Tag Archives: Vegetarian Gastronomy

Vegan & Vegetarian Sushi Bento

Although I’m not a vegetarian I’ve wanted for a long time the Missus to concoct me an entirely vegetarian bento. Not only she complied, but she made it a sushi as well!

She first steamed the rice and prepared it as sushi rice (blending it a little salt, sugar and rice vinegar) before mixing plenty of sesame seeds in.
She then proceeded to cover the lot with vegetables.

She fried sliced lotus roots in spices for a hot addition to the plain boiled green peas in their pods (“snap endo” in Japanese).

Then, keeping in mind the color arrangement and the whole balance, she first added a shredded carrot salad seasoned with gomadare/sesame dressing and crushed peanuts, and next gobo kinpira/stir-fried spicy burdock root (seasoned with chili pepper and black sesame seeds). She finally topped the whole with some sliced plum tomato.

For salad and dessert she prepared a vegan/vegetarian kabocha and black beans salad to which she added fresh lettuce and Akihime strawberries from Shizuoka!

I don’t plan to be a vegan or vegetarian but my sometimes tired body can really appreciate the cuisine now and then! At least this could give good ideas to my vegetarian/vegan friends!

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

Vegan Gastronomy: Vegan Lunch Set & Vegan Cake at Cafe Sain in Shizuoka City!

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Service: Shy but very friendly
Facilities & Equipment: Spotless clean overall. A bit small but perfect washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Exclusively vegan gastronomy with local vegetabes and fruit!
Entirely non-smoking!

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Yesterday walking along Genan Street in Ryogae=cho, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City, I couldn’t help notice this board at street level!

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Cuisine using no meta, fish, dairy products, nor eggs!
Well, well, Shziuoka City seems to have taken a special like for vegan gastronomy as this is the ofurth one I have discovered!

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Actually I found out later that Ms. Akino Yabutani/藪谷安希乃さんopened her restaurant 2 years ago, making Cafe Sain (“Sain” stands for “Healthy” in French!) the second oldest vegan Restaurant & Cafe in Shizuoka City!

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I knew my hunch had been correct when I discovered the beautiful vegan cakes in their display window as I entered the establishment!

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Although there are quite a few choices of single dishes or set I opted for the Vegan Quiche Lunch Set!

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Comforting hot soup on a cold day!

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Konnyaku with carrots and walnuts, and sauteed mushrooms!

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Plenty of fresh lettuce served with home-made dressing!

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Really yummy vegetables quiche!

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Fried beansprouts!

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And superb home-made bread for great total balance!

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Akino’s parents grow Benihoppe/red Cheeks Strawberries in Shizuoka City so these were picked in the morning to find themselves atop my cake!

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Soy milk whipped cream!

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I do have a real weakness for fruit tarts!

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Not only beautiful and tasty but also really satisfying!

I’m no vegan and never will be but I’ll come again!

CAFE SAIN
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae Cho, 2-4-29, Aspis Bldg. 2F
Tel.: 054-221-5514
Opening hours: 11:00~20:00 (until 18:00 on Tuesday)
Closed on Sundays and first Monday (might sometimes close unannounced)
HOMEPAGE
Entirely non-smoking!

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, 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
-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

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Nepalese-Indian Gastronomy: Vegetarian Lunch at Namaste Nippon in Shizuoka City!

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Service: Very friendly, polite and smiling
Facilities & Equipment: Very clean overall. Spacious washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: A great blend of Indian and Nepalese cuisines. More than sufficient drinks list. Vegetarian set or single dishes available. Very generous portions!

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Namaste Nippon Nepalese-Indian Restaurant and its bright colors have been standing along the Kitakaido Street in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City, 10 minutes walk from Cenova Department Store, and had often been recommended to me by friends.
I took advantage of free time at lunch yesterday to pay them a belated visit!

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The owner and the staff all hail from Nepal but the chefs graduated from a cooking school in India, allowing them to combine the two cuisines with even a little Japanese twist at times!

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Lunch time is particularly busy and they do have a hefty menu!
One can choose from set menus or single dishes.
I already know I’ll have to plan a few more visits!
A good idea, since they serve a great variety of drinks including Shizuoka sake, would be to g there for a drink in the evening and eat their food as snacks!

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I chose the vegetarian set lunch which should give me a good idea of the chefs’ skills!
It includes a lot!

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But first of all I had to taste a “Nepal Ice” beer!

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Enormous potato samosa with vegetable salad!

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It would be enough as a great snack in the evenings!

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The Vegetarian Lunch Plate, which includes the aforementioned samosa and a drink!

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You can choose 2 out of 3 curries (sorry, this is how it is written on the Jpanese menu! Mind they all speak fluent English):
I opted for the above “Parapanilu” spinach and cttage cheese curry!

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Dahl/beans Curry!
The third one was “Alparaku” Potato and Cottage Cheese!

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Turmeric rice!
One can opt for plain rice, too!

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“Achar” home-made Nepalese vegetable pickles! Very tasty!

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“Papado”!

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And a great freshly baked nan!
Actually they bake many kinds of nan, chapati and so on!

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I couldn’ help taste an Indian Legend beer!

Meet you in the evening there again!

NAMASTE NIPPON Nepalese-Indian Restaurant
420-0845 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Oda Cho, 31-1, Ono Bldg, 1F (along the Kitakaido Street, 10 minutes walk from Cenova Department Store)
Tel. & Fax: 054-247-6775
Opening hours: 11:00~15:00, 17:00~22:30
Closed on Thursdays
Credit Cards OK
Paries welcome!
Take outs OK!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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
-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

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Vegan Restaurant: Kissa in Shizuoka City!

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Service: A bit shy but very friendly and attentive
Facilities & Equipment: Superb cleanliness overall. Superb washroom
Prices: reasonable
Strong points: Exclusively vegan gastronomy. No wheat flour. Only mineral water used. Entirely non-smoking!

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At last the second independent vegan restaurant has just opened in Shizuoka City right in the middle of the city along the Aoba Street!

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The name “Kissa” means “Cafe” in Japanese and “Cat” in Finnish, the real reason for the restaurant’s name!

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The menu bound to change with the seasons is clearly announced outside!

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The staff are shy but very friendly and attentive!

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you can choose between a seat (chair or sofa) at a table or at a small counter!

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And the place is so clean!
May I remind you it is totally non-smoking!

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Another kissa/cat!

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This must be the healthiest restaurant in Shizuoka City as they don’t use white sugar, wheat flour, eggs, dairy products and cook only in mineral water!

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This is the lunch (Japanese-style) that I ordered!

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And the tea that they serve is organic and has been matured from 3 years, making it lose most of its caffeine!

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The organic tea!

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Steamed white rice mixed with black/violet rice.
Incidentally all the vegetables, including the rice are organic whenever possible!

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Stewed Takano tofu and vegetables!

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Vegetables and tofu miso soup!

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Home-made pickles!

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Fresh vegetables salad. The broccoli is grown by the owner in her own garden!

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Persimmon and apple in tofu cream sauce!

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Konnyaku!

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The owner, knowing I had a special interest in her cuisine because of some of my friends who are vegan (I’m not) offered me her minestrone vegetable soup (only vegetables)! Very tasty indeed!

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While I was at it I ordered a dessert not waiting for tea time!
Their anko/sweet meat is home-made!
They do not use sugar but “karanka/Siraitia grosvenorii” whose fruit is 300 times sweeter and is recommended to diabetics!

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The dessert!

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Beautiful and very satisfying! Incidentally the jelly is made with local agar! Did you know that Shizuoka is a major producer of natural agar in Japan?

I’ll keep you posted about the different menus!

KISSA
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryougae Cho, 2-1-7 (behind Shizuoka City Hall, along Aoba Street, on the right-hand side)
Tel.: 054-253-1339
Opening hours: 11:00~14:00 (lunch), 14:00~17:00 (cafe)
Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Completely non-smoking!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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: 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

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City