Tag Archives: Japanese Gastronomy

Great Music for your Repast: Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments!

July 3, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

A huge standing drum from the South Pacific!

There is a lot of good food and drinks in Hamamatsu City, but there is also a lot of exceptional music!
With Kawai, Yamaha and Rolland all established in that city, more than half of all music instruments in Japan are made there!
It was no wonder that the City decided to open a Meuseum when it erected Act City and other buildings within walking distance of the Railway Station 15 years ago!

My favorite Japanese instrument, the biwa!

The City then proceeeded to amass a mind-bogling collection of more 1200 pieces on constant display out of more than 3000 in their vaults!
The collection truly covers the whole World and the entrance fee of 400 yen (for adults) is truly ridiculous!
Next time you travel or go out in Hamamatsu City take some time to immerse yourself in the biggest public musical instruments in the world!
The more for it when you realize that photography is allowed!

Here is a tiny selection of pictures I took the other day to which I intend to add regularly!

Quaint samisen!

One-string koto!

Hand-painted 19th Century US banjo!

Musical Sea shells!

A piano for the Sun King?

Or a piano for his favorite?

Historical routes of the mandoline!

Bagpipes from the Scots!

For a Carribean steel band!

They even have a collection of postage stamps on African Music Instruments on display!

Harps for the Celts!

Serpents/snakes from Europe!

Glasses are not always for drinking!
A full crystal glass musical instrument!

Some wind instruments are equipped with truly impressive mouths!

A somewhat frightening steel tongue plank from Africa!

impressive drums from the South Pacific!

Tam tams or boast?

A South East Asian triple xylophone decorated with carved silhouettes!

These feathers will certainly mark out the musician in a band!

I wonder if this peacock contributed its feathers to the precedent instrument?

Yamaha electric guitars from the early 60’s! True antiques for rockn’ rollers!

Make sure to visit the experimental room to try tyour own hand at music!

Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments/浜松市楽器博物館
430-7790 Hamamatsu City, Chuo Ku, Chuo, 3-9-1
Tel.: 053-451-1128
Fax: 053-451-1129
HOMEPAGE
Opening hours: 09:30~17:30
Closed on Mondays, 2nd & 4th Wednesdays. Open all throughout August.

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

観光, Fruit, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Tourism

Hamamatsu Fruit Park!!

July 3, 2011 dragonlife 10 Comments

Half way along our trip riding the Tenhama private Railway Line the other day we decided to pay a visit to the Fruits Park of Hamamatsu City.

We had only one hour until the next train and the walk to the Fruits Park takes 10 minutes.
We knew we would be limited in time and the blistering heat didn’t help!

At least looking at the pavement we knew we couldn’t lose our way!

The main entrance
The park is truly enormous and the car park is even bigger.
We realised that we had to limit this visit to the main attraction, the Tropical Fruit Dome!

The hall leading to the dome was full of information but the air-conditioning did not prepare us to the heat inside the dome!
By the way if you can read japanese check their HOMEPAGE as it will help you recognize some very strange fruit!

What is this fruit?

The temperature inside must have been well above 30 degrees with an incredible humidity.
The sweat prevented me to jot down notes and I’m afraid I don’t remember the names of some fruits! Let’s see if you can help me!

Fortunately there was plenty of running water to help cool down the dome!

Not only tropical fruit, but also plenty of beautiful flowers!
All in all, 80 varieties for 300 trees and plants!

Cocoa!

Start of the quizz!
What’s the name of those flowers?

What’s that fruit?

And what are these?

I’ve seen these flowers before…

It’s not a pineapple. What could it be?

Limes/ I doubt it…

Now, this a lime!

I’ve seen that one before, too!

Beautiful orchids there!

A pineapple!

What are these fruit?

Another pineapple!

Bananas!

Red bananas!

Insects and pests had better beware!

Banana flower!

Papaya!

More papayas!

And another pineapple!

Outside the dome a cafe/restaurant will welcome you inside a beautiful park.
But actually the Tropical Fruit Park and the big park with ponds outside represent only one fourth of the whole complex!
You will have to plan half a day for a complete visit even with the help of a mini train!

Among others, you will discover fields of plum trees, orange trees, apple trees, strawberries, grapes, blueberries, kiwi fruit, almond trees, figs, peach trees, pomegranate trees, a field of nut trees including chestnuts and a lot more inside greenhouses and experiment fields!

This park will warrant a least a couple more visits to describe it all!

HAMAMATSU FRUITS PARK
431-2102 Hamamatsu City, Kita Ku, Miyakoda Cho, 4263-1 (get down at Fruits Park Station on the Tenhama private Railway line. 10 minute walk)
Tel.: 053-428-5211
Fax: 053-428-52000
Business hours: 09:00~16:30 (October~April), 09:00~17:00 (May~September)
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

焼酎, Gastronomy, Hamamatsu City, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shochu

Shizuoka Shochu Tasting: Hamamatsu-Tenjingura Brewery: Doman

July 2, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Since Yasatei Restaurant has Doman rice shochu on its list I took the opportunity the other day to conduct a tasting while enjoying the food!
“Doman” is the name of a (very expensive) crab solely found in salt water Hamana Lake in Hamamatsu City.
It is brewed by Hamamatsu-Tenjingura Brewery which also brews (mainly) sake and beer, and also liquors!

Doman is a rice shochu made with the best sakekasu/white lees of the Brewery by their brewmaster who is a lady!

To help with the tasting I ordered some Shizuoka-grown tomatoes!

The red tomato is “Ameera” variety celebrated for its sweetness. The orange tomato is a variety grown organically by Shizen no Chikara Farm!

Hamamatsu-Tenjingura Brewery: Doman Rice shochu

Ingredients: Rice, white lees, Shizuoka Yeast, water
Alcohol: 28 degrees

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Fruity. Custard
Body: Fluid
Taste: Starts with a soft attack to amplify into a warm pleasant invasion of the palate.
Complex. Fruity and dry. Custard.
Stays dry all the time although taste tends to fluctuate into sophisticated notes of coffee beans.
Marries well with food, especially vegetables salads.

Overall: A very pleasant shochu which does not need to be mixed with anything else.
Best appreciated poured above plenty of ice in a large glass!
Marries so well with vegetables!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Soba

Soba Restaurant along the Ten-Hama Railway Line: Hazuki!

July 1, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

Service: Very friendly
Facilities: Very traditional
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Authenticity and great soba/buckwheat noodles!
Entirely non-smoking!

There would be many stops to choose from for lunch along the Tenhama Private Railway line running between The Cities of Kakegawa and Hamamatsu deep into the country up the Tenryuu River and around the Lake Hamana.
This is rural country in Shizuoka prefecture, and whereas the comfort of larger cities might be missing you are truly experiencing rural authenticity! And that of course applies to food, too!

A seat of local wood donated by the local citizens living by Futamata Honcho Railway Station!

One such place is a soba shop called Hazuki/葉月, just beside the entry/exit of tiny Futamata Honcho Station!

It was blistering hot outside and we were happy to find the place so near the station!

For the menu, look on the wall!

Two lions guard the place!

This is what I personally ordered: Goobou soba/Burdock root soba.
Served hot, yes! I was asked, “these are hot soba, are you ok!” by the surprised owner.
I learned a long time ago it is always better for your constitution to eat hot than icy in a great heat!

The Missus ordered cold “karami daikon oroshi soba”, cold buckwheat noodles topped with grated daikon.

There are no less than 4 signs clearing stating that smoking is most unwelcome!

The Missus’ cold buckwheat noodles!

You certainly cannot beat the freshness as the daikon and kawairedaikonn:daikon sprouts are local vegetables probably coming from a nearby garden!

My very generous gobou soba!

The burdock root is “Yokozuna Gobou” variety!
Very tasty and crunchy! A delicacy actually!

Soba must one of the best and healthiest ways to take a repast on a long trip!

HAZUKI (Te Uchi Soba Hazuki/手打そば葉月)
Hamamatsu City, Futamata Honcho, Futamata, 2396-19 (just on the right as you go out of the station!)
Business hours: 10:30~16:00 (unless the soup stock runs out before!)
Closed on Thursdays (except National Holidays)
tel.: 0539-35-9066

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Uncategorized

Health Food Cafe: Cafe Belle Equipe Vegetable in Shizuoka City!

June 28, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service: Very friendly if a bit shy
Facilities: Very clean. Beautiful toilets
Prices: Reasonable. Very good value
Strong points: Healthy food. Great set lunches. Beautiful array of cakes.

The idea of a beauty salon company opening a cafe/restaurant serving health food is a very sound idea to me. After all, it is only one step going further in taking care of the looks of one’s body!
Two years ago, Belle Equipe Co. decided to open Cafe Belle Equipe Vegetable in Tenmacho, one of the newly fashionable districts of this large city, and it was about time I paid it a visit for lunch after having cycled past it so often!

After I climbed an outside stairs and penetrated through an elaborate entrance both filled with an almost retro bric-a-brac I discovered that the place was far larger than expected.

It is basically divided into two rooms at a different level. One can choose from small tables for privacy, an enormous table seating at least twelve or the second room for even better privacy.

Individual space in Japan is at a premium and I always appreciate some form of comfortable aloofness.
Interestingly enough, customers come from all ages, a good sign of the quality.

No, they won’t propose you to eat in heaven!
The place is a bit of nicely organized jumble and is worth a second and third look as they also sell all kinds of biscuits, cakes and even objets!
As for eating and drinking, they serve lunch, dinner, drinks and cakes in the afternoon and alcohol at all times!

There was just too much to choose from for my first visit, what with more than 4 regular set lunches and two specialties of the day and an array of single dishes.
I hadn’t eaten a true hamburger for a long time, so I opted for the Hamburger Set Lunch which looked so healthy on the menu!

I must confess I was surprised at the size and generosity of the hamburger plate!

Now the hamburger had two great qualities:
-The meat being a combination of chicken and read meat, it was very light in spite of its size and was heads, shoulders and whatever above the fare of some notorious hamburger diners! And certainly far healthier!
-The sauce had been made out of real tomatoes, not something out of a cheap can!

And it was accompanied by a mountain of vegetables! Talk about good balance!

It was not all as it was served with another salad, vegetable miso soup and rice!

Kabocha and almond salad!

Rice can be ordered plain, whole or both. I opted for the latter!

I had black tea to “finish” the meal. Certainly more elegant than usual!

The sugar is individually wrapped!

Now, I must admit my health took a bit of a bashing when I just couldn’t resist choosing one of the more than 12 cakes on display!
I know that one single reason for coming back will be the investigation of those cakes!

Flan aux prunes/hard custard and prunes
Definitely not a Japanese concept!
Bother, I will have to wait until next week for my next visit unless I can manage some free time for another cake!

CAFE BELLE EQUIPE VEGETABLE
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tenmacho,, 10-1, Villa Tenmacho, 2F
Tel.: 054-251-0200
Business hours: l0:00~22:00 (11:00~22:00 on Saturdays & Sundays, 11:00~21:00 on National Holidays)
Parties (small to large) welcome! Special party menus.
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

焼酎, 美食, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Shochu

Shizuoka Shochu Tasting: Fuji-Takasago Brewery: Fuji No Tsuyu

June 27, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

As foreigners, especially not living in this country, seem to be interested in Shochu like my new friend Sissi in Switzerland I thought it was about time to introduce (actually re-introduce) the shochu made in Shizuoka Prefecture!

Although 10 out 28 sake breweries in Shizuoka Prefecture also distill an aggregate of over 40 shochu, they are not well known (actually rare) in Japan as quantities are comparatively small and also because they are simply extravagant!
They are all true shochu/honkakushochu/本格焼酎 but they do not always follow the pattern of the shochu made in Kyushu island for example.
All rice shochu here is either made from the polished rice leftovers or the white lees/sakekasu/酒粕 left after the sake has been pressed.

This shochu was distilled from the white lees left after the sake was pressed and with water from Mount Fuji, hence the name “Fuji no Tsuyu/富士の露 or The Dew of Mount Fuji”!
The label was re-designed last year!

Rice shochu
Base: sake white lees
Water: Mount Fuji water
Alcohol: 25 degrees
Bottled in December 2010

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Fruity and dry. Alcohol. Custard, vanilla.
Body: fluid

Taste: Dry strong but pleasant attack.
Fruity. Almonds, Custard.
Very pleasant even on its own.
Lingers for a while with notes of Macadamia nuts.
Complements food well.

Overall: As far as rice shochu comes it is just too extravagant. I really enjoyed it on its own or with plenty of ice.
Beautiful with chilled Perrier, too.
No real need to mix it with anything else! It shows too many facets to interfere with!
The kind of shochu ladies would relate to!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Yamanaka Brewery-Aoitenka Tokubetsu Junmai Homare Fuji

June 27, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Homare Fuji, the local Shizuoka Sake Rice has not only become a feature in most breweries in our Prefecture, but the latter have been working hard using it in the creation of premium sake such as did Yamanaka Brewery in Kakegawa City!

These brews are really recognizable with their little label.
This tokubetsu junmai made with rice milled down to an extravagant 55% would achieve junmai ginjyou status anywhere else!

Rice: Homare Fuji
Rice milled down to 55%
Dryness: +1.5
Acidity: 1.7
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in June 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Faint golden hue
Aroma: Fruity. Banana, vanilla. Alcohol
Body: Fluid
Taste: Liquorish attack pleasurably warming the back of the palate with junmai petillant.
Complex and fruity. Starts liquorish and almost sweet to depart on a warm dry note.
Oranges and almonds. Very pleasant to drink.
Were it not for its late dry note it could become a dessert sake/wine.
Changes little with food and actually nicely complements it.

Overall: A pleasant sake to drink.
More elegant than expected, which shows all the improvement achieved by brewers with this particular strain of sake rice.
Although designed to accompany food, makes for a very pleasurable beverage on its own!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

美食, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, sake

2nd Central-East Shizuoka Sake Breweries Festival in Kakegawa City

June 26, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

More and more sake breweries in Shizuoka Prefecture have been organizing medium-scale regional sake Festivals.
One of the newest ones is the “Dai Nikai Kuramoto to Nihon Shu wo Tanoshimu Kai/Chuutouen Sake Monogatari/中東遠酒物語・第2回蔵本と日本酒を楽しむ会/the 2nd Festival for Sake Breweries and Sake of Central East Shizuoka”.

Mr. Morimoto (Morimoto Brewery/Kikugawa City) and Mr. Doi (Doi Brewery/Kakegawa City) on both sides of a grower of Homare Fuji Sake Rice.

The event was held at the Kakegawa Grand Hotel on Saturday evening June 25th.
No less than 150 guests, including some well-known figures attended the Festival.

Money donations were collected to help the victims of the recent earthquakes and tsunamis in North East Japan!

Five breweries took part:
Doi Brewery in Kakegawa City.
Senjyu Brewery in Iwata City.
Kokko Brewery in Fukuroi City.
Yamanaka Brewery (Aoitenka) in Kakegawa City.
Morimoto Brewery (Sayogoromo) in Kikugawa City.

Junmai Dai Ginjyou table!

Each table of 9 guests had two bottles of sake ready while loads of bottles standing in wait on three more tables for all to sample!

Dai Ginjyou table!

All in all, no less than 27 brews were introduced to the participants!

The Junmai and Ginjyou table!

This particular table also featured a great koushu/old sake from Senjyu Brewery I tasted again and again later as well as an excellent umeshu!

All the breweries had brought water from their own wells!

These vegetables offered in Bagna Cauda style were all from Kakegawa City!

Such events are vital to make people know more about their own sake, and to make them remember the occasion until next year plenty of excellent buffet food had been prepared to accompany all those great brews!

A very generous buffet including some rare Yorkshire pork from pigs raised in Mikkabi!

And appetizers had been set in front of every guest to titillate his/her appetite in expectation!

I had actually conducted my own investigation before the festivities started!

Representative of Yamanaka Brewery!

This event proved an invaluable opportunity to share long chats with The sake brewers and colleagues from (serious) media!
I already have quite a few interviews and reports lined up!

The celebrities!
Denbei Kawamura, the Godfather of Shizuoka Sake, the man who created the Shizuoka Yeast!
Mr. Yabuta of the President of the Tago Katsuobushi Association!

To be continued (in further reports on participants and naturally at next year’s event!)…

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

蕎麦, 観光, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Shimada City, Shizuoka, Tourism

Soba & Tempura at Setsugekka!

June 26, 2011 dragonlife 6 Comments

Service: very friendly and attentive
Equipment: Very clean. Splendid washroom.
Prices: reasonable
Strong points: Top-class soba, sake and tempura! Great traditional Japanese atmosphere.

For the last 10 years Setsugekka/雪月花 has achieved fame in Shimada City and in the whole Prefecture not only for their soba/buckwheat noodles but also for their magnificent seasonal tempura and sake from Shizuoka Prefecture, especially those of the neighboring sake Brewery Oomuraya!

Setsugekka is conveniently located less than 10 minutes walk from Shimada JR Station.
It looks very simple from outside but the interior is very cozy and traditional.

it is all warm and comfortable wood inside!

But I have a marked preference for the little room just beside the entrance overlooking the outside street!

Deep-fried soba crackers with the first drink!

There are many menus and carte to choose from.
The best way to order is probably to choose one of the set menus and add to it later!
The above appetizers came up with a set menu:
Soba yaki consisting of soba flour mixed with miso and grilled (just love it!), marinated mushrooms and cream cheese with soy sauce jam!

And we were immediately into tempura mode.
We had ordered two different menus for a photo festival!
Above is “kogochi fish” and “nanba shrimp”!

“Kuruma ebi/large prawn”! The whole was edible!
A real piece of art!

All local vegetables: yellow pimento, sweet potato, plum tomato and ice plant!

A great way to present local sake!

A delicacy you will find only in Shizuoka Prefecture: “Sakura ebi kakiage/cherry shrimps tempura”!
With local “leaf ginger and “shishito/chili pepper”.

Local vegetables again: leaf ginger, sweet corn and ice plant!

Now, this is a very unusual tempura: “sakekasu/sake white lees tempura”! The white lees came from the neighbors, Oomuraya Brewery!

Setsugekka can easily organize a full meal for all tastes!
Cuttle fish sashimi!

The full duck set with its gizzards, liver and breast!

And we were at last into soba mode, all basically in “seiro fashion/served cold”, all “jyuwari/100% buckwheat flour”!

Soba of a different color!

Perfect texture!

And for dessert: buckwheat and green tea sorbet! A real delicacy again!

As this month of June saw their 10th Anniversary we were offered some buckwheat seeds to plant!

I hope you understand there will be more reports coming! LOL

SETSUGEKKA/雪付き花
Shimada City, Hontori, 2-3-4
Tel.: 0547-35-5241
Business hours: 11:30~14:30, 17:00~22:00
Closed every Monday and 3rd Tuesday
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

With a Glass,
POPCORNHOMESTEAD in Tokyo by Joan Lambert Bailey,
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:

Blueberries, 美食, Desserts, 観光, 農業, Fruit, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism

Blueberries with no pesticides in Shizuoka City: Masako Mochizuki!

June 23, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Mrs. Masako Mochizuki/望月正子さん!

A true farmer’s abode growing their own food (tomatoes)!

In Shizuoka (and in Japan most of the time for that matter) you very quickly move from the sea to deep into mountains within minutes when you embark into an interview of a local farmer!

Overgrown asparaguses in the foreground and fig trees in the background!

This is when you need friends, especially considering I do not drive (I never did in my life!).
Mind you, I could use a bus or even my bicycle in that case as we went as far as Gojima/後島 up the Abe River, a beautiful trip in itself!

But my good friend, Mrs. Natsuko Koyanagi/小柳奈津子さん, who knows all the farmers along the river, was on hand again to help me!

This is green tea land, too!

Tell the truth, Masako Mochizuki is a celebrity in the region. If you are lost just ask for the blueberry lady’s house!

The blueberry fields with nets to fend off birds!

The Mochizuki family, like all farmers around, had been growing tea and other staple crops when 15 years ago a friend approached Masako personally to ask her to grow blueberries, known to be extremely beneficent to health and eyes in particular!

One of the gadgets to fend off birds. Masako San said that it actually turned more into decoration than anything else!

A remarkable fact is that Masako San does not use any pesticide whatsoever, a notable rarity for that particular crop!
As for fertilizer she mixes only the minimum with home-made compost and others!

She grows 40 varieties, 10 of for sale, in 5 fields on a total area of 700 tsubo/2,300 sauqre meters.
I just can’t describe or take a picture (I’ll come back again anyway!) of all varieties or I’ll into a boring specialist!
But let me show a few of the trees that attracted my attention!

The different varieties will mature at different times. The above won’t be ready for harvest before at least a week.
That does not prevent Masako San and her husband from picking 10 kg of blueberries every morning between June and August!

Small type.

Even smaller but still unripe.

Definitely not ripe!

Medium-sized type with a great balance in taste! I picked quite a few of these!

The big ones, absolute beauties!

The same, to be eaten one at a time! LOL

My personal harvest of two varieties. Considering that the same trees had been harvested early that morning, I was more than satisfied!

A very small part of the morning’s harvest. Truly enormous and so sweet with the right touch of acidity!
I know a lot of chef friends who are going to ask questions!

As I said previously, blueberry is also considered as natural medicine in this country, so Masako, apart of creating jams and jellies, also make blueberry soap!

BLUEBERRY GOSHIMA/ブルーベリー後島
Mr.s Masako Mochizuki/望月正子さん
421-2105 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Goshima, 145-1
４２１－２１０５静岡市葵区後島１４５の１
Tel. & Fax: 054-294-0590
Mobile phone: 090-3938-2328
E-mail: masako77@agate.plala.or.jp
Private orders welcome!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

美食, 観光, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Restaurants, Shizuoka, sushi, Sushi bars, Sushi restaurants., Tourism

Sushi Restaurant: Sushi Ko in Shizuoka City (June 2011)

June 21, 2011 dragonlife 7 Comments

Umazura tsukuri/ウマズラ造り/Filefish sashimi plate!

Sushi Ko in Aoba Park Street in Shizuoka City is the sushi bar owned by Sushi Ko Main Sushi Restaurant in Ta-machi in the same city.
Mr. Oda has just been asked to take charge of the main restaurant while his very capable second, Mr. Kenta Birukawa/尾留川健太さん has been promoted Head of the Sushi Bar in Aoba.
The Bar is as good as ever, but now I will also have to check the main restaurant!

While the Missus drank her Chardonnay, I was sipping my sake brewed by Takashima Brewery in Numazu City. The above shows the snack coming with the first drink: octopus/tako/蛸 served with seaweed, momijioroshi/grated daikon with chili pepper, chopped thin leeks and ponzu!

We managed to get our favorite seats at the counter, but one half of the tatami room was busy with a group of 11 hungry salarymen!
Loads of consecutive work!

Our seats gave us the perfect view of the chefs at work!
They know us well, so they actually welcome the photography (without flash!), but make a point to ask for permission if you are a new customer (the latter applies for any restaurant!)!

On the menu of the day they had umazura tsukuri/ウマズラ造り/Filefish Sashimi Plate.
This fish whose name literally means “Horse face” is a kind of filefish found in Suruga Bay.
It was taken alive out of the fish pond!

Filefish in general is not that popular in other countries, but it definitely deserves attention.
Although it has not much meat, it makes for beautiful sashimi!

For a closer view!

Here it is, served with a dip made with its fresh liver and ponzu!
A real morsel!

Its cheeks were served deep-fried!

Chef Birukawa has kept a little to serve the perfect filefish nigiri topped with its liver and momijioroshi and some thin leeks and wasabi between the neta/topping and the shari/rice!

The Missus always asks for the maguro ponkara/鮪ぽんから/deep-fried tuna served with momiji oroshi, ponzu and sliced red onions!

Whatever the sushi restaurant we always ask for magurozuke/鮪漬/marinated tuna as each establishment has a different recipe!

Sushi Ko always have great botan ebi/牡丹海老/large sweet prawn from Hokkaido in season!

Their freshness means we are guaranteed their deep-fried heads. They make for beautiful crackers!

When we asked for anago/穴子/conger eel, they came in the perfect combination of one piece shio-aji/塩味/salted and the other one, tare-aji/たれ味/brushed with sweet sauce!

Another favorite: tachiuo aburi nigiri/太刀魚炙り握り/Seared scabbard fish nigiri seasoned with ponzu!

Chef Mirukawa’s specialty: Sushi Millefeuille!

The Millefeuille was made with maguro akami/lean tuna, cucumber, avocado and topped with flying fish roe!

A vegetarian/vegan sushi roll with natto, shiso and umboshi!

Another vegetarian/vegan sushi roll with kanpyou/干瓢/dry gourd shavings and plenty of wasabi!

Tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette!

We usually finish such meals with hot food.
The Missus had nameko mushroom miso soup with plenty of seaweed.

As for me I had chyawanmushi/茶碗蒸し/Japanese-style hot salted pudding!

And we were graciously offered Shizuoka-grown musk melon as we paid our (very reasonable) bill!

To continue…

SUSHI KO
420-0032 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho, 2-3-1 (Aoba Park Street)
Tel.: 054-251-9701
Business Hours： 17:00~25:00. 17:00~23:00 （Sundays）
Closed on Wednesdays
Reservations recommended
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (in Japanese)

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

美食, 観光, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Tourism

Shizuoka sake Tasting: Senjyu Brewery-Ginjyou Enshyuu Gohyakumangoku

June 20, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Senjyuu Brewery is the sole brewery still standing in Iwata City, but it can benefit from a rich farmland as demonstrated by the Gohyakumangoku Sake Rice grown in the region under the name of Enshyuu Gohyakumangoku. Enshyuu is the traditional name of the region covering most the Western area of Shizuoka Prefecture.

As Senjyu Brewery does not add a sticker with figures at the back of the bottle of this particular brew you need a good knowledge of Japanese to decipher the small characters!

Rice: Enshyuu Gohyakumangoku (Shizuoka-grown)
Rice milled down to: 50%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in June 2011

Clarity: Very clear.
Color: Transparent.
Aroma: Fruity. Alcohol. Pineapple.
Body: fluid and liquorish
Taste: Dry attack backed up by pleasant alcohol.
Disappears fairly quickly on a dry note.
Complex: almonds with notes of pineapple and oranges with citrus notes lingering on.
Pleasant and light dry sake. Changes little with food.
Faint coffee beans, walnuts, dark chocolate and nuts appearing with further sips.

Overall: Pleasant sake that can be enjoyed either slightly chilled or at room temperature.
Very pleasurable on its own although it has obviously been designed to accompany food.
Dry but soft and complex sake. Easy to drink!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

美食, Gastronomy, Japanese Pottery, sake

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Fuji-Takasago Brewery-Junmai Nama Genshu Homare Fuji

June 17, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Fuji-Takasago Brewery went through a scare when a magnitude 6 earthquake hit Fujinomiya City almost just after the terrible earthquake that hit Northeastern Japan. They found cracks in walls in over ten spots and are busy repairing them now.
But it did not prevent them from brewing in general and certainly not their brews made with Shizuoka-grown Homare Fuji Rice!

No the label did not break during the earthquake!

Rice: Shizuoka-grown Fuji Homare
Rice milled down to: 60%
Alcohol: 17~18 degrees
Bottled in March 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very faint golden hue
Aroma: Fruity: Banana
Body: Fluid
Taste: Not as strong an attack as expected. Almost liquorish.
Fruity. Banana with hints of almonds and coffee beans.
Lingers for a while with alcohol background. Very pleasant despite high alcohol contents.
Hints of oranges, custard and macadamia nuts with further sips.
Changes little with food apart of getting a little drier.

Overall: Difficult to say whether best drunk on its own or with food.
Does marry well with any food, especially heavy izakaya fare.
Personally appreciated it on its own a little chilled!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

美食, 観光, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, sashimi, Shizuoka, sushi, Tourism

Sushi Restaurant: Narukawa in Shizuoka City

June 16, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

“Namida Maki/涙巻/Tear Roll” made with fresh wasabi root from Shizuoka!

Service: Professional and very friendly. Keen to please customers
Facilities: Very clean overall. Great washroom
Prices: Appropriate
Strong points: Extensive usage of local fish. Shizuoka sake.

Hiroki Narukawa/生川広樹さん

I’ve known Chef Hiroki Narukawa for ages since his apprentice days.
Since then he has flown on his own wings and has recently opened his restaurant Narukawa/なるかわ at a new and more spacious address.

In spite of the higher class atmosphere and the increased staff, the prices have not changed and can be considered as reasonable for the quality he serves even in this very difficult to please Prefecture!

Although the seating is modern and almost western in concept it is still very much a traditional atmosphere!

There are naturally menus and sets, but I would encourage you to have a look at the offerings of the day under the glass display and talk with Narukawa San before you start ordering!
Personally I do not bother looking at menus and prefer a more social introduction. The fact that I know the chef also helps! LOL

The Missus and I usually starts with sashimi!
The above is hirame konbujime/平目昆布〆/sole lightly preserved in konbu seaweed. From Shizuoka!

Aka mutsu/赤むつ/Rosy Seabass from Shizuoka.

Kaisui uni/海水海栗/Sea Urchin in his original seawater eaten as it is! Extravagant! From Hokkaido!

Hotate nigiri/帆立握り/Scallops Nigiri. Large! From Northern Japan!

The filaments, roe and liver of the same scallops. A dish that would please a lot of people all over the world!

Madai nigiri/真鯛/True seabream/grouper-Red Seabream/grouper nigiri. From Shizuoka!

Magurozuke nigiri/鮪漬/marinated tuna (akami/lean part). Probably from Shizuoka or North of Japan (I forgot to ask as I always ask for this morsel in Shizuoka!).

Asupara mentaiko maki/アスパラ明太子巻/asparagus and hot cod roe (with mayonnaise) roll. For the Missus! The asparagus is from Shizuoka, the mentaiko from Kyushu island!

While the Missus had her mentaiko I had a kanpyou maki/干瓢巻/gourd shavings first dried, then marinated. With real wasabi from Shizuoka, almost a dessert!

Suwagani nigiri/諏訪蟹/snow crab nigiri from Hokkaido!

Shiroebi kakiage/白海老あき揚げ/white shrimps tempura from Toyama Prefecture!

Namida Maki/涙巻/Tear roll made with freshly sliced wasabi root from Shizuoka. Extravagant!

For a closer view!

Menegi nigiri to daikon zuke/芽葱と大根漬/leek sprouts and pickled (lime) daikon. All from Shizuoka!

Ikura Mini Donburi/イクラミニ丼/mini bowl of salmon’s roe!

To be continued…

NARUKAWA
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho, 1-5-2
Tel.: 054-221-1689
Business hours: 11::30~13:30, 17:00~02:00
Closed on Mondays
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Bars, Cocktails, 美食, 観光, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Tourism

Fruit Cocktails by Wataru Matsumoto: 14-Jaboticaba No1

June 15, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service: very professional and friendly.
Facilities: great washroom, great cleanliness overall.
Prices: reasonable, good value.
Strong points: Fruit cocktails. Cozy and a comfortable, for ladies and gentlemen alike.

This is the fourteenth recipe of a (hopefully long) series of cocktails concocted by Wataru Matsumoto, owner/bartender at BOTANICAL (Comfort bar) in Shizuoka City.

We called this particular cocktail “Jaboticaba No1” as I plan another visit to Nishikawa Garden and bring back more of these rare (in Japan) fruit!
You will find them only in a few orchards in Kyushu and Okinawa Islands and only one more away from these islands in Shizuoka City!

INGREDIENTS

-Jaboticaba: 5~6
-Tanqueray Gin: 1 measure
-Creme de Cassis: 1 dash
-Cointreau: 1 dash
-Cranberry Juice: 1/2 measure
-Ice

RECIPE

-In the glass half of a Boston shaker, drop the jaboticaba inside after having cut them in halves and taken out their pips.
Crush them as much as you can with a pestle.

-Add the Gin, Cassis, Cointreau and Cranberry juice.

-Pour ice in the metal glass of the Boston shaker. Drain any excess water. Transfer the ice into the glass half of the shaker. Close and shake well.

-Pour into a Martini glass through a strainer. Decorate with a Jaboticaba fruit.

Another very refreshing cocktail for hot summer evenings. Beware of the alcohol amount as it also disappears quickly!

BOTANICAL (Comfort Bar)
420-0082 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho, 1-6-13, Shade Bldg, 1F
Tel.: 054-221-8686
Opening hours: 17:00~01:00
Closed on Mondays.
Credit Cards OK

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES