Tag Archives: Shirasu

Japanese Appetizer (O-toushi/お通し): Boiled Shirasu/Sardine Whitings!

March 26, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

O-toushi/お通しis actually a bit difficult to translate.
In a Japanese (in Japan) izakaya it is an appetizer that is served with the first drink and that you pay for in general in lieu of a cover charge.
I have nothing against such a notion as it gives you a good idea of the chef’s skills!

Dragon decided that she could serve her own (free of charge!) O-toushi/お通し at home with our first drink at dinner time!
It promises to be the start of a long series!

This time she served big (comparatively) boiled shirasu/sardine whitings with chopped thin scallions, fresh orange bits, olive oil. She added the finishing touch by sprinkling some golden sesame seeds on top!
Yummy!

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So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,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, 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, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
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-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

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

Italian Cuisine: Dinner at Contorno in Mochimune!

July 27, 2011 dragonlife 6 Comments

Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable.
Strong points: Many local products be they from the land or the sea. Organic vegetables. Car park.
no-smoking-logo1 Entirely non-smoking!
Map

Mochimune in Shizuoka City is famous all over Japan for its shirasu/シラス/sardine whiting but it has other treasures to be discovered such as white peaches, oranges, a whole array of fish and seafood and a more than excellent Italian restaurant, Contorno!
I had never visited it for dinner although I had the occasions to enjoy great lunches there.
I finally had the opportunity when the young IT staff of Agrigraph joined me for dinner on a busy Friday evening!

As I had three specialists armed with all kinds of electronic devices with me, for once I didn’t have to worry about taking photographs!

The heat had been hellish that day so a beer was in order!

All vegetables used at Contorno are cultivated organically at Nagomi Farm in Fujinomiya City and the salmon is smoked on site!

24-months old raw Parma Ham!

The same with an organic vegetable salad! Extravagant!

The Italian wine amateurs will be happy to learn that Contorno has a decent list for all tastes and budgets!

For the connoisseurs!

Contorno is also renown for its pizza entirely prepared, fermented and baked in a large oven on site.
The above pizza is a Mochimune specialty: Shirasu and mozzarella pizza!

A second great pizza made with semi-dried tomatoes (organic) and raw ham!

I judge the quality of an Italian Restaurant on its gnocchi more than anything else!
These gnocchi in peperocino sauce and large prawns are a certainly a must in Contorno!

It certainly deserved a closer view!

If you must have pasta, then I would definitely recommend their short pasta!

And don’t go for anything fancy! The tomato peperocino is the best!

Served with a beautiful piquant olive oil for the customers who like their food spicy!

If you can manage some space in your stomach you must try Contorno’s desserts!
The sole lady among us couldn’t resist this chocolate cake in blueberry sauce!

As for the “boys” it was cappucino! Sorry, I had already sipped half when I took the picture!

See you again in the Fall/Autumn!

CONTORNO
421-0122, Shizuoka City, Suruga Ku, Mochimune, 5-1-10, Sunrise Mochimune (5 minutes walk from Mochimune JR Station. Second stop after Shizuoka)
Tel.: 054-2565877
Business hours: 11:30~14:30, 17:00~21:30
Closed on Wednesdays
Credit Cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
BLOG

Lunch sets: 1,480 yen~
Dinner: Appetizers: 500~yen, 1,000 yen~
Pasta: 930 yen~
Pizza (oven-baked): 1,180 yen~
Carte available

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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

Uncategorized

Italian Cuisine: Shizuoka Local Land an Sea Products at Contorno!

February 9, 2011 dragonlife 6 Comments

Many more restaurants in Shizuoka join the “Local Products” trend for the pleasure and health of their customers.
One does not have to explain why one ought to eat fully traceable food!
But we are on the very lucky side of Japan as Shizuoka Prefecture could manage to live on its own resources alone for at least 6 months, a feat unequalled anywhere in Japan!

Contorno is great place, not only for its gastronomy (naturally!), but because it is so well exposed to the sun in a quiet area not far from the sea of Mochimune whose harbor is famous all over the country for its shirasu/whitebait and other bounties from the sea.

And it has the enormous merit to be completely non smoking!

Their lunches are not only a bargain but a healthy joy!
All vegetables are organic by Mr. Nagomi in Fujinomiya City at the foot os Mount Fuji.
The above antipasto misto vegetables (except for the French cornichon) are all above-mentioned vegetables with a chicken-pork terrine and a shrimps-fish terrine.

The bread is naturally all home-made and served with a high quality olive oil!

For lunch I ordered this black bass (suzuki/鱸) from the Suruga Bay sauteed on its skin and served with Provencal-style organic vegetables.

The Missus opted for this delicious plate of prawn pasta!
beautiful colors! I managed to get a forkful!

And look forward to a great different dessert everyday!

And they serve the coffee the right way!

Dinner report to come next!LOL

Lunch sets: 1,480 yen~
Dinner: Appetizers: 500~yen, 1,000 yen~
Pasta: 930 yen~
Pizza (oven-baked): 1,180 yen~
Carte available

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

Uncategorized

Italian Cuisine: Shizuoka Products at Aquavite!

February 7, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great and very large washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable to expensive. Top-class Italian wines. Private room for~8 people.
no-smoking-logo1 Non-smoking at counter!

Like many restaurants in Shizuoka City and Shizuoka Prefecture, many restaurants are going through changes for many reasons including some unavoidable.
When chefs decide to leave to work under other skies recruiting new and good staff is vital.
Aquavite has had to go through that time and came out for the better!

The new team (Chef: Masaru Aoki/青木優 and Maitre d’Hote: Kazuma Mochizuki/望月計満) is not only young and enthusiastic, but also professional and endeavouring to use as many local products as possible.

Vegetables from Shizuoka Prefecture!

They are always on the lookout for new producers and farmers when it comes to vegetables and fruit!

Antipasto Misto (Broccoli and Cauliflower in Anchovy sauce, stewed red and yellow pimento with dry tomatoes, mizudako octopus and Inca mezame potato and mushrooms and shrimps)

Like all good Italian Restaurants Aquavite bake their own bread!

They also propose a great variety of pasta!

Now, this excellent pasta was made with Barilla N05 spaghetti and a ragu of cuttlefish caught in the Suruga Bay!

Fish and seafood is the true specialty at Aquavite.
The above is matodai/John Dory or St. Peter’s Fish caught of Numazu Harbour fried in Meuniere style with a herb sauce!

This succulent sauteed chicken is “Jidori/地鶏” from Fuji City. All vegetables are Shizuoka-Grown!

Artistic and delicious tiramisu for dessert!

Real coffee served the proper way!

And exquisite home-made Italian biscuits!

Looking forward to the next visit!

Address: 420-0034 Shizuoka Shi, Tokiwa-cho, 1-2-7, Tomii Bldg. 3F
Tel. & fax: 054-2740777
Opening hours: 11:30~14:00, 18:00~22:00
Closed on Sundays
Homepage (Japanese)
Credit Cards OK

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

Uncategorized

Fish: Shizuoka Marine Products from the Ocean; Dried Fish/Himono/干物 at Mochimune!

February 3, 2011 dragonlife 6 Comments

Houbou/竹麦魚、魴鮄/Bluefin Robbin (Red Gurnard) Himono

Mochimune is known all over Japan for its fishing harbor whose main catch is shirasu/白子/Whitebait. The fishing for the latter will come into full gear in Spring, but that is for another article.

The signs for shirasu/しらす will be floating everywhere soon!

Mochimune is also a fine touristic spot known for its large black pebble beach and great views of the Izu Peninsula on clear days!
Quite a few interesting shops and restaurants (one coming soon!) are to be discovered among the narrow streets.

“Marukai”, a small fish shop

Of course one can discover all the fish and the processed goods at the fish Market beside the harbor, but it is also great fun to wander away along narrow avenues to look at the small shops processing and selling seafood from the Suruga Bay.
One typical product, and Shizuoka Prefecture produces 50% of the total in Japan, is “himono”!
Himono is sun-dried fish that Japanese (and foreigners) are very fond of grilling any time of the day or the year.
Each shop has its own recipes and they are all worth a second and third look!

Saba/鯖/mackerel from Marukai drying across the street!

For a closer view!
I consider it the best way to appreciate mackerel. Perfect snack with a good beer!

You will also find orange trees everywhere (I don’t think their owners will really mind if you pick one to taste!LOL)

These are Houbou/竹麦魚、魴鮄/Bluefin Robbin (Red Gurnard), a true specialty fish from Mochimune.
Also great fresh and prepared at the local Italian restaurants!