Tag Archives: 静岡

レシピ, 美食, 野菜, 静岡市, 観光, 農業, Food, Food Health, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Okra, Recipes, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka City, Tourism

Okra Flowers Tempura at Jacuzzi awabar in Shizuoka City!

October 11, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Very friendly, polite, but easy-going
Facilities: Great cleanliness overall. Beautiful washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: All kinds of bubbly drinks. Very healthy and tasty food snacks made with local products.

okra are becoming very popular in Asia and Europe although it originated from Central Africa.
It is also extensively grown here in Japan but it is somewhat eaten in a manner different from that in Africa.
For one, the flowers are edible and can be prepared in many ways.

Since this is Japan one manner that would come to mind is tempura although the Japanese would eat okra in any form even raw!
What is more uncommon is cooking the flowers.
Unlike comparatively robust zucchini flowers okra flowers will wilt very quickly as they bloom for only one day.

One way to circumvent that problem is to cut the flowers just before they open and leave them in the fridge where they will open and conserve longer.

Last night I had the pleasure to savor both the okra pods and flowers organically grown by Mr. Baba in Fujinomiya City at the foot of Mount Fuji at Jacuzzi awabar, the newest gastronomic bar in Shizuoka City!

As tempura goes this is both teasingly simple and sophisticated.
Crispy, so tasty, almost sweet!
You must try it! With a glass of French bubbly rose wine!

JACUZZI awabar
]420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo, 1-11-10-2
Tel.: 054-269-5992
Opening hours: 15:00~24:00
Closed on Sundays
Credit cards not yet!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Shop with Intent by Debbie
BULA KANA in Fiji
Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

レシピ, Conger eel, 美食, 野菜, 静岡市, 観光, 魚, 農業, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Restaurants, seafood, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Square Bean, Tourism

French Gastronomy: Land & Sea/Conger Eel & Winged Bean at Pissenlit in Shizuoka City!

October 11, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Excellent and very friendly.
Facilities: Great cleanliness overall. Superb washroom (mouthwash and toothpicks provided!)!
Prices: Reasonable to slightly expensive, very good value.
Strong points: Interesting wine list. Great use of local products, especially organic vegetables and Shizuoka-bred meat and caught fish. Very inventive French gastronomy.

Shizuoka Prefecture being practically “sandwiched” between sea and land in the mildest part of Japan occupies the most favorable location for a constant supply of fresh produce from the sea, the land and the mountains all year round.
It is more a question of finding new ideas to combine such products in season than to look for a rare product and try to arrange it.
Shizuoka conger eels or anago/穴子 are famed all over the country and can be sampled at many Japanese Restaurants.

Chef Toru Arima/有馬亨さん being Japanese but first and foremost a French cuisine chef came up with the idea of preparing conger eel almost in Japanese manner by first sauteed and baking it to a crisp and seasoning with a sauce combining both traditional Japanese and French sauce ingredients (secrets, I’m afraid!) I can only guess, but the result leaves you baffled in between two traditions for your utter gustative pleasure!

Now, the wing bean (also known as the Goa bean and Asparagus pea, Four-angled bean and Winged pea) placed symmetrically atop the conger eel is actually called “Square bean/Shikaku Mame/しかく豆” in Japanese.
Would you believe it is a tropical legume plant native to Papua New Guinea?
It is a very valuable vegetable when it comes to all kinds of beneficial elements.
It has recently acquired a big reputation here in Shizuoka and is presented and eaten in all kinds of sizes.
The one used Tooru is still small and young.
Not only it is a tasty and healthy vegetable but it also offers all sorts of design idea thanks to its fresh color which helps enhance the darker colors of meat or fish!
Incidentally this winged bean was organically grown in Fujinomiya City at the foot of Mount Fuji!

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
Entirely non-smoking!

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HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

レシピ, 美食, Desserts, 静岡市, 観光, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Halloween, Japan, Japanese Culture, Japanese Gastronomy, Photography, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

10 Halloween Treats in Japan (Shizuoka Prefecture actually!)!

October 10, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Shizuoka Prefecture is famous for its melons!

Halloween is around the corner and all shops have certainly turned orange, the color of pumpkins!
It can sometimes become boring but if you try to stay positive there are many pictures to take and many ways to celebrate!

Here are 10 of my favorites here in Shizuoka Prefecture!

1) Halloween Bento!
Note the orange pumpkin inside it to justify the name!

2) Halloween Chou!
The Japanese cannot imagine a dessert without some kind of chou, chou a la creme, or chou cream popping up in their heads!
This particular ones are filled with chocolate custard. All home-made!

3) Halloween Donuts!
Discovered in a department store in Numazu City!

4) Halloween Melon!
This is my favorite! I couldn’t introduce it just after the top picture!
Shizuoka Prefecture is known all over Japan for its melons!

5) Halloween Gratin!
A large one for he whole family!
If you want the recipe, I’ll be glad to send it to you!

6) Halloween Kabocha Croquettes!
Sophisticated French gastronomy in Japan!

7) Halloween Kabocha Gratin!
A bit of a repeat, but the design is so cute!
I can also send you the recipe on request!

8) Halloween Apples!
Taken during the Daidogei Street performance Festival!

9) Halloween panckes!
Another way to prepare pancakes with kabocha!
I can send you the recipe on request!

10) Halloween Pop Corn!
The ultimate American Junk Food!

For a better view!

Wait until Christmas for another surprise!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

レシピ, Bars, 美食, Drinks, 酒, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka City, Tourism

Gastronomic Bar: Jacuzzi awabar in Shizuoka City!

October 8, 2013 dragonlife 4 Comments

I had been on the lookout for this place for quite a while since the owner of Taky’s Cakes and Cafe owner decided to move to new and larger location (report next month I hope).

I had to surprise to find out it had opened on the very day I chose to have a better look and visit!
Actually, another surprise was waiting for me inside!

Keisuke Ohta/太田圭祐さん is in fact an old acquaintance of mine in spite of his relatively young age. Some one year ago he left his previous employment to open a successful wine bar called Vin Vino in Ryogae-Cho, Aoi Ku before starting this second venture!

The small place is an incredible example of Japanese ingeniousness making the most of what small space was available.
6 guests can sit on chairs at the counter while 10~12 more people can stand at two tables and 3 half tables against the wall.
Even so, two staff can work at ease behind the bar and cook without nay hassles.

Incidentally you can use their beautiful business cards as coasters!

The counter bar.
Actually very little change was brought to the place except for the seating!

The lighting is modern but diffused.
As a customer if you want a little privacy sit at the counter or stand at one one of the half tables against the wall.
If you want to be seen and see stand by one of the two tables behind the bay window!
Mind you, depending on the kind of customers it can either be very quiet or definitely raucous!

I started with a dry wine from the Cotes du Rhone in France with no bubbles, but one can enjoy, beer, sake, cocktailes, liqueurs, spirits, whiskey, wine by the glass or bottle, fizzy or flat, soft drinks, soda and light meals!

Now, the food is definitely of a higher level but reasonable!
All the vegetables are organically grown by Mr. Baba in Fujinomiya City at the foot of Mount Fuji!
The above vegetables exquisitely cooked as “frites” (actually an elegant tempura) are worth the visit alone!

From a different angle two kinds of eggplants, a square bean and other beauties the staff take pride in meticulously introducing!
There are plenty of other tasty morsels available but that will be for the next report!

And do not forget to explore the wine list including such unusual offerings as this pink fizzy wine from Yamanashi Prefecture!
See you soon there again!

JACUZZI awabar
]420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo, 1-11-10-2
Tel.: 054-269-5992
Opening hours: 15:00~24:00
Closed on Sundays
Credit cards not yet!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Bars, Beer, Beer Brewery, 美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Japan, Japanese Beer, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Beer, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Oktober Fest 2013 at Growstock in Shizuoka City on October 14th!

October 8, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: very lively and friendly.
Facilities: great cleanliness overall.
Prices: reasonable, good value.
Strong points: Beer from all over the world. Outside terrace. Local microbrewery beer available in some quantities.

Growstock (part of Beck Co Ltd. with Mando and Aoi Beer Stand) will hold its Oktober Fest for the 5th time running on October 14th!

October 14th is on a Tuesday, but since it is a National Holiday you are left with no excuse, especially in the light that it will held in the afternoon from 13:00 to 19:00.
Rerserve your seat outside on the terrace!

Advance all you can drink and eat Food & Drinks Tickets are sold for 4,000 yen. If you buy 4 tickets you will be offered a limited edition T Shirt!
Only 40 tickets available so hurry!
Otherwise all drinks and food can be bought for 600 yen a piece (tickets to be bought at the entrance only) on the premises on the day!

GROW STOCK
420-0852 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Koyamachi Naka Building, 5F
Tel.: 054-293-9331
Opening hours: 17:00~25:00 (Mon.~Thurs.), 17:00~27:00 (Fri & Sat.), 17:00~24:00 (Sun.)
Parties welcome (reserve!)
Credit Cards OK

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HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Bars, Beer, Beer Brewery, 美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Beer, Japanese Gastronomy, Numazu City, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Beer, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2013/10/08): The Flavors of Fall — Joie de Vivre Golden Ale & Fall Fest Lager

October 8, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

The Flavors of Fall — Joie de Vivre Golden Ale & Fall Fest Lager

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Fall is my favorite season. I love the clean crispness in the air and the brightness of the season’s colors. Fall is the season for celebration of nature’s harvest. We are honoring the autumn season this year with two special brews: Joie de Vivre Golden Ale and Fall Fest Lager.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:
*Joie de Vivre Golden Ale (6.5%):

If beer is good at one thing it is helping people to feel the joy of the moment. The Belgians are perhaps the best at putting their beer and culinary culture to the service of joyful living. Joie de Vivre Golden Ale is our tribute to Belgium’s joyous beer culture. It is a richly hued golden ale of simple makeup — three base malts (floor-malted Maris Otter, Pilsner and Munich) and one sugar (Japanese sudakito). The hopping is more complex — five earthy, herbal varieties (Millenium, Sterling, Willamette, Fuggle, Styrian Golding) are added in combination both to the kettle and to the conditioning tank. Fermentation is warm (around 25 C), carried out by our house Belgian strain. Attenuation is high; the beer is dry. Each sip will bring a happy reminder of the joie de vivre.

Joie de Vivre Golden Ale is available for immediate release in both kegs and bottles.

*Fall Fest Lager (5.8%):

If the Belgians are best at putting beer to the service of joyful living, the Germans are a close second. Fall Fest Lager is our version of a classic German Marzen lager. The color is the amber-red of the fall foliage. Richly malty in flavor, the body is round and soft. The finish is clean and pleasingly unctuous. This is the taste of of autumn in Bavaria.

Fall Fest Lager also is available for immediate release in both kegs and bottles.

Cheers!

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

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HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Beer, Beer Brewery, 美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Numazu City, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Beer, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2013/09/30): Building a New Brewery — Baird Brewery Gardens Shuzenji

September 30, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Building a New Brewery — Baird Brewery Gardens Shuzenji

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

No doubt most of you have heard the scuttlebutt about us building a new brewery in Izu. Heretofore, we had been cautious about making any bold public pronouncements because of the long, complicated and not 100% settled nature of the project. Well, the time for caution is over. The regulatory ‘i’ s have been dotted and the bureaucratic ‘t’ s crossed. Forty-seven new equity partners have joined our owner-partner team, putting their hard-earned savings into the Baird Brewing dream. Our bank has given its blessing. The Izu city government has delivered full and enthusiastic cooperation. The land purchases have been consummated and so have the leases. The brewery building has been designed and construction inaugurated. Our new German brewing equipment is being fabricated as I write.

Baird Brewery Gardens Shuzenji will busily be brewing Baird Beer, knock on wood, come April 2014.

Our current small brewing systems will be relocated and reinstalled in the new Shuzenji location at around the same time. The Numazu Fishmarket Taproom — Baird Brewing Company’s founding location — will remain unchanged (we never intend to leave that location). I have posted a long and detailed history of Baird Brewing in our official Baird Beer Brewer’s Blog space entitled ‘The Story of a Craft Brewery Dream.’ Please visit this blog for more details about the Baird Brewery Gardens Shuzenji project: http://bairdbeer.com/en/blog_numazu/.

For those of you who have traveled this long journey with us, the blog piece will be a fun and memory-laden read. For those of you less familiar with our story, the blog can serve as both a comprehensive introduction to Baird Brewing and an overview of the evolution of craft brewing in Japan since the late 1990s. This is a very exciting time for us and we are so grateful to all of you who have helped us to come so far.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:

In celebration of our new brewery groundbreaking, we are proud to announce the release of two poignantly commemorative beers: Wabi-Sabi Japan Pale Ale and Destination Ale.

*Wabi-Sabi Japan Pale Ale (6.5%):

This is a distinctly Japanese interpretation of the world’s most popular craft beer style — India Pale Ale. More herbal in flavor than most IPAs, Wabi-Sabi JPA derives this character from a unique blend of world hops and two quintessentially Japanese herbs — green tea and wasabi (both grown locally in Izu). Wabi-Sabi JPA is a bold brew but, as the name implies, the audacity is laced with quiet simplicity and subdued refinement.

We have been working on iterations of Wabi-Sabi JPA for some time now and we will continue this process of experimentation and refinement until we open the new brewery in Shuzenji, at which time Wabi-Sabi Japan Pale Ale will become the eleventh in our line-up of year-round Baird Beer.

Wabi-Sabi is available in both kegs and bottles for immediate release. It begins pouring from our Taproom taps Monday, September 30.

*Destination Ale (5.5%):

We love brewing with fresh in-season local fruit. So much so that the first activity at our new Shuzenji brewery grounds was the planting of a fruit tree orchard. While these new plantings won’t yield usable fruit for a few years, we are fortunate to have found some mature fruit trees on the grounds which are producing beautifully. One such tree is producing sumomo (Japanese sweet plums). Well, we got busy harvesting these delicious little purple pit-fruits when they were ripe in June. They went into our Numazu brewery for brewing on June 23. Well, we are at last ready to share the fruits of this beer.

Orange-red in color, Destination Ale’s grist is a combination of barley (85%) and wheat (15%). It is lightly hopped for flavor, not aroma or bitterness, with two mild and earthy hops — English Fuggle and German Perle. Cut whole sumomo fruit was added in two stages — once in the hot wort and once in the cold post-primary fermentation green beer. Secondary fermentation and natural carbonation occurred in package, as it always does with Baird Beer. The flavor is lightly tart and spritely refreshing.

Destination Ale is a small-batch keg-only beer available exclusively at the Baird Beer Taproom pubs. It begins pouring Monday, September 30.

Cheers!

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

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Baird Beer, Beer, Beer Brewery, 美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Beer, Japanese Gastronomy, Numazu City, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Beer, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Beer Tasting: Baird Beer Brewery-Numazu Lager

September 29, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer owned by Bryan Baird in Numazu City is not only a household name but a truly internationally-recognized brewery in spite of its relatively short history.
Living in Shizuoka Prefecture makes it easy to get their brews as more and more local sake shops are marketing them!

We are also blessed with beautiful labels which are sale at a bigger size for the pleasure of collectors.
This particular label is an abstract rendition of Numazu City harbor!

Product name: Baird Beer-Numazu Ale
Unfiltered
Ingredients: (German) malt, barley, sugars, hops, yeast
Volume: 360 ml
Alcohol: 5%
Process: Unfiltered. Double fermentation for natural bubbles. Live yeast

Clarity: Slightly smoky but very clean aspect
Color: Orange, color deeper than usual lagers
Foam: Fairly long head. Light bubbles
Aroma: Bread, oranges
Taste: Well rounded, deep and rich attack.
Very clean impression.
Complex.
Bread, oranges.
Very refreshing though not a thirst-quenching beer.
Welcome acidity.
Pleasantly lingers for a while on a drier note with more oranges and hints of nuts and persimmon.
persimmon actually tends to take over the oranges on the second sip with more welcome acidity.

Overall: Very refreshing but deep beer.
Usually I conduct my beer tastings in the afternoons when my palate is not influenced by any food or else. This beer has the the gratifying quality of welcoming you with a nourishing feeling!
Accordingly I would advise all true beer lovers to drink it at ease to fully enjoy its rich and utterly rewarding taste.
Good, I should say great, beers should be drunk on their own and Bryan Baird is known all over the world for its sublime brews!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Kumpai Brewery-Momiji Junmai Ginjo Genshu

September 28, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Kumpai Brewery in Shizuoka City for all its being the smallest one in the Prefecture is a brewery you have to keep a constant eye on because of its superlative seasonal and limited products!
Fall is about to come and soon the Japanese maples trees/momiji/紅葉 will turn red, hence the name of this brew!

Actually, the hiragana writing “もみじ” makes for an evenb better design!

Rice: Biyama Nishiki
Rice milled down to 50%
Dryness: – 5 (very sweet by Shizuoka standards!
Alcohol: 17 degrees
Bottled in September 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Light golden
Aroma: Light, fruity and complex: pears, apples.
Body: Fluid, slightly sirupy
Taste: Well-rounded and fruity attack.
Complex. Fruity and sweetish: pears, almonds, apples, macadamia nuts.
Sweetish at first but takes a leave on a drier note with little haste.
Tends to veer onto a drier turn with food.
Very easy to drink in spite of the high alcohol content.
The junmai petillant is discreet, too, making for a sake eminently enjoyable on its own.

Overall: An intriguing sake by Shizuoka standards which do not usually offer negative dryness.
Chilled, it would be enjoyed as a great aperitif, at room temperature would turn out as a beautiful digestif.
Eminently enjoyable both with salty food, especially cheese, and sweet food, notably with chocolate.
Greta with food but I’m convinced it should be enjoyed on its own especially as a night cap if you sleep on your own or as a great love drink with special company!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Hamamatsu City, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Hana No Mai Brewery-Homare Fuji Junmai Sekai Isan

September 23, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Although Mount Fuji is far from Hamamatsu City, as Hamamatsu City is inside Shizuoka Prefecture they also felt compelled to mark the event, Sekai Isan/World Heritage!

This sake is 100% Shizuoka-made with Shizuoka-grown Homare Fuji rice, local water and Shizuoka yeast!

The brewery advertised this particular brew as slighly dry and light in approach!

Rice: Homare Fuji (Shizuoka-grown)
Rice millled down to 60%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled on August 1st, 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very light golden hue
Aroma: Discreet, hard to catch. Fruity. Rice
Body: Fluid
Taste: Dry fruity well-rounded attack.
Complex.
Almonds, coffee beans, vanilla, apricots.
Very light in approach, almost feminine.
Disappears quickly.
Tends to take a step back with food with a drier character.

Overall: A typical Hana No Mai Brewery sake who tends to produce sake to attract a younger or feminine clientele.
As they do export a lot to the States and Canada in Particular, their sake, including this one, are conceived for a wide-ranging market.
very pleasant and easy to drink at all seasons, preferably slighly chilled.

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Sanwa Brewery-Garyubai Hoosu Muroka Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu

September 23, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Sanwa Brewery, in spite of being the local sake brewery in Shizuoka Prefecture not using one of the Shizuoka yeasts nonetheless produces some remarkable nectars including this yearly limited production called Hoosu.

The same brewery also tends to put long names on their sakes!
“Garyubai” is the main brand and “Hoosu” is the name of this particular brew.
“Murooka” means “unfliltered, “Junami” means that no pure alcohol was added, “Ginjo” is the premium grade level, “nama” means “unpasteurized” and “Genshu” means that no water was added. All this to mean that this sake has not been “tempered with” whatsoever!

Rice: 100% Yamada Nishiki (Hyogo Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 55%
Alcohol: 16~17 degrees
Dryness: + 4
Acidity: 1.4
Bottles in August 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very light golden hue
Aroma: Fruity and sweetish. Pears (La France pears)
Body: Fluid
Taste: Assertive attack back up by strong junmai petillant warming uo back of the palate.
Strong alcohol but easy and pleasant to drink.
Very fruity.
Complex: Pears, oranges, apricots.
Lingers for a while before departing on a slightly drier note.
Very refreshing for an unpasteurized and practically unaltered sake.
Not changing noticeably with food, except for more dry pears.

Overall: In spite of its “rough” approach, a very enjoyable sake for all genders at all times, temperature, with or without food.
A pity it is only a limited brew!
The kind of sake to keep you deliciously warm in winter!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

レシピ, 美食, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

American Gastronomy: Hot Dog at Aoi Beer Stand in Shizuoka City!

September 21, 2013 dragonlife 2 Comments

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

Yesterday, after a long and hot work day I decided to start the night with a couple of craft beers at Aoi Beer Stand in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City.

But all that had made me hungry. too!

I took the opportunity to have a go at the hit dog announced on the menu blackboard!

The hot dog!
Actually I could have called Heisse Hund as the onions had been replaced with sauerkraut heated with sausage!
A great combination as the fried sauerkraut will have lost just enough of its water!

Now the large (for a hot dog!) sausage is a real beauty!
Naoki Mando order them at a local delicatessen. Not only they are big, but they have a great crunchy bite (not the cheap soft canned kind!) and a very deep and complex taste!
Th bread on the hand is exactly like the traditional hot dogs found in the US!

With the right amount of ketchup and soft mustard, a full satisfying and yummy meal!

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

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HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Bars, Beer, Beer Brewery, 美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Numazu City, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Beer, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2013/09/20): Fall Seasonal Release — Yabai-Yabai Strong Scotch Ale

September 21, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Fall Seasonal Release — Yabai-Yabai Strong Scotch Ale

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

As is most often the case, summer in Japan gets blown out and autumn ushered in by the winds of a tempestuous typhoon. We are welcoming fall with today’s release of a beer that has become synonymous with the fall season: Yabai-Yabai Strong Scotch Ale.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Release:
*Yabai-Yabai Strong Scotch Ale (ABV 7.5%):

Scotland, an historically important center of beer brewing, has a cool climate that favors cultivation of the hardy barley plant. Scottish Ales, thus, tend to feature the rich and robust flavor of malted barley. Baird Yabai-Yabai Strong Scotch Ale is, in a word, opulent! The color is a deep mahogany brown and the head is dense, creamy and tan. The aroma is one of soft fruit esters and warm fusel alcohols. The body is chewy and the flavor exhibits notes of molasses, caramel apples, rum cake and pit fruit. One glass is enough to take the bite out of the evening autumn chill. Two glasses will leave you toasty and blissfully warm. Three glasses and …. YABAI!

Yabai-Yabai begins pouring from our Taproom taps tonight (September 20) and is available in both kegs and bottles for immediate release to Baird Beer retailers throughout Japan.

Cheers!

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Fuji-Takasago Brewery-Junmai Ginjo “Nama”

September 14, 2013 dragonlife 2 Comments

It’s been a long time since I enjoyed a “nama”/unpasteurized sake by Fuji-Takasago Brewery in Fujinomiya City!
If you don’t want to spend or drink too much it is always a good idea to buy smaller bottles containing only 180 ml, or even drink two them if you want variation in low quantities!

I can recommend Cenova Department Store in Shizuoka as they take the pains of adding extra information!

Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 14.5 degrees
Dryness: + 4
Bottled in May 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Light golden
Aroma: Assertive. Dry and fruity. Pineapple, citruses.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Very dry attack wit strong junmai petillant.
Complex.
Lots of nuts.Oranges.
Lingers for a little while warming up the back of the palate.
Ends up on an even drier note with oranges, nuts, almonds, chestnuts.
tends to take a back step with food although junmai petillant is still very strong and dryness more accentuated with more nuts.

Overall: A sake for dry sake lovers!
Enjoyable with and away from food.
Strong in spite of normal alcohol content.
Tends to take a mellow turn once away fro food again.
Although I appreciated it on its ow, it is probably conceived to be drunk with heavy izakaya food.

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Senju Brewery-Oo Kara Kuchi-Kyoku +20 Honjozo

September 14, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

I already tasted this limited sake from Senju brewery in Iwata last year and am always looking frward to tasting it again every year as sake is never the same!
+ 20 means it is extremely dry, probably the record in Shizuoka Prefecture!

In any case they almost overstate it: Oo (very) Kara Juchi (dry) Kyoku (exceptional)!
This is an honjozo meaning that it needed a lot of work blending it with pure rice alcohol!

Rice milled down to 65%
Alcohol: 14~15 degrees
Bottled in August 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very light golden hue
Aroma: very light. Pears, custard. Dry and fruity
Body: very fluid
Taste: Very dry attack.
Complex, hard to “catch”.
Greens, nuts.
Marries exceptionally well with heavy izakaya food.
Disappears quickly on dry nutty note.
Always seems to incite you into the next cup!

Overall: A sake for izakaya food. Full stop.
Not the kind of sake you really want to extol on, but just drink!
Its extreme dryness makes for a great experience though.
Could be enjoyed at any temperatures but it should definitely be enjoyed lukewarm!

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