About food in Japan

Deco Sushi - Makoto Sushi (まこと寿し), Shinjuku (新宿)

If your trip to Japan is the second time or more, you might think of trying something different from normal Japanese dishes. Otherwise on your firt trip to Japan, you could dream that you enjoy a real Sushi restaurant in Japan but you wonder because of language and cultural barrier. For those people, we recommend Makoto Sushi(まこと寿し) in Shinjuku (新宿).

The cosy small Sushi restaurant is located just behind Shinjuku Police Station and Shinjuku i-Land tower amid skyscrapers of central Shinjuku. With the wooden counter and sliced fresh seafood placed neatly on it, inside it looks a typical Sushi restaurant that you have imagined.

What makes Makoto Sushi different from other Sushi restaurants is their unique products called "Deco Sushi". "Deco" is abbreviation of "decoration" or "decorative" in English. It means the restaurant's featuring sushi pieces are "decorated" in unusual ways.

Here are some examples,

 

Hirame (Japanese flounder)

with cooked Shitake mushroom

 

Tuna, fried Japanese leek on top of it

flavoured in truffle oil

 Can't imagine truffle flavoured sushi,

but it was matched well with tuna actually.

 

Uni & Ikura (sea urchin & salmon roe)

with merengue 

Combination of sea urchin and salmon roe, two biggest seafood delicacies, itself is like a dream team. Then, plus egg white merengue and also subtle tender flavour of Yuzu-kosho (Kyushu origin spicy paste made with Yuzu citrus and pepper),

it is fantasy on a spoon 

 They are just a part of Deco Sushi. More interesting decoration sushi are offered by Makoto Sushi, with beef, smoke salmon and Shiokara (塩辛, salted fish guts) as main ingredients as well as anchovy, cream cheese or chili sauce to add taste for example. 

 

In addition, don't miss the interesting dessert,

"tempura" of ice cream 

 

Another qualification of Makoto Sushi, for non-Japanese speaker, the sushi restaurant has two English speaking staff including one Sushi chef, thanks to the restaurant's operator, nearby professional Sushi cooking school which has raised and sent many Sushi chef to the world. So do not hesitate to jump in the world of real Japanese Sushi restaurant and to try both traditional and innovative sushi in central Shinjuku. 

Deco Sushi at Makoto Sushi is not only one-of-a-kind experience for those already familier with normal sushi plates, but also a good opportunity of the first trial for those who are not yet familier with raw fish. 

 

 

Restaurant name: Makoto Sushi

Address: I-Land Annex 103, 6-2-3 NIshi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Official website: http://www.sushimakoto.jp

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Vegetable plant in SUBWAY sandwich restaurant

You may be able to find SUBWAY sandwich restaurant in your country too.

But, does the restaurant have a "vegetable plant" on site? 

 

Yes 

 

SUBWAY sandwich restaurant in Marunouchi Building Tokyo does grow green leaf vegetable in a plant located on the center of the firtst food chain restaurant. Tables and chairs are placed around the glass-wall plant case. The harvested leaf of lettuce is, of course like at normal SUBWAY unit, served there for your sandwich.

Like this

 

Enjoy your sandwich with very very fresh vegetable, while making sure where it is from on your own eyes

  

Marunouchi is a business district in very central Tokyo. The area is facing to JR Tokyo station, one of the largest terminal of Tokyo as well as holds headquater offices of major national banks and government ministries. It is also a place whose land price is one of the heighest in Japan.

So how much the value of lettuce leaf harvested in Marunouchi???  It must be more tasty if you eat it, while thinking of that

 

 

Restaurant name: SUBWAY Marunouchi Yasai Lobo

Address: B1 floor Marunouchi Building, 2-4-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 

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Arata (新), Roppongi - casual Japanese meal in modern chic atmoshpere

You may be interested in Izakaya and local cuisines of Japan. But if you would not like to be tired with hassles at a very local place where almost no English is available, Arata (新) must be a good option for you.

Arata is located in a luxury shopping complex, Roppongi Hills. Roppongi, the town, may be the place where we find the most number of non-Japanese people in Japan. Like other restaurants in the town, at Arata, you do not have to worry whether the restaurant has English menu or not. 

 

The modern fashionable interior decoration of the restaurant includes a big wall art of Kabuki actor depicted with illuminated Swarovski stones on ceiling.

On the other hand, what we can find on the menu list is quite local-Japanese dishes that are likely to be offered at traditional "Izakaya".The restaurant aims at proposing new types of "washoku" (Japanese dishes) like the name, arata (新) representing "new" in English.

 

 

 

 

Let us show you, what we ordered one day.

 

Shutou (salted guts of Bonito) with cream cheese (bottom) and

pickles of Japanese vegetables (upper)

"Shutou" is a rare delicacy from Kochi, Shikoku region.

The salty taste is well matched with cream cheese.

 

Kujo leek, known as specialty of Kyoto, sautee with chicken on heated iron plate

 

Californian rolls - that is not Japanese traditional menu though...  

 

Modanyaki (pancake of pork, cheese and noodle)

We could not imagine that we had such a casual local menu

like Okonimiyaki (Japanese style pancake) at this fashionable Roppongi Hills!

 

Creme brulee with chest nuts ice cream

Our journey of Japanese local specialty was not ended

with a simple ordinary dessert.

Chestnut ice cream is on top of

the creme brulee made with rich high quality egg. 

 

 

Other interesting menu will be spicy fried chicken wings Nagoya style, Aburi (char grill) chicken or seafood delicacies, Kushi (skewered) or yakitori and one of the restaurant's featuring item, Nagasaki champon noodle in rich soup cooked for 10 hours.  

Arata also provides an interesting list of beverage including original cocktails with Japanese ingredients. The price starts from Yen 500.

 

At the end of the meal, you might be surprised with the charge. It won't be much higher than the check at casual Izakaya. Considering the restaurant's location, atmosphere and attentive services, it must be value-for-money safe option especially for non Japanese speakers.

 

Restaurant name: Arata (新)

Address: B2 floor Hillside, Roppongi Hills, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Website: http://www.a-ra-ta.com

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Tsukiji Gindaco (築地銀だこ), Takoyaki bar

Takoyaki (たこ焼き, octopus balls) is one of the most well-known local specialty "traidtional fastfood" in Osaka. It is a kind of salty small round cakes inside of  which diced octopus and vegetables are. Sweet thick special Takoyaki sauce is normally on top of them. The crispy outer inside is filled with hot creamy dough and pieces of octopus etc. We are always warned not to eat a ball at one bite, because it is enough hot to burn your tongue. The yummy-round-appearance tempts us to do so... 

Gindaco is a chain of Takoyaki stands and Takoyaki bars where guests are able to enjoy both takoyaki and alcohol drinks in very casual atmosphere. In many cases, it is served as standing bar. "Tsukiji" top name is inspired by the fish market town. Gindaco's flagship store on the edge of Ginza is actually just a corner away from Tsukiji. 

At Tsukiji Gindaco units, in addition to ordinary style takoyaki with sweet Worceter-like brown sauce, it offers unique variations of takoyaki, such as with cheese, mayonaise or shredded leeks, all at very reasonable price Yen 600 or less for 8 pieces. 

"Highball" (whiskey soda cocktail) is also featured at Tsukiji Gindaco bars.

Needless to say, it goes well with takoyaki.

 

Tsukiji Gindaco units are in some central locations of Tokyo, such as Akasaka-Mitsuke, Hamamatsu-cho (not far from Tokyo Tower and Zojoji-temple), Shibuya or Roppongi.

It is also worth mentioning that on last December Gindaco's owner company moved its headquater office to Ishinomaki-city Miyagi prefecture, where it got seriouse damage caused by Tsunami on March 2011. The decision was made by the topmanagement in order to contribute more to recovering through income tax payment and employment generation in the region. 

 

Tsukiji Gindaco official website: http://www.gindaco.com  

 Ginza flagship store

 Address: 4-14-3 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

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Akasaka Mitsuke 

Address: 3-10-19 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo

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Hamamatsucho

Address: 2-3-33 Hamamatsu-cho, Minato-ku, Tokyo

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Toraya Cafe, Roppongi (トラヤカフェ, 六本木)

Toraya (虎屋) is an established sweets maker born in Kyoto over five hundreds years ago. The Japanese traditional sweets producer, mostly known for their high quality Yokan (羊羹, red beans cake), offers their modern Western style products in different way from their Yokan.

Toraya Cafe at Roppongi Hills, highend shopping complex in Roppongi, looks ordinary modern cafe from outside along Keyakizaka street. Its dessert menu is not what we can find at ordinary Western style cafe, for example cheese cake, chocolate tarte etc.

Fresh sweets at Toraya Cafe are created with the knowledge and skills by the established Japanese traditional sweets producer. Japanese ingredients such "an" (餡, sweet red beans paste) and matcha (抹茶, green tea) are mainly used. We can also recognize their new challenges to generate good harmony with non-Japanese ingredients like cacao. They look like Western style dessert but the flavour remains Japanese taste. 

Another point, what can't be missed is, unlike ordinary modern cafe, Toraya Cafe provides Japanese tea on the menu list, which must be also good combination with Toraya sweets.

Try the interesting fusion between East and West and also between tradition and modern.

Cafe name: Toraya Cafe at Roppongi Hills

Address: Roppongi Hills, Roppongi-Keyakizaka street, 6-12-2 Roppongi, MInato-ku, Tokyo

Website: http://www.toraya-cafe.co.jp/

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French - Au gout du jour Nouvelle Ere (Michelin *), Marunouchi Tokyo

Au gout du jour Nouvelle Ere, awarded one-star from Michelin guide, is situated on the 5th floor of Shin-Marunouchi building. Just in front of Tokyo station, the 5th floor of Shin-Marunouchi building must be itself an exciting place for food lovers, as we can find variety of interesting dining options from very casual Izakaya, oriental cuisine、wine bar to upscale one like Au gout du jour Novelle Ere where we visited. In spite of tens of restaurant choices on a floor, some of popular ones are fully occupied mainly with local business professionals working in the area on weekend-evening.   

Well Nouvelle Ere is one of five French restaurants by Au gout du jour group. The chef has worked at some Michelin star restaurants in France as well as popular French restaurants in Tokyo. He also has experience of working at a patisserie. With his such backgroud, the restaurant features not only sophisticated French cuisine but also its dessert plate which they consider as "the second main dish". 

Because they make the most use of seasonal ingredients changing time by time for their small capacity 24 seats, the restauran does not put detail of menu on the official homepage. Like Japanese luxury Kaiseki cuisine, only course price list is there...for example "dinner course Yen 8000 and Yen 13000".

Let us show you a part of what we had on a day of January 2012.

One of starter - tuna carpaccio

 

Another starter - flan of "Shogoin" turnip

We are always fanscinated by pieces of truffle.

 

Main dish - beef cheek confit

Surprisingly tender and large. It is cheek, isn't it?

 

Dessert - Fondant au chocolat

As the restaurant's purpose maybe,

it was really hard to choose only one from very attractive desssert list.

I believe Fondant au chocolat, which does not look like so,

is one of the best choices among them.

Crispy cake and warm melting chocolate cream...

It was good end plate of the fantastic dinner.

 

What we should note about the restaurant, 

Japanese taste such as yuzu (Japanese citrus), miso or soy sauce are often used as accent of sauce. Some of plates hint at Japanese cuisine. That is interesting point of the French cuisine restaurant in central Tokyo.

Not so wide choices on the wine list but the prices of bottle wine are quite reasonable. 

Overally as a Michelin star French restaurant, we can say that it is a value-for-money choice and a unique experience of Tokyo. 

 

Restaurant name: Au gout du jour Nouvelle Ere

Address: 5th floor, Shin-Marunouchi Building, 1-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Website: http://www.augoutdujour-group.com/no/

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