Sushi: Dinner at Sushi Ko (December 2013) in Shizuoka City!

Chef Kenta Birukawa/尾留川健太さん

Service: Pro and very friendly
Facilities: Very clean. Excellent toilets
Prices: Reasonable to slightly expensive
Strong points: Great variety of seafood from Shizuoka Prefecture and the rest of Japan. Great list of sake and shochu

I don’t really have to introduce Sushi Ko in Aoba Street, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City and its main chef, Chef Kenta Birukawa/尾留川健太さん!
So what did we have last night?

Negi toro snack to accompany the first drink!

Sake brewed by Fujinishiki Brewery in Fujinomiya City: Junmai Ginjyo nama, Sushi Ko Edo no Kaori!

We asked Chef Kenta Birukawa/尾留川健太さん to prepare a whole filefish called Umazura/Horse Face!

O-tsukuri-style sashimi Plate with scallion!

Just wrap the sashimi around the scallion!

And dip them in a sauce made the live fish liver!

Chef Kenta Birukawa/尾留川健太さん kept some of the sashimi and liver to make those beautiful nigiri sushi!

And we had the cheeks of the fish deep-fried!

3 different fish zuke (marinated) set!

Buri/Amberjack!

Akami/Lean tuna!

Salmon!

Japanese foie gras/Ankimo/Frog fish liver!

Shiokara/Pickled cuttle fish for the dragon!

Hotatae/Scallop nigiri!

Amaebi/Sweer Shrimps!

Negitoro maki!

Grilled watari gani crab miso!

Chawan Mushi/Japanese-style steamed salted pudding!

Tamago Yaki!

And complimentary strawberries!

SUSHI KO
420-0032 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho, 2-3-1 (Aoba Park Street)
Tel.: 054-251-9701
Business Hours： 17:00~25:00. 17:00~23:00 （Sundays）
Closed on Wednesdays
Reservations recommended
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (in Japanese)
Smoking allowed. Private room can be arranged for non-smoking (4 people)

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Sashimi Plate at Nishiki Izakaya in Shizuoka City!

Service: Kind, friendly and attentive if a bit shy
Facilities and equipment: Very clean overall. Excellent washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Higher-level izakaya gastronomy. Superb fish, local for most. Great sake and shochu list.

I have known Chef Yoshiyuki Nishitani for quite some time, back to the years before he decided to fly on his own wings.
It didn’t take im much time to create himself a niche in the highly competitive izakaya scene in Shizuoka City.

Nishiki is a little away from the nightlife hubub of Shizuoka City in Aoi Ku acoss the Showa Street and is cozy with a single long counter propitious to a rich conversation with your neighbors and the chef.

I will have to taste those Kansai-style oden next time as I had little to spare on that particular visit!

There are plenty of sake at Nishiki, including local ones, so I treated myself to a small bottle of Shosetsu brewed by Kanasawagawa Brewery in Yui, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City!

I was given a great snack of re sweet potato and edamame salad while my sashimi plate was being prepared!

The little detail that makes you feel welcome!

The sashimi plate!

Tachiuo Aburi/Seared Scabbard Fish!

Isaki/Chicken Grunt (it’s a fish!)

Kanburi/Winter Amberjack from Northern Kyoto, the only fish of the day not from Shizuoka!

Madago Octopus!

Mebachi/Big-eyed Tuna

Great attention in small succulent details!

Winter Amberjack under skin toro!

And how much did I pay for the sashimi plate, the tidbits and the sake?
24 US $/20 Euros!
At thei level of freshness, quality and variety, izakaya and restaurants in bigger cities will be hard put to serve the same as such a reasonable price!

NISHIKI

Chef: Yoshiyuki Nishitani/西谷喜幸さん

Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa-cho, 2-2-1, Livenet Aoba, 1F
tel.: 054-251-7991
Opening hours: 17:00~02:00
Closed on Tuesdays

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Sushi Video Report: Ekimae Matsuno Sushi in Shizuoka City!

Service: Very friendly, attentive and informative
Facilities: Overall clean if a bit old-fashioned
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Mainly local fish and seafood. Local sake. Always ready to improvise!

Showing the access right across form Shizuoka JR Station north exit

We here in Shizuoka are not The True World Foods or Tsukiji!
Mr. Andrea Petrini, can you hear me? Ou m’entendez-vous?

Showing the sake and display window.

In shizuoka one does not need spend untold amounts of money or eat cheap sushi at crowded places to savor truly local, hyper fresh sea products and this accompanied by some of the rarest and best sake in Japan.
just get off Shizuoka JR Station from the north exit and you will find Ekimae Matsuno Sushi Restaurant just beyond Matsuzakaya Department Store on your left hand side.

This venerable institution has been standing on the same spot since well before the WWII and has always boasted more local fish served than anywhere else.
It does not need to show off or take grand airs but still has the courage to declare the restaurant as a non-smoking haven!

Showing the trumpet fish and the first sashimi plate

For once this shirako/白子/male cod sperm/milt sacs were not from Shizuoka but all the other fish I sampled were!

The above shirako was served to accompany a superb sake by Kokou Brewery (Fukuroi City)
At 16~17 degrees it is a ginjo genshu bottled in October 2013. V\beautiful nuttey taste withhints of dark chocolate and coffee beans!

My first plate of sashimi consisted of from bottom to top and left to right:
–Seared Scabbard Fish/Tachiuo aburi/太刀魚炙り (also called Largehead hairtail or Cutlass Fish.
-Ara/Sawedged Perch/アラ
–Kihada/黄肌/Yellowfin Tuna
–Yagara/Trumpet Fish-Cornet Fish/ヤガラ

Trumpet Fish!

Muro aji/Bleeker’s sashimi plate!

The next sashimi plate was Ｍuro Ａji/Bleeker/ムロアジ, a variety of Horse Mackerel!
It was serve both as normal sashimi and tataki/Japanese tartare!

The Master of the House at work!

The nigiri sushi and dessert!

Then it was the turn of nigiri sushi!
From left to right:
-Kihada Akami/金肌赤身/Yellowtail lean part
–Hooboo/魴鮄/Spiny Red Gurnard
–Ma Aji/真鯵/Japanese Jack mackerel
–Kohada or the skin and flesh of konoshiro/小肌/Dotted Gizzard Shad
–Oori Ika/障泥烏賊/Bigfin Reef Squid

Anago/穴子Conger Eel!

Home-made chestnuts yokan/Japanese jelly, marinated ginger and finely chopped takuan/pickled Japanese daikon!

The maki/sushi rolls to finish!

Negitoro Maki/ネギトロ巻/Scraped tuna with chopped scallions!

Kampyou maki/干瓢巻/Dried shavings of calabash/gourd

See you there!

EKIMAE MATSUNO SUSHI/駅前松乃寿
Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Koya Machi, 3-3 (Just in front of Shizuoka JR Railway Station
Tel.: 054-252-0123
Business hours: 11:00~21:00
Closed on Wednesdays and 3rd Tuesday
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Japanese Izakaya & Seafood Restaurant: Senbon Ichi in Numazu City!

Service: Shy but attentive and kind
Facilities: Traditional but very clean. Very clean washroom.
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Local fish directly from the harbor. Excellent local sake list

Senbon Ichi is a very traditional Japanese izakaya which specializes in fish as it is located in the middle of Numazu City fishing harbor, a major in Japan that Tokyo couldn’t do without!

The draft beer served there, although not by a Shizuoka Brewery, is brewed in Shizuoka Prefecture!

As the Numazu harbor has been recently completely renovated I paid it a short visit before planning a longer one for an extensive report. I still took the time to eat lunch at Senbon Ichi (which has two establishments under the generic name of Minato Ichi/湊一).

I want this poster of all the fishes caught in Japan!

At lunch time the main dining room is non smoking. Take a seat near the windows and you shouldn’t be affected by the smokers at the counter!

Great take-out deep-fried seafood available at reasonable prices, too!

Very good point in their favor: they serve no less than 14 local sake!

We decided to order the two specialties of the season and share them!

Dragon ordered the sakura ebi kakiage donburi/sushi rice top with deep-fried cherry shrimps, the specialty of Shizuoka!

A real beauty and plenty of it!

I pinched a few to eat with the beer! Great snack, I assure you!

The interesting thing is that there is a layer of grilled horse mackerel under the shrimps!
Actually Dragon was also provided with hot tea to mix it with some of her donburi for a great o-cha-zuke!

As for me, I ordered a sushi donburi topped with local fish and seafood only!

A photograph for my gastronomic collection!

Raw shirasu/sardine whiting, sardine, horse mackerel, negitoro/grated tuna!

Amberjack and a rose of tuna!

Tamagoyaki, seabream and prawn!

You will find a layer of finely chopped dry seaweed between the sushi rice and the sashimi!
So healthy!

SENBON ICHI
410-0845 Numazu City, Senbon Minato Cho, 101, 3rd and 4th F
Tel.: 055-952-0025
Fax: 055-952-0022
Opening hours: 11:30~14:30 (11:00~15:30 on week-ends and National Holidays), 17:00~21:30
Closed on Tuesdays (except on National Holidays)
Groups up to 80 OK
Credit cards OK
Free taxi service for groups of 7, 9 or 14 from and to Numazu, Katahama and Mishima JR Stations upon phone bookings!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Shop with Intent by Debbie
BULA KANA in Fiji
Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Sushi Restaurant: New Concept at Sushi Ko-Miue in Shizuoka City!

Service: Very kind and easy-going[
Facilities: Impeachable cleanliness. Superb washroom
Prices: Reasonable to slightly expensive
Strong points: Unusual and happy combination of Sushi and French gastronomies. Shizuoka sake and even shochu!
Entirely non-smoking (extremely rare for a sushi restaurant!)!

Only a few weeks ago Chef Yukitoshi Oda/小田幸寿さん, formerly of Sushi Ko Sushi Restaurant opened this new sushi restaurant in an entirely new concept for Shizuoka: A traditional sushi restaurant combined with a French restaurant!
The establishment is divided into two distinct adjoining parts: a 8-seat sushi bar-counter where customers who are interested in sushi should sit and a room with holes built in the floor to sit easily under low tables where one should sit if he/she wishes to enjoy a combination of both cuisines or only French gastronomy. The kitchens, althoug tiny, are clearly separated and they don’t interfere with each other.
The food, naturally is top-class with a strong accent on local fish and vegetables in particular and of superb freshness. As for drinks, sake, beer, wine and even local shochu are available!

And the icing on the cake, it is totally non-smoking!

To cut a long story short let me show you what we had for dinner the other day, a combination set of both cuisines!

The o-tooshi/snack coming with the first drink: naga-imo/long taro root and hotaru ika/tiny フィレｆｌｙｓくいｄ。

Basashi/馬刺し/horsemeat sashimi coming into two varieties: lean and fat!

The fatty variety.
Served with olive oil and grated garlic!

Sashimi plate: kinmedai/Splendid Alfonsino, hotaruika/firefly squid and madai/true seabream!

Minami magurao/South Pacific tuna, tachiuo/Scabbard fish, sayori/Japanese halfbeak, sakura ebi/cherry shrimp and hotate/scallops!

Nanban-style deep-fried chicken!

Japan and France meeting: maguro oshiri/tuna tail with cabbage, tomatoes and renkon/lotus roots!

the tuna is also minami maguro and sauteed.

Shizuoka City is famous for its succulent lotus roots!

The sushi plate!

Kuruma ebi/large prawn and minami maguro.

Minami maguro and uni/sea urchin! The latter, a creamy beauty!

Hime soba/buckwheat sprouts!

Buri/Japanese Amberjack!

The desserts are also a fusion concept: banana omelette/pancke and vanilla ice cream!

Dekopon oranges with their jelly and sorbet!

You can bet this is only the first (actually second, but it is a secret!) visit!

Sushi o Miue/寿し幸実宇栄
420-0852 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, kooya Machi, 13-6
Tel.: 054-221-3888
Opening hours: 17:30~indeterminate
Closed day not yet decided
Credit cards OK
Entirely non-smoking!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

BULA KANA in Fiji
Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Sushi: Shizuoka Chirashi Zushi at Ekimae Matsuno Sushi Restaurant!

Shizuoka Chirashi Zuzhi!

Service: Very friendly, attentive and informative
Facilities: Overall clean if a bit old-fashioned
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Mainly local fish and seafood. Local sake. Always ready to improvise!

Chirashi Zushi/散らし寿司 means “Decoration Sushi” in Japanese.
It can be considered as one of the oldest ways to make sushi in Japan!
The great advantage is the total freedom of design and inspiration!

Last Monday after having tasted many sake at the Shizuoka Sake: 2012 Shizuoka Prefecture New Sake Tasting Annual Meet, I and my good friend Marcus Grandon decided we had to eat something to help digest all that sake before we resumed work!
I had been wanting to eat Ekimae Matsunosushi Restaurant’s Shizuoka Chirashizushi lunch for a long time and this was the right occasion!

It is a full lunch indeed with small cockles miso soup.

Also featured are ginger and daikon pickles and a small dessert under the form of home-made kumquat compote!

The Shizuoka Shirashi zushi plate!
Let’s have a closer look and see what we can recognize!

Tuna, tamagoyaki/Jpaanese omelette, Soboro/sweet crumbled omelet, dried sakura ebi/Cherry shrimps, nori/dried seweed.

Tuna, shirasu/boiled sardine whiting, tamagoyaki/omelet/ anago/conger eel, shimesaba/pickled mackerel, dried sakura ebi.

Tuna, freshly grated wasabi, shirasu, tamagoyaki, anago, shimesaba, soboro and nori!

And it is a different offering every day!

To be followed…

EKIMAE MATSUNO SUSHI/駅前松乃寿
Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Koya Machi, 3-3 (Just in front of Shizuoka JR Railway Station
Tel.: 054-252-0123
Business hours: 11:00~21:00
Closed on Wednesdays and 3rd Tuesday
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India
Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London
Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Sashimi: Shizuoka Local Fish at Uosei in Heda, Izu Peninsula

Just came from another visit in Izu Peninsula!
This time another two and half hours car trip took us to Heda, a harbor part of Numazu City at the Western top of Izu Peninsula across from Mount Fuji.

Although a small harbor, Heda is well-known for one seafood I’ll introduce later!
We were not very fortunate today as the skies were overcast. By fine weather you can admire Mount Fuji in its full splendor just through the narrow gullet leading to the harbor waters.

No, this was not freshly caught from the sea!
Izu Peninsula is celebrated for its dried fish/himono/干物!

Here is the place we chose to have lunch.
Can you see the big crab?

The speciality I was talking about: Takaashigani/Long-Legged Crabb/高足蟹!

For a closer view.
These are small to medium-sized specimens.
Takaashigani is the largest crab in the world and it is caught only in Suruga Bay!

Now, this is the real size.
The pincers’s full length is over 1 metre each!

As we came there for work, we skipped the Takaashigani Lunch Set, which simply too big and opted for two different local sashimi lunch sets!

I chose the above: Amaebi/Sweet Shrimps/甘エビ, maguro/tuna/鮪, ika/cuttlefish/烏賊, and aji/hose mackerel/鯵.

My friend chose the single fish sashimi lunch set featuring horse mackerel!

For a side view!
There is need to say that the fish was freshe than anywhere else!
I was about to forget: and so delicious!

Moreover, Heda is worth a visit for its touristic charm!
Can you see the “torii/鳥居” in the distance?
A torii is a gate found at the entry of Shinto Shrine.

Beautiful, isn’t it?
This the torii of a Shrine called “Murokuchi”
The Shrine is there for the safety and prosperity of the local fishermen and households!

Do visit after a nice walk along the small beach or through the pine grove!

UOSEI
410-3402 Shizuoka ken, Numazu City, Heda, 580
Tel.: 0558-94-2114/0558-94-2598
Open from lunch to dinner

Access: Train & Bus= change trains at Mishima JR Station and go to Shuzenji. Get off at Shuzenji Station and take a bus to Heda.
By boat: Take a bus from Numazu JR Station to Numazu harbor and board one of the regular ships.
By Car Ferry: Board at Shimizu harbor and land at Doi, then drive to Heda.

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Chrisoscope, Agrigraph, The Agriculture Portal to shizuoka!

Shizuoka Marine Products at Sushi Ko: Seabream and Cuttlefish

Left: Tennen Madai/天然真鯛/Wild Red Seabream
Right: Aori Ika/障泥烏賊/Bigfin Reef Squid

Last night I had another occasion to visit my favorite Sushi Restaurant Sushi Ko in Aoba Koen/青葉公園/”Green Leaves Park” in Shizuoka City.
I go through many of my own traditional enquiries before choosing my morsels, and one of them is to find out what is on the “sashimi menu of the day”!

This was when I noticed two items labeled “Tennen/天然, meaning “natural/wild” from Shizuoka Prefecture, more precisly from the Suruga Bay:

Madai/真鯛/Red Seabream (English information, Japanese information)

The fish is not only served as sashimi, but being very fresh (actually alive in a tank at Sushi Ko!), it is also served with its skin in aburi/炙り/grilled style!
The flesh is extremely tender and almost sweet. No wonder it is so prized in Japan!

Aori Ika/障泥烏賊/Bigfin Reef Squid (English information, Japanese information)

Sushi Ko serves it in strips that have been indented at regular spaces for an easier bite and for a better exposure to taste.
The cuttlefish is in fact easy to chew and very tasty!

Notice the edible perilla/shiso/紫蘇 flowers and garted wasabi from Shizuoka, too!

Sushi Ko
shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho. 2-3-1 (Aoba Koen)
Tel.: 054-2512898
Business Hours： 17:00~25:00. 17:00~23:00 （Sundays）
Closed on Wednesdays
Reservations recommended
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

Sushi Restaurant: Autumnal Visit to Sushi Ko in Shizuoka City!

The other day the Missus and I paid our Autumnal visit to Sushi Ko, one of our favourite sushi restaurants in Shizuoka City!

Since I have already introduced this great restaurant many a time, I will skip the niceties and introduce what we had right away!

Katsuo aburi/seared bonito as an appetizer with the first drink.

Kampachi/Japanese Amberjack (Western-style) carpaccio.

Anago/conger eel. Notice that the wasabi is on top!

Ishidai/Seabream-Snapper variety

Kujira/whalemeat

Deep-fried tuna cubes.

Hotate/Scallops.

Magurozuke/Marinated tuna.

For a closer view of the same!

Tachiuo Aburi/Seared scabbard fish.

Sushi Millefeuille. Sorry for the fuzzy pic. I’m using a new cell phone camera!

One of the best local sake, Hatsukame!

East meets West: scallops gratin!

The Missus’ favourite: spicy scallops roll!

Vegan sushi!

Sakura/Horsemest.

Seafood miso soup with seaweed.

Botan Ebi/Large sweet prawns. Sorry for the fuzzy picture again!

The heads of the same, deep-fried!

Sushi Ko
shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho. 2-3-1 (Aoba Koen)
Tel.: 054-2512898
Business Hours： 17:00~25:00. 17:00~23:00 （Sundays）
Closed on Wednesdays
Reservations recommended
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Chrisoscope; Jacqueline Church; The Foodonymph (in Dubai!); Alchemy, Simple Ingredients, magical Food (in Ireland!); Curious Foodie; Mr. Foodie (London/UK)

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

Vegan Sashimi at Yasaitei (2010/06/30)

Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: very clean
Prices: reasonable
Specialty: Vegan and vegetarian Cuisine, Izakaya gastronomy, local products, oden.

The summer has come to Shizuoka with a vengeance after an unseasonably cool period. One has problems making and devising food and meals for such a period. It is when you have to think of a higher fluid/water and vitamin intake to complement your “usual” diet/eating prctices.

This is when fresh vegetables are vital!
Luckily enough, Shizuoka Prefecture is the most blessed region in Japan when it comes to varieties and quality.

Just go arond the innumerable small markets in town and suburbs and you will rediscover the riot of colours at Yasaitei, which almost exclusively serve local produce!

Do not forget that mushrooms can play a vital role in your diet!

One knows very quickly where all these beauties come from: Green asparaguses from Hokkaido!

I had a long day both indoors and outdoors yesterday, and I was literally dehydrated when I entered my favourite izakaya.
The fresh colours of yuba/tofu sheets served with grated Shizuoka wasabi and thinly shredded leek were a balm on my eyes and body.
With a glass of Doman rice shochu from Tenjigura-Hamamatsu Brewery, I could patiently wait for my vegetable sashimi order!

Just a little soy sauce with it, nothing else!

A side view of the picture at the top of this posting.

A slanted view to show the mizu nasu/water egg plant, a Japanese variety that is best eaten raw, cruchy celery, crunchy (and so juicy) daikon on shiso, perilla leaf atop chopped onions, crunchy and juicy (again) cucumber and small radish!
The dressing/dip consisted as usual of fine salt, miso paste and sesame oil!

I finish my quick snack/meal with a corn cream and fresh carrot combination. Does not qualify as vegan, but certainly does as vegetarian!

YASAITEI
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa-Cho, 1-6-2 Green Heights Wamon 1-C
Tel.: 054-2543277
Business hours: 17:30~22:00
Closed on Sundays
Reservations highly recommended
Seating: 6 at counter + 20 at tables
Set Courses: 3,000, 4,000, 5,000 yen
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

Sashimi Plate at Tomii (’09/06/22)

The Japan Blog List

Please check Shizuoka Gourmet Blog for all the gastronomy in Shizuoka Prefecture!

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Just came from a “quick fix” at Tomii as I was too hungry to continue work! (I’m back at the office right now!)

Just ordered “o-tsukuri/Sashimi plate” as the calories are non-existent (the Missus is preparing dinner!).

FRom top clockwise:
-Madai/Japanese Snapper species
-Aburi Tachiuo/lightly grilled Scabbard Fish
Note the shiso/perilla flowers in between!
-Hata/Grouper
-Murasaki Uni/Violet Sea Urchi from Aomori Prefecture
-Hamo/Pike Conger Eel, lightly boiled
-Aka Ika-Kensaki Ika/Red cuttlefis-Squid
In the middle:
-Mebachi-maguro/ig-eyed Tuna Akami/lean part

I honestly wisjh you were all here!

Sushi Donburi for Friday the 13th!

The Japan Blog List

Please check Shizuoka Gourmet Blog for all the gastronomy in Shizuoka Prefecture!

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Yesterday I made the mistake to notify the Missus too early that I was not going out tonight as per my usual schedule.
-“Fine,” she replied, “and I expect you to cook as well!”
-“No problem!”
-“I’d better prepare a light lunch, then!”
-“….”

So as part of a “budget lunch” including salad and miso soup (and strawberries for dessert) she prepared the above donburi:
-The rice was steamed rice to which she mixed the konbu/seaweed finely cut.
-She marinated thin slices of raw tuna in ponzu, sake and what else. The leftover marinade was poured over the rice to season it before she placed the pieces of tuna on top.
-Smoked salmon with capers.
-A spoon of “tobikko/flying fish roe”
-a generous portion of locally-made (up the Abe River in Shizuoka City) “Wasabi zuke/chopped wasabi stems and flowers fermented in “sake kasu/sake white lees” (all from Shizuoka Prefecture!)

Friday the 13th it is today. Let’s hope it is my (our) lucky day!

Dinner at Sushi Ko Restaurant (revisited)

The Japan Blog List

Please check Shizuoka Gourmet Blog for all the gastronomy in Shizuoka Prefecture!

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Last night, the Missus and I went out to celebrate Christmas our own way by having dinner at Sushi Ko, our favourite sushi restaurant in Shizuoka City!
Our first order, a “sashimi no moriawase/sashimi plate”.
All seafood came from Shizuoka Prefecture!

Incidentally, the “Oyakata/Main Chef”, Mr. Oda knowing that all pictures will be published later on my blogs always make a special effort as for presentation, an extra luxury in a great sushi restaurant!

From left to right:
“Mebachi Maguro/Big-eyed Tuna” on a “shiso/perilla” leaf and finely cut daikon, fresh “Sakura Ebi/Cherry Blossom Shrimp” from Yui with grated ginger and cucumber, “Aburi Kinmeidai/slightly grilled Golden Eyes Snapper/Seabream”, lemon, “Shiso no Hana/Perilla Flowers, “Ishidai/Parrot bass, Stone Flounder, Striped Knifejaw” and freshly grated wasabi!

“Maguro zuke/marinated tuna” sushi came in “akami/lean part” and “chutoro/semi-fat part”.

“Anago/Conger Eel” is usually served as nigiri, but one ought try it as tenpura!

“Botan ebi/Large sweet prawns” are just in season with their eggs on top! A delicacy that is going to make Rowena and other Foodie friends moan again!

Their freshness will be cause to celebrate when you savour their heads deep-fried!

“Tachiuo/Scabbard Fish” is best served slightly grilled (“aburi”) on one side (up) with a few sprigs of “Me-negi/leek sprouts”, “Momijioroshi/freshly grated daikon with chili pepper” and a touch of ponzu instead of soy sauce!

“Hirame/sole” needs only a little salt and lemon juice. No soy sauce!

“Sakura/Raw Horse meat” for the carnivores with “tare/sauce”, grated ginger and chpped thin leeks!

An exquisite “Hotate maki/Scallops roll”!

Perfectly balanced, I’m it will tempt Allison and Rick

This “shirashizushi/mixed sushi on top of rice” was for our neighbours, but I couldn’t resist taking a picture with Mr. Oda’s complicity!

This pair of “Sakura Gunkan/Salmon Roe Motherships” had disappeared under the succulent eggs!

The hot “Chyawanmushi/Japanese salted pudding” is the perfect dish to keep you warm before going out in the cold!

We did have a couple more and quite a few glasses!

Sushi Ko
shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho. 2-3-1 (Aoba Koen)
Tel.: 054-2512898
Business Hours： 17:00~25:00. 17:00~23:00 （Sundays）
Closed on Wednesdays
Reservations recommended
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

Ekimae Matsuno Sushi (revisited)

The Japan Blog List

Please check Shizuoka Gourmet Blog for all the gastronomy in Shizuoka Prefecture!

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As the grotty weather last Sunday prevented any cricket to be played, I just went to do some “work” at my classroom. When lunch came, I decided it was about time I paid a visit to an old favourite sushi restaurant of mine, namely Ekimae Matsuno Sushi in fornt of Shizuoka City JR Station.
They do make a point to serve local fish whenever practical and last Sunday was no exception!

The “snack” served with the sake (See below article) from Yoshiya Brewery in Shizuoka was “Seguro Iwashi”/”black back sardine”, a succulent fatty fish in season.

The “sashimi no moriawase”/sashimi plate were all fish (as well as all other fish cited in this article) brought from Yaizu Harbour in Central Shizuoka Prefecture:
From left to right:
-“Akami”/tuna lean part
-“Yari Ika”/cuttle-fish (calamari)
-“Kawahagi to Kimo”/filefish cut in thin strips and mixed with its own liver. Sweet dipped in a mixture of three different miso paste rice vinegar!
-“Bora”/mullet. So fresh there was no need for soy sauce. Just a little “yuzu”/ime juice was perfect!

The chef recommended a couple of seasonal morsels:
the first one, above, was “Tachiuo Aburi”/scabbard fish lightly grilled on one side. Just a little salt, wasabi and lime juice. The meat melts away between your teeth!

The second one was “Houbo”/blue fin robin. Tender and sweet!

As for dessert I asked for “Tamagoyaki”/Japanese omelette (not shown) and “Kanpyou Maki”/dry gourd shavings maki!

Here are my tastig notes for the sake:

Yoshiya Brewery (Shizuoka City): Chuumasa Junmai Ginjo
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Contents: 300ml
Bottled: April 2008

Clarity: Very clear
Colour: Transparent
Aroma: Dry, light and fruity: Pineapple, ricey
Body: Velvety
Taste: Short tail. Junmai tingle. Complex. Fruity: Pineapple, almonds, nuts, coffee beans.
Nice acid finish with bitter chocolate, coffee beans and banan.
Turns drier with food with a strong comeback by coffee beans and almonds, although it did surprise me with a sweetish finish at times.

Overall: A “Shizuoka Type” Sake.
Very elegant, pleasant and easy to drink.
Great with sushi and sashimi.
Strong character and many facets revealed all way through.

Ekimae Matsuno Sushi
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Oyuki Cho, 9-3 (just across from Shizuoka JR Station North Exit after Matsuzakaya Dept)
Tel.: 054-2510123
Business hours: 11:00~21:00
Closed on Wednesdays
Credit Cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

Tomii: Sashimi Sets

The Japan Blog List

Please check Shizuoka Gourmet Blog for all the gastronomy in Shizuoka Prefecture!

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Last Friday, I finally kicked myself into visiting my favourite Japanese Cuisine Restaurant after a long absence, namely Tomii. As I had a couple of commitments later in the evening I opted for one of their renown sashimi sets.

As I had come early enough, I had all freedom to take a couple of pics of the chef at work!

As shown on above picture, the sashimi set I was served consisted of:
Makogarei/Halibut Variety (on a shiso leaf), Hamo/lightly boiled pike conger eel (decorated with shiso flowers, Rowena!), Akami/lean tuna, Madai/seabream, Uni/Sea Urchin and Aka Ika/red cuttlefish.

I was still a bit hungry and espied the Gyuusashi/Raw beef on the menu!

I just could not resist it!
Served with two small plates of soy sauce, some grated ginger, grated garlic and thinly chopped thin leeks, a pure delice!

TOMII
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa-cho, 1-2-7, Tomii Bldg, 1F
Tel.: 054-274-0666
Business hours: 17:00~22:00
Closed on Sundays
HOMEPAGE