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.

31 October 2015

Cathay Pacific business class lounge, Bangkok, Thailand

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Cathay Pacific airways is renovating their lounge all over the world. The first one was the Tokyo Haneda lounge. The second was Manila. I had already reported the lounge of Haneda from where the passenger can look the Mt. Fuji.
 
The renovation is produced by the studio Ilse,  the London based designer team. The concept of the New Cathay Pacific lounge is as staying in  the living room of the passengers' own home. The new campaign "Life Well Travelled" has started on the same quarter.
The design is simple but warm. Using wood or limestone showed the modern atmosphere and nice contrast against the metal fabric of the airliner.
 
As the other CX lounge, they will serve the Wan tan mien noodle. Who would like to take this, when flying back to Hong kong where they will serve the lovely noodle at the noodle shop in the airport or city centre.
 


In this lounge, the passengers will enjoy the Thai noodle, Pat thai.

The noodle bar corner is the signature area of the Cathay Pacific lounge.
 At the Noodle Bar counter, the contrast of red brown wood and green tiles were very lovely.


The standing bar corner,


The Bar counter is similar as the Manila and Tokyo. The Thai staff will serve you with their hospitality.

The public space


27 October 2015

KushinoBou, Kushi katsu, International terminal, Haneda airport (串の坊 羽田空港国際線ターミナル店) Tokyo, Japan

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Kushi-katsu (串カツ) is one of the popular foods in Osaka. Kushi means the stick and katsu is fried food covered with bread powder, like Ton-katsu (Fried pork meat with bread powder). Ingredients which were skewered with bamboo sticks were fried with oil and raad. You can choose ingredients from meat to vegetable to enjoy the seasonal selection of the Kushi-katsu.
the interior of Kushi no bou Haneda

In Osaka, there are a lot of stands bar of Kushi-katsu. You will find that style stands in some station or food court area. You can have huge variation from the menu. When you visit there, you must take care about the important rule, as Once dip in the sauce. The rule is come from the hygiene reasons.

This Kushi-no-Bou has the several restaurants in Tokyo area. They serve luxury but familiar style of Kushi-katsu at their stands. The Kushi-katsu served in this stand were arranged as the course randomly. The food from Kansai (関西 West side of the border control in Ausaka) was very different from that of Tokyo area (Kanto 関東 means East side from the border control in Ausaka).

the fan over the fryer

There are four courses and a la carte menu of Kushi-katsu, Sora (空 sky) for five sticks,Tsubasa (翼 wing) for ten sticks, Shou (翔 take flight) for twelve sticks and Omakase for sixteen sticks. I had shou course including rice and miso soup.



For your preparation, drop some sauces on the plate. There were Ponzu, Brown sauce, sesame sauce, mustard and salt.

Pork, Shiitake mushroom, green pepper

Eggplant, Shrimp

Kani kisu maki (Crab meat rolled with sand borer)
Tebasaki

Asparagus

Shrimp rolled with shiso leaf, Beef

Kon nyaku (made from the starch of devil's tongue.)

Ginnann (Ginkgyo nut. I chose this from the list in addition)

rice and miso soup (with red miso)

26 October 2015

The press release about the New Hotel Okura main building, Hotel Okura, Tokyo, Japan

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The Hotel Okura has released the new Hotel Okura design to the press.
They published what they will keep and what they will not keep.
What they will keep original
The Okura lantern
The pram table sets
The world clock
The floor lump

What they will not keep original, the craftsman will renovate.
Timbering latticework designed on hemp leaves
The wall paint designed folding screen


New Hotel Okura Tokyo

24 October 2015

Cathay Pacific San francisco airport lounge, San Francisco, CA, USA

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Cathay Pacific business class lounge, San Francisco, California, USA


Cathay Pacific placed a lot of lounge all over the world where they have the flights. The North America is the major long haul route in the CX.

The interior was the prior typical design of the Cathay Pacific lounge. The wall was white, the marble long counters and noodle bar.

On my visiting, there were a lot of passengers to waiting for the CX flight. They had some bowls of noodle from the noodle bar as the other Cathay pacific lounge. The flight was mid-night and the passengers looked very tired and spent their each time as they liked.

I had a bowl of wan tan mien on the white marble counter located in the centre of the lounge. The high counter was similar to one in the Narita lounge. The noodle has nice texture but a little bit boiled. I was satisfied on the pre-flight noodle and the last meal in the United States.

 

22 October 2015

Tendon Tenya(天丼てんや), Shinjuku, Tokyo [Fast food of Japan]

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Tempura(てんぷら 天麩羅) is very famous Japanese food in the world as the Sushi. This style of food is originated in Portugal. The idea and technique of the flying food with the oil were come with the gun on 1542. The flied food had started to develop in the island of Japan.
Tempura in Japan has the lovely characters as crispy, marriage with oil, nice smell or nice colour. The green vegetable or shrimp will get the fresh colour in themselves.
 
The Tendon Tenya(天丼てんや) is very popular Ten-don restaurant in Japan. Ten-don(天丼 てんどん) is some Tempuras topped on the rice bowl and dropped soy sauce based sauce (たれ Tare) till sinking into the bottom rice. The topped Tempura has various ingredients as shrimp, mushrooms, vegetables, sometimes combined ingredients called as Kakiage(かき揚げ).
 
The Tempura is crispy and the sauce and rice is very nice marriage. All things are very reasonable at this chain restaurant. One bowl of Ten-don costs around five USD.
 
 


The mascot character of Tenya


20 October 2015

Dukes bar, Dukes hotel London, St James`s, Westminster, London, UK

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Like James Bond? No, command him.

The Dukes hotel in London is very famous as the hotel has Dukes bar. This hotel was located in the heart of Westminster. The most famous gentlemen who have some drinks at this bar may be Ian Fleming. The signature martini is not shaken, not stirred.

 
The recipe is very simple, as almost persons may can make it. But the service on the wood cart and bar atmosphere will add some flavour on the glass. The bartenders will serve the martini on the wooden cart. He dropped one dash of vermouth in the martini glass and pour the gin, normally No.3 gin from berry brothers co., into the glass and twist the Sicily lemon above the glass.

I just recommend you to remove the lemon peel from your glass, if you will take long time to enjoy it.

The shaken vodka martini which I tasted out of Japan is a kind of beer. Loose ice (almost melted, containing air bubble) and rough and careless bartenders caused very poor martini oversea.
 https://www.dukeshotel.com/dukes-bar/

17 October 2015

Aji Oshizushi, Ofuna-ken, Eki-ben (駅弁紀行 鰺乃押寿し 大船軒), Shinjuku station, Tokyo

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The Eki-ben is one of the live museums of the diversity of Japanese food. The Eki-ben is the lunch box filled with local foods in the small box and sold at the railway station all over the Japan. The package or box has lovely print come from the local landmark or some characters.


This Aji Oshizushi is originally come from the Ofuna Station on the Tokaido line. The station has the junction among the Tokaido line, Yokosuka line and Negishi line in Japan Railway East. The Ofuna is located around one hour distance from the Tokyo main station. Around Ofuna area is known as Shonan area, there are a lot of beachs or marine spot and old city, Kamakura. When I caught an express train from Ofuna station, I used to buy a box of Aji Oshizushi at the plat home.
 

The sour taste is nicely matched with lager beer like as the malt vineger with fish and chips and beer.
 
The taste was very classical with sweet and sour from rice vinegar. Oshizushi in Japanese means pressed (Oshi) Sushi. This style of Sushi is major in Kansai area as Osaka or Kyoto.

 
The texture of this Aji Oshizushi was similar to the Edo-mae Sushi. As the name of Oshizushi, the fish was pickled with rice vinegar and softly pressed in the box. The soft rice ball texture was kept in the box and the pickled Aji got a little bit stickiness. The taste and texture were very simple but very familiar taste for Japanese.
 


 
 


15 October 2015

Lin Heung tea house, Dim sum restaurant (蓮香楼 中環 香港), Hong Kong

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The Old Hong Kong had gone anywhere.
 
The Dim sum in Hong Kong was one of the most favourite events for the Japanese traveler. A lot of Dim sum restaurants have made the branch at the major cities in Japan or South East Asian countries as Thailand, Singapore or Philippines.
This Dim sum restaurant, named Lin Heung tea house, was used to be highly closed for the foreigners at least seven years ago. The name showed some exotic with "smell of Lotus." There were several reports from the Cantonese spoken travellers but rare traveller had been able to get the seat in this restaurant. Almost all customers had been the local people. Each gentleman had enjoyed their own time at this personal space eating their dim sum, sipping tea or reading newspapers. The atmosphere of this restaurant was exclusive to Hong Kong people. There were also European visitor but no one were able to get their seat.
The traditional atmosphere of the classical Hong Kong sky line.
 
At First... The tea sets were served, please wash dishes, bowls, chopsticks and spoons with the tea.
 
On this visit in the middle summer of August, the atmosphere and condition were very changed. There were a lot of Mainlander, Japanese or Taiwanese traveler in this restaurant. The stuffs became very friendly, kind and nice service men. I felt the huge gap between the past and present states of this restaurant.
The interior and the dinning space.
 
Like Chaos, but very controlled in these days.
 
The interior, food or service was still alive as my last visiting. The Hong Kong local people have been changed. The exclusive, closed and dark atmosphere was gone. The customers have enjoyed talking with their friends over Dim sum in Cantonese. Hong Kong was and is changing, but the character of Hong kong people must not easily been changed. I was so surprised at the change of condition or the character of the local people of Hong Kong.
The Dim sum was very lovely and reasonable price. The juicy pork, ginger or other spice flavour, shrimp texture and taste of tea were same as my last visit. The tough and thick white dishes showed the oily shine on themselves. The bamboo steamers have brownish grey points from the foods. The young couple sitting next to us can talk in English and smile at us.
 
 
 
The staff on the table was not changed as the time had stopped.
 
Lin Heung Tea House
G/F 160-164 Wellington street, Central, Hong Kong
Reservation: 25444556

13 October 2015

Yabu, Robinson mall, Malate, Manila, Philippines

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Popular Taste from Japan in Manila


The fashionable dinning in Manila is visiting the Japanese Katsu restaurant. The famous Katsu restaurant was come to Manila from Japan. There is very popular and posh restaurant serving Katsu as Bairin, Saboten and Maisen. This Yabu has joined the group of Ippudo which serve Hakata style Ramen.
Out view

The interior of this restaurant was very modern Japanese style. All things are very clean, well service and . The Katsu restaurant in Japan was oily table, smell of lard oil, the menu board with oil tan.

The Entrance view. the design was modern Japanese style.

All things are completely Japanese style with sesame mill to rice. The common Katsu restaurant serves Katsu with sliced cabbage as main plate, rice from Japonica, miso soup and pickles.
The sesame in the mill bowl will be served on your seated. Milled sesame by you is combined with brown sauce to be eated with Katsu. You will mill sesami in the bowl with the milling stick. The favourite extent will be depend on each customer. I reccommend you to mill sesame mildly. Long time to mill sesami will occur bitter taste in the sauce.
The set of the Filet Katsu.

The Ton-katsu of Yabu was nice. It was not so difference from that in Japan, nice texture of the pork meat, crispy surface, comfortable oil and well matched sauce. The Katsu was served with fresh cabbage. I prefer the cabbage with brown sauce sold as brodog sauce, you have the choice from the shop selection of the dressing sauce.

Katsu

There was a little bit disappointed thing in this restaurant, the rice. The rice was very important part of this style of meal. Soft but un-loosed texture, nice smell of rice is one of the essences of the Japanese food. The COE of this restaurant should educate how to cook the rice of Japanese style.

I hope I will try the Katsu-Don in this restaurant chain.


The atmosphere. the staff were very nice service person.
The web site: http://yabu.ph/

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