Chubu 2016 中部の旅 - Soup Curry Hanjiro スープカレーハンジロー

Visited 20.10.2016 (Thu)





Soup curry fan! Arrived at Azumino city 安曇野市 just in time for lunch. Followed a recommendation in Mappuru Shinshu まっぷる 信州 and took a taxi from Hotaka Station 穂高駅 to Hanjiro ハンジロー, a restaurant that specialises in soup curry スープカレー. I became a fan of soup curry after trying it for the very first time in Hokkaido. As the name implies, it is more soupy than the thicker, gravy like Japanese curry. Usually served together with chicken, a variety of vegetables or seafood, the flavour of the soup curry packs a punch and goes extremely well with rice. Hanjiro occupies a two storey, country style wooden house which stands right beside a stream and is located in the vicinity of a wasabi farm and salmon rearing farm. Though the restaurant was fully packed when we arrived, we were only separated from our lunch by another family standing in the queue. Looked through the menu and decided to have their set lunch which comes with appetiser, ice cream and drink. Ordered two sets of soup curry with assorted vegetables and three different types of mushroom (彩り野菜と３種類キノコのスープカレー), and one set of soup curry with their specialty hamburg steak made from pork and beef (牛と豚こだわり肉のハンバーグスープカレー). Each soup curry is also served with rice. The spiciness level ranges from 0 to 30 and we opted for level 2 spiciness, which is equivalent to medium spicy.





Delicious. Upon stepping into the restaurant, my nose was instantly captivated by the delicious aroma of soup curry that filled the air in the dining area. We were assigned to the window counter seats which face the clear water stream. Started the lunch with a small plate of salad as appetisier. When my soup curry (with assorted vegetables and mushrooms) was served, I was surprised how aesthetically pleasant the dish was. The hearty bowl of soup curry was decorated with colourful, seasonal vegetables such as cherry tomato, pumpkin, broccoli and asparagus and topped with a halved hard boiled egg. Tasted a scoop of the soup and was totally blown away by the multiple layers of flavours that unfolded on my tastebuds. The secret to their soup curry is its Bouillon soup base, created using ingredients such as beef, potherbs and fruits, which are cooked together for 12 hours and left to sit overnight; while the curry is made up of around 20 types of spices. Level 2 spiciness was just right for my palate, complementing the natural sweetness infused in the broth. As for the soup curry with hamburg steak, the meat patty was well seasoned and seared to the right level of doneness. Wrapped up our enjoyable lunch with a scoop of ice cream and hot milk tea.

Glad to discover a good soup curry restaurant outside of Hokkaido!

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Soup Curry Hanjiro スープカレーハンジロー 
長野県安曇野市穂高4857-1
Operating hours: 1100 - 1430 hrs (Lunch); 1730 - 2030 hrs (Dinner)
http://hanjiro.jp/

How to get there?
20 minutes walk from Hotaka Station 穂高駅.

Chubu 2016 中部の旅 - Yoritsuki Ryori Kurabu 寄り付き料理 蔵部

Visited 17.10.2016 (Mon)



Rustic. Lunch was the first thing on our mind when we reached Obuse. Came to Kurabu 蔵部, a restaurant occupying a portion of the sake warehouse of Masuich Ichimura Sake Brewery 桝一市村酒造場. Kurabu serves yoritsuki ryori 寄り付き料理, a term used to describe the meals that are prepared for the people who had to work and stay in the brewery during the winter months. The restaurant aims to bring out the best in locally sourced ingredients using simple cooking methods, an important element of yoritsuki ryori. Stepped into the former warehouse with traditional "kawara" style roof and was greeted by a rustic ambience. The open kitchen concept draws the diners closer to the chefs, as well as the delectable aroma of food that are prepared upon order. Staying true to its traditional roots, Kurabu even has a kamado 竈, a traditional Japanese charcoal or wood fired stove, which they use to cook rice in a copper pot, just like how it was prepared for the sake brewing workers in the old days.





On the day of our visit, there were four mains to choose from its lunch menu and all the mains are served with rice cooked using kamado, miso soup and side dish.
- Thinly sliced layered roast Shinshu beef 信州産牛肩ロース重ね焼
- Roast miyuki pork marinated in miso and sake lees みゆき豚ロース味噌酒粕漬焼
- Sashimi platter comprised of three different types of fish お造り三種盛り
- Grilled fish of the day 本日の焼魚

Conventional washoku meal: sashimi platter served with rice, miso soup and side dish

Back to basics. Had the sashimi platter for myself and ordered the grilled fish of the day for my parents. The sashimi platter comprised of fresh catch of the day - Kanpachi 勘八 (greater amberjack/yellowtail), red seabream 真鯛 and salmon サイモン, and salmon was served as the grilled fish of the day accompanied with salad. Though there are no complex seasoning to overwhelm the palette, these simple washoku (Japanese cuisine) are equally satisfying and are apt testaments to what "less is more" meant. Looking back at all the Japanese food I have eaten before, fresh sashimi together with fragrant Japanese rice is one of my favourite comfort food that I will crave for every now and then.





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Yoritsuki Ryori Kurabu 寄り付き料理 蔵部
長野県上高井郡小布施町大字小布施807
Operating hours: 1100 - 2200 hrs (last order at 2000 hrs)
https://www.obusekurabu.com/

How to get there?
10 mins walk from Nagaden Obuse Station 長電小布施駅.

Chubu 2016 中部の旅 - Yawataya Isogorou Honten 八幡屋礒五郎 本店, Yokomachi Cafe 横町カフェ

Visited 16.10.2016 (Sun)





Essential. After visiting Zenkoji, as it was still too early to have dinner, we decided to rest our legs in one of the cafes in the vicinity. Came to Yokomachi Cafe 横町カフェ, a cafe attached to Yawataya Isogorou Main Shop 八幡屋礒五郎 本店. Wataya Isogorou is well known for their shichimi togarashi 七味唐からし, a spice mixture which is an important condiment in every Japanese household. Personally, I like a dash of shichimi togarashi in my bowl of udon to add a tint of spiciness and enhance the flavours of the soup. The main ingredients of Wataya Isogorou's shichimi togarashi are chili pepper 唐辛子, dried citrus peel 陳皮, seasame seed 胡麻, hemp seed 麻種 (otane), shiso 紫蘇, Japanese pepper 山椒 (sansho) and ginger 生姜, and the ingredients may differ from places to places. In the past, there was an old saying that buying a can of their brand's shichimi togarashi served as a proof that one has visited Zenkoji. Till today, Wataya Isogorou's spice mixtures are popular items and souvenirs that travellers will bring back home with after visiting Zenkoji.

Yawataya Isogorou has been around since 1736, when the founder first started selling shichimi togarashi around Zenkoji. The main shop was established in 1952 (Showa 27) and underwent renovation in 2008 (Heisei 20). The shop looked like a kura (traditional Japanese style warehouse) and is easily identifiable by two gigantic chilies hung on both sides of its main entrance. Was surprised to see quite a number of people shopping inside the shop and this goes to show how popular their products were. Walked through the small crowd to come to Yokomachi Cafe, which is located behind the shop. In contrast to the shop's traditional exterior, the cafe took on a modern and chic design. On every table, there are a total of eight different cans of spice mixtures which patrons can test on their food to determine which best suit their taste.

Spice macarons. Apart from desserts and drinks, Yokomachi Cafe also serves several types of curries, such as beef curry, butter chicken curry and vegetable curry, which are suitable for a lunch appetite. We ordered two sets of desserts to share, accompanied with coffee and tea. Both desserts were seasonal items introduced during autumn - crispy and fragrant chocolate chip scones which were baked with honey and eaten together with cream, chocolate sauce and yuzu powder (650 yen), and a set of miso flavoured cakes and macarons made from sweet potatoes and sesame (480 yen). In fact, macarons is one of their signature items and the flavours of these macrons are definitely not the typical ones we get from our usual sweets and confectionery shops. Was surprised to find out that the flavours included the seven ingredients of shichimi togarashi, such as chili pepper, ginger and sansho. The shells of the macarons are made from almond powder and meringue, with butter cream sandwiched between the shells. Was not adventurous enough to try out the spice macarons at that point of time and went for the safer option (sweet potatoes). Have made a mental note to try them the next time I visit Nagano again.





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Yawataya Isogorou Honten 八幡屋礒五郎 本店, Yokomachi Cafe 横町カフェ
長野県長野市横町86-1
Opening hours: 1000 - 1900 hrs (last order at 1830 hrs)

http://yawataya.co.jp/yokomachi-cafe/

How to get there? 

(1) By bus. Board any bus from Nagano Station Zenkoji Exit 長野駅善光寺口 Bus Terminal Platform 1 and alight at Zenkoji Iriguchi 善光寺入口.

Chubu 2016 中部の旅 - Nagaden Obuse Station 長電小布施駅, Obusedo 小布施堂

Nagaden Obuse Station 長電小布施駅 (N15) is a train station along Nagaden Nagano line 長電長野線. Obuse machi 小布施町 is a town located northeast of Nagano city and it takes about 40 minutes to get here by train from Nagano. Obuse is well known for its high quality chestnut since the Edo period and the credits go to the acidic soil here which favours the growth and production of fragrant and sweet chestnuts. In this town, there are many shops offering a plethora of sweets created from chestnuts that will bound to make one spoilt for choice. Other than this famous agricultural produce, Obuse is also known as the place where Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎, a renowned ukiyo-e printer during the Edo period, visited in his later years. Most of us may have come across images of this stunning woodblock print titled "The Great Wave of Kanagawa 神奈川沖浪裏" and this is one of Hokusai's most famous masterpiece in his career.

Trivia 1: A panoramic view of Hokushin gokaku 北信五岳 (five mountains of Hokushin) can be seen from the platform of Obuse Station. The five mountains are Myoko-san 妙高山, Madarao-yama 斑尾山, Kurohime-yama 黒姫山, Togakushi-yama 戸隠山 and Iizuna-yama 飯縄山.

Trivia 2: If the timing is right, you will be treated to a view of ripe apples in the farm located just behind the train station. 

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What’s nearby?

(1) Bus stop for Obuse Roman-go bus おぶせロマン号バス
This is a loop service that operates on weekends and public holidays between April and November. The bus departs from Obuse Park 小布施総合公園, stopping by Oirase Station 小布施駅, Hokusai Museum 北斎館, Obuse Museum おぶせミュージアム, Obuse Onsen おぶせ温泉, Floral Garden フローラルガーデン前, Jokoji 浄光寺 and makes the return route from Ganshoin 岩松院.
One day pass = 500 yen
* Pass can be purchased from Obuse Cultural Sightseeing Center 小布施文化観光協会 located within Obuse Station.
https://www.town.obuse.nagano.jp/docs/roman.html

Trivia 3:Some of the footpaths here are laid with wood obtained from thinned chestnut trees.

(2) Hokusai kan 北斎館, about 10 mins walk from the train station.

Operating hours: 0900 - 1700 hrs
Admission fee = 1,000 yen

https://hokusai-kan.com/

Established in 1976, the museum holds a collection of original artworks that Katsushika Hokusai left behind in Obuse. Two festival floats which the ceilings were painted by Hokusai (when he was around 85 - 86 years old) are also put up for display in the museum as well. Did not visit the museum due to time constraint.

(3) Obusedo Sanfuro 小布施堂 傘風楼, about 10 mins walk from the train station.
Operating hours: 0900 - 1700 hrs
https://obusedo.com/

Obusedo is a household name in the town, specialising in chestnut sweets and confectionary. After a satisfying lunch at Kurabu 蔵部 (a restaurant which is also managed by Obusedo), we dropped by Obusedo Sanfuro for desserts. We were eager to try chestnut sweets which Obuse is well known for and we each bought a chestnut flavoured ice-cream cone with chunks of chestnut in it. Very delectable and highly recommended!

Japan Autumn Nov 2017 一人で日本の旅 - Omuro Keishokudo おおむろ軽食堂

Visited 13.11.2017 (Mon)

Lunch. It was about lunch time after transiting back to the foot of Omuroyama by chairlift. Decided to settle my lunch here before heading back to Izu Kogen Station. In fact, before I ascended Omuroyama earlier in the day, I was already attracted to this natural modern looking restaurant situated at the entrance of chair lift station. Though keishoku (軽食) means light meals, the food served here at Omuro Keishokudo are actually more intricate than simple snacks. Firstly, all the main courses here are accompanied by appetiser plate and dessert. There is also decent variety of rice bowls and udon to choose from the menu. For example, rice bowl topped with freshly caught shirasu (whitebait) from Usami Port or chicken marinated with soy sauce and simmered in bonito flavoured broth (とりてり丼). On the other hand, the udon noodles are served with vegetable tempura, soy sauce marinated pork or butter flavoured clams. Being a fan of fried food, I could resist not ordering their fried fish rice bowl, which happens to be one of their most popular food item on their menu. In addition to that, seafood is a specialty of Izu Peninsula because of its coastal geographical location.

Exquisite. I was already quite impressed by the outlook of the appetiser at the beginning of my lunch course. Served on a rustic ceramic tile, the appetiser was made up of five different food items which varied from day to day. Featuring seasonal and locally grown ingredients, each appetiser dish on the plate has its own distinct flavour to whet diners' appetite. The fried fish rice bowl definitely earned its place as the signature creation here. The fillets were lightly breaded and deep fried to mouth watering shade of golden brown colour. Cooked to the right texture with its moisture retained completely, I was pleasantly satisfied by the outcome of the fried fish fillets. Halfway through, I finished the rest of my rice bowl in ochazuke style, by pouring dashi over rice. I have always enjoyed ochazuke since this is quite similar to how I will soak my last bit of rice in soup/broth and eventually slurp up everything at one go back at home. Dessert was served promptly after I finished my bowl of ochazuke. Comprised of a simple sweet, pudding and a bowl of lukewarm maccha, this delectable dessert set wrapped up the entire lunch course delightfully. One other noteworthy feature of Omuro Keishokudo to pay attention to while enjoying your meal is their tablewares which are all handmade,  piece by piece, by a local pottery workshop in Ito city.

Conclusion. I have to say that I am surprised to discover such a good restaurant located in a tourist attraction and I am quite sure that the relaxing ambience and delicious food served here can/will attract a decent group of people to return on another day... solely just to enjoy a meal here!

My bill:
- Fried fish don 地魚フライ丼 - 1,566 yen (tax inclusive)

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Omuro Keishokudo おおむろ軽食堂
伊東市富戸1317-5大室山リフト館1F; located near the entrance of Omuroyama chairlift station.
Operating hours: 1000 - 1600 hrs
http://izu-kukan.com/ohmuro-lunche/

Japan Autumn Nov 2017 一人で日本の旅 - Patisserie Que Sera Sera パティスリー・ケセラセラ

Visited 12.11.2017 (Sun)

Sweet tooth. Just before I headed back to Izukyu Shimoda Station 伊豆急下田駅 after visiting Perry Road, I decided to make a detour to Patisserie Que Sera Sera to enjoy some sweets. My original plan was to fulfill my sweets cravings in one of the retro cafes lined along Perry Road ペリーロード however, the menu from several shops did not appeal to me. My last hope was Patisserie Que Sera Sera, housed in a stand-alone, modern looking and white washed building and located about 4 minutes walk away from the train station. The patisserie has also allocated a section, operating it as a cafe, for dine in customers to enjoy their sweets, accompanied with drinks here. The patisserie with a touch of European flair (Que Sera Sera means Whatever Will Be, Will Be) is opened by a couple who has previously worked in the well known sweets shop, Mont St. Clair モンサンクレール, located in the chic district of Jiyugaoka in Tokyo. 

Limited period apple pie. Was already spoilt for choice by all the delicious line up of cakes in the display fridge. As I stood in front of the display fridge and could not make up my mind what to order (for quite a while), the staff directed my attention to a basket with two pieces of apple pies left and recommended me to give it a try. Initially I was unconvinced that the apple pie was a better option than the rest of delectable array of cakes but eventually gave in to the suggestion. I have to say this is one of the best apple pie I have eaten; even has as an edge over the ones I have savoured in Hirosaki on a previous trip (a city in Aomori Prefecture which is famous for apple pies). The flavours of the apple pie itself was already very well balanced; and it was further elevated by a scoop of vanilla ice cream placed on top of it. Utilising apples harvested from Aomori, the highest producing prefecture in Japan, I later found out that their apple pie is actually the most popular item in Que Sera Sera and is only available for sale between September and May. Would highly recommend to give this legendary apple pie a try if your visit to the patisserie falls within this limited period of time!

One of the best apple pies I have eaten!

Bought this Shimoda Tea Castella cake just before I left the shop. Like the cake as well - not too dense in texture and is infused with fragrant tea flavour. 

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Patisserie Que Sera Sera パティスリー・ケセラセラ
下田市敷根３－４０
Operating hours: 1000 - 1900 hrs; closed on Tuesdays
https://www.facebook.com/p.queserasera/

How to get there?

(1) By foot. Approx 4 mins walk from Izukyu Shimoda Station.

Japan Autumn Nov 2017 一人で日本の旅 - cafe Tati sweets カフェタチスイーツ

Visited 14.11.2017 (Tue)

Lunch. Wrapped up my day trip at Ito with lunch and dessert at cafe Tati sweets. Reached the cafe slightly just before it was opened for the day and was surprised to see another person who did the same too. Tati has been featured in several travelogues that I have read and being a person with a sweet tooth, I was definitely looking forward to this visit. While standing outside to wait for the clock to struck 11:30 am, I was already attracted to this 2 storey, white coloured and cute looking building which Tati is housed within. Upon entering the shop, I was immediately dazzled by the beautiful and delicious looking sweets arranged neatly in the display fridge.

Cafe Tati sweets is a family operated cafe and patisserie, located near Matsukawa Yuhodou 松川遊歩道. While the husband is in charge of the shop front, the wife, who is a pastry chef, handmade all her creations wholeheartedly. The interior of the cafe is also nicely done, with a modern country style outlook. Found a corner seat and sat down to read the menu. There are two set lunches available on the menu - (1) Saba fish, harvested in Ito, minced and cooked in miso, served with onsen tamago and rice, (2) homemade sandwiches with three different fillings to choose from (egg, curry and pork). Chose the latter because I had something similar like the former (but in ochasuke style) during breakfast in Kai Ito.

Sweets rule! The set lunch comprised of egg sandwich タマゴサンドイッチ as the main and accompanied by soy milk and vegetable soup, salad with pasta, dried fruit, biscuit and coffee/tea. When my meal was served, I was slightly disappointed by the outlook of the egg sandwich which was prepared beforehand (rather than upon order), wrapped with a plastic sheet and kept in the cooler until it is served. The egg sauce filling was actually quite delectable and tasted better than it looked. However, it still fell short of my expectation as I would have preferred it to be served warm. Made my way to the front counter to choose a dessert from a good variety available to make up for the slightly mediocre lunch. Glad that I did not give up on their sweets - had a maccha cream puff and it was so good that I wanted to order another! The cream was smooth, rich and aromatic, with a subtle bitter aftertaste that is distinct to maccha which I like alot. In fact, there are many other sweets (that are very photogenic as well) which I hoped I could savour, especially after the excellent impression derived from the maccha cream puff. This totally brightened up my day again!

For the delicious sweets, I am quite sure I will make a return visit to cafe Tati sweets again.

- Egg sandwich: 280 yen + 600 yen to upgrade into set lunch
- Maccha cream puff: 230 yen

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cafe Tati sweets カフェタチスイーツ
 〒414-0023 静岡県伊東市渚町2-6
Operating hours: 1130 - 1830 hrs; closed on Mondays
http://cafetati.sakura.ne.jp/

How to get there?

(1) By foot. Approx. 12 mins walk from Ito JR Station 伊東駅.

Japan Autumn Nov 2017 一人で日本の旅 - Cafe Kichi カフェキチ

Visited 12.11.2017 (Sun)

Flagship. Ever since the pleasant dining experience at Kichi+ on my first visit to Atami, I have been thinking of visiting Cafe Kichi, the original flagship store. On my two weeks stay in Japan, I managed to drop by Atami again to tick off this item from my to-do list. After enjoying a satisfying Sanshoku don (three coloured don comprised of raw and boiled whitebait and boiled sakura shrimp) at Kichi+, I extended my stay in Cafe Kichi to savour some dessert and drink before heading back to the train station.

Cosy. Cafe Kichi occupies a refurbished 2 storey wooden shophouse situated in an alley connecting Nakamise-dori 仲見世通り to Heiwa-dori 平和通り, two of the busiest sheltered shopping streets in the vicinity of the train station. The emergence of Cafe Kichi appealed to a younger and inquisitive audience and this fueled the revitalisation of the long established shopping streets. Upon stepping into Cafe Kichi, I felt that I have entered into a completely different space from the outside world. I was immediately engulfed by the calming and peaceful ambience in the cafe when I pulled open the wooden door of its entrance.

The open concept kitchen and a wooden bench table took up most of the space on the ground floor. I was brought to a table on the second floor and the interior decor was very much to my liking. Since it was still early and there were no other customers on the second floor, I had the entire space to myself for most part of my stay in the cafe. The usage of wooden furnishing and warm lighting generated a cosy dining environment. The ceiling was decorated by tree branches and I love its natural silhouette cast onto the walls - creating this dining-in-the-woods atmosphere. Here, I also got to know Takagi Masakatsu (高木正勝), a talented Japanese musician who was born in Kyoto, from his soothing musical compositions/arrangement played over the audio system in Cafe Kichi. 

Sweets. As there is a limited number of items available on the sweets menu - chiffon, no-bake cheesecake, chocolate cake, pumpkin pudding and scones, I did not take long to decide what to have Ordered a no-bake cheesecake (レアチーズケーキ) and a cup of their coffee blend to go with my dessert. The cheesecake was delectable - the cream cheese was rich but not overpowering and I love its overall consistency in terms of texture. The sweet blueberry jam also helped to cut the saltiness inherent of cream cheese. Their coffee was delicious; having a strong captivating aroma and not too acidic for my liking. After eating the no-bake cheesecake, I was very tempted to try the rest of the sweets on the menu! It is always during such occasions I wish for some companions who will be able to indulge into a variety of food together with me...

I can finally resonate to why Cafe Kichi is so popular and I hope it will continue to stay here in Atami city. In conclusion, Cafe Kichi is such a pleasant and comfortable place to hang out in, whether you are alone or with a group of friends, with the company of their delicious sweets and coffee.

- No-bake cheesecake: 410 yen

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Cafe Kichi カフェキチ
静岡県熱海市田原本町5-9
Operating hours: 1100 - 1900 hrs; closed on Wednesdays
http://www.cafe-kichi.com/cafekichi/index.html
Approx. 3 minutes walk from Atami JR Station.