Tag Archives: Buckwheat

レシピ, Buckwheat, 美食, 野菜, 蕎麦, 静岡県, 静岡美食, 静岡市, 観光, 農業, Food, Food Health, Gastronomes, Gastronomic Photography, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Culture, Japanese Gastronomy, Non-smoking restaurants, Recipes, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Cuisine, Soba, Tourism

Soba: Shizuoka Native Buckwheat Noodles at Teuchi Soba Tagata in Shizuoka City (Part 2)!

November 28, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Friendly, attentive and informative
Equipment & Facilities: Very clean overall. Superb washroom.
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Only native buckwheat from Shizuoka and rest of Ja@an used. Great use of local seasonal ingredients. Great sake and shochu list.
Entirely non-smoking!

The first lunch I had at Teuchi Soba Tagata in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City, had not been enough to grasp completely and already very good image of the restaurant, so I decided to visit again as soon as possible, and with a friend, to complete my first report!

Great local sake are a must in a soba restaurant worth its salt!

Three different salts for the tempura!
The middle one is pure rock salt!

There were two items I didn’t have the stomach space to enjoy the last time:
Tamagoyaki made with dashi stock soup!

Very healthy served with shiso/perilla leaf and plenty of freshly grated daikon!

And a great plate (for two!) of seasonal vegetables and seafood tempura!

A special note for the succulent kabocha and avocado!

Colors!

Of course native buckwheat noodles from Ikawa, Shizuoka City served in “mori soba” style!

And a great hot Japanese dessert with kinako, o mochi and beans!

See you at dinner next time!

TEUCHI SOBA TAGARA
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa Cho, 2-6-7
Tel.: 054-250-8555
Opening hours: 11:30~13:30, 17:30~22:00
Closed on Mondays and Thursday lunch
Parties welcome
Credit Cards OK
HOMEPAGE
Entirely non-smoking!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, 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: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, 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!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-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, 美食, 酒, 蕎麦, 静岡県, 静岡美食, 静岡市, 観光, Food, Food Health, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Culture, Japanese Gastronomy, Non-smoking restaurants, Recipes, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Cuisine, Shizuoka Prefecture, Soba, Soba Restaurant, Tourism

Soba: Shizuoka Native Buckwheat Noodles at Teuchi Soba Tagata in Shizuoka City!

November 20, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Friendly, attentive and informative
Equipment & Facilities: Very clean overall. Superb washroom.
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Only native buckwheat from Shizuoka and rest of Japan used. Great use of local seasonal ingredients. Great sake and shochu list.
Entirely non-smoking!

Soba or buckwheat noodles is one of those underrated products in Shizuoka which ought to deserve more attention especially when you take in account that Shizuoka has produced its own soba for imemmorable times well before Tokugawa Ieyasu came to love them so much when he retired to Sumpu/Shizuoka in the beginning of the 17th Century!

If one needed a single reason for patronizing Teuchi Soba Tagata would be that Chef Osamu Tagata/田形治さん not only uses exclusively Japanese native buckwheat/zairaishu soba/在来種蕎麦 from Shizuoka Prefecture and elsewhere in the country but also takes a rare pleasure extolling about his soba and other cuisine to whoever is interested or might ask!

Of course I ordered “mori soba” made with native buckwheat grown in the mountains of Iwata in Central Shizuoka prefecture!
But I can assure it is not all about soba but more true Japanese gastronomy!

You could always order a set menu but poring through the menu and choosing tidbits according to your whims is far more fun!

The place is superbly clean but the dark wood color does not make photography easy! LOL

What I enjoy at soba restaurants is looking at all the utensils served a few at a time, a good indication of the level of the establishment!

On my next visit i will have to ask what secret brew is hidden inside that pot!

The “mori soba” have come!

Now, this lacquered box is a “mempa bento box” made only with cherry wood from Ikawa in the north of Shizuoka City!

Soba made with native buckwheat from Ikawa, Shizuoka City as a “juwari/100%”!
Absolutely beautiful!

Actually, Teuchi Soba Tagata in Shizuoka City is not only famed for their soba and cuisine but also for the superb sake (including Shizuoka, of course) and its beautiful shochu which also includes a beauty from Shizuoka Prefecture!
The above is sake brewed by Haginishiki Brewery in Shizuoka City!

Deep-fried rekon/lotus roots grown in Asabata, Shizuoka City!

Now, this is a bit special: these sato imo/taro roots are a native variety grown for centuries in Ikawa!
Served as tempura with a special miso paste, a must try!

Soba yu/soba soup to mix with whatever soupstock/soba sauce you have left and drink to wash down your meal!

I had to try another favorite: soba miso yaki!

Buckwheat seeds grilled with miso paste!

The last details are so important!
Wine-stewed figs and ice-cream!

More coming soon!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Navigating Nagoya by Paige, 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:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

レシピ, Buckwheat, 美食, 野菜, 蕎麦, 静岡県, 静岡美食, 観光, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Culture, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Shizuoka Prefecture, Tourism

Soba Restaurants In Shizuoka Prefecture (As of November 2013)

November 18, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

TEUCHI SOBA TAGATA

SETSUGEKKA

Service: Very friendly and attentive
Facilities: Great overall cleanliness. Beautiful washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: High quality soba. Beautiful tempura. Great local sake

SETSUGEKKA/雪月花
Shimada City, Hontouri, 2-3-4
Tel.: 0547-35-5241
Opening hours: 11:30~14:30, 17:00~22:00
Closed on Monday and third Tuesday
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking for lunch!

TAGATA ZAIRAI SOBA

Service: Smiling and friendly
Equipment & Facilities: Overall extremely clean. Superb washroom if a bit small
Prices: Very reasonable
Strong points: Only native buckwheat used. Good sake and shochu list

TAGATA ZAIRAI SOBA (make sure you understand the address as Tagata is a very common name for restaurants in Japan!)
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa Cho, 3-3-4　(left of Tokai Bldg across the street)
Tel.: 054-251-0707
Opening hours: 11:30~14:00, 17:30~21:00
Closed on Sundays

SOBA SAKE KAWAKATSU

Service: Friendly
Equipment: traditional. Clean. Beautiful toilets
Prices: Appropriate
Strong points: Very fresh ingredients. Most ingredients not only local but sef-grown or self-raised! Local sake and shochu!
Entirely non-smoking!

Sake Soba Kawakatsu
426-0034, Fujieda Shi, Eki mae, 1-8-4
Tel./Fax: 054-645-1770
Business hours: 11:30~14:00, 17:30~22:00
Closed on Mondays, 1st & 3rd Tuesdays

SOBA NO MI

Service: Friendly
Equipment: a bit old but clean
Prices: Appropriate
Strong points: Very fresh ingredients. Old-fashioned atmosphere
Entirely non-smoking!

Soba No Mi
Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Kawabe Cho, 2-2-3
Tel.: 054-251-8000
Business hours: 11:00~21:00 (or until soba are exhausted)
Closed on Tuesdays and third Wednesdays
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

YOSHINO

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

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

KUROMUGI

Service: Friendly
Equipment: Old but clean
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: 100% soba noodles (ju-wari soba). Traditional Japanese Soba Restaurant.

422-8078 Shizuoka Shi, Suruga Ku, Satsuki Cho, 8-15
Tel.: 054-287-8539
Fax: 054-287-8309
Business hours: 11:30~15:00, 17:00~21:00; 11:30~21:00 (Saturdays)
Closed on Mondays
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
MAP(Japanese)

IWA ICHI

Service: Very friendly and easy-going.
Facilities: Very clean overall. Excellent amenities
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Soba of course, but traditional Japanese gastronomy on the whole. Excellent all-rounder.
English spoken!
Non-smoking at tables.

IWA ICHI
420-01816 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Kutsunoya, 3-4-22
Tel.: 054-293-4151
Business hours: 11:30^14:00, 17:30~22:00
Closed on Mondays

TSUDONO ZARU SOBA

Service: Very kind and a bit shy
Equipment & Facilities: Spotless clean. Superb washroom.
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Soba! Very Japanese atmosphere.

TSUDONO Zaru Soba
421-2121 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tsudono, 514-2
Tel.: 054-294-1005
Opening hours: 11:00~15:00 or until the soba are sold out!
Closed on Mondays (except on National Holidays)
Car parking available
Entirely non-smoking!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

レシピ, 美食, 野菜, 蕎麦, 静岡県, 静岡市, 観光, 農業, Food, Food Health, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, Shizuoka Prefecture, Soba, Tourism

Soba Buckwheat Noodles Restaurant: Tagata Zairai Soba in Shizuoka City!

November 10, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Smiling and friendly
Equipment & Facilities: Overall extremely clean. Superb washroom if a bit small
Prices: Very reasonable
Strong points: Only native buckwheat used. Good sake and shochu list

The other day two friends of mine who actually plan to study professionally the art of making soba suggested we all went for lunch to a new small soba restaurant which served buckwheat noodles exclusively made with Japanese buckwheat!
Of course I just couldn’t refuse discovering such a place knowing than more than 80% of soba we eat in this country are made from imported buckwheat flour!

It is clearly indicated that the place serves only zarai soba/在来蕎麦/native buckwheat noodles!

Of course all the noodles are made on site and are so reasonable. Even the local sake is reasonable! Remember that in Edo times sake was almost exclusively served at soba restaurants!

Such a clean place!

You do have to be a bit patient as noodles are prepared only upon order!

Soup/broth for the noodles with grated wasabi and chopped scallions!

My friends had ordered the lunch set so they shared their mushrooms musubi/rice balls with me!

As well as some beautiful tamagoyaki served with grated daikon!

My first serving of buckwheat noodles!
By the way the correct way to eat them is to first taste one without any seasoning then eat the rest dipping the soba into the broth (not too much, mind you!)!

Really appetizing, aren’t they?

Served on a beautiful earthen ware plate with the character ta/田 for “field” which is the first Chinese character of the restaurant place Tagata/田形!
On the left you will notice another beautiful earthenware pot containing the soba yu/蕎麦湯/hot water in which the same noodles were boiled to be added an drunk with whatever broth you have left!

My second serving!

TAGATA ZAIRAI SOBA (make sure you understand the address as Tagata is a very common name for restaurants in Japan!)
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa Cho, 3-3-4　(left of Tokai Bldg across the street)
Tel.: 054-251-0707
Opening hours: 11:30~14:00, 17:30~21:00
Closed on Sundays

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!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-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, Buckwheat, 美食, 野菜, 静岡市, 観光, 農業, Food, French Cuisine, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Galettes, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

French Gastronomy: Galettes (Buckwheat Pancakes) at Henry Galette in Shizuoka City!

August 28, 2013 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service: Kind and easy-going
Facilities: very clean overall. Clean washroom (shared with anothet shop)
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points True French-style galettes and crepes! Cidre available. Local vegetables used.

A small restaurant-cafe as recently opened in Takajo, Shizuoka City, in what used to be a small boutique. Although it is open solely for lunch and cafe time until 18:00 (after that it becomes a record shop!), it is always full at lunch 7 days a week.

See the records above the kitchen window?

Although French galettes made with buckwheat flour originate from Western France in Bretagne, the atmosphere is reminiscent of that in small cafes in Paris of Southern France.

The cafe offers a set lunch with a galette (recipe changing every week) with salad, dessert and one drink for 1,200 yen which is good enough value by Japanese standards.

One can also order 3 diefferent tyoes of galettes and 3 different types of sweet crepes made with wheat flour for 1.100 yen or at 1.200 yen as a set!
This means you will have at least 5 more reasons to come again!

French Bretagne Cidre is also available!

Bolee d’Armorique. At only 2 % of alcohol can be enjoyed at lunch time!

On that particular day I ordered the lunch ste of the week!

Bear in mind this slow food and all galettes are made from scratch after order!
Also bear in mind that they make for a copious enough lunch!

The vegetables are seasonal and locally grown.

But the egg is more a specialty of the cafe than that of a French galette restaurant as it comes deliciously soft and running under the knife. And the seasoning is certainly more elegant! Mind you, all the staff are young ladies which explains the extra care for details!

A small but crispy and delicious salad!

And a cute dessert of the right size!

This what I had two weeks later from the same menu!

That time it included stir-fried chicken!
Yummy, fulfilling and so healthy!

See you there next time for dessert!

HENRY GALETTE
470-0858 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo, 1-12-1, Aobaen Bidg., 1F
Tel.: 054-260-6116
Opening hours: 11:00~18:00
Entirely non-smoking!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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, Buckwheat, 美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Food, Food Health, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Soba, Tourism, Vegan, Vegetarian cuisine

Soba Restaurant: Tsudono in Shizuoka City!

March 11, 2013 dragonlife 9 Comments

Service: Very kind and a bit shy
Equipment & Facilities: Spotless clean. Superb washroom.
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Soba! Very Japanese atmosphere.

Soba or buckwheat noodles must be one of the healthiest staple food in this world.
And it complies with almost with any dietary requirements be they those of vegans, vegetarians, gluten-free dieters and what else!
And to top it all it is simply delicious!

The other day after interviewing a local wasabi grower in Umegashima, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City, my chef friends and I decided to visit a local soba restaurant up in the mountains among farms.
You certainly need a navigator to drive there!

The windows of Tsudono Restaurant overlook a landscape of fields, farms and mountains, and nothing else!

Very traditional atmosphere where you can sit either at a table and chair or on the tatami straw floor!

Definitely worth looking at in detail, even the superb washroom!
And it is all non-smoking!

Don’t forget to take your shoes off before venturing on the beautiful parquet!

Ordering is very simple:
They serve only one kind of soba and one miso yaki!

Mind you, they have no less than three kinds of Japanese sake available!
Don’t forget that not so long ago people had to go to the local soba shop to drink Japanese sake!

Your simple but beautiful tray served with soba tsuyu/soupstaock, chopped scallions, grated daikon and grated local wasabi!

Delicious miso yaki to go with our beer!
Miso yaki, a typical offering at a good soba restaurant is a mixture of miso and buckwheat grilled on a wooden spoon! A must-try!

Don’t forget to mix these ingredients in the tusyu/stock soup before dipping your buckwheat noodles!

The soba are made on the day only, served exclusively at lunch and the restaurant will close as soon as the soba have been all served! So come early!

Pour plenty of soba-yu/water in which the soba were cooked/ in your soupstock vessel to make a very healthy drink!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-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

Uncategorized

Vegan and Vegetarian Sushi (renewed)

April 23, 2009 dragonlife 10 Comments

(from top to bottom and left to right: Konnyaku/Devil’s Tongue Tuber, Celery marinated in Amazu/sweet vinegar and pickled Japanese plums, Shiro negi/White leek, Na no Hana/Rape Blossoms, Gobo/Burdock roots, Satsuma Imo/Sweet yams, Daikon/Long Japanese radish)

Whenever I can convince there is Japanese food fit for Vegans and Vegetarians (I’m neither!), I make a point of posting articles that might help friends with different culinary priorities!
I have recently received more requests about recipes and examples.
Therefore I decided to re-post a former article with the addition of more discoveries!

There is vegan and vegetarian sushi in Japan and elsewhere!
As a proof have a good look at the picture and explanations above. The pic was taken at Iroha Sushi, a small but extremely renown sushi restaurant in Iwata City, an area celebrated for its vegetables!

Kyoto is a renown place for Vegan & Vegetarian Sushi!
From right to left, top to bottom:, Yuuba (tofu sheets), Takenoko (Bamboo shoots), Myoga (myoga ginger), Zenmai (Spring vegetable variety), Ki no mi (Spring vegetables), Awafu (grilled tofu sheets), Kamo Nasu (kamo egg-plant), Hakusai Maki (Chinese cabbage).
Print a copy of this pic, show it to your local Sushi Restaurant and challenge him/her into preparing your favorite tidbits!

From bottom to top: Takenoko (boiled bamboo shoots topped with a sprig of sansho/Japanese pepper plant)), Kabu Tsukemono (pickled turnip), Sugiku no Ha Maki (sugiku Chrysanthemum leaves)
And what about these? Not only tasty but fulfilling!

“Kanpyou maki”/dry gourd shavings: here is one that any sushi restaurant will serve you!

That small one is my personal favourite: “menegi”/thin leeks sprouts!

24-24-24-311
Vegan/vegetarian Te-maki: natto, shiso, ume/Japanese pickled plum.
(Sushi Ko in Shizuoka City!)

24-24-24-33
Another Vegan/vegetarian Kanpyo-maki/dry gourd shavings roll for second dessert!

24-24-24-8

Menegi/leek sprouts, Soba no Shinme/buckwheat sprouts, Mitsuba, avocado, Takuan/pickled daiko and shiso nd cucumber gunkan, mizuna gunkan.
(Sushi Ko in Shizuoka City!)

sobasushimaki

And how about Soba Sushi maki?

I’ll still keep looking!

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sake, shochu and sushi

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Uncategorized

Soba/Buckwheat Noodles: Easy Preparation

April 22, 2009 dragonlife 8 Comments

soba-saru

I’ve been asked for some time how to make your own soba/buckwheat noodles at home.
It is not that difficult, although you might need some particular tools.
Here is a simple recipe from which you can freely improvise.

INGREDIENTS:
Enough for 5 people
Buckwheat Flour/Soba-ko: 400g
Wheat flour (normal): 100g
Cold water: 250g
Some additional buckwheat flour for folding

TOOLS:
Large pan
Wooden rolling pin
Large Chinese/Japanese-style chopping knife
Wooden working surface/board
Board for guiding knife

RECIPE:

First step:
soba_1
Pour buckwheat flour and Wheat flour into a large basin/pan and mix well.
Pour in one third of the water slowly in a thin flow. Mix with tip of fingers.

Step 2:
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Break eventual hard lumps between fingers.

Step 3:
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Repeat step 1 twice again until you obtain a fine mixture.
Work as fast as possible.

Step 4:
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Once satisfied with the uniformity of the mixture, press hard with your knuckles.

Step 5:
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Once the flour has chamged into one lump, fold and press with palm of the hand.

Step 6:
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Repeat Step 5 until lump has become shiny. Fold into a ball.

Step 7:
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Shape the lump into a pyramid.

Step 8:
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Turn pyramid onto its tip and press hard as to form a saucer.

Step 9:
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Start spreading lump with wooden roll pin. first angle by angle as to form square.

Step 10:
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Once you have spread the lump until the square has diminished to a 2 mm thickness, first sprinkle some buckwheat flour all over the surface and fold in two.

Step 11:
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Sprinkle with buckwheat flour and fold again (4 layers).

Step 12:
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Cut soba lump with the heavy chopping knife, using the wooden guide board for even cutting by shifting the guide board slightly after each cut.

Step 13:
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Bring a large large pan of water to boil, drop noodles into water separating them between your fingers as they fall out. Boil for 2~3 minutes stirring with long chopsticks.

Step 14:
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Take noodles out of pan (the soba tsuyu/soba soup can be used hot later) with a sieve and coll down under running cold water. Drain.

Step 15:
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Serve onto plate with or without dry seaweed, wasabi, soba soup or whatever you feel like.
You could also make maki with the same soba.
Variations are many!

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sake, shochu and sushi

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Soba Restaurant: Bokunenji

December 3, 2007 dragonlife Leave a comment

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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My Japanese better (worse?) half who is a soba-addict had always wanted to visit Bokunenji in Shuzenji, Izu peninsula. The comparatively long train and bus journey (a couple of hours from Shizuoka City) means that we do not have many opprtunities to visit this charming little city.

　
Bokunenji is your typical traditional Japanese restaurant set in an ancient wooden house fit with tatami and cushions. A bit tough for my stiff body, but stiil worth suffering a little!

Bokunenji serves “juwari” soba/buckwheat noodles in 9 different manners, hot or cold, as well as 8 kinds of side dishes. Any soba restaurant worth its salt should serve “tamago yaki/Japanese omelette” and “yaki soba miso”/soba seeds and miso grilled on a wooden spoon. Therefore we ordered tamago yaki, which was excellent by any standards.

　
As for the noodles my better (worse?) half ordered hot noodles with slices of duck, and I “oroshi soba” (cold noodles served with grated daikon radish).
They were really tasty andI came to understand why the place is so popular as demonstrated by the guests keeping coming in all the time.
Eating such food in such a place will provide with a true Japanese experience.
The prices are a bit stiff, but this is a very popular tourist spot.
Among the proposed sake, they serve Isojiman (Yaizu City) Honjozo, which is definitely a plus in their favour!