Tag Archives: Japanese Gastronomy

美食, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Kokko Brewery-Kokko Ginjyou

October 14, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Kokko Brewery in Fukuroi City holds a special place in the history of the sake of Shizuoka Prefecture as it was the first brewery to use the Shizuoka sake yeast which revolutionized the whole industry in Shizuoka and helped our Prefecture out of the doldrums (dregs) up to the very top in Japan!

Usually the brewery does not write information apart of that required by law.
Alcohol: 16~17 degrees (genshu/no water added)
Bottled in August 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Fruity, dry, discreet. Bananas.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Very dry attack backed up by strong and pleasant alcohol.
Complex. Fruity: Bananas, coffee beans, dry almonds.
Disappears fairly quickly with dry apricots and coffee beans, warming up the palate.
Turns sweeter with food although makes a quick comeback to dry as soon as away from food again with more coffee beans and a note of dark chocolate.

Overall: Very dry, even by Shizuoka standards.
A ginjyou that marries beautifully with any food.
Very sophisticated although its sharp character will please people looking for a sake off the beaten tracks, that is, in Shizuoka Prefecture!
In spite of its ginjyou elevated status I would drink it with food, especially salads!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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

Must-see tasting websites:

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

Beef, 牛肉, 美食, 野菜, 観光, 魚, 農業, Fish, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Potatoes, Recipes, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tomato, Tourism, vegetables

BBQ With Shizuoka Local Products!

October 9, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

In Japan and Shizuoka BBQ’s are taken very seriously!
Today, Sunday October 9th, I took part in the 2nd Shizuoka Products BBQ organized by Nagashima Wine Shop in Shizuoka City!
The event catered for no less than 50 people and certainly required some organization like the Japanese are so good at!

The event took place on the bbq space of Yamako/山幸 soba shop up in the Mariko mountains in Shizuoka City!

The BBQ was scheduled for 11:00 a.m. but I came early to give a hand and to be able to report on the whole day!
It certainly was hot for an October Sunday!

Plenty of hands needed, but organizing committee included some hefty guys!

We still took time to share a joke or two!

Let me introduce all the good people who made it possible!
Takahiro Nagashima/長島孝博/ owner of Nagashima Wine shop in Shizuoka City, the main organizer.

Kazutaka Takashima/高嶋一孝, owner and master-brewer of Takashima Brewery in Numazu City.

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

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

Shigeru Sano/佐野茂治, owner-chef of Kamoshibito Restaurant in Shizuoka City.

Ken-ya Yoshimura, owner-chef of Uzu Izakaya, the leader of the group!

I took a break to take a stroll in the natural surroundings. Beautiful but unfortunately inedible karasu uri/烏瓜!

Things getting ready!

Preparing the charcoal BBQ!

Washing the vegetables!
All the vegetables of the day, except for the mushrooms and the jumbo peanuts were organic and grown by Bio Farm Matsuki in Fujinomiya City!

Little beauties for the salads!

Organic tomatoes!

Butternut squash!

Oura burdock roots!

Yuzu Koshio and Basil Paste created by Ken-ya Yoshimura at Uzu!

Sauces/dressings for the BBQ!

All the sakes of the day were nectars called Hakuin Masamune brewed by Takashima Brewery!

Kazutaka Takashima makes it known all through his sake labels that the Suruga Bay has the largest number of edible seaweed varieties in Japan!

The water of the day all came from Takashima Brewery’s own well!

All the guests were provided a sake cup with a removable cap to make sure not a single drop would be spilled!

Rainbow trout from Kunugi Fish Farm in Fujinomiya City!

Preparing the rainbow trout sashimi plate!

Beautiful, isn’t it?

Boiled jumbo peanuts grown in Shizuoka City! Great snack!

Pick your tomato!

Gomadare/sesame dressing by Sanoman Company in Fujinomiya City!

Boiled mangenton pork belly slices, cucumber and boiled bean sprouts salad!

The star of the day: dry ageing beef (Holstein) by Sanoman Co.!

The star of the day on the charcoal grill!

Decorating the bbq’d beef tray with mushrooms grown by Mr. hasegawa in Fuji City! To be savored raw!

Cutting the beef sashimi style!

Placing the beef on the tray…

Almost ready… I wasn’t left any time for a last picture!

Mangenton pork sausages!

Red Moon potatoes tempura!

Oura burdock root tempura!

Preparing the butternut squash tempura!

Absolutely delicious!

Organic sweet potatoes!

Anchovy sauce potatoes!

The guest product of the day: mozuku seaweed brought all the way from Miyako Island in Okinawa!

The other star of the day! Toshiyaki Horie/堀江利彰, owner of Horie Chicken Farm in Shuzenji, Izu Peninsula, who came all the way tpo demonstrate the cutting of his Amagi Shamo Chickens!

An attentive audience…

Amagi Shamo is arguably the best and rarest chicken in Japan!

Charcoal-grilled Amagi Shamo Chicken!

Yummy!

Some very happy and contented ladies!

See you again next year same time!

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Healthy Gastronomy: Croquettes Lunch Set at Cielo Azul Café

October 8, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Friendly but very shy
Facilities: Great general cleanliness
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Healthy lunches, dinners and desserts

This is the second installment of Healthy Lunches in Shizuoka City and Prefecture!
It is a necessity for me as I’ve been fighting the Battle of The Bulge for some time!

Located in fashionable Takajyou Machi in Shizuoka City, Cielo Azul Café looks as if it had escaped from a Pacific Island!

The menu is clearly indicated (in Japanese) at the bottom of the stairs.

Blue stairs with a blue facade…

You will have a hard time keeping away from the sweets dessert!

The furniture is great fun to study: primary school desks from France!

Very feminine in concept!

There are four different lunches on the menu all for a reasonable 950 yen!
I chose the home-made Croquettes Set Lunch!

Healthy rice topped with black sesame seeds.

Local vegetables salad.

Local vegetables soup.

The Croquettes!
Yummy looking, aren’t they?

Corn cream croquettes! Not as easy to make as they look!

Potato & minced meat Croquettes!

A drink was also included in the set but I decided to add one of their cakes!

Beautiful baked peach tart!

You can expect other visits soon as they still three more lunch sets to explore! LOL

Cielo Azul Cafe
Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Takajyou, 1-7-8, 2F
Tel. & Fax: 054-255-9509
Business hours: 09:00~22:00 (until 20:00 on Sundays and Mondays)
Closed on Wednesdays
Private parties welcome!

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美食, 農業, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Rice

Mochi: Vegan home-made recipe (expanded)

October 6, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

WAGASHI-SAKURA-MOCHI
Wagashi/Sakura Mochi

Mochi is a traditional Japanese dessert with has the merit to not use wheat flour or any dairy products. It is fit for everyone, vene vegans!

Here is a simple way to make mochi.
Bear in mind that mochi can be eaten fresh as it is especially so with wagashi cakes and that it can be mixed with other ingredients for colouring. It can be also dried and grilled and also included in soups and other recipes such as mochi pizza!

INGREDIENTS:
Glutinous rice: 3 go (Japanese measure): 540 cc (2.8 cups)
Kinako (to taste)

Notes on kinako and glutinous rice:

MOCHI-KINAKO

Kinako (黄粉 or きなこ), also known as soybean flour, is a product commonly used in Japanese cuisine. In order to create the soybean flour, soybeans are toasted and ground into powder. Its flavor is commonly compared to that of peanut butter.

Kinako, being composed of soybeans, is a healthy topping and flavoring which contains B vitamins and protein. It can also be used as a drink;. For example, warabi mochi is a famous kinako-covered sweet

MOCHI-TRADITIONAL

Glutinous rice (Oryza sativa var. glutinosa or Oryza glutinosa; also called sticky rice, sweet rice, waxy rice, botan rice, biroin chal, mochi rice, and pearl rice) is a type of short-grained Asian rice that is especially sticky when cooked. It is called glutinous (Latin glūtinōsus) in the sense of being glue-like or sticky and not in the sense of containing gluten; on the other hand, it is called sticky but should not be confused with the other varieties of Asian rice that become sticky to one degree or another when cooked.

RECIPE:

MOCHI-1
Wash the rice and let it soak in water overnight.

MOCHI-2
Pour water in steamer. Bring to boil. Set a clean cloth inside. Drain rice. Pour rice inside cloth. Dig a “well” in the middle for better cooking.

MOCHI-3
Steam over a medium fire for 20~25 minutes.

MOCHI-4
Pour hot water inside pestle bowl and leave the wooden sticks inside water for long enough to have all of them well impregnated with water. Throw water away just before next step. This will insure a better mochi!

MOCHI-5
Check rice for an even cooking. No water should be left or the mochi will be runny. If you make a small quantity, softer rice than usual is better as it will tend to dry faster than a large quantity.

MOCHI-6
Now this is the hard part!
You will need three adults to press hard on the rice with the wooden sticks at the same time to crush the rice completely. It might take as long as 10 minutes.

MOCHI-7
Now that the rice has been softened, One can continue on his own or work in shifts. Pound the rice in the middle 10 times. Turn over the rice from outside to inside and continue always around the clock.
Important: always pound in the middle, never on the sides or you will break the bowl!

MOCHI-8
That is how it should look. Make balls by twisting rice out.

MOCHI-9
Roll mochi in kinako mixed with sugar to taste. They are ready to be eaten!
They can also be eaten with soy sauce and grated wasabi!

MOCHI-10
This is how they are served in Japan for children (and adults!)

MOCHI-11
If you want to preserve them for a while before eating, roll them in rice powder. Rice powder will come in useful if you want to fashion the mochi into thin sheets or else.

MOCHI-12
That is how they look grilled!

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美食, 野菜, 農業, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Vegan

Vegan Japanese Dashi/Soup Stock: The Basic Recipe (expanded)

October 6, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

So many times have I heard my vegan and vegetarian friends complain about the fact that most dashi/soup stock is not done according to their priorities in Japan, making it impossible for them to enjoy food in this country.
Fortunately, this is a big misconception. Vegan dashi exists and is very easy to make or request.
Now, to make sure that the same friends can savour Japanese food, either at home or with friends, here is the basic and simple recipe!
Please save or copy this recipe for future reference (I have more vegan soup recipes in store for you if you want them!)

Vegan Japanese Dashi/Soup Stock

INGREDIENTS: (multiply according to demands. This is the minimum quantity!)

Konbu as sold in Japan

Konbu out of its packaging

-Konbu/dried thick dark seaweed: ５ｃｍ×５ｃｍ piece (dried)
-Water: ４００cc/ml (2 cups)
-Japanese sake: 1 tablespoon (don’t worry, the alcohol will disappear upon heating/cooking!)
-Mirin/sweet sake (same comments as above!): 2 tablespoons
-Soy sauce: 2 and a half tablespoons

RECIPE:

Pour the water into a large pan. Drop the seaweed into the water.
Switch on the fire.
The moment bubbles appear on the surface of the konbu, the water will start sucking its essence out the seaweed.
At that time add soy sauce, sake and mirin.

Taste from time to time to decide when taste suits you best.
Switch off fire then and take konbu out.
Let cool completely, pour it inside a bottle. Seal the bottle properly and store inside refrigerator.
Use it as soon as possible.

The seaweed doesn’t have to be thrown away. It is edible as it is once cooked!
The Missus chops it and add it steamed rice or in finely chopped vegetable salads!

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Chicken, 玉子, 美食, Eggs, 酒, 野菜, 茶, 魚, 魚海の幸, 農業, Fish, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Mushrooms, Pork, sake, sashimi, seafood, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Shizuoka Fruit, Supermarkets, Tourism, vegetables, wasabi, 山葵

Local Food at Cenova Department Store in Shizuoka City!

October 4, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

After 3 years in the making Cenova Department Store has been finished and went through a pre-opening gala today.
Formerly known as Shin Shizuoka Center, the crumbling store has been completely rebuilt into a brand new venture reminiscing better store in bigger cities.
I was curious about what local food they would offer and decided to investigate today since I had obtained an invitation, a rigmarole necessary for the day!

At least the entrance was grand enough and all the ceilings very high. No complain there!

I immediately went down to the basement solely dedicated to food and drinks. It certainly was as big as the other department stores in town and was divided into Shizutetsu Store, the building owning company’s own store and tenants.
I checked the tenants first!

Shizuoka Green Tea! Shizuoka Prefecture produces 45~50% of the total Japanese crops!

Cana, a great chiffon cake specialist from Yaizu City!

Korokuya Co. Is also a tenant at Shizuoka JR Station Parche Department Store.

Shizuoka-grown shiitake mushrooms!

Fresh wasabi roots from Izu Peninsuloa!

Shizuoka-grown “Akagara” satoimo/taro!

Shizuoka-bred Suku Suku Chicken!

Fish and seafood from Shizuoka Prefecture. The same company are also tenants in Parche!

Isaki/Chicken Grunt sashimi from Suruga Bay!

That was about as far as the tenants were concerned. Actually it was more than I expected.
I then moved to the Shizutetsu Store space.

Crown Melons from Fukuroi City!

All these vegetables come from Shizuoka Prefecture producers on contact with Shizutetsu Store!

The farm’s name and owner picture are all featured at this special stand. How about that for traceability!

Shizuoka Prefecture is also celebrated for its succulent mandarine oranges!

Not many people know that grapes were first grown in Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan!

The mushrooms grown by Mr. Hasegawa in Fuji City are famous beyond our Prefecture!

Shizuoka-grown Celebes Satoimo/taro!

Fish and seafood from 5 different fishing harbors in Shizuoka Prefecture!

Beautiful fish in the company of a whole wasabi, toot, stems and leaves. You won’t see that outside our Prefecture!

Shirasu/sardine whiting from Mochimune and Sakura ebi/cherry shrimps from Yui!

Katusobushi/Dry bonito shavings from Yaizu City!

Fujiyama Beef!

Shizuoka Aka Buta/Red Pork!

Nakata San Chi No Aijyou Buta/Nakata’s Love Pork!

Bioran Eggs by Mr. Shimizu in Shizuoka City are famous in Tokyo!

Now that’s nice surprise! Bayern Meister Beer Microbrewery Beer from Fujinomiya City!

Another boon! Tenjingura Microbrewery Beer from Hamamatsu City!

Plenty of sake from Shizuoka Prefecture!

A sake brand devised for the opening of Cenova by Hana no Mai Brewery in Hamamatsu City!

And more mandarine oranges!

All in all, I must admit I found more than I expected!
Next time I will investigate in more detail!

To be continued…
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美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Shidaizumi Brewery-Hiyaoroshi Futsushu Funeshibori

October 3, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Shidaizumi Brewery in Fujieda City is not only celebrated for its great nectars but also for its research in all types of sake!
They explained me that they do have a local clientele who exclusively drink their sake as futsushu/”normal sake” (as opposed to premium sake)!

They also came up with this bright yellow label both in Japanese and English to appeal to local foreigners!

This sake is a Hiyaoroshi/ひやおろし, meaning it has been pasteurized only once!
“Funeshibori/ふねしぼり” means that is has been pressed in a large rectangular vessel filled with bags of sake taken out of the fermenting vats.
It is also a genshu/原酒 meaning that no pure water was added!

Now, this sake being futsushu/normal sake it is pretty well opened to experiment as you will see below:

Rice: Hyakumangoku 20% + normal rice (futsumai!) 80%
Hyakumangoku Rice milled down to 65% (absolutely extravagant!)
Yeast: Shizuoka Yeast N02
Dryness: + 6.0
Acidity: 1.3
Alcohol: 17~18 degrees (genshu)
Bottled in September 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Light golden hue
Aroma: Strong, dry and fruity. Vanilla, almonds, apricots, alcohol
Body: Fluid
Taste: Fruity with pleasant big alcohol attack
Disappears fairly quickly with warmth spreading all over the palate.
Complex. Dry but very fruity: Apricots, macadamia nuts, almonds.
Very solid throughout. Varies little with food, except for an accentuated dryness with oranges.

Overall: If futsushu, so-called normal sake, were all like this, there would little incentive to taste or buy premium sake! But this is Shizuoka Prefecture where all sake are extravagant as a matter of course! A sake you can savor with any food or on its own although it was obviously designed to accompany simple everyday meals!

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Uncategorized

Wagashi/Japanese Cakes at Mochi No Ie in Shizuoka City

October 1, 2011 dragonlife 6 Comments

If you happen to visit the Toro Ruins or the magnificent Serizawa Keisuke Art Gallery in Shizuoka City take the time to visit Mochi No Ie just inside the Toro Ruins Park!

You are in for a time slip!

The whole 180-year old farm house was brought piece by piece from Okkaizu/奥会津 City in Fukushima Prefecture some time ago!

It harbors a traditional Japanese restaurant serving local o-mochi/rice cakes and soba/buckwheat noodles at hours coinciding with the opening hours of the Serizawa Keisuke Art Gallery.

The watermill wheel was also brought all the way!

This is Japan!
Can you see the goldfish?

Beautiful noren representing a rabbit pounding rice cakes on the moon!
They have another shop inside Shizuoka City JR Station with the same noren!

Of course inside is all wood!

Traditional Japanese fireplace!
The whole house is a microcosm of country life in 19th Century Japan!

Green tea is served in cups with the design of the place!

The small shop inside the house where you can buy o-mochi and soba to take back home!

One can either sit at tables or on tatami straw mats.

They also serve soba (for another report) but they are famous for teir mochi/soft rice cake of various kinds.
The above is Karamimochi/からみもち, an appetizer version served with grated daikon and freshly grated wasabi!

You break the whole thing with your chopsticks and mix it before savoring it. Great with beer!
Moreover, it is vegan as they use only rice flour to make them!

A combination of two true Shizuoka wagashi/Japanese rice cakes: Abekawa mochi/安倍川もち made of rice flour covered with sweatmeats/anko/餡子, and Kinako mochi/きなこもち rice flour cakes served with dry soy beans flour.
Again these cakes are vegan!

For a closer view! A great healthy dessert!

The owners always kindly invite newcomers to visit the upper floor!

Up the wooden stairs…

A cute noren/curtain!

Upstairs is a real museum but you can eat there upon reservation and make it a wholy non-smoking private room!

Beautiful overview of the entrance garden!

Farm crop baskets!

Original drawings by Serizawa Keisuke!

I’d love to possess this fan painted by the same artist!

Many things to discover in dark corners…

I’m planning to visit their shop at Shizuoka Station soon, but I must come back here again soon to enjoy their soba!

To be followed…

MOCHI NO IE
Shizuoka Shi, Suruga Ku, Toro, 5-15-13 (Just inside the Toro Ruins Park)
Tel.: 054-263-1663
Opening hours: 10:30~17:00
Closed on Mondays

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Gastronomy and Art at Serizawa Art Gallery of Shizuoka City!

September 30, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Serizawa Keisuke/芹沢桂介 was born in Shizuoka City in 1895. In 1956 he was certified as a Living National Treasure (Official title for an intangible Cultural Property Holder) on KATAEZOME dying works.
The City of Shizuoka completed the Keisuke Serizawa Art Gallery of Shizuoka City in 1981 3 years before the artist left this world.

Serizawa Keisuke was only a genius artist but an unbelievable collector of folk art. The Museum can show only one tenth of its whole collection at a time. I visited it yesterday again and found some interesting relations between gastronomy and art among his creations and collection!

The Japanese have always loved their crabs!

For a closer view!

Now, what is printed on this Edo Period noren (Shop entrance curtain)?

Isei ebi/伊勢海老/spiny lobster! Which just that the Japanese had appreciated it a long time before some other parts of the world!

Food and Spices in an Okinawan market of old!

It looks like a kirie/きりえ/japanese cut paper Art!

A stylized view of a dining room!

Again from Okinawa!

What were these Edo Period boxes used for!

The staff explained me these boxes were used to carry along the whole sake drinking set!

Enormous sake tokkuri/酒徳利/sake flasks!

What were all this lacquer ware from the Tohoku Region dating back to the Edo Period for?

This utensil was used to pour sake to very thirsty guests!

Hip flask to carry along water or sake!

Box to preserve ground chili pepper! The Japanese had been using growing the fiery condiment for quite some time!

Looking forward to the next exhibition!

Serizawa Art Gallery of Shizuoka City
Shizuoka Shi, Suruga Ku, Toro, 5-10-15
Tel.: 054-282-5522
Opening hours: 9:00~16:00
Closed on Mondays (except National Holidays)
HOMEPAGE

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美食, 駅弁, 魚海の幸, 農業, Fish, Gastronomy, Izakaya, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Japanese Gastronomy: Katsuo Tataki at Waga!

September 29, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

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!

Shizuoka Prefecture, thanks to its long shores along the Suruga Bay, the richest Bay in Japan, and around the Izu Peninsula is replete with fish and seafood all year round. Comparatively little fish is imported from other shores and people here keep to seasonal fish.
Katsuo/鰹/Bonito, also called skipjack tuna, is a very popular fish in Japan and probably the only sustainable tuna species these days. It is also extensively eaten in the Maldives, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, France and Spain.
At the beginning of the Fall large schools swim across the Suruga Bay and the quality of the fish in Shizuoka supermarkets, sushi restaurants and Izakaya is simply extraordinary!

Naturally, it is delicious consumed raw as sashimi or cooked as “nimono”, “teriyaki” or in curries, but my preferred cuisine is tataki!
Although the method is simple enough, timing is crucial!

Freshness is also crucial.
Instead of preparing it beforehand, the chef at Waga, upon receiving the order, will cut out a large chunk from a fresh skipjack filet and grill it directly over the flame just long enough to sear the fish a few mm deep. He will then plunge it into icy water to stop the cooking and wipe it dry. Simple? Yes, but try it, and you will find out a lot of little details have to be taken into account!
The chef will then cut the katsuo in large slices and serve them artfully arranged on a plate with a light cold sauce/dressing.

For a perfectly balanced and beautiful dish he will prop the fish atop plenty of lettuce and decorate it with finely cut white leek and a quartered large plum tomato, all grown in Shizuoka Prefecture!
Of course, the dressing is a secret but it is based on soy sauce, ponzu and lime juice with soft spices!

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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Healthy Gastronomy: Lunch at Capu (September 2011)

September 25, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Very friendly
Facilities: old but clean
Prices: reasonable
Strong points: Vegetarian and ethnic cuisine. Easy-going atmosphere for all ages and trends. Home-made umeshu and biscuits.
Non-smoking on Second Floor!

There are times, even if you do not have any food priorities, that you wish for a light, healthy and tasty meal!

Capu is a quaint cafe and craft shop away from the centre of Shizuoka City but still within easy distance from the Railway Station.

It is minuscule with a single table on the first floor but enough seating on the non-smoking second floor.

Whenever possible I sit on the first floor among a cute bric a brac!

Have a good look as there are indeed some very interesting crafts and cakes/bicuits to purchase!

They always serve at least two vegetarian lunch sets but I opted for an omnivore offering this time: Melting Cheese abd Egg Curry Set!

Very healthy rice complemented with dark violet rice and sesame seeds.

Local vegetable salad.

Melting Cheese and Egg Minced Meat Curry.

Jasmin Tea.

The dessert of the day.

Vanilla ice cream and oats.

Now if you come in between lunch and dinner, that is at cafe time have a good look at their biscuits, cakes and drinks!

Food & Craft cafe CAPU/カフエカプ
3-6-13, Tokiwa-cho, aoi-ku, Shizuoka City, 静岡市葵ときわちょうー６－１３
Tel.: 054-252-5343
Business hours: 12:00~21:00 (Sat. & Sun. ~22:00)
Closed on Wednesdays.
Private parties possible.
HOMEPAGE

Beer, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Tourism

Shizuoka Beer Tasting: Wind Valley Brewery-Izu Ale

September 24, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

The Wind Valley Brewery does deserve its name in Kannami, Mishima City.
It is actually tugged between two precipitous slopes and it can be extremely windy there, especially in winter!
The brewery is still relatively young founded as it was in 1997, but is steadily making a name for itself!

The Brewery is putting out 3 regular beers all year round apart of 3 more seasonal ones and Izu Ale is one of the former.
Izu is the name of the Peninsula of the same name and the Brewery is located in the very Northern part.

Ingredients: Barley, hops, yeast and water from Mount Fuji. Barley molt from own barley and British ale malt
Contents: 330 ml
Alcohol: 5.5%
Yeast: live

Clarity: Smoky
Color: Amber orange
Foam: Fine, lingers for a while
Aroma: Bread, yeast, faint oranges
Taste: Deep and solid attack with oranges. Finishes on a dry note on the palate with bread.
Complex from first sip and even more from second sip.
Dry oranges and bread linger on.
Tends to become drier and drier with further sips.

Overall: Very solid and satisfying brew to be enjoyed on its own as well as with heavy food or pickles.
A beer for all seasons!

Wind Valley Beer (Oratche), Rakunou Oukoku Co. Ltd
Shizuoka Ken, Mishima Shi, Kannami, Tanna, 349-1
Tel.: 055-974-4211
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Fuji No Kuni Gastronomic Fair in Fuji City (September 2011)

September 23, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

On September 22nd another “Fuji no Kuni” Gastronomic Fair was held under the auspices of the Shizuoka Prefecture Economy & Industry Bureau at Maison De Anniversaire in Fuji City to support the local food and producers.

As the event started at 7 p.m. I arrived a bit early at Shin Fuji Station where I was greeted by a beautiful sunset!
As the site of the event took place high at the foot of Mount Fuji I did well to reach the Station at 6 p.m.!

Arriving early gave me ample time to greet some friends and acquaintances like Mr. Sano, owner of Sanoman Co. in Fujinomiya City!

It also allowed me to survey the dining room and have a look at the menu and appetizers on my plate before exchanging business cards with many another guest. Actually most guests, representing companies or coming as individuals, had some kind of direct relation with the economy and agriculture of Shizuoka Prefecture.
Incidentally, the appetizers were Mangenton ball in escabeche from Sanoman Co. and the chicken roulade was made with Koshamo chicken from Aoki Farm in Fuji City!

The beer that day was brewed by Stephan Rager at Bayern Meister Beer Co. in Fujinomiya City!

And the Japanese sake was provided by Fuji-Takasago Brewery in Fujinomya City!

A honjyozo called “Raku/楽/Enjoy Yourself!”

Guests including some celebrities taking their seats in all informality.

The MC of the day: Mrs. Kyouko Ishigami, a Shizuoka sake expert!

The dinner started with a vegetable and salmon trout jelly terrine and organic salad!

The salmon trout was bred by Kunugi Fish Farm and all the organic vegetables were grown by Mtsuki Bio Farm, both in Fujinomiya City!

Each producer involved in the preparation of the repast introduced their venture on the mike: Mr. Sano of Sanoman Co.

Beautiful mushroom soup with imo/taro. The mushrooms were cultivated by Mr. Hasegawa in Fuji City!

Madai/Seabream (brought from Yui, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City) poelee with a galette of sakura shrimps from the same harbour. The vegetables are of course from Matsuki Bio Farm and the bacon from Sanoman Co.

For a closer view!

Charcoal-grilled Izu Venison Roast from deer meat processed by the Izu City Food Processing Center!

Very French in concept! And delicious!

The representative of Fuji-Takasago Brewery in Fujinomiya City!

The dessert!

Shizuoka Fig Millefeuille with blueberry sauce!

Financier!

A very interesting dinner indeed introducing all the good ingredients from Shizuoka Prefecture!

I wonder where they are going to hold this monthly event next time!

美食, 観光, Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Japan, Restaurants, Tourism

Italian gastronomy: Early Autumn Dinner at Il Castagno in Shizuoka City!

September 22, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Very friendly and attentive
Equipment: Great general cleanliness
Prices: reasonable
Strong points: Great appetizers. Home-made pasta!.
Entirely non-smoking!

I make a point to visit the best restaurants in town at least once every season and it was time for my Autumnal visit at Il Castagno in Shizuoka City!

Il Castagno has an excellent list of wines at reasonable prices: we opted for this solid Veneto red!

Amarone della Valpolicella 2007

For the specialists!

One good way to taste their appetizers is to ask for their 6-dish Appricoze Set!

Naturally, all their bread and biscuits are home-baked!

The fish dish of the day was Cartoccio Di Patate, a baked seabream in a wrap made of thin potato chips with a cockles and sweet shrimps cream sauce!

A beautiful potato wrap!

Yummy seafood!

It was such a pleasure to break through the potato wrap!

The red wine having quickly disappeared we opted for a French White Alsace Riesling 2009 by Laurent Barth!

As for the main dish we ordered pasta!
Tagliorini with scallops and fresh vegetables and semi-dried Aiko tomatoes in cockles sauce!

All the vegetables and the cockles are from Shizuoka Prefecture!

From another angle!
Can you see the edamame?

We just had enough space left for the dessert plate!

Peach and plum sorbets!

Fig tart!

“Pone” expresso coffee and chocolate pudding!

Of course an expresso and hard biscuits for the finishing touch!

To be followed…

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)

美食, 野菜, 魚, 魚海の幸, 農業, Fish, French Cuisine, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Japan, Shizuoka, Tourism

French Gastronomy: Shizuoka Seafood and Vegetables at Chez Satsukawa!

September 21, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Very friendly and easy-going, more professional in the “room”.
Facilities: very Clean and beautiful washroom!
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: French food in Izakaya style. Great sake and wines!

Chez Satsukawa has the great merit to both provide relaxation at their counter and sophistication in their dining-room for the pleasure of individuals, couples and groups alike!

Even in a comparably relaxed atmosphere it is the attention brought to the little details that make the difference!

Natural source water “Wasan” collected in Numazu City at the foot of Mount Fuji!

They bake their own bread!

The Chef/Owner has always had a preference for seafood as shown above by a carpaccio of “kinnaku/金無 sole” caught off Miho Peninsula in Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City!

Prime fish served with prime olive oil and condiments!

Beautifully chopped fresh Shizuoka leeks and home-made myoga pickles for a great color contribution to a succulent dish!

Being Japanese, Fujio Satsukawa has a great love for raw seafood but his real love is for Southern France Cuisine when it comes to cooking the catch of the sea such as the above red cuttlefish from the Suruga Bay prepared with a ratatouille!

Splendid red cuttlefish!

Having cleaned the cuttlefish and filled it with Shizuoka vegetables prepared as a rough ratatouille, he flambeed it before cooking it in olive oil until the flesh was tender but not overcooked. Great balance in bite and savors!

More Shizuoka-grown vegetables were lightly deep-fried to add more bite and flavors to the whole dish!
This is the kind of manipulation/marriage you can expect form a top-class chef working from a multinational vantage!

To be continued…

CHEZ SATSUKAWA
420-0852 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Kooya Machi, 4-9, Matsunaga Kooya Machi Bldg, 2F
Tel.: 054-205-5133
Business hours: 12:00~14:00, 17:00~23:00
Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
Credit Cards OK

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