Eat, Drink, Sleep @Tokyo, Now in Nagasaki

東京で食う飲む!Restaurant or Bar around Tokyo and Far East. There is a great diversity of food and culture in Japan. You will enjoy the huge range style of food from very local Japanese food to a lot of foreign foods. I hope you will find and feel the diversity of foods in Japan.

29 December 2015

Lao Lee, Taiwanese food with homely atmosphere, Shinchi China town, Nagasaki (老李 新地中華街本店, 長崎), Japan

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Taiwan style food restaurant in Nagasaki


The menu card explaining about Champn noodle


The dishes from the kitchen of  this restaurant showed fusion of Taiwan style and Nagasaki traditional style. They also served Champon or Sara-udon (like fried noodle), as the traditional food from Nagasaki. On my visiting, I order the Yaki-Champon, meaning stir-fried Champon. The soup was fried till getting like as sauce. The salt and pork soup essence were well mixed with noodle and vegetable.

Yaki Champon
Yaki Champon with boiled dumpling
The interior was as the Tea house of Taipei, motive from the traditional Chinese style. The furniture or wall paper show the traditional atmosphere of China culture.




The family of cook was new generation of the foreign Chinese people. The old Lee had come to Japan post World War II. They originally come from Taiwan. Taiwan show different culture from the continent of China. The shopname of Lao Lee was come from father of the chef.Nowaday, they developed four restaurants around Nagasaki city. China town, Shianbashi, Hamanmachi and Nagasaki Station.

The dumplings with soup or boiled (Nagasaki Suigyouza, Nagasaki Dumpling) were signature food from these restaurants. The skin was thin and wrapped minced ingredient beautifully waved shape. Boiled dumpling showed the smooth and shined white surface of the skin. The inside of the dumpling was the combination of pork, garlic, Nira and Ginger. The flavour and texture of the Nagasaki Dumpling were lovely.

http://www.laolee-g.com/

27 December 2015

Tonkotsu Ramen Oreshiki Jun, Tokyo Ramen Street, Tokyo Station, Yaesu (とんこつラーメン俺式 純), Tokyo, Japan

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Tokyo Ramen Street; famous spot where you will find your favourite style Ramen at Tokyo station

The Tokyo Ramen Street is very popular spot for foreign and internal tourist in Tokyo. There were eight Ramen shops in small street in the Grand building at Tokyo station complex. These eight shops were famous shops in Tokyo area. If you come to Japan first time and do not know about the system of Ramen shop, I recommend you to be one of the shop to entertain the common system in Japan.
The entrance of Tokyo Ramen street
As my previous several articles, almost all ramen shop around metropolis area in Tokyo has similar system as the ticketing machine, seat at the counter, wait for your noodle and service of the noodle. This simple flow will help you at the shops.
There were majorly four styles of Ramen: Tonkotsu (Pork Bone soup stock), Miso (Miso soup stock), Shoyu (Soy sauce soup stock) and Shio (salt base soup stock). I just lined as the thick strong taste to mild soft taste. The Tonkotsu style is the most popular style in the world. Ippudo which has the branch at New York city was very famous and some British Ramen geek had opened Tonkotsu style Ramen shop in London.
The Tonkotsu style were popular in Kyushu area the west south island. The soup stock was cooked with Bone and meet from pork. The original style in Northern Kyushu was milky soup of the pork bone essence and the taste is a little bit mild. The thin noodle will be rounded the soup. You can choose hardness of the noodle as your favourite.
The Tonkotsu in Kanto area and the other place out of Kyushu were very thick taste and strong flavour in the soup stock. The essence from the ingredients strongly formed the character of the Ramen soup. The thickness and strength of the soup and the noodle will show the different style of Tonkotsu from Kyushu style.

Tonkotsu Ramen Oreshiki Jun

The Tonkotsu Ramen Oreshiki Jun will serve the Kanto style Tonkotsu Ramen. The noodle of this shop was a little bit thicker than that of Kyushu style. The technique of boiling the noodle may be different from the Ramen stand in Kyushu. The people in Kyushu love the texture of the noodle itself. Several staff will not pay attention for the boiling the noodle.
The soup stock was also different from the Kyushu style. The powerful and thick soup taste will be enough for the lunch. The smell of Tonkotsu is a little bit different from the Kyushu style.

26 December 2015

Transatlantic flight, Madrid- Havana, Iberia, business class meals, A330-300 aircraft

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High quality long haul flight service on Business class of Iberia

The Spanish service on Iberia was very delightful as the Business class. There was widely Spanish characteristic service from ingredient, wines, liquors or service style and Cabin crew. We will have some selection of Sherry wines from Spain, wines from Spain. The huge liquor selections were very Spanish (I have no idea about the local character of Spain. Perhaps, Iberia will serve you with Madrid style).

The aircraft was Airbus 330-300. The full flat seat staggered arrangement were constructed. This was the first experience of the staggered arrangement at Business class. The nice pillow and duvet were served on my boarding. The full flat seat was very comfort as normal bed feeling.


The welcome drink on the ground was selection including Cava, Spanish sparkling wine. The pair of Cabin crew will elegantly serve the glasses with gentle smile.
After take-off, the drink will served with flesh olive pickles.
The meal service will started with some cold starters. The colourful and lovely presentation show continental taste on the meal. They also serve some soup with Starter. Several food were served as the Tapas in Madrid. I started with white sherry from the Starters.
-          Warm bread and extra virgin olive oil
-          Salmorejo with egg
-          Cherry tomato, mozzarella balls and watercress salad
-          Balsamic vinegar of Pedro Ximenez Vinaigrette
-          Lemon infused chicken confit with thyme and rocket
-          Roasted apple and cranberries
-          Paprika coated Villanoble cheese with quince jelly and walnuts

The Main Courses has Three choice from the menu.

-          Retinto beef, foie gras and mushroom burger with piquillo pepper and roasted red onion puree in creamy sherry sauce

-          Stone bass with lemon and olive sauce, with sautéed wheat and vegetables

-          Cheese and pear parcels with Vizcaina sauce and parsley

I chose Stone bass. The lemon flavour was nice on aircraft dry air condition.


Deserts has two choice.

-          Aniseed pudding with honey and guava

-          Cherry ice-cream with crepe topping

 

Pre landing meal was also nice. I had never imagined about the Iberico ham in the sky.  It was the most impressive light meal on airplane.

-          Iberico ham and chorizo sausage, chicken breast and cheese

-          Tomato and extra-virgin olive oil

-          Seasonal fresh fruit


25 December 2015

The Stanlay Bay Suite, the Hullett house, Hong Kong

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  Old Chinoiserie green suite with terrace on lovely November weekend
Stanlay Bay in Hong Kong was the most posh area and known as the resort area for the Western people. This suite room is named the old image of Stanlay Bay. The town of Stanlay was the largest fisherman’s town on the beginning of Hong Kong modern history.
The Stanlay Bay suite in Hullett House was filled with the combination of modern design and classical culture of Chinese. The interior was motive of the hobby of Chinese, keep a small bird in the cage. Chinoiserie taste were shown the exotic tropical birds painting on the walls. The patterned branched bamboo painted with brown were from the imagination of the bird cage. There was also the cage shaped lump in the corner in the suite. The white green was lovely matched with the furniture. The contrast of white linen, green wall paper and brown painted branch were mysterious harmony in this space.
King size bed
the sofa sets
Study space
In Mini bar, All drinks will be inclusive for your bill

The bath room was very huge for one person. There were double sink for couple. All fabrics of towels, bath lobes or some shampoo and soaps were very comfortable.

like rain fall shower
There was huge terrace looking down the shopping mall. There were a set of sofa for four persons. My visiting to Hong Kong was very comfortable late November. The dry cool winds were running through the old building. The sun shine with warm autumn and cool winds brought lovely afternoon.
The view from the terrace, there will be the cultural centre in Hong Kong and YMCA
There were ten suite in this hotel. If you repeat to stay at this hotel, you can contact with staff of the hotel about the room types.

Merry Christmas!! Saesons greeting.

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Dear gentle reader,

Merry Christmas. I wish you all have happy holiday with your precious persons.

In this current year, there were several but grevious events around the world. We should keep our daily life, culture and diversity in this situation. Japanese use "いつものように"(itsumo no youni) meaning "as usual". Though the grevious events must not be happened as usual, I would like to spend my holiday as usual with friends or my family.

We wish our happy holiday and present new year 2016.

Lim Ken at Tokyo

The View of Megane bashi at Nagasaki

24 December 2015

Afternoon tea, the parlour, Hullett house, Hong Kong

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The Afternoon tea at Historic building in Hong Kong
The parlour of the Hullett house was located on the ground floor in the Hullett house building. The windows were faced to the Cultural centre of Hong Kong. There was also the terrace space for some sets of table for four persons. The furniture was classical Chinese style.
There were Chinese style and English style Afternoon tea. As we had been to Tim ho wan in that morning, we chose the English Afternoon tea.
All items were displayed on the three plate. Each food was nice but there was not so special thing. All foods were nice quality as the luxury hotel service. Service from the staff, Tea selection and Atmosphere was very lovely.
The dry cool winds past through the terrace and it was not so hot day in Hong Kong. The lovely afternoon it was.




23 December 2015

Breakfast, Hullett house, Hong Kong

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The luxury breakfast at harbour side in Hong Kong
The breakfast at the luxury hotel is one of the most important essences during our staying. The Bed, the Bath and Breakfast are necessary and important part in the hotel. These three factors may be as air of our life but will show the difference among the hotels.
This Hullett house is one of the most luxury hotel in Hong Kong. They serve luxury atmosphere and courses for my breakfast. I had my breakfast outside on the corridor faced to the star ferry station. The colonial building and interior will show the British governed Hong Kong. 

The first one is the berry with Yogurt, mandarin juice and coffee. They kept nice quality of theses items.
Two boiled egg will be served with several pieces of batik salmon and beluga caviar and cake. Some customer may take a glass of champagne with this dish.  




the view from the corridor

22 December 2015

Date, Yaesu, Tokyo station (伊達 八重洲 東京駅), Tokyo

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Date, Yaesu, Tokyo station (伊達 八重洲 東京駅), Tokyo

When did Japanese start to eat beef meat in the modern age? Till the end of Edo era, the custom of eating animal meat was strictly forbidden under the government law and religious reason. After the regime change from Tokugawa government to Meiji government, the new habit to eating the animal meat spread in the islands of Japan coming from European countries.

The ox tongue was known as an ingredient for the western food. Just after the end of World War II, the cooks in the Sendai had started to serve the roast tongue at small restaurant. Sendai city is located in the northern part of Honshu Island, three hundred km away from Tokyo.

The texture of the ox tongue were very popular in Japanese who consider the texture in the importance. The tongue were including nicely juicy gravy. These two fact give the ox tongue popular foods. In Japan, you will find this ingredient in Yakiniku (BBQ) restaurants, Gyu tan restaurants or some French restaurants.

Behind the counter, the cook will roast the sliced tongue on the wire netting beyond the charcoal fire. You can choose the thickness of the slice. They will serve the ox tongue with rice, clear beef soup and some pickles.
I highly reccomend you to Japanese syle of roasted ox tongue when you would like to have some beef meat under 20 USD in Tokyo.

 
 

21 December 2015

Bar Kakinuma (Bar 柿沼 神楽坂), Kagurazaka, Shinjuku, Tokyo [retouched]

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"To shake, to serve". Bar located on the upper Kagurazaka, proudly very nice location.

The Gimlet in Bar Kakinuma had already described.

This bar, Bar Kakinuma is my favourite bar in Tokyo.
The bartender, name was Mr. Kakunuma was 30s, and one of the best young barman of who I know. He had very nice carrier of the Barman and service, once he have been in luxury hotel as the barman. He had very huge knowledge and technique to serve the cocktail and other beverage. He also knew the whiskeys, rums, tequila or sherry in the world. He usually serves the very classical style cocktails and is good at making the dry ones.
The bar has the various hard liquors like rums, sherries, tequilas and brandies. The barman selected very nice beverages for customers. If you like to stay with your friends to talk over the glasses, they have very lovely personal corner.


The lantern is the landmark of entrance of this bar. Up to the first floor! 
The several glasses, made in Japan, were lovely thin glasses, called as Usuhari (うすはり). This type of glasses were very nice touch to your lips with liquor texture. The tumbler include cocktail, like gin with tonic, highball or Mizuwari(水割, Japanese original drinking style for whiskey, twice or triple up with ice).
 
The bar counter is natural wood coated with varnish, but we can feel the texture of the wood from the counter. The length of the counter is five meter. The thickness is very nice for our drinking, it is not so thick but not thin. The sound on putting a glass with liquid on the wood is majestic and fine. For the customer, we have the enough space for relax and enjoying whiskey, Rum or cocktail. The austere but profound counter is the signature of this bar. The cocktails, whiskeys or other liquor which are served in this bar, are commensurate with this counter. In Kagurazaka, it seems that the counter condition reflected in the bartender’s ability.
Moving your eyes to the horizontal beamed sherves, funeture or entrance, the interior of this bar was modern Japanese. The counter is running through the room, like the bar. The shelves are motif from the Japanese sherves made alternatively as the traditional Shoin style(書院, personal library).
 
The bar counter was beautifully polished and showed lovely colour for the cocktails.
 I usually order some gin with tonic water, whisky and gimlet which is dry and a little bit sweet without lime juice as classical gimlet, like Gimblet.
On this photo, I ordered Moscow Mule. The cocktail was served with the chilled bronze cup. The Barman made with the original ginger syrup, vodka with pickled ginger and very dry ginger ale. The Moscow Mule was very nice for the hot days in Summer.
The contrast between white colour of the coaster and hot towel and the right brown colour of the wood was one of the beautiful scene in the daily life in Japan.
 

I hope you will use to have aperitif before supper and have some cigar and drinks after dinner, which I love how to use this bar. There are a lot of nice restaurant or bistro in upper Kagurazaka from Italian or French to Japanese. You will have very lovely evening with this bar.

20 December 2015

Bullet train Tokaido line, Nagoya to Tokyo, Japan

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The Bullet train Tokaido line was started operation on 1964 when was the Tokyo Olympic year. The first Tokaido Shinkansen (bullet train) line was running through from Tokyo to Osaka via Nagoya and Kyoto.

The Shinkansen is meaning the “New” arterial railroad; the newer railroad systems than the conventional railway before 1964. The Shinkansen was the separate railway system from the former conventional line. There was huge difference in track width (Shinkansen has1435mm gauge, conventional has 1067mm), signal system including ATC, power source and carriage which has smart nose and powerful motor, between Shinkansen and conventional rail road. In Tokaido or Sanyo sections, the Shinkansen line and conventional line were separately and parallel-ly running among the huge cities.

The Shinkansen will be the major transportation system for the foreign tourists. The comfortable and wide carriage and kind purser will give us the memorable journey.

 
 

Tip: Mt Fuji view from Shinkansen?
Reserve the Seat E, mountain side window seat. There are ABC DE designation in the standard class, AB CD designation in Green car (as First class, in this carriage, D is the mountain side window seat).
You will get the view of Mt.Fuji between Shizuoka and Shinfuji. Shizuoka is the station on the Tokyo side.
To get beautiful view of Mr.Fuji, I recommend you to travel on mid winter sunny day. In winter, cold air will clear the view of the mountains.




From the page of JR central



From the page of JR central

19 December 2015

Five Authentic Bars in Nagasaki, Japan

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Bar Waverley [Shian-bashi area, Doza machi side]
This bar was named from the station in Edinburgh. The selection of Whiskey was lovely selected. The Barman will serve various traditional standard cocktails from Gin with tonic to Cosmoporitan. The beer is also the signature drink of this bar.


Sakae Bar [Shian-bashi area, Kajiya machi side]
The martini, generally named Vesper martini, was very nice. The high life magazine from British Airways describe as the bar for Martini in Nagasaki. Fruit cocktail will also be nice for ladies.


Bar Archive [Nagasaki Station area]
The Newest bar in Nagasaki. Convienient from Nagasaki main station. There are premium beer, Scotch or Japanese Whiskey selection and liqours. The barman will serve classical style of cocktails. Several hotels are very near to this bar.


Bar Strand [Shian-bashi area, Doza machi side]


Bar IF [Shian-bashi area, Kajiya machi side]

18 December 2015

Issen yoshoku, Gion, Kyoto (‎壹錢洋食、祇園、京都), Japan

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Kyoto will have a city with huge diversity coming from the long history of this city...

My friend from Kyoto introduced me this fast food originally coming from Kyoto. This fast food stand was very strange for the outsider of Kyoto. We had the stereotyped image on Kyoto as sophisticated food as Tofu, Obanzai (local family foods) or Kaiseki course, old temples and shrines, beautiful gardens or beautiful Maiko. All symbol of Kyoto we reminded show the upper class, high grade or quality, patterned image on Kyoto.
My friend's introduction about Issen Yoshoku was very huge impact for me. The statues in front of the stand will not be able to be said as "graceful" a boy whose underwear was bitten by his dog show his buttocks. Several items in the restaurant show as the same direction of the statues.
Okonomiyaki at Issen Yochoku
Above all, the Okonomiyaki (the spell was different from the Osaka or Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki ; Japanese style Pancake) was cheap fast food as I had never imagined in Kyoto. The Okonomiyaki was served with thin sliced seaweed and brown sweet salty sauce which is stronger than Osaka in that of taste. The ingredient in the Okonomiyaki was very interesting as konnyaku(jelly made from paste of konjak flour) and chikuwa(minched fish meat shaped as bamboo) which were very traditional ingredient at our home. The half-cooked egg show the nice harmony with the brown vegetable sauce. The Konnyaku and chikuwa brought nice texture to Okonomiyaki.

The kitchen face to the street. Issen Yoshoku means Western food just cost one senn (senn is one/hundred in Yen currency)

The Taisho era taste interior. After Meiji era, the European culture will go into the citizen in Japan as cloth, politics as democracy, technology, science and food and combined with the Japanese traditional culture to formed as Taisho culture.

interior of the Issen Yoshoku
http://www.issen-yosyoku.co.jp/

17 December 2015

Komagata Dojou, Asakusa (駒形どぜう 浅草 東京), Tokyo, Japan

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Loach, the snake like shape, was very familiar to Edo-kko (people living in Edo).

The loach was known as the fast food in Edo era. This restaurant keeps the Edo fast food style for three hundred years. The loach may have been the familiar ingredient for the people in Tokyo.

 
For the European or American people, this fish were never eaten in this area. On contrast, the Mainland Chinese or Taiwanese people have eaten loach. The cooking style may be different in the region.

 

The interior was traditional fast food restaurant in Japan. The hall was Tatami flooring and the wood bar was placed on the floor. These bars were like as the table for the customer. The staff will introduce customers the seat places on the floor to control the number of the customer in this small hall.

The loach was the fish living in the paddy field, pond or marsh. Japanese generally prefer the fish from sea but the loach is one of the popular fishes in Asakusa area.

 

The Dojou Nabe (loach pot) was served on the thin casting iron pan with braizer. The Negi were nicely coloured on the brown sauce and brown fishes. Loach was nice with soy sauce with Dashi soup stock. This pot was very simple but, makes you sent to Edo Era. This thin casting pan is easy to get warm the fishes on the pan.

 

The Dojou Kabayaki was lovely. Normally the Kabayaki was known as the Unagi (eel). The meat of the fish was nice texture and taste with sweet soy sauce base Tare. The texture was mild and the taste was less in oily and juicy.

 

The Dojou Nabe (loach pot) is one of the most traditional fast food in Tokyo since Edo Era. The taste or texture and the hobbit eating loach were very rare for also Japanese.
 

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