food

SpamFromJapan: Meat Meat Meat (Yakiniku in Sendai)

Yakiniku at Kuniwake, Sendai.

Kuniwake is a yakiniku restaurant squeezed into the Kokubuncho entertainment district of Sendai. The manager — a gruff old man — waits for you inside, where the decor is black and the lighting low. I’m usually wary of these kinds of places.

However, a group of us had been wandering around for about an hour looking for a restaurant from my friend’s guidebook. It turned out to close at six pm every day. We eventually agreed on Kuniwake instead.

I thought we were going to have problems when the manager refused to serve us gyuutan (cow tongue), a regional speciality of Sendai. The sign outside advertising it had been one of the things to draw us in. We were hungry and decided to go for the all-you-can-eat yakiniku option, where plates of meat are brought to you within a specific timeframe and you cook them yourself on a mini-barbecue embedded in the table.

Gyuutan (cow tongue).

The rules were simple. They would bring us three types of meat, one after the other. Afterwards, we were free to choose more meat from a restricted menu. The second of these plates was the dreaded horumon (offal), but the first and third plates were the best yakiniku I’ve ever had. I don’t know if it was the meat quality or the preparation, but it was amazing.

Afterward, we finally got our gyuutan. We didn’t realise we had to specify we weren’t trying to get it for free under the all-you-can-eat option. Once it was understood that yes, we’d pay extra, the gyuutan was served. It tasted like steak with the texture of over-cooked squid and an odd aftertaste. I didn’t particularly like it, although it took me several pieces to decide whether it was the taste, texture or concept that bothered me.

I highly recommend this restaurant and you can find a map here (in Japanese). Sendai in general is a great place to visit in Japan — check out Matsushima and Gundam Shot Bar Zion while you’re there too.

Spam From Japan: Beer, Castles and Haunted Dolls in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture

Inuyama Castle, located in Inuyama City in Aichi Prefecture, is said to be the oldest original castle in Japan. Many other castles are actually reconstructions.

Since it was Golden Week at the time of our visit, there were a clutch of food stalls just before the path up to the entrance gate. One of the booths belonged to Loreley Brewery. We bought two real German sausages (no wieners here!) and two locally-brewed beers. We also picked up a flyer for their all-you-can-eat Golden Week buffet. More on that later.

We got tickets, joined the line and went round the castle. You need to buy your ticket at the booth before you join the line. The line leads directly to the entrance, not a place to buy tickets. The only information I saw about this was in written Japanese, so take care because the line is a long one. All the original castles I’ve visited have had very steep staircases inside, so dress appropriately. Once you’ve made it to the top, you can walk around the turret area for a good view of the local area and the river Kiso.

Our ticket also allowed us entrance to two much smaller museums just a short walk away from the castle. One was mainly about the Inuyama Festival and the other was dedicated to terrifying haunted dolls known as karakuri. From there, we walked to Inuyama Station and caught a bus at the east exit (on the far side of the station) to Meiji Mura (The more detailed Japanese site can be found here).

Meiji Mura is Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum’s lesser-known big sister. Established in 1965, the grounds contain a wider range of buildings over a square kilometre of land. In fact, there is a tram network within Meiji Mura to get you around. You can either pay for individual tickets or buy an all-day pass when you buy your entrance ticket.

There are some great opportunities for macro photography, particularly at places like Dr. Shimizu’s office. You can see a few of ones I took below. Just like any picture in this blog post, you can get a larger version by clicking on them.

One thing you shouldn’t miss is the night maze, although there may be a wait. For five minutes, you walk around a maze in pitch blackness. There are a few surprises, mind you, although no ghosts.

Nearby is a (free) brick maze. I enjoyed it, although I almost collided with a Japanese man who was racing his kid (and I racing my partner). We screamed ‘gomen!’ at each other and kept going, because mazes are Serious Business. For the record, I won.

We had mango kakigoori (shaved ice) outside Lafcadio Hearn’s summer house. It was made with one of those old-fashioned ice-shavers that cut up blocks of ice into fine snow. They layered the syrup too, resulting in the best kakigoori ever.

Inside Dr. Shimizu's Office (Nagano, 1897)

We stayed right up until the last minute and caught the only bus available, which took us to back to Inuyama Station. From there, we went to Haguro Station, giving us a ten minute walk to the brewery. If you want to go too, I hope you have a proper map instead of the bizarre geometric one Loreley use for advertising.

Inside we got a craft beer sampler set and access to a large buffet including sushi, shumai, cake and roast beef. It was fantastic (particularly the beef), but the highlight was the beer. Our sampler set consisted of three types of beer from Loreley Brewery next door, each a different shade and texture.

It’s difficult to believe all these photographs were taken in a single day. However, you might want to break it up a little and spend longer at Meiji Mura.

Spam From Japan: Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture

Godaidou

A samurai sat in a plastic chair and held up a sign outside Marine Gate Shiogama. The helmet shape and eyepatch identified him as Date Masamune (伊達政宗), a local hero.

We were there to catch a boat to Matsushima, an area of Miyagi prefecture known for being one of the three views of Japan (Nihon Sankei). Inside the marina, there were Tanabata decorations hanging down from the ceiling. Tanabata falls on July 7th and the festival in Sendai is particularly well-known. This was Winter Tanabata.

Also inside was a tuna auction and a stage for a talk show about tuna that would take place later that day.

Once on the boat, I saw a box of limited edition zunda Kit Kats, only sold in the Touhoku area (Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata prefectures). I bought some and, after I handed over my money and received my Kit Kats, I asked what ‘zunda’ was. Apparently it’s chopped edamame (baby soybeans), usually served sweetened and with mochi.

As we were setting off, the woman who was behind the till walked around selling ebi senbei (prawn crackers) for the seagulls, which was actually a popular brand from the convenience store. No wonder the birds had been gathering round the boat. We didn’t buy any, but went outside to watch.

Two kids and their parents also came out soon after and offered us some of their seagull food. It started snowing, but the seagulls kept coming. Every so often, the kids would shove more ebi senbei into our hands. As you can see, I got some amazing shots of the birds in flight.

It got colder and the snow grew more intense. The sky became dark and the rocks around us got whiter as the snow fell. The seagulls shrieked and snatched crackers from the air. All the while, we were surrounded by pine-covered islands officially declared to be one of the three most beautiful sights in Japan.

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Just before we docked in Matsushima Marina, I remembered I had the zunda Kit Kats. I thanked the parents of the two boys and checked if it was okay for them to have chocolate. Great family and I hope their kids like edamame.

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We were drawn to a traditional house near the marina, named Kanrantei (観瀾亭). Kanrantei was originally built in Kyoto and then moved by Date Masamune’s son in the Momoyama era because they liked Matsushima better. Since Date Masamune was feudal lord of Sendai, the prefectural capital of Miyagi, he got one of the best spots on the island for watching moonlight sparkle on the water.

After taking a look around the museum, you can have green tea and a traditional snack while looking out at the bay. I had green tea and zunda. The lady at the counter asked if I’d had it before and tried to talk me out of it. I had to be a little more insistent than anyone should have to be when trying to give someone money. Eventually she relented and I got my zunda. It was sweeter than I expected, but definitely worthwhile. I drank my tea from a lacquer bowl watching the sunlight and snow hit the waves, just as Date Masamune might have done over 360 years ago.

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Godaidou (see main picture) stands nearby and had far more visitors. A small red bridge connects it to the mainland.

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Outside, a woman holding a menu all-but insisted we visit her restaurant. There, we had amazing kaki soba (oysters and noodles). We made the mistake of ordering two ‘jizake’ (local sake). Fooled by Tokyo prices, we could never have expected two medium-sized bottles would arrive at our table.

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Afterwards we crossed the Fukuura Bridge to the island of the same name. Just off from the main paths you’ll find thick ropes tied to posts that will allow you to climb down to the deserted beaches safely. I presume they’re deserted according to the season; Matsushima isn’t crowded, but the weather varied rapidly between snow and sunshine so that might have been why. Nevertheless, no one else made the trip down onto the sand.

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If you’re going on a trip to Japan, you must include Matsushima (and Sendai) on your itinerary. Catch a boat from Hon Shiogama Station and don’t forget to check out Gundam Shot Bar Zion in Sendai while you’re there too.

Spam From Japan: Miso Katsu at Yabaton (Nagoya)

Miso Katsu

Every area in Japan has a regional speciality which is usually made from local ingredients. Nagoya (Aichi prefecture) is famous for miso katsu, which is breaded pork cutlet covered in miso paste. You can eat it with shredded cabbage or on rice.

Of the many restaurants that specialise in miso katsu, Nagoya’s Yabaton is the most famous. Every time we passed by, we could see a long line of people outside waiting to be seated.

The miso-katsu-don in the photograph looks amazing, doesn’t it? Well, it’s deceptive. The quality cuts of meat in Japan are considered to be the ones with thick seams of fat running through them, and that’s precisely what we got. Good if you like “juicy” meat, but I hated it.

Yabaton’s official website (They also have a branch in Tokyo)

Spam From Japan: Miso Kit Kat

Everyone knows about miso and its cousin, miso soup. I hadn’t really thought about what actually went into. Sure, it’s fermented soy beans, but that describes a hell of a variety of other products, from soy sauce to natto. Wikipedia clears it up — it’s soy beans (and sometimes barley or rice) plus salt and a fungus named koujikin. Unless you’ve completely missed the title of this post, you know what comes next.

I offered to share the Miso Kit Kat, thinking I would never be able to finish it (like the Wasabi Kit Kat), but no one took me up on my offer.

It was a little salty, but in a good way. Just like shio caramel (salted caramel) brings out a kind of buttery flavour, so did the miso. In short, it was amazing. Can’t say it particularly tasted like miso, but that’s for the best.

Spam From Japan: Hina Matsuri

Today is March 3rd, which is Girl’s Day in Japan, also known as Hina Matsuri. Unfortunately, unlike Boy’s Day (Kodomo no Hi), I don’t get a day off work.

In fact, my first clue that it was today was lunch when we were given the traditional ‘chirashi-zushi’. The ‘sushi’ (zushi) part means Japanese rice mixed with vinegar, not that there’s necessarily any raw fish involved. ‘Chirashi’ means ‘scattered’ and result is a lot of different ingredients mixed into that rice. Today, there were shiitake mushrooms, renkon (lotus root), nori seaweed, bamboo, kanpyou (dried gourd shavings), chicken and slivers of omlet. If there’s any Japanese food you don’t like, you’re going to be hard at work with your chopsticks picking it out. Not that you should, of course.

This website has a pretty good detailed recipe for chirashizushi. It’s not something to be attempted by those new to Japanese cooking without clear instructions.

There was pink, white and green mochi for dessert, another classic Hina Matsuri food. Oh, and the dolls get to eat them too. You can see this (and other offerings to the dolls) in the photographs.

I got permission to photograph the Hina doll stand that is a centerpiece in many homes around this time. These are stages that feature a Heian-era court, complete with Emperor and Empress dolls and are usually pretty expensive. I don’t know how many schools have them and I don’t remember seeing them in any of the previous schools I’ve worked in, but it’s difficult to prove a negative. This school has a pretty big one.

I doubt it will still be there tomorrow, since you have to take down the dolls soon after Hina Matsuri, else your daughter will never be married! Shocking.

Spam From Japan: Gundam Shot Bar Zion (Sendai)

Gundam Shot Bar Zion in Sendai is relatively far from both the station and the main shopping and eating district. We found it by accident after a friend of ours was searching for a restaurant from her travel guide that serves duck noodles and is closed for all major dining periods (Sundays, evenings, etc…).

Zion is what you might find on an off-world colony if the bar owner was into figure-collecting. The second floor bar is dimly-lit and the walls are lined with Gundam of varying sizes and a video of the original series plays on one of the walls.

The bartender welcomed us warmly and, when we admitted that we needed to leave to catch our train back to Tokyo in twenty minutes, told us what he could prepare from the menu in that time. Apparently food is compulsory, probably due to licensing laws. We had “Dopp GZ no Cockpit de Edamame”, which were edamame beans served decorated with figures, including one of Garma Zabi. We didn’t get to keep them; you have to order a special dessert for that.

Our point cards (to be upgraded the next time we visit the bar) identified us as ‘civilians’ in the Gundam universe and I’m keeping it even if I’m not sure if I’ll return to Miyagi Prefecture.

The menu has a number of cocktails unique to the Sendai bar. I chose “Jet Stream Attack” which was a fairly ordinary cola mix (I think… the recipes are secret). My partner got “Akahana,” a grapefruit-based drink served in a cocktail glass and named after an insignificant-but-iconic Zeon guy from the original Gundam who had a red nose. The bartender thought this was a pretty cool choice. And when our drinks arrived, he insisted that, instead of ‘kampai!’ we shout ‘Sieg Zion!’

When we left, said bartender saluted us. It was a wonderful, friendly experience that I would recommend to anyone visiting Sendai, even if you don’t know much about Gundam. I have no idea if the Tokyo bar is as good.

《ガンダムショットバー　ＺＩＯＮ》
仙台市青葉区大町２-４-１　グランドソレイユ２Ｆ
Gundam Shot Bar ZION
Sendai-shi Aoba-ku Oomachi 2-4-1 Grand Soleil 2F

Map

Spam From Japan: Eating Whale

Fish kanji

About three years ago, I was working as an ALT in a junior high school. I was halfway through my school lunch in the staffroom when the science teacher, who also coached the tennis team, sat down beside me.

“Sensei,” he began, for he was speaking Japanese, “You don’t eat whale in the UK, do you?”

“No we don’t.”

He pointed at an empty compartment of my tray. “How was it?”

To our left, two younger, female teachers nodded their heads in unison and pushed their trays away with uneaten meat on it. Across the table, another teacher did the same. This was unprecedented, as Japanese teachers often try to set a good example by eating all their food, even if there are no children around to see it.

I returned my tray and chopsticks to the metal trolley and checked the lunch menu pinned to the teacher’s notice board. I vaguely remembered expecting some kind of fish that day. However, I saw a handful of stray fliers promoting today’s lunch first. It had the name of the animal in kanji and a guide for pronunciation written over the top. The text, loosely translated, read, “A whale is a large animal, so you can take a big serving!” It was accompanied by a cute anime-style picture of a smiling whale.

Apparently, they were expecting dissent.

I realised my mistake immediately. Even within sushi bars where you can find all kinds of semi-obscure kanji for fish, ‘whale’ is frequently written out phonetically. If presented solely with the kanji, it’s a reasonable bet (for a non-native speaker) that it’s a type of fish as it includes another kanji which means ‘fish’.

The reaction of the teachers in the junior high was markedly different from those teaching in many of my elementary schools. These teachers were clearly enjoying it and sighing about how it took them back to their school days. I actually have a great deal of sympathy for people whose childhood food is being restricted and declared morally wrong, but it’s interesting that a deliberate attempt to instill the same sense of nostalgia in the next generation is being made.

Spam From Japan: Christmas Dinner with Turkey and Wasabi Kit-Kats

Wasabi Kit-Kat

I went to a friend’s house for Christmas dinner this year. With our powers combined, we had a feast of mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing, fried okra, Ferererero Rocher and wasabi Kit-Kats.

Japanese kitchens are usually small and ill-equipped to deal with the demands of a Western Christmas dinner. Our own apartment has two gas rings, a fish broiler, a microwave, a toaster oven and a rice cooker, so we usually roast potatoes in the toaster oven. Some people cook vegetables in their rice cooker. These fairly common balancing acts demand fewer roast items and more creativity for big meals. Compromises must be made.

Turkey is a tough item to get, particularly since KFC have convinced the Japanese market that everyone overseas eats their brand of fried chicken for Christmas. Congratulations to my friend on her find. Meanwhile, fried okra is a traditional dish from the American South, which shows the range of experiences with Christmas we had. Compare that to my Ferrero Rocher, which nobody really likes except to pretend they’re at the ambassador’s reception. And then we have the wasabi Kit-Kat.

Whenever I try a new Kit-Kat, I’m always surprised by how it well imitates its chosen flavour and yet how good it is. In the case of the wasabi version, only the first part is true. To me, wasabi is hot, but it also has a distinct flavour that is unmistakably savory. I had one finger of it and desperately tried to appreciate the wasabi with the sweetness of ~~white~~ green chocolate, but I couldn’t. It doesn’t compare favourably with chili chocolate, which adds spiciness to chocolate without adding flavour. I handed the second finger to another friend, who thought it was okay, although couldn’t see herself eating them on a regular basis.

Thanks to my friends and everyone who reads this blog. Hope you had a merry Christmas and are looking forward to a fantastic New Year.

The Berry Cafe

Berry Cafe Blueberry Tart

The Berry Cafe in Ginza is almost not as expensive as it looks. The cafe is furnished in black and the lights are low; one of the first things you see is a row of cakes lit up in a showcase as in an expensive jewellery boutique. They have jewellery off to the side too, costing tens of thousands of yen.

Looking around, clientele are almost exclusively female, plus boyfriends. This is common in Japan, though I hesitate to say ‘normal’ — what kind of man sacrifices cake in exchange for manliness?

It’s okay to order a single slice of tart and my friends do just that. One slice is around 650 to 950 yen, so it’s not like the staff will mind. They communicated with us in Japanese, but I’d be surprised if you had any problems if you didn’t speak it. You have an entire showcase of tarts piled high with berries and a menu that works more like a picture book. It’ll be easy.

The slices come beautifully presented, although you’re paying for that privilege, of course. My personal recommendation is the hot lemon ginger drink and a slice of blueberry tart (pictured). Tasted as good as it looks.

We went to the branch in Ginza, but the flagship cafe is in Aoyama (Tokyo), with other branches in Nagoya (Aichi), Chiba City, Funabashi (Chiba), Hiroshima City, Nishinomiya (Hyogo), Kyoto City and Osaka City.

Berry Cafe Official Website

Spam From Japan

Live from Tokyo

SpamFromJapan: Meat Meat Meat (Yakiniku in Sendai)

Spam From Japan: Beer, Castles and Haunted Dolls in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture

Spam From Japan: Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture

Spam From Japan: Miso Katsu at Yabaton (Nagoya)

Spam From Japan: Miso Kit Kat

Spam From Japan: Hina Matsuri

Spam From Japan: Gundam Shot Bar Zion (Sendai)

Spam From Japan: Eating Whale

Spam From Japan: Christmas Dinner with Turkey and Wasabi Kit-Kats

The Berry Cafe

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