About food in Japan

Kitchen goods store, Daidokoroya Zakkaten in Shibuya (台所雑貨店, 渋谷)

Today's topic is not "about food" exactly but about something important for food lovers.

I visited Shibuya (渋谷) more than 100 times in my life but I had not known this interesting store until recently...

Daidokoroya Zakkaten (台所雑貨店) represents "Kitchen Goods Store" if tranlated in English. It is located just a minute from Shibuya station which is known for the most busiest diagonal crossing in the world. The store is on the basement floor of a shopping complex called "Shibuya Tokyu Plaza" which can be visible from West Exit of Shibuya station over large bus terminal.

Finding Daidokoroya Zakkaten, I was amazed by the abundant collections of kitchen goods from plates stacked close to the floor, utencils hung on the wall both left and right, even baskets suspended from the ceiling, every space filled with intersting tools or kitchenware, without empty space. The scene reminds us "Kappabashi" (合羽橋) well-known kitchen goods street in Asakusa. But here it is Shibuya, just a minute from the station.

Of course it does not have large scale like Kappabashi but is still exciting to find someting interesting for your kitchen or souvenir without travelling to Asakusa.

 

 What I bought at Daidokoroya Zakkaten today

 

Top: chopstick rest in the shape of "Taiyaki"(sea bream fish shaped cake) 

Center: a tiny spoon with flower motif, which allows me to scoop very small portion of powder

Bottom: again chopstick in the shape of "edamame"(green soybean, often served as snack with beer) Not edible but able to be brought out from Japan as a souvenir and make a lough on table...

 

Another fun discovering....

"tenugui" (手ぬぐい, traditional washcloth

can be used in kitchen, bathroom or any other housekeeping work)

This tenugui is not just washcloth.

Each character printed in dark blue ink represents a kind of fish.

The list is likely to be found at Sushi restaurant. This case, it is printed on cloth.

 

Even for native Japanese, it is not east to master all the words and name...

So it is very kind to have the paper list attached and telling us how to pronouce these words. 

The cloth will give us an oppotunity to study

plenty of Kanji (漢字, Japanese characters) related to seafood.

 

Daidokoroya Zakkaten offers other intresting tenugui cloth. Some of them are different by season. 

 

Drop by the shop in Shibuya to find some small but good souvenir or useful tools to prepare authentic Japanese food in your home.

 

Shop name: Daidokoroya Zakkaten

Address: B1 floor, Shibuya Tokyu Plaza, 1-2-2 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku Tokyo

 

大きな地図で見る

Goku Tea House (悟空茶荘), oasis in Yokohama China Town (横浜中華街)

Chinese New Year celebrating weeks is almost ended for 2011. But the one of the biggest China Towns in Japan can never be a quite place. Whether it is Summer or Winter, weekend or weekdays Yokohama China Town is always filled with tourists and local diners. 

Goku Tea House is peaceful oasis amid the busy streets of Yokohama China Town. It is just a stone throw from one of the most popular tourist spots, Kantei (Guan Di) byo (関帝廟). The tea house has two floors; tea making tools and leaf shop on the ground floor and the cozy tea salon on the upper floor. Goku Tea House is far away from bustle of the exitotic town and is filled with Chinese folk arts and objects. 

 

Needless to say, the Chinese tea house offers really wide selections of every kinds of Chinese tea, categorized by color, blue (example: popular oolong), green, red (like Engish tea), flower tea etc. It is fun to choose one from the list but it can never be done within a short time...

 

Finally I took Longjing tea in a glass cup and speciality "parfait" called "Tonkou" (敦煌, Dunhuang), named after the major city on the Silk Road in China. 

Tonkou Parfait: Tapioca pearls, Chinese herb jelly and a piece of cherry wrapped by litchee on top of ice cream.  

Boild water is available from an electric kettle on table. That makes us stay in Goku Tea House for long time. Enjoy having Chinese dessert, chatting or reading as your peaceful tea time with cups of tea in the Asian atmosphere, as long as you can or want...

 

During lunch time, it also offers lunch set such as Chinese noodle, pork rice bowl at reasonable price.

Of course the cozy tea house attracts many of local people and it might be fully occupied for a while of mid-day. Goku Tea House has two more units in Yokohama China Town; one Tea tools boutique and another Tea Salon.

 

Cafe name: Goku Tea House (悟空茶荘) 

Address: 130 Yamashitacho, Naka-Ku, Yokohama-city

Website (Japanese) : http://www.goku-teahouse.com/index.php?page=shop02

大きな地図で見る

Cowbell Gyuniku Shokudo (カウベル 牛肉食堂 Beef Dining), Shibuya (渋谷)

I had never known the restraunt category, Gyuniku Shokudo (牛肉食堂). It is "Beef dining room", if I translate the name into English. I guess that no restaurant might be called so, apart from Cowbell (カウベル) in Shibuya. 

It is a casual French restaurant but specialized in beef (牛肉) dishes, located close to Shibuya Mark City, a major shopping complex adjucent to Shibuya station which is globally known for the busiest diagonal crossing.

The restaurant proposes beef plates in different styles, with various parts of beef, from tartar steak, grilled steak, liver mousse etc. They know how to cook beef for the best taste. Not all the beef is Japanese but all are high quality ones such as Australian or Mexican.  

Lunch sets are reasonable prices from Yen1000 to Yen 1500 with soup, bread, coffee and a small piece of cake. 

Miched steak mustart sauce with creamy mushed potato

All are on a clasic silver plate

 

The small restaurant had been full for the weekend lunch.

From the counter table, you can enjoy watching the chef preparing your plate just in front of you. I was not bothered while I was waiting for my lunch plate.

Looking at the menu list, that reminded me bistro style restaurants in France. They are casual, not expensive, nor sophisticated French restaurant but cozy warm atomosphere where people go in their daily life.

 

Restaurant name: Cowbell

Address: 1st floor, 1-5-9 Dogenzaka, Shibuya, Tokyo

 

大きな地図で見る

Waketokuyama (分とく山) - Japanese (Michelin 2011 **)

Waketokuyama (分とく山) by the chef Mr. Hiromitsu Nozaki is one of the most well-known upscale Japanese restaurants in Tokyo. 

There we were taken to the seats on the ground floor where the chef Mr. Nozaki welcomed us from open-kitchen counter.

It is another attraction to watch the chef and staff cooking and preparing food behind the counter. 

The menu is "Omakase"(おまかせ or chef's seasonal recommendation) only, as same in many of Japanese upscale restaurants. We do not have to select dishes from attractive selections. Just we are looking forwards to what we will see in front of us for next a few hours, after order Sake. It also provides some selections of wine. But for Japanese meal, we prefer to have Japanese alcohol which is the best match with fine Japanese food.

 

Here some examples from plates we had. The Japanese full course was counted to 9 dishes from starter to dessert.

 Assorted starter including duck with rice

 

Assorted Sashimi plat

includes Buri (ブリ, 鰤, yellowtail) in season and rich taste.

With seaweed Konjac (海藻こんにゃく) and Yuba (湯葉, bean curd creap) 

 

 

The restaurant's speciality, Iso awabi (磯あわび, abalon with seaweed)

The seafood grilled and covered with seaweed.

Unnn senced aroma from the sea...

 

 

Fried Fugu (河豚, blowfish)!

 

As you see, many of dishes are seasonal seafood. Here we can have something which cannot be found at casual restaurants ... Of course all are filled in our stomach.

 

It is a part of Japanese hospitality that, after the amazing dinner, the chef and staff get out from the restaurant and they warmly see off every guest in front of the restaurant on the street. We also left from Waketokuyama with happiness.  

 

Mr. Nozaki is also known as the chef for the national baseball team at the Athene Olympics in 2004.

The main restaurant of Waketokuyama is located in Hiroo and the modern building build in 2004 is designed by an architect Mr. Kengo Kuma. 

 

Restaurant name: Waketokuyama (分とく山)

Address: 5-1-5 Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo

*No official website

 

大きな地図で見る

Chocolate Brewery by SAPPORO x ROYCE

Saint Valentine's day is commercially made in Japan as the date when girls give chocolate to their loved boys. For a few weeks until the 14th of February, sale of chocolate is the most increased in a year. You will find special corners of chocolate gift everywhere in this season. Some people enjoy finding favourite chocolate brand from wide selections of high quality chocolate in this season not for gift to someone but for herself.

I found another attempt of Saint Valentine's day at a supermarket. It is "Chocolate Brewery" or chocolate beer made by collaboration between a major Japanese beer producer Sapporo and a well-known high quality chocolate brand ROYCE in Hokkaido region.

Once I had chocolate beer in Alsace, French city but where is influenced by German culture and is beer-production region. The unique point for the case in Japan is that the beer is made with ROYCE brand chocolate which is solely established as a high quality chocolate producer from Hokkaido. 

 

Anyway let's taste the chocolate beer in Japan. There are two types by taste; Sweet and Bitter. I took Sweet type for me. 

 

Color is close to black color or dark brown chocolate.

Taste, YES, it surely and interestingly has CHOCOLATE flavor.

Instead of sweet flavor, bitter taste is felt less than usual beer.  

Its alcohol ratio is 5% less than normal beer.

Uhhh...in other words, it could be sensed as if it was soft drink as same as Coca-cola.

Be careful not to have it too much. It is alcohol drink...

 

Chocolate Brewery SAPPORO x ROYCE is not regular product. It means that it is sold for limited time and limited amount. How much and how long is not announced though. The product is sold at some liquor shops, convenience stores and supermarkets.

 

 Official website of the product Chocolate Brewery (Japanese) : 

http://www.sapporobeer.jp/chocolat/

 

 Official website of ROYCE (English), though the beer is not sold at the chocolate boutique maybe:

http://www.e-royce.com/english/

 

 

Yukimi Daifuku (雪見だいふく) - snow viewing rice cake

Since last night, it has been chilly and we had snow in Tokyo 

It snows in many places across Japan yesterday and today. 

On such a cold day, we have "ice cream" to have.

 

Yukimi Daifuku (雪見だいふく) 

It is, if I translate into English, "Snow viewing ice cake". 

Daifuku (大福) is originally a kind of traditional sweets made from sticky rice cake and sweet beans paste. Vanilla ice creame, instead of sweet beans paste is wrapped by soft thin white rice cake in the case of Yukimi Daifuku.

 

Both rice cake skin and ice cream filling are pure white color like snow.

I like to enjoy Yukimi Daifuku in warm indoor place, while snow is falling outside.

 

Yukimi Daifuku can be found at major convenience stores and supermarkets in Japan during winter season. I miss the sweets sometimes in summer time...

 

Yukimi Daifuku Japanese website: http://www.yukimidaifuku.jp

 

L'OCCITANE cafe at Ikebukuro (池袋)

Maybe many of you know the French cosmetic brand with Provence taste, L'OCCITANE (ロクシタン). The boutique is visible at some places, most cases in shopping complex across Tokyo. The cream, lotion and other cosmetic products with aroma of lavender, rose or green tea etc, attract ladies in Japan, as same in other parts of the world.

Why I talk about the cosmetic brand on this blog? as long as I know, cafe by L'OCCITANE band exist only in Tokyo. Yes L'OCCITANE cafe is located one in Shibuya (渋谷) and another in Ikebukuro (池袋). Both are close to each JR stations. In bustling districts, the cosmetic boutique is on the ground floor so you can find it easily and the cafe is on the upper floor connected through a stairsteps inside of the boutique. 

No worry! you will never find cosmetic product on food plates or in a cup of tea. Instead, the cafe depicts the image of nature in Provence which is the origine of the cosmetic brand. In the space decorated with brick color tiles, yellow columns and wooden furnitures, it serves food and drinks that imply atomosphere of Provence region; green salad with herb or tuna, colorful fruits tarte and herb tea selections from L'OCCITANE product seriese (Rose, Citrus vervena, Lavender, Provence herb etc). That are surely what ladies like...get the cosmetic products at L'OCCITANE boutique on the ground floor, after that, take a break and be relaxed with Rose herb tea. Both opportunities will help you for well-being and beauty.

I had Chicken cream soup in a cute red bowl for lunch and cafe-au-lait in French style.

 

 Have a relaxed time and enjoy feeling of south France with healthy natural food in Shibuya or Ikebukuro. It will be an oasis in the two most vital towns after shopping.

 

Cafe name: L'OCCITANE cafe

Shibuya branch

Address:  Shibuya Ekimae build. 2-3-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

大きな地図で見る

 

Ikebukuro branch

Address: The SH  one, 1-26-6 Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo

大きな地図で見る

 

Gion Tokuya (ぎおん徳屋) arrived in Tokyo - Mochi (餅)

Gion Tokuya (ぎおん徳屋) is a very traditional style dessrt cafe in Kyoto, where Maiko (舞妓) and Geiko (芸妓) could also visit there for sweets and relaxed tea time. The new branch of Gion Tokuya opened in Harajuku (原宿), Tokyo last year. Here maybe no chance to encounter Geiko or Maiko in Harajuku but a good point is no need to make a queue like the main shop in Kyoto. (At least as long as I know but in future I do not know though...) 

In Tokyo, Gion Tokuya is located on the ground floor of the well-known select shop, UNITED ARROWS. The sweets cafe is accessible even from the floor of Women's cloth in the select shop.
Entering into the small cafe, it is totally different world from the popular select shop. The traditional style interior decoration makes us feel as if we were visiting Kyoto.  

What I ordered is Tokuya's speciality called "Hanami Komochi" (花見こもち). It is a set of mochi (餅, rice cake) with five kinds of ingredients all well-matched with mochi.

As soon as we ordered the speciality, the shop staff switched on a brasier on the table. It is guests who has to bake eight pieces of rice cakes on the brasier.

How exiting is it I worry a bit whether I am able to succeed in cooking these rice cakes. 

Anyone will be motivated for the challenge when she/he finds a plate of five kinds of topping ingredients brought by staff. 

 

Zenzai (a kind of Oshiruko, sweets beans soup) is in a bowl on the center of tray. Other ingredients, from left to right, in counterclockwise, pickles of Japanese basil seeds, soy sauce (醤油), laver seaweed (海苔, nori), kinako (soybeans powder).

As you like, those eight pieces of mochi (rice cake) can be taken, piece by piece. 

 

 

 

 

Let's try to make mochi cakes grilled. 

 

 

Can you see? Afre five minutes, the square and hard cakes are heated and they are blown up like a balloon. When they become partly brown by heat and no longer square shaped cake, it is ready to eat. Take them out from the brasier quickly. 

 

First I dipped a few pieces into Zenzai.  
 

Then with soy sauce (醤油) and nori

 Kinako (soy beans powder) is set beautifully in flower shape.

But it has to be broken into pieces, after mochi is put on the plate...

 

All are the typical ways of having mochi. It is not so often to try so many pieces of mochi in different flavor. It is fun but you might have too-much-cooked and burned mochi in case you leave them on a brasier too long time, while thinking over what kind of flavor you prefer. At the same time, when we leave mochi left after cooked without having heat, the cakes become cool and hard soon. Just cooked is the best timing to have it.  So it is important to keep appropriate pace of grill and to put pieces one by one.

It is a kind of dessert but rice cake has heavy volume which is enough to be a light lunch.

Gion Tokuya in Harajuku offers not only Hanami Komochi set but also other traditional sweets menu such as Warabi mochi (わらび餅), Anmitsu (あんみつ) and Kakigori (かき氷). Normally mochi is served only in winter and Kakigori is only in summer. Here at Gion Tokuya, all these desserts are provided whole year.

Related story:

 Oshiruko (おしるこ、汁粉）　http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2011/02/oshiruko-%E3%81%8A%E3%81%97%E3%82%8B%E3%81%93-%E6%B1%81%E7%B2%89.html

Shoyu (soy sauce, 醤油) http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2011/01/shoyu-%E9%86%A4%E6%B2%B9-soy-sauce-at-website-shokunin-shoyu-%E8%81%B7%E4%BA%BA%E9%86%A4%E6%B2%B9.html

Kakigori (かき氷)  http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2009/08/kakigori---chim.html

 

Cafe name:  Gion Tokuya (Harajuku, Tokyo)

Website: http://www.united-arrows.jp/harajuku/womens/tokuya/

Address: 2-31-12 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 

 

大きな地図で見る

 

Cafe name:  Gion Tokuya (Kyoto the main store)

Website: http://giontokuya.jp/

大きな地図で見る

 

 

Oshiruko (おしるこ, 汁粉)

Oshiruko (お汁粉) is sweet hot soup made from red beans and sugar. It is often served in winter particularly at outdoor events such as marathon or other sports gathering. The sweet and hot dessert makes our body warmer. 

I found an interesting pack of Oshiruko at Kaldi Coffee farm in Tokyo. It is called "Okoge shiruko" (おこげしるこ, brown shiruko). Three pieces of round white ball looks like dumpling (団子, dango) in a row in a pack. 

The small pack may be a good souvenir for international traveler.

After I brought the pack to my home, I made instant Oshiruko as it is instructed on the recipe.

 

Let's prepare a bowl and a pack of Okoge Shiruko.

I use a miso soup cup for it....

Put the three pieces into the bowl.

With spoon, break the balls into small pieces...

Inside of the white crispy ball, lumps of brown powder is there.

It was hard and required some power to break down into pieces.

Pour 100ml of boiled water. 

 

Finally Oshiruko is ready

It is quick and easy...Just with boiled water and a bowl.

 

Okoge shiruko is produced by a traditional sweets house in Nagoya.

I found the pack at Kaldi Coffee shop but not sure until when it is available and at which units.

Otherwise Okoge shiruko is sold through online store of the producer Enshuya from October to March. 

 

Company site: Enshuya  http://enshuya.jp

Online store of Enshuya http://engasane.jp/SHOP/EN-C-0004.html

Kaldi Coffee Farm: where various interesting food grocery both international and Japanese are available as well as fine coffee beans. Many of them are situated in residential area across Japan, while two units are in Tokyo central area, Omotesando and Shinagawa. 

http://www.kaldi.co.jp

 

 Link to Food Action Nippon