About food in Japan

Try and enjoy Sake in different ways and in casual atmosphere in Nihonbashi

 

Happy new year 2015 !!

 

At the beginning of a new year, we introduce an interesting casual bar associated with an established sake brand Hakkaisan.

“Hakkaisan Sennen kouji-ya” (八海山　千年こうじや) is accommodated in a newer shopping complex called “Coredo Muromachi.” Coredo Muromachi, consisted from 3 buildings standing next each other, is just in front of Mitsukoshi Department in Nihinbashi area. So it will be easier to find the complex.

“Hakkaisan Sennen kouji-ya” is on the ground floor of Coredo Muromachi “2.” The shop consists of 2 parts. One side of wall is a boutique providing all line-up of Hakkaisan sake brand. On the other side, you will find a bar counter with several seats.

The casual bar in the shop offers some choices to enjoy the brand's sake in different ways.

On lunch time, the bar provides lunch menu whose main dishes are “cooked with sake or related ingredient.”

My dish one day, “today’s special” menu was

salmon and ikura(salmon roe) on top of rice.

Where is sake?

The pieces of salmon has been dipped in “Sake-kasu” (lees from sake) which making food softer and sweeter taste. The pieces of salmon had sophisticated flavor and incredibly soft texture by the work of sake-kasu.

 

 

What a good work of Sake!

 

 

 

 

During bar time from 17h00, of course the bar offers sake menu, including a few sets to taste different types of Hakkaisan brand with several choices of snacks or local specialties of Niigata, the region of Hakkaisan origin.

 

It will be a good option to try and enjoy sake by an established brand, Hakkaisan in casual manner. Then if you like one of them, you can get a bottle at the boutique behind the bar.

 

Shop name: Hakkaisan Sennen Koujiya (八海山　千年こうじや)

Address: 1st floor Coredo Muromachi 2-3-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Website - Coreco Muromachi: https://mi-mo.jp/lng/eng/muromachi.html

Website- Hakkaisan Sennen Koujiya(Japanese only): http://www.sennen-koujiya.jp/shop/hakkaisan-sennenkoujiya

Why not try "Japanese craft beer"? - Craftman Gotanda

Sake(日本酒, nihon-shu) is the most known Japanese alcohol drink in the world obviously. Well, what kind of alcohol drink is taken the most by locals in Japan?

We believe...it's BEER. In Japan we have various choices in alcohol drinks from sake, shochu (distilled sake), beer, wine, cocktail, whiskey etc. But if you check people enjoying at izakaya, you will understand that. Beer is the most popular alcohol in Japan.

Some of you may know a few Japanese beer brands such as Kirin, Asahi, Ebisu, which can be found at Japanese restaurants around the world. Not only such major beer brands, craft beer (beer by microbrewery) has become popular more and more in Japan. Now we can find several bars and restaurants specialized in craft beer in Tokyo.

Today we introduce the newest craft beer bar among them, Craftman in Gotanda.

Although you may not be familiar with the town name, Gotanda (五反田) station is on Yamanote line between Shinagawa and Shibuya. Craftman is five minutes walk from the station.

The bar is modern and bright with wooden tables and chairs. Tens of beer taps on the wall must make beer-lover exciting.

 

On the beer menu, we can find around 30 kinds of Japanse craft beer across Japan. They are categorized by types such as pilsner, ale etc and referred with brewery location. For those who would like to try some different beers by small portion, the bar offers tasting set which includes own-selected 3 kinds of beer by small glass.

The reason we recommend Craftman is its food menu. In addition to the wide selections of Japanese craft beer, the bar offers unique, interesting and nice food. Actually the bar calls itself as "craft beer bistro." So it can't leave the quality and selection of food. Of course those food plates are well matched with beer and they have some Japanese taste rather than perfect Western style dishes which we often find at beer bars and restaurants.

 

For example, what we had there are...

Motsu-nikomi (cooked variety meat)

One of the popular izakaya menu is

arranged and cooked with craft beer here.

Then served with a few pieces of "baguette."

 

Wrapped pizza with yuzu (Japanese local citrus) and cheese

We could never imagine the good combination of yuzu and cheese!

 

The spicy fried chicken (karaage から揚げ)　is also one of their specialty.

 

It will be nice to explore various Japanese beer while staying in Japan, if you love beer.

 

Restaurant name: Craftman

Address: 1st floor, 2-18-3 Nishi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo

Website (Japanese version): http://craftsman-craftbeerbistro.jp