Otaru's illuminated canal

During a trip to Sapporo for the famous Snow Sculpture festival, we decided to take a day trip to Otary - known for their beautiful ice lanterns. I was excited to see the beautiful town. But walking down Sakaimachi street of Odori made me miserable. What once used to be a prosperous harbour town just became as overindulgent as its past opulence! It was a tourist trap. All the shops around the famous old merchant street were filled with unoriginal souvenirs and tacky discount signs. The streets were beautiful and the buildings and old warehouses painted a romantic picture on the glistening snow. Yet, the greedy tourists truly did spoil the atmosphere.

Old warehouses are turned into pastry and omiyage shops

beautiful old warehouses are frosted with snow

After wandering around the town and waiting for some winter illuminations to be lit, we stumbled across an attractive little restaurant on the outskirts of the touristy spots.

On the outside a brightly lit sign “Otaru Take No Zushi” greets visitors and, like many Japanese restaurants, plastic food replicas are neatly displayed outside to showcase what the restaurant has to offer.  What immediately attracted my attention was the fresh bright yellow sea urchin, or uni. Hokkaido is known for their fresh uni which is harvested in the eastern part of the island and some sea urchins feast on the kelp that grows in the colder ocean. So I was immediately intrigued and determined to try the delicious uni while they are still (somewhat) in season. 

Sea Urchin and Salmon Roe rice bowl (uni to ikura don)

The sushi chef warmly greeted us as we entered and the waitress even tried some English on us. The atmosphere inside was comfortable and homey – small tables create an intimate location for the patrons to spend a meal together. The sushi chef happily chats with customers whilst skilfully prepares the freshest sushi.

Salmon rice bowl (sake don)

I tried an uni-ikura don – a bowl of rice topped with fresh, distinctly mustard yellow uni and some salmon roe, which is very popular in Hokkaido. The texture of the uni was soft, creamy and savoury, with a subtle, yet distinctive seafood taste. The flavours infused perfectly well with the  saltiness of the salmon roe and the delicately soft rice.

Hokkaido is also known for their milk products, so I also tried some scallops prepared in a gentle butter sauce. The pairing was delicious and the scallops were perfectly grilled.

Scallops prepared in butter

And so, finally I experienced the authentic side of Otaru, through culinary delights that keep honest to the traditional and unique flavours of the prefecture.

After dinner we enjoyed the beautiful Otaru snow illuminations (小樽雪あかりの路, Otaru Yuki Akari no Michi). It was magical – the snow glistened with small snow statues illuminated with candles. And I realized – it doesn’t matter how touristy a city is, there is always something there that you can try or experience that makes the trip worthwhile. Whether it is a unique view or a delicious dinner – it is always important to find the beauty in even the most over clichéd of places…

Crystals shimmering in the snow

Friendship

Walking around the town becomes magical when the lanterns are illuminated 

A cute owl

(The restaurant is bilingual, although most of the menu is still in Japanese. The staff speak some English. Some meals are displayed next to pictures for clarification. Unfortunately I didn’t take a business card, but the restaurant is at the beginning of Sakaimachi street, closer to the station.)

 

Low quality photo of the outside of the restaurant: Otaru takeno zushi

Eyeballs in your alcohol and Russian Roulette. What more could you want for a ghoulish night out on the town? The famous Tokyo’s themed restaurant, The Lock Up, recently opened Shizuoka City and we just had to try it out.

The Lockup Entrance

Whilst waiting to be taken to our table, we hear screams, cracks and eerie music. And all of a sudden we are pushed into a skull-lined room, and greeted by a waitress dressed in a prison guard uniform. She handcuffs and chains one of our friends and led us down the corridor to our prison cell and locked us in.  All the private dining tables are themed like a prison cell. Demons, gargoyles and all kind of creatures lurk between the walls and perch on top of the prison cells – keeping an eye on the inmates. The vibe of the restaurant soon becomes intoxicating – especially after one or two syringe or test tube alcoholic beverage!

Roasted Ham, Salami and a Shrimp Salad

Smoked Salmon

Penne Pasta Chips

The name of the drinks all have to do with some sort of crime, from parking ticket to extortion. There are many different kind of drinks, from alcohol-filled syringes which are ejected into milk, to jelly-like drinks filed with a big jelly eye! 

Pork Chops

The restaurant is an izakaya-style restaurant; several different types of meals are served alongside drinks. The food was deliciously prepared. Some of the meals were themed - we had to throw some “arsenic” (or salt) on potato wedges and we even played some Russian roulette with some Takoyaki (deep fried squid balls).

Takoyaki Roulette. Which one of these takoyaki has a chilli in???

Without warning, one of our fellow “inmates” started screaming after unluckily biting into a takoyaki filled with burning hot chili!!! Needless to say, the milk served with some of the drinks were immediately downed…

"Arsenic Chips" and chicken nuggets

Test Tube Drinks

And all of a sudden the lights went off and creepy music began to play. And then the screams started! The prison doors slammed open and masked maniacs jumped into the room. My poor husband became the victim of a Jason-X like man rubbing all over him! The scene was twistedly funny.

The reason for this blurry photo has to be because of the ghosts coming to haunt us!

The Lock Up is definitely worth a try to anybody open to some unique restaurant experiences in Japan.

Have you ever been to a themed restaurant? What were your impressions?

Think of a Japanese home cook, and the name Harumi Kurihara usually comes to mind. She’s often described as the Martha Steward of Japan – with her homemaking and cooking empire as well as a cookbook prize are just few of her numerous accolades.

And while the winter is dragging on and I’ve become slightly more familiar with even the most unfamiliar of Japanese ingredients,  I’ve decided to embrace the Japanese seasonal produce and our limited time in Japan and follow all of Miss Kurihara’s recipes on her famous NHK TV show, My Japanese Kitchen.

[All recipes I’ll feature are adapted from her original recipes on: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/tv/kitchen/index.html ]

So here goes, Day 1;

On the menu:

Rice

Inside-Out Sushi Rolls (Uramaki Zushi)

Uramaki Zushi

The verdict:

Because I’m always pressed on time when cooking dinner, a rice cooker comes in very handy! The Japanese rice comes out very fluffy using this method, even when I cook the rice on a covered pot. The rice is always soft and tastes delicious. I always believe it is essential to properly wash the rice and allow some standing time or time for the rice to soak up some extra moisture.

For the sushi - the vinegar flavoured rice is absolutely delicious. The taste is slightly sweet and tangy and it complements the saltiness of the nori and the fish.

The addition of the shiso (or mint) to the sushi creates a deeper taste to the sushi and it does complement the savoury taste of the sushi.

It is a bit tricky to roll sushi, but it becomes easier with practice. The trick is to keep even pressure on the sushi and to not fill the roll with too many ingredients.

Today sushi isn’t new to most people in the West, yet the tastes different greatly in Japan. For once, sushi is usually served with wasabi inside the sushi roll, unless it’s specified otherwise. And what Westerners call “maki”, actually doesn’t exist in Japan. Sushi is usually either sashimi slices, gunkan (open nori parcels filled with rice and fish) or nigiri (a round, oblong piece of rice topped with wasabi and a piece of sashimi. And tastes in Japan are, of course, more for a Japanese palate – things like raw octopus, sea urchin, clams, natto (fermented soybeans), pickled tuna etc are used.

As for etiquette, sashimi should at all times be eaten with chopsticks, where sushi rolls can be eaten by hand, even if it is in a more formal setting. Also, never throw too much soy sauce over the sushi or add too much wasabi – this is like throwing ketchup all over your steak…

Well, that’s it for today! The recipes (adjusted from the original ones) are below.

Itadakimasu! いただきます

The recipes:

Rice (Serves 4)

The “Right Way” to cook rice

A good rule of thumb when cooking Japanese rice is to add one cup of water for every cup of rice. If you want a little more chewy rice, add a little bit less water. If you want softer rice, add a little bit more water.

Ingredients:

2 cups of rice

2 cups of fresh water

1.       Put the rice in a colander. Rinse and rub the rice under running water.  (I usually put the colander in a bowl and fill the bowl with water. Then swirl the rice around in the water until the water becomes white. Discard the milky water and repeat the process until the water runs clear).

2.       Leave the rice to stand for about 10 minutes.

Putting rice in a colander is an easy way to clean rice

3.       Put the rice in a heavy bottomed pot (or rice cooker).

4.       Add one cup of cold water for every cup of rice (so this recipe calls for 2 cups of water).

5.       If you are using a rice cooker, simply press “Cook” .

If you are using a stove and a pot, place the pot on high heat and allow the water to boil. As soon as the water boils, lower the heat and place the lid on the pot. Simmer for 12 minutes.

6.       After 12 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and left covered for about 10 minutes.

7.       Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork before serving.

Our very useful rice cooker - for every cup of rice add one cup of water

Uramaki Zushi (makes enough for 4)

This is a fantastic starter and it is a good way to use rice, even some leftover rice.

Inside Out Rolls - not beautifully done, but I'm getting there!

I loved the taste of the sesame on the rice

Ingredients:

For the filling:

Canned tuna, drained and mixed with pepper and mayonnaise.

OR

Salmon (smoked or regular), thinly sliced and deboned

OR

Imitation crab sticks

Avocado (peeled, pitted and sliced into thin slices)

Mayonnaise

Shiso leaves (or substitute with finely chopped mint)

Toasted nori seaweed (available at most Asian supermarkets)

Roasted Sesame Seeds (white)

For the sushi rice:

Cook the rice with less water for a more chewy texture

2 cups cooked white, short grain rice

100ml vinegar

1tsp salt

3Tbsp sugar

1.       Place the vinegar in a pot and allow it to simmer on medium heat.

2.       Remove from heat and dissolve the sugar and salt in the vinegar. Allow to cool.

3.       Mix the vinegar with rice using a large handai (a wooden sushi tub) or a wide cooking bowl.

4.       Use a paper fan to cool down the rice (this also adds a slight shine to the rice). Allow to cool.

 

Rice in a wide cooking bowl (traditionally a handai is used)

Pouring the vinegar over the rice

Assembling the sushi:

1.       Place a bamboo rolling mat on a sturdy surface. (The bamboo should lay lengthwise)

2.       Place some baking paper on the bamboo mat. Place the nori sheets on the baking paper (the “rough side” should be facing up, and the “smooth side” should be laying on the baking paper).

Rice added on the nori sheets

3.       Put the rice vinegar rice on the nori sheets and evenly spread it out. Use water and your hands to even out the rice.

4.       By lifting the baking paper, gently turn the rice and the nori over (so that the nori sheets face up).

The nori sheets have been flipped over, with the rice facing down

5.       A little below the halfway point of the rice, make a thin line of fish (crabmeat, tuna salad or salad). Once again, the line should be horizontal. Add some shiso leaves (or mint) and avocado on top of the fish. Finally add some mayonnaise on top of the avocado.

Tuna salad and avocado filling

6.       Now roll the sushi – using the end of the bamboo mat closest to you, tightly roll the rice over the filling  by making a square shaped “hill” over the filling. Continue rolling the sushi until you reach the end of your bamboo mat. Gently press the completely rolled sushi on all sides.

Rolling the very big sushi roll

7.       Now spread some sesame seeds on a bread plank or any clean working surface and roll the sushi roll in some sesame seeds. Be careful not to roll too loosely or too tightly as the filling might fall out.

8.       Finally, cut your sushi in equal pieces using a very sharp knife.

Serve with some wasabi and soy sauce, if preferred.

Home-made Oden 

In Japan a few things say "winter has arrived" like the appearance of Oden (おでん) in convenience stores (or combinis). The smell of delicious tofu parcels (kinchaku), chikuwa and ganmodoki simmering in a savoury dashi, the steam clinging to the shop windows, is the harbinger of winter dishes in Japan.

Oden ingredients (clockwise from top) - konnyaku,, satsuma age (egg-shaped ingredients), chikuwa (white cyllindrical ingredients with brown spots), ganmodoki, hanpen (white triangles), konbu (knotted kelp), kurohanpen (grey triangles), atsuage (yellow circle), kinchaku (tofu parcels). 

Chikuwa - slices of fish paste cakes

Kinchaku - tofu parcels filled with mochi

kurohanpen - black steamed cake made from ground sardines

Ganmodoki (deep fried tofu and mixed vegetable balls)  and fish cakes

It is very easy to prepare Oden, that is if you have an Asian supermarket nearby. All supermarkets in Japan stock a variety of Oden ingredients, such as chikuwa (a tube-like ingredient made from ground white fish), ganmodoki (tofu fritters made with tofu mixed with vegetables and egg), aburaage (deep fried tofu parcels, commonly found on or alongside sushi), sliced daikon radish, knotted konbu (kelp), boiled egg, kinchaku (deep fried tofu parcels filled with mochi (glutinous rice cake) etc. 

Konnyaku - a healthy Oden ingredient (often known in English as Yam Cake made from the Konjac plant)

In Shizuoka it isn't uncommon to find kurohanpen (黒はんぺん) - a black steamed cake made from ground sardines - in Oden pots.

The nice thing about Oden is that there aren't any specific rules about which food to pair with each other; every household has their own unique combination as individual tastes differ.


An easy Oden recipe (easily serves 4), using supermarket bought products

For the dashi:

1 L dashi (stock)
(The dashi can either be made by making a basic stock by boiling Bonito Flakes and Dashi Kombu (kelp used to make soup stock)  in 1 Litre of water or by using an instant dashi powder. http://justonecookbook.com/recipes/how-to-make-dashi/ - this website has an excellent tutorial on how to make dashi.)
A pinch of salt
4 Tbsps soy sauce
2 Tbsps cooking sake (or regular sake)
1 Tbsp Mirin (cooking wine)
1 tsp sugar

After preparing the dashi, add the remaining ingredients in a pot and bring to a slow simmer. 

Possible Oden ingredients:

4 boiled eggs
Konnyaku (sliced into 4 triangles)
4 pieces of ganmodoki (tofu fritters)
One large piece of chikuwa, sliced into four pieces
One piece of surimi (sliced into 4 triangles)
2 pieces of atsuage (deep fried tofu), sliced into four triangles
8 pieces of hanpen
4 pieces of knotted kelp
Sliced boiled daikon
(The above mentioned ingredients seem to be the most popular, but the options are endless...) 

Add the ingredients into the simmering dashi and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Serve warm.

Have you ever tried Oden? And what are your favourite ingredients My all time favourite ingredient is definitely Ganmodoki.

  

Tofu-parcels and knotted kelp

What better way to while away long winter evenings with some warm flavours of Japan and a full bodied white wine in hand. 

Ochazuke - you cannot get more of Japan in one single meal! Consisting of green tea poured over white rice, it is either a simple, fulfilling dinner or a quick snack made from leftovers. It's so easy to make, you don't even need a recipe!

ochazuke - green tea poured over rice

And that is what I created for a quick dinner. I used some tuna and broiled bamboo shoots for some added crunch.

Recipe (serving per person):

Scallions, ginger, nori, wasabi and pickles

1 cup cooked rice (warm)

1 cup warm green tea

(I used some local green tea).

Toppings:
Vegetable pickles 

(I substituted popular umeboshi with regular western pickles or gherkins).

A little bit of wasabi.

A little bit of thinly sliced ginger.

Thinly sliced scallions.

Some nori (dried seaweed strips).

Pieces of cooked fish (tuna or salmon), lightly seasoned.

Bonito flakes, also known as katsuobushi (かつおぶし).

How to prepare:
Add toppings on top of warm rice. Pour warm green tea over the rice and enjoy!

As simple as that.

For our dinner I used some grilled fresh tuna because we didn't have any salmon. It worked just as well. 

Ochazuke is comfort food so anything goes, really. I still prefer to have a balance between tastes. So I usually opt for something sweet (sweet pickles), sour (ginger), bitter (scallions), salty (nori) and savoury (fish)- a fine balance which is practiced in Japanese cuisine. 

Have you ever tried Ochazuke? Do you like rice as a comfort food?

Pickles, ginger and wasabi

I know I definitely can't get enough of Japan's unique rice! Especially when cozying up during a cold winter's night with some comfort food.

Tuna steak, cut into pieces (I prefer this cut to be done, it's not really prime sashimi cut, so it sometimes has some sinews running though it, which makes it too chewy to eat when slightly medium...)

Creamy Brandy Rice Pudding with lightly caramelized persimmons

(In advance I apologize for the quality of the photos - unfortunately I was so tempted to eat the pudding that I didn't really focus on the quality of the photos...!)

The weather suddenly dropped. Yesterday morning was still cool and pleasant, and all of a sudden a cold wall crashed into us! So we've been cozying up under blankets and finally switched the heat on...

Our house is, like almost all houses in Japan, not properly insulated - there is a terrible cold that cuts through the house. But next week we'll go shopping for some proper winter curtains and perhaps one or two of the "gizmos" available in the shops to cut the draft in the house.

But with some left over rice and some persimmons in the house, what better way to cozy up than with some rice pudding?

Delicious persimmons

So here is the recipe;

For the rice pudding:

1 - 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice
1/4 cup sugar
1 lemon (grated rind as well as lemon juice)
2 cups milk
Vanilla (I used 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup whiskey
ground cinnamon and cloves (to taste - I added 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1 teaspoon clove)

• In a sauce pan, mix sugar, milk, vanilla, whiskey and the egg.
• Over a low heat gradually bring the milk to a simmer.
• Add the lemon rind and, while briskly stirring, add the lemon juice, allowing the milk to curdle.
• Add the ground cinnamon and cloves and thoroughly mix it with the curdled milk.
• Add the rice to the sauce, and heat thoroughly.

For the persimmons:

1 cup of brandy

1 large persimmon, peeled and sliced into chunks

1/4 cup sugar

• Over low heat, in a saucepan, add the sugar, brandy and persimmons and bring to a slow boil.
• Allow to simmer for 15 minutes until the whiskey and sugar slightly caramelizes.
• (Optional: add an extra dash of brandy and set alight to flambé)

Add the persimmons and the whiskey-sauce on top of the rice pudding and serve warm.

Golden persimmons! 

So tell me what you think if you tried this recipe! 

Do you like rice pudding? Or what do you do with leftover rice?

Until next time! 

Grilled eel. The thought of eating eel (unagi) will make the average person think twice. But the thought of passing by a local specialty dish without trying it, would be close to foodie sacrilege. And so, upon setting foot in Nagoya (one of Japan’s largest cities) my mouth salivated, thinking about my first experience with this dish called Hitsumabushi.

And what a pleasant experience it was!

Armand trying his hitsumabushi

Nagoya is Japan’s biggest producer of fresh water eel and the region has also developed its own unique styles of food, which can be seen as comfort foods, such as pork cutlets served with a red miso sauce (misokatsu) or deep fried chicken wings (tebasaki). I wouldn’t classify these meals in the same refined category of most of the big cities such as Kyoto or Osaka, except for the hitsumabushi – which is definitely one of the most popular dishes in the restaurant we went to (everyone in the restaurant ordered the meal!).

Eating hitsumabushi is an experience on its own;

You are served a large bowl, filled with fluffy, steamed rice and topped with strips of eel that has been slathered in a slightly rich sauce and then grilled (not steamed first). Accompanying this large bowl is a rice bowl, a plate of condiments and (in our case) a tea pot containing broth. 

The Hitsumabushi set

Grilled Eel 

Unagi on rice

You first take the first portion of the unagi and rice and place it in your rice bowl, eating it as is. No toppings or condiments added. The purpose of this step is to enjoy the flavor of the eel.  It has a slightly salty taste, yet the texture is slightly flakey. There is also a delicate wooden taste of the grill.

The first portion is eaten as is, no condiments or toppings are added

The second portion is eaten by adding some of the condiments, such as pickles and wasabi and some spring onions. Here the crispness of the spring onions and the slight acidity of the pickles brightened up the slightly smokey taste of the unagi.

Wasabi and Spring Onions

Pickles

Unagi with condiments added

The third portion is eaten by adding some condiments, just like before, but you also add some of the broth into your bowl. The broth was a salty green tea based broth. The tang of the wasabi was lessened by the broth and it, of course, completely changed the texture of the unagi. 

Unagi with the broth and condiments

The last portion is eaten just the way you like, with or without condiments.

To me, the experience was definitely worth its weight in Yen. I loved the difference in tastes and textures as you eat the unagi and I can see why it is such a popular dish.

Have you ever tried unagi or more specifically, hitsumabushi? Would you like to try it? Tell me what you think.

In after thought: I do not agree with the over-fishing of wild unagi – unfortunately the population has decreased significantly, worldwide… (But most of the unagi in Japan is farm-reared, which, to me is also an issue...) 

So this is something I wouldn’t eat as often, but it is worth the experience while travelling to Nagoya.