On summer visits to Japan as a child my favorite sweets were kakigori topped with milk. Only when I grew up did I realize that it wasn’t milk but it was sweetened condensed milk. No better way to cool down in the Tokyo heat than a bowl of shaved ice topped with a sweet syrup….
Month: July 2011
Okinawa Fair at Shinjuku Isetan めんそ〜れ〜大沖縄展
Shinjuku Isetan will hold a Okinawa Festival, including many local foods and awamori, shochu made from Thai rice, from Wednesday, July 27th to Monday, August 1st. The event closes at 6 p.m. on the final day and is held on the 6th floor of the main building. This is a great opportunity to try Okinawan…
Gotta Get: Ra-yu Salmon Flakes
Salted salmon flakes are a popular topping for a hot bowl of rice. It is sold in a small glass jar and found is most supermarkets. Shinji came home the other day with a new product we had never seen before, ra-yu (chili oil) flavored salmon flakes. Taberu ra-yu is a very popular product still, having…
Grazing Tsukiji Market
Grazing is not really recommended in Japan. Walking while eating can be seen as impolite. But one place where there are lots of small bites for sale is Tsukiji Market. If you do want to graze here my only suggestion is that you step off to the side and eat before you move on. Tsukiji…
Roma Pizza in Tokyo
Napoletana pizza are not the only type of pizzas tempting diners in Tokyo. Roma pizzas, with a thinner and thus crispier crust, are also popular and authentic versions too are available in the city. Pizzeria Romana Gianicolo Minato-ku, Azabu Juban 2-8-8, Watanabe Bldg. B1 03-6435-2080 11:30 – 14:30; 18:00 – 22:30 closed Monday http://www.gianicolo.jp/ Pizzeria…
Napoletana Pizza in Tokyo
Perhaps the best place to get a really great pizza outside of Italy is not New York City but in Tokyo. The website for the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana lists thirty-five authentic Napoletana pizzerias in Japan. Many of the pizzaiolos have apprenticed in Italy, bake their pizzas in wood burning ovens, and do an outstanding job…
Five Questions for Japan’s First Master of Wine Ned Goodwin
Ned Goodwin is Japan’s first Master of Wine. Ned is also one of the most passionate sommeliers in Japan. Ned graciously took me under his wings when I moved to Tokyo to work as a sommelier. His generosity and guidance helped me tremendously. Ned has had a great impact in the wine world in Japan…
Where to Have Sushi at Tsukiji Market
Daiwa Sushi and Sushi Dai are two of the most commonly heard sushi shop names at Tsukiji Market. The problem is that they are so popular that they have such long lines, some queue for three hours. And yes, the sushi is great here, but is it worth hours standing in line? And for me,…
Monjayaki – Okame Hyottoko Ten
Tsukishima and Tsukuda are on an island in the Sumidagawa River just as it flows into Tokyo Bay. It is very close to Tsukiji Market and offers two local foods of Tokyo, monjayaki at Tsukishima and Tsukudani at Tsukuda. Monjayaki is just one of those foods that everyone should try once in their life if they…
July Japanese Seasonal Seafood
Following is a list of seasonal seafood for July. Look for these in the market or if you are going out for sushi. Some of our personal favorites include ayu (salted and grilled), shitabirame (meuniere), shijimi (miso soup), benisake (salted and grilled), and for sashimi – surumeika, kinmedai, takabe, and isaki. Ayu あゆ 鮎 sweetfish (Plecoglossus…
Tsukiji Market Cheap Eats
There are so many great places to grab a cheap and delicious bite at Tsukiji Market. And don’t worry if you can’t stomach raw fish first thing in the morning. Most of these places open early in the morning and close after lunch. Here is a short list of some of my favorites: Tenfusa 天房…
Food Sake Tokyo reviewed by the ACCJ
If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, a glimpse into a city’s soul is no doubt through her cuisine. Chef, sommelier and Japan-certified shochu advisor Yukari Sakamoto’s book, “Food·Sake·Tokyo,” offers a tasteful insight into Tokyo’s gastronomic galaxy that is sometimes hard to navigate even for locals. Released last month and written…
Food Sake Tokyo 