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.

Showing posts with label Western food. Show all posts

24 May 2016

Buffalo Burger, Martini burger, Kagurazaka, Shinjuku, Tokyo

Lim Ken 24 May 2016 16:00 , , , , , , No comments :
 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
Open Tuesday–Saturday: 11:00–23:00 (LO 22:00); Sunday, 11:00–22:00 (LO 21:00). Closed Mondays, unless national holiday. 

10 May 2016

The Wellington Pie, The Dining Room, the Goring Hotel, Mayfair, London

Lim Ken 10 May 2016 16:00 , , , No comments :

The evening in London, After Dukes Martini at Dukes Bar

I had not known any tinny things about this luxury hotel. The concierge at the Dukes Hotel whispered to recommend the fine dining at the Goring Hotel. We, with my friend, would had liked to have some very British but fine cuisine in Westminster. After a glass of Dukes Martini at the Dukes Bar, we have visited the Goring Hotel to have a sapper.

Hotel entrance

The common sense in Japan about the British foods was the worst in the foreign countries. I also had “not so good” but memorable experiences in the United Kingdom on the foods; as hard Roast beef in Scotland, Spaghettis from can in host family or fried frozen fish and chips at Inverness. All sappers were very nice because the told stories or atmosphere were lovely British.

The interior of the dining room

European global service at London

At the Dining Room, we had been introduced the white table clothed comfortable table. The waiters or service person were come from foreign countries as France or Italy but they had communicated in the British English. On the contrast there were only French people in the fine dining in France, British people were tolerant at this time, may had kept mind of the Great British Empire.

The course



The crab cake

Wellington Pie, The signature dish at the Goring Dinning

I have started with the crab cake as the starter. We had the Wellington pie as the main course. The crab cake was the general style in UK. The crab meat and the citrus flavour were fine. The Wellington pie was the brilliant dish at this course. The pied beef rolled with foie gres contained the lovely meat juice. The roast degree has very nice like medium rear stakes. The sauce with the pie also showed the traditional British. We had three course dinner as starter, main and dessert. All courses have satisfied us with the quality and service.

Whole Wellington Pie


Served Wellington Pie

desert pudding

As the advanced knowledge on my post-visiting, the Goring hotel, which had the Royal warrant of her majesty Queen Elizabeth, was where Princess Catherine had spent her last night of single before wedding. The Dining Room had first Michelin star in 2015.

 

4 February 2016

Hayashi rice, M&C cafe, Maruzen, Oazo, Marunouchi, Tokyo

Lim Ken 4 February 2016 16:00 , , , , No comments :
Hayashi raisu (Hayashi rice) is the symbol of the modern Japanese food on the opening of Japan and Meiji era. A lot of Western food were come into Japan from European countries and United States. The custom of eating animal meat were also come into Japan. The Sukiyaki which was cooked thin sliced beef with sweet soy sauce on flat pan, was developed in Meiji era.
There were a lot of “Western food” (Japanese call Yoshoku 洋食) developed only in Japan. Hamburger steak, curry and rice, Ebi furai (fried Shrimp), Korokke (croquette) or Hayashi raisu were major and well known Western style Japanese foods. Each dishes were uniquely evolved from the European original recipe into fitted Japanese tastes. The basic sauce, demi-glace sauce, in Yoshoku were kept in each restaurant or family. A lot of families used the instant food or tinned sauces.
The Hayashi rice were served brown beef sauce and rice on one plate. Interestingly, the Yoshoku dishes were served with some rice in traditional.  The brown sauce of Hayashi rice was including braised sliced onion and beef or pork meat, tomato puree, red wine and demi-glace sauce. I preferred mushrooms as ingredients in Hayashi rice. If you like more formal style in Hayashi rice, the butter rice must be served with sauce.
Hayashi rice in M&C cafe
This Hayashi rice has several histories in the origin. One was come from the Hashed beef with Rice. According to this story, Hashed was corrupted into “Hayashi.” The cooking method was very similar to the Hayashi rice. Hayashi rice must be cooked as more strong flavour and taste of demi-glace sauce. Another one was from the family name who developed this dish. The establisher the book store of Maruzen, named Yuteki Hayashi, were produced the braised beef and some vegetable with demi glass sauce.
The roots of this dish in the cooking method had also two theories. The Hashed beef was already written above. The Gulyas from Hungary was served in the Royal family in Japan. The Gulyas were arranged into the Hayashi rice.
The Hayashi rice in M&C café in Maruzen book store of Marunouchi Oazo was one of the famous dishes of Hayashi rice in Tokyo. The nice demi-glace sauce brown were covered on the plate and the taste of sauce were including the essence of vegetable and beef. Soy sauce might be put to give the sauce a subtle flavour.
 
 The view from the huge window of this cafe was lovely with the commuter trains and bullet trains.
 

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