About food in Japan

Karintou

Karintou is a traditional Japanese sweets.
The stick-like shape is made of flour and sugar glazed after fried.
The crisp texture and simple sweetness have attracted many people
from young children to elders for years.

It has some variety by ingredient dusted; brown suger, honey, sesami, peanuts...

A traditional Karintou house has more unique original flavour.
It made us surprised by introducing innovative version of Karintou,
transforming the traditional sweets to salty snack, which matchs with beer rather than with green tea.

For example, "Kimpira gobo"(left packet on picture), inspired by same name traditional spicy deli menu of burdock roots. The texture is surely Karintou but the flavour is really burdock with hot pepper. The other one is "Negi miso"(Japanese leek and miso paste).

                      

The traditional Karintou house opened a new branch inside of JR Tokyo station recently.
Known for the unique flavour of Karintou to many people, the small boutique becomes too much popular that its producing and selling capacity can not catch up with.
Long que is always there and the shop limits number of packets to be purchased per consumer so far.

Shop: Nihonbashi Nishikihorin
Website: http://www.nishikihorin.com/

Coriander lovers!?

Reuters reported increasing number of coriander lovers in Japan and the first restaurant  in Japan, specialized in coriander menu.

The green harb is known also as phakchi, its Thail name and many Japanese hate the unique strong flavour and smell.  As increase of  restaurants focus on South-East Asian dishes,  phakchi  lovers increased in Japan as per the article.

One of Japanese phakchi lovers  opened  a community website to exchange information and to express their passion. The number of the member amounts over 500 in Japan. Then the site owner started to own a restaurant specialized in the harb, called Paxi House. Paxi represents of course Phakchi and also peace in Latin word, "pax."

Did I tried the restauran?
No and I am not sure if I am going in the future, even though I do NOT hate it.

Reuters' article
http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUST298993220080229

Restaurant Paxi House website
http://paxihouse.com/tokyo/

Mexican - Fonda De La Madrugada

Fonda De La Madrugada is located between Harajuku and Omotesando, near to Turkish Embassy. From the humble entrace on the ground floor, we can not imagine how big the restaurant is. After politely welcomed at the reception desk on the first basement floor, we go through narrow corridor with a small fountain and are directed to further downstairs. The two-floor hight hall looks like a terrace or courtyard of traditional Latin house. Two rooms adjucent to the big hall can be used for a private party.

The food is authentic by Mexican chef; starter, meat, fish, tacos, variety choice of Mexican flavour!! House made Tortillas is served with some menu and kept warm in a round basket box.

Live Mexican music is available on evening. They go around tables and play music, responding to diners' request.

   Dessert is not exception of the Mexican food. We ordered Leche frita con Tequila, custard burned with tequila.  As shown on the photo left, the dessert plate was burned on the table and finished as an entertainment in front of guests.

Restaurant name: Fonda de la Madrugada
Address: Vila Bianca B1, 2-33-12 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001
6minutes walk from Harajuku JR station or 10minutes from Omotesando subway station
Friday, Saturday open till 05h a.m. and other days till 2h a.m.
Website: http://www.fonda-m.com

Portuguese - Vilamoura

The Portugese restaurant Vilamoura is located in Ginza, just behind Sukiyabashi crossing.

Go down to the basement floor, fence painted in sky blue, corkscrews scattered and  Cataplana(local stew) pots hanged on walls, they will make you feel as if you were in  the European country.

The food and the selection of Port wine, Madeira wine would never disappoint diners there, rather they would be the reason to come to the restaurant time by time.

Japanese people can find some resemblance between Portugese dishes and own local food. One reason is similality of their ingredients such as seafood and rice, the other is historical link between these two countries date back to hundreds years ago.

Grilled sardine is one of them. Really simple dish but, to be surprising, it matchs with Portugese red wine.

My favourite menu is Grilled rissott with vegetables and cheese. 
We can not miss it particularly in winter.

 

Restaurant name: Vilamoura
Address:  Davinci Ginza Annex  B1Floor
6-2-3 Ginza, Tokyo
Website: http://www.vila-moura.com

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.

FOOD Japan network(FJN)

FOOD Japan network(FJN) was launched in Tokyo on 14^th February 2008 by people from agriculture and food-service industries and businessmen who have deep insight into food and cooking.

The organization aims at …

• Vitalization of local regions in Japan throgh fooding and its supporters; agriculture, forestry, fishing industries

• Promotion of Japanese food culture and community

 
And its three main activities are…

• Introducing promotion activities about food and agricuture

• Bridging agriculture producers and cookers

• Conducting marketing research about food culture, consumer trends

The　organization's name "FOOD" represents not only the English word "food" but also a Japanese word "fudo(climate)."　

So far, the website is Japanese only.

http://www.food-japan.jp
   

 

Hanasanshou (Michelin * in 2008)

Hanasanshou is located in Park Hotel Tokyo, a member of Design hotels.
The lobby and the Japanese restaurant, both are located on the 25th floor.

Celebrating the Michelin awarded a star,  the restaurant organizes special course menu using seasonal ingredients.

In the modern interior decoration, providing authentic traditional Japanese dishes from Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, it also has a good selection of sake, shochu.

For more photos, please check here.

Restaurant name: Hanasanshou (花山椒）

Address: Shiodome Media Tower, 1-7-1, Higashi Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-7227

Website: http://www.parkhoteltokyo.com