Tag Archives: Gastronomes

美食, Eggplants, 野菜, 茄子, 農業, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine

Vegan Japanese Recipe: Eggplants Pan-fried with Basil and Amazu!

July 18, 2012 dragonlife 8 Comments

Eggplants or Aubergines or Nasu/茄子 in Japanese are a very popular vegetable in Japan whose people have many recipes of their own that would satisfy many vegans and vegetarians worldwide.
These recipes are simple and the ingredients should be easy to obtain!
The present recipe is a bit of a crossover between Asia and Europe!
Amazu/甘酢 means sweet Japanese rice vinegar! If you don’t have any use rice vinegar and some honey!

Eggplants Pan-fried with Basil and Amazu/Nasu to Bajiru no Amazu Itame/茄子とバジルの甘酢炒め！

INGREDIENTS: (for 4 people)

Eggplants/Aubergines: 4
Rice vinegar: 30 cc(1/6 of a cup)
Cane sugar: 1 tablespoon
(If you use amazu, count 40 cc~1/4 of a cup)
Salt: 1/2 teaspoon
Olive oil: 50cc (1/4 of a cup)
Basil leaves : 5~6 large leaves

RECIPE:

Cut all the eggplants in bite size pieces and fry in olive oil on a low~medium fire.

Fry eggplants until they have softened completely.
Add salt, rice vinegar and cane sugar (or amazu) and keep stirring and frying until juices have completely evaporated.

Once the eggplants have attained a stewed aspect, switch off fire, add finley chopped basil and mix.
Serve hot. Great atop freshly steamed rice!

You can also let it cool down and chill it inside refrigerator for a nice snack to accompany beer!

Once again, so simple!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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, 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!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

美食, 野菜, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine

Vegan Japanese Recipe: Eggplants with Sesame and Soy Sauce!

July 17, 2012 dragonlife 10 Comments

Eggplants in sesame and soy sauce/Nasu No Goma Shouyuu Abura Ae/なすのごま油醤油あえ

INGREDIENTS (for 2 people)

Eggplants: 4 comparatively small
Cornstarch: 2 teaspoons

For the sauce/tare/タレ:
Sesame oil: 1 teaspoon
Rice vinegar: 2 teaspoons
Soy sauce; 2 teaspoons
Leek (finely chopped): 1/4
Chili pepper powder: as appropriate

RECIPE

Peel the eggplants with a peeler

Coat the eggplants with cornstrach.
Steam the eggplants in a steamer or cover the dish with cellophane paper and cook in the microwave oven for 5 minutes.

Mix all the sauce/tare ingredients well in a bowl.

Puncture the eggplants with a thin fork or toothpick.
Leave the eggplants in the sauce bowl.
Turn the eggplants in the sauce well to let them absorb it as much as possible.
Serve lukewrm or at room temperature.

Easy, isn’t it?

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レシピ, 美食, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Summer Italian Truffles at Soloio in Shizuoka City!

July 15, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

Service: Pro and very friendly
Equipment & Facilities: Great overall cleanliness and superb washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Fresh local ingredients whenever possible. Both traditional and inventive Italian cuisine. Good wine list at moderate prices. Open late!

Summer is a great season when it comes to mushrooms!
No wonder that Solio is offering Italian Summer Truffles on its menu, and this at a very reasonable price!

They were clearly stated on the seasonal carte inserted inside the regular menu!

Proud Chef Takehiko Katoh/加藤武彦 and Sommelier Mieko Ozawa/小澤美恵子!

But before we sampled these beautiful black jewels there were other morsels to take care of to satisfy our appetites!

Tuna tartare!

So light and so succulent! Heavens for any fish lover!

Solio has a constant array of anitpasti you can’t escape from: Shrimps and octopus!

And so elegantly served!

On a bed of superb carpaccio of sole!

Beautiful octopus!

By then it was time to indulge in the truffles!

On white asparaguses!

Solio serves simply the best rizotto in the Prefecture!

Extravagant Summer Truffles risotto!

For once we skipped dessert and finished with coffee…

Actually, the home-made crostini made for a nice little dessert! LOL

To be continued…

SOLOIO
420-0858 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tenmacho, 9-7, Kita, 1
Tel./fax: 054-260-4637
Business hours: 16:00~24:00
Closed on Monday
Credit cards OK
Private parties welcome!
Smoking allowed BUT Non-smoking until 20:00 everyday!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Chicken, 焼き鳥, 美食, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Kushiyaki, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism, Yakitori, 串焼き

Yakitori-Kushiyaki Restaurant: Kushiyaki Taisho in Shizuoka City!

July 15, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service: Very friendly
Facilities & Equipment: Great overall cleanliness
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: great variety of yakitori, kushiyaki and other izakaya-style food. Good drinks menu including local sake and wine.

Kazuo Kawasumi/川澄一雄さん is a very enterprising businessman. After opening his first two restaurants in Kofu City and Hiratsuka City, he just started his third restaurant in busy Koya-machi in Shizuoka City and is already planning to open his fourth and last one all for himself in Shimada City after having made sure his family members are taking proper care of his establishments!

The entrance is unusual for a Kushiyaki-Yakitori Restaurant! You might be excused if you mistook it for a Chinese restaurant!

it opens at 4 in the afternoon and you will be offered a complimentary glass of beer if you enter the place before 6 o’clock!

The inside decoration is in complete contrast with the outside, showing the owner’s love for the sea!

Actually, Kazuo San does manage English so don’t worry if you can’t read the menu!

Ordering sets of 5, 10 or 20 sticks can become a good bargain!

The MOH at work, always with a smile!

Great sake available as this Garyubai by Sanwa Brewery in Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City!

Let me introduce what we sampled on that day!
Kawa negi/Chicken skin and chopped leeks.

Plenty of side dishes are on offer such as kimchi!

Sasami mentaiko (for the Missus!)/chicken fillets seasoned with spicy cod eggs.

Hon-jiri/Chicken derrieres!

Ninniku bekon/Garlic stems wrapped in bacon.

The specialty of the house: Tsukune! Minced chicken sticks!

Chicken liver in tare sauce (for me!).

Vegetables and deep-fried wantan salad.

Ebi Harumaki age/Deep-fried shrimps spring rolls!

Sasami wasabi/Chicken fillets seasoned with grated wasabi sauce!

Yakitroi/plain but beautiful chicken!

To be followed… So many more morsels to sample!

KUSHIYAKI TAISHO/串焼大将
Shizuoka CityAoi Ku, Koya Machi, 4-27, Morikawa Bldg. 1F
Tel.: 054-255-3543
Opening hours: 16:00~24:00
HOMEPAGE

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美食, 酒, 野菜, 観光, 魚海の幸, 農業, Fish, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Japanese Traditional Gastronomy: Jisaku Restaurant in Shizuoka City!

July 13, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Very friendly and attentive
Equipment & Facilities: Overall very clean. Superb bathroom
Prices: Expensive but still good quality/price ratio
Strong Points: Authentic Japanese traditional gastronomy. Rich sake and wine list. All the water used comes from own well. Main room entirely non-smoking. Smoking only allowed in efficiently separated rooms!

I sometimes wonder if I will ever be able to visit all the traditional Japanese restaurants in Shizuoka Prefecture or even in Shizuoka City!
Most do not advertise themselves much as their clientele is definitely upper-class with the understanding that most bills are footed by companies as executive expenses!

Even the traditional entrance will not tell you much as the privacy of the guests is of utmost importance!

At least the sign is obvious in its simplicity: 日本料理/Nihon Ryouri/Japanese Gastronomy!
Mind you, the wine served there is French!

Once inside you find yourself in a true Japanese surrounding and atmosphere!

I definitely recommend any connoisseur to ask for a seat at the counter in the blessedly non-smoking main room where you can observe the chef at work and admire the products!

The unobtrusive non-smoking sign at the counter!

The sake (many local brands available!) is served in carefully chosen earthenware flasks and cups!

A new menu is brush-written everyday, but don’t worry the owners are very kind people who will explain everything with a smile!

Young chef Mitsuru Nanjyou/南條満at work!

This is a family Nanjyou/南條 affair with young and talented Mitsuru/満 san preparing the food, graceful daughter Atsuko/温子 san under the eyes of smiling mother Sumiko/澄子 san!
Was it not for the superb quality of the food, one could easily think himself/herself in a traditional Japanese home!

You know that ladies are at work there as the place is absolutely spotless clean in spite of its (modern age) 40 years of history!
Incidentally, they still exclusively use water from their own well dug deep in the earth!

As it was my first visit I had a bit of a hard time choosing among the many beauties written on the menu!
But I certainly had no problem ordering one specialty which has made the place famous!

Goma dofu/胡麻豆腐/tofu made with sesame seeds (very hard work!) served with freshly grated wasabi!

Naturally, the next order was sashimi!

Aji/鯵/Horse Mackerel (front), Hirame/平目/Sole and Katuso/鰹/Bonito with grated wasabi, ginger, chopped thin leeks and shiso flowers!

Now, what are these?

Cherry tomatoes in Japanese or tomadillos in English. So sweet!

Now, what was next?

Amadai sakamushi/甘鯛鮭むし/Amadai seabream steamed in sake!

Served with tofu and vegetables! True Japanese traditional cuisine!
So light, tasty and healthy!

And served in such beautiful earthenware!

The Amadai/Amadai Seabream, an extravagant fish even in Japan!

Aka Karei Karaage/赤鰈唐揚げ/Deep-fried Red Turbot!

They naturally serve meat too, but for once I found it a great idea to keep to fish, so superb it all was!

Except for the bigger bones all was scrumptious and disappeared! Fish at its very best!

Gastronomy to please Westerners and Japanese alike!

Instead of dessert I ordered an extravagant Chazuke: Tai Goma Chazuke/鯛ごま茶漬け/Tea poured over a bowl of rice and sea bream!

Probably the most famous comfort food in Japan turned into a supreme dish!

Actually, I was coesced into dessert: home-made youkan/羊羹/sweetmeat jelly, another so traditional dish in Japan!

To be continued…

JISAKU/治作
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Showa Cho, 1-1
Tel.: 054-252-2021
Opening hours: 17:30~21:00
Closed on Sundays, National Holidays and First Monday of the Month
Reservations recommended!
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
Cards OK
Main room non-smoking!

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Must-see tasting websites:

焼そば, 美食, 観光, 農業, Food, Fujinomiya City, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism, Yakisoba, 富士宮市

Yakisoba: Fujinomiya Yakisoba makes its Italian Debut at Event in Rome!

July 12, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

Add the sauce: A Japanese cook makes “Fujinomiya yakisoba” pan-fried noodles at a special event in Rome on Tuesday.

Roma
Kyodo
Article appeared on the Japan Times on Wednesday. July, 11th

Popular pan-fried noodles known as “Fujinomiya yakisoba” made their debut in Italy on Monday when they were served during a Japan-related event in Rome for local people and Japanese expatriates.

It was the third time the noodle dish from the city of Fujinomiya in Shizuoka Prefecture has been promoted overseas, following events in New York last August and in Seattle in April.

“I had been saying half-jokingly that it would be good if we could introduce it in the home of pasta, and the dream has come true as we have been urged by the Japanese Embassy in Italy to do so,” said Hidehiko Watanabe, 53, head of a citizens’ group promoting the dish.

The party endured an anxious wait for the noodles to arrive from Jpan on the day of the event, as Italy is known for its stringent customs clearance regulations for food products.

A local reporter said Italians will enjoy the noodles even though they are totally different from pasta, while a 46-year-old civil servant thought the flavor should be changed somewhat as sweet sauces in general are unpalatable to Italians, although she said she enjoyed the noodles.

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Barbecue, bbq, 牛肉, 美食, 酒, 野菜, 静岡市, 観光, 魚, 豚肉, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

B.B.Q. Gastronomy in Shizuoka City!

July 9, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

The notion of a B.B.Q./barbecue in Japan is slightly different from that encountered in Western countries.
It is certainly organized with more precision and good service in mind!

Team Kumagusu is a group of like-minded chefs and friends who endeavor to promote the products of Shizuoka through different events. This particular B.B.Q., in its third edition, is the culmination of their efforts.
The number of participants (more than 60 this year!) meant that they had to change the locality of the B.B.Q. for need of more space.

SATO is a space owned by a local timber and architecture company up in the mountains in Ashikubo, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City.
It can easily cater up to 100 people with great outdoors facilities complete with washroom and shower!

They even have wooden lodges for kid’s play!

A view of the company workplace.

Smokers are invited to indulge in their habit far away from the crowd!

First of all let me introduce the characters behind the event by starting with Team Kumagusu’s leader, Kenya Yoshimura/吉村健也, owner/chef of Uzu Izakaya!

Takahiro Nagashima/長島孝博 (and his wife), owner of Nagashima Wine shop in Shizuoka City, the main back-up of the event!

Kazutaka Takashima/高嶋一孝, owner and master-brewer of Takashima Brewery (Hakuin Masamune) in Hara, Numazu City.

Yuusuke Tozaki/戸崎雄介, owner-chef of Hana Oto Chinese Izakaya in Shizuoka City!

Junya Kimbara/金原純也, second chef at Hana Oto!

Takao Shimura/志村剛生, owner-chef of Narusei Tempura Restaurant in Shizuoka City.

Masataka Mochizuki/望月正隆, owner of Kanzawagawa Brewery (Shosetsu) in Yui, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City.

Toshiyaki Horie/堀江利彰, owner of Horie Chicken Farm in Shuzenji, Izu Peninsula, the only farm raising Amagi Shamo Chickens!

The day had started under in dry weather but overcast skies.

When it started raining all the charcoal bbq fires could be safely moved under the eaves of the building!

The ingredients of the day were published on brush-painted sheets of paper for all to see!
It certainly made for great reading!
I will send more precise pictures on request!

Red Ore Tomatoes, real fruits!

Organic green and yellow zucchinis from Biofarm Matsuki in Fujinomiya City!

Fresh wasabi roots from Sugiyama Farm in Umegashima, Aoi ku, Shizuoka City!

More organic vegetables!

Plenty of extravagant sake served by our two local brewery owners!

Shosetsu/正行き brand by Kanzawagawa Brewery!

Hakuin Masamune/白隠正宗 brand by Takashima Brewery!

Warm sake for the connoisseurs!

The brewers had even brought water from their own wells for all guests to drink!

Shigeru Sano/佐野茂治 preparing a salad of nagaimo, potato and lotus!

Mr. Keiji Sano/佐野佳治 of Sanoman Co. in Fujinomiya City who had contributed his own products to the even biding his time!

The guests starting enjoying themselves in earnest in spite of the rain outside. Note that the majority are ladies!

These ladies never miss such an event (I know them well!)!

Grating fresh wasabi for all these guests required a lot of wrist work!

Toshiyaki Horie/堀江利彰 demonstrating how to prepare his Amagi Shamo chickens for a BBQ!

The kids were invited to prepare the sweets of the day!

Extravagant rainbow trout sashimi from Kunugi Farm in Fujinomiya City!

Superlative leaf ginger from Kuno, Suruga Ku, Shizuoka City!

The vegetables, tofu and fish served while the meat was cooking!

The Amagi Shamo chicken cut and ready to be grilled!

Couldn’t wait to savor it!

Pork sausages from Sanoman Co.!

Truly extravagant dry ice-aged beef from Sanoman Co.!

I had pinched an Amagi Shamo chicken neck to grill all for myself! Actually I couldn’t resist the pleas of some friends and gave it away!

Takao Shimura/志村剛生 preparing the organic vegetables and chicken tempura!

Corn and onion tempura!

Now, who is this guy in his cups? LOL (a good friend of mine, actually!)

No need to say we shall meet again next year same place, same time with even more guests!

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Must-see tasting websites:

美食, 酒, 野菜, 観光, 魚海の幸, 農業, Fish, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Izakaya, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Japanese Izakaya: Takano in Shizuoka City!

July 6, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Very friendly and attentive
Facilities & Equipment: Old fashioned but clean
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Authentic traditional izakaya gastronomy. Local seafood and products extensively used. Local sake.

Takano is a venerable establishment which has appeared countless times on many a magazine all over the nation.
First opened in 1922 it is actually the oldest existing izakaya in the whole Prefecture!

Takano/多可能 (pronounce the last”no” short) is also the surname of the fourth generation although with different kanji/Chinese characters in the person of Susumu Takano/高野晋さん. Expats will be happy to learn that he speaks fluent English! (his hobby is rock-climbing!)

They even have their own crest!
Make sure to come early or book in advance as the place is crowded right from the moment the door is open!
There is barely space to move between counter, tables and tatami floors!

Open at 4:30 p.m. it is particularly full of patrons by 5:30 coming from the Prefecture Goverment offices and businessmen keen to confirm contacts around food and drink.
Interestingly enough the place is popular with single ladies of uncertain age!I wonder why…

There are of course many drinks to choose from but the sake exclusively comes from Haginishiki Brewery in Shizuoka City!

Even the bottles and cups come from the brewery!
Unusual and very positive collaboration!

The reason why Takano regularly appears on national magazines is that they serve authentic local food, sometimes very difficult to find such as the above raw shirasu/sardine whiting!

Their sakuraebi/cherry shrimps and vegetables tempura kakiage is a must!

The sake tends to disappear very quickly!
Do try the junmai ginjyou!

The sashimi is mostly local and only seasonal!

Aji/Horse Mackerel from the Suruga Bay!

Iwashi/Sardine and Katsuo/Bonito also from the Suruga Bay. Great summer fish!

Vegetable lovers will appreciate such servings as the Yaki Nasu/Grilled Eggplant/Aubergine!

Deep-fried onions!

Negima/Pork and leeks brochettes!

Tororoage/deep-fried grated yama imo!

More than half of the customers are regulars who sometimes come every night!
The reason is simple enough! They can expect seasonal food every day!

TAKANO
420-0852 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Koya Machi, 5-4 (5 minutes walk from Shizuoka JR Station behind Parco Department Store.
Tel.: 054-251-0131
Business hours: 16:30~23:00
Closed on Sundays and National Holidays

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

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Haginishiki Brewery: Suruga Yoi-Junmai-Homare Fuji

July 4, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Haginishiki Brewery sits on its own well in the Southern part of Shizuoka City, a short way from the sea and has the grace to share its own water for free with the locals!

They produce this particular limited brand in June every year and call it Suruga Yoi/Suruga stands for both the Surugay Bay and Suruga Ku/Ward (south of Shizuoka JR Station) while Yoi means “jolly good drunk”!

This is also a “nama/生, that is, it has not been heat pasteurized.
The rice used is Homare Fuji, a Yamada Nishiki strain exclusively grown in Shizuoka Prefecture!

Rice: Homare Fuji 100%
Rice milled down to 60%
Dryness: + 3
Acidity: 1.4
Bottled in June 2012

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Faint golden hue
Aroma: Assertive and fruity. Vanilla, Macadamia nuts, dark chocolate
Body: Fluid
Taste: Fruity attack backed up by strong junmai petillant and pleasant alcohol.
Complex. needs quite a few cups to catch all the facets.
Oranges, coffee beans, traces of citruses.
Disappears fairly quickly on a deep dry note with nuts.
Turns very dry with food.
Very easy to drink especially with food.

Overall: A great sake for great Japanese traditional food!
Can be enjoyed slightly chilled, at room temperature or lukewarm although my preference was for room temperature in spite of its “nama” status but I suspect many people would appreciate it slightly chilled.
Another great sake for the summer!

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美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Doi Brewery-Ryou Ryou Junmai Ginjyou

July 3, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Doi Brewery in Kakegawa City is an ancient establishment that has been forcefully promoting Shizuoka sake for many years.
Their brewmasters have been coming from Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture for a long time and have helped the brewery earn a deserved name far outside the borders of our Prefecture!

Ryou Ryou/涼々 in Japanese means “refreshing”, and this limited brand is made available at the beginning of summer for this very reason!

Doi Brewery-Ryou Ryou Junmai Ginjyou

Rice: Yamada Nishiki 100%
Rice milled down to 55%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in May 2012

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Assertive and fruity. Banana, dark chocolate, vanilla.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Very fruity backed strong junmai petillant and pleasant alcohol.
Complex. Vanilla, melon, macadamia nuts, faint almonds.
Disappears fairly quickly warming up back of the palate.
Take a big turn to dryness with food with more almonds and Macadamia nuts.
Marries well with any food.

Overall: A very pleasant and elegant sake conceived for food in spite of its elevated status.
Drinks so easily. Tends to disappear quickly from the bottle!
Perfect sake for the summer as it can enjoyed slightly chilled, especially with food!

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Crustaceans, 由比, 美食, 静岡市, 観光, 魚海の幸, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Sakura ebi, Sakura shrimp, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism, Yui, Yui Harbor

Sakura Ebi/Cherry Shrimps Catching in Yui. Still Hard Work!

June 26, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Large painting of a sakura shrimp at the Yui Harbor Fisheries Association Building in Yui, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City

Yui fishermen will tell you that life has become a lot easier with the advent of technology including motorised boats, radar, radio, machine-cotrolled nets and syphons, but they agree it is still a toil to go out every evening during the two seasons in Spring and Autumn.
Now, how hard was it not so long ago?

pulling the nets by hand!

Now, if you stroll along the street running along the shore of Yui, you will discover some vending machines adorned with copies of all paintings on the life of Yui Cherry Shrimps Fishermen which will give you a good idea of the hard toil local fishermen had to go through!

Pulling up the nets full of sakura shrimp.
It has always been a team work!

Pulling the boats to shore by hand!

Unloading the baskets full of Cherry shrimps.
The fishermen used to spend half of the night separating the shrimps from small fish.
Only ten years they started syphoning up the shrimps directly from the nets inti the the boxes.
A lot of damage to the quality as they dropped baskets inside the nets and shoveled their contents into boxes.
Now the job is far more efficiently done with very little damage.

Every morning after the cheery shrimps had been sorted out the fishermen had to auction their catch.
Now it is all taken care of by the Association and fishermen can hit the sack after midnight!

in the old days, fishermen gathered around food and drink before sleeping in daytime!
Now, they can sleep between midnight and noon!

Now the habor is completely walled in and the ships do not have to pulled upshore everyday except during the off seasons when they are being scrapped and repaired.

And now the Association is taking care of allotting the departure times and destinations everyday!

If you happen to be in Yui make a point to visit the new Yui Harbor fisheries Association Building where you will discover some interesting photographs!

It is located the new part of the harbor!

People there are shy but I’m sure you will find an old hand willing to relate old times!
All these pictures were taken back in 1963!

Pulling the boats upshore!

Unloading the Cherry shrimps!

Boats coming back to harbor!

Unloading the catch!

Blood, sweat and tears!

Traditional Fisherman’s gear!
Now they wear what they want under waterproof overalls and boots!

The beavhes have now been replaced with a safe harbor!

But for all the great improvements my old samurai friend will be the first to tell you this is still bleedin’ hard work!

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French Gastronomy with a Japanese Twist: Foie Gras Matured with Mirin White Lees, Chouchou Farm Kankankan Musume Corn Vychissoise at Pissenlit!

June 20, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

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.

When it comes to French gastronomy in Japan, great chefs in this country have a welcome tendency to experience with local products and ingredients to create entirely new delicacies that would have gastronomes running back home, in France!

To cut a long story short, on Saturday last week I had to visit Chef Touru Arima/有馬亨さん to bring him a couple of souvenirs from my recent trip to France and I just could not escape the temptation to have lunch there in spite of my tired stomach!
For once I skipped the wine and ordered a home-made ginger ale concocted with local ginger!

Actually the very reason for opting to saddle myself with another great meal was the unusual offering on the carte blackboard menu:
杉井酒造さんのみりん粕に着けたフォアグラ！
Sugii Shyuzou san no Mirin ni tsuketa Fowagura
Foie Gras matured with Mirin (sweet sake) white lees (“mout” in French) brewed by Sugii Brewery (In Fujieda City)!
I was simply doomed!

While Tooru was preparing the composite salad (I certainly needed a lot of greens to counterbalance the foie gras!) I was offered a slice of one of his succulent cake sale/salted pound cake created with local organic vegetables!

I did order a “simple salad” and this is what I ended up with!

Seared bonito, home-smoked salmon, inca mezame potatoes and all kinds of local organic vegetables!

It also included tasty scrumptious mushroom and home-made sausage fillings!

Most organic vegetables came from Shizen no Chikara farm in Shizuoka City!

The important detail: the bed of soft couscous!

The star of the day!

The beautiful pain de foie gras with Hungarian foir gras matured in the white lees of mirin brewed by Sugii Brewery in Fujieda City and seasoned with coarse pepper!

The soft pancake made with inca mezame potatoes!

Fig jam and a true beauty of a vychissoise concocted with kankan musume corn grown in Iwata City by Chouchou Farm!
I had a hard time savoring the whole at a slow pace, I can assure you!

For once I just had to skip dessert!

To be continued… (expect more regular visits!)

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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“Shizuoka Rice Comes of Age”-On Shizuoka Sake by Marcus Grandon

June 17, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

All pictures and Article by Marcus Grandon.

Shizuoka sake has always had a a special place in the hearts of sake fans both foreign and domestic. Every year, a group of Shizuoka producers hosts a dinner party to showcase their latest offerings. This year is no exception, and marked the 20th consecutive year for the gala event, which for the first time was held in the Aoi-tower in downtown Shizuoka City.

Oumuuraya Brewery sake!

The party, attended by over 500 guests, contained a choice selection from a virtual who’s who of sake makers: Hatsukame, Shidaizumi, Isojiman, Kikuyoi (Aoshima Brewery), and Oumuraya (Wakatake) Breweries.

Oumuraya Brewery

While each and every sip from the various makers pretty much melted into the palate like liquid gold one after another after another, a very big piece of news emerged from the event this year. Shizuoka sake is known as the Champagne of Sakes for good reason. One of the key ingredients in making sake is water, and water in Shizuoka Prefecture is among the purest in the entire country. However, usually the rice used in the brewing process for Shizuoka sake comes from a different prefecture.
The Oumuraya sake company wanted to use local rice to create a 100% local product, and in recent years began experimenting with using local rice in their sake. Conventional wisdom says that it takes ten years for sake makers to produce high quality sake with a new rice. Wouldn’t you know that this year is the tenth year for Oumuraya to be making such sake? And guess what? It’s the bomb! I was able to taste the sake in this bottle, and it was a smooth as any sake I’ve ever had!

Ten years is the charm! People flocked around that bottle like white on rice (Sorry, but I just had to). The sad thing is that I missed the really good stuff:

Oumuraya Brewery sake!

By the time I got here, this bottle was all gone. Not to worry though, it can be had at local department stores for ¥10.500 per big bottle. Not cheap for sake, but certainly worth the price for a 100% local product.
My suggestion? Get it while you can!

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French Gastronomy: Cooking with Bros in Chalon Sur Saone, Bourgogne, Part 1

June 16, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

Bro’s Carbonara Tagliatelle!

During my (very short) holiday back home in Chalon Sur Saone, Bourgogne, neither the Missus or I had to worry about cooking!
We enjoyed our meals either at hotels, restaurants or in one of my two brothers’ homes!
My first brother is actually a professional chef whereas my second brother is a chef as a hobby (he goes as far as attending cooking school in spite of his vast experience!).

On the last day of our stay he cooked a “simple dinner” for the four of us, while we were enjoying (a) drink(s).
It was a pretty typical affair with many culinary influences.

Bro had an excellent idea for appetizers/tidbits to go with aperitifs and drinks while waiting for dinner to start.
Small round tomatoes first dipped in caramel sauce (just sugar, water and lemon brought to a boil and to a thin brown color before switching off the fire) and then coated with golden sesame seeds!
Interestingly enough they don’t seem to have black roasted sesame seeds in France…

The French, especially in Burgundy and Bresse, cannot spend a day without eating a big lettuce and vegetable salad every day!

So Bro served us an appetizer consisting of fresh local lettuce seasoned with his own dressing (had no time to check the recipe) and a “small” (we were taking the plane the following morning!) portion of his pork and pistacchio terrine out of a dish holding at leat 2 kg of it!

Bro loves his pasta and the Missus who is a pastaholic was certainly happy to learn that he makes all his own pasta!

He certainly has all the gear needed!
The pasta is first kneaded and left in the refrigerator for at least 3~4 hours before being prepared!

He used the kitchen table on which we ate later as a work table (after cleaning it, wiping it and sprinkled it with flour!)!

The streched pasta ready to be cut into smaller pieces and then passed through the machine to make tagliatelle!

Work made so easy!

The fresh tagliatelle ready to be boiled! Only 4 minutes!

The Tagliatelle Carbonara!
The sauce had been made the night before as it is easy to preserve and saved a lot of time!
Sorry, no recipe made available!

For dessert a fine apple tart made with thin pastry sheets, fresh apples and a minimum of sugar and spices!

To be continued…

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Tourism Off the Beaten Tracks in France: Chalon Sur Saone (June 2012) Part 1

June 15, 2012 dragonlife 6 Comments

Ancient houses, bars and cafes around Saint Vincent Square in front of Saint Vicent Cathedral.

In spite of being the second town in Bourgogne/Burgundy, France, Chalon sur Saone does not receive the acclaim it deserves. It is by far the oldest city of importance in Bourgogne as its river harbor and markets date back centuries before the Rommans invaded Gaul.
Did you know that it is also the birthplace of photography where Nicephore Niepce invented the first camera and took the first picture ever?
It is also the best protected gastronomic treasure of France. Just visit the Rue de Strasbourg with its 30+ restaurants in the Saint Laurent island surrounded by the Saone River and taste the great wines of the Cote Chalonnaise!
It being a very compact city it is so easy to discover at a leisurely pace.
Here are some photos taken during my trip back home (this is my hometown!)!

The gothic Saint Vincent Cathedral.

There are many ways and routes to visit the city.
But I always start with the old town located very near the Saone River and just wander round and round often retracing my steps back as many more opportunities for photography offer themselves!

Some of the well-preserved facades are over 600 hundred years old!

You will discover the latest fashions inside cute boutiques under the same facades!

No need to go and spend millions in Paris!
There you will find and buy what French ladies (and gentlemen!) really wear and at more attractive prices!
Chalon sur Saone and its suburbs house more than 100,000 souls and some major industries such as Areva and so on, meaning it is a major stop along the paris-Lyon-Marseille route where many businessmen form all over the world have to meet!