About food in Japan

eatrip - Movie about food and eating by a Japanese food director

The movie title represents eat + trip (食べる旅). 

In the Japanese official site of the film, it is described "Life is a trip of eat".

In the English site, it explains about the movie as "contemporary Japanese food culture documentary".

I watched the movie recently and Yes I agree with the expression.

The film is recommendable for people who are interested in Japanese food culture.

By the film director whose original profession is food coordinator, it is depicted well how Japanese people think of food and eating, what kind of emotion they have for food through interviewing various types of people, young, old, men, women, artists, ordinary people, monk, tea school master, in Tsukiji fish market, Okinawa etc. Of course in the film, you will see the scenes of Japanese food and its preparing ways. 

The film has been screened at several international film festivals such as Montreal World Film Festival (2009) and International Festival of Environmental Films in Paris (2009).

For more information, where you can watch the movie, please visit its official website:

English - About the movie click here. 

             The latest news and theater information click here. 

Japanese -http://eatrip.jp

The latest screening outside Japan is in Barcelona next week.

Asian Festival of Barcelona (Spain) official exhibited work
http://www.baff-bcn.org/en/pelicula/emergentes/eatrip
(Local time: 2nd May and 5th May 2010)

Please do not miss watching this movie, when you have a chance in your place

M & C cafe - Cafe in a book store

Maruzen (丸善) is one of the established book store in Tokyo. The flagship store is in the shopping complex Oazo, situated in a central business district and just in front of Tokyo station. The large book store occupies four floors of the shopping center and offers huge selections from books both in Japanese and non-Japanese languages, stationery to art gallery. M&C Cafe on the 4th floor is also one of the book store services.

The cafe's specialty is Hayashi rice (ハヤシライス) which is considered that the book store's fonder made the name for the first time in Japan. The hayashi rice is cooked carefully according to the cafe's traditional recipe. The stew is made from several kinds of vegetables and is served after cooked for long hours.

I ordered "Hayashi Ome-rice" (Omelet with rice and Hayashi sauce over it) to enjoy two best Yoshoku (洋食) foods at the same time.

The cafe is a good place to take lunch or a break with a cup of coffee during shopping and strolling in the book store. In addition, one side of the cafe is facing to Tokyo station and railways through a large window of toe-to-ceiling height.

Enjoy the traditional Hayashi as well as the view of running trains in Tokyo at the book store cafe.

Related story: Yoshoku (洋食)- Kurofune-tei(黒船亭)

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2009/01/yoshoku---kurof.html

Cafe name: M & C cafe

Address: 4th floor Marunouchi Oazo, 1-6-4 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Koju (小十) - Japanese upscale restaurant, Michelin ***

To visit Japanese restaurant, it always enable us to feel "four seasons" through the food provided.

Takenoko (たけのこ、筍, bamboo shoot) is one of the symbols for Spring season. Here, at the Michelin 3 stars restaurant Koju (小十) in Ginza, we enjoyed the dishes and Spring season, even though outside air was chilly like Winter.  

We chose the least expensive dinner course there. It was still enough fully to enjoy the traditional Japanese dishes and to satisfy my stomach.

Let's go back to see some of the dishes ...

The chef's favorite dish Taira shellfish (pan shell) and 13 kinds of spring vegetables.

What is amazing of Japanese highest quality in cooking is to prepare each 13kinds of vegetable by each different way in order to serve all of them at the best way of cooking for each. Here all ingredients play "leading role" and show its presence on the plate and on my tongue!

Spring sprouts give us energy to live...

 

 
Seasonal sashimi cannot be missed.

 

 

Grilled Sawara　(a kind of Mackerel) with Fukinotou (sprout vegetable only available in Spring), decorated by cherry flowers

 

 

Shrimp Ganmodoki (bean curd dumpling) and Anago (conger eel) & kanpyo (gourd strip) role.

All are small pieces but cannot imagine how much time and process of cooking had been made for them!

 

 

Rice cooked with takenoko (bamboo shoot), warabi (wild vegetable) and green pea

Uhhhm, we were filled with the feeling of Spring

 

At Japanese luxury restaurants, they change the menu and dishes day by day, season by season. They are always eager to provide the best food ingredients at the best condition in the best way of cooking.
There the menu and plates are up to the chef's selections, relying on their rich professional experiences. Hence when we visit the restaurant in different season, at different time, we will find different fine quality foods.

Needless to say, as a Michelin 3-star restaurant, it has wide selections of Sake and Wine.

 

Restaurant name: Koju (小十)

Address: The 2nd Sanyu building 1st floor, 8-5-25 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Website: http://www.kojyu.jp/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brasserie VIRON - French style brasserie cafe in Marunouchi

VIRON is the name of a French company in the flour milling industry. The flour by VIRON is often used as an ingredient of high quality breads and cakes in France. The brasserie in Japan proudly serves breads, French style cakes and sweets made from the VIRON flour from France.

Needless to say about breads for lunch or taking out, the tarts also can be a reason to visit the brasserie. During the time between lunch and dinner, you are able to enjoy a nice pair of tart and "cafe au lait" at sunny terrace tables close to Tokyo station.

 

Restaurant name: Brasserie VIRON

Address: 1F TOKIA Tokyo Building, 2-7-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

 

人人人(Ren ren ren) - Chinese cafe restaurant bar

The Spring is not only the time to enjoy cherry blossom flowers but the time to have farewell/welcome parties at many work places in Japan. From the first of April, a new year of school and of business starts in Japan. We are likely to have lunch or dinner party with colleagues to see off or welcome those who leave or join. Restaurants are busy during this season by serving for such purpose group dinners.

人人人(Ren ren ren in Chinese pronunciation) may be one of the most suitable ones for such occasion.

人 represents person and people. 人人人 is named, being aimed at a restaurant where people are gathering.
Yes Chinese dishes and fantastic interior decoration must be a good place to have cozy lunch or dinner with friends or colleague. Typical Chinese dishes suit for groups are ready there such as Peking duck, dim-sum.

The restaurant also provides wide selections of noodles and rice plates which must be popular for business people in the area. A small tables on window side are rarely seen at ordinary Chinese restaurants but are often at fancy French style cafe. 

Why not try to have fine fried rice for lunch and later to read a book with nice Chinese tea and dessert at sunny terrace table?

Restaurant name: 人人人　(Ren ren ren)

Address: Tokia 1st floor, 2-7-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Information in English: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/fl/en/g763385/