About food in Japan

TKG arranged versions

Through our two last posts, we believe you have already leant the simplest Japanese food, TKG or Tamago Kake Gohan (rice with raw egg). Today, in addition to the traditional style, we introduce TKG arranged with food ingredients which are maybe more familiar for you.

Such TKG arrangements are introduced in a book published 5 years ago "365days of Tamagokake Gohan recipes(365日たまごかけごはんの本)". The book suggests many different and some unusual ways to enjoy (might be not for some though) TKG, rice with raw egg.  

The recipe book is actually available in English from the same publishing company but it is sold only through the Japanese version website. For those who can order it in Japanese, please clieck here.

 

Inspired by such unusual recipes from  "365days of Tamagokake Gohan recipes(365日たまごかけごはんの本)", here we also tried a few of newer types of TKG.

 

TKG with typical Italian ingredients, Tomato & Parmesan cheese & Raw ham

 

 Not bad, salty taste of raw ham is well matched with raw egg.

It can be like Italian rice dish, risotto.

 

 

TKG with butter, "nori"(海苔, seaweed) and soy sauce

  
a bit arranged with butter and seaweed 

 from the most popular way just with soy sauce

We could not feel butter taste so much as it was melted by the heat from cooked rice

but surely butter gives sweetness and subtle flavor

to the Japanese traditional food. 

 

 

TKG with canned tuna, cheese, mayonaise and soy sauce

     

Although we did not try this time, green leaf vegetables, mushrooms and fish or seafood such as salmon and shrimps will be also well matched with raw egg.

Try and find your own original TKG recipes!!! 

TKG (卵かけご飯, rice with raw egg)

TKG is a relatively new abbreviation of a Japanese word. Some Japanese people maybe still don't know it.

TKG represents Takago Kake Gohan, rice with raw egg. It is very simple food, cooked Japanese rice (Gohan) topped with a broken uncooked egg (Tamago Kake). 

  　

 

In many places out of Japan, people won't take a raw egg. In Japan, we often eat raw eggs. The two most popular ways to take an raw egg is with rice as above and as dipping sauce for Skiyaki (beef hot pot). You might alerady experience either way in Japan.

Because of the food culture to have a raw egg, in Japan, egg producers, food distributors and retailers etc all care the preserving condition of eggs enough cool in fridge and keep appropriate hygiene standars for taking without cooking. As long as eggs are appropriately treated in Japan, they are edible raw. So don't worry!! Eggs served in Japan are not same with ones in your country, which are considered taking after cooked.

 

TKG or Tamago Kake Gohan, is one of the most popular ways to have rice in Japan.

It is often served for breakfast at Ryokan and hotels as well as as a part of teishoku (定食, set menu) at casual local restaurants across Japan.

The cooking way is very simple and usually made by a diner. 

1. Break egg shell and pour whole egg to a small bowl.

 

2. Add one or two spoons of soy sauce to it.

 

3. Mix them well and pour the liquid to rice in another bowl.

  

An alternative way to prepare Tamago Kake Gohan is to put an egg, soy sauce on a rice bowl directly and mix them all. A short video on below link shows the process. 

http://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/aji/egg/generator/#

Just a remark for you, spice like salt is added after soy sauce on the movie. It is "Ajinomoto", artificial seasoning or a main product of the site operator. Ignore that as it is not necessary actually.

 

 

 

For a last few years, the simplest cooking food, Tamago Kake Gohan has been looked backed and re-evaluated by younger generations. Then the abbreviation TKG was born. Some people select fine quality eggs to prepare the best TKG. Soy sauce developped especially for Tamago Kake Gohan can be seen at some selected grocery stores nowadays.

As a series of TKG or Tamago Kake Gohan, we will introduce modern ways to enjoy it with additional condiments and a restaurant where you can find a nice bowl of TKG!

Don't be afraid and try Tamago Kake Gohan if you can find it at your accommodations or restaurant you visited in Japan!!

  

Related articles

Tamago Kake Gohan: Japan's National Dish

Hits 2012 by Nikkei Marketing Journal

The Japanese major news paper specialized in marketing field, Nikkei Marketing Journal announced "Hits product ranking 2012" this month. Seeing the list ranked by categorized as Yokozuna / Ozeki / Sekiwake ... and two positions East/West taken from Sumo the Japanese traditional fighting sports, we are able to recognize what are the trends among Japanese locals. Japanese people like to discuss what I got or experienced or do know?! for products or services on the list to evaluate how much each of us could catch up with the new trends. 

Let's see the list of Nikkei Marketing Journal "Hits product ranking 2012" from the top.

Yokozuna 横綱 (the top rank) 

Tokyo Skytree 東京スカイツリー- The tallest tower in Japan opened on May 2012 is the most popular tourist spot of Tokyo among Japanese nationals. It was really lucky if we could get a ticket to climing up to the upper floor during the early months since opening.

Check out our post about a cafe as a view spot of Tokyo Skytree

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

 http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2012/06/tokyo-skytree-view-spot-cielo-y-rio-kuramae.html 

7inchi tablet - such as iPad mini, Kindle by Amazon and Nexus by Google are arrived also in Japan and paied attentions of locals.

Ozeki 大関 (the 2nd rank) 

Low cost carrier (LCC) 格安航空会社 - This must be affected on those traveling in Japan. In 2012, Japanese established airline ANA launched Peach Aviation, and Jetstar and Air Asia arrived in Japan for domestic flights operation between major cities like Tokyo, Osaka and some resort destinations such as Okinawa, Hokkaido. It's a big change since the time only a few legacy carriers fly within Japan. 

LINE - is a mobile phone application developed in Japan and allows users to have free call and short message exchanges among friends. The communication tool captured over 36 millions users, mainly younger 10 - 20's generations in Japan.

Nikkei Marketing Journal "Hits product ranking 2012" includes total almost 40 products, services etc. Below Ozeki (the 2nd rank), we found several food related products on the list. 

Now we picked up some as examples...,

Maruchan Seimen (正麺) - The packed instant noodle was launched from Maruchan. The new product has been developed with patented production techniques for which maruchan succeeded in keeping authentic ramen flavor in the instant product.  

Japanese traditional sweets at convenience stores - Major convenience store chains such as Seven-Eleven and Lawson are competing for sweets product developped under their own brands. In spite of the small amount of price around Yen 100 to 300, the quality and taste are something we cannot ignore. 

Here we show a couple of newest example of them from Lawson Uchi-cafe sweets.

Premium roll cake with Matcha (green tea) and black beans: Both major ingredients are from the highest quality origin for each, matcha from Uji, Kyoto and black beans from Tanba-Sasayama, Hyogo prefecture.

 Matcha cake wrapping black beans cream. 

Pure fresh cream Daifuku : Daifuku, one of the most popular traditional sweets of Japan, is arranged by Lawson. To attracts more younger genrations for the traditional product, the Western ingredient, fresh cream, is added into the center filling of Daifuku.

The mochi (outer rice cake) is very soft and sticky

and filled with full of beans and fresh cream. 

Drop by Lawson or Seven-Eleben and get a piece of Japanese sweets available there.

It's a good opportunity easily to try a Japanese traditional sweets!!!

Zaku Tofu (ザク豆腐) - This is what we introduced on our facebook page on this March. It's a Tofu product inspired by Zaku, a character of animation program GUNDAM. The green color tofu is made with green soybean (edamame) flavour. Available at supermarkets and convenience stores in Tokyo and surroundings.

Look at the photo to see how it looks like from the link here. 

Yaki Gyudon (焼牛丼)- You may know Gyudon (牛丼, beef bowl) available at the most famous Yoshinoya (吉野家). Yaki Gyudon (Grilled beef bowl) chain "Tokyo Chikarameshi (東京チカラめし)" is a newly emerged rival of Yoshinoya and is operated by a major casual Izakaya chain. Tokyo Chikarameshi's beef bowl price is slightly lower than the ones of major Gyudon chains. The number of Tokyo Chikarameshi's units is dramatically increased in 2012 and it is now over 100 units within one and a half years since the first opening. 

One day we will report the grilled beef bowl on this blog!

Oreno Italian/French (俺のイタリアン, 俺のフレンチ) - Ore(俺) is a vulgar expression of "I"(私). The Italian and French restaurants imply the casual atmosphere with the vulgar word. The concept is...  a restaurant hires skilled chef (some of them have experience at Michelin star restaurants.) while it serves in "standing" style. Then it makes available plates with high quality ingredients like truffles or fois-gras by skilled chef at very reasonable price. Due to the sensational prices of plates, all of the units Oreno Italian and Oreno French are often fully occupied and even a long queue could be seen by locals every evening.

 

As some examples of their sensational menu and price, we visited the second unit of Oreno Italian in Shimbashi. Arriving early evening around 6p.m., we luckly took the last spce(not a seat) at the counter. We saw business people coming and asking place with fail time by time even after we started having a few plates and glasses of wine there.  

 

Shrimp ajillo just cooked!

Pizza Margherita - looking at the chef preparing for other guests over the counter,

we could not help but ordering a piece for us.

Both at Yen580 for each.

Scallp carpaccio with truffle

from today's daily recommendation

At Yen 980!!!

In addition to regular menu, the restaurant offers

more attractive plates at very reasonable price. 

     

Restaurant name: Oreno Italian (Main unit of the group)

Address: 1st floor 3-8-5 Shimbashi, Minato-ku Tokyo

Website in English: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/e960805/lang/en/ 

So far, as of the end of 2012, Oreno Italian has 3 units and Oreno French also has 3 units in central Tokyo area.

We are looking forward to discovering and introducing exiting and interesting food in Japan continuously in 2013.

Have a happy new year to all food lovers!!!

Information souce in Japanese:  

Nikkei Marketing Journal "Hits product ranking 2012"

http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASGF04079_U2A201C1000000/

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

 

What to have at Ota Market

Following our last post about Ota Market visitor course, we introduce two Japanese restaurants situated in Ota Market, which is the largest fruit & vegetable wholesale market in Japan.

How to get to Ota Market, please refer our previous post. 

 

Daimatsu (大松)

Location: on the second floor of Office Wing (Jimto, 事務棟), which is the start point of the Visitor Course and also is in front of the bus stop. 

Please check the market plan from here. 

The typical casual Japanese restaurant offers bowl (don, 丼) menus of seafood and deep-fried.

What to have here is "Anago tendon" (穴子天丼, deep-fried conger with rice bowl).

For those who is unfamiliar with Anago(conger), it looks similar to eel with long body like a snake. Anago is often served as a piece of Sushi, after cooked with sweet sauce. Tempura (Japanese style deep-fried ) is another good way to enjoy conger.

 

Anago tendon at Daimatsu

with incredibly large anago piece!!!

These two pieces are much over the bowl size...

crispy and of course tasty!! 

 

Anago Tendon at Daimatsu is something rare to find even in Tokyo.

 

Restaurant name: Daimatsu (大松)

Address: Ota Market Jimuto 2nd floor, 3-2-1 Tokai, Ota-ku, Tokyo

Official site (in Japanese): http://homepage3.nifty.com/fujiken-daimatsu/daimatsu.htm 

 

Fujiken (富士軒) 

Well our second recommendation is for fresh seafood menu. In Ota Market, fresh seafood is also dealt with, even though the market size is not as much as of the famous Tsukiji Market. So why not try fresh seafood at a restaurant in Ota Market? They are equally fresh and high quality and luckly unlike some restaurants in Tsukiji Market, you do not have to make a long queue.

Location: Fujiken is situated in Annex or Kanrento (関連棟) in Japanese. Annex is tightly sandwiched between Fruit & Vegetable market and Seafood market. It is like a shopping archade, where more than ten shops & casual restaurants serving the market workers and wholesale traders visiting the market. We can find some shops selling processed food or packing materials and restaurants there.

The Annex has two streets, West and East but it is not so long and complicated. So it won't be difficult to find Fujiken there, especially because of clipping articles of Japanese magazines featuring the restaurant and autographs appearing at the restaurant's entrance.

 

This is the most famous specialty of Fujiken,

Fuji-don (富士丼), obviously named after the highest mountain in Japan

and also the name of the restaurant

All imaginable kinds of edible seafoods on top of rice bowl!!!

Oyster, the biggest feature, comes from Hyogo for this day.

One of rare spieces, "Chushingura"(忠臣蔵),

as per introduction by the hostess of the restaurant.

Crab with the shell, sea urchin (uni), salmon roe (ikura), scallop (hotate)..., uh,

Usually we feel happy, even if we can have one of these Japanese delicacies but here... 

in addition, squid (ika), conger (anago, again after Daimatsu above),

negitoro (tuna & shreded leek), two kinds of sashimi fish and egg cake!!!!!

Can't be better than this.

What an attractive seafood bowl...

Fujidon costs Yen 1950 per bowl, the most expensive bowl menu. No one should complain for it. The ingredients could be changed slightly by season but the sensation level is similar for a whole year.

If you feel it is too much, Fujiken offers various versions of seafood bowls with less ingredients and at less expensive price.

 

 

Restaurant name: Fujiken (富士軒)

Address: Annex (関連等) Ota Market, 3-2-7 Tokai, Ota-ku, Tokyo

Official site (in Japanese): http://homepage3.nifty.com/fujiken-daimatsu/fujiken.htm

 

Actually Daimatsu and Fujiken are brother properties operated by a same owner. The family has operated the restaurants for over 100 years since they were based in a former market in Kanda, East Tokyo.  

It might be worth visiting Ota Market for either of the two restaurants. But the problem is.... if you have only a chance to have lunch, which one you will go?! Both are too attractive options.

 

It is up to you!!!

 

How to go to Ota Market, please check our previous post. 

  

 

The easiest way to find the best Ramen in Tokyo - Tokyo Ramen Street

Following the unusual Ramen restaurant, Ichiran on our last post, today we will introduce a group of Ramen restaurants that could make you feel more comfortable in term of location easily accessible even by international tourists. 

Tokyo Ramen Street (東京ラーメンストリート) is located on one of the largest underground shopping streets in Japan, Yaesu underground path (八重洲地下街) area which is directly connected from JR Tokyo station on the basement floor. Along an underground street, 8 Ramen restaurants gather and compete for authentic ramen, as the street's catch copy "Champion's League of Ramen." 

It is said that the developer of Tokyo Ramen Street tried 100 to 200 ramen restaurants in Tokyo to select the Champions of Ramen. Yes, looking at the names, we can find that they are already very popular for their authentic ramen with the chefs' passion. Some are located in residential areas a bit far away from central. So the location, just next to JR Tokyo station where even Shinkansen stop, is the biggest advantage of Tokyo Ramen Street for tourists. It is easily and comfortably accessible even on a rainy day and allows you to select one (or even two) from several Ramen restaurants with the quality for sure.

We found an interesting movie on the official website. The video briefly shows you what is authentic ramen, how noodles  and soup are different by restaurants and how it is prepared by chef with skill and passion, even you do not understand Japanese language.

So we share the link here before we introduce restaurants there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MZ8KrErViI 

  

You can search your Ramen dining easily on the site as each ramen restaurant shows the menu with photos in front.

Here we listed up two examples from Tokyo Ramen Street.

     

Rokurinsha (六厘舎)

Obviously it is the most popular one for which people make a long queue throughout a day. It has a legend that its first and former main unit in residential area had to be closed because the long queue by hundreds of people for the ramen had disturbed neighbor residents. The story tells us how much the ramen attracts locals. 

Rokurihsha's specialty ramen is "dipping" style (tsuke-men, つけ麺). The dipping soup is cooked so long time to make all ingredients melted and transformed into smooth liquid.

 

An option to avoid a looooong line of Rokurinsha is to arrive in the restaurant at the opening time 7h30a.m. or around in the morning.

For morning time, it also provides special menu with lighter soup suitable as your first meal of the day.

Shichisai(七彩)/Edoama(江戸甘)

The restaurant offers two different types of menu by time lunch or dinner. Until 17h00, it provides ramen with soy sauce flavor, Kitakata Ramen (喜多方ラーメン), local specialty from Fukushima prefecture. For dinner time after 17h00, it does main product with miso flavor. Ramen with soy sauce flavor (醤油ラーメン) has clear soup in most case and it will bring you fresher and lighter taste compared with other types of ramen. Soup of ramen with miso flavor(味噌ラーメン) is normally brown and muddy. Miso flavor soup will wam your body and it is more suitable to be taken in cold weather. Miso ramen can be often found in Hokkaido, the most north region of Japan.

Specialty of dinner time,

"Edoama Tokyo Miso Ramen"(江戸甘　東京味噌ラーメン)

The soup is made with Edoama Miso which is a traditional ingredient in Tokyo and has been loved by locals for centuries since Edo period.      

Toppings for the special miso ramen include not only such traditional one but also Western type of ingredient, grated cheese.

 

Let's try one of the best ramen at Tokyo Ramen Street on the way of your transportation even after or before excursion outside Tokyo. 

We hope that you won't have to wait for long time at least!

Name of place: Tokyo Ramen Street

Official website (in Japanese) : http://www.tokyoeki-1bangai.co.jp/ramenstreet/

Will be easy to access to the site if you get off from Yaesu Central Underground Exit of JR Tokyo station (八重洲地下中央口). 

Large Map

Standing Sushi Bar Uogashi Nihon-ichi in Shinagawa Station

Did you know a Japanese word “Ekinaka”(駅中)?
We believe that It won’t be on your text book or a dictionary.
“Ekinaka” means “inside station” and it represents commercial facilities accommodated in a train station. They are situated in a area accessible only with a train ticket or pass rather than in a building attached to a station.
The one in Shinagawa, called “Ecute”, was the very first among such facilities launched several years ago by JR East.

Last year several new restaurants and shops have been added to the commercial facility inside JR Shinagawa station.

Some of you may be based at a hotel or office in Shinagawa or other may use the station, one of the largest in Tokyo, as a transferring point for Shinkansen toward Kyoto or Osaka, local train for Kamakura or Yokohama etc. Thousands of people just go through the station but now we can also enjoy shopping time at UNIQLO famous casual wear boutique, Japanese traditional sweets stores or craft and variety goods stores on the upper floor.

Not only shopping, Ecute Shinagawa also offers variety of choices for dining.
“Standing Sushi Bar Uogasi Nihon-ichi” is one of them. As the name shown, it is a “standing bar” dedicated to authentic Sushi prepared by Sushi master working inside the counter.

The casual Sushi restaurant is operated by a Sushi chain sourcing their fresh seafood ingredients from Tsukiji fish market. What is provided at the unit inside Shinagawa station is nothing change from it. Entering to the Sushi restaurant, you will find a few Sushi chef preparing sushi inside the counter. Apart from the counter table without a chair, the quality of Sushi must be quite similar to an ordinary sushi restaurant.

 

Considering the points, the price of Sushi provided at Uogashi Nihon-ichi is rather amazing. The price for a piece of Sushi starts from Yen 75 or Yen 150 per order (because minimum order is a pair for a kind of Sushi) and majorities of their Sushi are Yen 75 to Yen 200 per piece.
The menu written on wooden plates and hang on a wall include names in English. Of course the price shows clearly for each group of seafood. That must make you feel comfortable to order to one of the Sushi chef in front of you.

Green tea is “self-service” at free of charge. All stuff for tea can be found on the counter table.
Take a tea cup and add a spoonful green tea powder in it from a pot on the table. Then pour hot water carefully from a tap in front of you. Maybe it is another reason of the least expensive sushi price.
If you would, the restaurant offers Sake and beer as well.

 

 

 

 

Your sushi ordered will be quickly prepared by the chef and placed on a green leaf used as a plate. Just remind you … that the natural tool is never for cost-down but for creating atmosphere.

 

My order, 4 kinds of Sushi (each by pair),　Iwashi, Saba, Maguro, Anago

(sardine, mackerel, tuna and conger consecutively)

and Salmon (not included in the photo) as additional.

Total it costed Yen 1100 only for a person!!

 

 

Each piece might be a bit smaller than ones at an ordinary Sushi restaurant. But due to the reasonable price, we can order more kinds of pieces if we want.

Because of the location inside a train station, that also suits for a quick bite. You will encounter local sole-diners come, have several pieces of sushi with a glass of beer and leave from the counter after 10-20 minutes, before or after his/her trip or hard-work. In that point, as the name is, the facility works like “a bar” rather than a restaurant.

Try a short-time Sushi experience like a Japanese businessman!

 

Restaurant name: Standing Sushi Bar Uogashi Nihon-ichi

Address: JR Shinagawa station 3-26-27 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Official website: http://www.susinippan.co.jp/infos/index/00131

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Katsukichi (かつ吉), Shibuya (渋谷) - Katsudon (カツ丼, deep-fried pork bowl)

Following our post introducing a tonkatsu (deep fried pork cutlet, wrapped by bread crumbs) restaurant two years ago, we found another recommendable unit serving the menu in Shibuya (渋谷). When we refer to Shibuya, many may be reminded by the diagonal crossing filled with a lot of people. Three months ago, the newest shopping complex Hikarie (ヒカリエ) opened in Shibuya,attracting local both fashionistas and foodies.

Today's our feature a tonkatsu restaurant is geographically close to Hikarie but it may be phycologically far from such the latest spots.

Katsukichi (かつ吉) in Shibuya is about 5 minutes walk from JR Shibuya staion and only a few minutes from Hikarie. It is just a few blocks away from Shibuya Police station along Meiji street.

Please do not miss the Japanese style gate on the ground floor of a modern building.

 
The traditional gate is rare to be found in central part of Tokyo.

As long as you can find it, you will feel something to raise your expectation. 

 

Once you enter into the restaurant on the basement floor, at its cozy space decorated with thick wooden boards and antique tablewares, you will never be reminded that you are in the bustring modern Shibuya town.

    

Tables on the main space are enough big to be shared by 4 people and be relaxed.

The restaurant also offers Japanese style seating with lower tables for larger group. 

After ordering our meal, 3 pots containing each different kinds of pickles were provided.

 

At tonkatsu restaurants, shreded cabbage is a "must" side dish served with deep-fried pork.

Katsukichi is espceially generous and serves shreded cabbage in a big bowl,

while we are waiting for tonkatsu.

Don't worry, as the vegetable dish won't occupay space in your stomach.

 

Tonkatsu or it is simply called "katsu". The word "katsu"comes from Western menu "cutlet" and "ton" of tonkatsu represents pork in Japanese.

What I ordered for my lunch was "katsu-don" (カツ丼, pork cutlet on rice bowl) which has been my favourite menu since youth age. It brings us fancy harmony of pork, bread crumb skin of it, broken egg seasoned with Japanese stock soup or soy sauce etc and rice. 

There could be many choices not only pork cutlet but also steak, hamburg, pork sautee on the menu. But there is no reason to avoid standard "tonkatsu" dish at tonkatsu restaurant. Some including Katsukichi offer 2 types of pork meat, "hire" (or fillet, ひれ, pork tenderloin) and "lose" (ロース, pork loin). And you could have an option like above, Katsudon (pork cutlet with egg on top of rice) 

Usually tonkatsu is served as a set menu with rice and miso soup. For dinner time, some restaurants may serve the menu as a single plate and it will be a good match with beer or other alcohol drink.

After (or before) you enjoy tonkatsu at Katsukichi, don't forget to drop by the bathroom. On the way to it, you will discover nice pieces of Japanese antique, such as old sign boards etc.

 

Restaurant name: Katsukichi (かつ吉)

Address: B1 floor    , KDC building, 3-9-10 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Official website: http://www.bodaijyu.co.jp/restaurant/shibuya/ 

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Udon (うどん) - Tsurutontan, Roppongi (つるとんたん, 六本木)

In Tokyo, the blistering heat of summer is trying to make us lose appetite almost everyday on August, while definitely consuming our physical energy. Nutrition is important for us under this hard weather. Today's feature, Udon (うどん) noodle is, we believe, an option to combat with summer heat and to take nutritious food more easily. 

First of all, Udon noodle is a major kind of Japanese traditional noodle along with Soba (そば). How different Udon is from Soba? Well, mainly...

Udon noodle is made of wheat flour and the noodle is in white color. On the other hand, soba is of buckwheat and the color is darker and looks in gray. Also they are different in diameter in many cases. If we compare them with Italian pasta spaghetti that many of you know, Udon has larger diameter than spaghetti does but soba has smaller than or almost similar size with the Italian noodle. We are sure, now you can distinguish between udon and soba, if they are both on a table.

As for difference in taste, soba has a bit stonger buckwheat flavour, while udon made of wheat flour has less grain taste. As it is for rice, Udon can be better match with other ingredients or sauce than soba. For example, more often Udon can be cooked with curry (Japanese style), kimchi (Korean hot pickles), beef or minched meat. One of Udon's features is the chewy texture. Soba is more suitable to enjoy the noodle's taste itself with Japanese stock soup and in some cases faint flavour ingredients such as leaf vegetable or seaweed.

Udon and soba noodles can be seen arcoss Japan and they are slightly different versions by regions in term of noodle diameter, soup and typical accompanying ingredients. As for the soup, in East part including Tokyo, it looks dark like soy sauce while it has more delicate flavour with lighter color in West including Kyoto and Osaka. 

Well, if you feel simple udon or soba bowl is too gentle, we recommend that you try Udon in more flavouful style like Italian pasta. 

Tsurutontan (つるとんたん) is a good place to try and enjoy Udon noodle in different styles. Many of their units are located in night spots area of both Tokyo and Osaka. Roppongi branch is also one of them. In the biggest night spot area, Roppongi, it is just a few minutes walk from Roppongi crossing where you won't feel uncomfortable to speak in English or any other than Japanese.

The Udon specialized restaurant Tsurutontan is totally Japanese world visually. What's different from ordinary traditional Udon restaurants is that we can find more younger people who are less likely to take such old style meal. Partly it is because of the location and the rest Tsurutontan's modern and variety noodle attracts them.

 

 

We can also find some Japanese traditional objects

(some maybe antiques) at the restaurant.  

 

 

The kitchen is just behind a counter table.

 

It offers so many different versions of noodle and they are served in very big (almost-wash-basin like ) bowls. We guess the surprise is "made in Osaka", the restaurant's origin.

From typical curry sauce to Sukiyaki, mentaiko (spicy cod roe), cooked with miso paste, with shrimp in cream sauce as Western style or some of them are seved cold... With the price around Yen 2000 or even less, it is hard to decide one from so many attractive choices.

Finally with tempura plate, I took

 

The smooth texture is easy to take them into your mouth as long as it is appropriately caught by chopsticks. (or don't hesitate to ask folk or to use spoon, it is actually hard even for Japanese locals.)

The noodle is chewy and whippy. That represents good quality of and carefully cooked Udon.

 

When we finish the udon meal, our energy had been filled up and were ready to get back to the severe hot summer

Tsurutontan opens from 11a.m. to next morning 7:30 a.m. Yes, it also welcomes those have enjoyed nightlife around the area. And another unit is at Haneda International Airport.  

 

Restaurant name: Tsurutontan (つるとんたん) Roppongi

Address: 3-14-12  Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Website: http://www.tsurutontan.co.jp/roppongi/ 

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Japanese cuisine and food culture from Edo period

Recently About Food in Japan site owner attended a speech by Mrs. Noriko Yanagihara (柳原紀子氏) at Edo Yugaku program (江戸遊学, Enjoy and learn from Edo period).  From her speech and book in Japanese, we found many interesting stories to know how our life and food are connected with Edo culture. We would like to share some of them here, of course, in English.

First of all, Mrs. Yanagihara is heading Yanagihara School of Traditional Japanese Cuisine, together with her husband. The family has organized "Kinsaryu" (近茶流) learning program for cooking technique, host manner, etiquette since Edo period. Even today, through their honorable activities on cooking classes and publishing, we are able to know traditional Japanese cuisine and manners related.

Here we briefly introduce some clues of culture in Edo period and what we can find in our modern life.

 

*Tokyo's main fish market was in Nihombashi (日本橋), before moved to Tsukiji.

As many of you know, we have the biggest fish market in Tsukiji. In Edo period, it was in Nihombashi, where we can find now Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Mitsukoshi Department flagship store and the Bank of Japan. We cannot sense feeling of seashore any longer there but a few hundreds years ago Nihombashi was very close to the sea.

We can find the vital fish market scene at Nihombashi depicted in Ukiyoe picture by Kuniyasu Utagawa as "flourishing Nihombashi fish market". 

Click here to view the Ukiyoe describing Nihombashi fish market (「日本橋魚市繁栄図」).

In modern days, some trace of the fish market can be still found in Nihombashi; established "katsuobushi" (dried bonito, essential ingredient of stock soup for Japanese cuisine) and "nori" (dried seaweed) houses and cooking knife stores are based in Nihombashi, we can find town name with characters representing beach or sea related, such as net (ami, 網) or beach (hama, 浜) for the area around Nihombashi.

 Nihombashi today

 

*Fast food in Edo period

 Sushi, soba noodle and tempura, which are appreciated as Japanese traditional cuisine and some even as luxury, had been started as "fast food" in Edo period. Under the centralized government system of Edo, many samurai and other class of men were forced to stay in the capital of Japan, Edo (currently called Tokyo), being away from their home town and from wife and family. At the end of their hard working day, they often enjoyed snack and light meal at food stalls instead of home-cooking by themselves. 

 We guess... these people preferred food that could be taken quickly and that made diners feel four seasons. Sushi, soba noodle and tempura, all are that sort of Japanese food. Then they have been developed to what we know nowadays since they were born as fast food for samurai.

Uh... It is an interesting story to know isn't it?

 

*Salt for cleansing

You might find a very small mound of salt placed on both sides of an entrance gate at a traditional Japanese restaurant. You must wonder why they do so.

The mound of salt is called "mori-shio" (盛り塩, heaped salt) and is made for wishing good luck. Salt has been one of the most essential ingredients along with rice for Japanese and is considered as implying "clean" or "purity". We can also see Sumo wrestlers throw a handful of salt into Sumo mound before they start a match. The custom is also to make the ground clear psychologically. Japanese have that kind of sense since Edo period. Especially Sumo matches were often performed in front of the emperor or at shrines in that period.   

 

Edo period was on 17th to 19th centuries and we feel that it is far from our life and is one a long long time ago. But knowing these stories, we become feeling familier a bit more with our ancestors and the facts may change our views to treat and understand what we have in this modern life.

We wish you feel same in somewhat