Tag Archives: vegetables

美食, Education, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Organic Vegetables, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Strawberries, Tourism

Shizen No Chikara Organic Farm: Visit by “47 Japanese Farms” in Shizuoka City!

February 9, 2012 dragonlife 12 Comments

Syunsuke Sano/佐野俊介 of Shizen No Chikara Organic Farm explaining his craft to Roshni Nirody and Sara Harriger of the U.S. Department of State

Ms. Roshni M. Nirody (from New Jersey) and Ms. Sara Harriger (Alaska) employed by the U.S. Department of State working for the Foreign Service Institute, Japanese language and Area Training Center at the U.S. Embassy in Japan paid us a visit in Shizuoka City!
Not only these young ladies speak very good Japanese on top of their native language but even more languages, a undisputable proof of their ability for their jobs!
They have initiated their own grand three and a half year project at 47 Farms to examine Japanese agriculture through interviews and working farm stays with farmers in each of Japan`s 47 prefectural entities!
Read more HERE, it is certainly worth a very long look!
To cut a story short they contacted me as they wanted to discover what Shizuoka Farms had in store for them!
Actually Shizuoka does have a lot, but to make easier for their first visit I and a staff at M2 labo decided to take them to new but already very influential Organic Farm in Shizuoka City and Prefecture called Shizen No Chikara Farm.

Organic Tomatoes!

Shizen No Chikara Farm has plots in Sena, Shimo, Nippon Daira and many others in the Prefecture.
We took them to Sena where the man in charge, Syunsuke Sano/佐野俊介 was kind enough to explain his crafts and answer quite a few very pointed questions from our lady guests!

All the cultivation is organic in the strict sense with no insecticides, or any agrichemicals.
The insects are fought off with natural repellents concocted by the farmers, catch fly sticky tapes or with natural enemies such as ladybugs!

Temperature and humidity are constantly checked and monitored!

For the moment they grow five varieties of tomatoes there!

These will go to the top restaurants in the Prefecture!

Now, Shizen No Chikara succeeded a very difficult organic cultivation at their first attempt: strawberries!

The strawberries are not allowed to come in contact with the floor or soil!
No need to mention this is all daily back-breaking work!

The greenhouse has its own beehive!

Even the beehive is kept super clean!

The bees are vital for a regular pollination and beautiful berries!

Organic mini daikon!

We then proceeded to the plot in Shimo to have a look at the their root and leaf vegetables!

Row of mini daikons!

Komatsuna left to look after their harvested rows!

Hosonegi/scallions/mini leeks!

Leeks are great to fight common colds!

Big white daikons!

Japanese gastronomy wouldn’t exist without these!

Beautiful radishes and turnips just harvested!

The same in their rows!

This visit was all too short for my own satisfaction and I already have invited our sweet visitors to come again as soon as possible!
I’m already planning visits to Numazu and Fujinomiya Cities!
Our two ladies are not only lovers of agriculture but also gastronomes. I have a few breweries and izakayas in mind for them!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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

美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, French Cuisine, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Fujinomiya City, Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Japan, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism, vegetables, Vegetarian cuisine

Kitayama Organic Farm: Great Chefs meet Great Farmers in Fujinomiya City!

February 7, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

Fuminori Nishitani/藤谷文紀 of Nori in Fujieda City, Tooru Arima/有馬亨 of Pissenlit in Shizuoka City and the Hirakakis, Masaaki and Kiko/平垣正明・紀子 at Kitayama Organic Farm/北山農園 in Fujinomiya City!

Today I finally had the honor and pleasure to introduce two of the very top chefs in Shizuoka Prefecture, namely Fuminori Nishitani/藤谷文紀 of Nori in Fujieda City and Tooru Arima/有馬亨 of Pissenlit in Shizuoka City to the Hirakakis, Masaaki and Kiko/正明・紀子, owners and producers at Kitayama Organic Farm/北山農園 in Fujinomiya City!
This had been long in the offing and the three of us decided to drive this Tuesday all the way from Shizuoka City to Fujinomiya City at the very foot of Mount Fuji to visit the Organic Farm of the Kitayamas not only for a formal meeting but also to establish a gastronomic event to take place in the very near future!

The Hirakakis have refurbished this ancient farmhouse on their own!
Both were professional photographers before deciding to venture in organic farming!

Pure water gushing down the slopes of Mount Fuji is one reason why Fujinomiya City is so celebrated for its superlative agriculture!

Having gone through the necessary introductions I made myself scarce after a while to let them discuss their plans.
The two chefs had struck on the idea of a collaboration dinner at Restaurant Pissenlit on the 10th of March based on the vegetables grown by the Kitayamas whose merits I had praised for some time.

Some of their vegetables on the table around which they were sitting…

Delicious pickles from the same vegetables.
Sorry for the fuzzy pictures but it was very dark inside the farmhouse!

More pickles…

While they were deep in talks I took a peek inside a greenhouse behind the farmhouse.
What are these?

All kinds of sliced radishes and turnips left to dry!

Swiss chards!

I came back to find them snacking on dried sweet potatoes!

Artichokes that will be harvested beginning of next summer!

Time had finally come to make a grand tour of the 3 ha where the Kitayamas grow more than 190 varieties of organic vegetables at different times of the year!

Golden carrot!

Burgundy carrot!

Cute orange carrot!

Purple daikon field!

The purple daikon!

To be frank, there were so many kinds I didn’t have the time to write down their names! Shall we call these mini thread purple and white daikon?

Komatsuna!

Romanesco broccoli!

Red daikon field!

Organic cabbages!

Organic red cabbages!

Shimonita leeks field!

Highly valued variety of leek in Japan!

Some of the beauties I took back home!

Looking forward to visiting the Kitayamas again next spring!

KITAYAMA ORGANIC FARM

Masaaki and Kiko Hirakaki
418-0112 Fujinomiya Shi, Kitayama, 3102
Tel./Fax: 0544-25-2795
Mobile phone: 090-2261-8821
HOMEPAGE
Private orders welcome over the phone!

PISSENLIT

420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo, 2-3-4
Tel.: 054-270-8768
Fax: 054-627-3868
Business hours: 11:30~14:30; 17:00~22:00
Closed on Tuesdays and Sunday evening
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
E-Mail: pissenlit2008@ybb.ne.jp
Credit Cards OK
Entirely non-smoking!

NORI

426-0204 Shizuoka Ken, Fujieda Shi, Tokigaya, 864-3
Tel./Fax: 054-641-4778
Opening hours: 11:30~14:00; 18:00~22:00
On reservation only for dinner
Closed on Tuesdays and first Monday
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese, but do check it for great photographs of the house and garden!)
Entirely non-smoking!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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:

美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Vegetarian Gastronomy: My Best 10 dishes in Shizuoka City in 2011!

December 26, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Vegetable Sashimi Plate at Yasaitei (Japanese Izakaya)!

Although I’m neither a vegetarian or a vegan, the City of Shizuoka is a superlative venue when it comes to vegetable gastronomy thanks to the innumerable products grown by dedicated farmers in Shizuoka Prefecture!
I was going to make it a Prefecture compilation when I realized the City was far more than enough!
I sincerely hope all those pictures will entice you to visit our City!
I made a point to specify the cuisine genre to give you a better idea!

Fennel Gratin at Porta Porta (Italian Restaurant)!

Vegetarian Plate at Locomani (Japanese Health Restaurant)!

Skillet-baked Vegetables at Solio (Italian Restaurant)!

Bania Cauda Vegetables Plate at Piatto (Italian Restaurant)!

Steamed Vegetables Plate at Cham (Chinese Restaurant)!

Daikon Katsu at Waga (Japanese Izakaya)!

Vegetable Steak at Testuya Sugimoto (French Restaurant)!

Red Moon French fries at Chez Satsukawa (French Restaurant)!

“Goro Goro” Salad at uzu (Japanese Izakaya)!

If you need the addresses and contacts of all the establishments I’ll be glad to oblige!

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:

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

Italian Cuisine with Shizuoka Ingredients at Aquavite (Fall~Winter 2011)

December 14, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great and very large washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable to expensive.
Strong Points: Local ingredients used whenever possible. Top-class Italian wines. Private room for~8 people.

Aquavite has achieved a long-standing reputation not only for its high-level Italian cuisine and atmosphere, but also for their constant efforts to use as many local ingredients as possible be they from the land or the sea!
I paid a belated visit recently in the company of some friends as three is definitely better than one to try and savor as many dishes as possible!
So with the expert help of Chef Masaru Aoki/青木勝 we carved our way through the following dinner!

Organic vegetables from Shizen no Chikara Farm in Shizuoka City served with bania cauda sauce!

Vegetables from Shizen no Chikara are fast becoming the reference in this city!
If you are vegetarian or vegan ask for a high class olive oil!

Bread is always baked on site!

A plate of appetizers. Even the Bioran eggs and jumbo peanuts are from Shizuoka!

Sauteed Isaki/Chicken Grunt Fish and red squid from the Suruga Bay with organic vegetables!

Cooked to perfection!

A vegan plate of organic vegetables/tubers from Shizen no Chikara Farm in Shizuoka City and Matsu Bio Farm in Fujinomiya City!

For a better view!

Home-made Tagliatelle!

Fresh porcini mushrooms from Italy!

Creamy Porcini Tagliatelle! That dish alone would guarantee a visit!

Real Mont Blanc with the chestnuts at the bottom and the cream on top!
Chef aru Aoki/青木勝’s desserts are definitely of a rare class!

how about that for Tiramisu!

But the caramel pudding is a real sin!

To be followed…

AQUAVITE
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
Homepage (Japanese)
Credit Cards OK
Smoking allowed. Private room can be made non-smoking

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Fujinomiya City, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Tourism, vegetables, 富士宮市

Healthy French Gastronomy in Shizuoka City: Le Comptoir de Bios-s by Bio Farm Matsuki! The Dinner!

December 10, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Pro and very friendly
Equipment: Great overall cleanliness and splendid washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: A palette of Shizuoka Prefecture Products! Great use of organic vegetables and meats from Shizuoka Prefecture. True healthy gastronomy! Excellent wine list!

As promised here is the dinner report at Le Comptoir de Bios-s, the new restaurant opened on November the 2nd in Shizuoka City!
I also had the pleasure to meet the man who made it all possible!

Kazuhiro Matsuki/松木一浩さん

Kazuhiro spent a long time in Paris working for such elevated establishments as Taillevent and Joel Robuchon before coming to Shizuoka instead of his native Nagasaki thanks to his wife hailing from our prefecture and establishing an organic farm called Bio Farm Matsuki in Fujinomiya City.
Since then the venture grew and grew. After Restaurant Bio-S and Bio-Deli he opened Le Comptoir de Bios-S in Shizuoka where he makes a point to appear three times a week to serve and socialize with his customers, thus establishing a direct contact from producer to consumer.

The whole place is very reminiscent of a modern cafe-restaurant in France with sober but comfortable tables and seats along the wall or the large bay windows.

You can read (part of) the menu on the wall while your companion is poring through it!

But the place to be is the counter where you can socialize with the staff and your neighbors in a very easy-going and animated atmosphere.

And looking at your food being prepared is always good fun!

Now, their wine list is worth a careful perusing!
I discovered a wine from my own home in Cote Chalonnaise: Rully, Domaine Dureuil-Jeantha, “Maizieres”, 2009, White!

One more reason to patronize the place! This white wine almost drank like a premium sake!

The menu might look short to some but the quality is not easy to emulate. But even a big appetite like mine was to be satisfied!
Another great quality of the staff is that they help you by offering you sets combining dishes on the menu although it is not mentioned or point out when to eat only half of a dish when it is obviously designed for two!

Smoked chicken by Aoki Farm in Fuji City.

Fried organic vegetables from Bio Farm Matsuki and red squid from Suruga Bay.

Organic greens from Bio Farm Matsuki.

Raw mushrooms from Hasegawa Farm in Fuji City.

My second dish was all Shizuoka Prefecture again!

Organic Red Moon Potato Fries with real home-made mayonnaise! The potatoes are fried with their skins!

A terrine of wild boar caught on Amagi Plateau in northern Izu Peninsula!
A beauty that would make a lot French people envious!

My third dish was a trip to Italy: Cooked and grilled organic vegetables with bania cauda sauce!

I actually took a picture of the chef preparing them!

Different tubers and radish.

Organic potatoes and carrot and bania cauda sauce.
If you are a vegan just ask for olive oil!

Radish, spinach and burdock root.

I still had enough space left for another French treat: Chicken Liver Paste!

From the same chickens bred in Aoki Farm in Fuji City!

The desserts will be for my next visit!
Once again I will let the pictures speak for themselves!

Le Comptoir de Bio-s by Bio Farm Matsuki
420-0852 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Kooya machi, 12-8, Sankousha Bldg, 1F
Tel./fax: 054-221-5250
Business hours: 11:30~15:00 (Last orders 14:00), 17:00~23:00 (Last orders 22:00)
Closed on Mondays
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

美食, 野菜, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Mushrooms, Organic Vegetables, Shiitake, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, 椎茸

Shiitake Mushrooms Cultivation without Agrochemicals: Shizuo Nanjyo in Shizuoka City!

November 29, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

It is never too late to become conscious of health and to contribute to its betterment!
I did not enquire about his age but Shizuo Nanjyo is definitely my elder but he has never lost his enthusiasm and belief when it comes to insure a healthy product of the highest quality.
A second-generation tea grower for 58 years but a first-generation shiitake mushroom grower for 50 years he decided to get away from the beaten tracks this year and assume not only the cultivation but also the marketing of his shiitake mushrooms.

Logs to be used for shiitake cultivation.

I finally managed to pay him a visit thanks to my good friend Asami Ito who kindly drove me all the way up the Abe River in Shizuoka City into the middle of wasabi and green tea land (mountains) in Do District.

Mr. Nanjyo grows his shiitake in a large greenhouse in a very clean environment without the use of any agrochemicals to ensure the heath and safety of his products.

As a further proof of his attention to health he had the government survey his crop and give him a certificate stating that his mushrooms are radioactivity free!

Insects and pests are taken care of with sticking tape traps (can you see the yellow pieces overhead?)
The wood logs come from kunugi/椚/Sawtooth Oaks (90%) and nara/楢/Japanese Oak from neighbouring Yamanashi Prefecture.

Logs are first inoculated with shiitake mushroom mycelium (also from Yamanashi Prefecture).

The logs are then soaked into clean water to help the mycelium to spread inside the log.

When the first tiny mushrooms start appearing the logs are then stacked and stored outside for 6 months.

They are protected from the sun, rain and big temperature gaps with reeds imported all the way from lake Biwa!
What about that for ecology!
Vinyl sheets are ineffective as they don’t allow air drafts and actually negatively help the temperature to rise under them.
This type and method of cultivation is only a return to traditional farming after all!
Logs are used for 4 years and then will be sent to specialized companies who will turn them into compost or sawdust for effective recycling.

When the logs are ready for fructification Shizuo will then move them inside the greenhouse kept at a regular temperature of around 25 degrees between October and May. Each log will be dated to know exactly when the mushrooms will be ready for harvest.

After that it is a question of timing as some customers want their mushrooms small,…

Others larger…

Shizuo kindly offered me to choose mine from those beauties as a souvenir!

Actually, I was still very busy talking with the kind producer about farming in general and Asami kindly picked some (plenty!) for me (in her left hand!), but Shizuo would not let me go without accepting an even bigger bunch of them (in Asami’s right hand!)!

Not only that, but I also ended up with two succulent daikon and a truly enormous cabbage from their personal garden!

Their garden is very popular as they have to protect it with a double netting to fend off monkeys, wild boars and deer which regularly pay an unwelcome visit to farms in the mountains!

It was only natural to put all these beautiful super fresh mushrooms to good use and bring plenty of them to Yasaitei Izakaya to be served and introduced to customers!

There is no better way to advertise great produce than having them served at once to happy gastronomes by knowledgeable chefs!

Shizuo Nanjyo, Shiitake Grower
Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Do, 504-2
Tel.: 054-298-2155
Individual orders welcome
Mr. Nanjyo’s shiitake mushrooms will also be on sale every Sunday from 9:30 to 12:30 from December 11th at the car park of Marufuku Tea Company, Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Wakamatsu, 112.
Fpr more details call Ms. Asami Ito: 0120-36-4188

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Chicken, 美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, French Cuisine, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Fujinomiya City, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism, vegetables, 富士宮市

Healthy French Gastronomy in Shizuoka City: Le Comptoir de Bios-s by Bio Farm Matsuki!

November 17, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

When Fujinomiya City-based Bio Farm Matsuki decided to open their new restaurant in Shizuoka City on the 2nd of November they certainly did a great favor to its inhabitants!
Not only did they adorn the City with a new and elegant venue at very reasonable prices, but they also and mainly offered health to their customers through first-class fresh products from Shizuoka Prefecture, and this in a completely non-smoking space!
But their greatest quality is that they are the newest establishment proving that there is a true Shizuoka Gastronomy in Japan!

Smiling and so kind staff!
Le Comptoir is located very near Shizuoka JR Station in an increasingly fashionable and well-lighted area of the City just behind the former abode of the last Tokugawa Shogun.

The design is very reminiscent of France with a large counter and high stools…

and a large blackboard with the recommendations of the day!

As you enter have a good look at the organic vegetable cookies…

and a few organic vegetables from Bio Farm Matsuki in Fujinomiya City you will be tempted to cook back home!

Simple, warm and elegant settings at tables from which you can peek outside through large bay windows!

I finally found the time to pay them my first visit for lunch today and I was gratified to discover they served wine by the glass even at lunch time!

I chose the chicken main lunch set from a very reasonably priced menu which came with corn potage first.
Incidentally all vegetables are organic and are grown organically at Bio Farm Matsuki in Fujinomiya City!

Such an appetizing and healthy dish!

Asahi Doori chicken from Fuji City sauteed with Champagne vinegar!

Splendid salad consisting of cute greens and…

Red Moon potatoes and onion!

The lunch course also included bread or rice but I had to order the dessert of the day: Carrot ice cream! So soft and delicious! Could be served at any time of a large repast!

And coffee served as it should be with real cream and sugar!

Dinner report coming very soon!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

美食, 野菜, 野菜亭, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Tourism, vegetables, Vegetarian cuisine

Vegetables Gastronomy at Yasaitei in Shizuoka City (November 2011)!

November 15, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: Very clean, Beautiful washroom
Prices: reasonable
Specialties: Vegan and vegetarian Cuisine, Izakaya gastronomy, local products, oden. Good list of sake, shochu. Wines also available.

If your first interest is vegetables, especially local, and your second interest Shizuoka, there is only one place you may visit: Yasaitei!
(Just a warning for the non-smokers, come early at 5:30 or rent the whole place for a party!)
The whole lady staff in traditional dress will kindly prepare and serve you vegetables in all manners and according to your priorities, be they vegan, vegetarian or omnivore!
To help me convince you here is a photography and explanation report I took last night in the company of a friend! I kept it on purpose to vegetables only (incidentally I’m an omnivore but I do appreciate any priority!)!

A light snack is always brought with your first drink. Both of us had shochu, a vegan drink par excellence!
The light appetizers consisted of “o-hitashi”, a very simple and healthy way to prepare small vegetables typical of Japanese gastronomy.
Make sure to tell you do not want the katsuobushi if you are vegetarian!
As for dashi, if you do not want anything cooked in fish-based dashi, just tell the ladies beforehand and they will adapt accordingly!

For a closer view of the “o-hitashi”!

My friend had a similar offering with her shochu!

Can you see the tofu karaage?

for the two vegetable main dishes of the night we first asked the Chef, Ms. Aki Suzuki/鈴木朋さん to concoct us a “European-style” salad with her own olive oil dressing!

Can you see the golden sesame seeds for extra taste?

Healthy potato salad to help satisfy your hunger!

Now, what are these?
“Mukago”, a truly seasonal vegetable delicacy!
These are the aerial seeds (no flowers) growing directly on the vines of Yama Imo/Japanese yams!
You can eat them steamed, stir-fried, deep-fried or stewed!
The spoon to give you an idea of the size is a coffee spoon!

As for the second main vegetable dish we asked for the specialty of the house, Vegetables Sashimi (vegans, rejoice!)!

For a closer view!
Let me show it again from different angles to discover the design!

Aerial view!

Red onion, daikon, tomato, ice plant!

Myoga ginger, red onion.
Cucumber, shiso/perilla, tomato.
Carrot, radish, celery, daikon.

Radish, carrot, cucumber, myoga ginger.
Ice plant, celery, daikon, shiso, red onion.

To be followed…

YASAITEI
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa-Cho, 1-6-2 Green Heights Wamon 1-C
Tel.: 054-2543277
Business hours: 17:30~22:00
Closed on Sundays
Reservations highly recommended
Seating: 6 at counter + 14 at tables
Set Courses: 3,000, 4,000, 5,000 yen
Individual orders (carte9 welcome
Parties welcome
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
Smoking allowed

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

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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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, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Restaurants, Tourism, vegetables, Vegetarian cuisine

Healthy Vegetarian Lunches: Locomani in Shizuoka City (Late summer 2011)

September 12, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service: Very friendly although a bit shy!
Equipment: Great overall cleanliness
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Vegetarian menus. Healthy rice flour cakes.
Completely non-smoking!

If I had a friend asking me where he/she could eat vegetarian food without a hassle all year round in Japan, I would be proud to say: Shizuoka (Prefecture and City!)!
These days, because of the heat and the necessity to keep healthy (read: lose weight) I tend to fall back on restaurants which serve such food especially in Shizuoka City although I might have to look in the whole Prefecture seriously. Actually, this article initiates a series of articles on healthy Vegetarian Lunches!

All conditions were set today for a visit to Locomani where I hadn’t eaten for almost 3 months.
I checked their wholly vegetarian meal on their menu and this is what they served me:
Look at the top picture for the whole set!

Vegetable and tofu miso soup and 3-year old organic tea.

Bowl of rice. Half of the rice was plain white while the other half was genmai/whole rice. The whole was sprinkled with kuromai/black rice.

The plate consisted of:
1) Boiled kabocha pumpkin and konyaku/elephant’s foot tuber jelly.

2) Fresh chopped vegetables salad and its vinegar-based dressing.

3) Two typical Japanese side dishes consisting of one, a lukewarm mixture of kiriboshi daikon (daikon strips first dried then cooked again in dashi), thinly cut carrots, shiitake and tofu karaage/deep-fried tofu sheets, and the other of lightly boiled spinach in soy sauce-based dressing.

4) Tempura.
The tempura was made without eggs and comprised koyadofu/pressed tofu with a batter containing small bits of herbs and vegetables, broccoli, okra and string beans.

For once I managed to keep away from their cakes!

To be followed…

LOCOMANI
420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajyo, 1-10-6
Tel.: 054-260-6622
Closed every Wednesday and one Monday
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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Vegetarian Organic Steak at Tetsuya Sugimoto!

August 20, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

Service: Highly professional and friendly
Facilities: Great overall cleanliness. Beautiful washroom
Prices: Appropriate
Strong points: Freshest produce and ingredients only, mainly from Shizuoka Prefecture. Organic vegetables. Seasonal food only.

Map (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

This the second of the four-part report on the lunch I had the other day at Testuya Sugimoto in Shizuoka City!
It certainly makes for an astonishing creation as it is a completely vegetarian hot dish conceived with local products of the highest quality!

All vegetables are organic, either from Hamamatsu City or from Matsuki Bio Farm in Fujinomiya City!

The large green eggplant/aubergine was first cut into a “steak” and fried/baked with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
Actually all vegetables were cooked in the same manner!
These included 2 types of zucchini, green and yellow, violet onion, “Seniorita” sweet red pimento and “Nitakikoma” tomatoes which were first half-dried before being sauteed.
Can you recognize the vegetables at the left extremity?

And those in the middle?

Or those at the right extremity?

A photo from the top might help you!
Incidentally the Italian parsley is also organic!
Were it not for the dressing, it would be vegan!

Beautiful taste, satisfying bite and an artistic composition!

To be followed…

Tetsuya SUGIMOTO
４２０－００３８ Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Umeya,２－１３，１Ｆ
Tel./Fax: 054-251-3051
Opening hours：１１：３０～１４：３０，１７：３０～２１：３０
Holidays: undecided
Credit cards OK
ＨＯＭＥＰＡＧＥ

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Appetizer at Tetsuya Sugimoto: Hamamatsu Eggplant & Mochimune Sardine Whiting!

August 19, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Map (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

It had been quite some time since I paid a visit to arguably the best French restaurant in Shizuoka Prefecture, namely Testuya Sugimoto in Shizuoka City.
Therefore, I went for lunch there today to “enquire” about the latest developments!
It ended up into a full lunch, and as it was a bit too long for a single article let me describe each dish in its individuality for easy reference!

Very slightly different photograph!

This is an appetizer combining the wealth of the land and that of the sea of Shizuoka Prefecture as well as both Japanese and French concepts/aproaches of gastronomy.
The whole is conceived as a cold appetizer.
The organic eggplant/aubergine from Hamamatsu City was first grilled. Then it was carefully peeled before being lightly marinated in the Japanese o-hitashi style.
The shirasu/sardine whiting from Mochimune was first steamed before being lightly chilled.

The white color of the shirasu was enhanced by the small cuts of various organic vegetables from Hamamatsu City placed in so artful a manner!
The whole was seasoned with a beautiful olive oil and Testuya’s lemon vinaigrette!

For the record I paired with a dry white wine from Koshu, Yamanashi Prefecture!

So healthy, artful and delicious (and simple!)!

To be followed…

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Enshu Somen Noodles Lunch at Cafe Belle Equipe Vegetable in Shizuoka City!

August 16, 2011 dragonlife 4 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 other day I decided to have lunch again at Cafe Belle Equipe Vegetable in Shizuoka City for a quick and healthy lunch.
As usual there were (far!) more ladies than gentlemn like it so often happens at lunch in Japan! Why, I wonder… (actually, I know! LOL)

I didn’t hesitate much when I saw “Enshu Somen Noodle Lunch Set” on the menu as somen are the perfect noodles for the summer and that the word “Enshu” indicated they were made in the Western part of our Shizuoka Prefecture! As usual it came with loads of local fresh vegetables!

It also included a white miso vegetables soup!

And a big chyawanmushi!

A very tasty and light chyawanmushi indeed!

These wheat flour somen were comparatively thick and offered a good bite. Perfect for a good appetite.
They were served together with the vegetables and their tsuyu/light soupstock sauce.
Very tasty!

As they are always different, I make a point to add one of their cakes to my lunch, even if it means extra calories!

Matcha Tiramisu Tart!

Appetizing, isn’t it?
Moreover, we could call it a Shizuoka-style tiramisu!

To be continued…

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)

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