Asakusa Diary - The Staff Blog

Sakura Hostel Asakusa

Address: 2-24-2 Asakusa Taito-ku, Tokyo
tel +81-3-3847-8111
fax +81-3-3847-8112

e-mail: info@sakura-hostel.co.jp
URL: http://www.sakura-hostel.co.jp/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SakuraHotelTokyo
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/asakusa_hostel

Hello together,

today I want to write about the "Little Chef" Cooking Party, which was hold on December, 23rd in our Sakura Hotel Ikebukuro.

Woah, it was so great! ^^

Normally I'm not the girl, who is really into cooking (I like videogames more, you know ^^), but this was really so much fun for me, the next Little Chef Party I'm looking forward to and want to join again! ^^

And yes, I cooked something! ^^ It's called "Milchreis" and is very popular in Germany. ^^

But first let me tell you, how a "Little Chef" Cooking Party works.

People from many different nations get together and cooking (traditional) original dishes from their home countries (and in return for teaching and sharing this original recipes, all participants get drinks and the food for free ^^).

There were so many people there (really from everywhere - Sweden, Vietnam, Korea, America, India, Malaysia and Germany...sorry if I forget one of you nice people ^^).

The atmosphere was chilly with lot of fun in the air and it was really easy, to make new friends and have nice talks about cooking, culture, home countries etc.).

Everyone started preparing and cooking some dishes and these different smells seems like in perfect harmony.

But of course, now I want to show you some nice dishes - and of course I tried all of them!

And I'm so sorry, that I can't remember all the names and countries of the menus, but later I was so busy with eating.^^

I always thought, that I would be never be brave enough to try it, but in a group with lots of fun and nice people, you really get brave! ^^ It tastes good - until I recognized, how SPICY this little pieces of the foot on my tongue are! ^^

First my head turns red and then I have to cry! :D

That was totally funny (because in Germany I was always the one who could eat more spicy food than all my friends and family).

That was great, I'll never forget! ^^

Thanks to the cook! ^^

And that's my Milchreis. ^^

It's rice cooked with milk and sugar.

Then you put cinnamon on it and taste this sweet warm meal which let you feel great (especially in winter time! ^^).

The brown Milchreis is with lot of cocoa, so it tastes a little bit like hot chocolate.

You can eat it with fruits (we take strawberries, yummy).

In Germany you eat this hot as a main dish (really!!!) or can eat it cold as a dessert. ^^

And we eat and eat and eat and eat until everything was empty and eaten, hihi. ^^

This day was such a great experience! I love it! ^^

Thank you! ^^

I've never tried so much different food in one day. I was so full after that! ^^

And I'm really grateful for the big chance to try original dishes, I have never tried before (or had never the chance to, because it's simply not available in my home country or nobody knows it). ^^

So for me it was a great experience!

You really should take the chance to join, if you are here in Japan at the time of the next "Little Chef" Party!

After cooking, eating, trying and enjoying everything, we all together went to the Christmas Party in Ikebukuro Cafe and continued with having fun! ^^ Thanks to everyone there, for me it was the perfect start in celebrating Christmas! ^^

Sakura Hostel Asakusa

Address: 2-24-2 Asakusa Taito-ku, Tokyo
tel +81-3-3847-8111
fax +81-3-3847-8112

e-mail: info@sakura-hostel.co.jp
URL: http://www.sakura-hostel.co.jp/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SakuraHotelTokyo
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/asakusa_hostel

Of course, you know McDonald's, right ?

McDonald's are everywhere in the world, and there are unique menus in each country.

Here in Japan,
new burger " KBQ Burger " is on sale at a limited time offer.

KBQ is short for Korean BBQ.
Korean food, K-POP..... Actually, Japan is in Korean boom now.
And now, it docks Korean food " Bulgogi " in McDonald's hamburger.

There are 3 secrets for this tasty KBQ Burger.

★ 1 ★
Buigogi and 100% Beef Patty make your stomach full.

★ 2 ★
Mild spicy Gochujang sauce goes with hamburger buns.

★ 3 ★
Crunchy texture of fresh lettuce sets off melty cheese.

Are you a big eater !?
There's " Double KBQ Burger " with 2 Beep Patties.

Oh, I gotta go MacDonald's !! ε=ε=(((((((((o*・ω・)o

Sakura Hostel Asakusa

Address: 2-24-2 Asakusa Taito-ku, Tokyo
tel +81-3-3847-8111
fax +81-3-3847-8112

e-mail: info@sakura-hostel.co.jp
URL: http://www.sakura-hostel.co.jp/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SakuraHotelTokyo
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/asakusa_hostel

One of the most popular Gyudon restaurants opened near the hostel today !!

You know there are already Yoshinoya and Matsuya in Asakusa, don't you ?
So......

Special feature of Sukiya is that there's a variety of menu.

For example,

Besides Gyudon, there are other menus such as Curry, and Tuna Bowl,

　　　　

Cornelia went to Sukiya for lunch today.
What she ate was.....

Now, you got more restaurant option.
Enjoy staying in Asakusa. ＝＝＝＝＝＝☆(((((((((･ω･｀*)ﾉ

It's very hot these days, isn't it?
Now, it's usual that the temperature is around 35 degree C.

In such a hot day, what do you want ?
I definitely need the ice-cream !!

I found a very cute ice-cream in Ueno.
That is...... Panda Ice-Cream

Two pandas in Ueno Zoo, " 力力( lee lee ) & 真真( shin shin ) ", model for this ice-cream.

The eyes are made of black soy beans, and the nose is made of pea.
Two biscuits turn into the ears.

As a matter of fact,
there's a slight difference between these two panda ice-creams.

Can you see it ??

In order to distinguish 力力( lee lee ) & 真真( shin shin ),
the ear position is different.

The one whose left and right ears are apart is 力力( lee lee ).
In this photo, it's the right one.

Can you spoon up this lovely face?

You can eat it at the cafe " MEGURI ".

The first days of spring, summer, fall, and winter were called
risshun（立春）, rikka（立夏）, risshu（立秋）, and ritto（立冬） when the lunar calendar was used.

Doyo（土用） refers to the eighteen-day periods before these four days.
Among these four days,
Doyo of summer, which is the hottest time of the year, is the most famous.

It is very hot and humid in this season in Japan,
and many people, even dogs, tend to lose their appetite and feel poorly.

Since ancient times,
eel , which is very nutritious in fact, has been thought to provide stamina.
In order to prevent summer heat fatigue and survive the hottest season,
Japanese have a custom of eating eel on a special day during the Doyo period.
This special day is called " Doyo Ushi-no-Hi (土用丑の日） ".

Today, July 21st, is Doyo Ushi-no-Hi for the year 2011.

Many people have eel dish such as charcoal grilled eel and grilled eel bowl today.

　　　　

Why don't you eat eel dish for dinner tonight ?

This year, it is expected to be very hot summer.
And,
we are asked for the power saving during this summer.

In order to cool the hot body from the outside,
some measures to cope with it are taken everywhere.
Super COOL BIZ, Green Curtain etc....

In the field of "FOOD",
the menu which makes the inner body cool appeared in the restaurants.

You will see the dishes which uses the cold rice.

Cold Risotto

Cold Chazuke

Cold Katsudon

Cooking the cold rice without reheating leads to the saving energy.

Spend this summer with the cold dishes.　(≧∀'*)v

It's became very hot recently.
In the middle of summer, it's much hotter.

Because of the saving energy,
we have to struggle against the heat this summer.

In such a hot weather,
you want to relieve your thirst with cold drink, don't you ?
I guess, it must be the best to go with ice.

There's a good news for beer lovers.

KIRIN proposes the new idea of how to enjoy beer.

That is.....

Even if ice is put in this beer,
the taste and the aroma of hop don't get thinner easily.
If anything, it becomes rich in flavor.

It goes on the market on July 27th, and is sold only in the convenience stores.

Do you visit Japan this summer ?
(*^д^)ノ■☆　Get through this hot summer with this beer !! 　☆■ゞ(^д^*)

Do you know " Lotteria ", which is one of the most popular fast food chain.

Now,
Lotteria started selling that unique shake again !!

Can you guess what it is ??

It's a revival menu.
In addition,
in spite of the fact that the price for other shakes is 210 yen,
the price for Kimchee Shake is 260 yen.

Therefore, it must be delicious.

However,
the poster in the shop says, " We Do Not Recommend ".

Actually,
it is said not to smell of Kimchee so much.

Do you want to taste it ??
It's a limited time offer until June 30th.

I won't challenge, though.

We, Sakura Hostel Asakusa, serves the breakfast at 315 yen.
toast, soup, coffee, tea.....All You Can Eat.

Regarding the breakfast soup, it's homemade.
Actually,
we make the feature of this homemade soup.

We introduce " Today's Chef " on the card next to the soup.
It's a handwritten menu card to which the photo of today's chef is attached.

Well, what about Naoto and Agu ??

We are not good at cooking........(￣ェ￣;)

When you stay in Sakura Hostel Asakusa,
please enjoy the homemade soup Sakura chefs make.

Good season for beer has come.

What is the best snacks to go with beer in hot summer?

In Japan, a lot of people will say " Hiyayakko ",
which is a popular Japanese dish made with chilled tofu and toppings.

Since tofu itself is a simple food,
it changes into more delicious one by the spice, topping, and seasoning.

The standard Hiyayakko is this.

Put some soy sauce on it. It's delicious.

The unique Hiyayakko is......

One American guest loves this combination.

This is Tomo's recommendation.

Do you have your original recipe for Hiyayakko ??　　(o^?^o)

Here is Sakura Hostel Asakusa's common kitchen.
Recently, the number of seasoning bottles has increased!

Because many guests who like cooking are staying in our hostel.
They buy seasoning and tend to leave it in the kitchen :)

Let's see what kind of seasonings are here today...

Read more "Seasooniiiiiiiiiiiings!" »

It is still May, though.....
" Hibiya Oktoberfest 2011 " , where you can enjoy drinking 20 kinds of German beers,
has started.

Following the beer festival "Oktoberfest" held in Germany every autumn,
Oktoberfest in Japan started in 2006.
In this festival, you can enjoy
the beer with the history of more than 600 years　,
the black beer known as the fact that Goethe loved, etc.
German sausage and German bread " pretzel " are sold.

In addition,
" Tohoku SAKE Festa "is also held at the same time.
About 10 kinds of SAKE in Tohoku region are sold.
You can enjoy the unique sake such as the sparkling sake " Puchi Puchi ".

A part of sales is contributed to the stricken area.

Are you a beer lover ? Or, do you prefer sake ??

It is held in Hibiya Park from May 20th to 29th.
On weekdays, it's open from noon till 9:30 PM.
On weekends, it's open from 11:00 AM till 9:30 PM.

･･()( )(　)(　ﾟ)( ﾟ-)(ﾟ-^*)ノ☆Let's enjoy drinking?♪ !!

We are selling Japanese Sake bottles (180ml / 500yen).
I like their label. It's artistic, isn't it? I think it's nice for souvenir.
　
　

Of cource there are Japanese Beer bottles too!
My recommend is Asahi. Let's try! :)

We have three major Gyudon restaurant chains in Japan.
Yoshinoya, Matsuya, and Sukiya

The price war of Gyudon has heated up again.
Those three restaurants launched out into the price cut all together.

YOSHINOYA gives you 110 yen discount for any sized Gyudon.
Regular price of the regular-sized Gyudon is 380 yen, so you can eat it at 270 yen !!
It's the limited time offer from May 17th till 23rd.
In addition,
it's only for Eastern Japan Area.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

SUKIYA gives you only 30 yen discount for any sized Gyudon.
Because the regular price itself is pretty cheap,
you can eat the regular-sized Gyudon at 250 yen in spite of the small discount rate.
It's from May 16th till 22nd.

MATSUYA gives you 80 yen discount for any sized Gyudon from May 16th till 23rd.
After that,
you can get 90 yen discount for Bibimbap Gyudon from May 23rd till 30th.
Moreover,
you can get 100 yen discount for Kimchi Kalbi Gyudon from May 30th till June 6th.

Although YOSHINOYA's discount rate from the regular price is the largest,
the order of price after discount is
" MATSUYA ( 240 yen ) < SUKIYA ( 250 yen ) < YOSHINOYA ( 270 yen ) ".

In terms of the discount rate, YOSHINOYA is good value. (*^ー゜)v
In terms of the price itself, MATSUYA is the best. q(･∀＜*)y

Which one are you going to choose ?

♪4(^Θ^)Ψ*. .｡.:☆Enjoy Gyudon☆. .｡.:*♪4(^Θ^)Ψ

Japanese people love CURRY and RAMEN!!
One example, Sakura hostel Asakusa's staff Naoto eat curry or ramen everyday.

Then, do you know our hostel's curry rice?
It's 500yen and you can order it 24 hours at the reception.

I'm sure some of you who reading this have eaten our curry during your stay^^
Don't you want to eat Japanese curry again??　
　
　
　
　

You know conveyor belt sushi (sushi-go-round), don't you?
How about "Conveyor Belt Dim Sum" ?
Have you ever heard that !?

It is not only sushi that is served going around on circular conveyor belt !!
I found a unique restaurant.
In this restaurant,
little plates of dim sum go around on a circular conveyor belt !!

It's "TEN TEN TSUNE TSUNE KAITEN BO （天天常常回転坊）".

Shark fin soup, Peking Duck, Chinese dumpling....
You can enjoy various dim sums.

There are both a la carte order and buffet.
If you are a big eater,
you should definitely choose the buffet.
If you are not,
first of all, enjoy the meal with a la carte order.
When it seems to exceed the buffet charge, you can switch it to the buffet.

That's very nice, isn't it?

Are you interested in this restaurant ?
It's in Yokohama Chinatown.
天天常常回転坊

From Asakusa,
it's about one hour to go to Yokohama Chinatown.

Enjoy Japanese style(?) dim sum !!

♪♪ﾞヽ((●>ω<人>ω<●))ノﾞ♪♪

It's getting warm gradually and almost spring in Japan, then what do you come up with when you think the season ?
Entrance ceremony, viewing cherry blossoms, new life style, edible wild plants or bamboo shoot ?? Yes, you are right.
But first of all I come up with Japanese seasonal sweets.
As well as foreign countries have various kinds of sweets, so does Japan.
Especially Japanese value its four seasons, so the sweets are made for the seasons.
For instance, in spring, cherry trees are in full bloom, so people created a sweet called Sakura mochi, which means cherry blossom pink rice cake. It is made from pink colored sticky rice, stuffed with sweet bean paste and rolled into a salted cherry blossom leaf. It's one of spring symbols in Japan as well as cherry blossoms.

Of course not only Sakura mochi but also there're more sweets to associate seasons.

Spring→ Kashiwa mochi （rice cake stuffed with sweet bean paste rolled into an oak leaf）

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Summer→Mizu youkan(soft sweet bean jelly)

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Autumn→Tsukimi dango (dumplings for moon viewing)

　　　　　　　　　　　Winter→　Shiruko　（hot sweet bean soup with dumplings or rice cakes）

Do you like sweets ? I do !! why don't you come to Japan and enjoy them.
Now this season, let's have a party under the cherry blossoms with Sakura mochi, then you can feel Japanese spring.

Two Beef Patties properly baked, Mild Creamy Cheese, Crisp Lettuce, and Tasty Pickles.
The conclusion is very creamy source with mustard, onion, and sweet relish.
It's a satisfying taste and volume.

What is it??

The most popular burger in McDonald's...... BIGMAC !!

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

It is 40 years since McDonald's JAPAN was established.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary,
they sell BIGMAC at 200 yen from February 25th till March 3rd !!

The regular price is 290 yen to 320 yen. ( the price differ from place to place. )
They lower the price about 100 yen.

If you order the M-size set menu, the price is 550 yen.

This special offer is available from 10:00 AM all over Japan, except for some stores in Kumamoto and Oita.

Save money !!
Let's go to McDonald's !!

Do you see the difference between these two soba noodles?

The left side is ZARU soba, and the right side is MORI soba.

Actually,
the difference is whether or not the seaweed called "NORI" is sprinkled on soba noodle.

In a soba restaurant,
you will find a big difference of the price between ZARU（ざる） and MORI（もり）.
ざる( 550 yen ) is 100 yen more expensive than もり( 450 yen ).

The price goes up 100 yen because of a small amount of seaweed !?
NO WAY !!

As a matter of fact, there's a history about it.

Long time ago,
all soba noodle which we eat with the dipping soup was called "MORI".
Later on,
soba noodle served on a bamboo basket entered the field. This is ZARU.

Compared with MORI, a better soba powder was used for ZARU.
Besides, there was a special dipping sauce for ZARU, which used mirin ( sweet sake ).

But now , it's merely the difference of nori.
In general,
soba noodle WITH nori is ZARU, and soba noodle WITHOUT nori is MORI.

It's weird, isn't it?

The biggest chocolate fair was held in ISETAN Department Store from Jan 26th till Jan 31st.
It's "SALON DU CJOCOLAT 2011" !!

Ever since the first fair was held in January 2003, it is the ninth one.
The theme for this year was "JAPON (JAPAN)".

Recently, not only Japanese dish but also Japanese material are widely noticed.
This chocolate expresses the material by printing the KANJI name.
Upper Right : 生姜　＝　Ginger Upper Lest : 抹茶　＝　Green Tea
Lower Right : 柚子　＝　Japanese Citron Lower Left : 胡麻　＝　Sesami

This is Guimauve, which is Marshmallow in English.
It imagines Sushi Roll.

Simmering sake lees and whipped cream, white chocolate is added.
It's like AMAZAKE, which is the sweet drink made from fermented rice.

Soaking Japanese cherry "SASANISHIKI" in the local sake of Yamagata Prefecture,
it's coated with the chocolate.

It's a folding fan made from chocolate !!
How beautiful it is !!

Look at this Japanese flag !!
If I eat it, am I considered a traitor?

It's chocolate DARUMA !!

It's a fusion of Japanese sweets and French sweets !!
It's a kind of muffin, called "IMAGAWAYAKI".
Usually, it's stuffed with sweet red bean jam.
But, this one is stuffed with chocolate macaron.

It's amazing that Japan can be expressed so well with only chocolate, isn't it?

Have you ever heard the word "CHOI TASHI"?

Unexpected seasoning and ingredient are added a little bit to a standard dish.
This is called "CHOI TASHI".

TV show "Onegai Ranking" has the unique segment called "CHOI TASHI COOKING".
Adding about 30 kinds of seasonings and ingredients to a dish, they place it in order of deliciousness.

I actually tried some of them which were challenged in "CHOI TASHI COOKING".
In my experience, I recommend is the following.

< Miso Soup X Mitarashi Dango >
*Miso Soup*
I'm sure you know what miso soup is.
There's no need to explain, right?

*Mitarashi Dango*
It's the toasted rice dumplings covered with sweet soy sauce.

I put Mitarashi Dango into Miso Soup.....

Do you think it's weird?
However,
it's TASTY for no reason.
Rice dumplings get softer, which is good texture.
By sweet soy sauce, the sweetness was slightly added to the soup.

I have one more to recommend.
< Ten Don X Maple Syrup >
*Ten Don*
It's a bowl of rice topped with deep fried fish and vegetables.

*Maple Syrup*
As you know,
it's the syrup which is put on pancake and waffle.

I put some Maple Syrup on Ten Don......

You don't see any difference, do you?
But,
the taste itself changed into a good one.
Slightly sweet rice is delicious, and it is totally right to add the sweetness to Tempura sauce !!

Trust me. Please try "CHOI TASHI COOKING".
You can discover a new taste !!

Do you like Gyudon?
It is Beef Bowl, which is very popular fast food in Japan.

We have three major Gyudon restaurant chains in Japan.
Yoshinoya, Matsuya, and Sukiya

The price war of Gyudon has heated up again.
Those three restaurants launched out into the price cut all together.
You can eat Gyudon by the price below 300 yen.

< YOSHINOYA >
They cut the price by 110 yen.
Now, the price of regular-sized Gyudon is 270 yen.
It's valid until 3:00 PM on January 17th.

Gyudon revived! / 吉野家の牛丼(並・玉子付き) / jetalone

< Matsuya >
The price of regular-sized Gyudon is 240 yen.
If you are a light eater, the price of small-sized Gyudon is only 200 yen !!
It's valid until 3:00 PM on January 17th.

< SUKIYA >
They cut the price by 30 yen.
You feel "It's only 30 yen !?", don't you?
But,
the price of regular-sized Gyudon is 250 yen, and small-sized one is 200 yen.
Only in Sukiya,
it's valid until 9:00 AM on January 18th.

It's a limited time offer !!
Please enjoy Japanese taste. （＊）´ー｀（＊）

Do you do anything special in New Year's Eve?
In Japan,
there is a custom of eating soba ( buckwheat noodle ) at the very end of the year.
We call it "Toshikoshi Soba".

It is often said that the life is as thin and long as soba.
Because soba is easy to break,
it also has the meaning of cutting off the troubles.
We eat Toshikoshi Soba, wishing for longevity and happiness.

There's no regulation of how to eat Toshikoshi Soba.
You can put anything as topping in soba.

Tempura

Egg

Sansai ( Mountain Vegetable )

There's one thing to be careful.
Eating Toshikoshi Soba after New Year's Eve passes is considered ominous.
It's OK to eat soba for dinner or for night meal.
It just says you should finish eating before midnight.

It remains as one of the good old traditions of New Year's Eve.
How about eating soba tonight, expressing the gratitude for living in peace ?

Japan is full of delicious food during this season.
Chestnut, sweet potato, persimmon, and so on.

My recommendation is Ankou←click.

It's "MONKFISH".
We call this fish "ANKOU" in Japanese.

It's very ugly, isn't it?
You doubt we actually eat it.

Believe it or not, it's very delicious.

Ibaraki where I live is famous for ANKOU.
It's deep-sea fish.
The best season is from November to February.
Yes !! It's NOW !!

Because of luxury fish, the price of ANKOU is a little high.
It's worthy of the price. It's very delicious.
To your surprise,
you can eat everything such as skin, internal organs, and gill, except bones.

My favorite is monkfish liver.
I guess you have no clue of it.
It resembles foie gras.

Is there anyone who wants to challenge ANKOU, reading this?

If you are, would you please come to Sakura Hostel Asakusa?
I'll give you a ride to the famous ANKOU spot by my car, if you want.

I can not treat you to ANKOU dish, though.

Sukiyaki is one of popular hotpot dishes in Japan.
The main ingredients are thinly sliced beef, tofu, starch noodles, and some vegetables.
It is simmered in a shallow iron pot with sweetened soy sauce.
The ingredients are dipped in the raw beaten egg, and you eat it.

Asakusa has the famous Sukiyaki restaurant, named "ASAKUSA IMAHAN".

In Edo era,
the beef was a special gift dedicated to the Shogun (the general).
As a health remedy to promote well being and vitality,
it was served exclusively to the privileged class.
When Meiji era came,
Asakusa , as the foremost entertainment district, was loved by many people.
Then, the founder of ASAKUSA IMAHAN paid attention to the potential of beef.
That's the year 1895, which means it has been more than a century since it set up as the beef cuisine.

Actually, ASAKUSA IMAHAN is pretty expensive.
Most of the menus are around 10,000 yen.
Thus, I recommend "Orange-street Branch Special Sukiyaki Meal Set".
It's 3,990 yen.

They have two branches : Orange-street Branch, and Kokusai-street Branch.
This one is only in Orange-street Branch.

For more information, please visit their web-site.
http://asakusaimahan.co.jp/english/index.html

It's a good idea to enjoy Sukiyaki as your happy memory of Japan.

In Japan, the popular party menu in winter is the hotpot dishes called "NABE".
From SUKIYAKI and SHABU-SHABU to CHANKO ( sumo wrestler's dish ),
it's full of variety.

NABE is easy to cook.
Just put ingredients into the boiled stock.
It used to give taste to NABE on one's own account.
With the background that a variety of NABE came out in the last few years,
the seasoned NABE soup was produced on a commercial basis.
It got popularized to enjoy NABE with these various seasoned soup.

Now, I introduce some trendy NABE.

< TOMATO NABE >

Tomato soup has the sweetish taste which the children seem to be pleased.
Because cheese as the secret ingredient suppresses the acidity of tomato,
it is mellow and has good body.
Put some rice and the beaten egg in the remaining soup at the end, and eat it as if it's rice gruel.
It's delicious.

< CHEESE NABE >

White miso was added to the CHEESE NABE soup、
which was blended with cheddar cheese and cream cheese.
It's the tasty soup in which good flavor of white miso and broth is effective well.
To make the best use of this delicious soup,
non-watery vegetables are good for this NABE.

< MABO ( Sichuan style bean curd ) NABE >

MABO TOFU is one of the most popular Chinese food in Japan.
The thick soup has a little bit spicy and sweetened taste.
These ingredients are recommended.
< minced meat, Chinese cabbage, spring onion, carrot, tofu, and vermicelli etc >
At the end, put the remaining over the rice.
Now, it's MABO rice bowl !!

NABE is the wholesome food which is equally balanced with both meat and vegetables.
Now is the best season for NABE.

Enjoy NABE party with your friends !!

In winter, you feel like drinking anything warm and sweet, don't you?
When you have it in cold weather, you get in a calm frame of mind.

In Japan, we generally drink alcohol in cold condition, except for hot sake.
Now, Asahi Beer company put the attractive cocktail on the market during winter only.

< Caramel Macchiato Cocktail >←Click
The flavor of roasted caramel, sweetness, and the espresso match in good balance.
The mild taste of milk harmonizes with the taste of caramel.

< Chocolate Cocktail >←Click
The rich aroma of chocolate, and the mild taste of milk match in good balance.
The faint smell of rum harmonizes with the taste of chocolate.

It's delicious to drink the cold one.
But, these cocktails get much more delicious if you warm them up.

Both of them have the high quality sweetness, and give you the relaxing feeling.

In reward for your hardworking,
I suggest ending the day with the hot cocktail.

Kameda Seika Company, which is a well-known rice cracker company.
Meiji Seika Kaisha, which is a well-known chocolate company.
On the first inspection, they are in totally different business field, aren't they?

Now, these two companies made the attractive snack food in collaboration.
Kakinotane is the most popular product in Kameda Seika.
Milk chocolate was produced anew by Meiji Seika for this collaboration.

One is Chocolate-Kakinotane, and the other one is Kakinotane-crunch chocolate bar.

It is "Chocolate-Kakinotane" that the milk chocolate is coated to the rice cracker.

In general, Kakinotane is eaten together with the peanut.
However, "Chocolate-Kakinotane" goes with the crunchy almond.

It is "Kakinotane-crunch chocolate bar" that is made from
the milk chocolate, the crush almond, and the crushed kakinotane.

As the chocolate melts in the mouth, you catch the salty taste.

Can you imagine how the taste is?
You will smack your lips over the exquisite combination of saltiness and sweetness.

Do you often see them in the convenience store in Japan?

This is named "Lunch Pack" , which is put on the market by YAMAZAKI Baking Company.
It's stuffed with ingredients by making the soft bread with no crust a pouch.
The bread only for "Lunch Pack" is made in the special way.
The special method to prevent the ingredient from soaking into dough is adopted.
Besides, it is devised not to make the sandwich smash by filling inside with air.

More than 50 flavors appear on the market every year.
* Regular flavors put on the market all over Japan
* Regional limited flavors using local specialty
* Original flavor by the factories

・Peanut

・Egg

・strawberry
If you visit Fukuoka, you can get strawberry flavor.

・Kinako Mochi
This Lunch Pack uses Mochi made by Otabe, which is a well-known brand of Yatsuhashi (Kyoto specialty)

Because of so many tasty flavors,
it's very popular among not only elder people but also young people.

Go traveling all over Japan, and find your favorite Lunch Pack !!

What anniversary do you have in your country?
In Japan, there is a unique anniversary called "Pocky and PRETZ Day".

First of all, do you know what Pocky and PRETZ are?
They are munchies which are put in the market from EZAKI Glico.
PRETZ is the pretzel stick product.

Pocky is pretzel sticks coated with chocolate except for a small portion at one end.

November 11th of HEISEI period 11
Six of the numeral 1 line up on this calender date.
Because the shape of Pocky and PRETZ are resembling the numeral 1, the campaign started on that day.
Since then,
November 11th is considered as Pocky and PRETZ Day.

Pocky and PRETZ are widely sold not only in Japan but also other countries.
In some countries, they are sold by another name such as
"MIKADO" in Europe, "Rocky" in Malaysia, "百奇" in China.

Buy bunch of Pocky and PRETZ in the super market !!
How about Pocky and PRETZ party on November 11th?

These days, it is said that many children don't feel pleasure in meal.
Some have munchies in meal.
Some buy food in the convenience store and eat it at the cramming school.

Fundamentally,
eating is the one that makes the mind enriched and the interpersonal relationship promoted.
We started to reconsider child's eating habits.
Now, there occurred the tendency to have motto that children always take a meal happily.
No matter how the taste is good, the meal itself is insipid unless we feel happy.

It is Character Bento that expresses child's favorite character by contents of the box lunch.

Enjoyment over the meal is important as well as nutritionally balanced diet and tasty meal.
Character Bento aims that children enjoy taking a meal without likes and dislikes.

Which character do you want to make in your bento?
Is it too lovely for you to eat?

Have you seen this Japanese food?

It's Oden.

Oden is a typical Japanese hodgepodge suitable for colder seasons.
Many different foods are boiled together in a large pot with a soup seasoned with soy sauce and dried
bonito flakes.

Here are some popular ingredients for Oden.

・DAIKON (white radish)
・TAMAGO (egg)
・KONNYAKU (devil's tongue)
・SATSUMAAGE (deep-fried ball of fish paste)
・KONBU (kelp)
・CHIKUWA (fishpaste cake)
・JAGAIMO (potato)

You often see Oden in the convenience store when you visit Japan.
It is mostly put in front of the cash register.

Do you want to buy some?
Take the favorite one by yourself, and don't forget to put some hot mustard on it.
Hot mustard goes really well with Oden !!

Have you ever eaten Ramen?
Ramen is Chinese noodle arranged in Japanese-style.
There are mainly 4 kinds of soup : Soy Sauce (Shohyu), Soy Bean Paste (Miso), Salt (Shio), Pork Broth(Tonkotsu).

Ramen is very popular among not only Japanese people but also foreign people.

Here is a good news for you.

Tokyo Ramen Show will be held in Komazawa Olympics Park from Nov 3rd till Nov 7th.
Local ramen all over Japan and collaborative ramen by popular chefs gather there.
More than 100 ramen restaurants participate in this event.
There are many ramen that you can enjoy only in this time.
Besides, you can eat any ramen by 750 yen per bowl
It's only Tokyo Ramen Show that has such a wonderful chance.

I introduce some of ramen to you.

< TOYAMA BLACK MENYA IROHA >

< TOCHIGI HANANOKI >

< HAKODATE RAMEN JIROCHOU >

If you want more information, please visit their web-site.
http://www.ramenshow.com/index.html

Did you find the one you want to eat?

TAIYAKI is a Japanese traditional snack, which is a fish-shaped pancake filled with bean jam.

For a long time ago, there was a controversy about TAIYAKI even among literary people.
They discussed about whether there should be bean jam in the tail of TAIYAKI or not.
The representative opinions are as below :

< No bean jam in the tail >
1) Originally, the tail part is just the handle to pick and eat TAIYAKI by fingers.
2) The tail part should be the one to refresh our palate after eating something sweet.

< With bean jam in the tail >
1) We have the feeling that lose something unless there's no bean jam in the tail.
2) We feel TAIYAKI with bean jam in the tail more valuable.

These days, almost all TAIYAKI have bean jam in the tail.

In addition, the way to eat TAIYAKI has been discussed before.
Which is the correct manner, eating the head part first or eating the tail part first?

One questionnaire says about 80% people eat the head part first and 20% eat the tail part first.

About me, I'm minority on how to eat TAIYAKI.
I always eat the tail part first, and enjoy the head part fully filled with bean jam later on.

How about you?