About food in Japan

Japanese traditional sweets from Kyoto

Following our post on last month about Japanese tea salon, Toraya Akasaka, we will feature other cafe or spots where you can enjoy Japanese traditional style sweets. 

Today we start the series from two cafes by established tea house brands from Kyoto.

Saryo Tsujiri (茶寮都路里) was launched in 1978 by Gion Tsujiri (祇園辻利) an established green tea producer with 150years history which aimed to introduce traditional ways to brew and enjoy Japanese tea to young generations. Even at the unit in Shiodome, newly developped area of central Tokyo close to Shimbashi and Ginza, Tsujiri offers elegant atmosphere like a Japanese tea room in Kyoto with selected green tea from the ancient town.

Sometimes, tens of local ladies are queuing up in front of the Kyoto style cafe in order to be pleased by parfait of matcha flavor etc. Tsujiri provides so many different versions of parfait and other sweets dishes that make us be in trouble to choose just one. 

Matcha mousse topped with, looks relatively "humble",

both ice cream and jelly in Matcha flavor, anko (beans paste) and a piece of mallon 

  

It gives us a chance to enjoy Matcha in different forms.

 

Cafe name: Tsujiri (都路里) at Caretta Shiodome

Address: B2 floor, Higashi Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Official site (in Japanese): http://www.giontsujiri.co.jp/saryo/store/tokyo_shiodome/ 

*********** UPDATE on 9th September 2013 ***********

We found Tsujiri in Caretta Shiodome featured above was closed.

As alternative, Tsujiri has another unit at Daimaru Tokyo Department in Tokyo.

Cafe name: Tsujiri Daimaru Tokyo

Address: 10th floor, Daimaru Tokyo, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

View Larger Map

*****************************************************************

After the Tsujiri's cosy space in Kyoto flavor, we show an alternative Japanese sweets cafe that maybe more suitable for those who do not have so much time to be relaxed for long time. 

Hayashiya is also an established green tea producer which is proud of over two-century long history. The company has cultivated green tea leaves in Uji (宇治), Kyoto from late 19th century and opened cafe units in Tokyo area from the beginning of 21st century. Hayashiya is one of the most popular Kyoto style cafe among locals. 

Well, Hayashiya Chaen(tea garden, 林屋茶園)'s unit in Shinjuku is accommodated on B2 (2nd basement) floor of a major shopping complex LUMINE 1 attached to JR Shinjuku station. It is about 5minutes walk from JR ticket gate South Exit through the busiest station inside. Just keep in mind that LUMINE has several units around JR Shinjuku station. Please try to find the right building LUMINE "1" next to Keio department store.

Hayashiya Chaen LUMINE Shinjuku1 is a tiny counter bar-style shop where we can find only several seats. First you need to order at the cash counter and take a seat. Your plates and drink will be ready soon. The menu with some photos will make you feel easier to find what you want and to order it. 

Not only the sweets plates with various version of green tea, also try the unique tea drink.

Matcha jelly, soft cream and mousse

 and Hojicha (grilled Japanese tea) with milk behind

 

It will take only 10 minutes to enjoy the sweets in Japanese traditional flavor in central Shinjuku.

Take a short break during shopping or before/after excursion to Hakone etc.

 

Cafe name: Hayashiya Chaen (林屋茶園)　at LUMINE Shinjuku 1

Address: B2 floor, LUMINE Shinjuku 1, 1-1-5 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Official site (in Japanese) : http://www.kyo-hayashiya.com/lumine.html 

View Larger Map

Oreno Hamburg Yamamoto (俺のハンバーグ山本)

In modern days, "Hamburg" steak (ハンバーグ)  is one of the most popular menu for Japanese kids or even among adults. Not only as gourmet hamburger like we mentioned on a post last year, lunch set menu with Hamburg steak as main dish will be also worth trying in Japan.

Hamburg menu can be found for lunch at many casual restaurants in Japan, apart from ones offering pure traditional Japanese cuisine. In many cases, it is offered as a lunch set with either rice & miso soup or a piece of bread & Western style soup.

The restaurant, Oreno Hamburg Yamamoto (俺のハンバーグ　山本) , our recommendation, highly focuses on the popular menu, as it is taken for the restaurant name.

Before we start talking about the restaurant, the name in Japanese sounds quite unique. "Ore" "俺" is a word to indicate "me" but in very informal and masculine way. It means that we won't use the word in business communication and in front of someone we respect. And a woman never uses it. "Yamamoto" is the owner's familty name. Then from the restaurant's name, we sense unusual persistence in Hamburg by the restaurant's owner called Mr. Yamamoto.

The restaurant aims to energize people with its Hamburg menu that many have loved since young age. The restaurant offers several kinds of main dish on the menu but over 80% of them are "Hamburg" in different versions.

If you try the restaurant and Hamburg in Japan for the first time,

we recommend its flagship dish, again the name!, same with the restaurant name,

"ORENO HAMBURG".

   

 

Oreno Hamburg Yamamoto cooks demiglace sauce from its original recipe, using miso paste and Japanese soup stock as hidden taste. It intends to create a good match with cooked rice and miso soup, as we had the menu at home when we were young. But unlike (in many cases) the menu cooked at home by mother, hamburg steak is cooked in sauce for long time. So the minched steak is served with very tender and juicy condition and by thick earth pot which keeps the meal warm for longer time.

 

The restaurant owner makes sure the taste and quality of rice at the beginnig of new season every year and he selects the best suitable rice for the restaurant's main dish. Additional bowl of rice(okawari, お代わり) is complimentary.

 

With starter, green salad, Oreno Hamburg serves a glass of vegetable juice for diners' better health.

 

 

 We hope you enjoy Hamburg steak in Japan, as many locals have done since their youth!!

 

Restaurant name: Oreno Hamburg Yamamoto (俺のハンバーグ山本)

Website: http://www.orehan.com

Location:

Main branch Ebisu

Address: 1st floor, 4-23-12 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

View Larger Map

 

Shibuya branch

Address: 1st floor, 3-18-5 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo     

View Larger Map