Kakigōri shaved ice at Matakichi in the charming #Gion district of #Kyoto. Strawberry with sweetened condensed milk and the intriguing fig with kinomé. Kinomé is the leaf from the sanshō Japanese peppercorn bush. Kinomé has a citrusy and peppery aromas. It was a unique topping to shaved ice and was a nice pairing with figs…
Month: September 2023
Kyoto Potstickers
Gyōza potstickers in #Kyōto. @sukemasa.takatsuji #gyōza are made with Kyōto ingredients: Yamari #miso, Kujō negi leeks, Fushimi #cabbage, and Kyōto mochi buta #pork. The Japanese-style gyōza are seasoned with #katsuo dashi stock and miso. Who doesn’t love potstickers? The meal comes with rice, miso soup, and #tsukemono pickles. I added a side dish of fuki…
Saseki Saké Tasting Room
Saseki is the tasting room for Masuda Shuzo sake brewery in Toyama. We were honored to have the 5th-generation Masuda introduce us to several sakes in his portfolio including aged sake, nigori cloudy sake, and nama unpasteurized sake. The sakes are well-balanced and food-friendly. The tasting room has sake-friendly small bites including dried hotaru ika…
Kyoto Brunch
Kyoto Kacto is my go-to restaurant when I want comfort food. Located on the Kamogawa River there are seats on the veranda and cozy seating indoors. Brunch was packed on a recent visit with many diners ordering the signature pancakes. The fried chicken sandwich is juicy and delicious. Best of all the coffee from @the_roastery_by_nozycoffee…
Maitake Tempura Soba
Happened upon a busy soba and udon shop in the basement of the Shinbashi Eki Mae Building #1. The kissaten that I wanted to go to wasn’t open. This shop was busy with salarymen headed to work slurping noodles while standing for breakfast. I ordered a bowl of cold soba buckwheat noodles topped with maitake…
Tsuriya
Tsuriya in Toyama is a shop that specializes in seafood in many forms: dried, marinated in oil, marinated in nuka rice bran, smoked, and much more. Toyama prefecture specializes in these sake-friendly seafood products. Tsuriya is near Toyama Bay and the area has a long history of seafood – both fresh and these seafood products….
Kobo Brew Pub
Masuda san of Masuizumi sake brewery guided us through the Iwase area of Toyama City. We stopped by the cool craft beer @kobobrewpub for a flight of brews and meats. Czech brewer Jiri Kotvnek is creating a vast portfolio of award-winning brews. The menu features sausages, cured meats, pate, and cheeses. Kobo is a great…
Masuda Shuzō
The highlight of our Toyama trip was the day spent with Masuda san of Masuda Shuzō. His #saké brewery creates a portfolio of delicious #nihonshu under the #Masuizumi label. He invited us into his home and graciously offered us green tea. Check out the beautiful hearth for heating up water for tea. Chef @diegoguerrero asked…
Toyama Kissaten
When on the road I always seek out kissaten for morning coffee and breakfast. Many Japanese hotels offer a buffet breakfast but I am avoiding crowded restaurants. I also love the ambience of kissaten retro coffee shops. Shimeno Coffee is near Toyama Station. The kissaten is in a newer building so the coffee shop interior…
Kurobe, Toyama Port
@sakananoeki #Ikuji seafood market is at #Kurobe, #Toyama port. Toyama Bay is famous for its #seafood. There is also a restaurant and there is pressed sushi and some #bento. The variety and freshness of seafood is impressive. There is also miso marinated filets, shellfish, air-dried fish, 🍥 kamaboko fish cakes, and shiokara fermented seafood. The…
Shinjuku Soba
I was walking in a new part of Shinjuku and happened upon a nice soba restaurant. On the menu was a black soba made from black beans, black rice, black sesame seeds, and buckwheat. It is a seasonal menu item. Tip: always inquire if there is a seasonal soba. Fumotoya is in the basement of…
Yuzusco
One of my favorite condiments is Yuzusco. Like a Tabasco but made with #yuzu. I use it with pasta, pizza, and omelette.
Sudachi and Kabosu
This time of year there are two citrus, kankitsu 柑橘, that are in season. sudachi 酢橘 – fragrant smaller citrus that is quite tart. Lovely sliced thin over a bowl of soba or squeezed over grilled foods such as sanma Pacific saury or matsutaké mushrooms. *I use a Benriner mandoline for slicing the citrus. Push…
Kombu
On our visit to Kurobe city in Toyama we had the great pleasure to visit Aimono Kombu. Kombu kelp is a sea vegetable rich in natural umami called glutamates. It is essential for making dashi stock which is used in many Japanese dishes. Most kombu is harvested in Hokkaido. In the Edo to Meiji periods…
Food Sake Tokyo 