About food in Japan

Enjoy collections of local specialties across Japan - Japanese Dining Cafe Rin

Japanese Dining Cafe Rin is situated a few minutes from Omotesando (表参道) subway station and is just off from Aoyama street or Route 246, where it is known as a town of the latest fashion.

On the ground floor, RIN Shop & Gallery is accommodated and operated by the same owner (Small and Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation Japan). The shop is a place not to be missed before you enjoy meal at Japanese Dining Cafe Rin on the upper floor. RIN Shop & Gallery introduces selected products from across Japan with Japanese "superior craftsmanship" as well as "exquisite design"; tablewares, stationery, linens, furnitures etc. These products look beautiful and have warm touch from natural materials such as wood or paper. You could feel like bringing everything there to your home

Well after enjoying the shopping at RIN Shop & Gallery, let's go up to the cafe to try a kind of another Japanese craftsmanship. Japanese Dining Cafe Rin is a place to offer Sake, vegetables and other local specialities across Japan at the very-central location of Tokyo. The interior design is modern but wooden beams remind us traditional Japanese style in the space.

If you are interested in Japanese alcohol, Japanese Sake Tasting set is recommendable. You can choose and taste 3 kinds of high quality local Sake for a price of one drink, Yen800. On the list, some sakes are fresh and limited production.

 

 

Fresh vegetable directly from farms across Japan is another speciality of the restaurant. We chose the best way to enjoy them, steamed in "tagine" Morrocan earth pot. 

 

In addition, the restaurant provides wide selections of local specialiies, called Kyodo ryori (郷土料理） or nowadays referred among Japanese people as "B-kyu gourmet" (B級グルメ, collective very casual, secondary grade local specialities, previously taken only by local people). They can be tried even without physically traveling to the regions.

I like that... 

Fujinomiya Yakisoba (富士宮焼きそば) 

from Fujinomiya-city, Shizuoka on the edge of Mt. Fuji

The fried noodle is one of the most famous icon of such B-kyu gourmet plates.

 

How the noodle is different from normal one?

Mainly stronger noodles, produced locally in Fujinomiya city.

Rich flavor of oil because of lard used as ingredient.

 

At the end of meal, finally we almost forgot that we were in Omotesando, Tokyo, where the most fashionable luxury boutiques stand on close by. 

 

Restaurant name: Japanese Dining Cafe Rin

Address: 3-6-26 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Website: 

Japanese Dining Cafe Rin http://rin.smrj.go.jp/shop/diningcafe/

RIN Shop & Gallery  http://rin.smrj.go.jp/english/

Summer 2011 is different and more relaxed in Japan

As many of you may know, in Japan, especially Kanto region (Tokyo and surrounding area) as well as Tohoku region, we are encouraged to save electric energy as much as possible during this summer, because the damage on nuclear power plants in Tohoku is followed by less supply level in electronic energy.

Japanese government urges industries to reduce energy consumption for their production and other business activities by 15% from last year. As a way to respond to this initiative, some major enterprises, such as auto car industry giants Toyota, Nissan and telecommunication NTT Docomo, have changed office close days from weekend (Saturday and Sunday) to two consecutive days on weekday (for example, Monday and Tuesday or Thurseday and Friday), so as to reduce energy consumption during weekday which is the peak in electricity usage. Other companies started voluntary summer time which means their business hour start and end earlier than usual by 1 or 1.5 hours.

These efforts by bussiness organizations in Japan also impacted on food service industry in the same area. If you travel to Tokyo during this summer, you could also take advantage of the changes as followings.

 

* Bar, Izakaya and restaurants start "Happy Hour" from 4 p. m.

Considering business people complete their work 1hour earlier than usual, some restaurants and bars are offering happy hour (discount price for alcohol or other selected products) mainly from 4 o'clock on late afternoon. That must be a big advantage for travlers too.

Enjoy and share chilly beer with Japanese business people from 4p.m.!

 

*Cafe open earlier for breakfast

As same with Happy Hour at bars, cafe, first-food and coffee shops, which provide breakfast in the morning, open earlier 1-2hours than usual for early-bird business people. Some of them also offer more selections of breakfast menu. It is also an advantage for travelers who have to depart in early morning for excursion or journey on air or train. 

 

*Restaurants open during weekend in business districts

In the business districts like Akasaka, where less potential clients exist during weekend normally, some restaurants decided serving on weekend as well during this summer so they can capture week-end workers in the area. Even you stay in such business district, you will also more choices of dining during weekend and you might not have to go out further from your accommodation. 

Such effort and cooperation by business organizations and people in Japan is so far successful in reducing electric energy since the beginning of July 2011.

Of course, Japanese people are happy to share this relaxed summer time with foreign travelers