About food in Japan

Yoshoku (洋食) - Kurofune-tei(黒船亭)

The word, Yoshoku(洋食) originally means "Western-style" dishes. Traditionally we refer dishes introduced by Western countries collectively as Yoshoku.
Now "Yoshoku" is independently a group of dishes whose origins are from Western countries but have been developed in Japan after that. They are not French, Italian nor American any more, even though some of them are still similar. They are different from traditional Japanese menu but could be considered as "Japanese" from the eyes of non-Japanese people.

Kurofune-tei(黒船亭), located just a stone throw from the Ueno Park, provides typical Yoshoku dishes for decades. The speciality is "Hayashi-rice"(ハヤシライス) and the sweet stew made of demiglace sauce is served in a heated earthen pot, after it is cooked for ten days by the restaurant chef who has a half century career in Yoshoku cooking.　

Another dish recommendable is crab croquette. This one is made of real crab...

Other dises available at Kurofune-tei are omerice, beef stew, humburg steak, cabbage rolls. All are regarded as Yoshoku. 

Related story  - Omerice(オムライス)

Kurofune-tei offers a half portion size for some of their menu at a half price.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono are also on its guest book.

Restaurant name: Kurofune-tei (黒船亭)
Address: 2-13-13 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Website: http://www.kurofunetei.co.jp

Teppan-yaki (鉄板焼き) - Teppanya

Teppan-yaki(鉄板焼き) literally means "roast on a hot iron plate" and is often used as a category of Japanese menu, a group of dishes roasted on a hot plate.

Surprisingly Teppan-yaki became famous in New York for the first time then it has been back to the origin country. Normally at a teppan-yaki restaurant, fresh foods such as beef, seafoods, vegetables, are cooked on a big iron plate by chef just in front of diners' counter table, not in kitchen. The cooking is like entertainment show there. Everyone must be reveted by the chef's hands moving around quickly and food cooked on the plate. The "aroma" come from food roasted strongly hits diners' appetite. Of course the food cooked on a plate is served in a few seconds to the diners, no time-loss of cooling.

A teppan-yaki restaurant "Teppanya" is located in Kagurazaka, where still we can see some histric buildings and restaurants, Ryotei are scattered on  slop ground in very central location of Tokyo. The restaurant building is also renovated from an old house.

There you will be able to enjoy typical Teppan-yaki foods at resonable cost. Do not forget requesting setas aside "the teppan-yaki counter" upon reservation.

The teppan-yaki course maybe the easiest choice and it includes...
Sazae(snail shell)

 

The most typical and the best one is diced pieces of Japanese beef...

Okonomi-yaki (Japanese pancake)

*Related story - Okonomiyaki（お好焼き）

Restaurant name: Teppanya
Address: 3-1-4 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0825
Website: http://www.teppanya.jp

EATALY - Italian food and wine center in Japan

EATALY is a coined word from "eat" and "Italy" in English. The Italian food and wine center was opened last year to introduce high quality Italian food culture in Daikanyama, which is a prestigious residential area as well as a edgy fasion town, .

Not only as an Italian food supermarket does it work, but also does as a food court and a wine and cooking school. We are able to enjoy several aspects of Italian food culture in the two floors complex with a couryard in a distance of a few minutes walk from Daikanyama station. 

At the eat-in casual restaurant, traditional pizza and fresh pasta are cooked by Italian chefs and they are served with local Italian wine. If you take the counter seats, you will be able to watch pizza or pasta prepared behind the counter.
Pizza and pasta menu are changed by day but always are cooked with local high quality product from Italy. They offer some choices in shape of pasta and sauce that are all traditional ones fron different regions of Italy. After the meal, several choices of Italian gelato are also available at another corner in the building.

Like ones I had, the dishes are rather simple but surely felt that it is a real Italian food!
Photo: Pizza Margherita and fettucine with basil sauce

 

Restaurant name: Eataly
Address: 20-23 Daikanyama-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0034
Website: http://www.eataly.co.jp