Tag Archives: Gastronomy

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

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2012/06/20): Seasonal Release: Shizuoka Summer Mikan Ale

June 20, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Seasonal Release: Shizuoka Summer Mikan Ale

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

In the aftermath of a rainy season typhoon we find poetic justice in announcing the release of a seasonal brew that is distinctly summer and sunny — Shizuoka Summer Mikan Ale.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:
*Shizuoka Summer Mikan Ale 2012 (ABV 5.5%):

A summer mikan (natsumikan) is a grapefruit-like citrus fruit that is tart and sweetly sour in flavor and wonderfully aromatic. The only fruit to make it through the doors of the Baird Brewery, of course, is fresh whole fruit recently plucked from the land. Our summer mikans are Shizuoka-grown, right in the Heda orchard of our carpenter-partner-friend, Mitsuo Nagakura. The bounty of fruit is painstakingly hand-processed by the Baird Brewery team before its introduction into the brewhouse and cellar. You can taste the freshness and wholesomeness of the natsumikan fruit in each sip of this extraordinarily zesty brew.

The refreshing citrus character of Shizuoka Summer Mikan Ale is not supplied by fruit alone, however. The natsumikans are complemented beautifully by deft additions of four citrusy-spicy American hop varieties: Summit, Simcoe, Cascade and Ahtanum. This year, in a departure from past versions, we fermented with our house Belgian yeast strain rather than our Scottish ale strain. This has contributed another layer of subtle spiciness. The quenchingly brisk and tart result is summer paradise in a glass! Who cares if its grim and cloudy outside!

Shizuoka Summer Mikan Ale 2012 will be available on draught and in bottles (360 ml) beginning Thursday, June 21. Please visit a Taproom pub or local Baird Beer retailer while quantities last.

Please note: We have abandoned the 630 ml bottle for seasonal beers. Henceforth, all seasonal bottle beer will, like the year-round brands, will be of the 360 ml size.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

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

“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!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

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

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2012/06/15): A Beer for our Fathers

June 16, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

A Beer for our Fathers

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

I, like perhaps many others, didn’t realize the enormity of the role and responsibility of fatherhood until I became a member of the fraternity myself. Only then did I fully and comprehensively appreciate all that my Dad had done for me over the many years. It is with love and gratitude, then, that the brewers of Baird Beer have crafted Father’s Day Ale.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Release:
*Father’s Day Ale (ABV 5.5%):

Much of beer brewing in history has been conducted in monastery settings, by the sect fathers. Monastery father-brewers in Belgium were known to brew a refreshing and wholesome table-beer for their own consumption known as Patersbier (father’s beer). This history is the direct inspiration of our Father’s Day Ale.

Father’s Day Ale is a very simple recipe: one malt (floor-malted Pilsner), two hops (Tradition and Saaz). It is fermented with our Belgian witbier yeast strain and then secondarily fermented with the same strain in package. It is lightly fruity and quenchingly effervescent. It is a gift to all of you fathers out there; you deserve at the very least a wonderful beer on Father’s Day.

Father’s Day Ale is available both in bottles (630 ml) and kegs. It will begin pouring from the taps of fine beer establishments all over Japan beginning Father’s Day (Sunday, June 17).

Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Bourgogne, Burgundy, Chalon Sur Saone, 美食, 観光, France, French gastronomy, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Photography, Tourism

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!

A old Burgundian roof out of nowhere…

A back street in the early afternoon…

Another back street…

A “trompe l’oeil” facade…

The oldest standing fully preserved building in town, a tower dating back to the early Middle Ages (over 1.000 years old)…

Oe can explore the back streets reserved for pedestrians for hidden shops and boutiques…

One can easily get a sore neck with all the photography subjects…

So many angles to shoot from…

Searching for gargoyles…

Such facades in “colombage” are all registered cultural assets and impossible to reproduce…

Come and sit at one of the cafe terraces around the Saint Vincent Square on a bright day…

People have been living there for the last 6 centuries…

There is still a Roman wall over 2,000 years old standing!

There are Irish Pubs for the thirsty!

if you want a quickand delicious fix you must try this baker!

Did you know that frog legs is a gastronomic specialty of the region?
But that’s for the next report!

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

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2012/06/08): Seasonal Release: Rainy Season Black Ale

June 15, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Seasonal Release: Rainy Season Black Ale

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

This beautiful sunny morning marks the fourth day since the official start of the rainy season (tsuyu) here in the Kanto area of Japan. Well, we have the perfect brew for both the gloomy and bright moments of this stormy period: Rainy Season Black Ale.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Release:
*Rainy Season Black Ale 2012 (ABV 6.5%):

A torrential down-pouring of hops define this otherwise roasty, toasty, espresso-like black ale. 60 bittering units of clean, crisp lupulin-resin (courtesy of Galena, Nugget, Motueka, Tradition, Glacier and Santiam) emerge from our kettle boil; the lupulin-oils (from our friends Motueka, Tradition, Glacier and Santiam) join the gig via dry-hopping in the conditioning tank and contribute a pleasant herbal-spicy-peppery aromatic character. After a few sips you will find yourself licking from your lips a resinous stickiness that can best be described as pungently pleasurable. Here’s to the rainy season!

Rainy Season Black Ale is available for immediate release. It is draught-only.

Reminder: If you are a pizza and beer fan (and who isn’t?), don’t forget to come out and join us at the Nakameguro Taproom tomorrow night for the full-scale debut of our New Haven-style pizza. The hours for this kick-off event are 6:00 – 10:00 pm.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

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

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2012/06/08): New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases; New Haven-style Pizza at Nakameguro Taproom

June 15, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases; New Haven-style Pizza at Nakameguro Taproom

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Beer’s ability to make itself a suitable partner to the food in all culinary cultures is one of its special traits. Put most simply, good beer makes good food an experience even more pleasurable than it otherwise would be. One of the world’s most recognized symbiotic beer-food relationships surely is beer and pizza. Next to man and woman, beer and pizza is perhaps the most natural and life-affirming marriage on earth. This bulletin is about the two partners in this wonderful relationship: beer and pizza. First to the beer.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:
*4-C Strong Pale Ale (ABV 6%):

We love pale ales of all stripes. This one is a a bit stronger and bolder than is typical. Its hallmark character stems from hopping (both kettle- and dry-) with four different varieties of American ‘C’ hops: Columbus, Chinook, Citra and Cascade. 4-C Strong Pale Ale represents the sort of adventurous play on a classical beer style that helped to ignite the American, and now world, craft beer renaissance.

4-C is available for immediate release in both kegs and bottles (630 ml).

*Suruga Bay Belgian Imperial IPA (ABV 8%):

Yes, this is another in our series of year-round beers fermented with a non-typical yeast strain. In this case, we have brewed a batch of Suruga Bay but have fermented it not with our house Scottish ale yeast but with our Belgian witbier strain. The Belgian yeast strain working at higher temperatures has yielded a slightly more attenuated and stronger alcohol version of Suruga Bay Imperial IPA. Taste the two versions side-by-side and experience for yourself the clear but nuanced difference.

Suruga Bay Belgian Imperial IPA also is available for immediate release — in kegs as well as bottles (360 ml).

Now, it’s on to pizza.

Upcoming Taproom Events:
*Debut of New Haven-style Pizza at the Nakameguro Taproom:

As most of you know, we brought a new head chef aboard (Chef Joon) at the Nakameguro Taproom a couple months ago. Since assuming control of the NT kitchen, Chef Joon has been busy bringing the food back more squarely in line with the philosophy of our beer: i.e. use of fresh, fully flavored and minimally processed ingredients and preparing them with a simplicity that allows the intrinsic natural flavors to shine bright. Well, the radiant flavors of his work speak for themselves.

Joon’s dream-vision, as a chef and passionate beer enthusiast, though, has been to focus his culinary skill on the task of bringing truly world class pizza to our beer table. His work with us began with a week-long study trip to the U.S. where we attended the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas and then visited the kitchens of several noted pizza establishments in and around Portland, Oregon. We quietly added a super high-temperature pizza oven to our NT kitchen several weeks after our return. Joon has been experimenting and refining our approach to hand-made dough preparation and pizza baking ever since. Well, we are about ready to go full-on-no-safety-net-live with a spectacular new pizza and salad menu.

What kind of pizza? This was our easiest decision: New Haven-style Pizza. This is a style of Neapolitan pizza known as apizza in and around its birthplace — New Haven, Connecticut. It is supposed to have originated at the Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana back in the 1920s. What sets New Haven-style pizza apart is the crust — it is especially thin with a crispy shell that is replete with burnt black spots, desirably known as ‘char’, due to the short but intense high-temperature baking. The inside of the thin crust, though, is soft when done expertly.

New Haven-style pies tend also to be very simple and light on the cheese, which generally is Pecorino Romano rather than Mozzarella. Simple but flavorful sauces (plain or white is olive oil, red or marinara is tomato sauce) are the spice. Fresh toppings, arrayed and combined creatively, complete the pie performance. Add good beer, and Baird Beer in particular, and you have one of life’s truly subliminal food-beverage experiences.

Mark you calendar: we will inaugurate the full pizza menu at NT with a special debut party on Thursday, June 14. Please note, the hours of operation on this kick-off day will be: 6:00 – 10:00 pm. The full variety of our New Haven-style pizzas will be flowing out of our pizza oven all night long; you are free to sample to your heart and belly’s content. Fresh salads also will be served. Food price for the evening is 3,000 yen per person. Beer is sold separately. Reservations are not required. As a special beer treat, we will be tapping in sneak-preview fashion our 2012 Shizuoka Summer Mikan Ale. Drink a glass with one of these extraordinary pies and I promise you, your life will change.

Sayuri, John and I will be leading a pack of pizza and beer lovers into the Nakameguro Taproom for this special debut event. Please plan on joining us.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

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美食, Dessert, Desserts, 豆腐, 農業, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tofu, Vegan, vegetables, Vegetarian cuisine, Vegetarian terrine

Vegan Japanese Dessert: Tofu Wagashi with Kinako!

June 14, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

For the pleasure of vegans and vegetarians alkie tofu can be prepared into delicious, healthy and simple desserts!
Here is a suggestion making use of soybeans in two forms: tofu and kinako (grilled soy bean powder)!

INGREDIENTS:

-Tofu: 1 standard pack
-Kinako (Grilled soy bean powder): plenty
-Salt and sugar: as appropriate

For the syrup:
-Granulated sugar: 100g
-Water: 100 cc/ml/1/2 cup

RECIPE:

-Cut tofu into small one bite cubes. Drain water from tofu. take excess water with kitchen paper.
In a saucepna pour water and sugar and sugar. Heat until the mixture has reached a syrup texture. Do not make caramel! Switch fire and let cool. Chill the syrup for a while inside refrigerarator.

-In a large enough vessel drop the tofu in carefully. Pour the syrup over the tofu. Chill inside refrigerator for 1 hour.

-Take tofu out of the refrigerator. Add salt, sugar and kinako. Mix in carefully with a spatula to cover the whole tofu with kinako.

-Place on a serving dish and sprinkle with plenty more kinako!

-Serve with a small wooden spoon!

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

Vegan Japanese Gastronomy: Sweet and Sour Fried Tofu and Mushrooms

June 13, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

For the pleasure of vegetarians and vegans tofu can be prepared as a hot and very satisfying dish all year round!
A typical example is Agedashidofu/揚げだし豆腐, tofu first deep-fried and then served in dashi.
As for the dashi use seaweed/konbu dashi!

INGREDIENTS: For 3 people

-Tofu: 2 standard blocks
-Cornstarch: as appropriate
-Shimeji mushrooms: 1 standard pack
-Enoki mushrooms: 1 standard pack
-Nameko: 1 bunch

Note: you can adapt with any ind of mushrooms.

-Seaweed/Konbu dashi: 600 cc/ml/3 cups
-Salt: a little
-Soy sauce: 3 tabelspoons
-Mirin/sweet sake: 1 tablespoon
-Japanese sake: 1 tablespoon
-Grated ginger: 1 tablespoon
-Yuzu koshio: a little
-Cornstach dissolved in water: as appropriate
-Grated daikon: as appropriate
-Chopped leeks: as appropriate

RECIPE:

-Wrap tofu in kitchen paper and leave it for an hour for excess water to be absorbed (about an hour).
-Place tofu on a dry wooden cutting board. Place a plate and weight on top and enough water will come out. Dry in kitchen paper.

-In a large pan pour the dashi, salt, soy sauce, mirin, sake, ginger, and yuzu kshio.
Bring to light boil.
Drop the mushrooms in.

-When the mushrooms are cooked to satisfaction pour the cornsatrch dissolved in water. Stir until you have obtained a smooth texture. Keep hot.

-Cut the tofu in adequate large bit sized cubes (you could have done it beforehand and take out excess water)>
Roll them in cornstarch. Shake away excess cornstarch powder.

-Fry tofu cubes in shallow oil until they have attained a very light bron color.
Take ou and pace in a dish.
Pour the sweet and sour mushrooms all over.
Decorate/season with grated daikon and chopped leeks.
Serve immediately!

You may also place the lot over freshly steamed rice!

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美食, 観光, 魚, 農業, Fish, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Japanese Iazakaya: Late Spring Quick Visit at Waga (2012) in Shizuoka City!

June 12, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

One of the superlative sake served at Waga: Junmai by Takashima Brewery in Numazu City!

Service: Very friendly and easy-going! Slow food!
Facilities: Very clean overall. Large and clean washroom.
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Great list of sake and shochu. Typical izakaya gastronomy with a personal touch!

As I said before it is not easy to socialize equally with all the good restaurants and izakayas in Shizuoka and arrangements have to be done sometimes! LOL
Anyway, to cut another long story short I managed to persuade the Missus again to pay a belated visit to Waga, one of our favorite izakayas in Shizuoka City!

Superb salmon sashimi from Norway!

Waga is another of those great places, totally unpretentious, where you are efficiently served with a constant genuine smile, without a fuss and with plenty of interesting explanations!

Another view of our salmon sashimi!

But when it comes to fish and sashimi in particular, Waga is well above the izakaya average, so have a good look at the menu or ask about the day’s offering to the staff who will only be glad to oblige!

A great marriage of the land and sea: Amadai/Seabream sahimi Salad!

Next you have to order their celebrated daikon katsu. Not so much a revoplutionary concept but I haven’t found a place which served a better version!
Not many are prepared every day so come early or reserve the dish over the phone!

And do not forget to check the day’s specialties!
If you do not read Japanese, the staff who are mostly Shizuoka Prefectural University students should manage to explain in English!

A great izakaya offering: Yasai no Tappuri Katayaki Soba!
Crispy soba/ramen served in soup with pork and plenty of vegetables!
Hot and yummy!

A tasty and satisfying dish for all seasons!

And don’t miss their desserts: mango Creme Brulee!
I know a lot of establishments who would be surprised at the quality of such a dessert in an izakaya!

To be continued…

WAGA
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajyo, 2-1-20, Kuroyanagi Bldg. 1F
Tel.: 054-271-7121
Business hours: 17:30~23:30, 17:30~26:00 (on Fridays, Saturdays and National Holidays)
Closed on Mondays
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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Italian Gastronomy: “Quick Dinner” at Soloio in Shizuoka City (Late Spring 2012)

June 11, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Another superlative risotto!
Check below!

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!

There are days and nights when Solio Restaurant is so practical as it opens as early as 16:00 and as late as 24:00!
But it is could also be said it is a venture fraught with dangers, what with the constant temptation to drink and dine late! LOL

Solio always has an array of appetizers/antipasti ready to be chosen from, a boon for hungry and busy people!
We had this little delicious asparagus and shrimps salad!
It was with the beer we had first after a long day of shopping!

Apart of the regular printed menu and specialties of the day written on the overhead blackboard make sure to have a look at the small seasonal menu included on a loose sheet inside the menu!
There are discoveries to be made as the above white shrimps from Toyama Prefecture served deep-fried!
Another beauty for the beer!
Alright let’s discover what we had with the wine!

Roma-Style rice croquettes!
You had better keep those away from kids! They are just too dainty and scrumptious! LOL

Home-made sausage!
We should have kept some beer for that!
A rare time when I called a sausage “elegant”!

We had to have one of the two risottos of the day (I wished we had both!)!
Spring cabbage (very tender and sweet) and cockles risotto cooked in the cockles soup/juices!

It was a fight as whether to have pasta or dessert!
This fight resolved it was a second struggle as to which pasta we would order!

Nagano Prefecture wild boar stew with rosemary parpadelle!
Do I need to comment any further?

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!

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美食, 葡萄, 観光, 農業, Food, Fruit, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Grapes, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Fruits to Look Forward to This Summer-2: Pione Budou-Pione Grapes

June 10, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

PIONE1

There are a lot of fruit which either originated or grew to be characteristic of Japan.
I’m trying to introduce them to help my vegan and vegetarian (I’m not) friends in particular as fruit can be adapted into so many ways!

1) Nashi/Asian Pear
2) Jirou Kaki/Jirou Persimmon

Grapes are relatively new to Japan, but its people have compensated this with an eye to create new strains with great success. Actually grapes were first cultivated in Shizuoka Prefecture in Meiji Era!

PIONE3
Pione Grapes are grown in aerial style.

Pione Grapes are a typical example.
They are a cross between Kyoho Grapes and Cannon Hole Muscat.
Kyoho grapes (巨峰葡萄) are hemselves a Concord-like cross (Vitis vinifera x Vitis labrusca) between Campbell and Centennial grape varieties.

Kyoho grapes were first produced in 1942 in Shizuoka Prefecture, but were not so named until 1946.

PIONE-MUSCAT
Pione Grapes compared to Muscat Grapes

Pione Grapes (ピオネ葡萄) were also first produced in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1957 by a farmer called Hideo Ikawa.
Pione is an Italian name.

PIONE2
Pione grape

Pione grapes are usually seedless, juicy and very sweet making them very versatile for all kinds of desserts:

PIONE-MOCHI

A typical Japnese dessert:
Pione Grape inside mochi!

PIONE-TART
Pione Tart!
Irresistible, isn’t it?

But Pione Grapes, especially their flesh in “Concasse” style can be used in salads:

PIONE-ORGANIC-MIZUNASU

A dream salad for vegans!
Pione Grapes flesh on organic “Mizu nasu”/Mizu egg plant sashimi.
This particular kind of (Japanese) egg plant is eaten raw.
A little pepper and voila!

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美食, Dessert, Desserts, 観光, 農業, Fruit, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Persimmon, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism, 柿

Shizuoka Fruits to Look Forward to This Summer-1: Jirou Kaki-Jirou Persimmon-Squat Persimmon

June 9, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

JIRO-KAKI1

Jirou kaki or Jirou Persimmons/Squat Persimmons are not to be confused with “normal persimmons”, or heart-shaped Hachiya which is the most common variety of astringent persimmon. Astringent persimmons contain very high levels of soluble tannins and are unpalatable if eaten before softening.

JIRO-KAKI-FALSE

Hachiya Persimmons

The astringency of tannins is removed through ripening by exposure to light over several days, wrapping the fruit in paper for heating it, and/or artificially with chemicals such as alcohol and carbon dioxide which change tannin into the insoluble form. This bletting process is sometimes jumpstarted by exposing the fruit to cold or frost which hastens cellular wall breakdown. These astringent persimmons can also be prepared for commercial purposes by drying.

JIRO-KAKI-TREE

The non-astringent persimmon, or Jirou kaki, is squat like a tomato and is most commonly sold as Fuyu. Non-astringent persimmons are not actually free of tannins as the term suggests, but rather are far less astringent before ripening, and lose more of their tannic quality sooner. Non-astringent persimmons may be consumed when still very firm to very very soft.

JIRO-KAKI-DRIED

Dried Jirou Persimmon

Actually, Jirou Kaki/Jirou Persimmons are the pride of our Prefecture, Shizuoka Prefecture, as they were first grown in 1844 by a farmer called Jiroushi Matsumoto in Mori-Cho, Western Shizuoka Prefecture!
Their trees were finally successfully raised in 1869.

JIRO-KAKI-JAM

Jirou Persimmon Jam

The persimmons were finally given their name, Jirou Kaki, by the Emperor of Japan upon his meeting with Fujitarou Suzuki (the grower of that time) in Mori-Cho where a Shinto Temple is still dedicated to the Emperor of Japan.

JIRO-KAKI-CAKES

In Shizuoka Prefecture, Jirou Persimmon are found under many guises such as cakes (above)

JIRO-KAKI-WINE

Jirou Persimmon wine!

JIRO-KAKI-VINEGAR

Jirou Persimmon vinegar, a rarity created by Bembei Kawamura, the Father of Shizuoka Sake!
It can drunk as a health drink mixed with with good wateror used as a finish on many dishes!

JIRO-KAKI-DRYING

Although I personally like them fresh either as dessert or in salads with vegetables, my favourite is dried persimmons, a big business in Shizuoka Prefecture!

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American Gastronomy: Tequila’s Diner in Shizuoka City (The Sequel)!

June 8, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

Fish and chips! American-style?

Service: Shy but very friendly
Equipment & Facilities: Good general cleanliness
Prices: Reasonable to slightly expensive but very good value
Strong points: Tex-Mex gastronomy of superior quality. Doubles up as bar in evenings

As promised I went again to Tequila’s Diner to explore more of their menu!

In day time!
Actually this article is a combination of two reports in late afternoon and evening, and I still have only scratched the depth of their carte!

At night!

A peek inside although I favor the small table outside on the terrace!

“French Fried potatoes”!
I must say they are above average!
Great with beer!

Grab the menu!

And check the specialties written in English!

Inside check the “Lunch Of The Day” as you can also order it at night!

This is Japan!
Tequila’s Diner Shochu!

Impressive collection of MONIN liqueurs for cocktails!

Turkeys don’t last long there!

Actually you can visit the place for drinks only!

Deep-fried beer-marinated tripes! A discovery!

Fish and Chips, American-style!

As good as the British and Irish ones!

The little but important detail!

Great composite vegetable salads for well-balanced meals!

Now, their nachos are absolutely scrumptious!

And well-balanced!

Even the back looks so yummy! A good sign!

And they sell exquisite T-shirts for the collectors!

To be continued… naturally!

TEQUILA’S DINER
420-0035 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Shichiken Cho, 8-6 (near Aoba Park Street), ACT 7, 1F
Tel.: 054–255-7595
Business hours: 12:00~14:00, 18:00~24:00
Closed on Wednesdays
HOMEPAGE

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Shizuoka Shochu Tasting: Takashima Distillery-Brewery: Dai Ippoh

June 7, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Takashima Brewery in Numazu City does not brew only superlative Japanese sake but also distill some incredibly extravagant rice shochu as well!
Their latest jewel is Dai Ippoh!

When you look at the simple calligraphic design you will understand it represents the nearby Mount Fuji!

Dai Ippoh/第壱峰 (old-style calligraphy) means “The First Peak”!

Alcohol: 25 degrees
Ingredients: Rice and rice malt

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Almost sweetish and spicy. Alcohol. Rice.
Body: Fluid
Taste: At first sweetish and complex attack.
Dry dark cherries.
Turns quickly drier.
Does not linger long in mouth or under palate.
Very clean, elegant and fruity approach.
Alcohol impact relatively soft with fruits appearing with each new sip.

Overall: A very elegant rice shochu which should be drunk on its own first at room temperature without ice or water for a true appreciation and taste discovery.
All the qualities and more of a superlative rice shochu.
Varies little with food.
At the most pour it over a lot of ice but there is no reason to mix with anything!

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Italian Gastronomy: Lunch at Il Castagno (June 2012) in Shizuoka City!

June 6, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Very friendly and attentive
Equipment: Great general cleanliness
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Great appetizers. Home-made pasta!. Great use of local products from the land and the sea. Southern Italy and Sardinia gastronomy.

Kenji Inami/稲見謙司 of Il Castagno in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City, has just come back from a two-week research and tourism trip from Sardinia Island!
It was about time to pay a belated visit!

Every time I eat there I cannot keep my eyes off their home-made crostini!

You can buy them separately to take back home!

Note that the place is entirely non-smoking!

Next time you go there have a good look at the photographs and comments on their Sardinia trip while you wait for your order!

Kenji Inami/稲見謙司 at work!

Nice list of wines by the glass!

I had a couple of glasses of Sardinian wine to accompany my lunch!

Cannonau di Sardegna, 2008, red, by Sella & Mosca!

Very reasonably-priced and generous lunch sets!

This is the set I ordered!

I chose the second pasta dish!
Now, what did I have?

Assortment of appetizers!

Shitake Mushroom puff, quiche and onion confit!

Vegetable salad with crispy Sardinia-style unleaveend thin bread!

Home-made rustic bread!

Home-made Tagliorini pasta with wild shiitake, beef, pork and mini tomato sauce!

Thin and light but very satisfying pasta with a beautiful sauce!
I’m becoming Italian!

Most of the ingredients are from Shizuoka Prefecture!

The dessert assortment!

Cinnamon apple tart, egg cake and strawberry sorbet!

Coffee as it should be served!

And the crostini!

See you at dinner next time!

IL CASTAGNO
420-0843 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Tomoe Cho, 48
Tel/Fax: 054-247-0709
Business hours: 11:45~14:00, 17:30~21:00
Closed every Monday and 3rd Tuesday
Credit cards OK (dinner only)
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
BLOG (Japanese)
ENTIRELY NON-SMOKING!

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