About food in Japan

Fuji Shimizu JAPAN WATER (富士清水) – Mineral water from Mount Fuji

Maybe you already know the name of "Mount Fuji (富士山)", the most well-known mountain in Japan, not olny for the highest peak in Japan but also for the beatiful shape like a fan, spreading wider toward the end as dipicted in scenes of Ukiyoe (浮世絵) art.

How romantic if you can bring something from Mount Fuji as a souvenir, omiyage (お土産) ? This bottoled wated must be one of them. Rain drops on the famous mountain runs and is filtered though 7 geological layers inside of the volcanic mountain. The water becomes rich in mineral called “vanadium” and is put into PET-bottle with the iconic label of Mount Fuji in red by sunshine.

 

The taste is mellow and sweet, as likely to be Japanese natual water.

 

According to ths official website, so far the product is available at a gift shop in Hotel New Otani, Kiosk in JR Tokyo station and six units of Supermarket Sakagami in Tokyo otherwise through a Japanese online store specialized for mineral water. I hope that the nice souvenir of Japan will become available at more places around Mount Fuji and in Tokyo.

 

Websites related to this story:

Fuji Shimizu JAPAN WATER (富士清水) - http://www.fujiseisui.com

Hotel New Otani - http://www.newotani.co.jp/en/tokyo/

Supermarket Sakagami shop list -  http://www.sakagami-cl.co.jp/store/index.html

Aqua bar style (online shopping site for water) - http://aquabar-stylestore.com/?tid=9&mode=f6

LA BETTOLA da OCHIAI (ラ・ベットラ・ダ・オチアイ) - casual Italian in Ginza (銀座)

LA BETTOLA da OCHIAI(ラ・ベットラ・ダ・オチアイ) is one of the most famous Italian restaurant in Japan. At the same time, it is known as a restaurant for which it is not easy to reserve a table. The small restaurant with 36 seats is situated close to the edge of Ginza, surrounded by office buildings and is not far from Tsukiji Market (築地市場).

The chef, Mr. Ochiai started his carrer from French cuisine. He suddenly changed his pass to a cook of Italian cuisine, when just he dropped by the origin country. He was so impressed by the original Italian dishes that never make him tired even he eat ones every day. His own restauran, LA BETTOLA da OCHIAI, opened in 1997. With its vital atomosphere and dishes with fresh ingredients at reasonable cost, it attracts even Italian people living in Tokyo.

One afternoon on weekday, luckly I was able to slip in the casual dining without a resevation for lunch just before the last call time for lunch 14:00.

I ordered pasta with sea urchin(uni, ウニ) creamy sauce, one of his specialty. It is very simple with the creamy sauce and smal pieces of the main ingredient from the sea. The perfume of sea urchin surely comes from the cream sauce. I understand that a lot of people are fancinated by the restaurant.

 

 

 

Reservation for lunch accepted only at the restaurant (no telephone, email) from the morning 10am.

Restaurant name: LA BETTOLA da OCHIAI (ラ・ベットラ・ダ・オチアイ)

Address: 1-21-2 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Official site (Japanese version only) : http://www.la-bettola.co.jp/restaurant/ginza/info.html

 

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HENRY GOOD SEVEN - longe cafe bar in the cosmopolitan town, Marunouchi

    Sitting on a part of the sofa at HENRY GOOD SEVEN, I could forget where or in which city I am. Only chatting among your neigbour Japanese guests (if there luckly) could remind you that you are in a office building, the Shin-Marubiru (Shin-Marunouchi Building), Tokyo. Otherwise it could be as if in New York or London... somewhere in cosmpolitan area. The high-ceilling and windows, music and the international atomosphere are not so often seen in Japan.

Depending on time a day, as longe, cafe or bar, it can be used for different purposes.It is also one of a fews night spots which open after mid-night in the area.

On the evening, the lighting and illumination of skyscrapers in the financial district makes the cosmopolitan atomosphere. Business exectives enjoy refreshment time with a pint after their hard work.

Today I am here on early afternoon to taste "pan cake with sausage".  During the day, with its cozy sofa seats, it must be a good place for reading or having small meeting among 2-3 people.

The pancake is thick but very soft...

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is a cospomolitan oasis in skyscrapers of central Tokyo.

Restaurant name: HENRY GOOD SEVEN

Address: 7th floor, Shin-Marunouchi building (Shin-Maru biru), 1-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo

Website: http://www.heads-west.com/henry.html

 

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Okahan (岡半) - Teppanyaki (鉄板焼) at Ginza

Ginza is known for luxury brand boutiques and major department stores. Restaurants in Ginza, needless to say, are likely to be upscale ones to attact such high-end consumers. Especially for dinner, many restaruants charge around Yen 10000 or more in Ginza. It is known among local people that these restaurants are place for celebrities, important politicians or corporate executives.

On the other hand, you could have a chance to enjoy such upscale dinings at much more reasonable cost for lunch but of course at similar service and quality standard. Why not try one of them for having lunch and taking a break during a shopping time at the most luxurious town in Japan.

Okahan (岡半) is one suitable for such a situation. The teppanyaki grill and Suikiyaki restaurant is operated by a luxury Japanese restaurant house, Kanetanaka (金田中). To have Teppanyaki or Sukiyaki with Matsuzaka beef for dinner at the restaurant in Ginza, it costs more than Yen 15000, while the same restaurant offers lunch set at minimum Yen1500, a tithe of the dinner price.

Even though meat is not  exactly the same quaity one from Matsuzaka, of course at least the quality is still high enought to keep the luxury restaurant's fame. And it is prepared by the cooks in front of us, if seated at the counter.

The lunch steak plate is served with salad, a rice bowl, miso soup (in tea cup!) and a small vegetable pot.

The small pot is an unique service of Okahan. A small "meat ball" is cooked with onions, potato and carrott. It is almost like beef stew. This garnish could be a reason to distinguish Okahan from other teppanyaki restaurants.

  Daytime for lunch, unlike its dinner time, we can enjoy the high quality Japanese beef at much more reasonable cost and in casual atomosphere.

 

Restaurant name: Okahan (岡半)

Address: 7th floor, Ginza Kanetanaka building, 7-6-16 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Information in English (Gournavi) : http://r.gnavi.co.jp/fl/en/g080500/

 

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Kobe pudding (神戸プリン)

I got a souvenir (お土産) sweets from Kobe. 

Kobe is very well known for "Kobe beef". Apart from it, it is not easy to come up with any other food specialty for Kobe. Kobe pudding could be the second popular food in Kobe. The history Kobe Pudding is not so long, almost 20 years ago. However the image of confectionery is a good match with Kobe town where we find Western style housing heritage. 

Anyway, let's try the taste...

A bit different from a typical one. It is flavored with citrus liquor syrup and not too sweet.

That is recommendable for adults rather than for kids.

The seal-up package can be stored at room temperature.

Kobe pudding is available at souvenir shops in town, stations or airport or at department stores in Kobe.

 

神戸プリン（小）

神戸プリンチョコ　4個入り

******************  Find accommodation in Japan  ***************

OSAKA / NARA / SAPPORO / TAKAYAMA / TOKYO/YUFUIN 

YAKUSHIMA / NOZAWA ONSEN / NISEKO / NIKKO /

HIROSHIMA / MATSUMOTO / KYOTO / KANAZAWA / ISHIGAKI ISLAND /

HAKUBA / FURANO / BEPPU /

 

Chinese - Aichun (愛群) in Yokohama China Town

The biggest China Town in Japan is in Yokohama. It is close to the bay front Minato-Mirai area, Yamashita Park. Along with these other attractions, Yokohama China Town is one of the most popular leisure spots for Japanese living in Tokyo and the surroundings. From lunch time the main street is filled with tourists and chestnuts(栗, くり) vendors.

Without a guide or any helpful information, it is not easy to decide which restaurant to dine. One of my suggestion is to get out from the main street, where lavish restaurants of big name are lined up. Lunch menu wont be so expensive even at these big houses. If you still feel uncomfortable with dining at such big space with big number of people, let's turn into small streets stretching from the main China Town Avenue. There you will find less expensive, smaller and more calm restaurants.

Aichun(愛群) is one of them, situated along the second largest street, close to Kaiteibyo. 

If I look from the rustic outside without any information about its reputation, probably I would not be enough curious to try the small restaurant.

The restaurant presents a sign board informing several TV programs where it had been featured. It is known for homely Cantonese food. The inside atmosphere, yes!, reminds me local restaurants in Hong-Kong.

I selected holiday lunch set including its specialties; beef stew with Chinese cake, a piece of spring roll and almond jelly.

The restaurant hostess suggests that we put beef pieces sandwich between two sides of the cake. Self-making Chinese style beef burger!

 

   

The volume of set lunch could be small fully to satisfy your stomach.

However that is favorable exceptionally here China Town, because after lunch, we are able to (or can not leave without doing...) try other attractive tastes at food stands along the street; beef, pork or seafood buns, a few pieces of dim-sum, cakes or sweet tea with tapioka...

Restaurant name: Aichyun 愛群

Address: 138 Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa

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Taimeiken (たいめいけん) - Tampopo omerice (たんぽぽ オムライス)

Yoshoku (洋食) is a category of food, which is considered one from Western countries but rather ones developped into Japanese style. Omerice is one of the typical Yoshoku, as introduced previously.

Taimeiken (たいめいけん) is one of the most known restaurants for Yoshoku, attracting local people at Nihonbashi (日本橋) Tokyo, since the begining of the Yoshoku category, 1931. Just a block away from Nihonbashi subway station, Taimeiken serves on the two floors; the casual restaurant on the ground floor and the upscale one, where tabels covered by white cloth on the upper floor.

Here the speciality food is called Tampopo omerice (たんぽぽオムライス). Tampopo is a Japanese word represents dandelion flower and at the same time it is the title of a film directed by Juzo Itami (伊丹十三) in 1987. The tampopo omerice was born from an idea of the hitmaker film director and became a scene in his film. 

The serving way of Tampopo omerice is unique. Omelette is on top of chicken ketchup rice, instead of rice wrapped by egg crape in the normal style. The diners have a joy to break the egg cake and to sense the sweet butter flavor come out from the omelette. Inside of the yellow cake, it is finished at half-boild. The creamy egg makes a good combination with ketcup rice.That is the feature of Tampopo omerice.

 

Strech the egg cake and put it with rice on a spoon...    

 

Taimeiken provides also other typical Yoshoku menu such as cutlet, hayashi rice and even ramen at the casual restaurant, ground floor.

 

The film "Tampopo"(タンポポ) will be shown in Tokyo during Tokyo Food Lovers Film Festival between 6th to 12th November 2010. About Tokyo Food Lovers Film Festival, please click below link.

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2010/10/tokyo-food-lovers-film-festival-at-ebisu-garden-cinema.html

 

Related stories:

Yoshoku (洋食)　- Kurofune-tei(黒船亭)

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

M & C cafe - Cafe in a book store

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2010/04/m-c-cafe-cafe-in-a-book-store-.html

 

Restaurant name: Taimeiken たいめいけん

Address: 1-12-10 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Website: http://www.taimeiken.co.jp

 

 

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