Tag Archives: French Restaurants

美食, 観光, French Cuisine, French gastronomy, Gastronomy, Iwata City, Japanese Gastronomy, Tourism, vegetables

French Cuisine: Harmony in Iwata City

May 27, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service: easy-going and friendly
Facilities: good general cleanliness
Prices: reasonable
Strong points: Most of ingredients are local!
Completely non-smoking!

Do not be misled by the somewhat passé look of this Restaurant and Souvenir Shop along a busy thoroughfare and its interior of a past gone.

The decor might be out of date but the food is alive and worth regular visits!

The sign is not easy to miss in any case!

A retro look?
Maybe, but Chef Hiroyuki Adachi is on a mission: he has devoted his life and craft to the local producers, breeders and fishermen and endeavored to make them known to all through his exclusively seasonal menus he offers his guests whoever they are!

Each month witnesses a different lunch course titled according to the flavor or ingredient of the season/month!

Mr. Adachi has little problem finding his ingredients, surrounded as he is by arguably the richest garden in Japan in Iwata City!

A quick walk in the vicinity after lunch (before the next interview) certainly revealed how good food was close by!

Many farmers offer on-field lessons!

Strawberry seedlings being prepared for the next season!

Chef Adachi and a young farmer, Takeshi Ichikawa (my next interview), who supplies sweet corn (beautiful raw!) to the restaurant!

As this was my first visit I opted for the “mini-dinner course lunch” to get a good idea of the food offered at Harmony!

Enormous appetizers plate!

Semi-dried tomato in olive oil and its essence jelly in the small glass beside it!

In between local vegetables octopus and local seared black bass.

Local vegetables and fruit!

The seared black bass from Hamanako!

A very tasty soup of local seasonal vegetables!

Home-made matcha and turmeric bread!

Local “tai”/red grouper in Southern French style with its local vegetables!

For a closer look!

Beautiful local vegetables!

From another angle!
The “white flower” is actually a lily bulb! Delicious!

Enshyuu Mikawa Beef Filet!

Beautiful and so tender steak! Extravagant in Japan!

The steamed local vegetables. Great with the beef sauce!

Very healthy rice mixed with black rice!

And now the local dessert plate!

Natsu mikan orange blanc mange and strawberries!

Japanese-style matcha roll cake!

Now, why is Mr. Adachi’s creme brulee so famous?
The secret lies under the cream!

Iwata tomato sherbet!
Now, this is a creation!

I hope you understand why I’m planning to travel all the way from Shizuoka City again (1 hour by train!)!

HARMONY
438-0831, Shizuoka Ken, Iwata Shi, Kamishinya, 499-1
Tel.: 0538-21-1511
Fax: 0538-21-1515
Business hours: 11:00~14:00, 17:00~21:00
Closed on Mondays, 1st & 3rd Tuesdays
Big parking available
HOMEPAGE

美食, 茶, French gastronomy, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Talk

French Cuisine at Pissenlit: Suruga Beef, Hirokawa Organic Vegetables and Fukumaru Green Tea Tempura!

May 26, 2011 dragonlife 6 Comments

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!

This superb dish conceived by Chef Tooru Arima at Pissenlit in Shizuoka City has a history I actively contributed to!
To make a long story short I spent this morning high in the mountains in Hirano picking the first tea of the year in the fields of Marufuku Tea Factory (details at the end of this article) and I was really starving when I came back downtown at noon. I decided to visit Pissenlit as I had a couple of ideas in mind!

I did enjoy a full meal before and after the main dish but allow me to concentrate on the latter as it is a true Shizuoka Gastronomic experience!
First the beef is fillet of local Suruga Beef raised in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City. It was prepared as a classic French steak with Madeira sauce!

Except for the tea leaves the vegetables come from Hirokawa Organic Garden in Mishima City.
As usual Mr. Arima steamed them to perfection preserving their taste, flavor and crispiness!

Marufuku Tea Factory Organic Tea Fields in Hirano, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City!

Mr. Bunji Itoh grows among others two varieties of green tea organically in altitude (over 800 m.!) up in the mountains of Hirano, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City near the source of the Abe River.
I joined him and his daughter, Asami, to pick up the first leaves of the year (Ichi ban cha)!
While workers were busy cutting the rest of the fields I was invited to hand-pick my own new tea leaves, a great honor if there is one!

I knew how to choose and pick the tender tips like the one shown above.
I found myself with a whole bunch of them. By bunch I mean a bag full of them!
The ideal idea came to my mind (sometimes my brain works in the right direction…): I brought them to Mr. Arima at Pissenlit who was more than glad to obtain the first leaves of the year of authentic organic tea from his own city. There are all kinds of ways that a great chef can accommodate them but probably the best one is tempura!

Tender new tea leaves as tempura is not only a gastronomic experience but you can imagine how difficult it is to get the opportunity to taste such a delicacy reserved to the first day of the first crop of the year!
I very much doubt you can be served it even in the best restaurant in Tokyo!

What’s going to be next…? I already have a clear idea! LOL

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

Marufuku Seishya Co. Ltd. (Mr. Bunji Itoh)
Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Wakamatsu Cho, 25
Tel.: 054-271-2011
Fax: 054-271-2010

Dessert, Desserts, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Gastronomy, Shizuoka

Dessert: Pheasant Eggs Pudding & Soy Sauce Ice Cream at Tetsuya Sugimoto!

May 25, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

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

One reason why Tetsuya Sugimoto is arguably considered as the most remarkable French Cuisine Chef in Shizuoka Prefecture is that he is always exploring new ways and ingredients!
Once again he had the occasion (and obvious pleasure!) to baffle me with his new inventions!

Yes, this pudding was made with pheasant eggs!
And there are not many available during a very short season as there is only one breeder in Shizuoka Prefecture, more precisely in Hamamatsu City!
Tetsuya explained that although the eggs are small their solid texture make them ideal for puddings!

The breeder is called Nakabe Pheasant Farm.
Check their HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

And here are the eggs!

Note that the caramel sauce was made with cane sugar from Kakegawa City, the northernest point for growing sugarcane in Japan!

Yes, this ice cream was made with soy sauce (and vanilla), more precisely soy sauce brewed (it is a real brewing process) by Sakae Co. in Kakegawa City!
I doubt you could find a more local dessert marriage!
Concerning the soy sauce, Testuya told me it was actually fun to combine its salty taste with the sweetness of a vanilla ice-cream!

Expect more very soon!

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
Credit cards OK
ＨＯＭＥＰＡＧＥ

美食, French gastronomy, Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Tourism

French Cuisine: Grill Kuramoto

May 22, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service:A bit shy but friendly
Equipment: Great general cleanliness. Beautiful washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Interesting combination of French and Japanese bistro-style cuisine. Traditional tarts and cakes.
Entirely non-smoking!

Sometimes one wonders how you could define some restaurants in Japan as they very often tend to combine many genres at the same time.
Grill Kuramoto in busy Gofuku-Cho in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City is a typical example!

Unusual for such an establishment it is located on a basement floor, although the stairs are welcoming!

I wish they could serve it on their menu! LOL

The interior concept is a bit unusual too.
If you wish to see chef/owner Tsuyoshi Kuramoto at work, you can sit at the semi-hemispherical counter looking over the kitchen.

Or you can sit at a cozy table, especially when in company. And don’t forget the establishment is entirely non-smoking!

You might need to keep some space for one of their desserts!

I went for lunch for my first visit and I must admit they do have set courses above the average.
The appetizer was carrot and sea urchin mousse with consomme jelly.

Can you see the sea urchin?
Mr. Kuramoto uses local products whenever possible, especially eggs and vegetables.

The second appetizer was a remarkable seafood and vegetable terrine.
The red eggs are flying fish roe.
Very light and tasty!

Typical French Bistro fare!

The main diush was definitely a Japanese bistro offering: “omu rasiu/rice omelette”!
If you sit at the counter you will be able to pick up Ｍr. Kuramoto’s tricks!

The omelette is perfectly cooked outside.

But the omelette is very light and almost runny under its firm outside.
The rice reminiscent of paella inside makes it a very interesting dish!

Creme brulee for dessert!

Creme brulee has become integral part of Japanese gastronomy these days, and this particular one is a proof ot the Japanese chefs’ mastery!

Real cream and real sugar with coffee (important)!
Will have to check their dinner soon!

Grill-Kuraramoto
420-0081 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Gofuku-cho, 2-5-17
Tel.: 054-255-3090
Business hours: 11:30^14:00, 17:30~20:00
Closed on Wednesdays and 3rd Tuesday
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

美食, Dessert, 農業, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Gastronomy, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Tourism, vegetables

French Cuisine: Shizuoka Agricultural Products by Ms. Keiko Kubota at Gentil!

May 13, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Ranking：
Service: very professional
Facilities: Very clean, superb facilities.
Prices:~ Slightly expensive to expensive
Strong points: Beautiful and fresh ingredients presented and combined to perfection. Local ingredients whenever possible. Superb wine list. The best cheese trays in Japan! Everything thoroughly and kindly explained!
Map
Non-smoking at tables (bar’s smoke does not reach tables)!

Things have been moving recently at Gentil, The oldest French Restaurant in Shizuoka (founded in 1964!)!
The chef having had to leave due to his wife’s conditions, Ms. Keiko Kubota, the only Japanese Compagnon d’Honneur du Guilde des Fromagers (フランス熟成士の組合ギルドデフロマージュからコンパニオンドヌール), decided it was time to take things in her own hands. With the help of an able apprentice (the whole staff is feminine!) she has taken the reins of the kitchen to propose a very healthy and sophisticated gastronomy based on local products.
She is coming with all kinds of refreshing ideas I plan to report on in earnest.
Let’s start with the “quick” lunch I had the other day!

Have a look at the appetizers’ plate above before you read the explanations!

Kokabu/small turnip soup made with the whole vegetable inclusding its leaves.
This kokabu is grown by Mr. Muramatsu in Fujieda City!

Left: kochi/鯒/Sand Borer Flathead sashimi in carpaccio style and kasago/瘡魚/False kelpfish; Marbled rockfish in escabeche style.
The fish were both caught in Suruga Bay and the vegetables as well as those below were grown by Mr. Tanabe in Hamamatsu City!

Zucchini and cress roll, red daikon/koshin daikon/紅芯大根 over roasted ham from Mr. Kuwahara in Fujinomiya City. Actually the raw ham was purchased from Mr. Kuwahar before being processed by Mochizuki in Ikawa.
How about that for traceability!

This chicken called “Jidori/地鶏/ raised by Mr. Aoki in Fujinomiya City was first processed in Japanese-style “nanbanzuke” before being sauteed to perfection.

For a better look of the chicken and the fresh vegetables!

The whole was topped with thin slices of old Mimolette chesse for a superlative mariage of savors (don’t forget this THE PLACE for chees in the whole Prefecture if not in the whole country!)!

The dessert tray!

This sorbet was conceived with “Ibupiacce” roses grown in Shimada City!

Shizuoka Matcha pound Cake!

Panacotta made with coconuts milk and milk, sorbet made with Shizuoka-grown strawberries and a little “ai/for love” biscuit!

Ms. Kubota told me she expects me in June for experiments with cheese and local products!
You bet I will come!

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

美食, Dessert, 野菜, 観光, French gastronomy, Gastronomy, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Tourism, vegetables

French Cuisine: Veal and Macha Creme Brulee at Pissenlit!

May 9, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Time to visit one the very best French restaurants in Shizuoka Prefecture: Pissenlit!
In this particular case I just barged in on Sunday for lunch and looked at the specialties of the day board!

For once I couldn’t drink alcohol and opted for Chef Arima’s delicious ginger ale made with real ginger roots!

To help me wait for my order (after all, all good food is slow food!) I was offered rillettes made with wild boar hunted in Noda, Shimada City! I could have ordered it!LOL

The appetizer was a delicious salad of udo and bamboo shoots. They had been lightly steamed/boiled before being served with a succulent vinaigrette. Udo/Aralia Cordata is a kind of sansai/山菜/Wild mountain vegetables. This particular one was found up Abe River in Shizuoka City. The bamboo is also grown in Shizuoka Prefecture.

A vegetarian delight!

And now for the main dish: veal!
Veal is not easy to find bred in Japan and even more difficult bred in Shizuoka Prefecture!
This extravagant meat comes from a one-month old 120 kg calf bred in natural environment with its herd.
Chef Arima shared half it with Matsuki Bio Farm’s Restaurant in Fujinomiya City where the calf hed been raised.

The veal was pan-fried/oven-roasted before being seasoned with a beautifully soft Dijon mustard seed sauce. The perfect marriage!

It was presented atop an extraordinary pancake made with potatoes/seri (セリ/Chinese celery or Japanese parsley) and cheese! I garantee you that pancake alone is worth ordering!

As usual the vegetables were all organic from Hirokawa Garden in Mishima City!

I never tire of looking at (and tasting) them!

Always cooked to perfection for maximum enjoynment of their true savors and tastes!

The veal is a beautiful pink with juices oozing instead of the unhealthy dry white samples imported to this country!

And now a real Shizuoka dessert: matcha creme brulee!

Shizuoka-grown Benihoppe/Red Cheeks strawberries!

It is just a pleasure to crack the caramel open and to delve into the cream below!

And the more you delve, the more matcha!

To be continued…

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Shizuoka Agricultural Products from the Producer to the Gastronomic Table: Suruga Shamo Chicken at Sunmario

February 23, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Suruga Shamo Chicken has not only become a famous agricultural product from Shizuoka but it is also celebrated beyond the borders of our Prefecture.
It is considered a high class delicacy with the consequent price.
Only 5 farmers produce it in Shzuoka Prefecture, in the cities of Fujinomiya, Shizuoka and Kikugawa, most of the time in high altitude in a very natural environment.
It is a hybrid from Black Shamo and other upscale breeds.
As a comparison, Shizuoka Prefecture produced 5,570,000 “broiler chickens”, but only 8,550 Suruga Shamo chikens!

Sunmario Restaurant

In spite of the small numbers, no less than 41 restaurants in Shizuoka Prefecture feature it on their menus!
It is also sold and processed by 8 companies in Shizuoka Prefecture and Tokyo.
There is also an Association of Suruga Shamo Chicken Lovers and no less than 55 guests crowded into Sunmario to enjoy a full Suruga Shamo menu on February 22nd!

The guests were coming from all parts of the Shizuoka Prefecture and represented all kinds of businesses including restauration, large industries, government bureaus and the mass media. No less than 2 representatives from Agrigraph Japan were present!

The Menu!
Now, what did we enjoy?

Poached egg in Onsen/ot Spring fashion with Suruga Shamo Chicken confit salad.

The tidbits including Suruga Shamo liver paste to help you wait!

Suruga Shamo Chicken Consomme with Shizuoka Vegetables.

Sole poele/sauteed from Yui, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City and Shizuoka mushrooms and Chinese cabbage Cream.

Suruga Shamo Chicken in Coq au Vin fashion.

Shizuoka Matcha Tea Creme Brulee with Shizuoka Bioran Eggs (Endo, Aoi Ku) and Sakura tuiles.
Sorry for the fuzzy picture. I had toe eat, report and talk to dozens of people all at the same time! LOL

Shizuoka Prefecture Suruga Shamo Lovers Association
Shizuoka City, Shimizu Ku, Tenosei, 2-19
Tel./fax: 054-365-6114
HOMEPAGE

Sunmario
Shizuoka City, Suruga Ku, Toro, 2-14-26
Tel.: 054-654-3060
Fax: 054-654-3067
HOMEPAGE

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Strawberries: From the Shizuoka Producer to the Gastronomic Table: Gentil!

January 31, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

Ms. Keiko Kubota/久保田敬子 at Gentil Restaurant

Toukun Strawberries

Yesterday I visited my good friend, Ms. Keiko Kubota, Maître D’Hôte at Gentil/ジャンテイ・レストラン, the oldest French Restaurant in Town and probably Prefecture.
I do not need to introduce this extremely talented lady who has attained national and international fame as the only Japanese Compagnon d’Honneur du Guilde des Fromagers (フランス熟成士の組合ギルドデフロマージュからコンパニオンドヌール)!
The reason for my sudden visit was to introduce her to new strawberries that have just been created in Shizuoka Prefecture, namely Ookimi/おおきみ and Toukun/桃薫 produced by an association of 6 farmers in Yaizu and Fujieda Cities.
Not only did I introduce her to these beauties, but I also challenged her to create (with her chef) a couple of gastronomic delights!

Sautéed Foie Gras with Toukun strawberries, fried and glazed Toukun Strawberry, Foie Gras Mousse on Aromatic Herbs Tile and Toukun Strawberry Jelly!

Now, for the explanations!

The foie gras was sautéed as it is (its own fat is enough) with a little salt and pepper and served with slices of one half Toukun strawberry.

The other half of the Toukun strawberry was lightly fried and glazed in its own natural sugar.
The leftover juices of the strawberry were combined with those of the foie gras with a little Madeira wine for a perfect sauce!
Great balance between relatively acid strawberries and strong-flavored foie gras!

A tile (タイル) perfumed with aromatic herbs, arching above some cress, was then topped with foie gras mousse decorated with jelly made from the same strawberry!

Ookimi Strawberries

An Ookimi strawberry Farandole (ファランドル)!

Farandole is a dance from the South of France, meaning that all participants join hands in a dancing circle.

The Ookimi strawberries were delicately cut and placed in a circle with small balls of ice cream and sorbet in their centre.

Can you guess the ice creams and sorbets?
Strawberry, Vanilla, Yoghurt and Panacotta!
All elegance!
The perfect dessert for ladies?

I don’t have to tell that I’m also looking forward to Ms. Kubota’s creations with other Shizuoka products I will bring her soon!

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French Cuisine: Shizuoka Products at Pissenlit (end of 2010)

January 2, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

Pheasant/Kiji/雉 rasied by Mr. Horiuchi/堀内 in Enshyu/遠州 and organic vegetables by Mr. Hirooka/広岡 in Mishima City/三島市

Mr. Touru Arima/有馬亨 has written his name all over the Prefecture for his extensive use of Shizuoka products. I have already introduced him many a time, so I will keep things easy this time as I intend only to publish and comment on photographs I took recently at his famed restaurant, Pisssenlit in Shizuoka City!

Here is the other side of the top picture showing the organic vegetables grown by mr. Hirooka In Mishima City.
The sauce is basically a cognac brandy cream sauce. The flesh of the pheasant was so tender and superlative!

This three-colored vegetable terrine was made with organic carrots and spinach and non-organic mushrooms, all from Shizuoka Prefecture!
Healthy and so tasty!

Anago/Conger Eel/穴子 terrine.
The conger eel are from Shizuoka Prefecture as well the the lettuce and tomatoes. The whole terrine was wrapped into Italian pancetta bacon. A east and West marriage?

Ezo Shika/Venison from Hokkaido/エゾ鹿 in wine sauce and organic vegetables.
Although the succulent Ezo Shika/venison was from the island of Hokkaido and the was was mainly made with red wine from France, the vegetables are all organic vegetables by Mr. Hirooka in Mishima City!

For a better view of the organic vegetables!

Usuiton Pork/湧水豚 from Fujinomiya City/富士宮市 roasted in Dijon Mustard with Cheese and organic vegetables.
Shizuoka Prefecture is becoming famous for some truly extravagant pork. I already have tasted at least 3 kinds of prime pork produced in the Prefecture!

Organic vegetables Pasta!
Although Mr. Arima’s cuisine is basically French, this Italian-inpsired pasta in cream sauce with a host of beautiful organic vegetables has become a specialty of his!

Don’t worry, this is far from being the end!

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French Desserts at Pissenlit

November 17, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

I do not need to introduce Pissenlit, one of the very best French restaurants in the whole Shizuoka Prefecture.
As I often go there, alone, with the Missus or friends, I find it more practical to introduce Tooru Arima’s creations as a group!
This time I would like to introduce you to some of his recent desserts!

Let’s start with the first one (Top picture repeated!):
La France Pear Compote on Vanilla Ice-cream and Creme Brulee.
The pear had been compoted beforehand and kept in the fridge.
It was placed on a portion of home-made vanilla ice-cream.
The whole was covered and surrounded with a light creme anglaise/custard which was then “brulee” with a gas burner. Some glazing sugar and mint were added to the fear as a finishing point!
Succulent and lighter than it looks!

Coffee Creme Brulee.

The dreme/pudding contained a lot of strong mocha coffee for the perfect mariage. The creme was brulee until its srface was thick and crackling.
Served with fresh figs, it almost looked like a chocolate cream.
As usual lighter than usual and a treat you never tires of. Of course served with a high-quality coffee!

Roasted Figs with Vanilla Ice Cream and Roquefort Blue Cheese Cream.

Now, this was quite a discovery!
The sweet taste of the roasted (Shizuoka-grown) figs was counterbalanced in two gradual ways: first the vanilla ice-cream (light as usual) will bring you down a little from the sweet plane onto the salted and sweet plane formed by the Roqufort cheese mixed into a light cream!
An experience!

Caramel Flan/Pudding with Fruits and Vegetables Sorbets.

A seemingly simple dessert until you discover than sorbets are made with vegetables, spinach and tomato! The fruit are persimmon, pione grapes and two small fruits I don’t have a clue about (sorry,I’ll check during my next visit!).
Incidentally the caramel pudding is firm, sweet to the right point and the caramel sauce a beauty!

looking forward to the next ones!

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Matsutake Mushrooms and Conger Eel Fritters at Pissenlit

August 20, 2010 dragonlife 6 Comments

If celebrated chefs like Dominique Corby at 6eme Sens in Tokyo (1 Michelin Star and a regular on TV’s) say that Tooru Arima at Pissenlit is a chef is worth the trip all the way don to Shizuoka City, there is little else I can say except paying a regular visit to the establishment!

The cuisine at Pissenlit is always seasonal as his Matsutake Mushrooms and Conger Eel Fritters/Beignets de Matsutake et de Congre.
Matsutake Mushrooms have just appeared on the market, and he announced them as Haya matsutake/早松茸/early matsutake.
Frankly speaking i don’t have a real clue as to the order of the cooking, although I suspect it was done allat one time (maybe not for the mushroom, though) but it is certainly a small tour de force.

Thin strips of congre eel/anago/穴子 were rolled around matsutake mushroom and dipped in a thickish batter. The way of serving it was also a little piece of art.
The batter was solid and slightly crispy, more like a cake than a fritter batter.
The dressing made of olive oil, river weeds extract and matsutake juice was sublime and I cerainly didn’t leave a drop (sponged in a little nread…).
I left the plate absolutely clean!

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Fromage Creme Brulee at Pissenlit

August 18, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Some desserts are classics wherever you find yourself in the world.
Creme brulee is one of them.
Thinking that it means “burnt cream” in French, one would be excused to question the naming of such a good and simple (in concept) dessert!
Many French restaurants are judged through the way handle so-called easy classics, especially terrines and pates for appetizers and creme brulee for dessert as they often tend to leave a lasting image as the first and last dish of a superb meal!

Whatever their simplicity, they cannot be served with a sophisticated touch.
This is where chefs like Tooru Arima are above the crowds.
The creme brulee comes with a spoon of passion fruit for extra seasoning and a small fruit salad for more decoration and a lightened dessert.

The creme is based on a pudding/custard made with fromage blanc and eggs of the best quality into an unctuous blend under a solid caramel you dleight into breaking after you have smeared it with the passion fruit!

Who said one would kill for such desserts! LOL

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French Cuisine: Shizuoka Organic Tomato Appetizer at Pissenlit

July 31, 2010 dragonlife 4 Comments

As mentioned before, Shizuoka Prefecture is famous all over the country for its tomatoes, especially organic and sweet.
These turn easily into real fruit (as they should be), and I just don’t count how many I eat back home just to refresh myself!

Mr. Tooru Arima had finally announced on his menu board outside his restaurant that he received those great sweet tomatoes gron by Mr. Ishitani In Hamamatsu City!

It was very easy to convince the Missus to sample them!

The dish we were served could be classified under many appellations as it could be considered as an apetizer, a salad or even a dえssert.

Mr. Arima placed quarters of tomatoes around the centre surmounted with mozarella slices and organic greens and basil pesto.
The vinigrette was more a kind of gaspacho made of fine olive oil, juice/coulis for the tomatoes and other seasoning!

The whole concept became very interesting with (same) tomato jelly in the very centre, soft and light, with a topping of (same) omato sherbet!

The perfect appetizer for thirsty customers in scorching summer!

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French Cuisine: Summer Lunch at Pissenlit (2010)

July 21, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

The weather has turned from hot to scalding and it has become increasingly a real challenge for all restaurants to serve lunches both light, tasty and healthy to ever demanding clienteles (especially when considering that most customers then are ladies spending their husbands’ wages!)!

I though it was about time I sampled what the ladies enjoyed at Pissenlit, one of the best French restaurants in the whole Prefecture (~4,000,000 souls)
The appetizer above was a bit of a puzzle: Ripe Peach Chilled Soup (Vychissoise)
The soup itself was prepared with ripe peaches, vehetables consomme added with milk and fresh cream and a simple seasoning of salt and pepper.
It came topped with a sherbet made with the smae peach.
Very refreshing summer appetizer! I seemed to be caught between sweet and slightly salty notes all the time…

The next appetizer was not on themenu actuallly.
It is a terrine of “ayu/鮎”. a small indiineous (Japanese) trout-like fish coming with the grand Latin name of Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis. It is a very popular fish with river (it also swims in nearby seas) anglers.

It is also called Sweetfish.
As a terrine it a rare treat indeed. The whole fish, head and tail was used.

The dressing is also a rarity as it is concocted with “tade/蓼” or water pepper, vinegar and olive oil.
Why do I feel so spoiled? LOL

I chose a fish for the main dish. Definitely lighter on the system.
The fish from Sagara in Shizuoka Prefecture is called “kochi/鯒”.

It is also called “Sand Borer”. It is typical fish of Shizuoka Prefecture although it can found in other Japanese water.
It is a slightly extravagant fish to order. It is both appreciated raw and cooked, so you can imagine the compeptition between restaurants!

An “end view” of the fish.

It was roasted and later seasoned with a red wine sauce. The meat has definite bite for a white-fleshed fish that would please even meat eaters!

From a different angle for a better view of the vegetables.

The vegetables were bBack Cabbage, Baby Corn, Violet Carrot, Romanesco Cauliflower (in Japanese sango/coral cauliflower), Morroko Ingen/Morrocan String Beans, all organic from Hirooka Garden in Mishima City, as well as more carrot and Chinese greens.
The perfect (and healthy) balance!

I just couldn’t resist some cheese for dessert and consequently brought the whole healthy balance to nothing!LOL

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French Cuisine: Shizuoka Products at SUGIMOTO TETSUYA-Part 4 (Dessert: Fried Watermelon and Green Tea Ice Cream)

July 18, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

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!

If you happen to visit Shizuoka City, you will find many restaurants and izakayas serving and mainly using produce/products and ingredients from Shizuoka Prefecture. There are many treasures to be discovered in this hoard!
one of them is the French restaurant going by the name of Sugimoto Tetsuya!

If you can read Japanese you will know what is waiting for you inside!
A gastronomic paradise in Shizuoka Prefecture!
Mr. Sugimoto does everything by himself: chef, waiter and entertainer! This is real slow food in its true and best meaning!
Almost all ingredients are from Shizuoka Prefecture, be they vegetables, fruit, meat or fish!
But his specialty is organic vegetables from Shizuoka Prefecture!
I requested that this menu feature only produce for Shizuoka Prefecture only.
Since it has turned into a fairly long meal to explain I go about it dish by dish. This is the last part (at last): Dessert! An evry unusual one!

Tetsuya Sugimoto cut out a rectangular piece out a Shizuoka-grown watermelon and fried it on both sides on a lttle oil.
Now, who would have thought of that?!

He placed the hot watermelon on a rectangular plate and seasoned it with vicotto sauce (alright, not for Shizuoka!LOL)

He then put some vanilla (of course not from Shizuoka, but the ice-cream is home-made!) with the idea that it will melt quickly and will become a second seasoning.

On top he placed a large portion of ice cream he made with “Hon-yama” green tea (not matcha), probably the most famous brand of green tea in Shizuoka Prefecture (45% of the total Japanese production!).
He put the finishing touch with fresh leaves of Shizuoka-grown organic mint!

The combination of warm and crunchy watermelon with the unctuosity is the ice cream is difficult to describe as at least four kinds of taste stimulate your palate!

A must try recipe!

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
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