Pickled vegetables

Kōnomono (香の物)

Pickled vegetables, 'Tsukemono' (漬け物), are prepared by mixing them with salt or by dipping them in rice bran. Rice bran is the powder produced from the outer coat of rice. Radish, cucumber and carrot are common ingredients of pickled vegetables. Tsukemono has been popular since ancient times at the snowy region for preserving food.

Also there is one kind of pickled vegetables called 'Iburizuke' (いぶり漬け) which was originally from Akita Prefecture. In the inland mountains of Akita Prefecture, it was hard to dry the radishes in the fall because of the early snowing season. Therefore people started to hang and smoke-dried pickled vegetables indoor. Because of the smoke-dried method, the pickled vegetables turned to golden brown and got a unique taste and smell of smoke.

Tsukemono is usually served as a side dish, like a snack for drinks or garnish for a meal. For Kaiseki, it can be a course known as Kōnomono (香の物). It is beautifully made by chef with seasonal pickled vegetables.

This blog is a part of the official JNTO Hong Kong Campaign

URL: 日本新発売（JNTO Hong Kong campaign page)

Shabu Shabu

Raw seafood, sashimi, is the one thing that you can't leave out with Japanese cuisine. It's always served as a combination of two to three items such as squid, red fish, white fish or shell fish. Also the dish is always garnished with shiso and radish. Also a tiny edible shiso flower, as you can see the pic at the middle of the above photo), which you can add into soy sauce for its signature aroma.

トマトとモッツァレラチーズのサラダ、お刺身、さわら西京焼とウニ

生うに

Shabu Shabu is a popular Japanese meat dish, similar to sukiyaki, consisting of thinly-sliced beef and vegetables dipping in boiling stock and eaten with special sauce such as ponzu or gomadare (thicker sauce flavored with crushed sesame). Actually it's similar to Chinese style hot pot, though food only dip in boiling for a few second. If you don't know how long it takes, you can dip the food into the pot and say 'Shabu-shabu' and it's ready to eat!

This blog is a part of the official JNTO Hong Kong Campaign

URL: 日本新発売（JNTO Hong Kong campaign page)

Xmas Party

I celebrated Christmas with friends at Spanish Lounge Parador at Ebisu. Their homemade bunuelos (spanish bread) was very tasty and it served together with a Foie Gras paste. The starter Jamon Serrano (Spanish ham) was very delicious as well. It was lovely to having all these together with a glass of wine. We have some other dishes. Of course we always have space for sweet.

Jamon Serrano

Paella Valenciana

Postre Variados

SPANISH LOUNGE PARADOR
〒150-0022 東京都渋谷区恵比寿南2-3-1 パイザ恵比寿2F

This blog is a part of the official JNTO Hong Kong Campaign

URL: 日本新発売（JNTO Hong Kong campaign page)

Sushi chef's craft

Chef cut this crane with his knife on a paper for me.

The Japanese regard the crane as a symbol of good fortune and longevity.

Have you ever notice green plastic leaves place inside the box of take away sushi? Of course, presentation is always important for food severing. But the original idea is not just a decoration. It's commonly for the chef to use bamboo leaves instead of the plastic at the restaurant because bamboo leaves can be used as sterilizer for sushi. However, the bamboo leaves wouldn't stay fresh for long. Therefore a plastic leave is invented for delivery.

I like to take counter seat at the sushi restaurant because I can order what I want from the ingredients displayed in the glass case in front of me. Looking at the chef to make sushi is also an entertainment. Most chefs use their knife to cut different pattern on bamboo leaves for sushi bowl decorations.

This blog is a part of the official JNTO Hong Kong Campaign

URL: 日本新発売（JNTO Hong Kong campaign page)

Yuzu Soy Sauce Ramen

Yuzu Soy Sauce Ramen　ゆず醤油ラーメン　

I've been a ramen shop called AFURI which is slightly more modern looking than other ramen shops. It seems popular among female. I go for their special winter menu, Yuzu salted ramen. I was impressive that the roast pork was cooked over charcoal. They are very fragrant, so I order some separately as side dish. Yuzu soup is refreshing with its scent of citron. The mellow flavor and rich aroma of yuzu makes it perfect for soft-boiled egg and noodle.

AFURI 原宿店

東京都渋谷区千駄ヶ谷3-63-1 グランデフォレスタ1F

This blog is a part of the official JNTO Hong Kong Campaign

URL: 日本新発売（JNTO Hong Kong campaign page)

江戸銀

Special dish - Seafood rice

Edogin is a sushi restaurant at Gyoutoku, Chiba running by a couple. They are very friendly. Although the restaurant is small, it's very cozy. We chatted with the chef and other customers while we were enjoying many different kinds of dishes. I tried sea cucumber sashimi. The chef cut the sea cucumber in small pieces and mixed with vinegar, mirin and ponzu. That was very chewy. Its texture is totally different to sea cucumber in Chinese cuisine. The chef made me a special dish, seafood rice. That was delicious!

江戸銀

住所：千葉県市川市行徳駅前3丁目7-15

電話：047-358-4987

老辺餃子舘

Only 500yen for a mega glass of beer!

老辺餃子舘

http://www.rouben.co.jp/

Boxed meal

Umaimon, boxed meal store, at Tokyo Station

Boxed meals

Boxed meals used to be my "racket-lunch" in Hong Kong, though I don't like it at all. How about you? Have you ever tried "Ekiben" (駅弁), boxed meals sold at train stations in Japan. Of course dishes are not just put into a white plastic box as those in Hong Kong. Instead, there are many different types of containers which are wrapped beautifully with colorful paper depicting the scenery of the particular town.

They are very popular not just because of their packaging, but their tastes. Boxed meals usually fill with dishes unique to their regions. Most of the ingredients are locally grown, so you can try the exclusive taste of different prefectures.

Umaimon (旨囲門) specializes in popular boxed meals. Its chain stores located in Tokyo, Ueno and Omiya stations. If you will drop by these stations, you absolutely have to dig one for your journey.

For more information of Umaimon, please read the link below:

http://www.nre.co.jp/ekiben/

A to Z Cafe

If you have been to Aomori Museum of art, I bet you won't forget the huge sculpture of a dog, which was made by Yoshitomo Nara. Yoshitomo Nara is a Japanese artists who was quite famous with his paintings and sculptures of devilish children. About 4 or 5 years, he did his exhibition in Hong Kong Art Center too. That was the first time I saw his oil painting. And I start to like his "devilish children". If you want to enjoy a relaxing day with a cup of coffee, and be surrounded by his artwork, A to Z Cafe in Tokyo will be a very good option.

A to Z cafe is one of my favorite Cafe in Aoyama. I always go there for afternoon tea after shopping around at Omotesando. There are various of herbal tea. Also I like their dessert "Gateau au Choocolat with vinilla ice-cream". Though today I've tried something new. I like the avocado tuna bowl very much! Avocado and tuna are perfect match together with the mentaiko (pollock roe) dressing.

A to Z Cafe
Tel: 5464-0281
Minami-Aoyama 5-8-3, Equbo Bldg 5F.

Open 11:30am-11:30pm (to 4am weekends) daily.
Official blog: http://atozcafe.exblog.jp/

Aloha!

Tiki Tiki is restaurant which serves a selection of pan-Asian dishes and traditional Hawaiian cuisine. I have been there several times. A very good place for happy hour and dinner. There are very wide range of tropical drinks you can choose. The extra large prafait is very eye catching there. But I still haven't yet tired that as I bet that can fed 10 people! Just way too big!

Anyway staff is very friendly. Also there are various kinds of performance such as hula dance and table magic. Let's aloha!

4F Shinjuku Saison Plaza

3-4-7 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku,

Tokyo 160-0022
URL: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g068224/

Japanese Dried Fish

Not sure if you like Chinese dried fish. Dried fish in Japan is popular, and its price is rather cheap. It's used to be a traditional breakfast too. But of course, it's different to those in Hong Kong.

Today I tried dried fish at at "himonoya"(ひもの屋）. You can tell with its name, this izakaya （居酒屋） is selling dried fish (himono). The restaurant decorated as a little house in the Edo period. Dried fish is hanging over at the counter where the chef cook the dried fish. A whiff of dried fish permeate the air, but it is not overwhelming.

The way of preparing the fish is to remove their innards, salt the and dry them in the sun. It similar what I can see in Tai O, Hong Kong. There are two types of Japanese dried fish named himono and maru-boshi. As you can see in the photo, the fish is called hiraki ( which means open) that was cut open before drying. Another type called maru-boshi(whole- dried) is dried in original shape by salting the fish before drying it in the sun. I think it's a usual way that people used in Hong Kong. Anyway I'm not expert... but it seems to be same!

不知道你是否喜歡中國的魚干。魚干在日本頗受歡迎，且價格相當便宜。這原本就是一個傳統的早餐菜。當然，日本的魚干有別於香港的。

今天我去了“himonoya”（ひもの屋）試試看。從店名看，這居酒屋當然是賣魚干（himono）的。餐廳裝飾成一個江戶時代的房子。魚干掛滿在廚師調理食物的地方。燒魚干味道滲透於空氣中，但它一點也不濃烈嗆人。

魚干的製法一般是先清除了內臟，再鹽醃製,然後放在陽光下製乾。有點像我在香港大澳看到的。日本的魚干主要有兩種。一種叫hiraki,如其名是把魚打開。正如你可以看到，在照片中的就是hiraki，這是在乾燥前切開的。另一種類稱為maru-boshi,是製乾前,先把整條魚以鹽醃製·再在陽光下製乾。就像香港人製咸魚吧!雖然我不是專家 ...但它們就似乎就是像製咸魚啊!

Authentic Shichuan Style in Tokyo

I've some low- and high-end dining experiences of Chinese cuisine in Tokyo. Most of the time, I enjoyed the pleasant environment more than the food. The Japanized Chinese meals only spoil my appetite. Also I found them slightly overpriced.

Despite of the price, 'China Grill Xenlon Tokyo' left me the strongest impression because of its 8-meter dragon installation, but not its food. The service there was great, but their western presentation for Chinese food didn't impress me much. They served a multi course meal with a standard sequence as if western-world multi-course meals. The whole setting didn't give any lively atmosphere at all. Though they surprised me with the dessert - a piece of cheese cake.

Another day, I was dying of hunger, I popped into a restaurant called Chin-ma-ya (陳麻家) that specializing in a Sichuan-style tan tan men. I got a full sized tan tan men and followed by a almond pudding (杏仁豆腐). Savoring the taste, smell and texture of the authentic Sichuan-style food brought to heaven.

At first, I thought this restaurant was founded by the Chinese. In fact, it was found by Japanese. The number of the restaurants has been increased rapidly since it has found. I'm impressed that the Japanese can grow the popularity of Sichuan-style tan tan men not only in Japan, but also in the states.

I went to several different chains of them. The taste was sightly different between them. Once I went with my Italian friend. He said the plate of vegetable looked like pesto spaghetti and almond pudding looked like 'panna cotta'. Won't you have the same thought?

Andiamo a mangiare! (Let's eat!)

10.5 Italian+0.5 German+2 Japanese+ 1 Chinese = 14 people

Am I here in Tokyo?!

Eating spaghetti without fork and spoon

Eating spaghetti can be tricky without making a mess. Italian may tell you the proper way to eat spaghetti is using fork and spoon. Well some suggest to use twist fork, while some may just sllurp the noodles down. None are any improper than the other.

Another day I went to Youmenya Goemon, a chian restaurtant that specializes in spaghetti in Japan. There, you can enjoy a set meal with Spaghetti, muso soup and salad. However, I couldn't find any fork and spoon there. Instead, there is a pair of chopsticks. Though it's not usual to me, it's a easy way to eat spaghetti without getting dirty! Later I figured out that's the gimmick of this chain restaurant!

洋麺屋五右衛門は「お箸でスパゲティーを食べる」お店なのです。

ホルモン焼き/horumonyaki

私は友達とホルモン焼きのレストランで夕食をした。 ホルモン焼きとは牛肉や豚肉の内臓から作られる日本料理です。実際には広東料理のような味がする。私は友達と非常に楽しいお食事をしました。一緒に食事に行ける素晴らしい友人を持ってくれてうれしい。また、私たちは夕食後、コーヒーを飲みに行った。それは笑いの多いリラックスした夜です。

I had dinner with my friend at a restaurant for horumonyaki. Horumonyaki is a kind of Japanese cuisine made from beef or pork offal. Actually it tastes like Cantonese food. I've a very enjoyable dining with my friend. I'm glad to have a nice friend for dining here in Japan. Also we go to have a coffee after the dinner. That is a relaxing night with lots of laughters.

イタリアのレストランじゃない

Two of my friends from Hong Kong visits me.

We catch up for a dinner at Izagaya!

居酒屋「えん」

もち豚と湯葉の豆乳しゃぶしゃぶがお美味しかったです。

そこで、私は一番好きな梅酒「うぐいすとまり」があります。

居酒屋「えん」

住　所：新宿区新宿　3-30-11　新宿高野第2ビル7F
電話番号：03-5362-5996

http://www.izakaya-en.com/

French cuisine at Le Pergolèse

I went to "Le Pergolese" at Hilton Hotel for dinner tonight.

Savour French cuisine inspired by Stephane Gaboriau, chef of the Michelin starred Restaurant "Le Pergolese" in Paris. I love the dessert the most!

呑み屋

Yakitori