My last monthly Japanese breakfast column for The Japan Times was on onigiri. The highlight of my research was this lovely gem, Sendagi Risaku. All of the other shops were part of a chain, but this was an independent shop that, for me, is worth having on your radar when you visit the Yanaka area….
Category: media
I’ll Have What Phil’s Having
It all started a little over a year ago. An email from a producer in New York City wanting to know if we would help with the filming of a new food show for PBS. The program would travel around the world with Phil Rosenthal. I was more than happy to help and was lucky…
PBS – I’ll Have What Phil’s Having
We are so very excited to have been included in Phil Rosenthal’s upcoming food show on PBS, I’ll Have What Phil’s Having. Here is a sneak preview of his Tokyo show: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/what-phils-having/tokyo/ It was great fun showing Phil around some of my favorite Tokyo spots, including chef Zaiyu Hasegawa’s Den. I don’t want to say…
Chef Seiji Yamamoto of Ryugin
This article first appeared in The Japan Times in January of 2008. Since then I would have to say that chef Seiji Yamamoto’s cuisine has returned to more traditional Japanese techniques. But the article is still worth reading to understand chef Yamamoto’s background. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fg20080111a1.html (text follows) Nothing turns a woman on more than a room…
Alan Richman in GQ on how Food is Made Better in Japan
I had the great pleasure of spending some time with journalist Alan Richman as he tested a theory that food is better in Japan. Why is it that French, Italian, or Chinese food is so good in Japan? Read as he eats his way through Tokyo testing this theory. The story opens up in what…
Indagare Interview – Culinary Tokyo: Restaurants Not To Miss
This interview appeared a while back but I wanted to share it for its information on some of my top recommendations for foodies visiting Tokyo. Born in Japan and raised in the United States, Yukari Pratt Sakamoto, the author of the soon-to-be-released Food Sake Tokyo (Little Bookroom, $29.95), is a true Tokyo food insider. Here, she shares her favorite restaurants,…
Chef Seiji Yamamoto of Nihonryori Ryugin 日本料理龍吟の山本征治
Avant-gardist Seiji Yamamoto of Nihonryori Ryugin once silk-screened bar codes onto plates with squid ink. His latest shocker: He’s embracing Japanese classics, as in his rice steamed with shamo (chicken). Ryugin Minato-ku, Roppongi 7-17-24, Side Roppongi Bldg, 1st Floor 03-3423-8006 http://www.nihonryori-ryugin.com/ (English) Food & Wine 2010 Tokyo Go List Here’s a piece I wrote on chef Yamamoto for The Japan Times.
Food & Wine’s 2010 Go List
This is one of my favorite article contributions each year. Food & Wine’s Go List – including the best of Tokyo. http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/go-list-2010 Tokyo highlights include Seiji Yamamoto’s Nihonryori Ryugin and Bryan Baird’s The Taproom in Harajuku. Read on for more for the best in the world.
Shotengai Shopping Arcades – Walking Food Tours of Tokyo
I love the shotengai, Japanese shopping arcades. Filled with ma and pa shops selling tofu, fresh produce, rice, pickles, miso, and other basics of the Japanese pantry. This article recently appeared in Metropolis magazine and features five of my favorite shotengai in Tokyo. http://metropolis.co.jp/dining/local-flavors/street-eats/ (text follows) While the one-stop food shopping at Tokyo’s depachika is an amazing…
Harajuku Taproom for Craft Beer
Photo by Keigo Moriyama Tokyo is filled with many options for beer and food. What makes one pub stick out over the rest is the quality of the beer and the Harajuku Taproom is one place not to be missed for fans of craft beer. This article from Metropolis, written by my editor, Steve Trautlein,…
Food Sake Tokyo in Lufthansa Inflight Magazine
Lufthansa Inflight Magazine, January 2010Lufthansa Food Sake Tokyo and the other guidebooks in the Terroir Series by The Little Bookroom is mentioned in the January 2010 Lufthansa inflight magazine. Un wo den besten sake in Tokio?
Kawagoe – A Day Trip from Tokyo to Little Edo
Ken Belson in the New York Times pens a great article on the city of Kawagoe which is just about an hour north of Tokyo. This is a great day trip and my favorite shop in the city is a knife shop, Machikan. I believe it is a seventh generation shop. We have a few…
ACCJ Journal Restaurant Review – Nihonbashi Yukari
My first restaurant review for the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan Journal on my favorite kaiseki restaurant, Nihonbashi Yukari. http://accjjournal.com/nihonbashi-yukari/ (text follows) If it’s good enough for the emperor, it’s good enough for me. Third generation Kimio Nonaga of Nihonbashi Yukari recently catered an event at the Imperial Palace for a meeting between the…
Offal Cuisine (Naizo or Hormone Ryori)
One unique cuisine that is a must-try for adventurous foodies is offal cuisine. This article which first appeared in Metropolis magazine includes several popular restaurants in Tokyo for naizo ryori. http://archive.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/785/localflavors.asp (text follows) Tokyo’s horumon boom has been going strong for two years now—and shows no signs of letting up. Horumon ryori, a.k.a. naizo, ranges…
Shochu Basics
While I love nihonshu (Japanese sake), my preference is for the locally distilled spirit, shochu. While working at Takashimaya the company paid for those of us in the sake department to cross train in other areas of specialty. As a sommelier (wine specialist) I could choose from nihonshu or shochu and selected shochu, as there…
Gotta Go Shops at Tsukiji Market
Some of my favorite shops at Tsukiji Market. This article first appeared in Metropolis magazine. http://archive.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/682/localflavors.asp (text follows) It is no surprise that the bustling, frenetic Tsukiji Market is a popular tourist destination. Nowhere else in the world will you see so many varieties of seafood under one roof. Restaurants such as Sushi Dai and Daiwa Sushi have…
Foodie’s Guide to Tokyo Part 2/2
In this article that first appeared in Metropolis magazine I highlight some of my favorite restaurants in Tokyo. http://archive.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/675/localflavors.asp (text follows) Some days, I pinch myself while exploring Tokyo. Am I really spoiled with all of these places to indulge myself? And just when I think it can’t get any better, I happen upon a…
Foodie’s Guide to Kappabashi 合羽橋
Kappabashi is a wonderland for chefs. Here you will find almost everything that one would need for cooking. While it is famous for its plastic food models, that is only a tiny part of what you will find in this area, very close to Asakusa, the popular tourist destination. It is a short walk from…
Foodie’s Guide to Tokyo Part 1/2
This article which first appeared in Metropolis magazine highlights do not miss spots in Tokyo for foodies. http://archive.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/674/localflavors.asp (text follows) We are spoiled rotten here in Tokyo. The food-savvy consumers of Japan have raised the bar for the dining culture to a level found in only a few cities throughout the world. Here are my…
Tempura in Tokyo
Seafood and vegetables covered in a thin, crispy batter is one food that is, I believe, best eaten outside than at home. It is hard to recreate this dish at home, even for a chef. This article from Metropolis magazine highlights some of my favorite shops in Tokyo for tempura including Kondo, Mikawa, Daikokuya, Tenya,…
Food Sake Tokyo 