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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (22)

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I must admit that today’s bento was a bit of an overkill!
The Missus asked me as I was going for the shower if I fancied “temaki” (make your own maki) bento for my lunch. “Sure”, I replied.
I was looking forward to eating plenty of greens as I knew it would come with lettuce I would use for making my own maki instead of the usual dry seaweed.

She had been hassling me recently on my weight (which has not changed for at least three months…), stressing that I should cut on my food intake. Well, the “shari”/flavoured sushi rice was certainly succulent, but there definitely was a lot of it, mixed with finely chopped cucumber and daikon pickles and “tobikko”/flying fish roe. I ended up with not enough lettuce and had to finish up the lot with chopsticks. Incidentally this was more a full lunch than a bento. I do not know if I would dare make all these maki one by one in front of an audience (I always eat alone in my private classroom!). LOL.
Fresh cucumber, home-made pickled cucumber and a tiny “umeboshi”/pickled Japanese plum completed the “staple part”.

As for the “o yatsu”/accompaniment, a lot of it, she included smoked salmon seasoned with tartare sauce and capers (East meet West?), cut avocado dipped in lemon juice, soft boiled egg, plum tomatoes, processed cheese, sliced and boiled goya and fresh cress.

A grape jelly was added for dessert.
It certainly took me some time it to finish it, which should make her happy as she always complains I eat too fast!
Great bento, but a bit too much of it. Mind you, I don’t complain as I have a long day!

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Shizuoka Izakaya: Bu-Ichi (revisited)

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Bu-Ichi Izakaya in Shizuoka City has been a favourite of mine for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately I do not go there that often as it is reserved for my nights out with the Missus (well, too many people know me there, too!)!
Incidentally, the picture above was taken quite some time ago. The Oyakata tends to be dressed in white these days, but last night I told him I preferred him in his blue garb!
Apart of the great Shizuoka Sake list, a customer will find all the drinks he might want, including wine and Okinawa Awamori.
But the main attraction is of course the food:

Tempura and Anago/Conger Eel are two Japanese delicacies known all over the world, but when the two are combined in such delicate, crunchy, succulent manner one just shoud not bother about seasoning or even decoration!

Bu-Ichi acquired its fame because of the superlative seasonal sashimi such as “ainame/greenling or rock trout, a rarity brought all the way from Fukushima Prefecture.

Local fish is represented by “sanma/mackerel pike”. Bu-Ichi serves it in what I think the best way to savour it: thin slices with grated ginger, chopped thin leeks and myoga. The Japanese say “abura ga noote iru”, meaning they are fat. I would translate by “juicy”. The fish just melts in your mouth!

Whenever possible, Bu-Ichi serves local produce such as this beautiful round orange zucchini grown by a farmer in Miwa Cho, Shizuoka City. Which reminds me I have to interview this gentleman who has made Zucchini growing his specialty. Rowena, you would not believe it! Incidentally, have you ever thought of selling shiso in Italy? LOL

They were included in the next Tenpura order. To the Missus’ utter dismay I just ate them with my fingers without bothering about the salt and dip sauce provided!

Despite the heat of the day, we could not resist from ordering a bowl of “Gyu-suji-ni”/Beef joints simmered with miso and vegetables and served with a chopped leeks topping. Foodhoe would scream for it!

Although we did have dessert in the form of “matcha tea ice cream”, we usually have “tamagoyaki/Japanese Omelette” at the end of a dinner in a good izakaya. Big Bill should see the sheer artistry involved in making such a seemingly easy dish! And the taste! I can guarantee you you would be hard put if you had to choose between a second helping and a dessert!

Bu-Ichi
420-0032 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho, 1-6-10, Dai 2 Matsunaga Bldg. 2F
Tel.: 054-2521166
Closed on Wednesdays
Reservations advisable

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LE CAFE-LABO: Classic Cakes (6)

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LE CAFE LABO in Shizuoka City seems to be on a gastronomic rampage this Summer!
They keep coming up with some very original seasonal desserts which rae so welcome during this very hot year!

They called this new invention “Champagne Jelly”
It is a bit of misnomer as they used Cremant de Bourgogne from the Cote Chalonnaise in France. A bit extravagant when you know that Cremant, yen for yen (cent for cent), is better value than overpriced Champagne!

Ladies, rejoice! This is a very very healthy low-calorie dessert as the jelly is 100% natural “kanten” or Japanese agar/seaweed jelly!


They come with two different garnish: “kyoho Budo”, a very large expensive Japanese grape variety (usually seedless) as a shown in picture above and:

Lychee.

I sampled the latter before the next student came (most of the cakes and desserts postings are made in my private classroom!).
It has a very light but solid consistency. It melts deliciously inside the mouth with an elegant Cremant wine taste. It has a “short tail”, meaning you cannot wait for the next spoonful!
Definitely for ladies or calories-minding couples!

LE CAFE-LABO
424-0886 Shizuoka City, Shimizu Ku, Kusanagi, 46
Tel.: 054-3441661
Also available at Isetan Dept. Store, Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Shichiken-Cho

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Bryan Baird’s Newsletter

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Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2008 #18
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Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Lest anyone question our determination to fully quench your summer thirst, we are releasing three more beat-the-heat seasonal beers: Export Lager, Queen & Country Pale Ale and Asian Beauty Biwa Ale.

(1) Export Lager (ABV 5.3%):

Brewed in the tradition of Dortmund-style export lagers, Baird Export Lager combines a huge depth of flavor with a brisk and refreshing character. Less fragrant in hop character but brawnier in malt body than a pilsner, Baird Export Lager is a supreme thirst quencher. Drink it side by side our Cool Breeze Pils and your tastebuds will experience a demonstration in subtle flavor differentiation that simply can’t be conveyed in words.

(2) Queen & Country Pale Ale (ABV 5.1%):

The heritage of the Pale Ale / Bitter style belongs to the British. American craft brewers have irreverently taken over the style with a boldly, and generally citrusy, re-interpretation. Baird Rising Sun Pale Ale slots into the irreverent American re-interpretation category. Queen & Country, on the other hand, is our tip of the hat to the British forerunners. Darker in color, earthier in hop aroma and more noticeably malty in body than Rising Sun, Queen & Country Pale Ale is a pintful of pleasurable beer history. Once again, a direct taste comparison between the two is a better lesson in Beer tasting 101 than we could ever hope to provide in words.

(3) Asian Beauty Biwa Ale (ABV 5.1%):

Biwa is “the small, yellow, edible, plum-like fruit of the loquat tree.” We had no idea what is was until our partner-friend-carpenter, Nagakura-san, brought some in last year for us to taste and then brew with. It is an extremely subtle fruit that harmonizes sweetness with tartness. Biwa Ale is krauesened at packaging and the character in the glass is a spritzy, effervescent and delicately firm one — like a true Asian Beauty!

All three brews are being poured from the taps of our Taprooms in Numazu and Nakameguro. Export Lager and Asian Beauty Biwa Ale are available in both draught and bottle (633 ml) at fine Baird Beer retailing pubs and liquor shops throughout Japan. Queen & Country Pale Ale is draught only and available in extremely small quantities.

Cheers!

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

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Shizuoka Beer 6/2: Bryan Baird Brewery

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I will never be able to praise Bryan Baird in Numazu City enough for contributing so much to beer and micro-brewing in Japan!

This is only my second “official tasting”: “Angry Boy Brown Ale”
(I made a point not to read Bryan’s own comments. There might be quite a discrepancy between the two of us!)

Bryan Baird Brewery: Angry Boy Brown Ale
Draught/nama Beer
Ingredients: Barley Malt, barley, hops, yeast.
Alcohol: 6 degrees
Contents: 300 ml

Clarity: smoky
Colour: rich dark brown-orange
Foam: very long head, great long-lived foam
Aroma: Oranges. Yeast. Strong and sharp
Taste: Comparatively shart tail. Tangy oranges lingering on at the back of the palate. Steady. Solid. Oranges, lemons, grapefruits.Dry. Welcome acidity.

Overall: Another beer suited for any food, especially meat, sausages and the like. Can be appreciated cold in summer on its own, though. Refreshing and very satisfying. Funnily enough I enjoyed eating Carr’s Whole wheat Crackers with it!

HOMEPAGE

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Today’s Bento/Lunch Box (21)

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This is mid-summer in Shizuoka, and as far as the weather is concerned it is a bit too hot (over 35 Degrees Celsius) and humid (over 85%)!
Light meals have suddenly become more welcome than those “stamina” lunches!

It actually also means more boxes and equipment. I have mentioned before tah Japan has come with some great Tupperware-style boxes. They are very light, rigid, solid and easy to close with a single push. Perfect for picnics, too!

Instead of rice, the Missus prepared “soba/buckwheat noodles”. The cucumber are home-made light pickles. The chopped leeks are for the soba dip/”tsuyu” inside the small round box. The tube contains yuzu/lime-flavoured wasabi paste to be mixed with the tsuyu, too. A hard-boiled egg was provided for needed calories,

with a green salad topped with “shabu shabu”/thin slices of pork poached in slightly salted water, cooled and seasoned with sesame dressing and sesame seeds. Some sliced home-made mini melon pickles and more home-made cucumber pickles.

The dessert consisted of “nashi/Japanese pear” slices. Crunchy, bursting with juice and delicious, they make for the perfect Summer dessert!

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Robert Yellin Mishima Yakimono Gallery Newsletter

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Greetings from Mishima,

Today is August 1st and hard to believe two months of the summer have already passed. For kids in Japan though it’s basically just beginning as the summer vacation just began last week.

No matter where you are–and how young you are–we hope you are having a delightful and happy summer…in the northern hemisphere!

A few weeks ago I drove four hours to visit Hamada Tomoo and select some new works that he had just unloaded from the kiln. As I noted in my brief description online, Hamada Tomoo(b.1967) is a fine Mashiko potter expanding the tradition of which his grandfather Shoji made famous; his father is Shinsaku. Tomoo studied sculpture at Tama Art University before returning to Mashiko. He’s already established himself in Japan with numerous exhibitions including Mitsukoshi, Tokyo, and he was part of a three generation (Shoji-Shinsaku-Tomoo) exhibition at the Asahi Museum, Kyoto. I like his work–and know he’s an important potter for Mashiko–because its fresh for Mashiko using the same traditional materials his father and grandfather used. Tomoo has a keen sense and already since we last offered works he’s taken his art to a higher level. A few years ago a US museum director and I visited Hamada and now his work is in the museum’s collection. We hope a Hamada Tomoo piece will find its way into
your collection as well.
Here are the links to view the exhibition:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Please note additional photos or information will gladly be sent upon request.

I’ve also been adding scenery photos in many listings to give visitors a sense of place where we are and also just to enjoy the beauty of Japan. Also, as some know, there are often advance
preview photos of works to be offered soon.

As always thank you very much and all the best from Japan.

Clear skies,

Robert Yellin
Robert Yellin Yakimono Gallery
www.japanesepottery.com
www.e-yakimono.net

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Italian Cuisine: Via Del Borgo has re-opened! (2)

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It finally took us almost three weeks to arrange our maiden dinner at recently re-opened Via Del Borgo in Shizuoka City just by Tokiwa Park.
Apparently it has already become the “new” place to visit and did well to reserve a table for the three of us. I can guarantee you that the staff of five were working full steam all evening!
Alright, I’ll cut all the prose and keep to what we tasted for our first dinner. Expect more in the near future as their menus are exclusively seasonal!

Via Del Borgo has a good cellar open for all to see. To ease the waiters’ task we just entered it, chose our wine and handed it at the counter for opening and serving!
The first bottle was a red, 2004 Rosso di Montalcino, Mastroianni, Toscana/Sangiovese.
A bit tart at first, it came around very quickly with red fruits after a little airing.

For the antipasti we chose a very simple, delicious buffalo Mozzarella with “fruit tomatoes” grown in Shizuoka Prefecture,

a seasonal vegetables terrine and octopus millefeuille combination,

and Roman trippa (cow’s intestines and stomach) with Peccorino cheese.
That disappeared very quickly with the wine as we chatted along and realized we had to go back to the cellar!

We discovered a very solid 2006 MAMURI, Nero D’Avola from Sicilia.
We asked for a decanter and aired it a little at a time. Just perfect for the Primo Piatti!

Saffran Risotto. Absolutely superb. We made a point to order some home-made bread to scoop the sauce!

Puttanesca Linguine with Orida Aubergines (egg-plants) grown in Shimizu Ku (practically next door!). We had a little fight with the aubergines as we had decided beforehand to share everything and taste as many dishes as possible!

Taliorini with Guinea Fowl ragu (ragout) and vegetables. A find as the combination of small bits of guinea fowl and lotus roots made for such an intesting crunching experience with the al dente pasta!

And it was back to the cellar again! Alright, we did not drink it all as we had chosen it to share it with the staff! 2004 Roccamora Schola Sarmenti. Very rich red, almost rural in concept with plenty of red fruits again.

Secondo Piatti:
Milanese Veal Schnitzel on the bone. The veal came all the way from Ibaragi Prefecture. From then on, I took care of the cutting/carving! I will have to try this veal again all by myself!

Tokushima Prefecture “Awaodori” Chicken (probably the best in Japan!) Roast. I did cheat a bit and cut myself a larger share!

Skillet lamb on the bone. Would you believe that a normal serving is three cuts and that we were three of us! Juicy, tender, a delice!

Sorry, but by then we had spent three hours at the restaurant and were full. The desserts will have to wait until next time!

VIA DEL BORGO
420-0034, Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa-cho, 3-2-7
Tel/fax: 054-221-7666
Business hours: Lunch (11:30~14:30), Cafe (15:00~), Dinner (18:00~22::00)
Closed on Tuesdays
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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Shizuoka Beer 3/5: Oratche Wind Valley Brewery Dark Lager Praha

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Coming back at my office after an afternoon spent on having students take a final exam, I could not resist from opening a bottle that I kept for such emergencies in the fridge. After all it had been a long stuffy day and I still had three hours to wait until dinner!

Windy Valley Brewery Dark Lager Praha

As usual with Oratche this is another organic beer using wheat malt.
It is unfiltered and should be kept in a cold environment because of its live yeast.

Clarity: slightly smoky (unfiltered)
Alcohol: 5.5%
Colour: Dark coffee
Foam: Long head, good medium bubbles
Aroma: Fresh, light, dry. Oranges, bread
Taste: Short tail. Dry and heady. Refreshing. Lighter than expected. Oranges, caramel, bread. Drinks well with food, especially cheese.

Overall: A beer fit for dinner in the heat of the summer. To be enjoyed in the evening after a long day’s work! Don’t be fooled by its dark colour. It is not a porter. Typical Oratche’s brew.

Oratche
419-0105 Tagata Gun, Tanna, 349-1
Tel.: 055-974-4192
Fax: 055-974-4191
Homepage (Japanese)

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Sushi Ko: Sashimi and Sushi (revisited)

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Thursday! If everything goes well (Rowena, don’t start shooting!) t means eating out with the Missus.
Well, no surprise at all, as she requested we visited that (ver) old favourite of ours, namely Sushi Ko Restaurant in Shizuoka City!
No need to explain anything. Let’s keep to the basics and explain some of the morsels we ordered (not all, as it would become a boring repeat!).
Above is “Ika Somen/cutte fish cut very thinly, hence the name “somen/thin noodles”. The cuttle-fish variety is “Yari Ika/Halberd cuttle fish or calamari in Italian”.

“Sanma/mackerel pike”, a seasonal fish, although tis particular one came from Hokkaido. We shall have to wait until September for the Shizuoka specimen!

“Shima Aji/Saurel variety”. Another seasonal fish. Almost sweet!

We could not resist from ordering that very special maki/roll: “Piri kara hotate maki/hot scallops roll coated with “tobiko/flying fish roe”. That one is for you, Allison!

Finally, my favourite (my wife tends to shun it!): Japanese Foie Gras/Ankimo-Frogfish Liver!

Naturally I will spare you such details as French Chardonnay wine for the Missus and Shizuoka sake for me (I know, I know…). If you come to shizuoka,make a point to contact me! LOL

Sushi Ko
shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho. 2-3-1 (Aoba Koen)
Tel.: 054-2512898
Business Hours： 17:00~25:00. 17:00~23:00 （Sundays）
Closed on Wednesdays
Reservations recommended
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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Chocolat Fin: Japanese Dessert/Matcha Zenzai

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Shizuoka Prefecture happens to produce no less than 70% of the total green tea in Japan.
“Matcha/抹茶” is powdered tea of the highest quality made with leaves exclusively hand-picked.
“Zenzai/ぜんざい” is a traditional dessert usually consisting of hot shiruko (azuki beans soup), oranges, apricots, cherries, chestnuts and “shiratama/white balls”=balls of rice powder mixed with water (see below).

Now, this creation is obviously a French-style confectionery variation thought up by a Japanese chef.
The first green layer consists of matcha mousse and sweet boiled azuki beans.
It is then overlaid with “anko/sweetmeatmade with azuki beans” (see below).

A macha jelly cube and a honey-water jelly cube have been introduced beside the anko, before bee overlaid “shiratama”.
The top is decorated with matcha jelly cube, strawberry slice, orange wedge and more azuki beans.

A typical Japanese Summer dessert revised the Fench way!

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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Tomii: Sashimi Sets

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Last Friday, I finally kicked myself into visiting my favourite Japanese Cuisine Restaurant after a long absence, namely Tomii. As I had a couple of commitments later in the evening I opted for one of their renown sashimi sets.


As I had come early enough, I had all freedom to take a couple of pics of the chef at work!

As shown on above picture, the sashimi set I was served consisted of:
Makogarei/Halibut Variety (on a shiso leaf), Hamo/lightly boiled pike conger eel (decorated with shiso flowers, Rowena!), Akami/lean tuna, Madai/seabream, Uni/Sea Urchin and Aka Ika/red cuttlefish.


I was still a bit hungry and espied the Gyuusashi/Raw beef on the menu!

I just could not resist it!
Served with two small plates of soy sauce, some grated ginger, grated garlic and thinly chopped thin leeks, a pure delice!

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

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Bryan Baird’s Newsletter

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Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2008 #17
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Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The enduring persistence of this year’s rainy season at last has abetted and the sultry heat and torporific humidity of a Japan summer are upon us. Fear not, though, for the most refreshing and revitalizing antidote to this seasonal languor is being released today: Baird Cool Breeze Pils.

Cool Breeze Pils 2008 (ABV 5.0%):

Bohemian in style, cleanly malty in body, and coquettishly floral in aroma, Cool Breeze Pils registers on the imbiber like a fresh ocean breeze does on the perspiring body of a mid-afternoon sunbather. Cool Breeze Pils is dry-hopped in tank, unfiltered, and re-fermented and naturally carbonated in package where it has undergone a 6-month maturation. The result, we believe, pays handsome tribute to the glorious history of this storied lager beer style.

Cool Breeze Pils is now pouring from the taps of our Taprooms in Numazu and Nakameguro, as well as at other fine beer establishments throughout Japan. 633 ml bottles also are available for purchase direct from our estore (www.bairdbeer.jp) and through our fine network of Baird Beer retailer liquor stores in Japan.

Cheers!

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

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LE CAFE-LABO: Classic Cakes (5)

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The Summer has finally fallen on us with its intense heat and humidity.
This is a time when confectioners have a hard time concocting creations that will both keep fresh long enough and satisfy cake lovers’ craving for lighter fare.

Le Cafe-Labo, which seems to grasp the demand for such desserts has just come up with a delicious answer.

Its name is pretty staightforward: Passion Fruit Jelly.
But it is certainly more than that!
As seen on the pic above, it has been conceived into two distinctive layers, allowing you either to savour one at a time or to plunge your spoon to the bottom and come up with a tasty mix.
The top half is made with Mascarpone Cheese, a little flour, milk, sugar and jelly. Lighter than expected and just sweet enough.

The lower half is true passion fruit (they usually come from Okinawa Archipelago or Yakushima Island) processed into a reasonably solid jelly containing small wedges of Japanese Summer Oranges (the bigger slightly tangy variety). It is running all over the place like most industrial jellies. You can “dig” into it for your pleasure! And it is healthy!

LE CAFE-LABO
424-0886 Shizuoka City, Shimizu Ku, Kusanagi, 46
Tel.: 054-3441661
Also available at Isetan Dept. Store, Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Shichiken-Cho

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Douman Crab at Suehiro-Hamanako no Megumi Sushi Restaurant

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“Douman” is the name of a very rare crab of fairly large proportions exclusively caught in Summer in Lake Hamana, Shizuoka Prefecture.
Fishermen will be lucky if they manage to find 2 or 3 specimen caught in their nets in a single day for the whole lake!

It has become one of the symbols of the area as demonstrated by the rice/kome shochu of the same name brewed by Hamamatsu-Tenjingura Brewery/Distillery in Hamamatsu City.
Consequently only a few privileged establishments may serve it from time to time.
One such place is Suehiro-Hamanako No Megumi Sushi Restaurant, a little secret place of mine.
As introduced in other articles, it is tucked away from the city bustle south of Hamamatsu JR Station.

I make a point to reserve a seat or two before I visit them as hey will make sure to keep a bottle of Shizuoka Sake just for me.
Last Friday, they just happened to have an excellent bottle from a favourite Brewery of mine, namely Hatsukame in Okabe Cho.
That particular brand, called “Fujisan”, is a honjozo made with rice from Toyama Prefecture and yeast from Shizuoka Prefecture, perfect in summer with sushi and seafood!
Light food was on order as it had been an excessively hot day now that the rainy season is finally off our heads.

Pickled myoga, and ham and avocado salad were perfect with the first couple of glasses of chilled sake.

With a kitchen conveniently closed away, Suehiro has the knack to serve the right mixture of sashimi, sushi and cooked fare which ensures you will not leave the place worrying about a still empty stomach.
Mind you, this is an expat notion which does not count for the Japanese habit to visit at least two or three different places in the same night.
We opted for some akami/lean tuna and suzuki/seabass sashimi and a plate of Hamana Lake prawns deep-fried inside Spring rolls.

Finally we were ready for the Douman Crab!
My friend took the opportunity to order a glass of shochu of the same name while I gamely took care of the sake.
In Hamamatsu City they just serve it steamed as it is without any dressing or seasoning.
And our half (can you imagine the price of a whole one?) did not need any whatsoever. It came very full of so soft, tasty, even sweet meat that you naturally take your time savouring a little at a time with chopsticks. Forbid a fork or spoon!
I’m afraid this will be my first and last time I experience such a delicacy. That is unless Suehiriro calls me (and other customers?) next time they chance upon one (two would be impossible, so do not plan a party!)

We still hjad one more morsel before we left for the Liquid Kitchen, a bar held by a cricket friend of mine: Hamana Lake anago/conger eel and ikura/salmon roe sushi.
As this restaurant always comes up with local delicacies on a purely seasonal basis, I wonder what will compel me to visit it again!

SUEHIRO-HAMANAKO NO MEGUMII AJI
Hamamatsu City, Naka Ku, suyama Cho, 360-6
Tel.: 053-452-6288
Business Hours: 11:30-13:30＆17:00-22:00
Closed on every Wednesday and second Tuesday
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)