About food in Japan

Oshiruko (おしるこ, 汁粉)

Oshiruko (お汁粉) is sweet hot soup made from red beans and sugar. It is often served in winter particularly at outdoor events such as marathon or other sports gathering. The sweet and hot dessert makes our body warmer. 

I found an interesting pack of Oshiruko at Kaldi Coffee farm in Tokyo. It is called "Okoge shiruko" (おこげしるこ, brown shiruko). Three pieces of round white ball looks like dumpling (団子, dango) in a row in a pack. 

The small pack may be a good souvenir for international traveler.

After I brought the pack to my home, I made instant Oshiruko as it is instructed on the recipe.

 

Let's prepare a bowl and a pack of Okoge Shiruko.

I use a miso soup cup for it....

Put the three pieces into the bowl.

With spoon, break the balls into small pieces...

Inside of the white crispy ball, lumps of brown powder is there.

It was hard and required some power to break down into pieces.

Pour 100ml of boiled water. 

 

Finally Oshiruko is ready

It is quick and easy...Just with boiled water and a bowl.

 

Okoge shiruko is produced by a traditional sweets house in Nagoya.

I found the pack at Kaldi Coffee shop but not sure until when it is available and at which units.

Otherwise Okoge shiruko is sold through online store of the producer Enshuya from October to March. 

 

Company site: Enshuya  http://enshuya.jp

Online store of Enshuya http://engasane.jp/SHOP/EN-C-0004.html

Kaldi Coffee Farm: where various interesting food grocery both international and Japanese are available as well as fine coffee beans. Many of them are situated in residential area across Japan, while two units are in Tokyo central area, Omotesando and Shinagawa. 

http://www.kaldi.co.jp

 

 Link to Food Action Nippon   

 

 

Made in Tokyo French - Restaurant I (レストランI) by Keisuke Matsushima

The Japanese chef, Keisuke Matsushima opened his French restaurant in Nice, France in 2002 and the restaurant "Keisuke Matsushima" has been awarded one Michelin star * since 2006.

In 2009, Mr. Matsushima opened his new restaurant in Tokyo. Restaurant I features "local food" of Tokyo and surroundings with its philosophy "local production for local consumption; in-season production for in-season consumptions"(地産地消・旬産旬消). "Local production for local consumption" is not easy at cosmopolitan Tokyo. While we live in Tokyo, we rarely find "local" food of this extremely modernized city. It must be a great work by the prestigious French chef to collect fine quality vegetables and other ingredients and to produce dishes for the upscale French restaurant. And it achieved in gaining a honor of one Michelin star * in 2011!

 

This month I had a chance to taste some special dishes there. Here are some of them.

 

Terrine of vegetables and fois gras, sauce of Miso.

The vegetables are from Kanto region, surrounding Tokyo.

 

 

 Soup of vegetable in-season from Kanto region with pork "Tokyo X"

The taste of soup is very complex from several kinds of vegetables cooked for long time. It is a French dish but we felt that it is like a Japanese meal because of the ingredients usually used for Japanese cooking. It is a fantastic mixture and work.

 

 

Beef stew "I" style with burdock "Takinogawa"(from Tokyo)

 

 

The restaurant also offers "local" alcohol for their local-production dishes. It has wide selections of Japanese wine... I have never seen such a long list of Japanese production...

Koshu Grace Kayagatake (茅ヶ岳)

Fruity but dry nice white wine...

 

 

After the surprising dishes, herb tea is not an exception. The tea is made from mixed herb from Kanto region!  Great thanks to the harvest...

 

 

 

 

 

That is an alternative good choice to enjoy taste of local food in Tokyo. 

 

Restaurant name: Restaurant I

Address: Park Court Jingumae 1-4-20 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Website (with English and French version and online seat reservation via Opentable!)

http://www.restaurant-i.jp

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