Tag Archives: World Cuisines

Bento, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, 弁当

Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’11/18): Chahan Bento!

March 22, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

The Missus was left with plenty of rice from last night dinner, so she prepared “Chahan”

Chahan/チャハン means “Fried Rice” as is understood in Chinese gastronomy.
The Japanese are very fond of this rice dish and prepare it in an infinite number of manners and styles.
The Missus simply fried last night night7s rice with a little oil, minced Japanese cucumber picles and shredded “kanidama/surimi”
Simple ni\ough with nice colors again and healthy. She added some Kyoto-style pickled cucumbers for extra taste.

The side dish was very Japanese in concept with an eye for balance, both in health and design.

Chikuwa/fish paste tubes filled with shiso leaf and sweet umeboshi/Japanese pickled plum. Chikuwa are popular in many manners, including oden.
“Snap Endou” or green peas in their pods. They are called “mange tou” (“eat all”) in French. Just boiled they are sweet and tender.

The “tamagoyaki”/Japanese omelette contained sakura ebi/cherry shrimps only found in our Prefecture. A great morsel! The plum tomatoes were sweet and could be considered the dessert part. Finally the Missus included her carrot tagliatelle salad.

Very satisfying!

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Bento, Japanese Gastronomy

Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’11/17): Healthy Pasta Salad Bento!

March 19, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

All these gastonomic reports for my official work at Agrigraph Japan is not always helping my health and the Missus has to think about my waistline from time to time!

Thinking of heath and balance the Missus prepared her favorite pasta/spaghetti (she is an addict!) and once the had cooled down seaoned them wit some dressing of her own.
She added smoked salmon, capers and kawairedaikon/daikon sprouts and some lemon.
Simple and colorful!

The salad dish too was simple, colorful and healthy:
On a bed of carrot salad a semi-hard boiled egg, liced plum tomatoes, cucumber and penty of cress. I added sesame dressing I keep handy at work.

Dessert? No need, really! LOL
Very, very healthy! Alright, and tasty, too!

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Bento, 弁当

Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’11/16): Square Dance Bento

March 18, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

When I saw those two rectangular boxes aligned together i couldn’t help thinking of a square dance as I have never heard of a rectangular dance! LOL

The rice dish was simple enough in concept as the Missus steamed it with mixed beans, chopped carrots, corn and hijiki/sweet seaweed and mixed the whole together once cooked. It made for some interesting color combination and satisfying eating!

Although the side dish looks a bot complicated it was pretty straightforward, too!
Boiled broccoli, boiled eggs and boiled spinach inside a double layer of inari/fried tofu pouches, boiled white cauliflower, plum tomato, boiled kabotcha and home-pickled cabbage (in amazu/sweet vinegar).

Some Shizuoka-grown Benihoppe/Red Cheeks strawberries for dessert added the finishing touch to a very healthy (and tasty) bento!

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Food Humor: Not tonight, Darling!

March 13, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

My good friend, Bernard Heberle, who has been elected the best patissier in Shizuoka Prefecture in 2011 seems to have some time on his hands despite the mountain of work. An amateur of food humor, he regularly sends me photos featuring some pretty/nasty art on food.
I thought it would be a shame not to feature them from time to time to add a light note/seasoning to this blog!

Promised! This is the last banana picture I publish…

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熱海市, 観光, Tourism

Atami, The Hot Spring City of Yore 3

March 12, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Atami resort harbor/marina.

Strolling in Atami City, that is in the downtown area by the sea can be interesting indeed if you know where to look!

Don’t look up but down for directions!

Difficult to get lost!

There 7 hot springs (including the one in fornt of the JR station), but I couldn’t find them all…

3rd one. Don’t put your hand inside!

4th one. The temperature was alright!

The 5th one. A little beauty!
I couldn’t find the last two. Pity, when you realize they have been used for hundreds of years!

The other major Atami attraction is the Baien Koen/梅園公園/plum tree Park!
It was created more than 120 years ago and subsequently doanted to the city!
let’ have a stroll!

I forgot to chck how many kinds. I can assure you you need a few visits to exhaust theme all!

Now, this is Japan!

Take your time and enjoy the sights!

Flower trees everywhere. You should come on bright sunny day!

A man-made waterfall! Great in summer!

A view from “inside” the waterfall!

Plum tree blooms…

Interesting tree…

Beautiful color!

Can you see the daffodils?
Spring is near and we shall to think and come back again in the summer!

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熱海市, 観光, 農業, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Tourism

Atami, The Hot Spring City of Yore 2

March 11, 2011 dragonlife 10 Comments

Botarga/Mullet Roe/Karasumi/カラスミ!

The shopping streets in Atami City are quite old-fashioned. You almost seem to slipped back 30 years when you stroll along them browsing old-fashioned shops of every kind.

Once out of Atami JR station you will find two parallel streets going down sharply on the right. There you will find the epitome of land and sea products of the region.
Will you follow me?

Atami is located at the northern tip of Izu Peninsula, which means an access to an incredible number of fish. Can you believe that Shizuoka produces 50% of all dried and semi-dried fish in Japan?
And of a great quality!

These dried fish are shirasu/白子/sardine whiting. Rare of that size (and not cheap!)!

The himono/干物/dried fish on the left are not cheap either: globefish/fugu/河豚!

One Japanese confectionery typical of Atami is Onsen Manju!

Onsen manju/温泉万寿/means hot spring steamed sweetmeat cake. Many shops are competing with each other!

A great array of fresh fish paste cakes you eat either as they are, or as oden! Very tasty!

A giant Japanese brochette! The sugn says to be carful and not to push the dispaly with your hands (appe\arently some did with a disastrous result!)!

One great thing about Japan is that most (Japanese-style) restaurants display their cuisine as plastic models in their shop windows! At least you have a good idea of what is available!

More seafood left out to dry to become tasty himono! Traceabilty garanteed!

More, including rare tuna himono (bottom right)!

Now, the beautiful kinmedai/金目鯛 (Top righ) is expensive (but not by Tokyo standrds!)!

Izu Peninsula and Atami City are also famous for all kinds of citruses!

Golden oranges/貴金柑　(front) are beautiful and expensive!
They tend to come up with a new variety every year in that region!

Now, if you want to eat sushi, you will know that the seafood is fresh!

Although this is a sushi chain of the cheaper kind, they have the merit to explain clearly the varieties and the prices (very reasonable!)!

Now, what are these?

Karasumi/カラスミ/Botarga, or mullet roe! You can find anything more traceable. This is a truly expensive gastronomic marvel, even in Shizuoka!

A last long look at the shops and then we’ll go to another toursit attraction!

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熱海市, 観光, Tourism

Atami, The Hot Spring City from Yore 1

March 10, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Atami must be the most famous hot springs city in Shizuoka Prefecture and in Japan! And one of the oldest to boot.
It has always been a favorite destination for Tokyoites in particular.
Shizuoka people do visit the city but in amrkedly smaller numbers.
The main reason for this state of affairs is that Atami is at the eastern extremity of the Prefecture.

The welcoming hot spring just outside the JR Railway Station.

The City counts 7 different hot springs more or less connected to Mount Fuji.
be careful not to touch the water! It is truluyscalding hot!

But you can take a foot bath at areasonable temperature.
Bear in mind that at 16:00 the bath will be emptied!

If you don’t believe, take a plunge! You won’t come back alive! It does look hellish, after all!

The city is celebrated for its plum tree flowers especially in February (and March if you are lucky!)!

One main attraction is the MOA Museum. You had better take a day bus ticket to keep expenses low as the city is half along the coast, half perched on top of steep cliffs. Walking is just a bit too tough. Buis is best!

One can enjoy great vistas from the MOA Museum and other sites atop the nearby mountains!

The park around the Museum is worth a leisurely walk in all seasons!

There are some great photos to be taken outside!
Unfortunately the inside is almost completely prohibited to cameras!

Inside the museum lobby.

Do have a look at the vistas from inside!

One of the rare sights allowed to photographers!

A grand view of the Atami Harbor! The locals call it the Japanese Napoli! LOL

The actual entry of the Museum!

They also have plenty of plum trees in their own park stretching over the mountain slopes.

Difficult to right focus!

It is a vast park that provides qith plenty of physical exercise!

What did I tell you?

Next we shall visit the local markets!

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笑い, Food Humor, Humor

Food Humor: Indecent Banana!

March 9, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

The pear and strawberry ladies are going to get me arrested for publishing that picture…

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Food Humor: Don’t Start an Omelette!

March 8, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Never a good idea to fight inside a fridge….

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笑い, Food Humor, Humor

Food Humor: Burning Jealousy?

March 7, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Never a good idea to get jealous under the sun….

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Chinese Cuisine, Chinese Restaurants, 野菜, 農業, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, vegetables

Chinese Gastronomy: Shizuoka Products at Cham

March 6, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great cleanliness overall
Prices: very reasonable, good value.
Strong points: Great use of local Shizuoka Vegetables and products. Great Chinese Teas!
non-smoking at lunch time/Fully non-smoking from April!

Chinese is a very popular cuisine, but when you discover it is exclusively made with local vegetables, meat and seafood, you have no reason left to ignore it!

Mr. Atsushi Tomura, a very talented young chef, opened Cham in Sptember 2008 with his wife and an apprentice.
He will actually move to another address nearer to the JR Station in April, while his apprentice will go back to his family’s business in Fujieda City.
Check both addresses and homepage at the end of this article!

Since it was my firs (belated) visit I opted for the lunch set.
It is superb combination of vegetables I stopped counted and some meat and seafood.
All vegetables exclusively come from the farm of Mr. Furuya in Asabata, Shizuoka City!
Since they obviously use only seasonal vegetables, you can expect this particular offering to change rapidly!

I’ll try to explain what I had the pleasure to savor, but I’m sure to miss a lot as they were simply too busy to explain in detail. That will have to wait until my next visit(s)!
The above is a dish concocted with5 different daikon, meat and miso paste with eggs in soboro style served with ice plants and red lettuce for warpping.

Pork belly wrapped in Chinese Cabbage and served with katsuona Leaf vegetable.

Kiku imo.

Violet and white Cauliflower and Romanesco Cauliflower and Daikon/turnips.

Ajiwai Dori Chicken roll.

Broccoli and shrimps.
Most dishes had their sauce or dressings under the vegetables for better viewing!

Wakame seaweed and egg soup.

Home-made almond toufu for dessert.

They also offer a great choice of rare Chinese teas of extremely high quality!

The one I chose was called 西湖龍井茶. a real beauty!

Naturally they other Chinese favorites suc as Shoyu raamen, Shyo Raamen, Kuro Kosy\ho Tantanmen, Kuro Kosho Chahan and Yaki Gyoza.
But that is for my next visit!

Incidentally, given one day in advance, they can devise a completely vegetarian menu on order!

Cham
420-0072 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, 2 Ban-Cho, 4-1
Tel/Fax: 054-253-1300
Business hours: 11:00~14:00; 17:00^22:00
Closed either on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Call beforehand!
(Until end of March)

Shizuoka Shi, Suruga Ku, Minami Cho, 6-7, inside Irifune Yokocho
Tel.: 054-285-71115
Business hours: 17:00~24:00; lunches on order only (1 day advance)
HOMEPAGE
(from April 17th)

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野菜, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, vegetables

French Gastronomy: Shizuoka Products at Pissenlit (Spring)

March 6, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable, good value.
Strong points: Interesting wine list. Great use of local products.
entirely non-smoking!

I was really starving at lunch yesterday and since Pissenlit is just across the street from my work, I just couldn’t resist the temptation again!
At least it is a clever way to combine work am pleasure as this report will also go to Agrigraph!

Ordering was easy enough, but keep in mind we are talking about slow food. Therefore, I was served the above appetizer made with potatoes and octopus (cooked) to help me wait!

The vegetables dish consisted all of vegetables grwon organically by Mr. Hirokawa in Mishima City!
From bottom to top and right to left:
Stick Senior Broccoli, Beni Kururi Daikon, Black Daikon, Green daikon.
Milano Daikon, Carrot.
Romanesco Cauliflower (called Coral Cauliflower in Japanese), Kooshin Daikon and Ayame Turnip.

For another view.
The dressings were milk mousse and olive oil.

Now that I had satisfied my vegetarian steak, I turned carnivorous with wild boapoele with wine sauce.
A real boar of 35 kg which was hunted in Noda, Shimada City.

For a better view of the vegetables:
Leaf Garlic from Fujieda.
Rape plants, Chrysanthemum leaves, Petit Vert.
May Queen potato Dauphinois. All four vegetables organic and grown by Mr. Hirooka.

And now the dessert.
It deserves some explanations:

The strawberries are (right) Toukun, only grown in Shizuoka (for the moment) and Ookimi (left), only grown in Saga and Shizuoka Prefectures!
They are linked with raspberry sauce
Now, what is that cake?

It is a “biscuit chaud/hot cake) made with Hon Yama Green Tea from Abe River in Shizuoka City!

When you open it you will discover a tender cake inside the crispy outside and tea cream flowing out!
Superb!

And to finish, a great coffee with orange and ginger chocolates!

No, I don’t know yet when I’ll be back! LOL

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)
Credit Cards OK

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Food Humor: Crazy Smileys!

March 6, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

There is a limit to what oranges can do…

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野菜, 農業, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka agricultural products, vegetables

French Gastronomy: Shizuoka Products at Tetsuya Sugimoto (spring 2011)

March 5, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Ranking：
Service: Highly professional and friendly
Equipment: Great overall cleanliness. Beautiful washroom
Prices:~
Strong points:Freshest produce and ingredients only, mainly from Shizuoka Prfecture. Organic vegetables. Seasonal food only
Map (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

As it was my turn to look after Fabian, our new German intern at Agrigraph. I just took the opportunity of waht a talented French chef could create with Shizuoka products, me good friend Testuya Sugimoto at Tetsuya SUGIMOTO Restaurant in Shizuoka City!

Tetsuya was kind enough to take out all his treasures of the fridge for our young guest to discover before he chose the ingredients of the day!

Tetsuya prepared two hors d’oeuvres, the first one being yellow carrot mousse and an organic radish (the leaves were delicious) wrapped into burdock roots flakes (a non-vegan mayonnaise was used as the linking agent).

As for the second hors d’oeuvres he used 3 different types of rape flowers to be combined with

mackerel caught in the Suruga Bay off Yui!
The sauces were a dressing made with raspberry vinegar, while the other was an orange olive oil. The powder is crushed senbei/Japanese rice cracker.

He used the above organic vegetables for our main dish!

The same vegetables cooked and before their sauces were added.
One sauce was a mixture of grain mustard, miso paste and honey, while the other was pistachio oil.

The finished dish:
from bottom, right to left:
Black Daikon, Koushin Daikon, Faabe broad beans, Yacon.
Ayame Yuuki Turnip, Violet carrot, Yellow Turnip, Yellow carrot.
Petit Vert, Red Turnip, Kyoto Carrot, Hinona Turnip.
All cooked to perfection for crispiness and natural taste!

The dessert consisted of a mousse made with brown sugar and rum made from sugar cane grown in Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture, as for the mousse. The caramel sauce was made from the same sugar!

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
Cedit cards OK
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