Yokosuka Food Corner - Blue Street and Beyond

Hakata style Ramen in Yokosuka

2018-04-30T11:37:00.001+09:00

There are many great ramen restaurants in Yokosuka and everyone is bound to have their favorites. As many of you probably know, and what is perhaps one of my favorite things about ramen, is how much the flavor of the dish is influenced by the various regions of Japan that have their own unique way of preparing the dish. The restaurant I'm reviewing today specializes in the Hakata style of ramen which hails from the Fukuoka Prefecture of Japan and is easily identified by its milky white broth.

The name of the restaurant is Kaedama Shokudo and is located two blocks off of blue street (in between Iwamatsu and Ebisu-ya on the Yokosuka Food Corner map) and has a few things going for it that make it rather unique.

Look for the pinkish colored building with lots of flags and pictures of ramen on the outside and you'll have found Kaedame Shokudo. There is parking right next to the restaurant as well as across the street.

This picture does a great job showing the milky white broth that Hakata style ramen is known for. The color comes from the fact that this style of ramen boils pork bones for hours to achieve an intense flavor and milky white color. As you can see in the bottom left of the picture, there is also a black and red ramen served...more on this later.

As with many other ramen shops, you order via a vending machine at Kaedama Shokudo. They did not have an English Menu; however one of the workers was quick to come over and help with the ordering. Once you go there once or twice you'll know your way around their machine but for now, the most important thing to know is that the very top left button is the classic/normal Hakata style ramen, the one directly below that with a little red oval and white kanji on it is the Spicy Miso ramen, and the button to the right of that is the "Black Ramen".

The black ramen, pictured above, uses the same milky white broth as a base and is then seasoned with "Mayu". Mayu is sesame oil in which garlic has been slow cooked until it's achieved its black color and then blended together. This style of ramen is from the prefecture of Kumamoto and is growing in popularity along with the Hakata style. I don't think it's typical to have this much mayu added to the ramen because other restaurants I've been to drizzle the mayu on the broth so that you can very clearly see the white broth. This is one of the things that makes Kaedama Shokudo unique.

Two last items of note about this ramen restaurant. First, each bowl of ramen comes with a kaedama which is an extra serving of noodles that is served to you upon request. Secondly, you get to choose the firmness of your noodles at this restaurant. Above the counter, there is a banner which has the different levels of firmness listed which are; barikata (extra firm), katame (firm), futsu (medium), yawa (soft), and bariyawa (extra soft).

Yuzu Baked Cheesecake

2017-02-04T15:48:00.002+09:00

Before I get into the Yuzu Baked Cheesecake, a short note...

Why isn't the blog being updated??? For those of you who weren't aware, the entire staff of Yokosuka Food Corner left Japan a little under two years ago. The staff being me primarily, with a lot of American and Japanese assistance - and my family (who was at times less than willing to give up going to their favorite spots while I tried to convince them to try a new prospect).

Upon leaving, I figured the blog would slowly peter out and fade into history - which it will eventually :-(. Interestingly though, it is at its peak viewership now.

Here's a graphic of what I see in Google blogger:

The month of January 2017 eventually did set a record - since I captured this graphic a few days ago. Hey, I should stop writing for the blog more frequently! So I feel compelled to add a new post every now and then, even though I can't walk those wonderful, restaurant packed streets of Yokosuka. All I can offer is a recipe or two. *But* if anyone is interested in giving it a shot and writing some reviews let me know. Write a comment to me at the bottom of this post on how to reach you. Your information will not be posted as it goes through screening (so I'll still see it, nobody else will, and I can contact you privately - it will not get posted). I'm sure some new good restaurants have opened!

Now onto the yuzu baked cheesecake.

Yuzu is a citrus found in Asia and often in Japanese foods. It is quite sour by itself, but when mixed or used in the right places it's wonderful (imho). Kind of like a lime and key lime pie.There really is no western equivalent to yuzu. The Japanese use it for fish, marinades, and dressings. But I think it's best in desserts or drinks (say like in yuzu umeshu perhaps??!).

With yuzu - and anything with some sweetness - you really cannot go wrong.

Here are the ingredients:
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup crushed graham crackers
- 1.5 tablespoons melted butter
- 8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup yuzu juice (or yuzu liqueur)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened yogurt
- 1 egg, beaten
Greased pie shell

Yuzu is almost always written as ゆず in Japanese. So that's what you're looking for. Pretty easy to remember. Looks like a fish and a curly q. Be careful not to buy yuzu ponzu. If you do, your cheesecake will not taste too good.

Crush the graham crackers to make 1/2 to 3/4 cup total. Melt the butter and blend the two. Then add to the bottom of a greased baking pan.You don't have to press it down very much. It will get nice and firm after the filling is added and it's cooked.

Cream the sugar and cream cheese with a wooden spoon until smooth. Gradually stir in a beaten egg. Add the yogurt and yuzu juice and mix well. I decided to mix a bit of the juice and a bit of the liqueur. The juice should be able to be found in any respectable Japanese market in the U.S. and in any Japanese market in Japan. It cost me a quite a bit for those 70 ml but it was worth it!

Mix and then pour into the pie shell.

You want to bake this in a pan of water. All I had around was a turkey pan. Fill it with about an inch of hot water. Then place your pan into the water. Put in a (preheated to 325F) oven, being careful not to make waves and get water into the cake. Bake for 90 minutes. Yep 90.

Remove from oven and cool. Then place in the fridge until you're ready to enjoy.

Can you believe I don't have a photo of the finished product? It's all gone! Oishii!

Take care my friends.

Papaya Orange Sorbet

2016-12-19T12:39:00.001+09:00

This is easily within reach of any home chef. Doing a slight variation from the past sorbets and adding a bit of cranberry ginger ale in the spirit of the Christmas season.

Ingredients:
- 4-5 large oranges
- 1 or 2 papaya
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup ginger ale
- lime and or lime juice
- optional - Cranberry or regular ginger ale
- optional - Cointreau
- gelatin

Scoop out the papaya and add to a mixer. Seeds? Don't include although there are reports that small amounts are good for you.

Cut the oranges in half and squeeze them into the mixer. Use a spoon to assist and a little pulp is no problem.

Zest the lime and add the shavings

Blend well.

In a pan add 1/2 cup water with the 3/4 cup sugar and dissolve.

Follow the directions on the gelatin. You might add the gelatin to some cold water first to get it started, then add the hot mixture to it. I just added it to the hot water and sugar mixture in the pan and stirred until it was dissolved. But it took a while. Remove from the heat and add another half cup of cold water.

Add the fruit mixture and water sugar gelatin mix to a bowl and stir. This is also where I added the ginger ale. Should add a nice dimension to it.

An optional but very good addition would be some yuzu liqueur (as shown below) or Cointreau. Stir it in. The yuzu liqueur is available in many liquor stores nowadays or in a Japanese store. Cointreau was the secret that I learned from the Maido restaurant owner. On a side note I found out he cut back his hours because he was working too hard and getting worn out. I do hope he takes it easy and that Maido is still open when I return to Japan sometime in the future.

Put the container in the freezer. As it freezes stir occasionally to add air to the mixture. If you don't do this then simply cut the frozen block up the next day and add it to the mixer to break up the ice. Then put it all back in the container. You are ready to enjoy your own homemade sorbet.

Recipe - Umeshu (Plum Wine) Jello Dessert

2015-10-13T16:20:00.003+09:00

Note: I am not maintaining this site anymore since I left Japan. If you are interested in becoming a contributor (writing for the blog) please leave a comment on how to contact you. Comments are moderated and your comment will not be posted for anyone else to see.

Well I thought I was done with the umeshu posts...until desserts came to mind.

Umeshu jello is quite simple to make. The simplest recipe would be Umeshu, some water and gelatin. But of course aficionados are not satisfied with simple recipes that you can get anywhere on the internet. So we've added a few small twists to the baseline recipe.

I had no idea how it would turn out, but the end result was nothing but short of spectacular. Alright it's hard to get excited about jello but it was really really good.

Umeshu's natural sweetness makes for a perfect dessert ingredient. The umeshu I've used in the recipe is yuzu umeshu which is my favorite. You might find umeshu jello recipes on the internet that add lemon juice or use lemon flavored jello, but there is no need for this when using yuzu umeshu. It also happens to be really good just by itself over some ice - or ロック (rokku) as the Japanese say.

Recipe option 1:
150 ml Yuzu Umeshu (or any umeshu)
150 ml Lychee Juice
200 ml of water
50-80g of sugar
10g of jello (I used jellice in 5g packages)
1 tablespoon Cointreau
The lychee juice here is optional.

(Note: for the sugar I used rock sugar that I had left over and didn't have a way to measure 80g. I just added about 5 or 6 "rocks")

Add the water to a small pan and heat to boiling. Add the sugar and dissolve.
Turn off the heat and add the jellice (gelatin) and dissolve.
While the water and gelatin are cooling a bit, combine the umeshu, lychee juice, and the Cointreau.
Add the water/gelatin mixture to the umeshu/lychee juice. Stir.
Add the mixture to your mold, glasses, etc. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours to set.

The special ingredients in this dessert are the Yuzu Umeshu and the Cointreau. Yuzu Umeshu I've explained a bit more in the umeshu buying guide. The Cointreau is a French Triple Sec. I first learned about it from none other than my favorite Yakitori restaurant Maido. The chef there makes everything from scratch including his sherbert. The unique ingredient that he seemed to add to all of his sorbets was Cointreau. Only a tablespoon is needed.

You can vary the amount of water vs. juice vs. umeshu. You see there is a total of 500g of liquid. Therefore, if you reduce the umeshu by 50ml, you should increase the water or juice by 50ml. Same goes for the other way, increasing the umeshu.

Recipe Option 2:
150 ml Yuzu Umeshu (or any umeshu)
150 ml Mitsuya Cider (optional - check your local Japanese store)
200 ml of water
50-80g of sugar
10g of jello (I used Jellice in 5g packages)
1 tablespoon Cointreau (optional)

Also, the recipes are scalable, using 5g gelatin to 250ml of liquid.

I use a product called "Jellice" for the jello since that is a typical Japanese gelatin product and the Japanese recipes I reviewed on the Jellice website all used the gelatin in 5g packages - which is how the Jellice comes in the box. It's shown on the right side in the photograph below.

Mitsuya cider, some Umeshu or plum wine, and jello (jellice)

Yuzu umeshu

melting the sugar in the water

In plastic cups - ready to party

By the way, I'm no longer living in Japan have stopped posting on the blog, except for this one. This was an old draft post I found that I never got around to posting. If you're interested in writing for the blog let me know.

Kurume Ramen

2015-05-04T12:12:00.003+09:00

Had lunch his weekend and ate Tonkotsu Ramen, which is a pork bone-based broth. It has a milky consistency as the marrow and fat is cooked into the broth. Unsure if this broth also contains chicken or vegetable stock. The restaurant is located on the 8th Floor of More’s City in Yokosuka, called Kurume Ramen Tetsukama. Their number one special, according to their website, is the Kurume Ramen Special.

#1 Kurume Ramen Special

For ¥880, you get a generous serving of ramen, in a rich pork-based broth. The ramen includes a soft boiled egg, bamboo shoots, crunchy seaweed, sweet braised pork (similar to ones I’ve tasted that were braised with Awamori Okinawan wine), green onions, and nori sheets. I believe the waiter asked if I wanted more nori on the side, but my answer must have gotten lost in translation because he never returned.

Sweet braised pork

The large serving of pork just fell apart and melted in my mouth. I didn’t have any side condiments, which were readily available at your table, including fresh garlic, pickled ginger, and sesame seeds. Honestly, the meal didn’t need any more seasoning to take away from the taste. The consistency of the broth was velvety and rich, and can’t wait to try a different dish next time.

The restaurant is very efficient as you select and pay for your meal via a vending machine. The waiter quickly delivered the ticket to the two awaiting chefs behind the kitchen and seated us in an alcove fronting the restaurant that can hold 5 people each. On the opposite side of the kitchen, the dining room has a large family-style table with stools on both sides of the table. Additional traditional seating was also available.

Vending Machine

Open Kitchen

Alcove Seating

Restaurant Seating

How to search:

With Google Translate installed, search More’s City Yokosuka. Translate the page and search for SHOPS. Look for RAMEN under RESTAURANTS. Click on Kurume Ramen Tetsukama (currently, there’s only one restaurant listed under RAMEN).

Hours: 11:00 – 22:00, Last Order 21:30 Telephone: 046-820-4551; Validation available for spending over ¥2,000

Aficionado Intelligence Report - 16

2015-04-01T21:49:00.001+09:00

Garlic House - Like a desert oasis mirage, it was too good to be true. It gave us comfort and great food for a short time, until the winds shifted the sand and it is no more. The sign - gone. Ueda-san - gone. Music I could relate to - gone...Or maybe just moved. We should be happy we got a full year here in Yokosuka though. Now the good news... In another month, you can once again enjoy Garlic House, only at a more distant, but not unreachable location. Garlic House is moving to a place near Sakuragicho Station, which is near Yokohama Landmark tower. I've relocated it on the blog map so you can find it. He says he expects to be open in May, but an exact date was not provided. You'll probably reach it easiest by getting off at Hinodecho Station, instead of Sakuragicho. It'll require one transfer at one of several stations along the way from Yokosuka-Chuo. Put it into Hyperdia and it'll give you the options. Maybe one of our field reporters can report back once they are open.

In other news...
Tori Gin has moved from its first floor location to the second floor. Also gone is the English menu. The second floor is pretty nice. They did a good job with the decorating and lighting. The menu items are very close to what they had before, so even if you use the English menu from the blog post, you'll have a 95% chance of picking something they have. Now the bad news...The counter seats are also available upstairs, but they raised the height of the ledge such that it is now impossible to see the cooks cooking your food. But the white wall in front of you is interesting to look at while you wait. The fish restaurant that was downstairs has now moved into the old Tori Gin location on the first floor. Just so you are aware, Tori Gin has another location here. A few photos below.

The tofu salad is improved. It now comes with some shredded deep fried gobo root

Looking over the "wall" to see the chefs

Nicely done interior

Lastly, Ikinari Steak recently opened on Blue Street. If you haven't seen it yet, you might consider getting out more. Perhaps a future blog post is in order. If it looks eerily similar to Pepper Lunch, it may have something to do with the fact that they are both part of a large conglomerate of restaurants. Here is a nice video how-to.

Ikinari Steak - This is the Very Steak

* Aficionado Intelligence Reporting (AIR) was conceived of grey bearded men, through brilliant thought, in a small Izakaya on the backstreets of Yokosuka. AIR reports on little known but exceptional (or maybe just really good) dining spots or interesting food developments and relies on highly untrained observers making random observations and developing conclusions through sometimes single data point regression statistical analysis.

Any conclusions from its reporting are final.

Hamakura - Dinner はま蔵横須賀

2015-03-22T08:59:00.001+09:00

I've done a post on Hamakura before but it was mainly discussing their lunch. Their dinner menu has been recently updated, and it is almost a different restaurant when compared to lunch - so it's getting an updated post for dinner.

Just recently we've been going to Hamakura for dinner a bit more regularly. We are already regular lunch customers.

But dinner is completely different at Hamakura. At lunch you use the token machine to pay and bring your token to the counter. The menu is limited to a few recommended set meals and a variety of tempura, sashimi, and soups. At dinner, you'll sit down and be given a regular menu and a server take your order. They will also deliver some complimentary hot green tea. At lunch you go get the tea and water yourself.

We are pretty impressed with the food both at lunch and dinner. But their dinner menu is better now than it was in the past. There have plenty of sushi and sashimi, after all they are located right by a fish market. But their cooked menu options have expanded and are noteworthy.

Hamakura is located just past AVE on the left as you're heading south. Park in the lot to the north of the restaurant. There is plenty of parking and it's free. You can find Hamakura on the blog map. They are open from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sundays and holidays. Closed between 3-5p.m.

Tuna Steak

They have a very good English menu. It contains just about all of the items you'll find on the Japanese menu but not all. So if you are given an English menu I'd recommend asking for a Japanese menu as well. They both have pictures so you'll be able to see what items are different and can point to the items on the Japanese menu you might like. For instance, the Japanese menu has Buri kama (Buri collar) and sea bream, but the English menu does not have those items. The Buri kama is excellent and worth a try. One way of asking for a Japanese menu might go like this: Nihongo no menu ga onegaishimas (Japanese menu please).

Both the English and Japanese menus are available below in pictures.

Overall a big thumbs up for Hamakura. Great food, good prices, and friendly service.

Hama はま means seashore or beach and Kura 蔵 means storehouse or warehouse. Similar to hama in Yokohama and the kura in Kamakura.

Buri kama

A rice, soup, and pickle set is available for only 250 Yen.

Cuttlefish

The cuttlefish was substantial, juicy, and very tasty. Tastes better than squid.

Mega Kakiage

The Japanese menu calls the above dish "Mega Kakiage." Kakiage is a mixture of vegetables and seafood (typically shrimp) mixed in tempura and deep fried. Hamakura takes this to a new level. If you look at the English menu below, you'll see it comes with a warning: "When you eat alone, please be careful" and points out the dimensions on the menu (in inches nonetheless). The Japanese menu declares: "One person cannot eat!"

A look inside the megakakiage - 700 Yen

The inside of the kakiage was a bit "batter-y" but the outside was nice and crispy.

Some sushi and ramen

The sushi was large and nicely priced. The prices are only on the Japanese menu. The sizes are much larger than the 100 Yen places but the prices only slightly higher.

Local vegetable salad

The vegetable salad was good size and very fresh. The picture was taken after we had already dug in - so it was bigger than shown.


It's a different atmosphere at night

Menus:

Sekiguchi Farm - Ice Cream

2015-02-22T12:26:00.001+09:00

Sekiguchi Farm is easily found on a Google map of the Miura Peninsula. It's about 20-30 minutes from the main base in Yokosuka. So if you're out for a drive, stop by there for some "direct from the cow" soft serve ice cream.

There doesn't seem like much else to do at the farm. You can watch the cows eat, and maybe pet a sheep or goat. You can certainly smell things too. They do have tours available, but seem geared toward elementary and middle school student field trips.

The farm boasts fresh milk from the Jersey cows each day. You can buy a glass or liter to take. Of course the soft serve ice cream is freshly made as well.

The hours are from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. In the summer they are open until 5:00 p.m.

It can be found on the blog map.

The order screen

If you get a mix, let them know how you want it mixed

This is the house where the ice cream is sold

Meat for sale

Candied Kumquats キンカン

2015-02-22T12:23:00.001+09:00

Kumquats are a frequent site in Japanese supermarkets (or "suupaa" as the Japanese call them) this time of year. The peak growing season is December to March. But what do you do with these miniature oranges? Well they can be eaten whole - yes with the skin and seeds. But they are often sweetened up and used as a condiment or just to be eaten as a candy.

Kumquats

Kumquats or Kinkan in the store

The kanji for kumquats is 金柑
金 - kin - in this context means gold or golden
柑 - kan - means citrus. This is an intuitive kanji in that the first element on the left is "tree" and the one on the right is "sweet."

So put together we have "golden citrus."

You can see the kanji in the sign below which was right next to the kumquats in Sanwa market. The sign illustrates essentially the same recipe that I'm doing here. The katakana at the end by the yellow dots - レシピ is "recipe"

In the photo above, you can see kinkan written out in hiragana - きんかん

Candied Kumquat recipe

Packaged kinkan

The photo above shows the package I bought from Sanwa market. It came in at about $4.50 for this little package, but I didn't buy the cheap ones. The blue label tells they are from Kagoshima Prefecture. Kagoshima Prefecture is in the same general area as Nagasaki Japan, if you're trying to place it in Japan.

On to the recipe for Candied Kumquats...

- One package kumquats (15-20)
- One cup sugar. Honey can be partially substituted as well.
- One cup water.
- Lemon or Yuzu juice (optional)

That's it.

1. De-stem the kumquats. Use your fingernail or a toothpick to remove the little green stem that remains on the fruit.
2. Wash the fruit thoroughly.
3. Cover the fruit in a pan in water and bring to a boil.

boiling to remove the bad things

Several of the Japanese recipes I saw had this boiling step in there. When put through my webpage translator it roughly came out to "boil to remove the evil." Which is a pretty good description. You are removing bitterness, wax if any, and any residual pesticides not removed from the washing process.

4. Once boiling, drain the water, add fresh water, and boil it again to repeat the process.
5. Drain the water again, and set the fruit aside in a bowl.
6. Add one cup of water and about one cup sugar (or sugar and honey) into the pan and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar.
7. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
8. Pierce the kumquats with a knife three or four times.

Yuzu juice

9. Add the kumquats to the sugar and water mixture. At this point, many recipes call for adding some lemon juice. But Yuzu would be a better choice in my opinion. This is optional by the way. I added about one tablespoon.

Kumquats in syrup

10. Bring the kumquats and syrup to a boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
11. Set aside to cool. Cover. Let sit for about eight hours or overnight.
12. Finally, bring the fruit/syrup mixture to a boil again and simmer for 15 minutes. Cool and place in a jar in the fridge. It will last about 3 months.

This is what they looked like at the beginning of the 8 hour sitting period.

You can add it to vanilla ice cream, salads, or just eat it as a candy snack. I tried them "plain" eating the skin and all. They were quite smooth without a hint of bitterness. An enjoyable snack.

For a variant on this recipe, you can add vodka, shochu, or brandy in place of the water or half of the water. This will preserve it a bit longer. Most of the alcohol will boil away, but not all. I saw quite a few Japanese recipes on Cookpad that used this method. Although they probably didn't need it, I added a bit of Cointreau to mine as they were sitting for that 8 hour period.

Il Nonno Italian - Zushi

2015-02-15T16:56:00.000+09:00

It was a long time coming but I finally have a restaurant in Zushi. A friend told be about this place years ago. We really enjoyed our visit here. Great food and excellent service.

Entrance

At the top of the stairs, this is what you'll see for their entrance. Il Nonno is located very close to JR Zushi station. As you face away from the station, you'll see a McDonalds. If you walk around the McDonalds to the left, you'll see a small alley that leads up to a set of stairs. At the entrance to the alley you should see a menu placard for their restaurant. It can be found on the blog map.

Their website can be found here

Phone: 046-872-4688
Hours:
1100-1600 for lunch
1700-2300 for dinner
We went for lunch and had the 1300 Yen and 1800 Yen set lunches - which you can see on the menus below.

1300 Yen lunch appetizer

Soup comes with the 1800 Yen lunch

Our server kept the bread coming as long as we were eating it. You may have to ask for butter.

The 1800 Yen lunch appetizer

That's an onion with a meat and vegetable mousse inside. Pretty ingenious. Below the inside is revealed.

Tony

I'd like to introduce our server "Tony." He has a Japanese name, but insisted that we just call him Tony. Hey it's an Italian place right?? Think of him less of Tony from Saturday Night Fever and more of a Tony Bourdain (perhaps without the foul language he occasionally uses :-)). He was able to explain the food with precision in very good English and was an excellent server who didn't miss anything. He refilled our bread exactly as the bowl went empty. Water he did the same. When he noticed the shot glass sized water glasses were not cutting it with me, he quickly got me a large "American" glass (see photo below). Eating my pizza, he noticed it was a bit messy, and offered a nice hot towel for me to refresh about half way through. And he offered my daughter orange juice instead of the coffee or tea normally offered with the set lunches. Tony, we love you.

Spaghetti Bolognese

The main dishes were well sized. The pizza, although it had a very thin crust, was a respectable 12" and well above the typical Japanese pizza.

Margherita

After dinner dessert and coffee

The other dessert, with the tea option

The restaurant would be real nice in the evening I bet. There is also counter seating, where you can watch the action in the kitchen.

Lunch Menu:

Ala Carte Menu:

Oishii House Korean おいしいハウス横須賀

2015-01-10T09:46:00.002+09:00

Oishii House Korean really surprised me. The atmosphere maybe leaves something to be desired - but Oishii House is an example of what should come to mind when we talk about "a hole in the wall" restaurant. Located right next to Garlic House, it should be an easy find.

Kimchi sampler

Oishii House is one of those places one thinks twice about entering because of its many unknowns.
All we had to go by was a little lit sign out front. Not even an overhead sign or window sign. The food on the sign certainly looked good, and we all know food looks just like it does in pictures. But the restaurant was up a set of stairs, and who knows what was beyond that? Is it good? Do they have English? It is full of a bunch of smoking salarymen imbibing on soju? But the stairs were lined with photos of people that have eaten there, photos of the restaurant interior, and a few English words! "Roast Meat, Korean Home Cooking." Hey I can like that! A smart restaurant (at least one that wants our business), especially those located on upper floors, will leave clues like that.

Steps to the restaurant

Notice there are two doors at the top. The hand points to the left though.

You can find Oishii House on the blog map. It's located about 3 blocks from Yokosuka Chuo Station, to give you a point of reference. Closed on Tuesdays. There is little written about it on the Japanese restaurant review sites Tabelog and gnavi, however two TripAdvisor reviews gave it 5 stars. A search for their phone number (046-824-1877) will show these sites.

5 pm to 5 am

おいしいハウス= Oishii House and Oishii means delicious.

So what was so good about Oishii House? I think it truly did live up to its sign - home cooking. Although we only visited one time so far, and ordered a few dishes, we could tell it was some good home cookin'. The meat, as shown below, was alright (you can see the nice marbling) - but it came out nearly frozen. That was the only negative we encountered. I wish we could have tried more, but we ate our fill. They have many traditional dishes like Samgyetang and Korean pancakes to name a few.

The interior is basic. Kind of like someone's house converted to a restaurant. There are the fluorescent lights overhead, the Korean pop star's photos on the wall, and of course a Korean drama or music video on the wall TV. And there are the soju and makioli bottles as well. Ginseng in bottles - although no pressure to buy any! You might be chancing it with people smoking, but we didn't encounter any problems. The service was friendly.

I think this was sirloin

This was either the soybean paste stew or the kimchi stew. Can't recall.

Korean Gimbap

Look at that sushi you say! Well this is Korean Gimbap which differs from the Japanese maki rolls in several important aspects. The rice is seasoned with sesame oil, and the flavors mostly come from what is inside. Almost all will come with yellow pickled radish, which you can see clearly in the photo below. It's typically eaten without anything else (soy sauce, wasabi). There was no raw fish. These particular rolls just have their ends put together making a teardrop shape. Korean Gimbap have the same sentimental value as onigiri do in Japan. The Koreans grew up with it. And the Koreans claim to have been eating seaweed even before the Japanese!

Gimbap closeup

Perhaps a warning is due here. Anything that is labeled on the menu as "spicy" will be exactly that! Speaking of spicy, they do have a particular dish with a very interesting English explanation. On the fifth menu page below, last dish, you'll see $#%& mother$#%&*$# spicy chicken. Safe best it's pretty "darn" spicy.

But the English menu is quite nice and surprising for a little hole in the wall like this. Another cute entry is "pig trotters" for pig's feet. LA beef ribs are not from LA. They are "lateral axis" beef kalbi ribs.

Also on the fourth menu page, top entry - we see Scallion Pancake. The description, well, I'm not going to comment on it - just read it.

Oishii house is just like those little back alley places in Korea. I didn't talk to the chef/owner but pretty sure he was Korean and knew exactly what he was doing in the kitchen.If you're familiar with Korean food, you'll find all your favorites on the extensive menu below.

a few "free" side dishes that come with the meal

Noodles with sauteed vegetables - my mouth waters just looking at this

When I first arrived in Yokosuka, I looked for Korean restaurants and was disappointed because I couldn't find any. I'm a tiny bit more restaurant savvy now, and I'm up to six or seven Korean places on the blog with 3-4 of them being pretty authentic. They are here, just took a while to find them.

The tables in this section had spots under them for your legs.

I'd like to revisit this place and try some bulgogi and some more stews. Safe bet it will be very good.

Menus

The reticulum is stomach

Grilled Oysters Mayo Gratin

2015-01-01T15:40:00.000+09:00

This recipe is a recreation of one of my favorite dishes at one of my favorite restaurants - Hotaru. Hotaru calls it "grilled oysters mayo cheese gratin" - roughly. Their dish is shown in the picture below.

It's oyster season in Japan. They are being widely sold in stores and restaurants are now featuring them. The Oyster House restaurant has even opened up again for its second year near Verny Park.

Hotaru Grilled Oysters Mayo Gratin

Served with some toast - simply spoon the oyster and some of that savory juice onto the toast and eat - it's very good.

While the exact ingredients of the restaurant version are not known, we can come close and add some creativity of our own. A search in Japanese on the Japanese recipe website Cookpad.com or Google is always a good place to start. I took the first part of the entry for this dish on the menu (which looks like this - 牡蠣のマヨネーズ焼き) and did a search. Cookpad will be one of the Google results and then just use your page translator. Cookpad will have many recipes from which to choose. Cookpad also has an English language site that you can view Japanese recipes on as well, although nowhere near the amount posted on their Japanese site.

Many of the recipes I came across used white wine, but I didn't have any. So - in line with the Japan theme of recipes here - I went with sake, or "nihonshu" instead.

Some of the ingredients

The ingredients:
- oysters (about 20)
- bag of small "bread toasts"
- 4 tbsp bread crumbs or panko
- 4 tbsp Parmesan cheese
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 200 ml water
- 200 ml sake (or white wine)
- salt, pepper
- chopped parsley
- butter

Oysters in the package

The top pack (from Miyagi) were noticeably larger and supposedly have better taste. The oysters in the bottom package were from the Hiroshima area. A nice article about farming them in Hiroshima is here. "Oyster" in Japanese is kaki (pronounced ka-key). Both packages say raw kaki - 生かき.

First some prep work.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan. Fresh grated Parmesan would be better of course. Although I didn't try it, I bet some Gruyere cheese would be good too.

Mince the garlic and combine with the mayo. Chop the parsley.

Rinse the oysters several times, then let sit in saltwater (water with salt added :-) ) until later.

Next we put the water and the sake into a pan and bring to a boil. This will evaporate some of the alcohol off the sake/wine. In the photo above I'll admit the water isn't quite boiling. Maybe it's at, or just beyond, the nucleate boiling stage.

Once full boiling occurs add the oysters and return to a boil. Cook for about 3 minutes. They will plump up nicely.

I prepared a baking sheet lined with tinfoil. Butter the tinfoil and leave some extra butter to melt when it goes into the oven.
Take the oysters out of the boiling water and pat them dry with a napkin. Place onto the foil lined pan. Then, using a spoon, spatula, or even your hands, put the garlic mayo mix onto each oyster. Be generous.

Next I spread the Parmesan bread crumb mix over the oysters. You may want to add a bit of cream and more butter to the bottom of the pan if desired and raise up the foil to contain. Because I didn't use too much butter (or any cream) I didn't have as much juice as I wanted after cooking.

Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes and then turn on the broiler. The pan should be about 5 inches or more away from the broiler element. Watch them carefully and remove when the cheese is golden brown. Add some pepper if desired.

Sprinkle on the parsley. Put one or two oysters on top of a piece of bread/toast and enjoy. This turned out really well. If you don't want to use wine or sake, you could use vegetable or chicken broth instead in the pan cooking phase. If you don't want to bother making them at all, then head on out to Hotaru!

Honmokuya - 本牧家

2014-12-09T21:25:00.002+09:00

Honmokuya is a little ramen shop that is a favorite spot for some Yokosuka expats.

Small place with red noren

Honmokuya is a very simple place. You will see that from the menu below. There is just one counter with about 12 seats. The English menu makes it easy. You will have to use a ticket machine though to buy your meal.

Honmokuya in Kanji is 本牧家　
本 - real, true (among other things - like book)

牧 - breed or pasture

家 - shop, restaurant

The kanji above this on their sign says "Yokohama Ramen" - Yokohama broth tends to be heavier, and shoyu based.

Yum

I ordered ramen with corn and nori. Nori is dried seaweed paper. If you think the thought of that is unappetizing, I suggest you give nori a try. It's great as a snack! Even my daughter likes it.

Ordering is really simple. Just follow the menu below from top to bottom. Small, medium, or large bowl. If you don't want any toppings or rice, beer, etc. then you're done. If you want toppings your choices are corn, nori, onions, or extra roast pork. The ticket machine will have the same choices, insert your money, select your choices, then get your tickets.

Take your tickets to the counter and then (referring to the sign below that is behind the counter), tell the chef how you want your soup and noodles. Thick or thin broth, more or less oil, and noodle attributes.

There are some additional condiments you can add that are available on the counter. Oil, garlic, miso (I think), or some hot sauce. I didn't try them so I can't be sure what they are.

The broth is really good. There you have it. A really simple, no-nonsense ramen shop. Watch out though the floor is really slippery for some reason.

Menu outside

Honmokuya is open from 1100 and is closed on Mondays. You can find it on the blog map. But it's across the street from Daiei Mall if you use the crosswalk in front of Mos Burger. Their number is 046-827-8807.

Explain to the chef your choices

The chef and his really simple but effective kitchen

Apples in Japan

2014-11-28T15:10:00.000+09:00

Anyone that's been in Japan for more than a few days and visits a grocery store will realize there is something different about the fruit. They are larger, more colorful, more tasty, and just plain better. In many cases they are pretty expensive too!

Some "special" apples at Sanwa market. These are called Akibae apples. Akibae 秋映え means "Autumn reflection" and are a cross between Senshu (cross between Toko and Fuji) and Tsugaru

I've learned quite a bit recently about Japanese apples. I've included a sorbet recipe below and it's just like the other sorbets I've done in the past and is very simple. I wasn't too sure about making an apple sorbet, but the chef at Maido Kushiyaki and Wine did it so why not.

As with a lot of the new foods I highlight in the blog, I try to understand a bit more about them by doing a little research. In doing so, I gained a lot of respect for the Japanese apple.

There are a number of techniques that are used to produce the large size, perfectly unblemished apples you see in the stores. Some of these techniques have the added benefit of reducing the amount of pesticides that are used. Many farms in Japan also go through the laborious process of thinning out the leaves and branches of the apple tree. They do this is to increase the amount of sunlight that can reach deeper into the tree, and also reach more fruit. If you increase the amount of sunlight reaching the inner leaves of the tree, then the overall carbohydrate production increases and the fruits will be bigger.

San Jona Gold - from Aomori Prefecture

There is also a science to pruning the branches of the tree. Branches that grow more vertical (say 30 degrees off the vertical) will produce fewer and smaller fruit. So the branches that are too close to vertical will be trimmed, and the ones that are about 45 degrees will be "trained" (by using sticks, or bands, etc) to pull or push them into the optimum 60 degrees off vertical (30 degree angle to the ground). They have found that a Christmas tree shape is the optimum shape for sunlight penetration and enough tree to still produce apples! There is a balance that must be found since you could have 100% sunlight penetration if you remove all the leaves, but that would equal zero apples.This link here shows and discusses apple tree pruning. And this link shows many of the laborious steps involved.

We picked up some yellow apples too and they were awesome. Crispy, juicy, and sweet. Interesting thing though is that the Japanese for the most part think that apples should be red. So yellow apples only account for 10% of the market in Japan. The same goes for exports to other Asian countries. But the Japanese are finding a market for yellow apples in Europe. The Japanese are looking for new varieties to cultivate, as many believe that the public getting tired of the Fuji brand, despite it still being the most popular.

Another San Jona Gold sign. At the top it says it's a cross between the Golden Delicious and the Crimson Jonathan.

A major aspect that adds a lot of labor comes from bagging the individual fruit. About 35 days after flowering, the fruit is thinned and then each apple (tiny at this point) is bagged in a two layer bag. The inner being waxed paper and then an outer paper that does not let the sunlight through. The bags of course keep pests out, and reduce to a large extent the amount of pesticide that needs to be used. They also contribute to the fruit having a thinner, crisp skin, and timing the maturity of the apple. About four weeks before harvest, the outer bag is removed. Keeping the inner bag on will help reduce sun damage. Then a week or two later the outer bag is removed. Exposure to the sunlight is critical to the fruit getting its proper color. The Japanese have been doing this for about 70 years I think, and have developed special bags for this. You can see the process of bagging in this link here. And here is a University of Kentucky presentation on bagging.

To achieve full color many farmers will put a reflective foil on the ground so the bottom of the apples see the sun as well. The other important and very labor intensive task many farmers do is rotate every single apple by hand 90 or 180 degrees. If it is 90 degrees then they are doing this more than once. The apples want to return to where they started so they try to use adjacent branches or even a little tape to prevent it from rotating back to its original position. Now imagine doing this to every apple in your orchard. The rotation gets the other side exposed to the sun and will turn the apple red. Next time you look at an apple in the store with shades of green and red you'll now understand why. The farmers will also do some strategic leave pruning so get the apples the extra sun they need.

This is why I no longer think that paying a buck an apple (or more) is a big deal. I understand and appreciate the great amount of labor these farmers put into their harvest! Most apples are stored for many months which is why the apples at the commissary tend to have that starchy, bland taste. For the same price, you can go out in town and get a better, fresher, apple. The Japanese do store apples too, and some apples store much better than others, so you just have to experiment once you're out of the apple growing season.

More San Jona Gold

Another interesting thing I learned is that some Japanese farms have an "owner tree" concept. A family will "buy" the tree for the season and then when it's ready to harvest will come out and harvest it with their family. This article is a good read about Japanese apple production and the owner tree system.

Bonus Apple Sorbet recipe

4 to 5 apples of your choice - skinned, cut up and deseeded
3/8 cup sugar
One cup water and one half cup cold water
Gelatin
Cointreau - optional
Yuzu juice - optional

Cut the apples up and load them into your food processor and blend until smooth.

In a small pan,dissolve the sugar in the water over heat and bring to a boil. Add the gelatin (follow the directions, but I use one 5g packet (from the Japanese market). Once boiling, remove from the heat. Add the cold water to
cool it down.

Add the sugar/water/gelatin mix to the apples. Mix. Add a tablespoon of Cointreau and/or a quarter cup of Yuzu juice if desired. I really like the Yuzu juice.

Put in to a container and freeze. Process it again in the food processor to aerate the sorbet. Look at some of my previous sorbet recipes to understand this step.

Ingredients less sugar and water

I skipped some of the other pictures (food processor and boiling water) but look at my other posts on sorbets and you'll see them.

Finished product

Station Grill - ステーショングリル横須賀

2014-10-26T07:26:00.001+09:00

Perhaps you've salivated for a great U.S. steak and wondered if you can get one out in town? You've guessed the answer already. There are a few places, but I won't mention their names here since this post is devoted to the Station Grill, where - yes - you can get Certified Angus Beef steaks. You can also get some great Aussie steaks as well.

The salad bar or サラダ　バー in the language of the land

If you just want an Angus beef burger, you can get those too. They have several lunch sets for under 1000Yen.

The Station Grill is located about five minutes out Womble Gate. It's just past Baan Chiangmai Thai restaurant, or just across the street from Popolo Mama. That is not helpful you say?? Well then check the blog map. All you have to do is walk straight out Womble gate until you find it. The Google Street View looks like this. There are two elevators that can take you to the 4th floor where the restaurant is located.

It used to be located on the other side of Daiei Shopper's Plaza. But a kaiten sushi place took it over. I had never visited it at that location and thought that was the end of it. But one day their distinctive yellow sign popped up at their new location. Now I really have to tip my hat to Google and give them credit. The Station Grill only moved there in March and the street view is up to date, as it shows the Station Grill's sign, pretty impressive.

My first visit was admittedly a bit reluctant, but I was pleasantly surprised. There are so many good things about the Station Grill. They have an excellent lunch menu with plenty of items from which to choose. Most of the lunch options are only $9 or $10 and include the salad bar. As many times as you want to go back.

Now the salad bar is not *great* when I compare it to the great salad bars in the U.S. But for Japan and Yokosuka it is great! Probably the best in Yokosuka! And you can go back again and again. I said that already. Some lunches do not include the salad bar though. In that case you'll pay a very reasonable $4.50 for access (680 Yen at dinner time). It's reasonably well stocked and you can access both sides. This means you don't have to plant your chin on the glass to reach the items in the back.

A little side-bar on the salad bar...
One might wonder why the salad bar is not more popular in Japan. Well... the Ministry of Sports, Science, Wild Game, Culture, Pachinko, and Food once banned them and they have been ever so slow to come back. They are anti-service after all. There is no opportunity for a waiter/waitress to literally run back and forth, to get - whatever, for you. And we can't have that. People getting their own food? And who is senior, junior, the honorable one, who bows to who? Its creation isn't that new in the U.S. either, having emerged sometime in the 50's. Kind of similar to cheese in Japan. For the longest time (and perhaps even now) the Japanese preferred processed cheese. This stemmed from the widespread lack of refrigerators. In 1965 only 50% of households had them. So salads at home were not that common either. Now to the credit of Japan, I do believe they have some of the best salads on earth. Just go visit a depachika and you'll see what I mean. Now if they could only place a few chairs in those depachikas! But that's an entire post in itself - and another Ministry controls that.

Now, salad bar popularity, or lack thereof, is not limited to Japan. Other Asian countries have salad bar issues too. We hope we can avoid the fate of the salad bar at Pizza Hut in China - where the single trip has led to its unfortunate demise. The terms "salad bar stacking" and "salad bar tower" are in fact now censored on Google by the central government in China, in an attempt to contain this phenomenon.
End side bar.

My lunch-mates allowed me to take pictures of their lunches that you see below, and they all agreed the Station Grill is worth coming back to. I'd like to come back for dinner when I'm more inclined to eat more and have more time for, well, the salad bar.

Marinated steak and tempura combo lunch

The theme at the Station Grill, as you may have guessed, is a train station. Not a Japanese station, but an old style U.S. or Great Britain train station. The original restaurant was called Victoria Station (London) and had restaurants all over Japan. It closed in 1999, but the Station Grill then opened in 2000 to carry on the tradition.

Now if you do want to try some of the larger steaks, do be prepared to spend some money. Check the menu links and you'll see what I mean.They look pretty mouth watering.

Pork roast with gravy

The food here was very good. The salad bar was also good and fresh. The Station Grill got off to a slow start at its new location, but on a recent visit business had definitely picked up.

Beef stew with garlic rice

You can see the lunch menu here.
You'll then have several choices, and you can choose special lunch for instance and see that menu here. Just click through all the choices to see what's there. All the menus, both online and at the restaurant are in English and Japanese, so I won't post photos of them here.

The Grand Menu is located here.

And their main website is here.

Lunch 11:00-16:00〈LO 15:00〉
Dinner 17:00-23:00〈LO 22:00〉
Weekends 11:00-23:00〈LO 22:00〉

Roast beef sandwich

One visit to the salad bar

Veggie Side

Salad and Fruit Side

Booths on the right, tables on the left

Utsuki Robatayaki - Kamakura 卯月鎌倉

2014-10-12T09:17:00.001+09:00

Certainly this is in the "beyond" Blue Street category. But it is quite worthy of mention. A regular contributor to Japan Travel, Larry, recommended this place. Larry has lived in Kamakura for over 20 years. And someone who lived in Kamakura all their life recommended Utsuki to Larry.

Front entrance to Utsuki

If you live or work in Yokosuka, you have likely visited Kamakura. And if you've been to Kamakura you have almost certainly walked down the street where Utsuki is located - Komachi-dori. It's the busy shopping street out the east entrance of Kamakura station. The restaurant is a few blocks in. You go past the first "intersection" - where there are likely some creepy guys in tights with unusually dark tans, trying to give you a ride on their carriage. You should then see it on your left after a few more steps. Below is small map showing it's location. A picture of the sign is below and I've put it on the blog map of course.

The Utsuke sign is the narrow black and white sign just to the left of the streetlamp. The entrance stairs are under the A-frame eaves on the left.

I've posted on a lot of restaurants and you can usually tell by my words how much I like them. My first rule is I will not post a restaurant unless I'm willing to go back. Utsuke is one that I definitely want to go back to, and was certainly one of my best restaurant experiences in Japan.

What made it nice was it's authenticity. Utsuki is a robatayaki and I'll talk more about this below. Some Tokyo robatayaki's are high on the list of foreigner favorites. I've been to one in Tokyo and found it to be fun, but way overpriced. They were charging more for one fish than we spent for an entire meal here. Utsuke has less banter and shouting than the Tokyo robatayaki's, however it's a very Japanese dining experience and not touristy at all.

Utsuki is run by Hiroshi, his wife Etsuko, and their son I believe. I asked them how long they've been open. The answer is an astounding 40 years! Where were you 40 years ago??! They are very nice and treated us newcomers like family. They didn't speak much English so we got by with my elementary Japanese.

Veggies on the counter and some meat and yakitori in the cooler

How Etsuko feels about math

For the most part you just point to the food you want to eat, so no Japanese is necessary. The food is laid out in front of you on an wide bar/counter. Mostly you'll see vegetables out on the counter. In a cooler you'll see beef, pork, chicken yakitori, and tsukune (like a meatball). Behind the scenes there are some other dishes like salads, deep fried chicken, and kamameshi. The English menu (which they have) was not that great so I've tried my best to translate the Japanese menu.

I recommend you give Utsuki a try. Their phone number, hours, and website are listed further below. I'm surprised they have a website. When I asked them, they said they don't have an email address and don't have a fax either. You may laugh, but the Japanese rely heavily on fax machines. If you're coming in the evening, I'd recommend reservations. You can have someone call for you, or stop in during lunch and bring the restaurant reservation aid found on the key food kanji page, then make your reservation for dinner.

I've posted the Japanese menus below. I did translate the menus, however, I left my only translated menu with the restaurant. Etsuko was truly touched when I offered it to her. So if you ask for the English menu when you go, hopefully they will provide you with the menu I left behind. I will work to translate it again and post it.

Sake serving box - masu

If you order a particular sake, it will be served in the traditional sake serving box. The smell of the cedar box and the sake make for a very enjoyable drink.

The grill is the centerpiece at a robatayaki

Kanji Sidebar - A robatayaki or 炉端焼き is a restaurant where the food is cooked on a grill in front of you. There are many yakitori restaurants where you can kind of see the chef cooking your food. But at a robatayaki the grill is typically center stage.
The first kanji is "ro" or 炉. It is made up of the "fire" and "door" elements. Together it means hearth, or furnace.
The second kanji is "bata" or 端. This means edge or border. It's kind of hard to see, but on the left is 立 "vase," on the top we have mountain 山 and on the bottom right is rake or "comb" 而. Now I know some of the experts out there are saying "that's not a vase - that means stand up." Yes I know, but in Remembering the Kanji we are not learning Kanji in the traditional way. Some elements are assigned non-traditional meanings. So anyways to come up with a story with these elements then we might say "The vase was overflowing to the edge with a mountain of combs." Sounds strange but the stranger the stories you make up the easier the kanji are to remember.
The third kanji is yaki 焼 which means to bake or burn and I've explained it previously in another post. So now we put it all together and it is simply grilling/cooking on a fire in front of you - or near the edge. In this case the edge is the other side of the counter.
End Kanji sidebar

As far as the name, 卯月 Utsuki, it simply means the fourth month of the lunar calendar. The 卯 part of it is the Sign of the Rabbit or the fourth sign of the Chinese zodiac.

In 2004 several Miss International Pageant contestants ate here on a visit to Kamakura. You can see a picture of them sitting on the steps leading to the restaurant here. You can also see more photos inside the restaurant. So if they are bringing international guests here you know there is something special about Utsuki.

At this robatayaki, the food will be delivered to you by the owner, in our case Hiroshi, on a wooden oar. Not only is this fun, but it's pretty convenient for the chef and his staff.

Incoming!

To order, simply point to what you want if the item is on the counter

Ginko nuts

Tsukune or chicken meatball. Very tasty.

Shimamo

Shimamo are small fish who's guts have been cleaned out, but the rest you just eat whole. Good with a little soy sauce and grated daikon radish.

This is the fried chicken or chicken karaage

The salads, chicken karaage, deep fried fish, etc. you will not see on the counter. So you'll have to order them. You can always pull up this blog post on your phone and show it to them. That will work too. In two visits to this place I certainly have sampled quite a few of the dishes!

Crab or "kani" salad - awesome

Avocado salad

Forgot what this was exactly, but I think it's a kind of fish cake

Taro root

I ate the skin and I'm still alive. Lots of fiber.

Potato with butter and salt

A whole, deep fried fish

I don't remember what kind of fish this was, but perhaps a rockfish. It was deep fried quite well until it was very crispy. You can eat the fins and most of the bones!

Ika or Squid

Whale meat

Noodles and mushrooms

Steps leading up to Utsuke

grilled garlic

Garlic in Japanese is Ninniku.

Friendly locals

We met these nice folks at the counter. They live in Kamakura and come to Utsuke quite often and spoke pretty good English.

Shopping street

Some personal bottles on the shelves

At many places in Japan, if you're a regular, they'll save your personal bottle of shochu for you on their shelves. Your name is written on it.When you come back, it'll be waiting for you.

There are a few tables to sit at too, but the counter (8-10 seats) is where the action is

Eggplant or nasu

Utsuki's website is here.
Telephone: 046-725-4351
Lunch 11:30-2:00pm on weekdays and dinner from 4:30pm to 10:00 pm. On weekends, I believe they just stay open all day from 11:30 to 10:00 pm.

Closed on Tuesdays

Menus

Couple of locals and some out of towners

I think I know these folks

Rin - Chinese 凛横須賀

2014-10-03T20:00:00.003+09:00

Rin is another somewhat upscale Chinese restaurant in Yokosuka proper. Although located in an unusual back alley area, it stands out for its muted elegance.

The unusual entrance is located about 20 meters from the road down a small alley

Just past the large overpass by Chuo station and a dogleg left and then a dogleg right, you will find Rin. As always, you can find it on the blog map, or put this りん横須賀 into Google and a map will display.

Here is what the Google Streetview looks like. Amazingly, the streetcar vehicle went down this little road.

Pepper steak set lunch

The restaurant's name, Rin is represented in Kanji as 凛. You can see this in the picture above outside of the restaurant. Rin has several meanings (Rin is the ON reading) and can mean cold, frigid, or bracing. It can also mean dignified or strict. Strict in Japanese is "kibishi" and is the KUN reading of the Kanji. This Kanji form for kibishi though is really an older kanji that is not used much anymore for that definition. The more common one for kibishi, or strict, is 厳しい. Now I don't use the kanji for "strict" any time nor is it a particularly good one to memorize. But I do know "kibishi" as it brings to mind my Japanese teacher. I envision a whip cracking with the sound "kibishi!" superimposed on that image. I don't think my teacher reads my blog, so I'm OK.

As far as the "cold" or "frozen" meanings, the two little strokes on the left are the ice radical. Some common kanji with this radical are cold 冷 or frozen 凍. Frozen also shows up in "tougen" or "tundra" 凍原 which literally means "frozen meadow." This got me thinking that "frozen tundra" (of Green Bay Packer lore) is redundant. But the media will never drop the term "frozen" from "frozen tundra" as it would lose its mystique. Upon further research, the term was coined by the now president of NFL films, who used it in his commentary on the legendary Superbowl "Ice Bowl" in 1967. The link here explains that Vince Lombardi did not like the term since it was redundant. The fact that I'm talking about this so much (on a Japanese food blog nonetheless...) might lead you to believe that I'm a Packer fan. Well I am. And I'm number 43,216 on the season ticket waiting list.

But I digress. Of course the meaning of this Kanji, as used for this restaurant, is "dignified" - which fits the restaurant just fine.

Pepper Steak

I was led to Rin by a very dignified and smart friend, who is quite adept at finding these hidden places in Yokosuka. She also knows the owner and head chef. He used to work for the other Chinese restaurant I recently reviewed - Koh Ran - but then took over this place, remodeled it, and made it his own.

The pepper steak set lunch was really good and I thoroughly enjoyed it. You can see from the picture above it came with some greens, pickles, soup, rice, and a pudding dessert.

Summer special

The above lunch photo is the summer special, which I was unfortunately introduced to with only a few days left in summer. I will now need to wait nine more months. I was able to only taste one aspect of this dish. You see shrimp, scallop, crab, shirasu, and a lot of vegetables and a great looking sauce. The part I got to taste was part of a jellyfish - a tentacle. It was a very odd texture - both crunchy (in a soft way) and slippery at the same time. That was the first time I've ever had jellyfish.

Normally I'm pretty good at taking photos of the menu, but I completely forgot or was distracted this time. I will add them after a future visit. In the meantime, you can see some additional photos, and if you use your browser translator can see the menus here. Then click on メニユー which is "menu" and you will see some other links to see their various menus. The katakana for menu is good to know. Some pictures of a small part of the Japanese menu can be found here.

Rin has a wide range of dishes like most Chinese restaurants. Whatever you like, I'm sure you can find it on the menu. It all seems well prepared with quality ingredients.

They are open for lunch from 11:00 to 3:00 p.m. Be advised that if you are meeting someone important here on a Wednesday, you will find it closed. Dinner is from 1700-2200.

the almond jelly dessert

nice interior - dignified you might say...

When you first look in from the front door, you'll only see a few tables and a bar. But don't be deterred. The second floor is where the main restaurant is and it's quite spacious. The kitchen is also located on the second floor.

The Chef and his staff

more of the nice interior

Hamura - Michelin Star 葉むら横須賀

2014-09-27T11:09:00.003+09:00

Michelin has finally arrived at Yokosuka Food Corner! Yes there is a Michelin starred restaurant in Yokosuka. It took a while but I finally got a chance to visit. The restaurant has been in receipt of the star for the last three years, if not more.

Entrance

Hamura is located near the Sagami Bay coastline. If you are familiar with Restaurant Don, then you'll know the area. It's just a few blocks to the north-west of Restaurant Don. Find the precise location on the blog map.

Hamura specializes in Tempura. Most people order one of the course menus, but you can also go a-la-carte. If you do go with the course, Chef Kunio Sekizawa will provide the extensive offerings one at a time. Just after you've finished one item, he will have the next one delivered to your plate, never leaving you hungry. The lunch and dinner course menus, along with the a-la-carte and beverage menus are provided below.

Hamura is written in Kanji and Hiragana as 葉むら. But if you compare the Kanji to the one in the photo above (or on the white curtain below), you'll see that it doesn't look the same. The Kanji on the sign is written in gyosho, which is a semi-cursive writing style. Calligraphy has several styles, and gyosho is just one of them. You can see the different styles of writing this kanji on this page here. I thank a very smart friend for that insight.

In a strict sense, the name means Leaf Village. Perhaps the owner intends on a slightly different meaning, but that's my take on it.

The Master at work

If you've ever tried to make tempura at home, you know that it's not easy to duplicate the good tempura you've had in a good Japanese restaurant. It's all about the batter and the oil. Kunio-san has been doing this for 30 years, so he's pretty much mastered the process. He uses a blend of cottonseed and sesame oil. The seafood he serves comes from Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, a trip he makes twice a week.

Although the course menus are expensive, you will have an enjoyable experience as he prepares and delivers each item to your plate. It is worth trying. There is an extensive a-la-carte menu, arranged by seasons if you wish to be specific and control your order.

Making reservations may be tricky, as very little English seemed to be spoken. Best option is to have a Japanese friend make a reservation for you. If you cannot arrange that, the next best option would be to visit the restaurant in person a week or so in advance, and bring the restaurant reservation aid found on my Key Food Kanji page. Should be easy. They have three parking spots out front. If they are full, then there are some lots around, including the big one near Restaurant Don.

They serve lunch and dinner. Lunch is between 1200 and 1330. Dinner is between 1730 and 2000. Weekend dinners are 1700 to 2000. The "closing time" is really the last order time.

From what I can tell, they are closed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesdays.
Phone: 46-855-5222

Shrimp - or Ebi - with part of the head

The shrimp's head, as everyone knows, is the best part.

Yamataimo with perilla

Yamataimo is a Japanese potato. It was wrapped with a perilla, or shiso leaf.

Other items included in the set meal

Along with your set meal, you'll get miso soup, pickled vegetables, rice, shredded daikon, and some salt. You can enjoy your tempura with just salt, with the daikon (to which you add a little bit of soy sauce), or plain to enjoy the pure, tasty fish or vegetable.

Japanese Whiting, I believe

Corn - a sliver - interesting and tasty

A very large scallop

Shimeji mushroom

some nice asparagus waiting

squid - thick, soft, and succulent

asparagus, or as they say in Japan - aspara

Some tables are available

Green tea ice cream

The counter is a really beautiful plank of wood.

Your time is up, aspara

Menus:

Koh Ran Chinese

2014-09-22T20:54:00.001+09:00

There are many Chinese restaurants in Yokosuka but this is the first I've written about on the blog. In part it's precisely because there are so many, and none of them stood out. But I recently found two good Chinese restaurants and Koh Ran is one of them.

Entrance on the second floor

Koh Ran is a restaurant whose entrance I've walked by many times but had no idea it was there. A food loving friend introduced me to Koh Ran and recommended trying it out. It's located right across the street from Sakaiya Mall, and is on the same street as Baan Chiangmai Thai restaurant. You can find it on the blog map.

The street side entrance-way looks like you are going into an office building. You'll walk around to the escalator and take it to the second floor. The restaurant has a nice large dining room, and for a minute you could be in Hong Kong or Beijing perhaps. You'll see a mix of smaller tables and a few larger ones with the rotating platter in the center - sometimes referred to as a "Lazy Susan." Which begs the question. Who invented the "Lazy Susan" and did the Chinese have anything to do with it? The answer still is not clear, however, more on that topic can be found in this Smithsonian article.

B lunch in the back, C lunch in the front

If the plates above look a little small in the pictures above, there is a reason for this...actually...two - wait, make that three!. First, the plates are small. Second, I have a bad habit of eating (and so does someone else...) before the pictures are taken! And third, unbeknownst to me, my lunch companion ordered kind of a half plate of the main dishes! The B lunch was a tofu and beef I believe? The C set was a chicken and veggie plate.

Above is the D set. With normal size plates. Very tasty and satisfying.

The D set was a black vinegar type sauce dish with chicken. Excellent.

The set also came with rice, tea, soup, and the dessert you see below.

egg drop soup

I do believe this is egg drop soup, and a very delicious egg drop soup it was. The food here may not be served in large quantities, but it is prepared carefully and with quality.

Dessert

The dessert is a classic Almond flavor gelatin dessert with fruit. Very tasty. You can make your own if you like or buy a package at the store. The package looks like this

Koh Ran has an excellent menu with English, Japanese, and Chinese. The lunch menu though is only in Japanese. So I've provided some English subtitles below.

You can find this restaurant along with their full English menu at this link. To find their menu, click on the middle tab on the top row.

Below is an example of their regular menu. Don't let the prices scare you. This just happens to be the abalone page with is expensive.

A more expensive lunch option below. You get more plates and more food!

Izakaya Shinano - 居酒屋信濃横須賀

2014-09-18T19:27:00.001+09:00

Shinano is a small, hidden izakaya - as most izakayas should be. It's been on my radar for long time and I recently paid a short visit.

Corner spot at the intersection of two alleys

As you walk into Womble gate from Hwy 16 you can see one of their advertisement signs on a building to the left of the Mikasa arch. Izakaya Shinano I think the sign says. But to find the actual izakaya Shinano you'll have to walk down that street where Womble gate comes out, towards the end before you hit that other main street. Then you take a left just after passing Bengal Curry, down a small alley about 8 feet wide with vending machines and bicycles parked here and there. A very short walk down this alley and you'll come across Shinano on your left. Describing locations in Yokosuka is always difficult so why not just check the blog map?

You can't miss the sign with the aircraft carrier on it. Also, the warm glow of the red lantern with 居酒屋 (izakaya) should guide your way. Upon entering you'll find a few tables and counter towards the back. Total capacity around 20. Shinano is full of character, located in an old building. Its decorations give you plenty to explore.

The front door to Shinano is from a ship. US or Japanese? It has NTD stamped on it - maybe Navy Tactical Data? The Shinano was a Japanese aircraft carrier built in Yokosuka. It was sunk by the USS Archerfish only 10 days after commissioning. It was on its way to Kure, Japan to finish construction when the Archerfish sunk it. Most of the watertight doors and integrity of her compartments had not yet been finished.

From the back of the restaurant, looking towards the front door

The first good sign was that the place had plenty of locals. The next good sign was that the staff spoke English and were very welcoming.

Caesar Salad

The Caesar salad was very good. Each restaurant has their own spin on it and Shinano's version had some thinly sliced hot dogs. It was very good!

Katsu asparagus with katsu sauce and a drizzle of mayo

The asparagus was wrapped in pork, and covered with breading like chicken katsu. It was very good. Served on an aircraft carrier shaped plate too.

Bacon wrapped tomato

If a place serves bacon wrapped tomatoes I will order it. These were nicely done. How can you go wrong?
The few dishes I had at Shinano were all very good. The prices were very reasonable too. This is a place to go enjoy with a few of your friends for a few drinks while sampling their good selection of dishes. I was pleasantly surprised by the food here. As many restaurants boast, they talk about using fresh, local ingredients direct from the farm.

the menu cover

The interior is decorated with your normal Navy paraphernalia. Above the counter hang a good number of Navy ballcaps left behind by US Navy visitors. CNFJ, SUBGROUP 7, some surface ships and submarines are all represented.

Open from 3 p.m. to midnight every day. Phone: 046-854-4756

nautical clock

Looking down the alley

Menu

Gyu-Kaku 牛角横須賀

2014-09-07T08:27:00.002+09:00

Many are familiar with the Gyu Kaku Yakiniku restaurant on the 9th floor of More's City. What many don't know is that there is another smaller Gyu Kaku restaurant located about a block or two away. I had a chance to visit it recently.

Entrance to Gyu Kaku - the yellow sign with the lights shining on it.

This smaller Gyu Kaku is located on the same street as TGI Fridays and Thai Erawan. Walk just a few doors down past Thai Erawan away from Blue Street and you'll come upon it. It's on the second floor. If you don't know where these places are...when walking down Blue Street toward Yokosuka Chuo station, turn left at the last intersection before getting to the station. Also check the blog map.

The sign is 牛角 - Gyu Kaku. In my Key Food Kanji Gyu or 牛 is very important. It means beef. Along with pork it is one of the most useful kanji when eating out. Kaku or 角 means horns (among other things). So together it means "horn of the bull."

Some counter seating with the waiting charcoal pits

The Essentials - Beer and Charcoal

The charcoal you see here is called "oga sumi." Pretty much this means charcoal made with sawdust. It is chemical free and almost smoke free. There is a hole in the middle for better air flow. This charcoal burns about 3x hotter than American charcoal.

Gyu Kaku adopted a smokeless grill, which was developed in Nagoya in the mid 1970s. A downdraft system sucks in the smoke right at the grill surface so your clothes will stay pristine. Until the people next to you start smoking of course. To receive full credit and the qualification signature for smokeless grill however, you will have to review details at the Shinpo website - the self described trailblazer of smokeless grills.

Gyu Kaku was developed by Rex Holdings Japan in the 1990s and now has over 650 restaurants worldwide.

Avocado Caesar salad

The avocado Caesar salad was very good. Topped with garlic chips. Off to a good start. One thing though, if you look closely you can see a partially cooked egg yolk in the middle. If you don't want that in your salad, then try telling them "tamago nashi" or without the egg when you order.

Kalbi

Gyu Kaku has a great English menu. But Kalbi is a very common term if you like yakiniku and is often written as カルビ in katakana. Just about everything here will be delivered to your table for you to cook. That is the whole restaurant concept. You are the chef. Beside beef of course, they also have pork, chicken, and seafood.

Some meat cooking along with butter melting

Wakame soup

Wakame soup is standard fare at yakiniku restaurants. Wakame is seaweed. Don't worry it tastes really good!

Squid or Ika

Bibimbap

Ishiyaki bibimbap is a korean rice dish with meat and veggies mixed in and then cooked in a stone bowl - that's where the ishiyaki comes from. If you order this they will cook it/mix it up for you at your table if you desire.

A complimentary after dinner, alcohol free, palette freshener

At Gyu Kaku, you can go with the all you can eat course or Ala-carte. The "buffet course" as it is called below includes 90 minutes of all you can eat. If you upgrade to the "full satisfaction course" (can't go wrong with that) you will get some better cuts of beef and "select tongue" instead of just "normal tongue." Add in $14 for all you can drink and you're all set.

I think I like this small place better than the larger restaurant at More's only because you seem to get better service due to its small size. Otherwise they serve the same food. The restaurant is on the second floor and is only open for dinner during the week, weekends they are open for lunch. Staff was friendly and the English menu made it all very easy.
Hours: 1600-2400 except Friday and Saturday until 1a.m.
1200-2400 on Saturdays and Sundays. (1a.m. on Sat)

English menu:
One note, Hormone is beef innards - like intestines.

Pizzeria Sette

2014-09-01T09:14:00.003+09:00

There are a number of small Italian restaurants in town. Most of them run by a family or couple. Some very good Italian and French restaurants can be found in Japan - as the Japanese are very good at representing these cuisines. Pizzeria Trattoria Sette is one of those places. Sette is run by some young entrepreneurs who are full of energy.

Inviting entrance

Sette is located just around the corner from Garlic House. This may not help all of you, but if you are unfamiliar with this area you can always check the blog map. The restaurant is about a 5 minute walk from Yokosuka Chuo station. For parking I would find a nearby lot or just walk from the base.

Caesar Salad

If a Japanese restaurant or Izakaya has a Caesar Salad I always order it, as every restaurant has their unique twist on it. I can also usually tell how the rest of the dishes will be based on the quality of the salad. Sette delivered a very nice salad with good taste and adequate size. Their twist was corn shaved fresh from the cob, okra, and some carrots.

Which one is the owner?

As I mentioned Sette is run by a team of young professionals full of energy. Can you tell which one is the seasoned owner? In the above photo we have Kaori, Takahiro, Yusuke, and Tsuyoshi-san. Tsuyoshi-san is the one that looks like he is 20 years old on the right. He is the owner and head chef. Sette opened less than one year ago.

Oven roasted mashed potatoes

mystery pasta

Actually I think this was Bolognese Pasta.

On the night we visited they were fully booked. But they were able to accommodate us at a small counter on the first floor. The first floor has about 10 table seats and a few at the counter. Upstairs is a party room which can hold quite a few.

Bianca Mice

They speak pretty good English here. So along with the English menu don't be afraid to visit. They are closed on Mondays. They are open only for dinner from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Food was good. Warm atmosphere. Friendly service! Give it a try.

Our pizza in the oven

before the crowd showed up

upstairs

a little fun

They have a nice English menu:

YFC Tour Series - Aficionado Elite Tour

2014-08-27T19:50:00.000+09:00

The Yokosuka Food Corner (YFC) tour series - Aficionado Elite Tour is the fifth in a series of foodie tours. The Aficionado Elite Tour is for those who desire the "finer" things in life. For those who like great food in a more upscale atmosphere. "Upscale" here means a focus on the food - none of these fine establishments require you to dress up, but they all have great ambiance.

Maido Kushiyaki and Wine

Shiso cheese roll, chicken and shitake mushroom tsukune, and a Maido salad in the back

Our first stop for the Aficionado tour we start out with yakitori - wait! what? - Yes, aficionado and yakitori can be used in the same sentence. To experience this we will go to Maido Yakitori in Kanazawa Bunko, where chef Suzuki-san has indeed mastered the art of yakitori. Actually it is more appropriate to call it by its proper name - kushiyaki. I'm speaking to an audience that knows their food of course, so I will not bother explaining the difference.

If you come here, you have to try the tomato (bacon) roll - they'll melt in your mouth. Wait until they cool down before biting in or it may melt your mouth. During the day they are smoked in his homemade smoker using cherry wood. Although I have no way of verifying this, I'm fairly certain other yakitori places are not taking this extra step.

Be sure to try one of his creative salads, but you also can't go wrong with the Maido house salad. Also on the must do list is the shiso-cheese pork roll which is the next thing sure to melt in your mouth. Tsukune and tsukune stuffed mushrooms cannot be missed. Round it off with one of his homemade soups. I recommend the duck tsukune with grilled leak soup or the rice porridge with duck tsukune and leak (a pattern is developing). Of course, don't forget a few sticks of Grade A5 Wagyu beef that will be the third thing to melt in your mouth. This will also bring that bill up so you feel like a big shot spender. I explain grade A5 more in my original post.

A nice glass of Guinness, pale ale, or some of his homemade Umeshu (plum wine) should compliment your dinner. The owner is quite a wine aficionado as well, so maybe get a bottle. Ask what homemade seasonal sorbets are available. Reservations recommended but not required. It may be hard to do over the phone in English, but I've had success sending them a Facebook message a few days ahead of time in English. An excellent English menu with pictures is available as the restaurant, courtesy of moi.

Kani Koura Honten

The next stop is for all things crab at Kani Koura Honten. With a multitude of set meals to choose from you are sure to find one to please even for the most aristocratic among us. Here you will enjoy crab in every course except dessert.

Most set meals will leave you full by the end of the meal. Keep in mind this is not an all you can eat crab place, and you'll find no butter. The most expensive course is about $100 and will give you 13 courses delivered individually to your table. But something in the $40-50 range usually works for us. The staffed is dressed in kimonos making you feel special. Plenty of free parking. For reservations, they are possible over the phone with limited English, but I'd stop in a few days before just to be safe.

Otsu Garden

Our third stop takes us practically across the street from Kani Koura to Otsu Garden. They are a high end Kalbi Yakiniku destination. Kobe beef is not good enough, no, they serve Matsuzaka Beef. This prized beef, many say, surpasses Kobe beef ...So expand your beef vocabulary beyond Kobe and learn what this Matsuzaka is all about.

Be carefull of the set meals, as many will serve you "tongue." I know, some like tongue, but I would order from the ala-carte menu provided on the link above (the restaurant does not have an English menu, although I think a fellow aficionado did deliver one to them).

Try to sit on the second floor. It's a very nice setting and smoke free. The food here is very good quality. Be sure to order some of your favorite Korean soups and stews here as well. They're all good.

Reservations are recommend. For reservations it would be best to stop by in person ahead of time, and bring the reservation aid on the Key Food Kanji page to help you. English over the phone will not work.

Restaurant Don

Fourth on the list (but not in any particular order mind you) we head to the Sagami Coast to Restaurant Don. An Italian/French restaurant with a most grand view. Check the sunset time on their website and them call them for a matching reservation (English on the phone is OK here if you get the right person). In warmer weather you can still outside just above the waves, or try to get a window seat. Behold the beauty of the sea and Mount Fuji in the distance. An extensive menu awaits and I cannot recommend any particular dishes, they are all sure to please.

Hananoya French

For go-ban you have to head over to Hananoya for some awesome French cooking from one of the top chefs in Yokosuka. He learned the ropes from Chef Daniel Boulud at Restaurant Daniel in New York. Hananoya has a very unique menu with several interesting items. But if you choose wisely you'll be in for an excellent meal. The menu may have changed since I posted it, but an English menu should be available at the restaurant. I'm also told they have an excellent course menu which would be good for going away parties. Some English is OK if you stop by in person, otherwise it may be difficult over the phone. Find this awesome spot in the alley next to Pepper Lunch.

Hotaru

Hotaru is a basement hideaway whose existence was hinted at for a long time, and only recently revealed. This secret place is related to the Banzai chain. You'll find many outstanding and creative dishes here in this small place.

Even though it's below ground you wouldn't know it, given its very pleasant atmosphere and warm tones. It would make a wonderful place to bring your significant other. Despite its great food and atmosphere, the prices are very reasonable making this a true Aficionado find.

Interestingly, this is yet another great place next to Pepper Lunch, beneath it actually. So easy to find, but so easy to go unnoticed as well! How many of you have missed it?

La Corte

For number 7 we have a restaurant with European flair. La Corte is well hidden from the main street. The path there is far from a red carpet. But when you arrive you'll be quite impressed. If you're intent on going please try to make a reservation first (see the form on the Key Food Kanji page), especially if going on a weekend. But the owner speaks pretty good English and I've made reservations over the phone.

The interior is quite nice, but if the weather cooperates head outside to the open air courtyard. During cooler weather they have some nice table-side heaters.

Lisa's Cake Market

Lastly dessert: Head to Lisa's Cake Market and pick up one of her white chocolate matcha cakes (limited availability) or get a made to order cake for a special birthday or other event. She does special events for high end clients, just like you. She used to be an instructor at a world renown pastry school so please come visit her. She speaks good English.

Have I missed any? Quite sure I have, as there are many fine places in town for a great meal, but these will serve you well.

Sumiyoshi II 住よし横須賀

2014-08-26T21:48:00.000+09:00

Many of you have found the new Sanwa supermarket just a short distance from the main base. As with most grocery stores, it's good to eat before you go shopping. The "Nojima Mall" where the market is located also houses a restaurant called Sumiyoshi.

If you're an aficionado you will recognize the name. There is another Sumiyoshi tucked away on a tiny alleyway in central Yokosuka. The two restaurants are part of the same group - Hanae. There are big differences between the two restaurants though. Sumiyoshi I - as I will call it - in central Yokosuka, is a hiding place, peaceful, and has a warm toned interior. Sumiyoshi II however, is a bright as day place, with families and kids, lots of noise, and busy with people walking back and forth with their self service water and tea.

The other big difference is the menu. Sumiyoshi II has a menu much more aligned to the average American palate, but still mostly all teishoku, or set meals. Sumiyoshi I has only one tempura set lunch and a whole lot of sashimi plates. While the newer restaurant at Nojima mall does have fresh sashimi, they have many more cooked dishes available. The pictures on the menu tell the story.

They also have what may be the smallest salad bar in Yokosuka. I didn't take any photos, but there is a little bit of vegetables and fruit available. One visit, with one small plate is 200 Yen. They don't say how high you can stack that plate, as I witnessed one lady do, but I'm sure you can still get your 200 Yen worth.

Chicken with vegetables in a black vinegar sauce - very good

My chicken with black vinegar sauce set meal came with rice, miso soup, and a small potato salad.

Sumiyoshi is in the same building as Sanwa Market and can be found on the blog map.

Standard Ramen with nori and a side of rice

Menus:

Recipe - Japanese Grape Sorbet

2014-08-06T21:15:00.000+09:00

This is my fifth, and I have to say, most favorite sorbet to date. All of them originally inspired by one of my favorite restaurants - Maido Yakitori. The link to his sorbet blog posts are here. With Google translator you should be able to understand the system he uses to make them.

Pione Grapes

Given the prices that some of these Japanese grapes go for, I admit that we don't buy them that often. But recently Sanwa Market opened in Yokosuka and they were selling these grapes for a modest $5 a bunch. They had other varieties on sale in the $8-$12 range as well. So two packs of Pione grapes came home to be made into sorbet.

Pione grapes are a cross between the Kyoho 巨峰 grape and the Cannon Hall Muscat grape. It was developed by Hideo Igawa in 1957 (Sharon Hahn, Grocery Trekker website). Kyoho grapes are the most popular in Japan and have the largest market share. They are also more expensive. But the Pione grape has excellent flavor and I highly recommend you try either them or the the Kyoho at least once. Pione is ピオーネin Katakana and you should be able to spot it on the packaging.

The grapes in the commissary just cannot be compared to these. They Kyoho kanji again is 巨峰. You'll see it on a lot of Japanese candy products such as the package I've shown below.

The taste was very much like a grape popsicle. You might think that grape popsicles are an artificial grape flavor, but these grapes really do taste like that. That's why I say you should try them. The red grapes sold at most American stores don't have flavor when compared to these.

The recipe is:
- Two bunches of Japanese Grapes
- 1 cup of water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 5g package of Jellice (a Jello type product) - can be omitted if you don't want to bother finding it.
- Optional: 1 Tbsp Cointreau or a cup of white wine. If you use the wine, then only use a 1/2 cup of water.

After washing, add the grapes to a food processor and blend well. These grapes produce a tremendous amount of juice. I was surprised that just two bunches would make a full Tupperware container of sorbet.

The chef at Maido strained the skin out. I choose not to as the skin can be eaten too. The skin provides a bit of a sour bite, while the inside is all sweet. Straining the skin out is up to you.

One advantage of straining though is that if there are any seeds, you'll catch them here as well. Although the package said they were seedless (the kanji at the top left of the package), there were a few that had a seed - maybe 5% did. Perhaps that is one reason they were a little cheaper than some of the other grapes.

After processing

After processing, pour the juice into a large Tupperware container.

Separately, add your water, sugar, and Jellice to a small pot and bring it to a boil to melt the sugar and the jello. Remove from the heat and add the white wine or Cointreau if you are using it. Add it to the mixture and blend.

after freezing

After freezing the mixture, you need to cut it up and blend it in the food processor again to aerate it. You can avoid this step if you're able to regularly mix it while it's freezing.

blend the frozen mixture to aerate it

Add it all back to the container and smooth it a bit

As I said this was excellent! and I will be going back for some additional grapes to make some more.

The package above shows some Kyoho grape jelly snacks. This particular one was in a 100 Yen store.

The original package. From Yamanashi Prefecture. Yamanashi Prefecture is very close by and is the largest grape producing region in Japan.