About food in Japan

Bakery cafe in Tokyo station - Burdigala Express

Burdigala runs several bakery stores and restaurants in Tokyo and Osaka. It opened a cefe inside of the Tokyo Station last year.

From seven o'clock in the morning, a nice pair of cafe au lait and French pastry or sandwiches are available at the station. The cafe is crowded in the morning by travellers with big suites cases and guide books. How nice it is as a departure point of a journey to have breakfast there while we are waiting for a train or friends.

Today's my breakfast is "croque monsieur", ham and cheese hot sand. All menu can be taken away for having on a train or in office, if you do not have enough time to sit on a seat at the cafe.

Cafe: Burdigala Express
Location: B1 floor JR Tokyo station

Okonomiyaki(お好み焼き) －Chibo(千房)

Okonomiyaki(お好み焼き) is pancake Japanese style. It is main dish or side dish of lunch or dinner rather than sweet or breakfast. The typical one includes pork or seafood, sliced cabbages and other vegetables as well as paste made of flour and water. Special sauce, mayonnaise and laver cut into pieces are on top of the cake.

It is local speciality of Osaka and Hiroshima, both major cities in West of Japan. In each city, it is arranged into its local style. In general, the Hiroshima style includes noodles in the cake. Everywhere each restaurant has its own recipe and offers different versions of Okonomiyaki, by different ingredients. The name literally means "fried as you like". Some casual Okonomiyaki restaurants provide a bowl of ordered ingredients to dinners and they are required to cook it on a hot plate by themseleves. It is another entertainment of Okonomiyaki eating. Fry and mix vegetables, pork as you like and put sauce, mayonnaise as much as you like... It is surely your original taste and must be delicious even though it looks like anything.

Chibo is an Okonomiyaki restaurant chain originated from Osaka. The unit located on the 38th floor of Ebisu Garden Place provides typical Osaka style Okonomiyaki with a scenic view of Tokyo. Today I found even Mt. Fuji over the window, while I was tasting the delicacy from West.

Restaurant name: Chibo Ebisu Garden Place
Address: 38th floor, Ebisu Garden Place Tower, 4-20-3 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Website: http://www.chibo.com

Michelin Guide awarded more stars to restaurants in Tokyo

Michelin made clear today the restaurants on the list of Michelin Gude Tokyo 2009 and the number of stars awarded to each one, followed by publishing the book on this friday 21st November 2008.

According to its press release,
- The company expanded its research area to 13 central districts of Tokyo from only 9 districts in 2008.
- One three-star, 14 two-star and 35 three-star are newly added on the list or awarded more stars from 2008.
- Total 227 stars are awarded to restaurants in Tokyo. The number of star given to a city is still the biggest in the world.
-  60% of the restaurants on the list are Japanese ones.
- Two new symbol marks are implemented for retaurants with "interesting sake list" and ones "where guests are required to shoe off".

I found that more restaurants elected are not familier for me and that many of them are Japanese ones. It means that there is still huge extra space for me to discover restaurants in Tokyo!                     

                                                                                           

Peruvian - Miraflores

We do not know so much about the country, Peru. But when we are advised that some food familier for us are originated from the country, we feel that it is not psycologically far away. These food are potato, tomato and red pepper. Needless to say about these ingredients, Peruvian dishes often include rice, seafood and vegetables. The food culture has been influenced by some other countries and region　such as Spain, Italy, Africa, China etc, reflecting its long historic background. That makes Peruvian food excellent.

The Peruvian restaurant, Miraflores is located in Shibuya, just behind the Cerulian Hotel. The name comes from the area in the country's capital city, Lima, where the chef has been living. The restaurant interior and outside terrace are fully decorated with Peruvian motif, drawing and pictres implies the South American country. The background music also helps with making us feeling as if we were on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

The lunch started with a glass of Pisco sour, local distilled alcohol with soda. Others are a few of what we had.
From left to right - Pisco sour, Seviche and Choritos ala Chalaca(seafood mix and mussel Chalaca style), papa a la Huancaina(potato chili cheese sauce), Arroz con poll(chicken rice).

Restaurant name: Miraflores
Address: 28-3 Sakuragaoka, Shibuya, Tokyo

Tsukemono(漬物, Japanese pickles)

Japanese pickles is called "Tsukemono(つけもの、漬物)". In the old days, it was a way to keep vegetables available during winter, when no any other way of storage such as fridge, freezer exists.

Across Japan, various kinds of vegetables, whether it is leaf or radish, can be found as tsukemono. In many cases, they are pickled with salt, vineger or soya sauce. Some of them are considered as one of the local specialieis. Eveywhere, they are a good match with a bowl of rice as well as a cup of sake.

Kintame is a traditional tsukemono house originated from Kyoto.
We can taste the traditional specialities at the casual restaurant located in a major department store, very close to Tokyo station.

I ordered a special menu which includes seven kinds of tsukemono and other house made products. With a plenty of rice, we can try these preservative food. It is really healthy meal with variety in vegetables and low calorie.

Restaurant name: Kintame
Website: http://www.kintame.co.jp/
Location: 12th floor of Daimaru department store, Tokyo (just in front of Tokyo station)

China Town in Yokohama

Like other cosmopolitan cities, China Town exists in surrounding of Tokyo.
Yokohama is less than a half hour of train ride from central Tokyo. The big port town is an intersting place to walk around and to feel the international atmosphere in old and new eras.

Under the clear sky, the main street of the China Town is packed with tourists. Along the street, stands for steamed buns, roasted chestnuts all are in a row on both sides and attract these tourists. I felt this time that so many restaurants offer "eat as much as you want"(食べ放題) system. Tourists does not have to worry about how much they have to pay at the end.
The restaurant I booked for today's lunch is also providing such system. But we dare not to take the way, because we know that the price would not be so different finally.

Daichinrou serves dimsum, seafood and country food by experienced chef from Hong Kong. It is a popular restaurant which is often featured by media. It is also known for a dining for chefs in China Town. It means that the food is enough good to satisfy even professional Chinese cooks. The tables are occupied fully from noon thorugh to afternoon. Even on late lunch time after 14 o'clock, guests are asked to wait for a while until a table is cleared.

What we had today...
dimsum is one of must.

and a seasonal pot, duck and chestnuts stew. Food cooked in a pot is rate to find at a Chinese restaurant in Japan.

Restaurant name: Daichinrou main building  大珍楼 本館
Address: 202 Yamashitacho, Naka-ku, Yokohama-city
Website: http://www.daichin.co.jp