Tag Archives: Sushi design

“AKITA” Sushi Millefeuille by Kenta Birukawa at Sushi Shokunin Birukawa in Shizuoka City!

Service: shy but extremely attentive and kind
Equipment & Facilities: overall very clean. Excellent washroom. Non-smoking private room possible
Prices: reasonable (that is for true sushi!)
Strong points: Sushi mainly created with local seafood. 3-year old wasabi root exclusively used. Grilled and deep-fried fish, tempura. Excellent list of sake and shochu.

The other day as usual knowing that the place would be full before 6pm I called beforehand at 5 and barely managed to grab two seats at the counter of Sushi Shokujin Birukawa Sushi Restaurant in Shizuoka City!
In spite of its location away from Shizuoka JR Station it is a busy place filled with faithful regulars. Nobody is privileged to their own seats so it is better to reserve or try your luck at opening time! That is unless the place is already fully booked!

Anyway, we once again challenged our good friend, chef Kenta Birukawa who moved some 16 years ago to Shizuoka from his native Akita Prefecture to another Sushi Millefeuille! It is not listed on the menu, but if you are recommended in person by your servant he will be happy enough to concoct you an original one according to your taste and priorities!

The “seafood side”!

Kenta’s Akita Prefecture is famous for its wild mountain vegetables and as he had just received some he included them in this millefeuille to call it “AKITA” Sushi Millefeuille!

All kinds of seafood on the top including tuna, seabream, sole and squid!

Plenty of fresh vegetables on one half of the sides!
One could easily make such a sushi millefuille a vegetarian one!

And so much more inside!
Did I mention that there were some more special “decoration side servings”? lol

Can’t wait for the next one!

SUSHI SHOKUNIN BIRUKAWA/寿司職人尾留川

420-0037 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Hitoyado-Cho, 2-5-8
Tel.: 054-251-9787
Opening hours: 17:00~23:00
Closed on Wednesdays
Reservations highly recommended
Credit cards OK

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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, Pie
rre.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
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

Early Spring Sushi Millefeuille by Kenta Birukawa at Sushi Shokunin Birukawa in Shizuoka City!

Service: shy but extremely attentive and kind
Equipment & Facilities: overall very clean. Excellent washroom. Non-smoking private room possible
Prices: reasonable (that is for true sushi!)
Strong points: Sushi mainly created with local seafood. 3-year old wasabi root exclusively used. Grilled and deep-fried fish, tempura. Excellent list of sake and shochu.

The other day I finally managed to find a couple of seats free at Sushi Shokunin Birukawa, my favorite sushi restaurant in Shizuoka Prefecture I have already introduced to many an overseas client. The problem is that it is very popular and it is tough, nigh impossible to get a seat on holidays or weekends! Even on a Thrursday it was fully booked by 6 pm!

Anyway, to make along story short, we once again challenged our good friend, chef Kenta Birukawa who moved some 15 years ago to Shizuoka from his native Akita Prefecture to another Sushi Millefeuille! It is not listed on the menu, but if you are recommended in person by your servant he will be happy enough to concoct you an original one according to your taste and priorities!

The only thing we agreed on was the name: Early Spring (that is, for 2018!) Sushi Millefeuille!
Bear in mind that “Early Spring” in Japan, and especially in Shizuoka City, quite before the real Spring has actually come to grace us with its mild weather after this year’s unusually severe winter!

The Dragon (my worse half!) did not wait to demolish as it is her sorry habit but I had time enough to notice that the sushi rice is made in Kenta’s particular recipe, that is the rice vinegar used in seasoning the rice contains red amazu rice vinegar for 1/10th ration and that the millefeuille was topped with avocado nmayonnaise and salmon roe!

I could notice before Dragon further demolished the edifice that it contained scallops, squid and boiled lotus root!

And I forgot to mention that the banderolle around the millefeuille was composed of small cubes of akami/red lean tuna and Japanese omelet/Tamagoyaki!

Can’t wait for the next one!

SUSHI SHOKUNIN BIRUKAWA/寿司職人尾留川

420-0037 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Hitoyado-Cho, 2-5-8
Tel.: 054-251-9787
Opening hours: 17:00~23:00
Closed on Wednesdays
Reservations highly recommended
Credit cards OK

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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, Pie
rre.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
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

Sushi Design by Chef Kenta Birukawa at Sushi Ko in Shizuoka City: Seafood Sushi Millefeuille!

Service: Pro and very friendly
Facilities: Very clean. Excellent toilets
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Great variety of seafood from Shizuoka Prefecture and the rest of Japan. Great list of sake and shochu

SN3O0272

Here is another example of Chef Kenta Birukawa/尾留川健太さん’s ingenuity which demonstrates why he received an award as best sushi designs from his peers two years ago!
Actually this time we challenged Chef Birukawa to create another millefeuille with pre-determined ingredients!
The shari/sushi rice layers had thinly cut cucumber and avocado in between!

SN3O0273

Chef Birukawa first mounted the top with small “flowers of raw salmon with salmon roe in each on a green bed of thinly sliced cucumber and placed a “rose” of raw salmon in the middle!

SN3O0274

He then formed a “cascade” of sweet shrimps!

SN3O0279

he finally surrounded it with leek sprouts, small cubes of tamagoyaki/Japanese omelet, and more salmon roe.

Dinner report coming next!

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)
Smoking allowed. Private room can be arranged for non-smoking (4 people)

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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, Pie
rre.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
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

Sushi Design by Chef Kenta Birukawa at Sushi Ko in Shizuoka City!


Picture: Camille Oger

Service: Pro and very friendly
Facilities: Very clean. Excellent toilets
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Great variety of seafood from Shizuoka Prefecture and the rest of Japan. Great list of sake

The other day I had the pleasure to introduce my new friends Camille Oger and Julien Morelo to my favorite sushi restaurant, namely Sushi Ko in Aoba Park Street in Shizuoka City to show them what their Chef, Mr. Kenta Birukawa/尾留川健太さん was able of! Mind you, Mr. Birukawa is not anybody as he was elected one of the best 10 sushi designers in all Japan by his own peers last year!
Actually I was lucky to have Camille around as she is a professional journalist and her photos were of an inestimable help in the end!


Picture: Camille Oger

Chef Mirukawa is especially celebrated for his “Sushi Millefeuille”!
I asked him to devise one for us and he came with “Roses Millefeuille” made of sushi rice, cucumber, akami (tuna), avocado, sushi rice, katsuo bushi, shiso, the whole topped with three roses made of akami tuna, salmon and kampachi/amberjack!


Picture: Camille Oger

Actually, one of our two lady neighbors was celebrating her birthday! Upon seeing our Millefeuille she asked Chef Birukawa to design one as a Birthday Millefeuille!
Chef Mirukawa was only too glad to oblige!

Here is another sample of Chef Birukawa’s Millefeuille!


Picture: Camille Oger

Next we asked Chef Birukawa to prepare us a “Rainbow Roll”!
Camille did a great work taking pictures of every step!
The above picture is the first step: preparing the ingredients.


Picture: Camille Oger

Second step!


Picture: Camille Oger

Rolling the whole carefully…


Picture:Camille Oger

Rolling…


Picture: Camille Oger

Rolling…


Picture: Camille Oger

Almost there!


Picture: Camille Oger

A lot of care at the end…


Picture: Camille Oger

Rolled!
Next the cutting!


Picture: Camille Oger

Et voila!

It was not all millefeuilles and rolls. We also had a beautiful kawahagi o tsukuri/filefish sashimi plate!

You roll the thin slices of fish around a few pieces of thin leek and dip the whole in a sauce made with the raw liver of the fish!


Picture: Camille Oger

Chef Birukawa had kept a few pieces apart to make this beautiful filefish nigiri with its liver on top!

And we had its deep-fried cheeks later!

We had more sashimi including the hirame/sole above!

And also this beautiful lightly seared kinmedai/golden eyes seabream!

Special service: daikon and botarga/mullet roe/karasumi sandwich!

Among the many nigiri, I had my friends discover magurozuke/marinated tuna!

A Shizuoka specialty: Shirasu/sardine whiting!
Raw and fresh it is very difficult to eat outside Shizuoka Prefecture!

As a gunkan/mothership nigiri with chopped leeks and grated ginger!

Or as a mini nigiri!

To be continued…

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)
Smoking allowed. Private room can be arranged for non-smoking (4 people)

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery