Tag Archives: French Restaurant

French Cuisine, French Restaurant, HARAGUCHI, Japan, Shizuoka City

French Cuisine: Dinner at HARAGUCHI in Shizuoka City!

December 23, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: professional and smiling
Equipment & facilities: spotless clean. Superb washroom. Entirely non-smoking. Cloakroom.
Prices: slightly expensive
Strong points: high-class French cuisine. Pate and terrine, the specialty! Superb local and Japanese products. Excellent wine list. Doubles as a superb wine bar during and after hours.

When Hiroshi Haraguchi/原口広さん decided to open his own restaurant in Shizuoka City this year after a long stint in a star-studded establishment in Tokyo he certainly hit the jackpot, the more for it that French restaurants of note in this City had become scarce of late!
Having already published books of his own masterpieces, here we were suddenly finding ourselves with a new chef of renown!

It is a busy place but at last I had the opportunity to share dinner there in great company!
To start with HARAGUCHI offers an excellent wine list for all budgets. Although the food is consequently priced, I found the wines quite reasonable!
As only two of our group drank wine we chose a Crozes Hermitage 2010 offered by ever-reliable E. Guigal dealer!

The cuisine is both traditional and modern, as well as the table settings!

Naturally the (whole wheat) bread is home-baked!

As amuse-bouche/starter, we were served an elegant salmon mousse!

Now, as the main starter, being French, I couldn’t help sample the exquisite-looking and very generous terrine de campagne (although called “pate de campagne”!)!
True to tell, it was more than par with the many I ate back home! And the home-made pickles and local fine salad were just perfect!
Actually, I would recommend anyone to first visit the wine bar and savor a great one with one of the terrines and pate on the menu!

As for the fish dish, we had a sawara/Spanish mackerel caught in the neighboring Suruga Bay, cooked to perfection with a crackling skin!

One of my friends opted for this succulent beef raised in Aichi Prefecture!
I don’t have to extol the qualities of Japanese beef, do I! It certainly doesn’t need any artifices!

Pork is probably the most underrated meat away from these shores, and it is just impossible to list them all1
his particular piece was from a nasu-ton, that is pigs fed with eggplants in Tochigi Prefecture!
Tender, juicy and so tasty! Even the fat! I didn’t leave a iota on my plate!

The dessert, an exquisite example of simplicity consisted of seasonal apple tart, very Alsatian in style, cinnamon ice-cream and bitter caramel sauce!

And I can assure you that the mignardises did not last long, just the time to explain their origin to my friends!

Now, since I have to sample all these terrines and pates myself at the wine bar, expect more visits and reports!

HARAGUCHI

420-0035 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Shichiken-Cho 9-5, Trenz Bldg, 1F (along the Aoba Park Street)
Tel.: 054-251-3803
Opening hours: 11:30~13:30, 17:30~20:30 (LO), ~24:00 (wine bar)
Closed on Mondays, 1st & 3rd Sundays
Lunch: 3,500, 5,000 yen
Dinner: 7,500, 10,000 yen (a la carte also available)
Credit cards OK
FACEBOOK

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rre.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

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-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

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Dominique Corby, French Kappo Dominique Corby, French Restaurant, Tokyo

Gastronomic Destinations: French Kappo Dominique Corby in Tokyo!

September 18, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Smiling, attentive and so kind
Equipment and Facilities: Overall spotless clean, beautiful washroom
Prices: Slightly expensive (this is Shinjuku in Tokyo!)
Strong points: refined French fusion cuisine mainly based on perfect seasonal Japanese products. Rare sake. Superb wines and champagne. Sublime pairings either with Japanese sake or wines.

A simple and exquisite noren/Japanese entrance curtain decorated with its Japanese crest!

I’ve always had the ambition to visit Dominique Corby’s first own restaurant he finally opened on March 19th, 2015 in Tokyo after years spent in some of the top establishments in France and Japan including la Tour d’argent in Paris and memorable stints as the Master Chef de l’école Le Cordon Bleu Japon, Chef at la Tour d’Argent in Tokyo, and Chef du restaurant Sakura de l’hôtel The New Otani. Dominique is not only a chef of enormous repute here in Tokyo and all over Japan but also a true gastronomic monument who is always in search of a new and seasonal produce to add to his already infinite palette, be it vegetable, seafood, meat, fruit or spirit/sake/wine.

For more details about Dominique, check the following website (in French)!

The Man of The House!

In spite of his unnumbered appearances on TV, media and magazines, he has always kept his inborn simplicity and authentic kindness for the utmost pleasure of his clients and friends.
He is never satisfied with his immense knowledge and is always ready to board a plane, train or car to discover new products all along the Japanese archipelago such as the high mountains in Shizuoka in search of real wasabi and green tea, the rugged land of Kochi for its vegetables and a myriad of other locations where his friends, producers, hunters, fishermen or simple citizens, Japanese and foreigners alike, ensure that his kitchen never lacks any ingredient his restaurant is so celebrated for. When you add his rare sake and sublime wines, you nurture the certainty that you will never be disappointed!

Starting the festivities with a flute of Champagne is naturally a must and what would be better than a nectar by R. L. Legias with his own Japanese crest on the label!

Prawn mousse with oba/sort of large perilla leaf!

White Bourgogne, Santenay, Clos des Champs Carafe, by Antoine Olivier!

Namazu/catfish and sawara/Spanish mackerel seared with shio konbu/salted Japanese seaweed!

A glass of rare sake called “Kamenoo Kurabu”!

Created with Kame Sake Rice Grown by five different farmers by Takeno Brewery in Kyoto. Bottled on January 27th 2015. Alcohol: 16 degrees!

Chilled kabocha soup, kurozu/black rice wine, kogashi, ikura and amago trout roe!

White Bourgogne: Domaine de la Bongran, Cuvee E.J. Thevenet by Thevenet & Fils in Quintain, Saone et Loire!

Shark fin chawanmushi/Japanese salted pudding with momiji ororoshi/grated daikon and chili pepper!

A red Bordeaux with an original label sporting a crane made with folded paper in origami style!

90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Bordeaux Origami by Famille Capdevielle Proprietaire!

Sauteed calf liver and ballantine!

Steamed rice and scallops paired with its sake!

Mitake Honten Brewery in Hiroshima Prefecture: Jinriki Kimoto junmai! Jinriki Sake Rice milled down to 85%. Unfiltered. Genshu (no pure water blended in). Bottled on July 16th, 2013!

And the dessert: Nanashi japanese pears, Kyoho grapes, kyoho grapes sherbet, tomadillo on Fromage Blanc Mousse!

Fusion cuisine at its best! A real adventure!

FRENCH KAPPO DOMINIQUE CORBY
(フレンチ割烹ドミニク・コルビ)

160-0007, Tokyo To, Shuinjuku Ku, Araki Cho, 9-7, Nao Building, 1F
〒160-0007 東京都新宿区荒木町９−７ナオビル1階
Google map
Tel.: 03-6457-8899
Opening hours: 18:00~24:00
Dinners until 21:30 (last orders), Wine and a la carte bar until 24:00
Fixed menus at 8,000, 10,000 and 15,000 yen
Reservations highly recommended for dinners. Do make a point to call beforehand!
Holidays: indeterminate (check on the phone, first!)
Credit cards OK

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French Izakaya: Dinner at Kuroneko Tei in Hamamatsu City!

October 5, 2015 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: very friendly and laid-back!
Equipment & Facilities：overall very clean . Excellent washroom
Prices:reasonable~slightly expensive
Strong points：Southern, Italian and ethnic cuisines. All kinds of wine! Mainly local ingredients used.

Akira Fukui is not only a great chef but he supports actively local producers and fishermen by using as many of their products as possible, thus making Kuroneko Tei a very popular place in Hamamatsu City where it is always a good idea to reserve in advance!

Apart of the regular menu make a point to check the additions of the day and eventually have a word with “Fuku Chan# before ordering!

Yesterday was a belatedly late visit and we did eat our full. Now, what did we order?

French Bordeaux white wine to start first of all!

The snack coming with the first drink!

A big salad not feature d on the menu!

Mussels meuniere！

Mochi Ton pork and raw ham millefeuille！

Italian or French, difficult to say, but really delicious!

Red squid sauteed with garlic!

Change of wine with a South African red!

Sri Lankan Curry with whole rice!

Just a little spicy!

Instead of dessert we opted spaghetti with grilled shiradu!

See you there again soon

KURONEKO TEI/くろねこ亭

430-0931 Hamamatsu City, naka Ku, Shinmai Cho, 315-8 (near Shimizu Bank)
Tel: 053-453-9334
Opening hours: 18:00~24:00
Closed on Tuesdays
Credit cards OK
The second floor can be made all on-smoking!

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Desserts, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Gastronomic Photography, Japan

French dessert: Saffron Creme Brulee and Pistachio Ice Cream at Pissenlit in Shizuoka City!

March 6, 2014 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.

Saffron (or saffran, the spice) has the image of a seasoning used in combination dishes such Spanish paella, french Bouillabaisse or Indian rice, but it can also be used for extraordinary, is seemingly simlpl, desserts!

Chef Toru Arima/有馬亨さん at Pissenlit French Restaurant in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City, has come with this original creme brulee, basically vanilla seasoned, with an extra twist: saffron!
Once you have cracked the thick and succulent caramel toppings you will discover a very elegant creme with a mysterious flavor!

Although the concept is French in essence, the home-made pistachio will add another aroma from the Mediterranean and middle East!
Note the fine saffron pistils sprinkled over the ice cream!
A rare treat and surely a discovery!

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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French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Shizuoka City

French Gastronomy: Lunch at Chez Mont-Pierre in Shizuoka City!

February 27, 2014 dragonlife 4 Comments

Service: Very friendly, accommodating and helpful
Equipment & Facilities: Superb cleanliness overall. Extravagant washroom. Entirely non-smoking. Separate room for families with children.
Prices:V ery reasonable considering the quality and generosity
Strong points: High class Classical French gastronomy with a modern and inventive touch. Excellent wine list.

As I said before, Shizuoka City is divided into 3 distinct wards, Aoi Ku, Suruga Ku, and Shimizu Ku. Suruga Ku south of Shizuoka JR Station is rapidly evolving into a gastronomic area to provide for a growing population and palliate for the congested Aoi Ku north of Shizuoka JR Station.

Chef Kenichi Meguro/目黒研一さん at Chez Mont-Pierre is, without a doubt, the reference when it comes to French gastronomy in the whole of Suruga Ku!
It is a bit away from everywhere but they do own a big enough car park!

The two single menus proposed for lunch are very good value and you definitely need to call beforehand to make sure a table is free!

I decided to order the second menu for the sheer curiosity of it!

Classical atmosphere!
But don’t worry, they do not ask guests to overdress for the occasion.
Actually, for all the grand impression one can really relax and enjoy the occasion at ease!

The first appetizer!

Gorgonzola Bavarois/Blanc Manger topped with Spring onion vichyssoise/chilled soup!

Mini hamburger of Hokkaido Lamb, Shizuoka Ameera tomato and corn bread!

Second Appetizer!

Rosemary Brioche, Foie gras, poached quail egg and grilled apple!

Truffles pudding and mushroom puree!

Home-baked bread and high quality butter!

The third appetizer: France meets Japan!

Sauteed Turbo shell and scallops with potato puree in Vermouth sauce!

Finely sliced turbo shellfish!

Scallops!

The potato puree and Vermouth sauce!

A very cleverly conceived seafood pot!

The specialty of the house:
Seasonal steamed vegetables, seasoned with “Sudachi lemon”, vegetable puree topped with a fresh salad. Three dishes in one as it also includes seafood!
All the vegetables are grown in Shizuoka Prefecture!

Another look at the salad!

The seafood made up succulent clams!

The vegetables and vegetables puree!

I opted for the fish as the main course! The meat will be for another visit!

Madai/seabream with vegetables garland and fruit sauce!

The flowers are edible!

The pre-dessert!

Milk pudding and sherry wine jelly!

The first dessert trolley!
But wait for the second coming together!

The second trolley!
This must the best cake trolley choice in the whole Prefecture!
No less than 13 superb home-made cakes!
I suspect that many ladies among my neighbors came for this sole purpose!
Everyone around me seemed to have at least 3 (and more!) cuts on their plate!
But I chose only one.
Actually the waitress guessed my choice!

Tarte Tatin!

Sheer extravagant simplicity!

And coffee as it should be served!

Yes, I did have a glass of wine (white!)!

And don’t forget to check the section of biscuits/cakes on sale at the entrance!

Grand time the Michelin Guide visited Shizuoka!

CHEZ MONT-PIERRE
Chef: Kenichi Meguro/目黒研一さん

422-0836 Shizuoka City, Suruga Ku, Shikiji, 1-5-27
Tel.: 054-236-0255
Opening hours: 11:30~14:00, 17:30~21:00
Closed on Mondays all day & 2nd and 4th Sundays for dinner
Cards OK for dinner only
Private room for 4~8 guests
Parties welcome
Group courses available for 10~22 guests.
Car park available
Entirely non-smoking!
Call beforehand!

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レシピ, 美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Restaurants, Shimada City, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Soba, Tempura, Tourism

Soba & tempura at Setsugekka Restaurant in Shimada City (Spring 2013)!

April 29, 2013 dragonlife 2 Comments

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

Soba and Tempura are two of the most representative foods of the Japanese gastronomy but it is not easy to find a restaurant serving both separately or together with equal skill and quality.
Luckily enough, thanks to an incredible wealth of fresh products, shizuoka boasts some of the best restaurants you could find in Japan.

The other day we thought it was about grand time to visit Shimada and Setsugekka again. Actually, I wouldn’t mind visiting the establishment as they serve only seasonal tempura!
Incidentally as they take their holidays in Hawaii every year they can manage English!

WE always inside the little cozy room by the entrance with a window onto the street!

I ordered the menu with three different soba, all 100% buckwheat.

The soba tofu which comes with the first drink! A real delicacy!

The tray as it is served before the tempura are brought to you one at a time!

The salt!

The grated daikon!

The chopped scallions and grated wasabi for the soba!

Stick senior broccoli and hard mouth sardines tempura!

The fish is also called “shirasu”!

The slender stick senior broccoli!

A beautiful tempura assortment!

Sakura cherry blossoms, cuttlefish and spring onion!

Brussels Sprout and Fukinoto tempura!

Paprika and cauliflower tempura!

Cold yuzu soba!

“Dark” soba!

Plain soba!

The sobayu/soba boiling water to add to the rest of the soba sauce as a soup!

Red grapefruit and fruit for dessert!

looking forward to the next visit in early summer!

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!

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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

レシピ, 美食, 酒, 野菜, 観光, 魚, 魚海の幸, 農業, Fish, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Non-smoking restaurants, Recipes, Restaurants, seafood, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, sushi, Sushi bars, Sushi restaurants., Tourism

Sushi Restaurant: New Concept at Sushi Ko-Miue in Shizuoka City!

April 22, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Very kind and easy-going[
Facilities: Impeachable cleanliness. Superb washroom
Prices: Reasonable to slightly expensive
Strong points: Unusual and happy combination of Sushi and French gastronomies. Shizuoka sake and even shochu!
Entirely non-smoking (extremely rare for a sushi restaurant!)!

Only a few weeks ago Chef Yukitoshi Oda/小田幸寿さん, formerly of Sushi Ko Sushi Restaurant opened this new sushi restaurant in an entirely new concept for Shizuoka: A traditional sushi restaurant combined with a French restaurant!
The establishment is divided into two distinct adjoining parts: a 8-seat sushi bar-counter where customers who are interested in sushi should sit and a room with holes built in the floor to sit easily under low tables where one should sit if he/she wishes to enjoy a combination of both cuisines or only French gastronomy. The kitchens, althoug tiny, are clearly separated and they don’t interfere with each other.
The food, naturally is top-class with a strong accent on local fish and vegetables in particular and of superb freshness. As for drinks, sake, beer, wine and even local shochu are available!

And the icing on the cake, it is totally non-smoking!

To cut a long story short let me show you what we had for dinner the other day, a combination set of both cuisines!

The o-tooshi/snack coming with the first drink: naga-imo/long taro root and hotaru ika/tiny フィレｆｌｙｓくいｄ。

Basashi/馬刺し/horsemeat sashimi coming into two varieties: lean and fat!

The fatty variety.
Served with olive oil and grated garlic!

Sashimi plate: kinmedai/Splendid Alfonsino, hotaruika/firefly squid and madai/true seabream!

Minami magurao/South Pacific tuna, tachiuo/Scabbard fish, sayori/Japanese halfbeak, sakura ebi/cherry shrimp and hotate/scallops!

Nanban-style deep-fried chicken!

Japan and France meeting: maguro oshiri/tuna tail with cabbage, tomatoes and renkon/lotus roots!

the tuna is also minami maguro and sauteed.

Shizuoka City is famous for its succulent lotus roots!

The sushi plate!

Kuruma ebi/large prawn and minami maguro.

Minami maguro and uni/sea urchin! The latter, a creamy beauty!

Hime soba/buckwheat sprouts!

Buri/Japanese Amberjack!

The desserts are also a fusion concept: banana omelette/pancke and vanilla ice cream!

Dekopon oranges with their jelly and sorbet!

You can bet this is only the first (actually second, but it is a secret!) visit!

Sushi o Miue/寿し幸実宇栄
420-0852 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, kooya Machi, 13-6
Tel.: 054-221-3888
Opening hours: 17:30~indeterminate
Closed day not yet decided
Credit cards OK
Entirely non-smoking!

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美食, Desserts, 観光, 魚, 農業, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Fujinomiya City, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism

French Gastronomy: Local products at Restaurant Bio-S in Fujinomiya City!

April 14, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service: Professional, welcoming, very attentive and smiling. Great explanations.
Facilities & Equipment: Extremely clean. Superb separate washrooms.
Prices: Reasonable considering the extravagant quality.
Strong points: Mainly local products including wild vegetables and meat. Vegetables mainly organic and grown by the staff. Menu changing for the most part every two weeks.

MAP (Japanese)

It has been a long time I have wished to visit Restaurant Bio-S in Fujinomiya City at the foot of Mount Fuji although it has been opened only 3 years!

Even in overcast weather it is such a pleasure to work or eat under the benign protection of Mount Fuji!

I finally had the occasion yesterday as I accompanied two new friends of mine, Camille Oger and Julien Morello from Antibes, France, and both journalists on a grand tour of Japan, here above standing on both sides of Mr. Kazuhiro Matsuki/松木一浩, the founder and owner of Bio Farm Matsuki, Restaurant Bio-S, Bio-Deli in Fujinomiya City and Comptoir de Bio-S in Shizuoka City!

Menu posted outside as in France.
Kazuhiro Matsuki, originally from Nagasaki, Kyushu Island, worked for two years (he speaks great French!) at Hotel Nikko, Paris, before he moved to Shizuoka Prefecture (his wife’s family lives in Shizuoka City) in Fujinomiya City to start the cultivation of organic vegetables in 2000. In 2009 he opened Restaurant Bio-s to promote organic cuisine.

Mr. Kazuhiro Matsuki and his young talented chef (also a hunter!) Mr. Yoshinori Kawasaki/川崎芳範 (born in Hyogo Prefecture!)!

The entrance!

A French 2CV Citroen!

With a plate registered in Fujisan/富士山/Mount Fuji!

Bio Farm organic vegetables on sale in the entrance hall!

Mr. Matsuki is famous all over the country, what with the many books he wrote on organic farming and cuisine!

Plenty of explanations!

The table the three of us sat at for a great degustation lunch!

Champagne!
Offered by Mr. Matsuki who wanted to thank us for coming all the way!

Of course vegetables at a premium!
Now, what did we savor?

This sage, mint and rosemary are organic and for decoration, but you are encouraged to taste them!

A finger herb croissant!

Really cute!

The legs of ham are imported from Spain but matured on site!

Mr. Matsuki cut ours in person!

Raw ham on organic greens salad!

From another angle!

Chicken and mushrooms terrine! I did require a lot of patience to take the pictures before I could jump on it!

The chicken comes from Mr. Aoki’s Farm and the mushrooms from Mr. Hasegawa’s Farm, both in Fuji City!

Home-baked walnut bread!

The first fish dish: Iwana/岩魚/Char/Charr/Salvelinus with cress sauce!

The char is bred by Mr. Iwamoto in Fujinomiya City and was lightly smoked before being sauteed/baked!

All the cress was picked in the wild along streams flowing down Mount Fuji!

The second fish dish: Bass with Japanese echalottes!

The bass was caught in Suruga Bay, Shizuoka Prefecture!

The Japanese echalottes baked to a crisp are grown organically in Bio Farm Matsuki!

Before the meat dish we enjoyed a succulent organic carrot potage!

The meat dish: Fujisan Wagyu Beef from Mr. Okamura’s Ranch and organic vegetables from Bio Farm Matsuki!

From another angle for a better view of the vegetables!

They included carrot, Red Moon potato, Broccolini, bamboo shoot, turnip, and daikon!

The piece de resistance: Fujisan Wagyu Beef which was awarded its title as Product of Shizuoka Prefecture in 2006!
No need to go to Kobe! LOL

Before tackling the dessert we refreshed ourselves with this beautiful Suruga Elegant Orange Soup!

We were first shown the main ingredients of the four desserts!

Suruga Elegant Orange Chilled Soup and Mousse topped with Hazelnut Sorbet and dark chocolate chips!

Organic Carrot Creme Brulee topped with Cardamon Sorbet!

Blanc-manger made with Fujinishiki Brewery (Fujinomoiya City) premium daiginjyo sake white lees/sakekasu/酒粕 and kiwi fruit sauce!

Shizuoka Matcha Tea Powder Mousse Cake and Kumquat Sorbet!

We just had enough space for the expresso, tea and mignardises!

Matcha Castella with azuki beans and yuzu macarons!

Before we left with Mr. Matsuki to interview Mr. Okamura in his ranch we had a small tour of the vegetables he grows for the pleasure of his customers!

Carefully nursed before being re-planted!

All lovingly cared for by Mr. Matsuki himself and his farm staff!

Onions!

The restaurant makes a very large use of leafy vegetables!

Broad beans!

I surely intend to come back soon and have a closer look at all the farm plots!

RESTAURANT BIO-S
419-0303 Fujinomiya Shi, Oshikakubo, 939-1
Tel.: 0544-67-0353
Fax: 0544-67-0098
Opening hours: 11:30~14:30, 17:00~20:00
Closed on Tuesday Night and whole Wednesdays
Reservations highly recommended!
Credit Cards OK
Parking for 8 cars
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, 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,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

美食, Desserts, 野菜, 観光, 農業, French Cuisine, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Non-smoking restaurants, Shizuoka, Tourism, vegetables

French Gastronomy: Shizuoka Products at Pissenlit (October 2011)!

November 26, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

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

The Fall in Shizuoka, like in many countries all the world is a time of plenty with food provided by the land and sea overwhelming vegetables, fruit, meat and seafood. It is the time to re-visit your favorite restaurants and chefs and learn so much about new products and techniques!

The board advertizing the B Lunch Menu at a very good value of 2,500 yen convinced me away from work for a while!

Impatiently waiting for the beauties to land on my plate…

Not being able to drink alcohol during my break I opted for the ever delicious home-made ginger ale!

Never mentioned on the menu, Chef Touru Arima always awards your patience with one of his superb amuse!

Hot potage made with organic carrots from Chizen no Chikara Farm!

Mousse made with the leaves of the same carrots on a bed of pureed tomatoes!

The appetizer: Quiche made with lotus roots grown in Asabata, Shizuoka City, small chestnuts and organic spinach with an organic green salad!

Being French, no wonder I’m a sucker for quiche!

Especially when East meets West. Can you see the sliced lotus root?

The entree: Tender and juicy Yuusui　Ton/湧水豚 Pork bred in Gotemba City!

From another angle! The pork was poeleed in mustard sauce.

All vegetables are organic, either from Shizen no Chikara Farm in Shizuoka City or Hirokawa Garden in Mishima City!

Great dessert of the day as usual, but this time it was really special and would deserve an article of its own!

Organic carrot Creme Brulee!

When a great vegetable becomes an unctuous dessert… What more can you ask?

…: hot organic mandarine caramelized with all kinds of nuts!

With nuts inside the mandarine! What painstaking work!

Incidentally I belatedly realized that I started and finished my meal with carrots! To think I hated them when I was a kid…

Finally, coffee served at it should be! With black tea madeleine and jellied orange peel!

Difficult to get better value!

To be followed soon…

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!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

With a Glass,
Clumsyfingers by Xethia
Adventures in Bento Making, American Bento, Beanbento, Bento No1, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box, My Bento Box, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat; Bento Lunch Blog (German); Adventures In Bento; Anna The Red’s Bento Factory; Cooking Cute; Timeless Gourmet; Bento Bug; Ideal Meal; Bentosaurus; Mr. Foodie (London/UK); Ohayo Bento

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Chicken, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Soba, Soba Restaurant, Sugii Brewery, Tourism, vegetables

Soba Restaurant: Soba Sake Kawakatsu

April 24, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

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!

Mototsugu Kawabe/河辺基次, after graduating from the celebrated Kyoto University decided to go back to its roots and help with his parents’ soba shop in Fujieda City. But he did so with a remarkable difference!

Mototsugu and his parents.

First of all, like many young people of his generation, he decided to go “local” as much as possible.

Choose you cup for your sake!

But he went one and two steps ahead: The soba served at the their restaurant are all made with buckwheat he grows himself in Fujieda City!

Yamahai Junmai by Sugii Brewery in Fujieda City!

He also grows most of the vegetables used at their restaurant and all the chicken served there comes from an average of 240 Ikkoku Shamo Chickens, a very valauble species in the whole of Japan, as they also specialize in chicken served with their soba and also in yakitori. He must be a rarity not only in Shizuoka Prefecture but in the whole of Japan for taking the pains of using so many local ingredients!

Japanese and expats alike will grow fond of the place for its traditional Japanese atmosphere!

A bottle bag from Sugii Brewery, Fujieda City! Soba Sake Kawakatsu serves no les than 6 of their brews!

I’m sure you will get tempted to take the bottle out and ask it to be filled!

As it was my first (and certainly not the last!) visit, I knew what to ask for: Ikkokoku Shamo (Chicken) eiro (chicken in stock with large leeks) Soba!

The soba are made with 100% own buckwheat!

One dips his/her soba in the broth and eats the leeks and chicken in between!

The dashi Tamago Yaki/出し卵焼き is made with the eggs of the same chickens!

Beautiful both in looks and taste!
I know quite a few expat friends who would travel all the way for it!

The restaurant serves not only 6 different sake from Sugii Brewery in Fujieda but also 3 different shochu from the same brewery!
The above shochu was made with buckwheat grown by Mr. Kawabe!

Kawakatsu Buckwheat shochu private label bottle!

蕎麦酒　/sobashyu means buckwheat shochu!

An to appreciate and finish my shochu. a beautiful plate of “okamisan no nuka zuke”/vegetables pickled in rice bran by his Mother!

Next time, see you there for dinner!

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

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

野菜, 観光, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Soba, Soba Restaurant, Tourism

Soba Restaurant: Soba No Mi

April 23, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

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

It’s been some time that a lot of friends have advised me to pay a visit to Soba No Mi, one of the most-established soba restaurants in Shizuoka City.
I finally managed to find some time on this afternoon lunch to check on the establishment!

It is a bit small in spite of the large entrance, but it certainly looks authentic!

I love the sober-looking nore/entrance curtain!

Another large noren inside makes for a clever partition between the guests sitting at tables (12) and those sitting on the tatami at the front of the establishment (~8).

The menu was larger than expected, and I chose a favorite I can find in all soba restaurants worth their name: Momioroshi Soba and Tempura.
Notice that all soba are over 95% buckwheat, a pretty high level by any standards!

For lunch (except on Sundays) you will be offered an additional small bowl of rice mixed with buckwheat seeds. Tasty! Of course you will also be served some o-shinko/Japanese pickles.

I do have a rule of the thumb for any soba restaurant worth reporting on: they must at least serve one local sake!
After all, in Edo times people drank sake at soba restaurants!

Masu Ichi, Junmai Ginjyo by Masu Ichi Brewery in Shizuoka City!

The buckwheat noodles were served with colorful buckwheat sprouts/hime soba, and dry seaweed, finely chopped thin leeks, and plenty of momijioroshi/grated daikon mixed with chili pepper.

The tempura consisted of beautifully fresh kogomi/Ostrich fern (sansai/mountain vegetable) and succulent shrimps!
I ate the tempura as it is first (it doesn’t need any seasoning) with the rice. Later I poured the soba sauce into the soba and mixed it with the seaweed, chopped leeks and momijioroshi. I finished my meal by pouring some soba dashi (stock soup) into the leftover soup to drink the lot as a beautiful soup!

Definitely worth a second trip!

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

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

農業, French Cuisine, French Restaurant, Gastronomy, Tourism

French Cuisine: Shizuoka Products at Hana Hana!

April 22, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Very friendly. Slow food
Facilities: Very clean all over. Enormous beautiful washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Classical French/Italian Cuisine of very good value. Good list of wines and Japanese sake. Great lunches!
Non smoking at lunch!
Map

I’ve always been a fan of Hana Hana for the simple reason that they serve top-class French food with an Italian accent at very reasonable prices and in a very casual and friendly atmosphere.
Their lunches are a particularly bargain!

You can either choose from 3 set menus (plates) for up to 1,860 yen (20 US$) or choose three dishes out of a carte menu for 3,000 yen (35 US$).

I chose the latter, although the cold cauliflower cream and consomme jelly were offered for free with that particular menu!

The Missus chose the very generous top plate, but I did have to help her finish it!

As for my “first dish”, I opted for the “country salad” which features local vegetables surrounded with duck, pork pate and fried pork! Lucky I was particularly hungry!

Now, the “second dish” was a Shizuoka Classic: Madai Wasabi Yaki/真鯛山葵焼き/that is grouper caught in Suruga Bay grilled/sauteed with wasabi!
This is a must-try for any visitor to our city!

It naturally came with its small pot of warm and soft wasabi dressing!

Shizuoka Groupers and vegetables are the pick of Japan!

Even the mango pudding dessert had a Shizuoka touch with the strawberries!

The strawberries seemed very comfortable between the two mounds of mango pudding…

〒420-0037Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Hitoyado-cho, 1- 3-12
静岡県静岡市葵区人宿町１丁目３−１２
Tel.: 054-221-0087 ‎
Business hours: 11:30~15:00, 17:30~22:00
Closed on Wednesdays
Credit cards OK

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

野菜, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, vegetables

French Gastronomy: Shizuoka Products at Pissenlit (Spring)

March 6, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

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

I was really starving at lunch yesterday and since Pissenlit is just across the street from my work, I just couldn’t resist the temptation again!
At least it is a clever way to combine work am pleasure as this report will also go to Agrigraph!

Ordering was easy enough, but keep in mind we are talking about slow food. Therefore, I was served the above appetizer made with potatoes and octopus (cooked) to help me wait!

The vegetables dish consisted all of vegetables grwon organically by Mr. Hirokawa in Mishima City!
From bottom to top and right to left:
Stick Senior Broccoli, Beni Kururi Daikon, Black Daikon, Green daikon.
Milano Daikon, Carrot.
Romanesco Cauliflower (called Coral Cauliflower in Japanese), Kooshin Daikon and Ayame Turnip.

For another view.
The dressings were milk mousse and olive oil.

Now that I had satisfied my vegetarian steak, I turned carnivorous with wild boapoele with wine sauce.
A real boar of 35 kg which was hunted in Noda, Shimada City.

For a better view of the vegetables:
Leaf Garlic from Fujieda.
Rape plants, Chrysanthemum leaves, Petit Vert.
May Queen potato Dauphinois. All four vegetables organic and grown by Mr. Hirooka.

And now the dessert.
It deserves some explanations:

The strawberries are (right) Toukun, only grown in Shizuoka (for the moment) and Ookimi (left), only grown in Saga and Shizuoka Prefectures!
They are linked with raspberry sauce
Now, what is that cake?

It is a “biscuit chaud/hot cake) made with Hon Yama Green Tea from Abe River in Shizuoka City!

When you open it you will discover a tender cake inside the crispy outside and tea cream flowing out!
Superb!

And to finish, a great coffee with orange and ginger chocolates!

No, I don’t know yet when I’ll be back! LOL

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

野菜, 農業, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka agricultural products, vegetables

French Gastronomy: Shizuoka Products at Tetsuya Sugimoto (spring 2011)

March 5, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Ranking：
Service: Highly professional and friendly
Equipment: Great overall cleanliness. Beautiful washroom
Prices:~
Strong points:Freshest produce and ingredients only, mainly from Shizuoka Prfecture. Organic vegetables. Seasonal food only
Map (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

As it was my turn to look after Fabian, our new German intern at Agrigraph. I just took the opportunity of waht a talented French chef could create with Shizuoka products, me good friend Testuya Sugimoto at Tetsuya SUGIMOTO Restaurant in Shizuoka City!

Tetsuya was kind enough to take out all his treasures of the fridge for our young guest to discover before he chose the ingredients of the day!

Tetsuya prepared two hors d’oeuvres, the first one being yellow carrot mousse and an organic radish (the leaves were delicious) wrapped into burdock roots flakes (a non-vegan mayonnaise was used as the linking agent).

As for the second hors d’oeuvres he used 3 different types of rape flowers to be combined with

mackerel caught in the Suruga Bay off Yui!
The sauces were a dressing made with raspberry vinegar, while the other was an orange olive oil. The powder is crushed senbei/Japanese rice cracker.

He used the above organic vegetables for our main dish!

The same vegetables cooked and before their sauces were added.
One sauce was a mixture of grain mustard, miso paste and honey, while the other was pistachio oil.

The finished dish:
from bottom, right to left:
Black Daikon, Koushin Daikon, Faabe broad beans, Yacon.
Ayame Yuuki Turnip, Violet carrot, Yellow Turnip, Yellow carrot.
Petit Vert, Red Turnip, Kyoto Carrot, Hinona Turnip.
All cooked to perfection for crispiness and natural taste!

The dessert consisted of a mousse made with brown sugar and rum made from sugar cane grown in Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture, as for the mousse. The caramel sauce was made from the same sugar!

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