Food Festa: Nihonbashi Food Tour

November 15, 2013November 15, 2013Leave a comment

On November 1st, I was lucky enough to participate in a Nihonbashi tour focusing on “Umami,” or the fifth taste, that is very common in Japanese. The 90-minute tour included discussion about nori, katsuobushi and dashi, and general panel discussion. It was coordinated by Japan Food Festa as part of a month-long celebration of Japanese food and culture.

I participated in the first tour of the day. We met at Mitsukoshi Department Store, one of the oldest in Japan, in downtown Tokyo. To start the tour, they described the importance of the Nihonbashi bridge (which has a huge highway running above it now so a bit of an eyesore). The bridge dates back to Edo period and this was one of the main merchant areas. Therefore, many of the oldest shops in Tokyo can be found here.

Freshly grilled nori was served

Our first stop was Yamamoto Noriten shop specializing in nori (seaweed) that was founded in 1849 during the Edo Era. The manager gave a brief presentation about the store and its history. We given samples of nori prior to grilling to get the taste of it. Then the nori was freshly grilled in front of us and we were given another sample. I enjoyed both samples. The first tasted light and “of the sea” while after grilling it, the flavors intensified. The store offers various types of nori for purchase as well as nori crackers and snacks. We sampled a few and I can’t wait to go back and purchase some!

Our second stop was Ninben which specializes in katsuobushi and was founded in 1699. Katsuobushi is the dried tuna that is thinly shaved to put on many Japanese dishes, found in furikake (condiment sprinkled on rice), or a key ingredient in dashi. The manager gave a presentation on the company and how katsuobushi is made. It’s a detailed process that results in a product that is only 14% water, one of the driest foods in the world. To be honest, it sounded like wood when you tapped it. The manager also demonstrated how they freshly shave the katsuobushi and had other tour participants give it a try. You definitely had to put some muscle in it! Luckily for us, they now have machines that will shave the katsuobushi so all you need to do is open a packet.

Dashi bar in Ninben store

Attached to the store was a dashi bar. Yes, you heard right. A dashi bar. I made a joke beforehand that we were going to go to a dashi bar to sample and imagine my glee when I got to do just that! We were given the basic katsuobushi dashi to sample. Then we were instructed to add some soy sauce and taste again. Then salt and taste again. With each addition, I felt that the depth of flavors increase.

Time for some dashi tasting

Once we completed the store visits, we headed back to Mitsukoshi Department store where we were able to view their tea ceremony room. Even with all my tea lessons, this was the first I had seen and/or used a traditional square entrance. The door was so samurais would have to remove their swords prior to entering the tea room and thus everyone became equals. Once in the room, we participated in a panel presentation and a Q&A regarding the products and the flavors of umami.

To enter the room, you must slide through this tiny door

To conclude, Yukari of Food Sake Tokyo (amazing blog and travel book that is a necessity for any foodie traveling to Tokyo) summed up the tour and experience. She explained that Japan’s traditional washoku cuisine is up for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list and should be decided upon in December. If it receives the designation, it will help to preserve this traditional cuisine as well as provide greater options for foreign chefs to come, learn, and work in restaurants specializing in washoku. Once the presentation was complete, we were given a quick tour of the depachika (basement food floor of most major department stores). It truly is a foodie’s paradise with gorgeous bento boxes, pickles, wagashi, and more.

I want to thank Food Festa for putting on a great tour to delve a deeper into Japanese food and umami. I learned so much during this tour and it has made me more confident in understanding the process behind some of Japan’s most common ingredients.

My Birthday Celebration: Eating my way across Tokyo!

September 29, 20134 Comments

Not a traditional post but I know several were following my photos yesterday as I literally ate my way across Tokyo! So here was the rundown of where we ate and my thoughts on each. The pictures are all from my iPhone as I wanted to stay “in the moment” as much as possible (which can sometimes be hard with a dSLR attached to your face).

On our Tokyo Birthday Celebration, the first stop was lunch reservation at Kimono Wine Bar & Grill. I have been dying to check this place out. Not only does the menu look great but they are always hosting themed nights like wine pairings, creatives, movie viewings, and more. I love any place that combines programming with good food! After finally making my way here, I have a feeling this will be a routine stop on our Tokyo trips. They describe it as an “oasis” and I think this is a perfect description. We were in the heart of Tokyo yet the street and neighborhood was laid-back and removed from the daily bustle of one of the world’s largest cities!

I made reservations because I have heard it fills up quickly on the weekends but when we showed up for a late lunch, we were the only ones (a few trickled in afterwards). Not sure if it’s because we visited on one of the few non-holiday weekends in September/October but it gave us the option of eating inside, or on the patio. Since the air has finally begun to cool off, we sat outside and enjoyed the gorgeous weather!

Spanish cidre for an afternoon lunch on the patio

Now to the food. The food is described as Euro-fusion. We only had the brunch menu, which has been extended to include Saturdays and Sundays till 4PM. The menu offered a diverse blend of American and European style dishes. There was chorizo, eggs benedict, bagels, and burgers to fill your stomach along with special brunch cocktails and an extensive wine and beer list. I opted for their swordfish “burger” which I have heard great things about. The swordfish was grilled and then topped with a tomato/onion salsa, avocado, and a special Thai-inspired sauce. My husband selected the pulled pork burger with cole slaw. We thoroughly enjoyed both dishes but the dessert was what took the prize for me! When it came to the final decision of making a choice on where to eat, I opted for Kimono Wine Bar & Grill because they mentioned their famous almond cake with brown butter sauce was back on the menu. Hmm…I love almond cakes so I had to try it. Wowser, even my husband was wanting “just one more bite”….

My swordfish “burger” which I highly recommend

My husband opted for the pulled pork sandwich which he quickly devoured!

Almond cake with brown butter sauce. I MUST go back soon for this!

After lunch, we meandered the half kilometer to the National Art Center Tokyo where there’s a special exhibit (through October 2013) on American Pop Art. The admission price was 1500 yen but worth every penny in my eyes. This private collection of John and Kimiko Powers included artwork from all the Pop Art Masters including Andy Warhol and Roy Lichenstein. No pictures were allowed inside so all you get is this picture of a 3D replica of the 200 Campbell Soup Cans. On a random note, I found it hilarious that the museum’s gift shop was selling actual Campbells’ soup cans for a pretty high price!

A little slice of Americana

Then it was off to find Sadaharu Aoki patisserie. I discovered him while I was researching for our Paris trip in May. I was intrigued because he was a Japanese man who was told he would never open a French pastry shop. As a dramatic show of defiance, he went to Paris where he opened several shops that were well-received. In recent years, he’s returned to his homeland and opened several shops in Tokyo. We went to the Midtown location since it was the closest. We got the 6-pack macaroon box at a whopping 1840 yen! (As my husband says, I have expensive taste!) We selected the Japanese-inspired macaroons that you typically don’t find elsewhere. Flavors such as matcha (green tea), yuzu (Asian citrus), hoija, black sesame, and wasabi.

We then headed outside to the lawn of Midtown where we enjoyed our macaroons with Spanish cava. Yes, a sparkling wine bar has been set up on the lawn. Do they do this all year round?! I don’t know, but I think it’s a brilliant idea. And for the macaroons, I loved the Asian-flavored combinations but was slightly disappointed with the filling. It was incredibly dense and seemed almost gelatinous to me. My preference is flavored fresh cream fillings. That being said, I will return for the black sesame and yuzu macaroon!

Birthday girl with macaroons (aka my birthday cake) and cava

After the sugar rush, we were in need of some substantial food so we hopped the train to DevilCraft. It’s a craft beer bar that serves up pizza including Chicago Deep Dish pizza. They recently opened a new location but we went to the original restaurant near Kanda station. The first floor bar has seating for approximately 12 persons in a trendy, albeit tight, space. The restaurant does have two additional floors but all were reserved for Saturday night. We ordered a small Chicago deep dish pizza to share. What came out would be classified as a personal pan pizza by American standards! However, it is deep dish and we had plenty to eat beforehand so we were fine with the smaller portions. Can’t wait to head back here soon with an empty stomach!

Chicago deep dish pizza in Tokyo

So with that, we decided it was time to leave Tokyo and head back home for the day. It was an absolutely wonderful birthday! I was so happy to finally get to try these restaurants and stores, however, I may need to be head that way more often because my stomach is growling again…

Courtney

Kamikochi Backpacking Weekend

September 22, 20135 Comments

View along the river walk towards our campsite

Beautiful mountains!

Late September is always a bit of a celebration for my husband and I. In the span of a week, we smash in both birthdays and our anniversary! Sometimes we travel out-of-country (2006: Italy, 2010: Europe) and other times, we keep it a bit more low-key. This year was one that fell into the latter category. This year’s trip was checking one of my husband’s Japan To-Do’s, Kamikochi. Late September is a perfect time to head into the mountains here in Japan; cool in the evenings and warm during the day.

The walk from the final hut to our tent camping area

We had heard people rave about Kamikochi but didn’t quite know what to expect. We arrived early on Wednesday and began our 17km hike into our campsite. The initial 11km was a tree-covered trail with slight rolling hills that followed the river farther into the valley. There were several huts along the way where we were able to stop, use the toilet (several are pay; 100 yen each), buy some snacks or drinks, and more. In early afternoon, we finally made it to an old mountain hut site, Yarasawa, destroyed by an avalanche that is now a tent camping site.

Our luxury while backpacking is good food

Now there’s one thing you should know about us when we camp. We eat very, very well while we’re out camping. It becomes the biggest luxury on an adventure where you’re sleeping on the ground, not bathing, and hiking all day long! We have several go-to backpacking recipes but tried out a new concept recipe of an Italian-inspired soup on the first night. Actually, it contained the heaviest items so it needed to be the first to go!

Filtering fresh mountain water near our campsite

On Day 2, we headed farther up the valley and then straight up the side of the mountains to Yari-ga-take. This mountain is one of the more popular mountains in the park and it shows. At the ridgeline just beside the peak, there is a massive mountain hut containing beds for hundreds of people, a restaurant, shop, and more. The actual peak is a sketchy climb of chains, ropes, and ladders to the top. I’ll admit that it was a peak that Tom claimed, not me. I don’t do ladders…especially when I was having slight vertigo. On the descent, I took the trail straight down and my husband decided to take a ridgeline hike to Tenguhara. We met up at the junction point on the trail where he surprised me with mountain blueberries. Freshly picked with the blue thumb to prove it!

Hiking up towards Yari-ga-take

Beautiful mountain valley

Yari-ga-take peak

My husband kindly took pictures on his way up Yari-ga-take peak. I hung out at the hut down below!

Ladders upon ladders to reach the top!

Two of us in front of Yari-ga-take peak

On Day 3, we packed up camp in our gorgeous little valley and did the 6 km hike back out to Yokoo-Sanso hut area. We set up our campsite, dropped unnecessary gear, and started climbing up a grueling 6km hike into the high mountain valley of Karasawa. The initial 2.5km was a beautiful, slightly uphill hike to a bridge where you crossed the river. It had great rocks to relax on, soak your feet, and sunbathe (we took full advantage of it on the way down). The second part of the hike was up, up, and up. I swear my husband seems to have a thing for intense, heart-pounding hikes!

Hubby showing off his handpicked Tenguhara blueberries

Stopping for a picture along the river on our hike back down to Yokoo-Sanso campsite

Doesn’t everyone use cute bear stickies to mark the route?

When we finally made it to the top after about three hours on the trail, we were rewarded with a wonderful view of the high mountain valley surrounded on three sides by exposed mountains. For being that remote, it sure did have a lot of comforts! We ordered some curry rice and enjoyed it on the roof-top eating area. The hut holds several hundred people so it was equipped with all your basic needs. Water, toilets (western with heated toilet seat), draft beers served up in large glass mugs, plenty of food and snack options, and souvenirs.

Enjoying the sun and studying the routes out of this high mountain valley

View from Karasawa mountain hut area

After relaxing a bit, we headed back down towards our campsite. It was our final night in the backcountry (can you really say it’s backcountry when there’s hundreds of others around you?) and we wanted to enjoy our night. We cooked up the last of our food and enjoyed it with some wine from the local hut store. Our campsite had some fun characters so we people-watched, chatted with a mountain guide staying in our camp area, and said “hello/goodbye” with the kids camping next to us.

Final night on our Kamikochi backpacking experience

On day four, it was just packing up our camp and walking the final 11km back to the bus terminal. We were sad that our time in Kamikochi was ending but SOO excited for a trip to the onsen (public bath) to clean up. We made really good time on the trail back and passed hundreds of people heading into the park for the long holiday weekend.

Some monkeys walking the trail with fellow hikers

If you have the opportunity to go to Kamikochi, do it! It was gorgeous and the closest I’ve seen to an American National Park over here. While the peaks and trails aren’t as isolated as in America, it’s a cultural experience to hang out with hundreds of your closest Japanese friends while admiring your beautiful surroundings.

xxCourtney

We’re so done, Fuji!

September 5, 2013Leave a comment

Mt. Fuji from the parking lot on Saturday morning. Within the hour, we were unable to see it and the parking lot had clouds rolling through it.

That’s it! I’m done!

We attempted another summit this past weekend on Mt. Fuji. She’s been angry this year. Like real angry! (All the extra climbers due to its new status as UNESCO World Heritage site??) As most mountains go, the weather is hard to predict and can change quickly. This year has just been particularly bad on Fuji. I swear that most friends have reported windy, wet, and white-out fog for the majority of the summer. It’s not exactly a pleasant hike on the best days; add in less-than-ideal conditions and it can become downright miserable.

This climb was my first attempt at night. I really wanted a gorgeous sunrise from the top of the mountain. After about 4 hours hiking in the dark with headlamps, we reached station 9…in rain, howling winds, and freezing cold. We huddled along a wall that blocked the wind as we discussed our plan. On our current pace, we would reach the top in an hour, or by 3 AM. There was no way, we’d be able to hang out at the top for the 2+ hours until the sun would rise. And that’s IF we could even see anything!

So with that, we parted ways with our friends. They headed to the top because they needed to conquer Fuji. My husband and I headed back down since we’ve been to the summit before. The plan was to meet at our car later in the morning. Heading down earlier would also mean that we could get some sleep in the car before the drive back home.

We hiked back down to a lower spot where we were out of the clouds and wedged ourselves between some rocks to make some tea and instant ramen. Fighting through fatigue and the cold, I sat in awe of our view. At this level, the night sky was clear with twinkling stars. More stars than I’ve seen in years! Down below, the cities were gorgeously lit up and lining the lakes which mirrored back a brilliant crescent moon. The hot, salty ramen and green tea was just the icing to that beautiful view. The tea warmed my frozen, gloved hands. The salty broth of the ramen gave me the energy to continue pushing on.

Morning light on Mt. Fuji.
Taken with my iPhone

We continued down and were nearing station 6 when the early dawn light started to peek around the sides of Mt. Fuji. At times, we were still above the lower clouds which captured the light to make an absolutely breath-taking view. The quiet of the mountain as it basked in the early morning light was inspiring. I just wish it had been like this the entire time!

This hike was possibly the hardest attempt up Fuji. It’s usually an early, and long, day but night hike took it to a whole other level. The exhaustion added with my apparent limited depth perception when using a headlamp made for a slow, slow descent. I had hoped this would “check” the box to seeing the sunrise from the top of Mt. Fuji but guess she had other plans. I think in the future, I will just resign myself to hiking another peak to get views OF Fuji and not FROM Fuji.

View from Station 6 on the descent.
Taken with my iPhone

Final tally: Mt. Fuji – 2 & Courtney – 3. So with that Mt. Fuji, we’re done!

Fuji & the Best Trail Mix Ever!

August 29, 2013Leave a comment

Best Trail Mix Ever

“A wise person climbs Mt. Fuji once, only a fool would climb it twice.”

– Japanese saying

And the second category is where my husband and I fall, fools. I always tend to agree with that statement while I’m on the mountain but there’s something about Fuji that draws me back again and again. Insanity? Regardless, we’re planning on heading to Fuji again this weekend for a final hike this summer. This will make a total of four summits for me and eight for my husband. Consider us certifiably insane at this point!

This will be my first attempt at a night-time climb which is the most preferred way to hike Fuji for the Japanese. It’s slightly cooler without the sun shining down on you but the humidity will still be high. The top will be freezing (thank goodness for my lightweight down jacket!) as we wait for sunrise. This hike requires the climber to better prepared than a day hike. Fingers crossed that despite the crazy weather Fuji has experienced this summer, we get to see a gorgeous sunrise. I don’t think I can handle two summits this year in horrible conditions.

To reach the top of this 3776m beast, we need some good energy. And the solution to that problem is my husband’s trail mix…aka, the best trail mix ever! It’s not gourmet in any way (and actually includes M&Ms which we usually try not to eat) but when you’re exerting that much energy, quick handfuls to keep the energy up is needed. It’s salty and sweet with the perfect mix of quick and sustained energy.

This trail mix comes together insanely fast and seems to disappear as quickly. Hope you enjoy!

Comes together insanely fast

Best Trail Mix Ever
makes approximately 6 cups

1 bag, Peanut Butter M&M’s (feel free to substitute for your favorite)
1 canister, honey roasted peanuts
1 canister, cashews
1 bag, craisins (or raisins)

Dump in a bowl, mix and then package into ziplock bags for easy access on the trail.

Seriously, it was that easy!

Packed up and ready to go! Fuji…here we come!!

Thoughts on Kyoto

April 22, 20132 Comments

Cherry Blossoms in Kyoto

A few weeks ago, my in-laws came to visit. It was great to catch up with family and share in some common memories and adventures. Living overseas for the past eight years has made it difficult to maintain close relationships with family so we’re always thankful when we get the opportunity.

Since this was their first trip to Japan, we wanted it to be memorable. My husband and I felt they needed to see Kyoto, the quintessential old world Japan. Not to mention it was a good excuse for us to head back! I was happy to discover that the famous the cherry blossom dance Miyako Odori would be happening while we were there, but little did we know our timing would also be perfect for the cherry blossoms. Mother Nature must have been on our side in creating a magical visit. The cherry blossoms arrived 2-3 weeks early and we happened to be in Kyoto when they reached full bloom (80% bloom).

Below are some photos during this beautiful time. So happy that spring is on the way!!

xxCourtney