Showing posts with label Shinjuku. Show all posts
24 May 2016
Buffalo Burger, Martini burger, Kagurazaka, Shinjuku, Tokyo
Far East
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fast food
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Japan
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Kagurazaka
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Shinjuku
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Tokyo
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Western food
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The Classical New York Style Burger at Shinjuku, Tokyo
This burger shop was established by Eliot Bergman who
was born and grew in New York. This burger shop is serving the modern but
pure-blooded American style burger which was built the identity till 1950s,
before the MacDonald chain had spread their territory, as the bread and beef
pate were nicely selected. If you go to Sasebo which has the US Navy base,
there are a lot of just old American style burger shops around the city.
The huge glass window signed the shop name “Martini
burger” lead the beautiful sun shine into the shop on the sunny day. The owner,
Eliot, was teaching English spoken in Upper east coast, to his staff. The
furniture was simple but well selected for making the atmosphere of down town
in New York. In the centre of the shop, there was the white and simple bar
counter the owner leaned and observed the outside of the shop.
Mr. Bergman named a lot of style of burger after the
area of New York City as Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn. I have ordered the Buffalo
Burger with buffalo spicy sauce and gorgonzola sauce. The burger steak was made
from 100% beef meats. In Japan, it is very difficult to find the 100% beef
burger shop in these islands.
They also served the lovely selection of liquors or
wines. The shop vodkas for Martini were Absolute including several flavours. We
can have some Californian Wine from their selection.
The combination of Martini with burger reminds me the
happy hour custom in the bars of 1990s in the United States. The customs had
not developed in 21st century. This combination seems a little bit
old – fashioned style in New York.
Web site: http://martini-burger.com/en
Nakazatocho 31, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0804
(03) 6280 8920
(03) 6280 8920
Open Tuesday–Saturday: 11:00–23:00 (LO 22:00); Sunday, 11:00–22:00 (LO 21:00). Closed Mondays, unless national holiday.
8 March 2016
Breakfast as Parisien at Kagurazaka, Paul, Kagurazaka, Tokyo
Breakfast
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Far East
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French food
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Japan
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Kagurazaka
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Shinjuku
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Tokyo
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The Boulangeries Paul is a famous chain bread maker in the world. From 1990, this company had spread their shops in Japan. There were twenty two shops around Japan, run under real pasco company franchise ship.
The set of tea or coffee and some bread was served in the morning. That morning, I had a cup of café crème and some patisseries from the show window.
The method was kept as original recipe from main branches in France. But butter or flower were bought by the local factories. The flavour of butter and dough was a little bit different from that in France.
6 March 2016
Wasabi or Horse radish? Tsuzuku, Ushigome Yanagicho (つず久 牛込柳町 新宿), Shinjuku, Tokyo
Far East
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Japan
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Japanese food
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Shinjuku
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Tokyo
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Today, I
would like to introduce the small Izakaya at Ushigome-yanagicho in Tokyo. This
small restaurant has Wasabi rice as the signature dish. They use Ezo wasabi
which is horse radish naturally grown in Hokkaido, for Wasabi rice.
The interior of this shop. The posters shown the nostalgic Showa era.
Wasabi, the most important Japanese ingredient
Wasabi is very important herb in Japanese food. If you had tried Sushi in the world, you had taste the flavour with hot taste which came through to nose. The flavour might be the taste and flavour of wasabi as sold in Japan or overseas Japanese food shop. But we must wonder the strong flavour is whether wasabi or horse radish including.
The farming
and producing wasabi is very difficult. The plant of wasabi is very sensitive
for environment they grow up. In Japan, we can taste wasabi at any Japanese
restaurant. The staff or Itamae will shave the root of wasabi. The taste is
flash-ly hot but the flavour is flesh and cold like breeze in spring.
You can get
wasabi paste in supermarkets in Japan. The paste of wasabi in tube like tooth
paste, will spoil tongue of your children. Almost all wasabi paste was made
from horse radish as the reason the flavour was similar to wasabi. The flavour
will be different from wasabi in flesh and cold.
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| steamed rice was served in silver pot made as the Traditional Japanese style. |
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| rice with topped wasabi and soy sauce. The Nori(seaweed) was very nice flavour on this rice. |
Ezo wasabi sent from Hokkaido to this restaurant.
As usual at Izakaya, we had started our dinner with Sashi-mori (selected Sashimi from today`s fishes)
Fried wild vegetable was very flesh green smell and we can feel the harshness from the vegetables. Warabi, Fuki-no-tou or Zenmai is popular ingredient from mountains.
23 February 2016
Biryani, Indian restaurant Omoinoki, Kagurazaka (ビリヤニ インド料理 想いの木 神楽坂 東京), Tokyo Japan
Smell of spice mixture hanged in the air at the upper
Kagurazaka Street in the evening. I found this phenomenon on one evening after
the rain in autumn. Another day, several Indian staff of this restaurant had
come downstairs with talking. Then I recognized this Indian food
restaurant.
the entrance
Interior
The modern interior
The narrow steep stirs were faced us on the entrance of this
restaurant. The steps were wooden and the linen curtain (Noren) was hang at the
entrance. The interior of the restaurant was the modern Japanese style. The pure
wood table, white wall and orange light showed warm and relaxed atmosphere. The
dishes were made as Japanese style. A lot of architecture of Japanese or Chinese calligraphy were placed on the wall.
Salad of Chickpea
Service and dishes
This restaurant basically served North Indian food, cooked by Indian cooks. One of chef was experience working at the five-star hotel in India. The Japanese style interior and service was combined with Indian local tastes. |
| Potato Samosa |
Biryani mutton
I ordered Biryani, salad and Samosa. Mutton Biryani was
very nice. The Biryani was very traditional Indian style. The rice in Biryani in Omoinoki was long Indica rice spices. The portion was small but enough to stomach of Japanese male. Smell of
mutton, northern style of mixture of herbs and spice was polished. Some sweet
herbs were added and show nice marriage on taste. Omoinoki has also nice wine
selection from the wine cellar.
Interior of the restaurant. Chinese old poem calligraphy was placed on the white wall
Reservation is recommended.
Phone: +81-3-3235-4277
18 February 2016
Chuka Soba, Ramen, Tanakaya, Kagurazaka (中華そば 田中屋 神楽坂), Tokyo
Far East
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Japan
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Kagurazaka
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Ramen
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Shinjuku
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Tokyo
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Sophisticated ramen stand in Kagurazaka
Ramen shop had opened in off-street Upper area of
Kagurazaka. The atmosphere of Upper Kagurazaka is very quiet and sophisticated
street through the Kagurazaka station of Tozai line. A lot of shops,
restaurants or Bars which were simple but high quality and sometimes
fastidiousness, as Sanlucar bar, Bar Kakinuma or Omoino ki, stood along this
streets.
The Kagirazaka style ramen
The ramen at this Tanaka-ya might have reflected the atmosphere of this place. Light yellow clear soup was made from pork bone soup stock base. The taste of salt was not strong but helped the taste of the soup stock. The soup may have been nicely cooked by the chef of this ramen stand. The noodle was little bit thick, straight. All toppings of the ramen were basic but well selected and nicely cooked. The texture, taste and flavour were very soft touch to our five senses.
The serving style was also lovely. Ramen bowl was placed on a plate.
The name, Chuka Soba (meaning Chinese noodle), will recall
us about the traditional soy sauce based, brown soup stock. The concept of
Chuka Soba had fitted to this quiet town, Kagurazaka.
2 February 2016
Foie gras and strawberry, Enoteca Laura, Kagurazaka, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Far East
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Italian food
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Japan
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Kagurazaka
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Shinjuku
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Tokyo
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About the restaurant of Enoteca Laura at Kagurazaka : http://edst23.blogspot.jp/2015/06/enoteca-laura-kagurazaka-tokyo.html
Strawberry is shipped to the market in Japan from late
December to early April. The strawberry on early phase is for the Christmas
cake as the commercial market. From late January, the taste and flavour of
strawberry in market are getting better, sweeter and richer.
The strawberry has also lovely matched with white wine
including champagne. This corroboration this small red fruits and white wine
were giving more flavour and taste each other.
The combination of foie gras and strawberry is one of the
best marriage in the foie gras combination. The combi with Hoshigaki (dried
persimmons) in SIGNATURE of Mandarin Oriental Tokyo showed the new marriage of
foie gras. The texture and condensed sweetness of dried persimmons were well
balanced on the dish. This combi with strawberry show Japanese style European
dish.
The sautéed Foie gras were cooked as complete European dish.
The scattered strawberry were mixed the cooked ones and raw ones. The cooked
ones had got sweeter taste, and the raw one had given the flavour on the dish. The
texture of both type of strawberries were also contrasts.
The wine with this dish will be the most difficult to
discuss. Champagne must be nice as Bollinger or Recoltant blanc de noir. The
sweet wine as Sauternes will be musty and show the identity of itself.
I choose I Giusti & Zanza.
23 January 2016
Niku-miso Tofu and Shaoxingju Hai ball, Juuroku milli (sixteen millimetre), Kagurazaka (十六公厘 神楽坂), Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Chinese food
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Far East
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Japan
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Kagurazaka
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Shinjuku
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Tokyo
No comments
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Chinese tapas bar for whoever love to take various liquor at
Kagurazaka
The narrow wall with navy blue tiles was the trade mark of
this bar. The space was narrow and long. The cooking stove was placed beside
the entrance. The sign of this restaurant was the trend of the letter design in Taiwan.
The chef was come from Taiwan and cooked very local tastes but major menu of Chinese food. All food will match the liking for the people who love to drink.
The selections of drink were very simple but showing the master's abilities for the blending or making. The Shaoxingjiu with Soda and the ginger soda (vodka base drink) was nice drink for the starter. The hot Shaoxingjiu was served lovely temperature for warming your body in the chilled winter evening.
The chef was come from Taiwan and cooked very local tastes but major menu of Chinese food. All food will match the liking for the people who love to drink.
The selections of drink were very simple but showing the master's abilities for the blending or making. The Shaoxingjiu with Soda and the ginger soda (vodka base drink) was nice drink for the starter. The hot Shaoxingjiu was served lovely temperature for warming your body in the chilled winter evening.
The entrance of the Chinese tapas bar
The menu card of drinks.
Niku Miso Tofu
Buta bara Itame (pork boned rib)
Braised chicken wings
22 January 2016
Chinese mitten crab (Shanghai crab), Meisyan, Kagurazaka, Shinjuku (梅香 神楽坂), Tokyo
Chinese food
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Far East
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Japan
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Kagurazaka
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Shinjuku
,
Tokyo
No comments
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Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) was called as
Shanghai crab in Japan. This ingredient was very familiar to the gourmand in
Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Mainland East coast of China. The season of this
crab is generally October to December.
The crab is very popular ingredients of the winter season in
Japan. Hokkaido and prefectures of Sea of Japan side had landing fisherman’s port
which had also well-known fisherman’s market. The period of fishing Kobako kani
(Kobako crab) in Ishikawa prefecture had strictly fixed from 6th
November to 29th December in female crab for preservation of this
crab spices.
spring roll of Shanghai crab
This restaurant had served the Shanghai crab as the Shanghai
style. The steamed crab were common in Chinese restaurant in Far East. The crab
pickled in Shaoxingjiu or fried spring roll with crab were served.
The crab pickled with Shaoxingjiu (drunken crab) will give
us the taste of whole body of crab meat in the spirits flavour. The Shaoxingjiu
taste and flavour was similar to matured whiskey in sherry barrels or Sherry wine,
the sweet taste and Ceylon tea like flavour. The complex flavour and taste were
stuffed into the crab meat and organs. The Kani Miso (カニ味噌 the internal organ of crab in the shell, orange to green
colour. Midgut gland, digestion system in crab) is the important part on tasting
crab meats. This part were including Umami and lipoid taste. The meat of almost-raw
crab, because this crab is just pickled in liquor for several days, has very
lovely texture, like jelly including fibre of protein and juicy body coming from
cholesterol.
The Shanghai crab pickled in Shaoxingjiu (drunken crab)
items for buttle with crab! the sciccors for shells, stick with spoon for meat.
The last one was Tantanmen
The period serving Chinese mitten crab at Meisyan (梅香) depend on the season of this crab. Usually, the season will started on late September.
4 January 2016
Rooster Bar, Shinjuku 3 Chome, Shinjuku, Tokyo
This bar was located on the first floor in the multi-tenant
building. From the ground floor, there was only stirs to first floor, next to
the mustard & wine A restaurant (former Chinese tapas Renge). The customer who
coming into this bar will face to the bar counter and a painting of Rooster as
the symbol of the bar.
The Art deco motive design shown the nicely matched with the
British traditional style furniture. The columns were Art deco style and hang
the lump made with glass. One set of Wingback chairs was placed on the floor,
in front of the door space. The leather covered the chairs were tanned red. The
red colour was nicely accent in the room.
The bar man was around 40 year old gentlemen who wear in the
white jacket. His name was Mr. Yamaguchi. He had told about single malt whiskey
and cigar. He will serve very lovely choice of whiskey from his selection and
also make some cocktail as your favourite. The Cigar selections were mainly come
from Cuba and chosen the short type for the customers as Peti corona.
16 December 2015
wine & mustard A, Shinjuku 3 chome, Tokyo
Australian
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Far East
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Japan
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Shinjuku
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Tokyo
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wine bar
No comments
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The Austrarian wines and ingredient were cooked with French
bistro style and Chinese essence
The prior restaurant Renge was closed on last July and moved
to Ginza. This Bistro style restaurant "wine & mustard A" has opened on middle
October, 2015. Mr. Muto who is the chef of this restaurant show French bistro
style with Chinese essence technique. A means Australia, first symbol of alphabet...
The courses were cooked as French bistro style presentation.
The ingredient or basic soup was like as the Chinese food or Japanese food. Mr.
Muto made some accent with Umami from sea bream soup stock, Kinka hum. Some
main ingredient lamb or mustards were come from Oceania. The wine and Mustards
from Oceania were mainly from Tasmania. The Mustards were Hillfarm Preserve
Tasmania. The mustards flavour will be matched with the ingredients.
17 October 2015
Aji Oshizushi, Ofuna-ken, Eki-ben (駅弁紀行 鰺乃押寿し 大船軒), Shinjuku station, Tokyo
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.
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.
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.
13 July 2015
Pangjan Reimen, Okubo (板橋冷麺 大久保 東京), Tokyo, Japan
Far East
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Japan
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Korean food
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Shinjuku
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Tokyo
No comments
:
The taste of the Reimen was nice but...
I had several pieces of seafood pan cake and Reimen. The Reimen was nice. The beef soup stock with sweet taste gave soft texture into the noodles. Noodles were made from sweet potato. The texture of noodle is very sticky and tasteless. Reimen may be the seasonal dish for summer. The upper class people will taste that in the warm room on winter season in Korea. The The seafood pan cake is usual taste around Korean town in Japan.
I had very regrettable events in this shop. I was started with the whisky with soda which was popular drink like beer in Japan and called Hai ball. The liquor company had made the rule the shop can easily serve consistent drinks. The drink I was served was very weak whisky soda. I looked that the other customers had claimed about their weak. The chef and other staff are come from Korea which was already developed in economy. The Korean economy or industry were let pass with Korean mind? I found we should pay attention on the Korean people behave dishonestly on every situation. I felt very sad when I visited this shop to enjoy the nice Reimen.
9 June 2015
Meisyan, Kagurazaka (梅香, 四川料理, 神楽坂), Tokyo, Japan
Chinese food
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Far East
,
Japan
,
Kagurazaka
,
Shinjuku
,
Tokyo
No comments
:
The perfect balance among the flavours and taste in Szechuan
dishes
There is small entrance and small dinning space, but warm
hospitality and delicious dishes. This small restaurant is located in front of
the metro station of Ushigome-Kagurazaka. This area of the Okubo Street is a
little bit darker than the other area of the street. The light of the
restaurant looks like the oasis in the desert. The interior was very simple
like the local restaurants in the Taipei city centre.
The staff of this restaurant are two ladies and sisters. They
serve the courses with their great chemistry coming from the relation of
sisters. The menu list show they have deep insight in also the wine.
On my visiting, I ordered hors d'oeuvres, Mapo doufu (Sichuan
dish of tofu and minced meat) and Tan tan men (Szechuan dish of noodles covered
with a sauce of sesame paste and chili oil). As the hors d’oeuvres, they served
firefly squid pickled with shaoxingjiu (紹興酒), beef reticulum and steamed
chicken with chili oil (口水鶏).
口水鶏
夫妻肺片
The Mapo doufu (麻婆豆腐) is the best dish on my
experience. The flower of Japanese pepper was significantly flavoured and
tasted on this dish, but the chef was able to control the balance of the each
element. This dish has a power of exhalation in our body, the Japanese pepper
has also effect to warm stomach.
The tan tan men without soup was the last course. The
texture and flavour of pine nuts was nicely matched with the sauce and noodle.
The half size of tan tan men
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