Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Back in Japan (November 2010)...Some more food and wine photos


Leftover photos...


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Lunch at a Korean restaurant in Ginza Mitsukoshi. I had Sundubu lunch set and it was superb.


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Yay, Spicy Ja-ja men at Nyan Nyan in Kita-Urawa. Only 400 yen (about $5). So rustic and tasty.


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Tororo (grated mountain yam) with multi-grain rice lunch in Urawa.


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Kuri-mushi Yokan (steamed azuki bean paste jelly with chestnuts) from Iga! The chestnuts were cooked with their "shibu-kawa" (inner skin) on, so the flavor was so deep.


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The trip to Taipei was so great that it made me want to eat more Chinese food after returning to Tokyo. The next day, we had Chinese lunch at a local restaurant. My seafood noodle soup was very nice.


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Another noodle lunch. I had an unique beef ramen. The broth was made with the beef-bone stock. Over the medium-thick noodles, there were braised beef shank and roasted beef slices. Although it's obviously very different from the Taiwanese beef noodle soup which I fell in love with in Taipei, this beef ramen was pretty good. The broth was much cleaner and light taste than I thought.


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Some of the wines I enjoyed drinking at home...
2004 Domaine Gaston & Pierre Ravaut, Ladoix...Especially after my last trip to Bourgogne, I feel more strongly that Ladoix is an under-rated appellation. This wine, to me, was a text-book with the lighter ruby and the very soft palate. Beautiful balance. I wanted to order more from the store but it was already sold-out when I tried.
2008 Domaine G. Roblot-Marchand et Fils, Chambolle-Musigny...by a young winemaker (still in his early 30's) Frederick Roblot, who learned after Burgundy's influential winemakers such as Christophe Roumier and Dominique le Guen (Hudelot-Baillet). Average 40-year-old vines. Aroma of rose, spice, and earth. Rich minerals on the palate. Long finish.
2004 Domaine Anne et Herve Sigaut, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru, "Les Charmes"...The first impression was the wine tasted very young and still tight. It opened up in the glass after 15-20 minutes with the floral aroma, blackberry, herb, and leather. Elegant and complex.


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Whenever we had dinner at home in Urawa, we made rice with Kamado-san!


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My 9-year-old nephew, Wataru, loves dessert. Chez Matsuo's vanilla cream puff was brilliant.

It was another great stay back in Japan.