Wine shops in Tokyo

A running list of shops for wine and spirits in Tokyo.

My personal favorite is Cave de Re-Lax in Toranomon. An awkward neighborhood and somewhat inconvenient, but a great selection of affordable wines for every day. The owner, Naito-san, is crazy about wine (literally crazy) and you can follow him and his daily wine consumption on his website`s blog which is linked below. Naito-san has recently added a tasting bar to his shop. So, stop by late in the day and have your aperitifs here.

Cave de Re-Lax Minato-ku, Nishi Shinbashi 1-6-11
Phone: 03-3595-3697
hours 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (no holidays)

Enoteca Ginza
Phone: 03-3571-1121

Yamaya Shinjuku
Phone: 03-3342-0601

Shibuya Tokyu Honten Department Store
Phone: 03-3477-3582

http://www.re-lax.co.jp/ (in Japanese and English)

Pick-up Sticks - where to go for chopsticks in Ginza

A variety of chopsticks and chopstick rests can keep you in this shop for hours. From shorter chopsticks for kids to elegant lacquer chopsticks that run the same price as a high end melon.
Just off the main crossing at Ginza, it is easy to find.

Ginza Natsuno Chuo-ku, Ginza 6-7-4
Phone 03-3569-0952

Call ahead to confirm hours. At the time of posting this blog it is open 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. It closes at 7 p.m. on Sundays and national holidays.

http://e-ohashi.com/ (in Japanese)

Bar Implicito - Italian wine bar

In this huge metropolis of neon lights and winding streets, there is no lack of bars to have a glass of wine. But many of these places are uninspiring and lacking any enthusiasm. Thank god for friends like Ned Goodwin, undoubtedly Tokyo`s top sommelier, who is pursuing the Master of Wine in his free time.

Ned introduced me to Bar Implicito, conveniently located between Shibuya, Roppongi and Ebisu. An impressive wine list covering all the regions of Italy. Start off your evening with a glass of frizzante, red Lambrusco and finish off with a glass of Grappa. The menu is simple, but has exactly what one craves, toasty panini, umami-rich proscuitto and formaggio.

Open from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. for you late night owls.

Shibuya-ku, Higashi 4-6-3
Phone: 03-5774-4433
FYI - The website is in Japanese only.

http://www.implicito.com/

Fast Food in Tsukiji

Tsukiji is the world`s largest fish market. From my home in Monzennakacho, Tsukiji is just a few minutes away on my scooter. There are several places to grab a quick bite. One place that I frequent is Tsukiiji Donburi Ichiba. It is located in the outer market on the main street. The menu is simple, and I flip flop between the maguro (tuna) donburi and the grilled tuna cheeks donburi. Donburi is simply a large bowl of rich covered with toppings. The price is affordable starting at 700 yen per donburi. There are a few seats at the counter as well as a table set up on the sidewalk. A great place to watch the flow of customers coming to the market while filling up on a donburi.

Beyond Tokyo - other markets in Tokyo

Tsukiji is the world`s largest fish market. A popular destination for tourists and locals alike. The bustling market is packed with shops selling not just fresh fish, but vegetables, seaweed, kitchen gadgets, and much more. As well, a variety of restaurants, many very simple open stalls, offering cheap eats. A great place to grab a bite, and it is not just raw fish.

Tsukiji is not the only market in the city. Following is a list of the other markets in Tokyo:
Adachi - fish Itabashi - fruits, vegetables and flowers
Kasai - fruits, vegetables and flowers
Kita-Adachi - fruits and vegetables
Matsubara-bunjou - fruits and vegetables
Ota - fish, fruits, vegetables and flowers
Setagaya - fruits, vegetables and flowers
Shokuniku - meat
Tama New Town - fruits and vegetables
Toshima - fruits and vegetables
Tsukiji - fish, fruits and vegetables
Yodobashi - fruits and vegetables


Here are some links (in Japanese):
Adachi Ichiba http://homepage2.nifty.com/adachi-ichiba/

Tsukiji http://tsukijishijo.seesaa.net/

Bistro Sanyo at Ota Market Check out the popular "set menu" of uni. There are only 20 sets available per day, and a bargain at 1,200 yen (about $10 U.S.). The uni set meal is the second photo down. http://bistro-sanyo.com/standard-menu.htm

And of course, beyond the above, you have Kappabashi for plastic food, and kitchen gadgets, located close to Asakusa. http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3020.html

Oriol Balaguer - chocolates from Spain in Shirogane

I was seduced by a Spaniard in Shiroganedai, and he offered me unique chocolates. Oriol Balaguer`s shop is an intimate space, if you can find it. He blew my mind with a firecracker chocolate. If there is one chocolate you should try, this is it. I have never had a chocolate go snap, crackle and pop in my mouth before, a brilliant concept that works. He tempted me with his unique ?Nippon Collection? featuring a savory soy sauce, a spicy wasabi and a roasty, toasty hojicha tea. But he won my Midwestern heart with a chocolate that was filled with crunchy bits of corn. Oriol spent 7 years as the pastry chef at El Bulli in Spain with the gastronomic innovator Adrian Ferran, which explains his creative flair.

Oriol Balaguer
Shiroganedai 4-9-18 Barbizon 32-2F

Gotta Get - Bakeries in Tokyo

Having lived in Brussels for a year, I was spoiled as my neighborhood bakery was "Le Pain Quotidian". Tokyo too has its share of world-class boulangeries. Go to Viron for French baguettes with a crispy crust and a chewy crumb. For delicate and rich pain au chocolat I head straight to Maison Kayser. And for savory focaccia doused in olive oil and salt Peck will not disappoint.

Peck is located in Takashimaya department store.
Nihonbashi Takashimaya
Chuo-ku, Nihonbashi 2-4-1
phone 03-3211-4111

Shinjuku Takashimaya
Shibuya-ku, Sendagaya 5-24-2
phone 03-5361-1206


Viron Tokyo
Chiyoda-ku, Marunouchi 2-7-3, Tokyo Building, Tokia 1F
phone 03-5220-7288

Viron Shibuya
Shibuya-ku, Udagawa-cho 33-8
phone 03-5458-1770


Maison Kayser
Nihonbashi Chuo-ku, Nihonbashi 1-4-1, Coredo B1F
phone 03-3516-0030

Maison Kayser Shirogane Takanawa
Minato-ku, Shirogane Takanawa 1-4-21
phone 03-5420-9683

Maison Kayser is also found in the following department stores:
Tokyo Daimaru
Ginza Matsuya

Ogura Oden in Ginza

Oden is a type of nabe or hotpot. Nabe may be the ultimate Japanese comfort food. Nabe is the name of the vessel, or pot, that the food is cooked in. Once the temperature dips in the fall, families across the country pull out their nabe pots.

There are a variety of ingredients in oden, but the defining one for me are the fish based "dumplings". White fish, or even shark (confirm) is ground into a paste and then deep fried.
You will also find daikon radish, hard-boiled eggs, tofu, tofu that has been deep-fried, and a wheat gluten item called "fu".

The ingredients are kept warm in a dashi based broth. From here there are regional differences. In Kansai, near Kyoto, you will find a delicate, light salt-based broth.

Around Tokyo, in the Kanto region, the broth is usually much darker, as it is rich in soy sauce.
The oden at Ogura in Ginza is in the Kansai style. This allows the ingredients to speak for themselves. Ogura is popular with the locals and getting a seat may be difficult. However, they have just opened their first "shiten" or branch in Nihonbashi.

Gift-giving in Japan - an insider`s view

Working at Takashimaya department store for two years I witnessed several big "gift-giving" occassions from Valentine`s Day to Oseibo at the end of the year. An insight to what is behind all of this.

http://www.tasteofculture.com/display-text.php?pd%20key=41

Brilliant Bakeries in Tokyo

Some of the best bakeries in the world, from France to Italy, have set up shops in Tokyo. Where to go when you are craving flaky croissants, crusty baguettes or airy foccacia.

http://www.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/596/localflavors.asp

Staying Cool in Tokyo - recipes for home and bites around town

Cold noodles is one way to beat the heat. Keep some fruit in your freezer for a healthy snack. And, my favorite shop in town for cold ramen noodles.

http://www.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/591/localflavors.asp

Nutty About Natto - dare to make this at home

Love it or leave it. I can`t get enough of fermented, sticky soybeans.

http://www.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/587/localflavors.asp

Donburi - a meal in a bowl

Whether you are in a rush, or on a tight budget, or just craving some simple food, donburi is one way to go. Here are some suggestions around Tokyo for Japanese-style fast food.

http://www.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/580/localflavors.asp

Demystifying the Market - things to look for in the market in Japan

So why would you want to pick up some yuzu kosho? And why on earth have you been walking into the convenience stores and NOT buying yukimi daifuku?

http://www.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/574/localflavors.asp

Get Saucy - fast and easy recipes for sauces & dressings

Spice up your kitchen repertoire with these sauces and dressings that are a snap to whip up.

http://www.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/568/localflavors.asp

Nabe - Japanese comfort food

Nabe is the name for the large pot. Nabe is also the name of the dish that is cooked at the table. Packed with vegetables, tofu, fish or meat, nabe is my party dish for cold winter days.

http://www.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/560/localflavors.asp

Harvest Festival - Reap the bounty of fall in Japan

Earthy kinoko (mushrooms), umami-rich kaki (oysters) and kuri (chestnuts) used for wagashi (Japanese confectionaries) are just some of the gifts that are the delights of fall in Japan.

http://www.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/555/localflavors.asp

Beyond Tofu - what other goodies come from soy?

Soy in Japan comes in many forms, from edamame to kinako powder. In the article are some ideas for incorporating soy into your diet.

http://archive.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/535/dining.asp

Shochu - Why is it more popular than sake?

Shochu has overtaken sales of sake (nihonshu) in Japan. What is shochu and why is it in the spotlight?

Top Shelf

Once a rough country spirit, shochu is now the most sought-after drink in Japan

A womenÕs book series known as The Sweet Potato Queens may be all the rage in the US, but here in Japan men and women are falling over themselves for the liquid version: sweet-potato shochu (imo jochu). What was once considered the poor manÕs drink is now the hottest alcoholic beverage in the country, overtaking sales of nihonshu. So if you havenÕt given this traditional Japanese spirit a shot, now may be the time.

For one thing, shochu is locally produced, meaning you wonÕt pay the mark-ups of the importer, the distributor and finally the retail shop or restaurant. Being a distilled beverage, it can sit in your house for monthsÑeven in an open containerÑand the flavor wonÕt change. And as with all food-related trends in Japan, shochu is good for you.

But whatÕs really fueling the shochu boom? In short, Japanese believe itÕs less likely to cause a hangover. And that it can help shed poundsÑa hypothesis IÕm still testing, with little success. Shochu is in fact low in calories, (35 calories per 2-ounce shot) and it encourages production of enzymes that break down blood clots (a preventative measure for heart attacks and strokes). One book encourages drinking shochu on Sunday evenings, claiming it will help you relax before starting a busy workweek. Oh, and my favorite reason: If you spill it, it wonÕt stain the tatami.

Shochu is produced throughout Japan, although much of it comes from Kyushu. Its alcohol content typically ranges from about 25 percent up to 45 percent, which is far higher than the averages for both wine (12-13 percent) and nihonshu (15-16 percent). If and when your tolerance is high enough, exploring shochuÕs varied flavors becomes the fun part. Shochu is made with everything from the common sweet potato, rice and black sugar to the bizarre, such as konbu, milk, sesame seeds and green peppers. Sweet potato has a very heady bouquet. Rice can be simple and clean. Black sugar has a sweet amami to it, while awamori is a shochu from Okinawa made with Thai rice and a bit more aromatic than the typical rice shochu.

The authority on shochu, naturally, is Sho-Chu Authority, which has six stores, including one in Shiodome and another in Tokyo station near the Yaesu North Exit. Service is better at the Tokyo station branch, but for selection and variety, Shiodome may be the worldÕs best. You can also pick up pre-mixed chuhai drinks at your local conbini or supermarket, in the same section as the beer.

What should you eat with shochu? Much like food and wine pairing, if you like the shochu, it will go with almost anything you are having. The rice and barley varieties tend to be a bit more food-friendly than the aromatic sweet potato but all shochu lacks the acidity that both wine and nihonshu bring to the table.

Another benefit of drinking shochu is that it can be consumed in so many ways: straight, on the rocks, mixed with hot water or as a cocktail. The common chuhai in a can is shochu blended with a variety of mixers such as grapefruit juice or ume (plum). But plain shochu on the rocks is the best way to get a sense of aroma and taste.

When you're ready to get on the shochu bandwagon, head straight to your local shochu bar and try a variety of flavors. Or if you want to get started at home, invite your friends and host a tasting party with any range of flavors or producers. As I wait for the Sweet Potato Queens to make their Japan debut, I for one will be bonding with the other sweet potato in my life, imo jochu.


Sho-Chu Authority
B2F Caretta Shiodome, 1-8-2 Higashi-Shinbashi, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-5537-2105. Open daily 11am-9pm. Nearest stn: Shiodome.
1F Tokyo Station, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku. Tel: 03-5208-5157. Open daily 10pm-9pm. Nearest stn: Tokyo.


Shochu legend
芋 imo (sweet potato)
米 kome (rice)
眉 mugi (barley)
黒糖 kokutou (black sugar)
泡盛 awamori (Okinawan shochu)


度 do (percentage of alcohol)


Photo credit: Tama Miyake Lung



http://archive.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/545/localflavors.asp

Coco Farm and Winery - Lessons for Life

A year after 9/11 I left Gotham for Japan to study Japanese food. My first three months was working the harvest at Coco Farm and Winery. Located just north of Tokyo, the winery is staffed by mentally disabled adults from the Cocoromi Gakuen school located on the property of the winery. The staff are sincere, hard-working, and my heroes. I wish that I could be more like them.



http://archive.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/603/dining.asp

The changing of the leaves has a name among wine makers: vendage. It marks the arrival of fall and signals that the grape harvest is near. It’s also the perfect time for wine-lovers, or those who wish to be, to visit a winery.

The historical heart of winemaking in Japan is Yamanashi Prefecture, but your first visit should be to Coco Farm and Winery in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture, where I worked the harvest three years ago.

American oenologist Bruce Gutlove is considered by many to be the best winemaker in Japan. A graduate of the University of California at Davis, the premier winemaking school in America, and with a depth of experience earned at wineries such as Robert Mondavi and Cakebread, Gutlove has created a dynamic program.

Gutlove’s portfolio is as wide-ranging as they come. From sparkling to sweet wines, using grapes as diverse as domestic varieties like koshu to the popular chardonnay, there is something for everyone. Recent products include the Cocoromi Series, which explores new grape varieties, promises vineyard sources and atypical wine-making styles. My favorite is made from a steely, crisp grape of Germanic origin called kerner from Hokkaido.

Coco Farm and Winery is partially staffed by mentally disabled adults from neighboring Cocoromi Gakuen, where 90 students live and work. Its founder, Noboru Kawata, started the school in 1969 with values based on hard work and a simple, natural life. The students work seven days a week, either in the vineyards or harvesting shiitake mushrooms.

“There are not enough of those people in the world,” says Gutlove, who compliments the students’ hard work and honesty. They appreciate having visitors, so be sure to greet them if you get
the opportunity.

Even though Japan does not rank high on most people’s lists of the world’s top wine producers, Bruce’s team continuously explores grapes that work in this often hot and humid environment, and Coco Farm produces wines from 19 grape varieties harvested from six prefectures.

“Coco Farm and Winery is on the cutting edge of winemaking in Japan,” writes Kenji Hodgson, a Japanese-Canadian wine writer volunteering with this fall’s harvest. “I don’t mean they’re stocked with the latest roto-fermenters, but rather they are dedicated to understanding the different terroirs of Japan, and using this knowledge to raise the bar of grape and wine quality in spite of climactic obstacles—not an easy task in the face of extreme weather, the likes of monsoons and typhoons.
The Harvest Festival each fall (this year Nov 19-20) announces the release of the “Coco Nouveau,” a Syrah-based wine akin to Beaujolais Nouveau (i.e. made in a fruity, approachable style), with entertainment, food and, of course, wine. Last year a staggering 15,000 visitors celebrated the harvest.

If you want to avoid the crowds, the winery is open year-round (except over the Obon summer holiday and New Year’s), with tours that introduce the wines, the winemaking process and the veranda café overlooking the steep vineyards. It’s not Europe, but Japan’s vineyards offer pleasures of their own.

“When I told friends that I was going to Japan to study winemaking, their first question was, ‘Why not France or Italy?’” concludes Hodgson. “Here I feel as though I am witnessing the progress of a wine region first-hand through an exciting, aspiring operation.”

611 Tajima-cho, Ashikaga-shi, Tochigi-ken. Tel: 0284-42-1194. Call ahead to request a tour in English. To get there by train, take the Tobu Isesaki line from Asakusa. The winery is 10min from Ashikaga stn by taxi. www.cocowine.com.

Must Eat TV - My Life as a Japanese Couch Potato

The Iron Chef had a cult following in Japan long before it even reached America. I have been learning about the Japanese food culture from the comfort of my tatami room.

Must-Eat TV

Yukari Pratt feeds her yen for Japan's eclectic menu of food programs.

We all have our dirty little secrets. And mine-I'm not ashamed to admit-is that I am a couch imo. My predilection for Japanese food TV programs has become an addiction. And it is this guilt of sheer pleasure that has driven me to come clean and spread the word.

My addiction began years ago in a Manhattan apartment with my roommate, Makoto, a chef, fishmonger and subscriber to Japanese cable TV. Makoto and I first bonded over Ryori no Tetsujin and I was immediately hooked. Iron Chef has since been dubbed over in English and become a cult hit in the US.

I, meanwhile, have since made Tokyo home and found a slew of programs to feed my addiction. From food-themed game shows to variety hits starring hungry comedians, Japan's food TV shows are an intriguing and entertaining introduction to the nation's culinary obsessions. Even with basic Japanese skills, most are easy to follow and educational. The following are a few of my latest habits.

Debuya
Ishizuka and Papaya make up the duo Debuya (pictured above). They are two big, funny guys, somewhat like a modern-day Laurel and Hardy, whose passion is good food. Maiu is their play on umai and the piggy sounds they make may be shocking at first, but you come to expect them whenever Ishizuka puts something up to his mouth. Debuya's adventures take them around the country in search of the best, and the appreciation they show to the farmers and chefs is honest and sincere. Their variety show is part travelogue, part feasting and pure pleasure-and Ishizuka and Papaya's inability to contain that pleasure is what makes this program so enjoyable.

Debuya airs Fridays at 9pm on TV Tokyo (12).

Dochi no Ryori Show
Leave it to the Japanese to create a game show based on food. In the Dochi no Ryori Show, seven guests are invited to a dinner in which the hosts, Sekiguchi and Miyake, vie for their appetites by enticing them to eat one of two chosen items. The guests watch as a camera crew tracks down ingredients, and visits famous farms and restaurants, while chefs prepare the items in the studio. For example, in a contest between harumaki and gyoza, the crew goes in search of the tokusen sozai (key ingredient) such as takenoko for the spring rolls and garlic for the dumplings. It then visits the best restaurants in Tokyo for harumaki and gyoza. Finally, as two chefs send aromas wafting through the air, the guests are asked to choose which item they would like to eat. The "winning team" is the side with the majority of the guests, who then get to indulge in their chosen item while the losers watch longingly before going home with an empty stomach.

Dotchi no Ryori Show airs Thursdays at 9pm on Nihon TV (4).

Kyo no Ryori
If you're truly keen on learning about Japanese food, this is your crash course. Different guest chefs rotate through and cook a few dishes each evening. Topics run the gamut of seasonal ingredients, cultural items such as nanagusa okayu at New Year's, and the basics. I find Kyo no Ryori Tekisuto, their monthly magazine, incredibly helpful. It includes many of the recipes from the program and is packed full of information and key step-by-step photos. Kyo no Ryori, however, requires better grasp of Japanese than the other shows listed here if you want to follow the recipes and explanations.

Kyo no Ryori airs Mondays through Thursdays at 9pm on NHK Educational (3).

Ikinari! Ogon Densetsu 
This is a reality game show where the contestants are followed for a month to see how they fare with only ･10,000 to cover gas, electricity, water and food. The creativity that the contestants use to eat well on ･10,000 yen is brilliant, and past shows have seen them fishing, foraging in the woods and making udon from scratch. A camera in the kitchen spies on them as they put together meals such as homemade gyoza, takenoko harvested from the forest, or nabe dishes made with very little gas (the secret being to get the nabe hot, and then wrap it up in newspapers and towels to stew). The average dinner often ends up costing only about ･100.

Ikinari! Ogon Densetsu airs Thursdays at 7pm Terebi Asahi (10).

There are a smorgasbord of other fun food-related shows, including Tameshite Gatten on NHK, Tonari no Bangohan on Nihon Terebi and U! Umain Desu on Fuji Terebi. Not only that, there are always specialty programs that rank restaurants, tour markets and highlight seasonal food. While I may be a hardened sofa spud by now, I can also thank my habit for teaching me how junsai (water shield) and kikurage (cloud ear fungus) are harvested, the secret to making really good gyoza, and that Calbee's seasonal potato chips taste even better when eaten in front of my favorite food TV shows. 

http://archive.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/540/dining.asp

A Chef`s Tour of a Depachika - Food Floors in Department Stores

Dazzling or dizzying? Depends on if you can decipher all that you are presented with in the food floors of Japanese department stores.

http://archive.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/535/dining.asp

Studio Shiso

Deboning chickens, deglazing pans and clarifying stocks was my modus operandi while at the French Culinary Institute. Craving to know more about the cuisine of my mother`s homeland, Japan, I left Manhattan for Tokyo five years ago. My pantry is now filled with kombu for dashi stock, smokey katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and dried shiitake mushrooms.

While in NYC I trained as a sommelier with the American Sommelier Association. In Japan, I am the first non-Japanese to pass the rigorous shochu advisor exam in Japanese. Shochu is a local distilled spirit made from a variety of raw materials such as sweet potatoes, brown sugar or soba.

I have immersed myself in the food culture and am writing about Japanese food for several publications. With this website I intend to share with you tips for cooking Japanese food at home and some of my favorite shops (retail and restaurants) in Tokyo.