If you’re sitting down to a plate of fresh maguro tuna at a restaurant in Japan, chances are your meal passed through Shiogama. The commercial docks in this city north of Sendai handle the vast majority of the tuna trade in Japan, not Tsukiji Market in Tokyo as most people believe. Shiogama Fish Market is…
Category: Food
Kakigori
When July and August roll around, the people of Japan swoon in the hot and humid weather. Perhaps that feeling led to the invention of kakigori, finely shaved ice flavored with a variety of sweet goodness. Kakigori is widely available on the cheap with a variety of artificial, bright colored flavored syrups like strawberry, lemon,…
Chirashi Don
Japan loves its raw fish in many forms, but Chirashi don, which is sashimi in a bowl of flavored rice can be quickly consumed over a short lunch break, making it the choice of office workers. Chirashi means “scattered” in Japanese, though some bowls have toppings laid out so beautifully, its easy to question that…
Harmonica Alley
Narrow alleys lined with tiny shops, restaurants and even fortune tellers are common in big cities like Tokyo. These alleys are known by their Japanese name: yokocho. Some of these, like Omoide Yokocho in Shinjuku focus on one specific type of shop while others are more eclectic. Harmonica Alley, outside the north exit of Kichijoji station…
Brigela
Gelato served in a warm brioche bun? Is that even a thing? Why yes it is, and you can try it for yourself at Brigela (Brioche-Gelato), a dessert chain in Tokyo. Combining the Japanese love of fresh bread and soft ice cream, Brigela seems like the perfect fit for the Japanese palette. Traditional flavors include…
Arise Coffee
Taiji Hayashi is the master roaster and owner of Arise Coffee in the up-and-coming Tokyo “coffeetown” neighborhood of Kiyosumi Shirakawa in the eastern Tokyo 下町 area. He runs two businesses in the neighborhood, Arise Coffee Roasters, where he roasts and sells beans and personally serves up handpours, and Arise Coffee Entangle, a cafe that serves…
Kaiseki
Kaiseki is the form of Japanese cuisine based on individual servings of a wide variety of dishes, tailored to regional and seasonal foods to ensure the freshest of ingredients. Traditionally, kaiseki starts with a soup and ends with a sweet dessert and green tea. Sandwiched between can be a variety of dishes including vegetables, sashimi, grilled meats,…
Higashi
Higashi 干菓子 are a type of wagashi, a Japanese sweet made specifically for tea ceremony. Though you could eat wagashi without tea, they tend to be very sweet to balance the bitterness of the strong Japanese green tea served at tea ceremony. Higashi are “dry” versions of wagashi, usually made with sugar and rice flour, though…
Limited Edition Pocky
This past week, Glico released two special flavors of their popular Pocky snack. For those who are not familiar with Pocky, the chocolate covered biscuit sticks sold worldwide, you might be from Europe where they are branded “Mikado”. Just in time for the Rio Summer Olympics, Brazilian Orange flavored Pocky are readily available in supermarkets…
Ichiran Ramen
Ramen is the original Japanese fast food and the seating at Ichiran aims to keep it that way. Seating is set up like a voting booth; partitions on each side of you ensure your focus is only on the bowl in front of you. While Ichiran isn’t the best choice for enjoying a meal with…
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