About food in Japan

SAKURA (さくら) from STARBUCKS COFFEE

In Tokyo, for last several days, we felt Spring just around the corner.

It becomes warmer day by day, little by little... Cherry blossom (さくら, sakura) season is still a month away but at Starbucks coffee shops in Japan, we can feel SAKURA already.

 SAKURA steamer is steamed hot milk with "SAKURA" flavour. It is a pitty that we cannot see milk in subtle pink color in the cup though...

The scent of sakura surely comes from the pink powder on the top.

Other seasonal products, SAKURA cream flappuccino, cakes and special design tumblers are also available at STARBUCKS COFFEE in Japan until mid-March 2010.

Official site: http://www.starbucks.co.jp/sakura/index.html

Hello Kitty bottle water

One day I found...mineral water bottle SHAPED IN "HELLO KITTY" WOW....cute

I bought just one bottle, because it is expensive...Yen368/265ml bottle.

The water source is soft water from Kagoshima prefecture, in Kyushu.

This is the first attempt for Sanrio to produce Kitty shaped bottle. 

I found a sign at the shop to tell us "this product is likely to be run out quickly and we recommend your purchase whenever it is available."

Yes, it must be popular...so sorry if you are not able to find it in Japan.

Maybe it is sold here, Hello Kitty store in Shibuya:

http://shibuya.hellokittystore.sanrio.jp/blog/b/10014194.html

Otherwise on online stores in Japan,

Sanrio official Online shop (Japanese version only...): http://shop.sanrio.jp/cm/cmc-425842/

Otherwise another online store link,

キティ型ボトルウォーター 300ml*24本
その他ミネラルウォーター全部はこちら

Kaiten sushi (回転ずし, sushi-go-round - Itamae Sushi 板前寿司 Hong Kong 香港)

Where is the popular restaurant by "Sushi King" located?

The answer is ... Hong Kong, not anywhere in Japan, to be surprising.

The restaurant owner Ricky Cheng, born in China and has working in restaurant business for years in Hong Kong, is known even in Japan as a person who has made the top bid for the highest quality Maguro (ton) at Tsukiji fish market several times. His company runs 15 sushi restaurants in Hong Kong, 1 in Macau and now 2 in Tokyo. This time I had a chance to visit one of them in Causeway bay, Hong Kong. A night during weekend, people had been waiting for their turn in front of the restaurant. After waiting for 15 minutes, we got our seats at the counter. 

To be very honest, this is the FIRST time for me to have sushi at "sushi-go-round"(回転ずし) restaurant... 

***Normally in Japan I only have sushi as dinner at upscale restaurants or order for home-delivery service. Personally for me, sushi is not an option for quick lunch or inexpensive experience. Just because of that, I have NEVER tried sushi-go-round in Japan. ***

What a existing experience to see sushi plates going round in front of me. I felt as if I were in Japan while looking at the plates, chef, tea cups. Ton, salmon, other fresh fish... typical menu do not look different from what we have in Japan. Taste as well. I found and liked some arranged version sushi with cheese, mayonnaise.

 

 

 

What I liked the most in the menu I had was actually very unique one that can never be found in Japan.

It is "smoked duck"!! and "raw pork ham" sushi.

Aren't they sushi? ...uh be relaxed and flexible!!

As for the price, it is less expensive than same quality sushi in Japan.

Next time I am sure that I try Itamae Sushi in Tokyo.

Restaurant name: Itamae Sushi 板前寿司 in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Website: http://itamae.com.hk

Ochazuke (お茶漬け) - En (えん)

Ochazuke (お茶漬け) is very casual meal or snack traditionally prepared in Japanese home.

Typical recipe is a bowl of rice with some topping such as a few pieces of salmon, pickles, sour plum or seaweed and added tea as soup. It is often served as light and last food after a long lasting day.

The stereo-type of Ochazuke scene is one for a dad who has been back to home after a tiring big party with lots of alcohol drinks. He finishes his long day with the homey cozy food. The cooked rice does not have to be warm, as hot tea makes it warm in the bowl. His wife only needs to add ingredients as well as boiled water or tea to a rice bowl. That is an instant light meal. Instead it had been rare that we have Ochazuke out of home until we see this casual, "fast food" restaurant.

Dashi-chazuke "En" (だし茶漬け　えん) is specialized Ochazuke menu but provides several selections of seasonal fresh ingredients to  be added to your Ochazuke bowl. Whether it is seafood, vegetables or others, they are fresh and high quality ones. Another point making thier Ochazuke different from what we have at home is "だし"(dashi, Japanese traditional soup stock) prepared professionally by the master chef and poured into the bowl. Here Ochazuke is upgraded from homely light meal to something more than fast food. It is a healthy and right choice for lunch or breakfast maybe.

"En" runs its unit at Narita International Airport. Here I had special Ochazuke exclusively available at this Airport branch - Ochazuke with Eel ...the fish is normally available at upscale restaurant.

 

Let's try a bowl just before leaving from Japan.

Restaurant name: Dashi-Chazuke En (だし茶漬け　えん)

Location: Terminal 1 Central Building 4th floor, Narita International Airport (close to Departure area)

Website: http://www.dashichazuke-en.com/