About food in Japan

Sanchoku Inshokugai, Yurakucho (産直飲食街 有楽町)

In Japan, we can often see very casual local restaurants on "underpass" of railways. Such places are called "gado shita (ガード下)" in Japanese, which means "beneath girder". "Gado shita" around Yurakucho station along the railway of JR Yamanote line is one of the most typical and popular ones. 

Local restaurants of "gado shita" are likely to be so casual to welcome you by simple tables on four metal pipe legs and/or yellow plastic square box used for deliverling beer bottles but hear for accommodating you as a chair. Tables and chairs are placed close each other. It is a lively place where working class middle or aging men are repeatedly gathering everynight after their hard work. That is a typical type of gado shita restaurants. As you can imagine, it is rarely appreciated by ladies. For last a few years, such images of gado shita restaurants have been diminished by several newly developped streets in central Tokyo. That keeps live atmosphere of "gado shita" as well as clean and open-minded hospitality.   

 

Yurakucho Sanchoku Inshokugai (有楽町　産直飲食街), opened on November 2010, is one of these new types of gado shita restaurants. 

Just a five-minute walk from JR Yurakucho station. Its exterior decorated with naked light bubles and retro style signboards remind us a good old days in 60's or 70's.

 

By the way, "sanchoku" is abbreviation of "sanchi chokuso" (産地直送) that means "sent directly from produced area" and at the same time it implies "fresh foods". Inshokugai (飲食街) is equals to "eat and drink street".  So "Sanchoku Inshokugai" (産直飲食街) sounds tasty, isn't it?

As the name shown, food and drink served at Sanchoku Inshokugai are directly from four food production regions in Japan. The restaurant is devided into four area of food stands,each introducing one of regions; Shizuoka (静岡) for seafood, Kumamoto (熊本) for horse meat, Iwate (岩手) for pork, Nagano (長野) for chicken dishes. 

All these area are known for rich nature montains, fishing ground or good soil as well as their local specialty foods, "kyodo ryori" (郷土料理).

We visited the last part of the gado shita restaurant, Shinshu Shinkei (信州神鶏), where chicken plates from Nagano are provided. It was a bit early time so was not crowded at the beginning. It is cozy and warm place surrounded by wooden furniture, floor and walls. Some flyers and bus time table(imitation copy) on the walls make the place as if it were situated in countryside of Nagano, rather than very central of Tokyo. We felt that we were in a scene of a film in 70's...

 

What we ordered are...

"Fresh chicken" sashimi (刺身) plate

Yes, they are NOT fish but fresh chicken meat.

It is rare to be found in Tokyo...

The taste is bland never be strong.

 

Left: Tsukune (つくね, minched meat balls) with egg yolk, the best dish I had here.

Right: Chicken wing sticks and "shitake" mushrooms

 

 
Left: fresh vegetable plate at "sanchoku" restaurant is must-have item.

Right: fruites liquor are also made in Nagano, apple and yuzu citrus.

 

 

It is an good opportunity to discover fresh food and local specialties of different regions and to be relaxed in an atmosphere of a good-old-day in Japan.

 

Restaurant name: Yurakucho Sanchoku Inshokudai (有楽町 産直飲食街)

                            Shinshu Shinkei (信州神鶏)

Address: 2-1-11 International Arcade, Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

 

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French - Brasserie Paul Bocuse Daimaru Tokyo (大丸東京)

Mr. Paul Bocuse is one of the legends in French cuisine. His restaurant in Lyon, France, has been awarded as 3 stars for decades by Michelin guide book. Hoping that his French cooking is expanded to the world, the master of French cuisine also produces French brasserie style restaurants which serve at reasonable prices in casual atmosphere.

Brasserie Paul Bocuse at Daimaru Tokyo (大丸東京) is one of the units by the master French chef. As its named, the restaurant is located in Daimaru Department store, just off from JR Tokyo station. Why not to try the authentic French menu before or after your excursion to Kyoto, Kansai or Tohoku. It is less than 10 minutes to get out from crowds in the railway station and to go up to the 12th floor of the major department store adjucent to JR Tokyo Yaesu exit. 

  My case, it wa an event of wine tasting with special menu though. The weekday lunch course starts from Yen1200 and dinner course from Yen3500 to enjoy fine sesonal French cuisine. What's a resonable fare considering the quality of food and central location. It will be a good opportunity to pop in for lunch and to take a peaceful break during shopping at Daimaru Tokyo Department store. 

I recognized that taste of baguette (French bread) served there reminds me ones in France. I found the reason when I asked to a waiter. The bread is "made in France" and brought to Japan. Then the baguette is baked after arrived. Amaging logistic and technology...

 

For the French made bread, the restaurant offers butter by "Echire" which is known for the highest quality and is rare to find in Japan.

 

 

 
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These plates were for the event of wine tasting, rather than regular one on the list.

Starter - Cheese mouse

Fish - Cod Bouillabaisse soup and safran risotto

Main dish - grilled Magret duck and duck confit (both on a plate!)

with dessert

Defenitely I hope to come back here for nice wine and French cuisine at reasonable price.

 

Related post, about another Brasserie Paul Bocuse unit in Tokyo:

Brasserie by Grand Chef at National Art Center Tokyo

 

Restaurant name: Brasserie Paul Bocuse Daimaru Tokyo (大丸東京)

Address: 12th floor Grand Tokyo North Tower, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Website: http://www.paulbocuse.jp/eng/daimarutokyo/

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Kitchen goods store, Daidokoroya Zakkaten in Shibuya (台所雑貨店, 渋谷)

Today's topic is not "about food" exactly but about something important for food lovers.

I visited Shibuya (渋谷) more than 100 times in my life but I had not known this interesting store until recently...

Daidokoroya Zakkaten (台所雑貨店) represents "Kitchen Goods Store" if tranlated in English. It is located just a minute from Shibuya station which is known for the most busiest diagonal crossing in the world. The store is on the basement floor of a shopping complex called "Shibuya Tokyu Plaza" which can be visible from West Exit of Shibuya station over large bus terminal.

Finding Daidokoroya Zakkaten, I was amazed by the abundant collections of kitchen goods from plates stacked close to the floor, utencils hung on the wall both left and right, even baskets suspended from the ceiling, every space filled with intersting tools or kitchenware, without empty space. The scene reminds us "Kappabashi" (合羽橋) well-known kitchen goods street in Asakusa. But here it is Shibuya, just a minute from the station.

Of course it does not have large scale like Kappabashi but is still exciting to find someting interesting for your kitchen or souvenir without travelling to Asakusa.

 

 What I bought at Daidokoroya Zakkaten today

 

Top: chopstick rest in the shape of "Taiyaki"(sea bream fish shaped cake) 

Center: a tiny spoon with flower motif, which allows me to scoop very small portion of powder

Bottom: again chopstick in the shape of "edamame"(green soybean, often served as snack with beer) Not edible but able to be brought out from Japan as a souvenir and make a lough on table...

 

Another fun discovering....

"tenugui" (手ぬぐい, traditional washcloth

can be used in kitchen, bathroom or any other housekeeping work)

This tenugui is not just washcloth.

Each character printed in dark blue ink represents a kind of fish.

The list is likely to be found at Sushi restaurant. This case, it is printed on cloth.

 

Even for native Japanese, it is not east to master all the words and name...

So it is very kind to have the paper list attached and telling us how to pronouce these words. 

The cloth will give us an oppotunity to study

plenty of Kanji (漢字, Japanese characters) related to seafood.

 

Daidokoroya Zakkaten offers other intresting tenugui cloth. Some of them are different by season. 

 

Drop by the shop in Shibuya to find some small but good souvenir or useful tools to prepare authentic Japanese food in your home.

 

Shop name: Daidokoroya Zakkaten

Address: B1 floor, Shibuya Tokyu Plaza, 1-2-2 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku Tokyo

 

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Goku Tea House (悟空茶荘), oasis in Yokohama China Town (横浜中華街)

Chinese New Year celebrating weeks is almost ended for 2011. But the one of the biggest China Towns in Japan can never be a quite place. Whether it is Summer or Winter, weekend or weekdays Yokohama China Town is always filled with tourists and local diners. 

Goku Tea House is peaceful oasis amid the busy streets of Yokohama China Town. It is just a stone throw from one of the most popular tourist spots, Kantei (Guan Di) byo (関帝廟). The tea house has two floors; tea making tools and leaf shop on the ground floor and the cozy tea salon on the upper floor. Goku Tea House is far away from bustle of the exitotic town and is filled with Chinese folk arts and objects. 

 

Needless to say, the Chinese tea house offers really wide selections of every kinds of Chinese tea, categorized by color, blue (example: popular oolong), green, red (like Engish tea), flower tea etc. It is fun to choose one from the list but it can never be done within a short time...

 

Finally I took Longjing tea in a glass cup and speciality "parfait" called "Tonkou" (敦煌, Dunhuang), named after the major city on the Silk Road in China. 

Tonkou Parfait: Tapioca pearls, Chinese herb jelly and a piece of cherry wrapped by litchee on top of ice cream.  

Boild water is available from an electric kettle on table. That makes us stay in Goku Tea House for long time. Enjoy having Chinese dessert, chatting or reading as your peaceful tea time with cups of tea in the Asian atmosphere, as long as you can or want...

 

During lunch time, it also offers lunch set such as Chinese noodle, pork rice bowl at reasonable price.

Of course the cozy tea house attracts many of local people and it might be fully occupied for a while of mid-day. Goku Tea House has two more units in Yokohama China Town; one Tea tools boutique and another Tea Salon.

 

Cafe name: Goku Tea House (悟空茶荘) 

Address: 130 Yamashitacho, Naka-Ku, Yokohama-city

Website (Japanese) : http://www.goku-teahouse.com/index.php?page=shop02

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Cowbell Gyuniku Shokudo (カウベル 牛肉食堂 Beef Dining), Shibuya (渋谷)

I had never known the restraunt category, Gyuniku Shokudo (牛肉食堂). It is "Beef dining room", if I translate the name into English. I guess that no restaurant might be called so, apart from Cowbell (カウベル) in Shibuya. 

It is a casual French restaurant but specialized in beef (牛肉) dishes, located close to Shibuya Mark City, a major shopping complex adjucent to Shibuya station which is globally known for the busiest diagonal crossing.

The restaurant proposes beef plates in different styles, with various parts of beef, from tartar steak, grilled steak, liver mousse etc. They know how to cook beef for the best taste. Not all the beef is Japanese but all are high quality ones such as Australian or Mexican.  

Lunch sets are reasonable prices from Yen1000 to Yen 1500 with soup, bread, coffee and a small piece of cake. 

Miched steak mustart sauce with creamy mushed potato

All are on a clasic silver plate

 

The small restaurant had been full for the weekend lunch.

From the counter table, you can enjoy watching the chef preparing your plate just in front of you. I was not bothered while I was waiting for my lunch plate.

Looking at the menu list, that reminded me bistro style restaurants in France. They are casual, not expensive, nor sophisticated French restaurant but cozy warm atomosphere where people go in their daily life.

 

Restaurant name: Cowbell

Address: 1st floor, 1-5-9 Dogenzaka, Shibuya, Tokyo

 

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Waketokuyama (分とく山) - Japanese (Michelin 2011 **)

Waketokuyama (分とく山) by the chef Mr. Hiromitsu Nozaki is one of the most well-known upscale Japanese restaurants in Tokyo. 

There we were taken to the seats on the ground floor where the chef Mr. Nozaki welcomed us from open-kitchen counter.

It is another attraction to watch the chef and staff cooking and preparing food behind the counter. 

The menu is "Omakase"(おまかせ or chef's seasonal recommendation) only, as same in many of Japanese upscale restaurants. We do not have to select dishes from attractive selections. Just we are looking forwards to what we will see in front of us for next a few hours, after order Sake. It also provides some selections of wine. But for Japanese meal, we prefer to have Japanese alcohol which is the best match with fine Japanese food.

 

Here some examples from plates we had. The Japanese full course was counted to 9 dishes from starter to dessert.

 Assorted starter including duck with rice

 

Assorted Sashimi plat

includes Buri (ブリ, 鰤, yellowtail) in season and rich taste.

With seaweed Konjac (海藻こんにゃく) and Yuba (湯葉, bean curd creap) 

 

 

The restaurant's speciality, Iso awabi (磯あわび, abalon with seaweed)

The seafood grilled and covered with seaweed.

Unnn senced aroma from the sea...

 

 

Fried Fugu (河豚, blowfish)!

 

As you see, many of dishes are seasonal seafood. Here we can have something which cannot be found at casual restaurants ... Of course all are filled in our stomach.

 

It is a part of Japanese hospitality that, after the amazing dinner, the chef and staff get out from the restaurant and they warmly see off every guest in front of the restaurant on the street. We also left from Waketokuyama with happiness.  

 

Mr. Nozaki is also known as the chef for the national baseball team at the Athene Olympics in 2004.

The main restaurant of Waketokuyama is located in Hiroo and the modern building build in 2004 is designed by an architect Mr. Kengo Kuma. 

 

Restaurant name: Waketokuyama (分とく山)

Address: 5-1-5 Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo

*No official website

 

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Chocolate Brewery by SAPPORO x ROYCE

Saint Valentine's day is commercially made in Japan as the date when girls give chocolate to their loved boys. For a few weeks until the 14th of February, sale of chocolate is the most increased in a year. You will find special corners of chocolate gift everywhere in this season. Some people enjoy finding favourite chocolate brand from wide selections of high quality chocolate in this season not for gift to someone but for herself.

I found another attempt of Saint Valentine's day at a supermarket. It is "Chocolate Brewery" or chocolate beer made by collaboration between a major Japanese beer producer Sapporo and a well-known high quality chocolate brand ROYCE in Hokkaido region.

Once I had chocolate beer in Alsace, French city but where is influenced by German culture and is beer-production region. The unique point for the case in Japan is that the beer is made with ROYCE brand chocolate which is solely established as a high quality chocolate producer from Hokkaido. 

 

Anyway let's taste the chocolate beer in Japan. There are two types by taste; Sweet and Bitter. I took Sweet type for me. 

 

Color is close to black color or dark brown chocolate.

Taste, YES, it surely and interestingly has CHOCOLATE flavor.

Instead of sweet flavor, bitter taste is felt less than usual beer.  

Its alcohol ratio is 5% less than normal beer.

Uhhh...in other words, it could be sensed as if it was soft drink as same as Coca-cola.

Be careful not to have it too much. It is alcohol drink...

 

Chocolate Brewery SAPPORO x ROYCE is not regular product. It means that it is sold for limited time and limited amount. How much and how long is not announced though. The product is sold at some liquor shops, convenience stores and supermarkets.

 

 Official website of the product Chocolate Brewery (Japanese) : 

http://www.sapporobeer.jp/chocolat/

 

 Official website of ROYCE (English), though the beer is not sold at the chocolate boutique maybe:

http://www.e-royce.com/english/

 

 

Yukimi Daifuku (雪見だいふく) - snow viewing rice cake

Since last night, it has been chilly and we had snow in Tokyo 

It snows in many places across Japan yesterday and today. 

On such a cold day, we have "ice cream" to have.

 

Yukimi Daifuku (雪見だいふく) 

It is, if I translate into English, "Snow viewing ice cake". 

Daifuku (大福) is originally a kind of traditional sweets made from sticky rice cake and sweet beans paste. Vanilla ice creame, instead of sweet beans paste is wrapped by soft thin white rice cake in the case of Yukimi Daifuku.

 

Both rice cake skin and ice cream filling are pure white color like snow.

I like to enjoy Yukimi Daifuku in warm indoor place, while snow is falling outside.

 

Yukimi Daifuku can be found at major convenience stores and supermarkets in Japan during winter season. I miss the sweets sometimes in summer time...

 

Yukimi Daifuku Japanese website: http://www.yukimidaifuku.jp

 

L'OCCITANE cafe at Ikebukuro (池袋)

Maybe many of you know the French cosmetic brand with Provence taste, L'OCCITANE (ロクシタン). The boutique is visible at some places, most cases in shopping complex across Tokyo. The cream, lotion and other cosmetic products with aroma of lavender, rose or green tea etc, attract ladies in Japan, as same in other parts of the world.

Why I talk about the cosmetic brand on this blog? as long as I know, cafe by L'OCCITANE band exist only in Tokyo. Yes L'OCCITANE cafe is located one in Shibuya (渋谷) and another in Ikebukuro (池袋). Both are close to each JR stations. In bustling districts, the cosmetic boutique is on the ground floor so you can find it easily and the cafe is on the upper floor connected through a stairsteps inside of the boutique. 

No worry! you will never find cosmetic product on food plates or in a cup of tea. Instead, the cafe depicts the image of nature in Provence which is the origine of the cosmetic brand. In the space decorated with brick color tiles, yellow columns and wooden furnitures, it serves food and drinks that imply atomosphere of Provence region; green salad with herb or tuna, colorful fruits tarte and herb tea selections from L'OCCITANE product seriese (Rose, Citrus vervena, Lavender, Provence herb etc). That are surely what ladies like...get the cosmetic products at L'OCCITANE boutique on the ground floor, after that, take a break and be relaxed with Rose herb tea. Both opportunities will help you for well-being and beauty.

I had Chicken cream soup in a cute red bowl for lunch and cafe-au-lait in French style.

 

 Have a relaxed time and enjoy feeling of south France with healthy natural food in Shibuya or Ikebukuro. It will be an oasis in the two most vital towns after shopping.

 

Cafe name: L'OCCITANE cafe

Shibuya branch

Address:  Shibuya Ekimae build. 2-3-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

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Ikebukuro branch

Address: The SH  one, 1-26-6 Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo

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Gion Tokuya (ぎおん徳屋) arrived in Tokyo - Mochi (餅)

Gion Tokuya (ぎおん徳屋) is a very traditional style dessrt cafe in Kyoto, where Maiko (舞妓) and Geiko (芸妓) could also visit there for sweets and relaxed tea time. The new branch of Gion Tokuya opened in Harajuku (原宿), Tokyo last year. Here maybe no chance to encounter Geiko or Maiko in Harajuku but a good point is no need to make a queue like the main shop in Kyoto. (At least as long as I know but in future I do not know though...) 

In Tokyo, Gion Tokuya is located on the ground floor of the well-known select shop, UNITED ARROWS. The sweets cafe is accessible even from the floor of Women's cloth in the select shop.
Entering into the small cafe, it is totally different world from the popular select shop. The traditional style interior decoration makes us feel as if we were visiting Kyoto.  

What I ordered is Tokuya's speciality called "Hanami Komochi" (花見こもち). It is a set of mochi (餅, rice cake) with five kinds of ingredients all well-matched with mochi.

As soon as we ordered the speciality, the shop staff switched on a brasier on the table. It is guests who has to bake eight pieces of rice cakes on the brasier.

How exiting is it I worry a bit whether I am able to succeed in cooking these rice cakes. 

Anyone will be motivated for the challenge when she/he finds a plate of five kinds of topping ingredients brought by staff. 

 

Zenzai (a kind of Oshiruko, sweets beans soup) is in a bowl on the center of tray. Other ingredients, from left to right, in counterclockwise, pickles of Japanese basil seeds, soy sauce (醤油), laver seaweed (海苔, nori), kinako (soybeans powder).

As you like, those eight pieces of mochi (rice cake) can be taken, piece by piece. 

 

 

 

 

Let's try to make mochi cakes grilled. 

 

 

Can you see? Afre five minutes, the square and hard cakes are heated and they are blown up like a balloon. When they become partly brown by heat and no longer square shaped cake, it is ready to eat. Take them out from the brasier quickly. 

 

First I dipped a few pieces into Zenzai.  
 

Then with soy sauce (醤油) and nori

 Kinako (soy beans powder) is set beautifully in flower shape.

But it has to be broken into pieces, after mochi is put on the plate...

 

All are the typical ways of having mochi. It is not so often to try so many pieces of mochi in different flavor. It is fun but you might have too-much-cooked and burned mochi in case you leave them on a brasier too long time, while thinking over what kind of flavor you prefer. At the same time, when we leave mochi left after cooked without having heat, the cakes become cool and hard soon. Just cooked is the best timing to have it.  So it is important to keep appropriate pace of grill and to put pieces one by one.

It is a kind of dessert but rice cake has heavy volume which is enough to be a light lunch.

Gion Tokuya in Harajuku offers not only Hanami Komochi set but also other traditional sweets menu such as Warabi mochi (わらび餅), Anmitsu (あんみつ) and Kakigori (かき氷). Normally mochi is served only in winter and Kakigori is only in summer. Here at Gion Tokuya, all these desserts are provided whole year.

Related story:

 Oshiruko (おしるこ、汁粉）　http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2011/02/oshiruko-%E3%81%8A%E3%81%97%E3%82%8B%E3%81%93-%E6%B1%81%E7%B2%89.html

Shoyu (soy sauce, 醤油) http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2011/01/shoyu-%E9%86%A4%E6%B2%B9-soy-sauce-at-website-shokunin-shoyu-%E8%81%B7%E4%BA%BA%E9%86%A4%E6%B2%B9.html

Kakigori (かき氷)  http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2009/08/kakigori---chim.html

 

Cafe name:  Gion Tokuya (Harajuku, Tokyo)

Website: http://www.united-arrows.jp/harajuku/womens/tokuya/

Address: 2-31-12 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 

 

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Cafe name:  Gion Tokuya (Kyoto the main store)

Website: http://giontokuya.jp/

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