Dinner at Hantei Kushiyaki in Nezu

Dinner with Carolyn and David at Hantei. Masa recommended this restaurant to Carolyn.

cabbage, carrots, daikon, and cucumbers

scallop mousse

shimp/shiso (asparagus)
chestnut skewered on a pine needle
young ginger with pork wrapped around
kamasu fish and shimeji mushroom
eggplant nikuzumi (ground pork)
torigai (clam) and makomodake mushroom
sanma fish wrapped in kombu & vinegar
sawagani (komanegi onions)
ginnan
misokatsu (pork & konnyaku)
maitake mushrooms
salmon, ikura, and tartar sauce
negi, shishito

http://www.hantei.co.jp/

Oiwake for Tsugaru Shamisen in Asakusa

The Yoshida Brothers have made Tsugaru shamisen quite famous in the states. Be surrounded by live Tsugaru shamisen music in Oiwake near Asakusa.

Oiwake
Nishi-Asakusa 3-28-11
Phone: 03-3844-6283

http://www.oiwake.info/

Are mo kore mo miso sauce

3/4 cup miso
1/4 cup sake
3 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons mirin
1 Tabelspoon soy suace

warm over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.

Uji Mattcha Green Tea in a Bottle

I was never a cola drinker. And in Japan, a quick look at the drinks section of any convenience store will show that there is a wide variety of drinks. Tea drinks are quite popular. Irokuen makes a tea where the mattcha is kept in the cap and then made fresh with the water in the bottle when you open up the cap.

Dips and Dressings from Tofu

Tofu makes for a great vehicle for toppings (see prior post). It is also a breeze to make dips and dressings based on creamy tofu.


Use the tofu to make a shira-ae dressing
tofu, nerigoma (roasted sesame paste), mirin, and salt

Shira-ae can be used to dress the following:
shungiku (chrysanthemum leaves)
carrots, shiitake mushrooms (that has been marinated in a savory soy broth)

Tuna Mayo
1/2 tofu, 1 can tuna, 2 T. minced onions, 2 T. chopped parsley, 3 T. mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper

Avocado Onion
1/2 tofu, 1 avocado, 1 large juiced lemon, 3 T. minced onions, tobasco, salt, extra virgin olive oil

Maple Peanuts
tofu, chunky peanut butter, maple syrup, lemon juice, salt

Toppings for Tofu

Tofu came to Japan from China in 1183. There are several types of tofu:

1. Kinugoshi dofu (firmer texture)
2. Momen dofu (softer texture)
3. Oboro dofu (so soft that it is held together in a bamboo basket)
4. Yaki dofu (grilled tofu, often used for sukiyaki)
5. Okara are the lees left over from making tofu. This is the bran of soybeans that is filtered out to make tonyu (soy milk). It is extremely nutritious and often used for a dish called unohana that incorporates shiitake mushrooms, carrots, pea pods and some seasonings.

In the winter, you can have yudofu, or tofu warmed up in hot dashi.
In the summer, hiyayakko, is chilled tofu.

Garnish the tofu with toppings such as:

extra virgin olive oil and sea salt
myoga, julienned
shiso leaves, julienned
green onions, finely chopped
shoga ginger, grated
sansho, green onions and salt
tomato and salt
umeboshi paste, katsuo flakes, green onions, toasted sesame seeds, ichimi togarashi, sesame oil, and soy sauce
umemiso - umeboshi paste, honey, and miso

Kano-Shojuan Tea House in Kyoto

Along the philopher`s walk in Kyoto is a tea house serving wagashi Japanese confectionaries. Kano-Shojuan also has shops in Tokyo. At Isetan in Shinjuku the display cases may take your breath away. Miniature Japanese gardens garnished with sweets. Takashimaya in Nihonbashi has a small eat-in counter where you can have some of the seasonal sweets.

Do not miss the cheesecake which includes mattcha cake and adzuki beans.

Kano Shojuan
Kyoto, Sakyo-ku, Wakaoji 2-1
Phone: 075-751-1077

http://www.kanou.com