About food in Japan

Real Sushi, real Japanese restaurant, Tsukizi (築地), Paris

As mentioned on our first post of this series about Japanese related restaurants in Paris, now we can find a Japanese restaurant every 10 meters on a street in Paris. The chance of encounter may be higher than even in Japan. But not all of them in France are truely associated with Japanese. In addition to three restaurants, Aki, Nanashi and Toyo, already introduced on our monthly seriese of May 2013, Japanese related restaurants in Paris, at the last of the seriese, here we bring up a Sushi restaurant where we can feel real taste of Japan.

Tsukizi (築地), a Sushi restaurant based in Paris for over 30 years, is located in 6th district. The real Japanese restaurant is just off from Boulevard St. Germain on left bank which is known as an area filled with stylish and fasionable boutiques, cafe and bars.   

The street, rue des Ciseaux where Tsukizi stands, is calm, although stretched to two major main streets in the area, Boulevard St. Germain and Rue de Rennes.

Please do not miss the sign and entrance of the restaurant. As we told, every 10 meters or less, you will find a Japanese restaurant. Please make sure the restaurant name "Tsukizi". It is right place you go.

After poping in, we found a counter table with two Jaapnese Sushi masters as well as flat showcase filled with pieces of raw fish!!!

Yes, this is exactly same with what we can find typical traditional Sushi restaurants in Japan.  

 

 

Taking a seat close to some Japanese guests,

now our mind was in Japan, not in France any more. 

For lunch, reasonable set menu with a sushi plate is offered at less than euro 20 or for dinner Izakaya style small dishes as well as sashimi may be good as starter with a glass of sake before feast of Sushi. Due to the long presence over decades in Paris, the chef and staff know well taste of locals. Please do not hesitate to ask them if you need recomendation or have a question about sushi and other food provided at Tsukizi. They will be pleased to help you.

A glass of Umeshi (Japanese plum wine) along with amuse bouche or tsukidashi in Japanese was a good start of the real Japanese dinner.

It was nice to look at two Sushi chef preparing tens of Sushi pieces, while waiting for our plates.

 

On Sunday evening, from the start of the restaurant's dinner serving time 19h00, both local French and Japanese guests have visited there one after another. The restaurant tables became almost full before 20h00. We saw how much the real Japanese restaurant is popular here in Paris. We recognized some repeating guests who chatted with the chef and ordered their favourite plates without checking the menu.  

 

My SUSHI plate arrived !!

Again remind you, this is in Paris, not Japan.

No only the look, the taste is also surely

the work by Japanese chef with high quality seafood.

 

 What an amazing experience is in Paris...

 

Restaurant name: Tsukizi (築地)

Address: 2bis Rue des Ciseaux, 75006 Paris

View Larger Map

TOYO, restaurant by a Japanese chef - Paris

Chopsticks placed with a pair of fork and knife. As this cutlery setting, we are not sure if we should consider TOYO as a Japanese restaurant or French.

Local French people may believe that it is a Japanese restaurant elaborated in French style, while for Japanese, TOYO's cuisine is perceived as French with some Japanese taste because of the chef's home country.

It is fusion of French and Japanese or Paris and Tokyo styles.

The unique flavor is strongly associated with the chef, Toyomitsu Nakayama's professional career. 

He started his career from a French restaurant in Kobe, where it is known for high quality beef. after he worked for some years in France, he was hired by ISE, one of the best Japanese restaurants in Paris and challenged a way of Japanese cuisine that is different from French.

Before the chef opened TOYO as the owner-chef in 2009, he had worked for the most famous Japanese fasion designer, Mr. Kenzo Takada as the designer's private cook.

Now we understand it is no sense to think over the restaurant to be French or Japanese.

Let's see what are provided at TOYO. We visited the restaurant for lunch on mid-April.

 

Amuse Bouche - Bouillon soup with sea shells

　

The soup was served on the table

and includes Japanese taste, Umami.

 

My starter dish - squid, white asparagus

topped with Karasumi (dried mullet eggs, local specialty of Kyushu region)

Full of spring season.

Karasumi is rare to be found out of Japan!

 

Main dish for me - beef filet anchovy sauce

 
Thin sliced pieces of cauliflower are on top of beef.

The beef meat was finely cooked for "a point" or medium. 

 

Main dish for a friend - Curry rice with gamba in TOYO style 

It is close to a typical Japanese style curry rice

but the presentation is much more beautiful.

 

For dessert, all ladies ordered a same plate.

 

Green tea tiramis!!!

Again the presentation is fantastic!

 

We noticed some of ingredients especially fish and seafood as well as ways of cooking are in Japanese style at TOYO but plates beautifully presented look like French cuisine.

 

Whatever each of guest consider TOYO as either Japanese or French restaurant, it is a sophisticated choice and we will be able to enjoy plates for the taste and visual look.

 

Restaurant name: TOYO

Address: 17 rue Jules Chaplain, 75006 PARIS FRANCE

 

View Larger Map

Bento arranged in Paris style, Nanashi - Paris

We noticed that "Bento"(弁当, Japanese traditional box meal or lunch box) is a boom in France. So we tried a cafe called Nanashi "Bento Parisian" for lunch located on the 3rd district, north of Marais. 
The cafe is produced by a Japanese lady who had been working as a cook at the bio-cafe, Rose Bakery widely known by foodies.

Let's see what Bento Paririan is like?

Nanashi is located in North Marais area where a Japanese tourist can rarely be found. 

At the counter just after the entrance, it provides take-away service. Yes, surely Bento can be taken away as we do in Japan. Several people may be waiting for picking up his/her Bento during lunch time.

A side of wall is foot-to-ceiling height window bringing sunlight into the cafe tables    .

We can also find some staff including a few of Japanese female baking or cooking at the cafe's kitchen space, which is easily visible from the corridor. We have made sure that the cafe has Japanese taste at least on the making process.

The space stretches away into the back with a plenty of tables. As we could imagine, while walking the district, almost all guests are local French maybe walking or living in the area. It's not a place filled with Japanese seeking for home food.

On another side of wall, a large black board for menu is hang on.

The bright, modern and casual atmosphere is relaxing and must be good even if you are not interested in Japanese food.

 

Well on the menu, we could find familier Japanese words or food names in alphabetical letters; Chirashi (cooked rice, a kind of sushi), miso soup, edamame (boild green soy beans in its shell), beef bowl etc. But what we want to try here is, of course,...

 

Bento!!! Nanashi style

 Bento offered from chocices of meat/fish/vegetarian

accompanied with bio green salad.

The main menu changes on daily base.

My choice meat, today's menu is

pork roast with wild several kind of rice and cereal.

No Japanese taste is sensed for me but it is healty and tasty.

 

 

If you prefer to have more Japanese flavor, roasted sesami and bio soy sauce are available on your table.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cafe name: Nanashi

Address: 57 Rue Charlot, 75003 Paris

Official website: http://nanashi.fr/

View Larger Map

Aki (Okonomiyaki), Opera, Paris

Last month, we had been in Paris, the capital of France for a week and tried some restaurants there. As monthly feature of May 2013, we will introduce Japanese related restaurants in Paris, which are truely recommendable for Japanese food lovers.

We found many Japanese restaurants in Paris every around the corner. Even if we say a Japanese restaurant can be found every 10 meters distance on streets, it won't be too exaggerated. Last time we visited Paris 5 years ago and the number of Japanese restaurants in Paris has surprisingly been increased for last several years.

But from our view, it is not so many cases that we found a restaurant providing "authentic" Japanese food there. So we would like to list up recommendations of Japanese restaurants in Paris based on our tasting and research.

The first one, Aki, is Okonomiyaki restaurant located on Rue Sainte Anne, Opera district central Paris. The Sainte Anne street is known among locals (including Japanese based in the city) as the area where a lot of Japanese restaurants and shops gather. Some of them run their business over decades there. We have the most chance to have real Japanese food in the area. Aki is one of them. 

When we arrived at the restaurant a bit later than 14h on weekend afternoon, the Okomoniyaki restaurant was still almost full and we had to wait until a waiter cleared a table for us. Sometimes we had to make a queue to have lunch or dinner there. It is quite popular restaurant.

For those who don't know what is Okomiyaki, we place a link to our older post explaining the dish.

Okonomiyaki(お好み焼き)　－Chibo(千房)

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2008/11/okonomiyakichib.html

 

In short, it is salty pancake made with flour, shreded cabbage and main ingredient pork or shrimps etc. The casual plate is a local specialty of Osaka (大阪), the second largest city of Japan. 

On the basement floor of Aki, over a counter table, we can find the restaurant's chef cooking Okonomiyaki or Yakisoba (Japanese fried noodle) another popular menu there. 

 

This is it, Okonomiyaki Pork!! served by an iron plate.

When we just see this picture, we never imagine it is taken in Paris.

Pieces of Katsuobushi (dried bonite) topped on the pancake

are waved by steam from the heated plate.

 

Not only the look, the taste is also authentic Japanese. For Japanese living in Paris, the plate must be something cannot be missed and must remind them the home country, Japan.

We are also impressed with this green tea.

Guess it is made at the restaurant,

not ready-made canned or bottled drink.

It is also very good that the prices at Aki are quite reasonable a bit over euro10 for lunch and also dinner almost similar. 

 If you would, the restaurant also provides other casual but real Japanese food such as Japanese style curry, katsudon (deep fried pork with rice) and small Izakaya style dishes well matched with a glass of beer. 

We also have to mention that just in front of the Okonomiyaki restaurant, the same owner runs a bakery where we can also find bread in Japanese flavor. Drop by it and get a few pieces for snack or breakfast next morning.

If you have a chance to visit Paris but not Japan, try the Okonomiyaki plate to feel a piece of Japan. Just be ready to go the restaurant out of peak time or to make a queue.

 

Restaurant name: Aki 

Address: 11 bis, rue Sainte Anne, 75001 PARIS FRANCE

 

 

View Larger Map

Azabu Sabo(麻布茶房), assured Japanese sweets cafe

At the end of our featuring Japanese sweets cafe, we would like to propose a tea salon chain having several units in central Tokyo.

Azabu Sabo (麻布茶房) offers various choices of Japanese traditional sweets in their modern but elegantly decorated room at tens of locations across Japan. Many of the chain units are spacious as tea salon where Japanese traditional sweets are mainly provided. Tables are also large enough even for their lunch set menu.

 

Some units have chandelier like the one at Osaki Gate City

also with some Japanese traditional arts such as caligraphy, porcelin.

    

 

A showcase with food sample and menu with plenty of food photos

will also make you feel more comfortable to choose what you want.

 

 

Azabu Sabo offers amazingly wide choice and variation. All are with Japanese traditional ingredients such as matcha (抹茶, green tea), shiratama (白玉, white dumpling), an (餡, sweet beans paste), and tokoroten (ところてん, seaweed jelly) and further more with different types of combination. They always make us be in a trouble to select just one or two if you would, because of the attractive options. 

 

For example,

warabi-mochi (わらびもち, soft cake made from a kind of potato) plate,

simply put kinako (きな粉, soybean flour) around it.

Syrup will be added on top of cake later.

   

 

As arranged version with warabi-mochi,

warabi-mochi anmitsu (わらびもちあんみつ), or potato soft cake

topped on sweet beans paste, kanten jelly and some fruits.

  
So many kinds of Japanese traditional flavour!

 

Azabu Sabo has its units in major area of Tokyo such as Hibiya (日比谷, between Shimbashi and Ginza), Shinagawa (品川), Shibuya (渋谷). The tea salon also provides intersting lunch menu such as ju (重, in square lunch box) of pork teriyaki topped on rice and udon noodle with chicken etc.

We hope you can find one of Azabu Sabo units near your accommodation or on the way to your activities.

 

Cafe name: Azabu Sabo (麻布茶房)

Official site: http://www.amaya-company.co.jp

Major unit locations:

Hibiya Chanter

Address: B2 floor, 1-2-2 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

View Larger Map

 

Shibuya Tokyu Plaza

Address: 9th floor, Tokyu Plaza, 1-2-2 Dogenzaka, Shibuya, Tokyo

View Larger Map

 

Wing Takanawa (Shinagawa)

Address: 2nd floor, Wing Takanawa, 4-10-18 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo

View Larger Map

 

Osaki Gate City

Address: 1st floor West Tower, 1-11-1 Osaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo

 

View Larger Map

Kammi Okame(甘味おかめ), Old folk house in the latest commercial complex

Kammi Okame (甘味おかめ) is a cozy cafe close to JR Yurakucho station which will be a gateway to Ginza, Imperial Palace or Tokyo International Forum. The cafe has run its business over 60 years in the area. The unit is decorated by Japanese traditional folk arts, where many of local feel as if he/she stays in grandmum's house.

 

If we read a page of the menu book, Okame introduces its charming folk decorations and fixture.

 

It says ...

The interior consists of main beams brought from a house built over 200 years ago in Tochigi prefecture. And with other selected materials, the construction work is in a tradional way to build a folk house.

Funiture here are all handmade with signature of each craftman worked and based in Matsumoto, Nagano prefecture.

Cutting paper arts decorated on the wall are works by Mr. Serizawa, a Libing National Tresure. Table wares, spoons and glass bowls are also carefylly selected items. 

 

  

It means Kammi Okame created the space, gathering the higest technique of Japanese traditional craftworks across Japan. It will be great that we are able to be in the world as long as we spend less than Yen1000 for a sweet plate or drink.

 

Of course sweet plates offered by Kammi Okame are also very attractive. They are in traditional style and perfectly matched with its charming interior decoration.

It provides several variations of Anmitsu and other "parfait" style dessert plates. Among them,

what we chose is "Soft Fuji" (ソフト富士)

Soft cream of Matcha (green tea) flavor is

heaped up high like Mt. Fuji with dumpling on foot.

 

By the way, the space where we are enjoying the grand-mum-house like atmosphere is accommodated in one of the latest shopping complex, ITOCIA nowaday. The tradtional style cafe is re-stored in the completely new place but with folk style inside.

When we get out from the cafe, we have been moved back to the world of modern days in bustling location of Yurakucho and encounter hundreds of people walking around for shopping or business.

Wow, we are reminded that it is a precious moment to be at Kammi Okame for a while enjoying the traditional folk works and Japanese sweets.

Will come back again soon!

 

Cafe Name: Kammi Okame (甘味おかめ)

Address: ITOCIA Plaza 1st floor, 2-7-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

View Larger Map

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

Draw Mickey Mouse with FURIKAKE(ふりかけ, rice seasoning)

Following the last two posts featuring food related topics at Tokyo Disneyland, first about Restaurant Hokusai  and the second post, souvenir of Japan available at Tokyo Disneyland, this post features an interesting product we found at Tokyo Disneyland.

It is FURIKAKE (ふりかけ), as you may know from our previous post, it is seasoning specialized in Japanese style cooked rice.

This Furikake will be the best to place on rice in your lunch box. It will be fun to prepare and to show it to your friends.

 

Well, the package is like this.

We found at a souvenir shop in Tokyo Disneyland.

 

 

Normally Furikake is sold solely with single or assorted flavors

but this package is not so simple.

Sticks in three different colors of furikake powder and

Mickey face template sheets included.

 

 

Let's make a cute lunch box now.

 

Following the instruction,

a template is placed on a lunch box with cooked rice

 and put the yellow (egg flavor) furikake within the space of template.

 

 

As the second step, with the second template sheet  

two other colors are added one for head, ears, eyes and nose of Mickey Mouse

the one in pink is used only for his smiling mouth.

 

 

 

Then remove the sheet and find Mickey face you drew!!

Blurred !?!?

Never mind!! A pack includes three sets of Mickey Mouse drawing.

So you can try three times and will do it better next time!

The product introduced above, Mickey Mouse furikake, is available at souvenir shops at Tokyo Disneyland.

 

Related post: Furikake (ふりかけ), to make your rice more tasty!

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2012/06/furikake-to-make-your-rice-more-tasty.html

Souvenir of Japan found at Tokyo Disneyland

Following our last post introducing a nice Japanese restaurant at Tokyo Disneyland, today we show you some products for souvenir of Japan that can be found at Tokyo Disneyland.

The American theme-park offers some cute and unique products exclusively available at Tokyo Disney Resort including two most popular leisure parks in Japan, "Tokyo Disneyland" and "Tokyo Disney Sea".

 

Firstly don't miss a chance to drop by a shop called Chiba Tradings Arts and Crafts at Tokyo Disneyland.

It is located in Adventureland not far from Jungle Cruise attraction, selling Japan and Chiba prefecture(where the park is situated)'s traditional craft products.

 

 

 

Rice bowl and other pottery wares by local producers WITH Mickey pattern.

 

If you are interested in...

a few of real arts and crafts are available.

They are decoration for traditional festivals. 

 

Even at other souvenir shops scattered across the park, you will find some clues of Japan, not only products with Disney characters. Here are some examples of food and food related products we found. 

 

Chop sticks

 

 

Instant Ramen, the small size ramen can be made in your soup cup

 

Rice crackers in Mickey shape

 

 

Kaki-no-tane (柿の種, traditional spicy rice crackers)

coated with berry or white chocolate

Outer it is sweet but inside it's hot!

The faintly spicy snack is in the cute pink package!! 

 

AND...

This is not strongly associated with Japan though,

one of the most popular souvenir among locals.

Chocolate crunch!! (cookie crashed and coated with chocolate)

 

We selected strawberry flavor this time.

 

More and more souvenir of Japan can be found at Tokyo Disney Resort. Not only enjoy riding Big Thunder Mountain roller coaster and watching Disney character shows, also visit some shops in the parks sometimes and find your favourite Mickey & Japan stuff!

 

On our next post, we will also focus on one of unique Japanese food products got at Tokyo Disneyland!!

 

Tokyo Disneyland official site: 

 http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/en/index.html

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

food 

 

chiba trading