by joanna on June 17, 2010
An amazing retreat only 1.5 hours outside of Tokyo
Just West of Tokyo, lies Hakone – a picturesque Japanese town famous for its views of Mt Fuji, ryokans and onsen (natural Japanese volcanic hot springs). While one can go year round, undoubtedly the most popular time of year is summer.
Hakone itself is very easy to get to – only an 80 minute ride on the JR Express train from Shinjuku to Odawara, then a quick transfer to a switchback train at Odawara to Hakone Yumoto. Yumoto is the area of Hakone with the most popular onsen, hot spring resorts. Honestly, there is not much else to do here besides soak up the local scene, literally and figuratively. [keep reading…]
With Japanese cuisine, most people hear of sushi first. It’s shocking and stands out. I remember as a kid thinking, “raw fish, yuck” (who’d of thought I’d grow up and eat raw horse heart?). But the first “Japanese” meal most people will actually eat will be teppanyaki. Every tiny town in America has one of these restaurants… complete with an almost Japanese looking guy, Karate Kid bandanna tied around his head, and bottles of soy sauce hung low off the belt like a wild west cowboy. Teppanyaki is approachable Japanese food for the masses. It’s just steak, cooked in front of you… with a show. And that show is the reason most Americans go out to dine at “Japanese Steakhouses”.
However in Japan teppanyaki is much different. They’re not enthusiastically flipping shrimp into the diners mouths or spewing cheesy one-liners. At restaurants like Sazanka in Tokyo, the chef is still on show… but it’s more about his skilled precision and the quality of the ingredients. [keep reading…]
by Paul on January 20, 2010
Hey all,
I am a HUGE sushi fan. I’ve made my pilgrimage to the sushi mecca (Tsukiji fish market) and returned a changed man. I’m deeper in love with sushi… to the detriment of my ability to enjoy budget buffet grade sushi. But I recently found out I’ve been eating it all wrong. That’s right, I’ll admit to it. I followed the pack when eating sushi, and the pack has been spreading a modern approach to sushi that might possibly be as offensive as eating with your feet on the table in Thailand. I found a great visual guide to sushi etiquette. Check it out after the jump. [keep reading…]
by Paul on November 26, 2009
That sudden gust of air you felt around November 17th was the result of the entire nation of France collectively gasping for air. On that day the press broke the news that Tokyo had topped Paris in the number of the coveted 3-star restaurants. Should we care? Will this have bigger results? [keep reading…]
by joanna on November 3, 2009
Our favorite hotels when we are traveling in Tokyo
Tokyo can be expensive. And so it depends on how you want to do it…5 star hotel experiences are definitely available. We like the Grand Hyatt Roppongi for a truly luxe hotel experience. But we also discovered you don’t have to spend a fortune on hotels (save it for 5 star dining!). And in less expensive category, we like the Granbell Shibuya. Here’s why: [keep reading…]
by joanna on October 23, 2009
Glorious cheese is the star in this Tokyo restaurant
As much as I absolutely adore Japanese food, we took a break from our much loved Yakitori and Katsudon to try an interesting concept in casual dining. A restaurant entirely based around creamy, fresh mozzarella flown in daily from the Paestum and the Agro Pontino areas of Italy (how extravagant!). [keep reading…]
by joanna on September 23, 2009
Highlights of what to see and do in the wonderfully traditional city of Kyoto
Many folks love Kyoto and consider it the highlight of any trip to Japan. With 17 Unesco World Heritage sites, 1600 Buddhist temples and over 400 Shinto shrines, Kyoto is rife with ancient culture and Japanese history. And beyond historical sites lies the Japan of movies and books….zen gardens, red lanterns, and geishas….Thus, it is no surprise that Kyoto is considered Japan’s cultural capital. That said, unless you really want to spend weeks touring temples, one can get a real flavor of this sprawling city in 2 days. Here are our recommendation for 48 hours in Kyoto. [keep reading…]
by joanna on September 23, 2009
A culinary tour of Japan in 9-courses
While in Japan, we tried to cover as many foods as possible. My favourite meal may have been Katsudon but in our effort to experience as many food types as possible during our trip, I stretched myself beyond pork perfection 
Which is why when we were in Kyoto and heard about a special 9-course tasting menu at Grotto that purported to be a tour of Japanese cuisine, we leapt at the opportunity to give it a try. [keep reading…]
by Paul on August 24, 2009
We here at Accidental Epicurean are looking at ways of expanding the reach of our site beyond Southeast Asia. As part of that mission we’re going to start doing a weekly series of “epicurean concepts”…these could be words that you’ll find on a fine dining menu, boutique ingredients, dining etiquette, etc. (if there’s something specific you’d like addressed or something you learned in a painful / embarrassing way and would like to spare others the embarrassment hit us up in the comments or via the contact page).
We’ll start the series with one of my favorite dining terms – Amuse-Bouche.
[keep reading…]
by Paul on August 21, 2009
Dun
Dan
Dun!
This post should really start with the iconic “Kill Bill Theme” theme song from the movie and play throughout. If you’d like to load it up to play in the background get it here : )
We had just finished watching the Tokyo Giants win the game with a homer in the 9th. The hot dog and yakitori we ate in the 2nd inning weren’t holding us over. As we debated food options (surprisingly not a lot around the dome) our friend, who is no stranger to Tokyo, suggested we hit up Gonpachi. The name didn’t register with me at first. Then she said all that needs to be said about the place, “the kill bill restaurant”. Dun Dan Dun. The music immediately started up in my head as a grin spread across my lips. Sure I said coolly, masking the kid-like joy bubbling up inside me. [keep reading…]
