About food in Japan

Try TKG (rice with raw egg) at Haneda Airport

Following our previous post introducing TKG (Tamago Kake Gohan, rice with raw egg), this post brings you an option to try the simple Japanese food at a casual restaurant.

Uchino Tamago Chokubai-jo (うちのたまご　直売所, Stand of our eggs from a farmer) is accommodated in Terminal 1 of Haneda International Airport where it is mainly used for domestic filghts operated by Japan Airline group. The casual Japanese restaurant is close to Keikyu train station and monorail gates on the underground (B1) floor.

It opens from 8a.m. to 9p.m. and is available even for breakfast to quick dinner if you would.

As the restaurant's name shown, "a stand of eggs directly from a farmer", food with fresh eggs is its specialty at the casual first-food like stand. Actually the main menu choices are only two, Tamago Kake Gohan (TKG, rice with raw egg) and Oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl). All others are side dishes such as miso soup, drink and, cake and pudding made with the high quality fresh eggs. The shop is operated by Akasaka Umaya upper scale Japanese restaurant, introduced on our another blog post, which features selected fine food from Kyushu region. 

If you still...mind raw egg, Oyakogon (chicken and cooked egg on top of rice in bowl) will be the better option. Otherwise, we recommend that you try a few raw eggs came from a certain farm in Fukuoka and kept fresh and at high hygenic standard. 

Two bowls of rice and two eggs, two small condiment dishes are included in the set menu Tamago Kake Gohan at Yen 500. Miso soup with nori (seaweed) is an option at + Yen 100. 

   

On the counter table, two bottles of soy sauce are offered as seasoning for raw egg. One is especially made for the simple menu, rice with raw egg, and another light taste sauce made from bonite stock.

 

    

We also found black pepper mill and Japanese red pepper with 7 spices (shichimi togarashi, 七味唐辛子) provided for seasoning. These spices could be good to adjust to more familiar flavor for you. Some locals also take the option. 

 

With these condiments, spices and pickles, enjoy two bowls of rice with two raw eggs.

Then you will become the fan of TKG !!

Restaurant name: Uchino Tamago Chokubaijyo

Address: B1F Terminal 1,  Haneda International Airport, 3-3-2 Haneda Airport, Ota-ku, Tokyo

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Tsukiji Jogai market (築地場外市場)

Following our previous post about Ota Market for December 2012 monthly feature, "Market"(市場), we picked up some scenes at Tsukiji Market on December for this post.

Once in 2011 we introduced Tsukiji Market with a seriese of posts mainly for Jonai (場内, inside) or wholesale area, where it is known for Tuna Auction. This time we focus on Jogai (場外, outside) area in Tsukiji Market.

Tsukiji Jogai market (築地場外市場) is situated next to the Tsukiji Market Jonai (築地市場場内) or wholesale area. Jogai, representing "outer area" in Japanese, is targeting more at non-professional buyers or local ordinary people and tourists, while Jogai area(inside) is mainly for professional buyers such as restaurants, retailers. Jogai area looks more like shopping arcade. It is the busiest around the end of December by local people who are looking for seafood and related products to be prepared for their New Year feast.

In other parts of the world, especially in Christian culture, maybe you have a feast on the Chritsmas day with your family, while you spend fun time with your friends or a partner on New year eve and New year day. In Japan on the contrary, New Year holiday 1st to 3rd of January is a period when we share time with our family in traditional ways, while we are likely to enjoy Christmas season with friends or a partner by having parties in a modern way. So New Year holiday for Japanese is to Christmas day for Christial family. Then you can imagine why Japanese locals are eager to organize a big feast on New year holidays. 

Celebration in Japanese traditional style, seafood is one of the biggest feature among New Year plates. So local people rush to Tsukiji for high quality seafood at less expensive price. Then on the last half of December, we can find some gorgeous seafood products or delicacies which rarely could be seen in other seasons. 

For examples....

Crab, salmon roe

 

whole fis of salmon in wooden containers

 

During the last few days of December, Tsukiji Jogai market is extremely busy with local people. If you could arrive there in very early morning before 9 a.m. or earlier period, before 27th December, you will be able to enjoy finding such seasonal delicacies and vital atomosphere more comfortably, although the weather is a bit cold. It could be less than 10 C degree outside even during the day.

After or before such joyful discovery of rare Japanese seasonal delicacies, let's have breakfast or lunch at a restaurant in the area. We can find many casual restaurants at Tsukiji Jogai markets. Majority of them offers Kaisendon (海鮮丼, seafood bowl) prepared with fresh ingredients, of course, from Tsukiji wholesale market just a few hundreds meters away and some other provide ramen that must originally target at market workers.

Today's our recommendation is a bit different from such typical Tsukiji meal.

Toritoh(鳥藤) is a wholesaler of chicken meat based in Tsukiji over 100 years since the beginning of 20th century. One of restaurants which the wholesaler company operates is located in Tsukiji Jogai area. 

The name as same with the company, the casual Japanese restaurant Toritoh is specialized in plates and bowls with Chicken meat. The most recommendable specialty of Toritoh is Oyako-don (親子丼, bowl of chiekn and egg on top of rice) which is tradtional home-made style food in Japan.

 

Fresh tender chicken meat mixed with

high quality scramble eggs on top of rice

The sweet and gentle flavor suits not only for lunch but also for breakfast. 

At Totitoh, Oyakodon is served with a cup of chicken stock soup which is also very nice.

 

The restaurant is small with several seats at the counter in front of open style kitchen as well as a few of tables. From the counter seats we can enjoy looking at the chefs preparing chicken for Oyakogon or Yakitori (skewered chicken) etc. Oyakodon is cooked on a very small pan for each diner one by one. Yakitori is grilled very carefully little by litthe by the chef. They know well how much and how these chicken pieces are cooked for each menu. The casual Japanese restaurant maybe is a place where we can taste chicken plate in the best way!! although the price is just around Yen 1000 or even less per person.

 

  
Half-boilded egg with chicken on top of rice (left)

Spices offered on the table (right) can be added as accent of flavor if you would.

These spices are also produced by Toritoh especially for chicken dishes.

 

Restaurant name: Toritoh Bunten (鳥藤分店)

Address: 4-8-6 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Open: 7:30am - 14:30

Official website (in Japanese) : http://www.toritoh.com/contents/tenpo01/

 

 

   

 大きな地図で見る

 Link to related posts:

Tsukiji Market (築地市場) 

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2011/04/tsukiji-market.html

 Ota Market visitor course (大田市場見学者コース) 

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2012/12/ota-market-visitor-course.html

 

Japanese breakfast set at inexpensive price

On September 2012, we have featured interesting "breakfast" (朝食, choshoku). This is the 3rd and last post of the monthly featuring. So we have picked up typical Japanese breakfast. 

You could have a chance to take Japanese breakfast at your accommodation, especially if you stay at ryokan, Japanese traditional inn in countryside of Japan. Otherwise, even in Tokyo and other urban cities, Japanese breakfast set may be offered at Japanese restaurants in hotels.  

You won't have a chance to take it in your accommodation? or if you would like to try it at more inexpensive cost? Then we introduce Japanese breakfast set at a casual chain restaurant, Sukiya (すき家).

 

Here it is!

Breakfast set at Sukiya (すき家)

 

Sukiya, whose main product is "Gyudon" (beef & rice bowl), is one of the largest restaurant chain company in Japan. Many of their units open from early morning (or for 24hours) and offer breakfast set in the morning. The breakfast set price is reasonable and ranged around Yen 200 to Yen 400.

Let's see what is included in the typical Japanese breakfast.

 

For Sake Choshoku (鮭朝食, salmon breakfast)

with rice in regular size at Yen 360 

Cooked white rice is the most important for Japanese breakfast.

Sukiya offers 3 different sizes of rice in bowl

with slightly different prices depending on the size.

As topping of rice, Sukiya also provides raw egg  

 with soy sauce "specialized for tamagokake-gohan"(raw egg with rice).

We observed here how much the restaurant chain puts importance

on its breakfast menu, not only their beef bow.

 

Raw egg might be unfamiliar ingredient for people outside Japan but for Japanese, it is a typical way for locals to have it with rice in the morning. If it is not easy to take rice and raw egg with chopsticks, please do not hesitate to use a spoon on your table. 

 

To be paired with rice for Japanese breakast is

miso soup

Three kinds of ingredients in the miso soup;

"Abura-age" (deep-fried bean curd),

"wakame" (dried seaweed) and

"negi" (Japanese leek)

   enough good quality, considering the price

 

Side dishes

  

A slice of grilled salmon is popular side dish.

Sukiya also provides a small bowl of

grazed "daikon" radish with "shirasu" (dried whitebait).

 

Another typical side dish that can be found at other restaurants is "tsukemono" or "oshinko" (Japanese vegetable pickles), which is often taken with rice.

 

 

Breakfast menu at Sukiya shows their offer with photos and price clearly. That will help you with finding what you want. Apart from dishes introduced above, "natto" (fermented soy beans) with a bit strong flavour is a major line-up.

 

 At Sukiya restaurants, unlike Yoshinoya and Matsuya both are competitors for "Gyudon" beef bowl, some table seats are offered in addition to a counter table that is likely to be for sole-diners. So it will be more relaxed place than ones by its rival especially for a couple and a small group of three or more people.

 

 

  Restaurant name: Sukiya (すき家)

 

 

Major locations in central Tokyo:

Shinjuku NS Building 

Address: Shinjuku NS Building 1st floor, 2-4-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku

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Ginza 7 chome

Address:  7-14-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku

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Shibuya Inokashira St.

Address: 31-4 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku

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Roppongi 5 chome

Address: 5-9-22 Roppongi, Minato-ku

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Bills, the best breakfast in the world

You may know Bill Granger's restaurant in Australia, which attracts celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio by "the best breakfast in the world".

Would you like to try the best breakfast in the world? Of course, yes maybe.

Well you can try one in Tokyo or Yokohama  !!

Actually Bills has more number of restaurants in Japan than in his based country, Australia. There are 4 Bills restaurants in Japan with which he felt "strong connection", as per their official homepage. 

Everytimes Bills opened its door in each location in Japan, we found the restaurant soon filled up with guests during morning and even for lunch and afternoon. We guess that makes him created more units in Japan. Here again it shows how much Japanese people like to seek the best meal and to try new arrival.

BIlls' first unit in Japan opened in Shichirigahama, Kamakura (七里ヶ浜、鎌倉), being on the location overlooking beach of Shichirigahama. The next one in Yokohama (横浜) is in "Red-brick warehouse" shopping complex, standing beside Yokohama Port. Then Bills opened two restaurants in Tokyo last year and this April; Odaiba (お台場) bayside and Omotesando (表参道).

Odaiba unit stands in Odaiba beach park, overlooking panoramic view of Tokyo central area over Tokyo bay. The newest Omotesando unit is in Tokyu Plaza Harajuku-Omotesando. It is not facing to beach or sea, but is still surrounded by another type of nature, trees.

All are in selected location that may be suitable even for celebrities' breakfast and all have some tables on terrace where a pet is allowed to be in. Restaurant inside has expansive and bright in white color and narutal taste in every location.

Well, we will show you what we had at Bills Yokohama.

The menu is actually exlclusive to Yokohama unit.

 

Very berry pancake!! with berry butter.

  
Dish filled with berry flavour and the pancake is imaginably fluffy. 

In other units, still we can find another flavour of fine pancakes and other attractive menu such as fruit muffin, banana & chocolate bread, scramble eggs, and ausie breakfast set.

Bills provides different menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Even for dinner, it offers the pancake menu as dessert. 

 

Restaurant name: Bills

<Yokohama>

Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse Building 2, 1-1-2 Shinko, Naka-ku, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa    

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<Omotesando>

 Address: 7th floor, Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku, 4-30-3 Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

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<Odaiba>

Address: 3rd floor Seaside Mall, 1-6-1 Daiba, Minato-Ku, Tokyo

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<Shichirigahama, Kamakura>

Address: 2nd floor Weekend House Alley, 1-1-1 Shichirigahama, Kamakura, Kanagawa

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Breakfast at Toraya Cafe Aoyama

Breakfast must be essetial moment for travelers wherever they go. So this month, About Food in Japan would like to introduce you nice breakfast spots in Tokyo.

The first one for today is TORAYA CAFE in Aoyama (青山). 

Aoyama is a posh shopping district with luxury boutiques between Shibuya and Akasaka or Roppongi. Toraya Cafe is adjacent to Aoyama itchome subway station and in Shin-Aoyama building on another side of Akasaka Royal Residence along Aoyama street.

Toraya is originally established Japanese sweets maker born in 16th century. Some of you may know its unit in Paris. Toraya cafe is created by the traditional sweets producer, aimed at introducing innovative products with their specialty "an"(sweet beans paste) in Western style recipe. We featured Toraya cafe in Roppongi Hills previously. Please refer the page for their modern sweets for afternoon tea break. 

Well, today we focus on breakfast at Toraya Cafe Aoyama. The breakfast menu by Toraya cafe is exclusive at Aoyama unit.

 

This is the most recommendable signature breakfast menu.

It looks like ordinary sandwich?

Yes at a glance, but it's special and Japanese version...

 

The different exists between two pieces of breads.

 

  
Still look like they are peanuts and chocolate paste?!

Could be ... but they are

"white sesame  and soy bean flour" paste

(the one in breads with sesame)

and 

"an" paste (made from red beans).

All are ingredients that Toraya often uses for its traditional Japanese sweets.

 

They are light in taste compared with chocolate or peanut paste and, we guess, less oily and more healthy. Still they are well matched with coffee rather than Japanese green tea. It's a great work by the master of handling Japanese traditional sweets.

 

Enjoy the "slightly" Japanese style breakfast at Toraya Cafe Aoyama.

The cafe provides breakfast menu from 8 a.m. for WEEKDAY. It's close on Sunday and Holiday, because of business district location.

 

 

Cafe name: Toraya Cafe

Official site: http://www.toraya-cafe.co.jp/

 

Address: Shin-Aoyama Building,West building B1F 1-1-1 Minami-Aoyama,Minato-ku,Tokyo

 

 

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Robecks Juice from West Coast America

Hot and humid Summer is arrived in Tokyo. Today's post is about an oasis providing fresh fruits juice. 

If you are based in US, probably you already know about the juice-focused shop born in L.A., Robecks Juice.

The West Coast style juice shop arrived in Tokyo last year and the second unit also opened recently in Harajuku.

Robecks Juice's main products are premium smoothies made with fresh and healthy ingredients, which will be made after it is ordered. It offers more than 10 selections of smoothies with fresh fruits strawberry, banana, orange, pineapple etc. In addition, if you prefer something more watery, fresh juice carrot or orange, hot juice, fruits tea are also available. Yuzu (Japanese citrus) honey tea, Mango & Leomon hot juice etc...they are also attractive options.

These drinks are of course the best suit for breakfast time. So Robeck Juice opens from morning 7h30 a.m and offers food also suitable for breakfast such as muffin, croissant, cinamon roll and sandwiches.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first unit of Robecks Juice in Jiyugaoka residential area of Tokyo has two floors with ample seating space. In some parts, it has a large table with electrical outlets for "nomad-workers." That makes your work-life healthier? The bringht and pop atomosphere reminds us the brand coming from L.A.

   

 

Another thing to be noted about Robecks Juice units based in Japan, they use high quality "Tsujirihei-Honten" (辻利兵衛本店) branded green tea from Kyoto for their green tea related products.   

Your accompanying person would not like to take fruits juice? Don't worry it also provides coffee like an ordinary cafe. 

Cafe name: Robecks Juice

Official site: http://www.robeks.co.jp

<Harajuku branch>

Address: 4-31-6 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

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<Jiyugaoka branch>

Address: 2-11-13 Jiyugaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo

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Tokyo Skytree view spot - Cielo y rio, Kuramae (蔵前)

Tokyo Skytree, the newest icon of Tokyo, opened last month. Although the 634-meter-high tower's main role is broadcasting transmission, many people are more attracted by the observation deck on 450 meters height from the ground. For the entrance until 10 July 2012, advance reservation is required and is almost sold out. On 11July or after, long queue for getting an entrance ticket is anticipated. Then let's think another way to enjoy the newest tourist spot of Tokyo.

A riverside cafe, Cielo y rio is one of such options, situating a stop away from Asakusa on Oedo and Asakusa subway lines. When the weather is fine, it is a nice stroll of 15 minutes along the Sumida river from Asakusa to the cafe in Kuramae (蔵前) area.

The interior decoration of Cielo y rio is totally different from what you can find in Asakusa, the most popular tourist spot of Tokyo. It is modern and very lovely everywhere.

       

The restaurant faces to Sumida river side widely and Tokyo Skytree on the other side of river is visible from the window side and outside terrace.

The menu is also far from ones in Asakusa. It offers Western style plates that match with the adorable decoration. Lunch set, available until afternoon, includes rice or bread as much as you can at reasonable price less than Yen 1000. The bistro provides wide variety dishes for dinner, from fresh fish carppacio, cheese platter, several kinds of pasta plates, Spanish paella, meat plates as main dish. 

As it opens without a break, it can be used as a cosy cafe on afternoon. In addition, only for weekend, it opens for breakfast from 9 a.m. It's a good idea to leave your hotel or room from early morning on weekend and, after having breakfast at Cielo y rio, to visit Asakusa in the morning, less crowded time. 

 

 

Restaurant name: Riverside Cafe Cielo y Rio

Address: 2-15-5 Kuramae, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Website: http://cieloyrio.com

     

大きな地図で見る

beer & cafe BERG, Shinjuku (新宿) the last small shop at Shinjuku Station

I do not know any other restaurant like Berg, nor how I can explain the type of the restaurant.

The small cafe is only 30 seconds from East exsit of JR Shinjuku station or on B1 (underground) floor of Lumine Est shopping complex.

Beer & cafe Berg opens from morning, serving breakfast. For lunch time, It offers Japanese style curry set, German plate (ham, salami and bread on a plate), with option of a glass of beer or wine. On evening, it looks like a cozy bar.

For a half of the floor standing bar counter occupies, while small chairs and tables each for two people stay close each other in the small restaurant. Japanese business men in gray suites, students in jeans, a lady reading a book hang on the counter, enjoyeing their meal with beer or wine on evening.

 

At least what we know about Berg,

it is an indipendent (non-chain affiliate) cafe

aiming at "cafe culture" mix of German, French and British style

leving from profit-first management way.

At the small restaurant,

morning coffee is prepared by the coffee master,

authentic German style sausages, the best feature of Berg, is done by the sausage master

bread with wild yeast is baked by the baker master everyday.

Although many of single menu at Berg cost less than 500 yen, quality of food & drink is very important for the owner and its clients, of course. 

 

The menu board is organized with photos of each plate and the staff are very friendly.

SO don't hesitate to jump in the crowd of beer & cafe Berg just for a glass of beer with sausage, breakfast or Japanese style curry lunch.

The blog title "The last small shop at Shinjuku Station" is taken from a book with the same name in Japanese and telling about the unique management style of Berg. Exactly as the book's title, it is the last small shop at the vital and very busy Shinjuku station. 

 

Restaurant name: beer & cafe Berg

Address: 3-38-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Website: http://www.berg.jp

 This is the message from beer & cafe Berg that we can find on the paper sheet, to understand more (or less?) about the cafe.

 

Cafe MUJI - simple but good quality like its products

You may know Japanese varaiery store "MUJI". The shops offers huge range of selections from funiture, stationary, fashion items to grocary foods etc, almost everything you need for your daily life. We believe that the store concept "simple" attract people across borders and regardless culture, language or gender. That is same in Japan, the origin country. MUJI might be a part of life for many people.

In addition to the retail outlets, in Japan, MUJI runs cafe in some places and a few of them are located in central Tokyo, such as Shinjuku, Aoyama or Yurakucho.

Cafe MUJI, which we introduce here, is in Hibiya or close to the Imperial Palace. The cafe is not attached to the brand's retail store but is accommodated in a hotel called "remm Hibiya". We can say it is on a prime location location surrounded by the Imperial Hotel, Hibiya Park and JR Yurakucho station. But the cafe on the secound floor is quite peaceful with wooden chairs and tables, and sunlight from large windows.

Well about the food offered at Cafe MUJI.

 As same with MUJI products, food & drink at Cafe MUJI are never be gorgeous but are sought for the quality and rustic. For example, on the website, it introduces ingredients carefully selected by them and how they are good in term of quality and nutrition; rice of rich-mineral, 100% cane sugar, preservative-free lemons etc. 

The cafe offers the food in delicatessen style. You can select main and side dishes from the counter showcase. Many include more than a few kinds of fresh seasonal vegetables and they are appetizing colorful It is really hard to select just a few plates for a meal.

The lunch set includes "rice with 10 grains" (十穀米) that helps you with taking mineral, fiber and vitamin. You cannot be unhealthy at this cafe.

 

After meal or during tea time, it provides interesting selections of soft drinks from fair trade coffee, Rainforest Alliance Certified orange juice, to fresh ginger ale.

 

It looks gorgeous with a chandelier

No no, can you recognize that it is made with simple glass bottles  

Cafe name: Cafe MUJI

Address: 2nd floor, 1-2-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Official site (Japanese): http://www.muji.net/shop/cafemeal.html   

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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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