About food in Japan

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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Shoyu (醤油, soy sauce) - at website Shokunin Shoyu (職人醤油)

Shoyu (soy sauce, 醤油　しょうゆ) is surely the most known seasoning of Japan and one of the icons of Japanese food. Since I was young, I have had the ingredients almost everyday in Japan. A bottle of Shoyu is in every dining table across Japan. However we do not know so much about shoyu actually. It may be too close food for us, Japanese.

Luckly I had a chance to learn about it from the master of Shoyu, called Mr. Mantaro Takahashi.

Here is basic information about shoyu or soy sauce.

Major ingredients: Soy beans (mainly made outside of Japan…) wheat and salt

 

How it is produced?

Steamed soy beans are mixed with roasted and crashed wheat. “Tanekouji” (種麹), spores of rice malt (its academic name, Asperigillus oryzae) is added and leads to fermentation.

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The fermented paste is called “Kouji” (麹) and salted water is poured to barrels of Kouji. The thick liquid is called “Moromi” (諸味) which will be left for a while until it is matured.

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When Moromi is matured in a barrel, it becomes very fresh “shoyu”(醤油, soy sauce). But it is not yet the same one with which we can find at glossary stores or supermarkets.

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The fresh shoyu is heated to 80 to 85 C degree as the final process to stop frementation. Then finally shoyu is made up!

 

What types of shoyu?

Shoyu or soy sauce is categorized by difference in production ways or in ingredient content ratio.

These fives are major categories of shoyu  as below...

From left to right, Koikuchi Honjozo / Koikuchi Kongo / Usukuchi / Sai-Shikomi / Tamari

 

<Koikuchi Honjozo / 濃口本醸造>

The word “Koikuchi” (濃口) represents thick flavor. It is the most popular and common type of shoyu. The ratio of soy beans and wheat is 50 %/ 50 %. If you can find a bottle of soy sauce at supermarkets or Japanese restaurants outside of Japan, probably it is this type of shoyu.

 

<Koikuchi Kongo / 濃口混合>

When amino acid is added to shoyu, it is called Koikuchi Kongo shoyu. It can be also categorised as processed soy sauce (しょうゆ加工品). Sweet taste is unique point of Koikuchi Kongo shoyu. It is often used in Kyushu (九州) region and surrounding area. This type of shoyu is well matched with cooked Japanese rice and raw egg.

 

<Usukuchi / 淡口>

The name Usukuchi (bland) shown, the color is lighter because of shorter fermentation period. Instead higher ration of salt water is used in production compared with Koikuchi, thicker taste soy sauce. Hence Usukuchi shoyu is a bit salty and it is the best type of soy sauce to make dressing for salad for example.

 

<Sai-Shikomi / 再仕込み>

If translated in my definition, sai-shikomi means “double-matured”. It is taken double-long period for maturing process. The flavor is thick as Tamari is. Sai-shikomi shoyu is suitable for stew or other cooking way of long time, as the flavor remains even after heating for long minutes. The secret way of enjoy Sai-shikomi shoyu is to put it on top of “ice cream” 

Can you believe that? if no, let's just try it 

<Tamari / 溜 >

Tamari is thicker and more viscous than Koikuchi type. It is produced with lower ratio of salt water and higher ratio (4 times amout of wheat) of soy beans. Inspite of the thick flavor, it is less in salt. The rich flavor of Tamari shoyu is well macthed with meat and lean fish like tuna.

 

More than a half of shoyu consumption is produced at large factories by major shoyu producers, while over a thousand of small shoyu makers are scattered across Japan.

My shoyu teacher Mr. Mantaro Takahashi introduces tens of traditional and hand-made shoyu producers on his website, Shokunin Shoyu (職人醤油, Shoyu Masters). These shoyu selections are based on his professional knowledge and experiences visited Shoyu studios or factories. These hand-made shoyu can be ordered by 100 ml bottle size through the Shokunin Shoyu website. The website is Japanese version only so far. But Mr. Takahashi welcomes order in English and product shipment out from Japan. Please visit the website if you feel like exploring wide selections of soy sauce made in very traditional ways by great masters.

Website: Shokunin Shoyu 職人醤油

http://www.s-shoyu.com

 

In addition, Shokunin Shoyu selection items are available at some department stores and select-shop in Tokyo.

* Mitsukoshi department Nihombashi Main store

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* Seibu department Ikebukuro 6th floor "be my Gift" corner

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*Cibone Aoyama (Aoyama Bell Commons Basement 1st floor) 

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Butaman (豚まん, pork bun) 551 HORAI (551 蓬莱), Osaka

One of my favourite foods in Osaka, the capital of West Japan, is Butaman (豚まん, pork bun) from 551 Horai (551 蓬莱). Pork bun may be a typical Chinese food but the 551 brands along with its speciality; Butaman is an icon of Osaka. The simple and unpretentious food with packed pork filling inside the large size bun (almost a palm size) could represent mentality of Osaka people…dislike snob and put importance on what they really can get.

 

Butaman by 551 Horai costs only Yen160 per piece (sold by 2pieces or more). The hand-made butaman is sold exclusively at Osaka and surrounding area. Apart from some special promotion occasions, it is not available even in Tokyo. So for us based in East Japan, Butaman is an appreciated gift from Osaka.

 

By the way, we wonder why the brand name is called 551 Horai, as it sounds unique. As per the official home page of 551 Horai, over a half century ago, the founder of Chinese food service company Horai (in Chinese, represents Shangli-la) took the idea from his cigarette brand “555”. The brand name with numbers can be easily remembered and recognizable even from foreign people, unlike name in Japanese or Chinese letters. Taken from the last 3 digit of its phone number at that time and from sounds like ko-ko-ichiban (here the number 1, in Japanese), it is named as 551 (go-go-ichi).

The Chinese food service company sells other Chinese dim-sum foods as well.

Let’s find the number 551 in Osaka!

 

551 Horai official website: http://www.551horai.co.jp

The main store and restaurant

Address: 3-6-3 Namba, Chuo-ku, Osaka  (shopping district of Namba)

 

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******************  Find accommodation in Japan  ***************

OSAKA / NARA / SAPPORO / TAKAYAMA / TOKYO/YUFUIN 

YAKUSHIMA / NOZAWA ONSEN / NISEKO / NIKKO /

HIROSHIMA / MATSUMOTO / KYOTO / KANAZAWA / ISHIGAKI ISLAND /

HAKUBA / FURANO / BEPPU /

 

TABLE FOR TWO - Haisai Kitchen Daikanyama (はいさいキッチン 代官山)

TABLE FOR TWO is a program started in Japan and to support children in developing countries through having a meal at a developed country like Japan or US. A part of our payment for a meal, Yen 20 at restaurants accredited by the non-profit organization TABLE FOR TWO will be donated and spent to provide a school meal in Africa. The amount Yen 20 or 25 cents is almost equal to the cost for a school meal in Africa according to TABLE FOR TWO.  In other words beyond geographic location and time, a meal is shared between a person in the developed country and a child in a developing country through the action of TABLE FOR TWO. We can support children with hunger or malnutrition, while we enjoy our food. Great isn't it?

I visited Haisai Kitchen (はいさいキッチン) a restaurant participating in TABLE FOR TWO project. The restaurant is located in the mid of commercial area of Daikanyama, surrounded by the lastest fashion boutiques. "Haisai" is a greeting word in dialect of Okinawa region, meaning "hello, how are you?". Yes the restaurant's speciality is local food from Okinawa but with some of French taste, due to the chef's past professional experiences for 10 years as a French cook in Tokyo.

Okinawa is the most south region of Japan, known for the most beautiful (could be, in the world) sea and unique culture. The food in Okinawa is also different from ones in the mainland of Japan. I hope to have another chance to introduce them a bit more in my blog in future, not so far from now....

At Haisai Kitchen, I ordered plates with typical ingredients from Okinawa. 

 

Shisa salad (not Caesar salad, just in case...)

"Shisa"(シーサー), the name from a pair of "guardian lions" from Okinawa's mythology.

The plate is filled with several local ingredients from the region;

goya (ゴーヤ, bitter gourd)

Umi-budo (海ぶどう sea grapes, a kind of sea plant look like grapes)

SPAM (スパム spiced ham, American food often had in Okinawa, brought to the region by American Force based in the area)

 

Like Caesar Salad, small pieces of bread is placed on the plate.

The baguette bread is house-made and one of them is "in black" made of squid ink!

(A piece on top left side in the photo)

 

Goya champuru~ (ゴーヤチャンプル)

Mixed fried vegetable, the best known Okinawa's speciality

Again goya and SPAM plays main roles on the plate

with scramble egg and fine pieces of katsuobushi (かつお節, 鰹節, dried bonit).

 

  Don't forget trying the local strong distilled liquor, Awamori (泡盛). The restaurant provides a good list of Awamori selection of course as well as French wine.

 

Oh yes, let's share a meal at Haisai Kitchen and bring a school meal to a child in Africa!

 

 

Restaurant name: Haisai Kitchen (はいさいキッチン)

Address: 1st floor Sarugaku, 26-2 Sarugaku, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Nearest station: Daikanyama (代官山)

TABLE FOR TWO Official website : http://www.tablefor2.org/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The keywords-of-the-year 2010 (流行語大賞 2010)

A publishing company announced 10 buzzwords as "The keywords-of-the-year 2010"(流行語大賞 2010) last week. Among these ten frequently used words in Japan for 2010, here I introduce two related to "food".

* "Taberu ra-yu" (食べるラー油, chili oil for eating)

Ra-yu(chili oil) is the one we can find at Chinese restaurants and what we put for dim-sum, the most often gyoza (餃子). Normally what we know is hot oil in orange color, simply liquid form, while "Taberu ra-yu" includes full of small pieces of both chili and garlic tips. (as you can see this photo) The oil brings yummy garlic scent that strongly stimulates our appetite!! Apart from those who hate hot and spicy food, everybody have been nocked out by the garlic scent, I guess. Put the oil on top of steamed rice or tofu, salad. If you would like to have something gorgeous, boild pork must be matched well with "Taberu ra-yu". It is rather "for eating" than "for dipping and seasoning". That is the reason of the naming "Taberu ra-yu".

A major food producer Momoya launched their first product in "Taberu ra-yu" category in mid-2009. It captured Japanese people's mind across ages and regions. Seeing the populatlity, a major spice maker, S&B foods followed its rival and introduced thier version of "Taberu ra-yu" in Spring 2010. The war of "Taberu ra-yu" started at that time. The wider people acknowledged the products the more it became wanted. For a while, as soon as bins of "Taberu ra-yu" were placed, they had been quickly run out from the shelves of supermarkets across Japan. Day by day, the phenomenon caught the attention of other food producers and food service companies of course. Now we can see differnt versions of "Taberu ra-yu" by different producers and dishes arranged with the very popular ingredient at Chinese or Japanese casual restaurants. 

Yes, surely it was so popular and is one of the keywords of the year in 2010.

Below the product by Momoya and its rival by S&B Foods.

* "Jyoshi-kai" (女子会, Girls Party)

The word is new but the concept is never new, I believe as a girl or a lady...

The food service industry newly paid more attention on exclusive gathering among girls or ladies recently. They started organizing and offering course menu or package plan targeting ladies only groups called "Joshi-kai", featuring food ingredients particularly appreciated by ladies; good for beauty or help for controling their weight, good visual presentation and tasty of course.

Ladies prefer to try different plates even by small portion for each and they must be price-sensitive... Some can be attentioned on thoese points.

Restaurants competed for Joshi-kai plan each other.  It is good for femal consumers to have more attractive choices. Such girls party or Joshi-kai may be held among femal colleagues for socializing or networking, otherwise simply among groups with same interests, among good friends, as seen in many of other parts of the world. Surely all are relaxing and fun time for ladies

Should we think about boys plan next year?... Yes, maybe.

I am looking forward to finding "the keywords-of-the-year 2011 a year ahead from now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Makunouchi Bento (幕の内弁当) - at the National Theatre (国立劇場)

Makunouchi Bento (幕の内弁当) is a cateogry of bento (弁当) produced by professional catering services. It is available at many places, convenience stores, supermarkets, department stores and others during lunch and dinner time. No precise difinition of Makunouchi Bento but roughly the bento box is made from two major parts, rice and side dishes. 

The history dates back to hundreds years ago and no one knows where it comes from actually. One story refers where the name Makunouchi Bento came....

Maku (幕) represents curtain of theatres and Makunouchi (幕の内) implies the word "between acts". Makunouchi bento is boxed meal taken by audiences or actors behind the scene during the interval of acts. 

Here this is the "real" Makunouchi Bento at the National Theatre where Kabuki is often played.

The sushi rice balls are enough small to bite them easily. Side dishes are seasonal, all Japanese typical ones, tempura, boild vegetables, egg cake etc.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inside the Kabuki theatare, several kinds of Makunouchi Bento could be available and choosen depending on ones appetite and favourie food. Normally Kabuki plays last for about 3 hours total from mid-day with one or two times break. So before or inbetween the play, Makunouchi Bento or others styles of meal is another joy for Kabuki watching.

Don't forget getting your lunch box there!

 

Website of National Theater of Japan

http://www.ntj.jac.go.jp/english/index.html

 

 

Hitsumabutshi, Wasabiya (櫃まぶし, わさび家) - Shinjuku (新宿)

Hitsumabushi (櫃まぶし、ひつまぶし) is the local specialty of Nagoya and surroundings. It is grilled eel (うなぎ) on top of rice in a wooden box called "Hitsu" (櫃、ひつ). Grilled eel is referred as Kaba-yaki (かば焼, a style of grill with sweet sauce) and it can be often seen in other parts of Japan. 

 What is unique of Hitsumabushi is the way of having it after served. A smaller rice bowl is provided with the wooden container Hitsu and spices on a small plate. It is able to be enjoyed from the bowl by 3 different ways.

 

 

The first serving

Simply just eel and rice mixed.

The sweet sauce enhances the harmony

and it is enough good to complete the dish though...

 

The second serving,

from here it is different from ordinary eel with rice dish...

eel + rice + spice, here wasabi (わさび)

Again the sweet sauce creates a good match with hot fresh wasabi paste.

This is also far enough good to complete.

But we can try another way of enjoying it.

 

The third serving

eel + rice + spice, here wasabi (わさび)

+ hot water (could be Japanese bouillon at some restaurants)

= Ochazuke (お茶漬け) style

When it becomes like nice Japanese risotto, it is really easy to finish all!

 

Wasabiya provides not only typical Hitsumabushi with eel but also other versions of Hitsumabushi such as chiken and sea bream (鯛) instead of eel.

It is known that Hirumabushi was originally created by a Japanese restaurant called Atsuta Horaiken (あつた蓬莱軒), close to Atsuta shrine in Nagoya-city.

 

Related story:

Unagi(うなぎ、鰻） eel - Matsukawa

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2008/07/unagi-eel---mat.html

Ochazuke (お茶漬け) - En (えん)

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2010/02/ochazuke-%E3%81%8A%E8%8C%B6%E6%BC%AC%E3%81%91-en-%E3%81%88%E3%82%93.html

 

 

Restaurant name: Wasabiya

Address: 4th floor, 1-13-3 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku Tokyo

English website: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g658000/lang/en/

 

 

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Restaurant name: Atsuta Horaiken

Address: 503 Goudocho, Atsuta-ku, Nagoya-city, Aichi

Website: http://www.houraiken.com

 

 

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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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Mifune Gochiso Izakaya, Ningyocho (三船 ご馳走居酒屋 人形町)

Toshiro Mifune (1920-1997) is a legendary actor who played all (except for one) Kurosawa films. His career had continued for almost a half century from 1947 and workd for tens of films not only of Japanese but  of international, including "Seven Samurai" (1954 七人の侍) and "Rashomon" (1950 羅生門).

The Izakaya just opened this spring in Ningyocho features the theme of "Mifune". Walls in the Izakaya are decorated with the theme; movie shot photos, wooden plaques of names for which he played in films..

Unexpected find is BGM music there, Beatles!! I am not sure why but he could be a big fun of the most famous Bristish band. At least Japanese businessmen 40's to 50's, a target market of the unit must like the music reminding their youth age. 

The dishes there are casual traditional Japanese food. The concept of the Izakaya, the world of Mifune or Samurai, reflects in the food; rustic, simple but what every ones like, respect on traditions of Japan and  masculine. If you love Japanese films and Japanese food, it is the best place to experience both at the same time in Tokyo.

 

Food that we have today are....

 

Original cocktail "Shichiroji"(七郎次) named after from one of Seven Samurai.

Japanese citrus, shochu and soda.

 

5 kinds of fresh vegetable

with Japanese version "Bagna Cauda"(fish and oil mixed) sauce and Miso-mayonaise sauce.

 

Chicken meat balls in Houbayaki (朴葉焼き, grill　with miso paste on leaf of Hou)

and pork skewered (not typical Izakaya menu Yakitori, chicken skewered)

 

 
Fried chicken black pepper and sesami.

Very crispy and spicy!!

 

A big onigiri (rice ball) and tonjiru (とん汁, miso soup with pork and full of vegetable pieces)

It is a typical homey receipi.

 

 

 

 

 

The sister units also fearure Mifune world but each altered in a bit different taste. Roppongi, the first branch is upscale, one in Shinjuku for meat grilled infront of dinners and the newest one in Kanda for seafood.

Restaurant name: Gochiso Izakaya Mifune, Ningyocho (ご馳走居酒屋　三船　人形町)

Address: 1-18-2 1F Nihombashi Ningyocho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Website: http://www.tokyo-rf.com/restaurants/m02/index.html

 

 

 

 

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Tendon (天丼) - Aoi-marushin (葵丸進), Asakusa (浅草)

Asakusa (浅草) is one of major tourism spots in Tokyo for the icon temple Senso-ji (浅草寺) and Kaminari-mon (雷門). Around the temple, streets and small boutiques selling traditional stuff or sweets  are always filled with tourists whether young students or aged couples from all across Japan and the world. Surely it is one of the most popular places for tourists in Japan.

Tendon (天丼) is known as a specialty of Asakusa for people visited the old town. Tendon is abberebiation of Tenpula donburi (天ぷら　どんぶり), as the name shown it is Tempula with rice in a bowl. What kinds of ingredients served depend on the restaurants. The typical foods for tendon are prawn, fish, vegetables. Normal tendon is mix of several ingredients cooked in "tempula style".

Aoi-Marushi (葵丸進) tempula restaurant opened in 1946 just after the war in Asakusa. Now it stills exist as a 5 floor-height building of tempula restaurant. With the ample space, the casual restaurant is able to serve to any kind of diners from a tourist person to large groups including school students trips.

It offers 6 different tendon menus which can be selected by main ingredient or by volume even the smallest one for kids.

 

This is the most expensive tendon there "Tokujo (特上 the extra quality) tendon".

The tempula pieces are so big and many to be over the bowl

The tempula coating is crispy.

The sauce is a bit sweet.

Ingredients include 2 prawns, 2 pieces of fish and vegetables.

The volume is of course much enough for lunch.

It was hard to take dessert after the tendon.

 

Don't miss the specialty of Asakusa, the town with Japanese long tradition and culture is not only about Senso-ji and Kaminari-mon.

 

Restaurant name: Aoi - Marushin(葵丸進)

Website: http://www.aoi-marushin.co.jp

 

Here another well-known tempula restaurants in Asakusa. You could find a long queue in front of these restaurants during lunch time. Not to miss the specialty it is better to visit there just after its opeing time.

Sansada (三定) - just next to Kaminari-mon

http://www.tempura-sansada.co.jp/

 

Daikokuya (大黒屋) - known for the prawn(long!) tendon menu

http://www.tempura.co.jp/

 

Nakasei (中清) - upscale and more expensive one in the traditional style building

http://nakasei.biz