcony is definitely Japanese-style with real hotsprings water!
The rooms do have European-style shower, bathrooms, so no worries there, either!
There is also a “rotenburo”/open-air semi-public bath. As the guest house has only 6 rooms, you will always find some time during the day or night vacant all for yourself (ves)!

The dining room for dinner and breakfast has also been decorated in Spanish style. You can even eat on the verandah when the weather is good enough!
Dinners are served early from 18:00 but breakfasts start from 08:00 (nothing Spanish about that, LOL!)

Now, expats will happy to learn that meals are Gargantuan by Japanese standards! Above Amuse include Iberico Smoked Ham!

Now if you want to drink wine (Spanish. There are all kinds of drinks available, though!), ask for “nomihoudai”/”drink as much as you want” system, it’s a bargain!

We had ordered the sashimi plate on the Internet as an optional dish to an already great meal!:
-From top clockwise (see above picture):
Aji no sashimi/Saurel Sashimi
Amaebi/Sweet Shrimps
Aji no tataki/Saurel cut in small pieces
Katsuo/Bonito with freshly grated ginger
Inada/Young Japanese amberjack (buri)
Maguro/Tuna
-Centre:
Ika somen/Cuttle-fish served in long thin strips
Notice all the shiso leaves!

The very Spanish garlic soup!

The (small) lobster (enormous) paella for two!

The fresh vegetable dip to help us wait for the next courses!

The Iberico Pork Steak for me,

and a great Japanese Beef steak for the Missus!

Do not ask how we managed to finish the dessert (actually, I helped the Missus!)!

In fact eating dinner so early was a good idea, because

I had to help the Missus finish it!

Guest House Kazeyoobi, a place I would definitely recommend to anyone, especially considering the great smiling and attentive welcome!

Guest House Kazeyoubi
〒413-0235 Ito City, Oomuro Kougen, 7-210　
TEL 0557-51-2935
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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Shizuoka Beer 5: Izu Koogen Brewery

November 12, 2008 dragonlife 6 Comments

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Izu Peninsula and especially Izu Koogen (part of Ito City) is renown for its great natural water. No wonder it counts no less than three micro-breweries!
Izuo Koogen Brewery has three restaurants to provide beer with (you can buy the beer at Ito JR Station, too!), but the best is probably Izu Koogen Biiru Honten, that is their main restaurant cum brewery cum shop.

located along the main thoroughfare, the restaurant is very busy even on week days.
One can both enjoy Japanese food and European/American fare.
If you want to challenge Japanese food I recommend you to try the “mini donburi set”.
Plenty for big appetites!

But guys like Good Beer and Country Boys must try the sample set with a plate of sausages and some fried potatoes! Don’t go for the small set. Order the 6-glass sample set comprising of three regular beers, two seasonal ones and one sparkling fruit beer!

To your health (and safe driving!)

Izu Kogen Brewery
413-0231 Ito City, Tomito, 1103-21
Tel.: 0120-513-540, 0557-513000
Fax: 0557-513001
HOMEPAGE

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Wasabi: Japanese Horseradish

November 11, 2008 dragonlife 3 Comments

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As winter is approaching again I felt compelled to write again in this Shizuoka Gourmet Blog an article I had written some time ago in Shizuoka Sushi Blog.
Wasabi harvest will soon start in earnest in Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Utougi (along the Abe River), the birthplace of wasabi (c. 1600) as shown in picture above.
They will soon appear on the markets and Internet all over the country. A sizeable amount is also directly exported to South Korea and theU.S.
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Wasabi: Japanese green horseradish

Did you know that wasabi originated from Shizuoka City?
Around 1600, farmers in Utougi District, some 33 km from Shizuoka JR STation along the Abe River, first started experimenting with the culture of that particular plant, which they already knew as a wild vegetable used for pickling. At the time they were only processing the stems, leaves and flowers.

This is still a very popular kind of pickles in Shizuoka where they are sold in season.
In 1604, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who had just moved to Sumpu (presently Shizuoka City), grew extremely fond of the grated root and helped spread its use all over the country. Its present culture has expanded outside our Prefecture, especially in Nagano, but Shizuoka still produces the best In Utougi and in the Amagi Range in Izu Peninsula (80% of the total Japanese production!).
The above-ground part of the plant is also used for making delicious “wasabi zuke” with “sake kasu” (Sake white lees). You can imagine why Shizuoka products are of so high quality when you realize what “sake kasu” is being used!

In my own biased opinion, the best “wasabi zuke” is made by Tamaruya Company in Shizuoka City.

Above picture was taken in Haneda Airport where the Company has its own stand!

Now, if you want to buy and serve your own “wasabi”, which I would recommend to any real Japanese cuisine amateur, you will need a wasabi grater.

If you want to visit Utougi, where you will find a soba restaurant and other shops as well as the possibility of trekking and festivals watching in April and October, either go by car (55 minutes) or take a bus (bus platform 7 at Shizuoka JR Station/75 minutes). The trip along along the Abe River is worth it with all the changing landscapes!

Now, you might not know it, but thinly sliced wasabi root is not as strong as grated wasabi. In Shizuoka, as it is not that expensive, try and ask your favourite sushi chef to cut it in very thin strips and roll as it is in a “maki”. It’s called “bakudan maki” (the real one, not the buster made with grated wasabi!). A favourite of mine!

Note: Wasabi is proper food for vegans!

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (39)

November 11, 2008 dragonlife Leave a comment

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Today’s bento was a “rice bento” as it is Tuesday!
It was a return to basics!

The “main dish” nigiri/rice balls, all wrapped in fresh “shiso”/perilla leaves were of two kinds:
one with ume/Japanese pickled plum,

the other three contained “o kaka”/very fine bonito dry shavings and processed cheese. The combination might sound a bit outlandish, but it is very popular in Japan!

The brochettes/”kushiyaki” you see on chickory/endive leaves are “negima”/ “negi” for leeks and “ma” for maguro/tuna. The Missus put some “wasabizuke” on them for extra seasoning. This “wasabizuke” is wasabi leaves and stems pickled in “sake kasu”/sake white lees. Extravagant! A piece of lemon was added for more seasoning.
In the middle are home-made sweet ginger pickles.

The Missus has got this habit to put my dessert (fruit in this case) in/on the salad. Not a bad idea actually. Finely chopped greens, plum tomato, fresh cress from Shizuoka, potato and tobikko/Flying fish roe salad leftover from yesterday inside chickory/endive leaf and pesimmon/”kaki” wedges.

Now, did you know that persimmons have the property to prevent bad/strong breath?

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Umeshu: Sanwa Brewery

November 11, 2008 dragonlife Leave a comment

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Umeshu comes under different guises in Japan, but if you buy one instead of making it yourself make sure you buy one brewed by a reputable Brewery!
In Shizuoka Prefecture, umeshu is an extravagant affair when made by the local breweries.
Sanwa Brewery in Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City is no exception!

Sanwa Brewery Garyubai Umeshu

Alcohol: 12 degrees (fairly low for Shizuoka but still high when compared with cheap stuff!)
Ingredients: Japanese Plum (“Ume”), Sake. Sugar.

Clarity: Very clear at rest. Smoky if stirred beforehand
Colour: Orange/sepia
Aroma: Ver fragrant and sweet plums.
Body: Velvety~fluid
Taste: Dry attack, turns sweet later. Shortish tail. Very pleasant impression. Elegant.

Overall: Very enjoyable and easy to drink.
Fine at room temperature.
Makes for a great aperitif when chilled.
Great with cheese at room temperature.
Elegant beverage. Should please both ladies and gentlemen!

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Shizuoka Beer 5/2: Izu Kogen Brewery

November 11, 2008 dragonlife Leave a comment

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Good Beer and Country Boys and Beer Haiku Daily should be interested to know that Izu Kogen Brewery in Ito City, Izu Peninsula not only brews beer but serve very adequate food at their restaurant cum brewery!

Last time I went there (Posting coming soon!) I bought a few bottles I had not tasted yet:

Izu Kogen Brewery Black Beer (Kuro Biiru)

Ingredients: Grain Malt, Hops
Alcohol: 5%
Contents: 300ml
Live yeast, unfiltered.

Clarity: Smoky (live yeast)
Colour: Very dark brown, almost black
Foam: Very short head, fine bubbles
Aroma: Bread, blueberries
Taste: Kalhua, a hint of caramel. Welcome acidity. Comparatively light for a stout.

Overall: Very easy to drink in spite of its stout nature.
Can be drunk at all times.
A beer for all seasons and food.

Izu Kogen Brewery
413-0231 Ito City, Tomito, 1103-21
Tel.: 0120-513-540
HOMEPAGE

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Today’s Lunch Box/ Bento (38)

November 10, 2008 dragonlife 12 Comments

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Since the Missus has started baking her own bread again, the “Monday Bento” has followed the same pattern: “Open sandwich bento”, which actually I eat with a fork at the office, breaking bread in pieces along!

The “main bento” consisted of left to right, top to bottom:
Kaki/Persimmons wedges for dessert, finely chopped veg salad, smoked ham.
Lettuce (supposed to go go between bread slices), halved boiled egg (I wonder how I can put it between dlices of bread, lol), plum tomatoes.
Ham slices, cornichond and black olives, salad of potatoes, corn and tobikko/flying fish roe.

Freshly baked bread (and toasted again) including ham and cheese (melted away inside) and waknuts.
I don’t mind lying to the Missus and tell I loved her “sandwiches” as long as she bakes such bread!

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French Cuisine: Dinner at Gentil

November 8, 2008 dragonlife 2 Comments

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At long last, I found the right occasion to enjoy a full dinner at Gentil in Shzuoka City!
This is the oldest and best (with consequent prices) French Restaurant in town and most probably in the whole Prefecture.
Both the Maitre d’Hote, Ms. Keiko Kubota and her assistant, Ms. Keiko Nakagwa are Wine and Cheese Sommeliers of renown in Japan.
As I mentioned before, Ms. Keiko Kubota is the only the sole Japanese holding the title of Compagnon d’Honneur de Taste Fromage in Japan, but she was asked to choose, prepare and serve the cheeses offered to all these vey important people at the G8 Summit held last July in Hokkaido.

I did not bother looking at the menu and left all the choices of food and wines to Ms. Kubota.

As we were only two of us, I requested wine to be served by the glass from fine bottles, a very rare possibility in this country (it is not much of a problem as customers in Gentil drink a lot of wine!)
The first offering was white Bourgogne, Chablis 2006, Louis Latour, La Chanfleure.
I wil spare you the details about wine as I was busy enough jotting down explanations about food. Just that all the wines were chosen to a perfection!

The amuse bouche consisted of a sakura ebi/sakura shrimp (found only in Shizuoka. Expect a hefty bill if you are served them in Tokyo!) Quiche and a gobo/Japanese burdock soup served as a capuccino.
I will spare you from reading lengthy prose on the taste and so on. I just hope you will understand that sometimes savouring is far more important than erring into tart comments!

The first hors d’oeuvre was a marriage of:

Ishidai/snapper sashimi with fried renkon/lotus roots

Seared (tataki) venison carpaccio topped with fresh and fried Autumn onions.
When land and sea end up in the same fashion on a plate!

The next glass was a white Bourgogne, Macon-Villages, 2007, Les Tilles, Domaine Sainte-Barbe.

The second hors d’oeuvre was Matoya Oyster (considered as the best variety in Japan) slightly sauteed on a bed of spinach.

It was time for our first glass of red wine: Bourgogne again, Saint-Romain, 2005, Sous le Chateau by Pascal Brunion-Bonheur.

Pasta is not the prerogrative of Italians, (as Rowena will agree?) as demonstrated with this cold Kobashira/Round Clam Round Twin Muscles Capellini!

Great fish is plentiful along our coasts as vindicated by this Madai/Madai snapper first sauteed on its skin and then served en nage on top of a succulent vegetables soup.

The next wine saw the apparition of the “enemy” (don’t believe it, I always point out I hail from Bourgogne! I love Bordeaux, too, but don’t tell my family!): Bordeaux Haut-Medoc 2004, Chatau Real.

Time for the Cremant de Bourgogne Granite!

This granite was of a special meaning for me as it was a Cote Chalonnaise wine, my very home: Cremant de bourgogne, Domaine de la Tour Lajole. I do not have to tell you that for once I ate very slowly!

Now, the “main” dish was a rare treat:
Ris de Veau/Sweetbreads and Foie gras both sauteed with a Madeira wine sauce and mushrooms including chanterelles, eringe, and gobo/Japanese burdock. Some people would kill for that single dish!

Before we attacked the Cheese tray featured at the top of this posting (we had a chunk of each!) we were served a (in my case two) glass of Saint-Emilion 1998 (extravagant!) Dassault Grand Cru!

And now the cheese:

Follow the “N”!
Bottom left: Sakura (Swiss Brown Cow’s milk/Hokkaido)
Centre left: Selles sur Cher(Goat’s milk/France)
Top left: Bon de Sologne (Goat’s milk/France)
Top centre: Chevre/Goat Cheddar(Canada!)
Bottom centre: Bleu d’Auvergne (Cow’s milk/France)
Bottom right: Mont d’Or (Cow’s milk/France)
Centre right: Comte Extra (Cow’s milk/France)
Top right: Red Stilton (Cow’s milk/England)

Yes, we had dessert!: Mont Blanc and Cassis Sorbet/Sherbet.

I did have a couple of Banyuls with my coffee, but I gave as far as pics were concerned!
Best dinner of the year!

Restaurant Gentil
Address:420-0031 Shizuoka Shi, Gofuku-cho, 2-9-1, Gennan Kairaku building, 2F
Tel.: 054-2547655 (Reservations advisable)
Fax: 054-2210509
Opening hours: 12:00~14:00, 18:00~last orders for meals at 21:30. Bar time 18:00~23:30. Closed on Mondays.
Credit cards OK
Homepage　(Japanese)

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Sakura Ebi: Autumn Catch

November 8, 2008 dragonlife Leave a comment

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(Shizuoka Shinbun)

November 5th saw the first haul of Sakura ebi/Cherry blossom Shrimp of the Autumn being auctioned at Yui Harbour and Oikawa Fish Market.
12 tonnes were sold, that is about three times as much as last year.
Stocks have been plentiful thanks to very strict enforcement of catch limits self-imposed by the Sakura Ebi Fishermen Association, the first-ever such association in the whole of Japan to impose such voluntary limits of their catches!
Sakura Ebi are exclusively caught in the middle of Suruga Bay.
They are sucked into the boats directly from the nets, ensuring a later release of all unwanted catch live and unharmed into the sea.
Who said the Japanese were depopulating the sea?

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Bryan Baird’s Newletter

November 6, 2008 dragonlife 3 Comments

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Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2008 #23

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The chill in the autumn air is a very welcome sign to the craft beer enthusisast for it heralds the coming release of a brewery’s most prized beer gems — strong, rich and warming high-gravity ales and lagers of many styles. The Baird Brewery is inaugurating this year’s big beer season with the release of two extremely unique first-time brews: Big Berry Brown Ale & Baird Dubbel.

(1) Big Berry Brown Ale (ABV 8.3%):

This irreverently strong Brown Ale is brewed with six different types of malted grain, Japanese red sugar, and four varieties of hops. It also, thanks to the cooperation of our friends at Serizawa Saketen, is concocted with ample dosages of freshly picked Shizuoka strawberries which lend a wonderfully tart and piquant berry fruit character to the flavor. Glacier & Fuggle dry-hops in the conditioning tank along with krauesening at packaging add complexity of character that is compellingly sublime.

Big Berry Brown Ale is available on draught at both Taprooms as well as at other fine Baird Beer retailing pubs and restaurants in Japan. 633ml bottles also are for available for purchase through the family of Baird Beer retailing liquor shops in Japan as well as through our brewery estore.

(2) Baird Dubbel (ABV 7.7%):

Experimenting with various yeast strains (particularly Belgian ones) is one of the joys in the work of a small-scale craft brewer. In this Baird interpretation of a Belgian-style Dubbel we ferment with a yeast thought to be derived from the wonderful Trappist brewery Rochefort. Five malted grains and two types of sugar (Japanese rock sugar and black sugar) provide richness and depth of flavor without excessive heaviness or fullness. The hopping is light at only 22 IBUs and no aroma additions are made. One-year of maturation in the package contributes a round, almost vinous character. This monkish brew is meant for the contemplative drinker and is best enjoyed on a brisk autumn afternoon or evening.

Baird Dubbel is available on draught only and exclusively at our Fishmarket and Nakameguro Taprooms.

Cheers!

Bryan Baird
Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

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Sashimi Sets: Tomii (Nov. ’08)

November 6, 2008 dragonlife Leave a comment

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Here is an example when sashimi is served not only for its taste, but also for its artistic presentation at Tomii Japanese Cusine Restrant in Shizuoka City:
The dish is of lacquered wood.

Top left: kanpachi/Amberjack on a bed of fine leafy vegetables and topped with shiso/perilla flowers (all edible).

Top centre: Uni/Sea Urchin (Murasaki/Violet variety).

Top right: Isaki/A snapper variety behing a fine slice of red radish.

Centre left: Hon Maguro/”Trie” tuna (it acyually melts inside the mouth!)

Bottom left: Aka Ika/”Red” cuttle-fish

Bottom centre: Hirame/Sole in front of a fine slice of red radish

Bottom right: beside freshly grated wasabi, Sakura Ebi/Cherry Blossom Shrimp (only caught in Yui, Shizuoka Prefecture. It will be very difficult to get them fresh in Tokyo!) on a shiso/perilla leaf

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)