Back in Japan (May 2014)...Soba Lunch and Oyster Dinner

I had lunch with my sister at a very classic soba house in Kudanshita (near Royal Palace) in Tokyo.


It's also a short walk from Yasukuni Shrine. The place is called, Issa-an. While there are many soba restaurants under the same name, because many direct and indirect apprentices of original Issa-an have opened restaurants over its history, this place is considered to have directly taken over the will of the original Issa-an's soba master.


This place is also famous for duck dishes. We first shared grilled duck slices with ponzu sauce. It was so scrumptious. Vegetable tempura was really nice, too.


For the soba main course, I had cold soba with tororo (grated mountain yam) dipping sauce. My sister had two kinds of soba. Classic 2-8 style (80% buckwheat and 20% wheat flour blend) and lemon blend.

Really fantastic soba lunch.


In the evening. I got together with Isako-san and gang from iga-mono Tokyo shop (Nagatani-en's donabe shop). We went out for dinner at an oyster bar near the shop in Ebisu.


It's a super tiny place with just two tables. They serve so many varieties of oysters from all over Japan. We started our oyster party!


With Champagne, we started with raw oysters. Then, we also had oyster and crab quiche. Seasonal ayu fish confit was nice, too.


Then, we had many different kinds of grilled oysters. Those were really HUGE! I could barely fit each oyster in one bite.


It's Japanese style, so of course, we have "shi-me" (finishing) courses with starchy dishes. We had pasta with meat and seafood ragout, as well as seafood paella.


Great food, and great fun with wonderful friends!

Back in Japan (May 2014)...Lunch with High School Girl Friends

On a sunny Sunday, I got together with old friends from high school for lunch.

We were classmates for the junior and senior years of high school. We met at an Italian restaurant called, Frick, which is located in Omotesando...it's like right in the backyard of our high school and university. Our school neighborhood is full of stylish restaurants and shops. Frick is a casual Italian in a small dining space and open kitchen. Their homemade focaccia is very good.


Zuppa: Baby onion capuchin with sautéed calamari.
Antipasto: Bonito carpaccio with seasonal vegetables.


Pasta: Spring cabbage and baby anchovy spaghettini.
Secondo Platto: Cacciatore with sautéed seasonal vegetables.


Dolce: Omelet cake with tangerine ice cream.
Wonderful lunch! I love Tokyo-style Italian so much. And the best of all, I had a great time with my old friends. We just chatted and laughed the whole time. Friends are so precious.


Here are other looks of Omotesando...there are often very old school and very progressive are side by side. From our restaurant window, I saw a long line of mendicant Buddhist priests. Then, right after lunch when we walked to a main street, there was a big march of pro-marijana campaign.

Back in Japan (May 2014)...Relaxation in Hakone

I've been back in Japan for a week and have been enjoying my time.


Last week, a day after I arrived, I went to Hakone with mom and sister (Tomoko) for 2 days. Hakone is our regular destination for a weekend trip. It's less than 2 hours by car from mom's home and we can experience nice retreat every time.


Before we got to our hotel, we stopped by at a local soba house for lunch. Hakone has many really good soba houses who make their own soba at home. I had stone-ground soba in soup, with freshly foraged bamboo shoot (from their yard) with soba berries. Really nice.


We checked in at our hotel and enjoyed onsen (hot spring), followed by Champagne aperitif before dinner.


We never miss sushi dinner every time we stay in this hotel. The meal here is always outstanding. I was in heaven from the beginning.


After so many savory dishes, we moved on to nigiri...I couldn't stop eating...I think I had at least 10 pieces! With different kinds of sake, we had a fantastic night.


In the next day, after morning onsen, we had breakfast. The breakfast here is always great. I enjoyed the donabe porridge, too. We left the hotel and stopped by at Hakone Shrine. I felt so refreshed.

It was such a nice beginning of my stay back in Japan this time.

Natto making update...I found the perfect soybeans for natto!

I found the soybeans I really like!


A box of sample soybean arrived the other day. They were 3 different varieties of soybeans for different purposes, all organic and non GMO, by Signature Soy, 5th generation soy farm in North Dakota.


I first tried a variety for natto (SS2802) to make my homemade natto, and I was amazed by its quality. The beans were perfect small size and nicely nutty. It was like eating the special artisan natto from Japan!

I learned that the company also export soybeans to major natto manufacturers in Japan. That's why my homemade natto made from their beans tasted so authentic!


With Uruguay koshihikari rice, made in double-lid donabe rice cooker, "Kamado-san", it was my super happy moment. My special natto rice, made in collaboration between USA, Uruguay, and Japan.

Natto is a wonder food. For 5 kg of soybeans, only 3 g of natto bacteria is needed to make natto. The bacteria multiplies by more than 4 billion times after 24 hrs of fermentation in the right conditions. Amazing, isn't it?

My basic natto recipe is here.

Happy natto. Happy donabe life.