Kamiya Bar in Asakusa, opened in 1880, is one of Tokyo’s classic bars. Known for its signature cocktail, Denki Bran, made from brandy, gin, wine, curacao, and herbs. At 270 JPY per drink, it’s cheaper than coffee. Bottles of pre-mixed Denki Bran are popular omiyage (local gifts) that tourists can bring back home to share with their…
Month: January 2016
Sumo 101
When I first lived in Japan in the late 80s, there was a great wrestler named Chiyonofuji, nicknamed “The Wolf”. He was very strong and handsome. I became hooked on sumo. We went to Ryogoku to the Kokugikan stadium in Tokyo and watched from the cheap seats in the last row. A decade later I…
Renkon Chips
Lotus root (renkon, 蓮根) are a vegetable that is hard to forget. The first time one comes across one it is fascinating to see the natural holes in the vegetable. It seems like a work of art at first. Lotus root start to come into the market in the fall, in September and October, and continue…
Shibuya Shunju 春秋 – Colorful Vegetable Salad Bar
** Updated Sunday, 16 April 2017. Shibuya Shunju no longer offers the vegetable salad bar. The restaurant is still a good choice for lunch in this part of Shibuya. Arigato, to David Richards for letting me know the buffet was not there when he went recently. Buffet lunches abound around the city. Some of my…
Shibuya Torikatsu Chicken とりかつチキン
Katsu refers to panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) encrusted and deep-fried goods. Tonkatsu, deep-fried pork, is the most popular, but there are many others such as torikatsu for chicken. Furai is another Japanese word that is used to describe the same preparation, and is often seen with seafood such as kaki (oysters), aji (horse mackerel), or ika (squid). Torikatsu in Shibuya is hidden on the back streets,…
Nanakusa Gayu 七草粥
The Japanese calendar is filled with many food rituals. While we start the year off with a big bang with お節料理 osechi ryōri, the next event is a nourishing bowl of rice porridge with seven greens, 七草粥 nanakusa gayu. Kayu is rice porridge and nanakusa refers to the seven edible greens. The daikon and turnip are also chopped up…
Osechi Ryori – Japanese New Year’s Cuisine
お節料理 Osechi ryori, colorful food in lacquer boxes, is a traditional cuisine, which is eaten in the first three days of the new year. Its origins can be traced back to about 400 years ago. It started as simple food to serve the god of the Shinto shrines and to wish for a peaceful year. It…
2016 Tsukiji Market Record Tuna by Numbers
This year’s most expensive tuna sold at 14,000,000 JPY or roughly $117,220 US dollars. The bluefin tuna weighed about 200 kg (about 440 pounds). The price per kilogram was about 70,000 JPY or roughly $585 US dollars. The tuna came from Ohma in Aomori prefecture and was caught on January 3rd. The tuna was bought…
Dominique Ansel Bakery Tokyo
For my birthday we went to Dominique Ansel Bakery’s Cafe on the second floor of his shop. The menu has always intrigued me, especially since I saw a photo of his avocado toast. New on the menu is chicken pot pie, which was the best pot pie I have ever had. A crispy golden crust…
Food Sake Tokyo 