About food in Japan

Mos burger - モスバーガー

Mos burger is a casual hamburger restaurant chain in Japan.

I wonder if we should call it  "fast food".  Like the global giant, McDonald's, we can find typical menu such as hamburger, fried potato there.  However speed of preparing food is not their priority. The chain is proud of making a hamburger by hand after a client orders it.

Price is not its sales point but quality and safety of ingredients are. At some units, you are able to find name and place of farmers on a black boad in front of the restaurant. These on the listed are who raise lettuce and other fresh vegetable for the Mos burger unit.

You could have to wait for your order for longer time and maybe have to pay a little bit more at Mos burger than at other firstfood restaurants. Instead you will surely get a fresh and tasty hamburger.

A three days ago, the "slow food?" restaurant chain celebrated its 37th birthday.
The first unit opened in a residential area of Tokyo in 1972 and the company added 100 units within 7 years from the first one opening.

Now there are over 1000 Mos burgur shop across Japan and 100 more in Asian countries/area such as Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong.

Its first and still the most famous product is "Mos burger"(Yen320). Meat sauce(like Bolognaise sauce) and chopped onion between a slice of tomato and hamburger are unique points.

My impression was "It is fantastic" when I had it for the first time and I was a high shcool student. I do not know how many times I ordered the product since that time...

Mos barger is also known as the first restaurant which offered "Teriyaki burger" and "rice burger". Both are now often found at other restaurants and even on shelfs at convenience shops or supermarkets in Japan.

A point to be kept in mind is another uniqueness of the chain.
It rarely opens the restaurants in a prime location, for example area around major train stations such as Shibuya, Shinjuku or Ginza. It rather exists in residential area or a place a bit far from a train station. Don't miss a sign of another "M" logo in red!

Restaurant name: Mos burger
Website: http://www.mos.co.jp

 


   

Yoshoku (洋食) - Kurofune-tei(黒船亭)

The word, Yoshoku(洋食) originally means "Western-style" dishes. Traditionally we refer dishes introduced by Western countries collectively as Yoshoku.
Now "Yoshoku" is independently a group of dishes whose origins are from Western countries but have been developed in Japan after that. They are not French, Italian nor American any more, even though some of them are still similar. They are different from traditional Japanese menu but could be considered as "Japanese" from the eyes of non-Japanese people.

Kurofune-tei(黒船亭), located just a stone throw from the Ueno Park, provides typical Yoshoku dishes for decades. The speciality is "Hayashi-rice"(ハヤシライス) and the sweet stew made of demiglace sauce is served in a heated earthen pot, after it is cooked for ten days by the restaurant chef who has a half century career in Yoshoku cooking.　

Another dish recommendable is crab croquette. This one is made of real crab...

Other dises available at Kurofune-tei are omerice, beef stew, humburg steak, cabbage rolls. All are regarded as Yoshoku. 

Related story  - Omerice(オムライス)

Kurofune-tei offers a half portion size for some of their menu at a half price.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono are also on its guest book.

Restaurant name: Kurofune-tei (黒船亭)
Address: 2-13-13 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Website: http://www.kurofunetei.co.jp

Teppan-yaki (鉄板焼き) - Teppanya

Teppan-yaki(鉄板焼き) literally means "roast on a hot iron plate" and is often used as a category of Japanese menu, a group of dishes roasted on a hot plate.

Surprisingly Teppan-yaki became famous in New York for the first time then it has been back to the origin country. Normally at a teppan-yaki restaurant, fresh foods such as beef, seafoods, vegetables, are cooked on a big iron plate by chef just in front of diners' counter table, not in kitchen. The cooking is like entertainment show there. Everyone must be reveted by the chef's hands moving around quickly and food cooked on the plate. The "aroma" come from food roasted strongly hits diners' appetite. Of course the food cooked on a plate is served in a few seconds to the diners, no time-loss of cooling.

A teppan-yaki restaurant "Teppanya" is located in Kagurazaka, where still we can see some histric buildings and restaurants, Ryotei are scattered on  slop ground in very central location of Tokyo. The restaurant building is also renovated from an old house.

There you will be able to enjoy typical Teppan-yaki foods at resonable cost. Do not forget requesting setas aside "the teppan-yaki counter" upon reservation.

The teppan-yaki course maybe the easiest choice and it includes...
Sazae(snail shell)

 

The most typical and the best one is diced pieces of Japanese beef...

Okonomi-yaki (Japanese pancake)

*Related story - Okonomiyaki（お好焼き）

Restaurant name: Teppanya
Address: 3-1-4 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0825
Website: http://www.teppanya.jp

Soba (そば、蕎麦、Japanese buckwheat noodle)

It must be the 31st of December when the biggest number of Soba bowls is consumed in Japan. It has been a long tradition in Japan since Edo period to have a bowl of Soba at the end of a year, hoping our healthy long life, like the noodle shape.
Even apart from the wishes at the end of year, soba is a popular menu among us as healthy meal through the year.

Yabusoba in Kanda is one of the best known Soba restaurant in Tokyo with over a hundred year history from 1880. On the 31st of December, a long que of people for having the tradition would not be ended during the restaurant's opening hours.

The fine old building and the garden must be also another attraction along with the simple but  high quality noodle.

The most popular and typical menu is a combination of Seiro soba(soba on square shape steamer plate) and Tentane(pan fried dumbling with shrimps).

Restaurant name: Yabusoba
Address: 2-10 Kanda Awaji-cho, Chiyoda-ku,
Website: http://www.yabusoba.net

 

*********** UPDATE 22 February 2013 *********

On 19th Feb 2013, fire was broken out from Yabusoba restaurant and almost a third of the building was burned. Obviously the restaurant is close now and no information for re-opening is published so far.

We wish the historical restaurant restored and back to operation near future!!

 

Link for news about the fire "130-year-old noodle restaurant in Tokyo catches fire"

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130220p2a00m0na011000c.html

 

Alternative restaurant, traditional soba noodle shop near Yabusoba

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2011/12/soba-noodle-at-kanda-matsuya.html

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Okonomiyaki(お好み焼き) －Chibo(千房)

Okonomiyaki(お好み焼き) is pancake Japanese style. It is main dish or side dish of lunch or dinner rather than sweet or breakfast. The typical one includes pork or seafood, sliced cabbages and other vegetables as well as paste made of flour and water. Special sauce, mayonnaise and laver cut into pieces are on top of the cake.

It is local speciality of Osaka and Hiroshima, both major cities in West of Japan. In each city, it is arranged into its local style. In general, the Hiroshima style includes noodles in the cake. Everywhere each restaurant has its own recipe and offers different versions of Okonomiyaki, by different ingredients. The name literally means "fried as you like". Some casual Okonomiyaki restaurants provide a bowl of ordered ingredients to dinners and they are required to cook it on a hot plate by themseleves. It is another entertainment of Okonomiyaki eating. Fry and mix vegetables, pork as you like and put sauce, mayonnaise as much as you like... It is surely your original taste and must be delicious even though it looks like anything.

Chibo is an Okonomiyaki restaurant chain originated from Osaka. The unit located on the 38th floor of Ebisu Garden Place provides typical Osaka style Okonomiyaki with a scenic view of Tokyo. Today I found even Mt. Fuji over the window, while I was tasting the delicacy from West.

Restaurant name: Chibo Ebisu Garden Place
Address: 38th floor, Ebisu Garden Place Tower, 4-20-3 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Website: http://www.chibo.com

Tsukemono(漬物, Japanese pickles)

Japanese pickles is called "Tsukemono(つけもの、漬物)". In the old days, it was a way to keep vegetables available during winter, when no any other way of storage such as fridge, freezer exists.

Across Japan, various kinds of vegetables, whether it is leaf or radish, can be found as tsukemono. In many cases, they are pickled with salt, vineger or soya sauce. Some of them are considered as one of the local specialieis. Eveywhere, they are a good match with a bowl of rice as well as a cup of sake.

Kintame is a traditional tsukemono house originated from Kyoto.
We can taste the traditional specialities at the casual restaurant located in a major department store, very close to Tokyo station.

I ordered a special menu which includes seven kinds of tsukemono and other house made products. With a plenty of rice, we can try these preservative food. It is really healthy meal with variety in vegetables and low calorie.

Restaurant name: Kintame
Website: http://www.kintame.co.jp/
Location: 12th floor of Daimaru department store, Tokyo (just in front of Tokyo station)

Izakaya Top10 by British newspaper

Izakaya is a category of the food service industry in Japan.

It is a type of restaruant but in between a restaurant and a bar.
It is a place where we can enjoy eating and drinking at the same time.
Izakaya has casual atmosphere like "pub" in England but it has not only wide selections of alcohol drinks but also variety in food. 

It is where ordinary people  are likely to go with their colleagues  after  a long day of work to  chill out. Welcome or farewell party for peers in office are likely to held in Izakaya.
Another occasion at Izakaya is relaxing time with an intimate partner.

It is everywhere in Japan, particulaly in live downtown area. It is not hard to find one around a terminal station.
There are some chains of Izakaya, while some independent Izakayas try to differenciate themselves from the biggers by offering innovative original dishes.
The reasonable ones charges around YEN2000 per person. On the other hand, others could charge four to five times as much  in turn of high quality food, nice presentation of dishes, rare cups of Sake and their attentive services.

A writer of a newspaper in UK picked up his Top 10 Izakaya in Tokyo.
The list called attention of Japanese people in the food service industry and it is regarded as a discerning choice and good observation by local specialists.

Here are full list of Top 10.
Just to remind you, I have never visited either. I hope that I can go to some of them and report the experience on this blog...

1. Teyandei (てやん亭） in Nishiazabu - Horse meat is one of its speciality.
http://www.teyandei.com (site Japanese only)

2. Buri in Ebisu - The most casual style! "cup SAKE at standing bar"
http://www.takewaka.co.jp/buri/   (site Japanese only)

3. Aburiya Fu-do(炙家　風土） in Aoyama - Selected fresh ingredients are carefully roasted
http://www.wid.co.jp/tenpo/fudo-aoyama/

4. Bistrot 35 steps（三十五段屋） in Shibuya - To be in the bustle space, has to down 34 steps from ground then go one step up.

No official website found.

5. Yui-an （結庵） in Shinjuku - Enjoy breathtaking night illumination  from the 52th floor
http://r.gnavi.co.jp/fl/en/g002213/

6. Ikkon (いっこん） in Akasaka - Traditional Japanese in modern Japanese interior

http://r.gnavi.co.jp/fl/en/g079202/

7. Tsuki no shizuku(月の雫）  in  Ginza - Tofu is its speciality, a major chain Izakaya
http://www.tsukino-shizuku.com/tsuki_shop02.html  (site Japanese only)

8. Seigetsu (霽月) in Kagurazaka - Typical cozy Izakaya in warm folk wooden decoration
http://www.teshigotoya.net/seigetsu/index.html

9. Gonpachi (権八） in Nishi-Asabu - Well-known for casual dinner for which President Clinton was invited by Mr. Koizumi, Japanese Prime Minister at that time
http://www.gonpachi.jp/en/nishi_azabu/home/location

10. Galali (がらり） in Omotesando - Modern Izakaya in former folk dwelling
http://www.gala-e.com/galali.html

The original article : http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2008/feb/26/tokyo.food

Chanko-nabe (Sumo wrestler's pot)

"Nabe (one-pot dish)" is a typical home food of winter in Japan and is often shared with family or good friends. It is normally cooked in front of guests or dinners.

There are many variations in Nabe by ingredient and soup put in.
"Chanko-nabe" is one of them and is known as one cooked for Sumo wrestlers.
It means that "Chanko-nabe" has the heaviest in term of volume and ingredients in all kinds of nabe dishes.

What we found in the pot, Chanko-nabe...

Japanese leeks, mushrooms, Chinese cabbage, deep-fried tofu, chiken, fish, shrimps, slice of bacon(which is rare to find in nabe), tofu, udon noodle

At Chanko-nabe restaurants, we can also taste other dishes probably popular among sumo wrestlers.

Left: Beef tataki(raw meat with spicy sauce)   

Centre: Salada with fried leek

Right: Fried shrimps

      

 

 

Restaurant name: Shibamatsu (芝松）

Address: 1-11-16 Midorigaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
Website:  http://www.shibamatsu.com
Located in quiete residential area. Just 1minute walk from Midorigaoka station on Tokyu Oimachi Line.