About food in Japan

Cafe Haiti - Remember Haiti after a year from the earthquake

The Central American country is still struggling for the serious damage from the 7.0 earthquake, which led to other challenges, mounds of rubble, spreading poverty, outbreak of cholera, political unstability...

Check BBC report: Haiti earthquake: One year on

Even after other disasters on this planet, we are not able to forget Haiti and its nationals for recoveing from the catastrophe happened on the 12th January 2010.

Here in Tokyo, we have Haitian restaurant called "Cafe Haiti". It has 4 units in central Tokyo including two in Shinjuku. Haiti style curry is its most known specialty but I also like the chicken cream stew "Poulet blanche" with tomato pilaf.

 

Other speciality of the restaurant is local style COFFEE. The country produces high quality coffee beans as its neighbours Cuba or Jamaica does. The restaurant imports coffee beans directly from a producer in Haiti. It is served with a bottle of "rhum". Yes, the amber color liquid in a glass bottle is not maple syrup or honey but it is alcohol.  Be careful and put just a spoonful of it into a cup of coffee!

 

If you like more alcohol,it also offers selections of cocktail made with the rhum.

The all four units of Haiti restauants are decorated with folk art and objects from the country. They create the tropical atmosphere in the dining space at Tokyo, on th other side of the globe.

 

 

Enjoy food from Haiti and do not forget making a donation at the end of your meal for local people in Haiti. The restaurant place a donation box for relief of the earthquake victims.

 *** Location updated on 3rd September, because of some units closure ***

Above photos were taken at Shiodome branch which has been closed. The atomosphere is surely similar with below Second unit in Shinjuku and some franchaise cafes.

 

Restaurant Name: Cafe Haiti

Address and location:

Shinjuku "Second unit"

Address: B1 Minami-Shinjuku Central building,

                    2-11-12 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, 

 It is 6 minutes walk from JR Shinjuku station South exit along Koshu-Kaido (a main road)

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KOOTS GREEN TEA cafe

Can you imagine a cafe where we are able to enjoy "Japanese green tea" as we have coffee at Starbucks cafe? That is KOOTS GREEN TEA at Midtown in Roppongi. The small cafe offers various choices of Japanese tea (日本茶), hot or ice, "latte"(with milk), size "small/tall/grande"or smoothy... exactly in the same way with one we often see at coffee shops. 

Here I thought "maccha" looks like Japanese "espresso"!

The size is described as "single" or "double"...

The bitter taste of maccha is alos similar to espresso coffee...

 

Another menu, hoji-cha (Japanese grilled tea) latte

KOOTS GREEN TEA has two units in central Tokyo and provides selections of Japanese tea and light meal such as rice balls, cakes all of which are good matched with Japanese green tea.

Why do not you enjoy Japanese tea and sweets at KOOTS GREEN TEA ? as if you have a cup of coffee and a muffin at Starbucks or any other coffee shops in your country.

 

Cafe name: KOOTS GREEN TEA

Website: http://www.koots.jp

Address & Location

<Roppongi> B1 floor Tokyo Midtown, 9-7-2 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo

 

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<Azabu Juban> 2-1-3 Azabu Juban, Minato-ku, Tokyo

 

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Fairycake Fair - British traditional style cup cake, at Gransta JR Tokyo Station

I found a cute oasis inside of busy JR Tokyo station, where every day Shinkansen and local trains run in and out a number of times and where thousands of people come by. The cafe is located on a part of commercial zone called "Gransta"  on the basement 1 (B1) floor of JR Tokyo station. 

As the name "Fairycake Fair" shown, fairycake is the cafe's speciality. Fairycake is British traditional homemade-like cup cake inherited from grandmother to mother then to daughters. The cup cakes by Fairycake Fair is produced by the sweets specialist Romi Igarashi, being added "flavour" of modern Tokyo to the traditional British cakes.

What I had here...from left,

Cup cake "Uji Maccha" (宇治抹茶 green tea from Uji, Koyoto),

Cup cake "Shio Caramel" (塩キャラメル salty caramel),

drink Kaga bocha (加賀棒茶, grilled "bar" tea from Kaga)

 

Inside of the most popular Shio Caramel cup cake

Two types of caramel cream are used.

The rich caramel cream inside of the cake and whipped soft shio caramel cream on-top of it.

 

Cakes are enough small to eat up two pieces as a tea time. So let's try more than one flavors of cutely decorated cup cakes at a time. Some other interesting cup cakes are available depending on seasons. On current season, they are, for example, "ginger lemon"  and "apple cinamon". As drink, Milk tea, the most popular drink in England, and "hot yuzu honey" (Yuzu, Japanese citrus, juice with honey), house original ginger ale are also interesting choices.

During winter holiday season from Emperor's birthday (the 23th of December) to the end of New year holidays (until the third of January or around), JR Tokyo station is more crowded than other periods for Japanese locals travelling out to their hometown or to resort destinations, skiing, hot springs.

Have a break before/after taking a train at the peaceful cute cafe inside of JR Tokyo station.

But be careful not to miss your train for the cup cakes!

 

Cafe name: Fairycake Fair

Address: B1 Gransta JR Tokyo Station, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Website: http://www.fairycake.jp

 

 

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Chinese tea salon - HUA TAI TEA (華泰茶荘), Shibuya (渋谷)

HUA TAI TEA (華泰茶荘) is a boutique specialized in Chinese and Taiwanies tea as well as tea making products. The origin of the boutique is back to 1842 in Taiwan. In Tokyo, the tea house as a whole occupies four floors for tea shop, tea salon and private space. The tea salon is located on the third floor and is in cozy atomoshpere with Chinese interior decotration. It serves nice selections of Chinese tea from the tea shop, dim-sum and Chinese desserts. 

Of course, wide selections of tea (categorized such as green, white tea, flower tea, produced region, served by glass, mug or tea pot ...) are offered from the boutique and their staff are happy to answer our questions or to help with choosing what kind of tea we will have.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Longing tea from China, I selected. That is from one of the most famous Chinese tea region. It is fresh green tea. A pot for boild water is set on every table. Guests are able to pour the water into their pot at preferable interval of timing. Have tea as much as you like...

Authentic dim-sum are also available there. A good choice for light volume lunch.These dishes makes the tea time more joyfull and last longers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you do not have enough extra space in stomach for dim-sum, several kinds of Chinese desserts can be an option.

 

After a half minutes from arrival, you will feel as if you were in China or Taiwan, not Shibuya (knowns as noizy nightspots and young fashion town) in Tokyo. The quiet and cozy tea salon is an oasis in Shibuya.

That is also a good idea to buy tea leaves at the boutique, if you like the tea you had at the tea salon.

 

Cafe name: HUA TAI TEA

Address: 1-18-6 Dogenzaka, Shibuya, Tokyo

Website address: http://www.chinatea.co.jp

 

 

 

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Negitoro-don at WIRED CAFE - ネギトロ丼 WIRED CAFE

The Japanese casual meal is convererted to fashionable experience. It is not so often to be seen stylish modern Westernized cafe offering Japanese meal. It is likely to be pasta, sandwiches, pizza or French dishes served there. Here WIRED CAFE in Gotanda (五反田) is an exception.

Negitoro-don (ネギトロ丼) is a Japanese word representing rice bowl (丼) menu with negi (ネギ, Japanese leak) and minched Toro ( トロ, tuna or maguro). At WIRED CAFE in Gotanda, the menu is explained in English as "Avocado & Fresh Tuna Rice Bowl with Soft-boild egg". I believe that negitoro-don is relatively new as Japanese dishes. It is not rare to find "avocado" on the dish. Yes! Avocado is not Japnese food but is a good match with soya sauce and fresh tuna anyway. Maguro from Misaki (三崎), known as one of the best quality ones, is used as ingredient for negitoro-don at WIRED CAFE. The sauce soya with sawabi (わさび醤油) is simple but sufficient for the fresh tuna.

 

At a grance, it looks like a salad bowl. It is healty plate and you can enjoy traditional Japanese food at the same time in the stylish cafe with the latest modern music.

 

Restaurant name: WIRED CAFE

Address: 2nd floor Atre-vie Gotanda, 1-26-14 Higashi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo

Official site: http://www.cafecompany.co.jp/brands/wired/gotanda_atrevie/index.html

 

 

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Le Bretagne - crepe cafe at Kagurazaka (ル・ブルターニュ クレープ 神楽坂)

Kagurazaka (神楽坂) is a quiete residential area in central Tokyo. It is also known as "French quarter" because of some French educational institutions located in the area. Consequently it is said that authentic French food are available at restaurants in Kagurazaka where French nationals are walking around more than in other places in Japan.

This cafe is not the exception. Cafe Creperie Le Bretagne, as the name shown, provides authentic galette (ガレット buckwheat crepe for meal not for dessert) and crepe (クレープ) both from Bretagne region in France.

The cafe has open terrace when the climature is appropriate. After welcomed by French staff, the interior decoration is lovely with wooden floor and funitures, porcelain displayed from the region. We must feel as if we visit Bretagne not the Asian cosmopolitan. 

The ingredient choices offered as salty galette for lunch or snack is much enough and is hard to select just one or two; tomato, bacon, cheese, mushroom, onion, season's special etc... Crepe as dessert is also what cannot be missed. Galette is a good choice for light lunch or dinner during traveling, when you are tired to be filled up. But here you could not be reliefed in that way. 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cafe creperie is so popular to accommodate guests fully for lunch and dinner time. It might request you to wait for a while until ready to be served, especially lunch hours on weekend. Yes, it is worth waiting and enjoying strolling at Kagurazaka.

 

Restaurant name: Cafe-Creperie Le Bretagne

Address: 4-2 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Website: http://www.le-bretagne.com

 

 

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Yutori no kukan cafe share with Harumi Kurihara (栗原はるみ)

Harumi Kurihara is one of the most well-known cookery writer based in Japan. I could say she is a Japanese version "Martha Stewart", though some people might have different image for them. Otherwise she might be described as the most famouse "housewife" in Japan. She leant her cooking ways from her mother and her dishes attracted many of home party guests brought by her husband in the broadcasting industry. Cooking style and dishes she introduced are throughly "homemade" receipi but ones loved by everyone.  

In Yokohama, at a shopping complex not far from JR Yokohama station, a cafe produced by Harumi Kurihara offers dishes by her receipi.

On one weekend, I had lunch set called "Kamome lunch" (かもめランチ, named after from "seagull", the icon of Yokohama port).

How the lunch set is like is described on this blackboad.

 

I'll show the dishes with photos here...

 

 
One main dish (croquette), farmer's fresh salad, 3 small side dishes, rice and miso soup, pickles.

This is an "ideal" meal at home in Japan.

With more kinds of vegetables in different colors and in different ways of cooking,

it means a good balance in nutritional.

3 side dishes are small but never be just ordinary. Here is the world of Harumi Kurihara.

Gochiso Hiyayakko (ごちそう冷ややっこ), "delicacy cold tofu"

A piece of tofu is very typical and simple side dish.

We put soya sauce and shreded leak normally.

She made it upgraded with a little more effort for the topping!

"delicacy"(ごちそう)

sesami, diced leak, pickles, ginger, garlic and ham mixed with soya sauce and dashi soup.

Uhhnn a good idea, I could make it myselef at home.

This is the way her receip make our life better and the reason why she is so popular among Japanese ladies across generations.

Other dishes are also ones introduced on her recepi books and basically are simple but something special and look much better than typical.

 

Lunch set includes dessert (sesami pudding for today) and Japanese grilled tea (originaly brended) selected from their drink list.

Yutori no kukan (ゆとりの空間) represents "comfortable space" in Japanese. That is what Ms. Kurihara would like to offer you everyone maybe.

 

The cafe provides dinner set menu as well, which is also "an ideal healty dinner" for Japanese and some a la carte dishes. What cannot be missed after a break at the cafe is a boutique attached to the cafe. Food ingredients and table wares used at the cafe are available at the boutique. They are produced or selected by Harumi Kurihara. Let's bring some of them to your home and cook the same plate you like at the cafe.

 

Harumi Kurihara Official site: http://www.yutori.co.jp

Her receipi books are tranlated into English. Below are some examples;

 

Cafe name: yutori no kukan (ゆとりの空間)

Address: Yokohama Bay Quater 3rd floor, 1-10 Kinko-cho, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa

 

 

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SO TIRED - fantasy dining cafe

In Marunouchi, the real centre of business in Japan, where head quaters offices of Japanese major enterprises are situated, the cafe's name is ironic as an "oasis" of the people working in the business district.

SO TIRED... 

I am sure the shop master would not like the guests to say so when they leave the cozy and colourful cafe, filled with sunlight during day time. It is also discribed by the cafe producre as "fantasic dinnin cafe" for the iconic stained glass like colorful tall walls. 

The cafe provides casual Chinese lunch as well as Western style plates. I do not know any other restaurant or cafe offering both Chinese noodles and American style pepper steak apart from family restaurants. It is fantastic when you are not able to agree with your partner or colleague for what kind of restaurant, especially Chinese or Western food to go for lunch together. You do not have to be split or do not have to be compromised. Or even at lunch time alone, you could try a combination of humbreger plus dim-sum.

Not only for lunch, unlike the name, SO TIRED is a good place for a break. Chinese dessert and coffee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cafe name: SO TIRED

Address: Shin-Marunouchi building 7th floor, 1-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Just infront of Tokyo station, between the station and the Imperial Palace

Website: http://www.heads-west.com/sotired.html

 

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All Day Breakfast - Eggs'n Things, Harajuku (原宿)

As the signboard shown, Eggs'n Things was opened in Hawaii in 1974. After 36 years, the unit opened in Harajuku, known for young casual fasion boutiques, central Tokyo.

The restaurant's concept is "All Day Breakfast", where people enjoy "breakfast menu" at any time of a day, regardless lunch or dinner time.

I have never been to Hawaii but I like breakfast menu such as eggs, bread, pan cakes. It is known that a lot of people are making a queue line to eat "breakfast" there. Luckly on one afternoon of a weekday, we could get a table within 10 minutes after our arrival. 

The restaurant offers seats on the large terrace space. That must be a good choice when the climature is fine for outside dining. 

What we enjoyed here are....

 

Bacon n' Eggs (scramble) with potatos

To be honest, that is nothing special as breakfast plate often found at international standard hotels. That could make me feel better when I had it in the morning, not on afternoon...That is breakfast.

 

Pancake strawberry, whipped cream and nuts!!

Everyone is surprised by the big mountain of whipped cream.

The cream is not too sweet nor heavy as much as we thought.

The pieces of pancake are very soft and light taste as well.

We completed the plate including the cream finally !!

That was not what we could imagine before we started eating the plate.

That's it, that is what we should order here.

 

I hope I have a chance to come back here for "real" breakfast in future.

 

Restaurant name: Eggs'n Things

Address: 4-30-2 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Official website: http://www.eggsnthingsjapan.com/

 

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HENRY GOOD SEVEN - longe cafe bar in the cosmopolitan town, Marunouchi

    Sitting on a part of the sofa at HENRY GOOD SEVEN, I could forget where or in which city I am. Only chatting among your neigbour Japanese guests (if there luckly) could remind you that you are in a office building, the Shin-Marubiru (Shin-Marunouchi Building), Tokyo. Otherwise it could be as if in New York or London... somewhere in cosmpolitan area. The high-ceilling and windows, music and the international atomosphere are not so often seen in Japan.

Depending on time a day, as longe, cafe or bar, it can be used for different purposes.It is also one of a fews night spots which open after mid-night in the area.

On the evening, the lighting and illumination of skyscrapers in the financial district makes the cosmopolitan atomosphere. Business exectives enjoy refreshment time with a pint after their hard work.

Today I am here on early afternoon to taste "pan cake with sausage".  During the day, with its cozy sofa seats, it must be a good place for reading or having small meeting among 2-3 people.

The pancake is thick but very soft...

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is a cospomolitan oasis in skyscrapers of central Tokyo.

Restaurant name: HENRY GOOD SEVEN

Address: 7th floor, Shin-Marunouchi building (Shin-Maru biru), 1-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo

Website: http://www.heads-west.com/henry.html

 

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