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.

We stayed at the Kansuiro Ryokan, just a short shuttle ride by bus from the train station. A few things about Ryokan…they are seriously expensive at $400-800 per person, per night and offer a more traditional Japanese experience of tatami flooring, sliding doors, eating while seated on the floor and sleeping on futon mattresses. If you are not Japanese or are not travelling with a Japanese friend you may really miss out on all the finer points of the service from your dedicated hostess due to issues with communication (typically no language other than Japanese is spoken). The customs and exchanges are perplexing and I have no doubt we unknowingly offended our hosts at some point or another by either not reciprocating properly or missing some subtleties in exchange. That said it is a totally unique experience, one that is quintessentially Japanese.

We chose the Kansuiro primarily because of the onsite onsen. If you go to an onsen in Japan and have no previous experience, the best thing to do is to get a primer either from your host, by reading about it or by watching your fellow onsen-goers. Onsens are often (but not always) separated by gender and after that any and all modesty goes out the window. Before you can enjoy the onsen, one must indelicately scrub themselves within an inch of their lives to ensure absolutely cleanliness before entering. There are all manner and size of scrub brushes and soaps at one’s disposal in order to complete this task. Often an onsen-goer will spend 30-45 minutes scrubbing every inch of the body before entering the volcanic hot springs. And a warning for the modest – all of this happens in full view of the other guests. Once in the onsen, it is a supremely relaxing experience and definitely one not to be missed when travelling through Japan.

After having scrubbed and soaked, we decided it was time to check out the small village of Yumoto, Hakone. There’s truly not much beyond some small restaurants catering to foreigners (with burgers and Italian pastas and pizzas). Of course, for us, when in a Japan one must try the local food, so we opted for a very traditional udon noodle shop (the only one in town) where we slurped noodles with a stunning view of the valley.

All in all, while the onsen experience in Hakone is certainly unique, the thing that most impressed us was the simple yet stunning pieces of natural beauty. From small rocky streams and simple bridges to the cloud covered peaks of Mt Fuji, Hakone was a memorable example of picturesque Japanese landscapes and beauty.

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.

We decided to head over to Sazanka for our first teppanyaki meal due in large part to a list of Michelin star lunch specials in Tokyo on Sunny Pages. If you’re ever visiting Tokyo in particular and have time in the day free I’d highly recommend hitting up as many of these restaurants as you can during lunch time as you can eat at some truly wonderful restaurants on the cheap.

We took a train into Roppongi and left a bit early as we didn’t know exactly how far away the hotel would be. It was a little bit out of the way, but through charades, gestures, and grunts we managed to get some building guards to point us in the right direction.

I should just come out and say that Hotel Okura is a bit dated in appearance and the long walk to Sazanka doesn’t raise one’s hopes too much about the cuisine. This is not a kitschy, hole-in-the-wall restaurant. It’s a dated hotel, with dated interior… a time capsule to the late 70′s or early 80′s.

The walls are plain, clean and free from tacky wall scrolls of inky drawn koi fish. In fact the only “art” on display here is a glass case showing off the quality of the cuts of beef being served

But the food is what people come for. And it’s good. Lunch sets are around 4725 Yen (or around 50 USD)…. not cheap, but over half off the dinner rates. The set includes an amuse from the chef

A fresh Japanese salad.

Wonderfully fresh and not at all spongy sea Scallops. These are the kinds of scallops everyone thinks they serve at fancy restaurants in the west.

And steak. Glorious steak. No matter the cut, you’ll get a tender, juicy, perfectly cooked slab of meat skillfully prepared table-side. Served lovingly with a side of fried garlic, some grilled veggies, and a bonus treat (which sadly I have on video but not on stills due to us both devouring it before pausing for photos) of cut off the fat from the steak, minced into super small cuts and grilled till just a bit crispy. Something everyone should get to eat once in their lifetime.

After the main course you’re moved over to a lounge area where you enjoy coffee and a dessert treat.

The service and experience here are top notch and the cooks are all excellent – easily among the best teppanyaki we have ever tried. Sazanka is a great afternoon treat I’d recommend to anyone more familiar with the flashy western style of teppanyaki.

Sazanka
Hotel Okura Tokyo 11F.
2-10-4 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
03-3505-6071

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.

This graphic from blog Clusterflock illustrates better sushi manners. Did you know not to mix wasabi in the soy sauce? Or that you eat sushi fish side down? Or that you can eat with your hands?  Well now you do.

How many times have I snapped my chopsticks apart and started rubbing off splinters? I’ve certainly dunked the rice in the soy. I wonder if Japanese diners at nearby tables watched in horror as I ate… or if they’re used to seeing this sort of thing by now. It’s kind of how I feel seeing northeastern US folks eating fried chicken with a fork and knife

Of course etiquette is also about group behavior. If you’re dining with a group of westerners and everyone starts their meal by preparing their soy sauce… don’t be a douche that guy in the moment. Maybe wait till everyone is enjoying their sushi and then drop a little wisdom on them. At the end of the day, most of us will never truly be sushi aficionados or eating it in a fancy, traditional restaurant in Japan.

So enjoy it how you will… but know that most of how we’ve been eating is wrong

Paul

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?

Granted Tokyo just barely edged out Paris in the top category. With 11 three-star restaurants to Paris’ 10 it’s not a wide margin of victory… but the total numbers – 11 three-star, 42 two-star and 144 one-star restaurants is three times the total number of awards that Paris has. Paris has 10 3-star restaurants., 42 two-star and 144 one-star restaurants.

If I were more cynical I might point out that at 160,000 restaurants in the city, Tokyo has 4 times the total number of restaurants than Paris. I also might point out that when the guide was launched in Tokyo in 2007 a vast majority of chefs and other culinary figures in the country were offended at the notion of French folks reviewing their food. Skip ahead to the 2010 guide and all the reviewers are Japanese and suddenly everyone’s happy… and the guide finally shakes off it’s image of overly touting French restaurants and takes a solid step onto the modern world stage.

But I like to think of this as a solid win for the Japanese. Their attention to detail and obsession with food is apparent from your first meal in the country… their fast food chains have style and refinement not found in most American “sit down” restaurants. Our time in Japan was astounding. I could live the rest of my life in the country exploring it’s food, cities, and country side and still not fully appreciate all it has to offer. My meal of live Abalone and Tuna jaw will stay with me the rest of my life…

Congratulations to the restaurants of Japan for finally getting the recognition they deserve on the world stage. Japanese cuisine is so much more than sushi and Benihana and it’s about time the world stood up and took note.

Paul

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:

The Grand Hyatt Roppongi
¥43,000 – 50,0000 / night ($430 – 500 USD) for a double / king room for 2 people

This high-end hotel is well-situated in the hopping Roppongi district of Tokyo famous for its international dining and nightlife and right next to the exclusive Roppongi Hills Mall, so you won’t be far from the action…. that is if you want to leave the hotel. It’s truly stunning.

The rooms themselves are plush, chic and extremely comfortable. They have thought of every detail in terms of where you would want to place a water glass or a book, switch on a light or plug in a computer…and while these things may seem trivial on the surface, they are super annoying when not properly done. And despite Tokyo’s space challenge, the room is rather ample…really perfect if you are on a long trip with lots of luggage.

Beyond the room, there is an amazing gym and spa…and even though you are in bustling Tokyo, you should really make a point to take some down time here. The fitness center features the absolute latest in high-tech equipment from Life Fitness and its spotlessly maintained. And the NAGOMI spa offers a really luxurious spa experience should you want to splash out on a decadent treatment.

We actually cannot comment on the restaurants as we took most of our meals outside, trying to get in as much of Tokyo as possible. I will say though that every time we walked by a restaurant in the hotel it was totally packed, so I am guessing they are up to the same standard of excellence as the rest of the hotel. And we did really enjoy our room service breakfast every morning.

Which leads me to my next point…service. The service was impeccable, world-class even. From the details considered in delivering our room service to the absolutely tireless assistance of the Concierge, who helped Paul get tickets to the Tokyo Giants, we were impressed. I stay in a lot of hotels (and Grand Hyatt’s in particular) in a lot of cities and the service in this particular Grand Hyatt pretty much outshone them all.

Insider tip: Right next to the hotel is a liquor store, Suzusake (Phone: 03 3408 5851). They have an amazing selection of international beers, wines (US / Austrailian / Italian / French / South American) , cigarettes and other…at notably reasonable prices. Vueve Cliquot for ¥5180 ($52 USD), a bottle of Hoegaarden for ¥375 ($4 USD), a Duvel bottle for ¥572 ($6 USD), etc…

The Granbell Shibuya
¥15,000 – 18,000 / night ($150 – 180 USD) for a double room with double bed for 2 people

The Granbell Shibuya is one of those small, mod boutique hotels that every major international city is now quite saturated with. Clean, sparse and modern design can also be cost efficient thus leading to better prices for the visitor. This is a trend that Accidental Epicurean adores…thoughtful aesthetics and attractive prices, what is not to like?

Two people recommended this to us before we booked….my friend Matthias who is often in Tokyo on business and a Japanese friend Emu who is from Tokyo. I have to admit (sorry Matthias) that it was the our Japanese friend with local knowledge who really pushed us over the edge to book it.

The Granbell Shibuya is also well situated just a couple of blocks away from the famous Shibuya intersection and the Hachiko exit featuring the well-known dog statue Hachiko that is now a symbol of loyalty in Japan. You will be surrounded by major department stores like Isetan and x, not far from a Don Quixote or Krispy Kreme, and just a short stroll to our favourite yakitori place. Point is…its pretty darn central to everything.

The rooms themselves are small in basic. But they have made some nice design choices, like partially clear walls for the bathroom and built-in closets that lend a feeling of spaciousness to an otherwise small space. And the clean colour schemes and graphics keep it looking tidy.

Internet and breakfast are included. Breakfast is pretty basic…no choices except Japanese or Western, and you just get what you are served. We skipped it most days and went to the local Doutor Coffee or Good Honest Grub.

The service is OK…probably a case of you get what you pay for. There is no Concierge but the Front Desk can help you with taxis and transfers. Their English is fairly limited so don’t expect detailed descriptions.

Overall though, I while it might come off as a little pale in comparison to the Grand Hyatt above, honestly it was a lovely little place to rest one’s head. A very good value in a very expensive city.

Insider Tip: a few interesting tidbits about this hotel neighborhood

1. Since it is right around the corner from the posh Cerulean Tower Hotel you can walk next door and treat yourself to a cocktail in the Bello Visto bar with a panoramic view of Tokyo
2. there are a surprising number of serious guitar stores in this neighborhood with the best prices Paul has seen outside of America… no joke
3. directly across the street there is a hair salon where they do really amazing blow outs at a good price, and the salon owner speaks English

So if the fear of expensive hotels was holding you back from visiting Tokyo, check out the Granbell Shibuya. And if you are looking for luxe (or are on expense account ) the Grand Hyatt Roppongi is a must do.

I personally cannot wait for our next trip to Tokyo.

Shibuya Granbell Hotel
15-17 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku
Tokyo, Japan
Telephone: +81 3 5457 2681

Grand Hyatt Roppongi
6-10-3 Roppongi, Minato-Ku,
Tokyo, Japan
Telephone: +81 3 4333 1234

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!).

Secretly I will confess, we went because we were hoping they would have our beloved burrata… they didn’t. But we stayed because the rest of the menu looked so attractive. All cheeses are provided with a DOP certification (Protected Origin Denomination) to assure that they are made in the regions claimed and in the traditional Italian style of using milk from the water buffalo. And it turns out that mozzarella is not the only focus here – there were a great number of dishes using wonderful Italian cheeses and we struggled to choose between all the tempting options.

In the end we went with a Selection of Mozzarella platter (¥2900 / $31.50 USD / S$44 )…a kind of antipasto assortment featuring 2 kinds of Prosciutto, Mortadella, Artigianale Romano and 3 kinds of homemade mozzarella di bufala:

• Paestum – delicate
• Affumicata – smoked
• Pontina – strong

Sampling the cheeses this way in a mixed platter is such a wonderful idea…comparing and contrasting the delicate differences between the cheeses is half the fun of the dining experience.

Our antipasto platter was followed by Ravioli with Ricotta and Spinach in a sage and butter sauce (¥1600 / $17.40 USD / S$24 ) and a Risotto with Grana Padano (¥1300 / $14 USD / S$19.70). While I will say, the cheese platter was truly standout, the entrees were less so.

In fact I enjoyed the same dish, Ravioli with Butter and Sage, at Mrs Jones in Hong Kong so much more. Not that the entrees were suboptimal, just nothing special….good serviceable Italian. But destination dishes? Would I go back just for the pastas / risottos? Well….no. So perhaps you will learn from our experience and stick to the star of the show while at Obika – the fresh mozzarella.

In fact, my perfect visit to Obika would involve popping by for a mozzarella based antipasto platter and a couple of glasses of Barbera d’Alba to start the evening. Bellissimo!

Obika Mozzarella Bar
Multiple locations: Tokyo, Rome, Milan, NY.
HB1F, Roppongi Hills
Tokyo, Japan
Telephone: +81 (0) 35 786 6400

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.

Getting there
You can always fly to Osaka and then take a train, but we chose to take the Shinkansen from Tokyo. The Shinkansen is the famous high-speed bullet train and will get you to Kyoto in about 2 hours and 20 minutes. Just like everything else in Japan, somehow they have improved upon the existing train travel model….managing to make rail travel efficient, clean and even kind of fun at 300 km/hr (186 mph).

Sleep
To be honest we really wanted to stay in a ryokan, but even booking 6 weeks in advance seemed to be not enough time ahead as they were all fully occupied. Instead we stayed at the Westin Miyako Kyoto. While perhaps a tiny bit outdated, the rooms are comfortable, tastefully appointed and generously sized with lovely balconies overlooking Kyoto…one cannot underestimate what a real luxury it is to have space in Japan. We also enjoyed having access to a gym, but probably the hotel’s biggest asset is its location in Higashiyama….within walking distance to many of the most important sites. Further the hotel makes life easy for foreigners with English and other languages being spoken.

Eat & Drink
We took our breakfasts at the hotel – partly for ease and convenience and partly just because I have never gotten used to Asian breakfasts of predominately fish and greens.

Probably our favorite meal in Kyoto was at Hinode Udon. And don’t miss Grotto’s 9-course culinary tour of Japan tasting menu for dinner.

After a day of shopping downtown, stop off at Brasserie Café Onze, in an alley between Kawaramachi Street and the river (headed south). This is a super charming little French style café where you can have local or imported ales and French wines paired with rustic and hearty snacks like Serrano ham, pate, cheese plates, frites and more.

Also, if you are shopping downtown at the markets (see below), try lunch at one of the many restaurants inside the famous Nishiki food market.

On your temple tour, stop off at Café Whoje for a coffee and dainty slice of the ethereally light Japanese cheesecake.

Or if you are at the Ginkakuji temple, don’t miss the choux creams at Gen Mai. We love choux cream – these Japanese cream puffs are little bites of heaven.

There are any number of pubs scattered throughout Kyoto….Ing and The Gael Irish Pub (full of expats and locals) to name a couple that were recommended to us. But we liked the ones scattered around the downtown river area best, like the aforementioned Brasserie Café Onze. But keep in mind…unlike Tokyo, Kyoto is not really a party town. In fact some ryokans and smaller hotels have 10 or 11pm curfews (another good reason to stay at the Westin Miyako.)

Shopping
We spent hours trolling around the Nishiki Market…this is primarily a food and kitchen utensils market littered with lots of lovely little gift shops. Nishiki has been around for centuries and many of the vendors have been operating their stalls for generations. Called the “kitchen of Kyoto” there is a saying in Kyoto, “there is no kind of food that you can’t find at Nishiki.”

My favorite shop in the market for lovely gifts is a tiny shop called Pulau Deco. This little gem of a shop features artictics goods from local textile and ceramic artisans. Many of my Christmas presents this year are from Pulau Deco.

Lots of folks love to visit Aritsugu, a shop started 400 years ago by a famous swordmaker and world famous for its super sharp knives used by many a sushi chef. You can see the artisans shaping and polishing the knives right in the store. They also carry all kinds of pans and cooking implements….no doubt if you like to cook, you will be tempted to take something home.

Also don’t miss the adjoining Teramachi Street market for quirky tshirts, fashion clothing, shoes, sunglasses, Hello Kitty gear and such.

Also if you like department store shopping, Kyoto’s large assortment of stores are great for modern clothing, Japanese skin care brands, gift items, kitchen wares, and well…the usual department store assortments. Try Isetan in Kyoto station for a more trendy, fashion focus. Or try Daimaru on Shijo Dri for its sheer size and the expansiveness of offerings (from clothing to electronics to food) ….it is Kyoto’s largest department store. There is also Hankyu on the south-east corner of Shijo Kawaramachi….here you will find 7 floors of fashion, food and housewares. Our favourite is Takashimaya, which is one of Japan’s oldest and most respected retail stores – here you can find lots of wonderful gift items as they have a nice selection of traditional crafts including textiles and ceramics. We particularly like the housewares department and couldn’t resist leaving without a Global chef’s knife.

Note: Ladies if you wear a clothing size larger than an American size 6 or 8, don’t even bother clothing shopping…you simply won’t find your size. The same is also true if you wear a woman’s shoe size larger than 8M.

Sightseeing…
Well, this list could be endless given that there are over 3000 historical sites in Kyoto. There are truly helpful temple maps available in every hotel – they map out every major temple and the metro / bus system is easy to navigate. So rather than detail all your options, we thought we would highlight our top favorites from our trip, both Unesco World Heritage Sites.

Nijo –jo, known as the “Ninja House” was completed in 1603. It was originally built as a merchant’s home but later was used as an inn for feudal lords visiting Kyoto. Famous for hidden staircases and counter-espionage devices and trap doors for samurai’s to ambush intruders, it is a Kyoto must see. To read more check out the wikipedia listing.

Ginkaku-ji is also known as the Silver Pavillion and is one of the top sites by all regards in Kyoto. Built it 1842, it is a zen temple intended to be a tranquil retreat for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa.  With a temple perced on a placid lake and mossy trails it is a truly calming place. Because of its popularity, this temple can get really packed with visitors….do like we did, and get up early to go as soon as the doors open. More than likely you will be rewarded with near solitary enjoyment of the temple. Read the wikipedia article to learn more about this special place.

There really are unlimited opportunities to explore Japanese culture in Kyoto. If you have even more time check out a cooking class, a flower arranging class or see kabuki performances or geisha dances (if visiting in spring or fall seasons).

Being a true city person, I must admit I prefer the energy and general wackiness of Tokyo, but some people say that Kyoto is the Paris of Asia…a true cultural capital. Perhaps it is so…to visit Kyoto is to be inspired by the traditions and folklore of Japanese culture.

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.

Grotto is in Northern Higashiyama district, a quiet part of Kyoto rife with temples and shrines. Mr. Tanaka, the chef, is from Kyoto but had extensive international training, having worked in both the US and Australia. Returning to Kyoto in recent years, Mr. Tanaka strives to showcase local ingredients in the thoroughly Japanese tasting menu. We sat at the bar and watched Mr Tanaka prepare each and every course for us…benefiting from his time abroad, we were able to inquire and learn a little about each dish (it is a real luxury to speak English with a chef in Japan).

The nine courses presented included:

1. Cold eggplant soup
A light starter featuring rich smoky, grilled eggplant.

2. Vegetable stew with pork shoulder
This was a lovely stew of finely diced veggies and potatoes with the pork shoulder imparting a smoky flavour.

3. Sashimi of tuna
I am not a sushi expert being new to the cuisine, but Paul tells me the sushi in Japan ruined him for sushi elsewhere in the world.

4. Steamed sea bass and tofu
In a broth thickened with cornstarch, the delicate flavours of seabass and tofu mingle.

5. Assorted bites
Including soy milk skin, bitter cucumber with bonito flakes, Japanese green pepper with baby fish, shrimp cracker, sardines with ginger, eggplant with mustard sauce and steamed octopus. My favourite, to my surprise, were the sardines…I tasted them begrudgingly as this is not a fish I typically enjoy, and was truly surprised how light the flavour was (rather than intensely fishy) and how dense and satisfying the texture was.

6. Sea urchin over rice with soy sauce reduction
We found the sea urchin to be mushy and gritty…tasting like a mouthful of sea mud. Not a highlight of this meal. We were prepared to write off sea urchin until Paul had it again at Tsukiji and its honor was redeemed.

7. Japanese summer salad
A medley of cooked veggies served cold, including eggplant, tomato, pumpkin, potato and topped with a slice of goose.

8. Rice with pike fish and a soft boiled egg
Mr. Tanaka explained the fish was local to Kyoto and was a bit like eel in its taste profile.

9. Corn rice cake and watermelon sherbert
Dessert was light and refreshing.

Overall, all the dishes were small in size with the emphasis on perfect mouthfuls of flavours. As a result, we left full but not overstuffed.

I think what I appreciated the most was sitting at the bar and watching Mr. Tanaka prepare the dishes. Remarkably, much of it was prepared in advance with the cooked vegetables and fish coming from the refrigerator already prepped and ready to be assembled. However, there is something really special and unique about Japanese presentation of food…how it looks is as important as how it tastes and is an art form in and of itself.

If you do try Grotto, please leave yourself plenty of time, as making one’s way through the tasting menu can take 2-3 hours.

Grotto
Imadegawa Dori, Sakyo-ku
Kyoto, Japan
Telephone: + 81 75 771 0606

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.

An Amuse-Bouche literally means “to amuse the mouth” but I’ve also heard it loosely translated as a perfect bite. An Amuse-Bouche isn’t like an appetizer in that it’s sent out by the chef and not selected by the diner.

You should be able to eat an Amuse-Bouche in one bite, but I have run across some that require a couple of bites… some were so tasty I certainly didn’t mind

An amuse-bouche tells me a few things about a restaurant the moment it hits the table, regardless of taste. One, that the chef has “fine dining” aspirations as it seems an almost essential course for any Michelin starred restaurant. Two, that the chef is concerned with the tastes and journey the diner will go on during the course of the meal. By that I mean that the chef wants to give a special gift at the start of the meal to awaken the palate, showcase flavors, introduce ingredients, and / or all of the above. Lastly I can tell by looking at the amuse how inventive the chef is. I don’t think that every amuse has to be a wildly creative concoction, but it should be flavorful, respect the ingredients, etc. If a chef can’t handle a single bite, what are we in store for with a whole course?

The amuse pictured up above is one of the tastiest things I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. It was served to us at Omae Xex, the former Tokyo restaurant of Iron Chef Morimoto now turned over to his long-time sous chef Takeshi Omae. The amuse in question was a lovely beef tartar with eggplant and iberico ham served in a sort of waffle cone. Amazingly this bite edged out the insanely marbled Kobe steak that came out later in the meal. I would have happily dined on a meal of nothing but these wonderful cones of raw beef. We’d previously dined at another 1 Michelin star teppanyaki restaurant while in Tokyo and this amuse told us that though Omae Xex might have the same 1-star rating as the other restaurant, we were in for a whole other level of dining.

What’s your favorite amuse-bouche or have you had one? Let us know in the comments.

Paul

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.

For some reason I thought the restaurant was located outside of town in the countryside. Not so. It’s right smack in Roppongi, one of the busiest and foreign friendly parts of Tokyo. The building is almost quaint outside… a nice garden, some seats with umbrellas, but nothing flashy hinting at the sprawling room inside.

Inside the restaurant is simply, but wonderfully decorated. There are lanterns hanging from the ceiling and simple lighting throughout the space. The attentive hostess and manager quickly found us a table (unfortunately hadn’t planned this meal ahead of time and booked an upstairs booth) near the kitchen and we sat down to peruse the menu.

I was shocked by the relatively low prices. One would assume, with the fame the movie has bestowed on the place, that prices would be high…it is Tokyo after all. We decided to split a 6 course tasting menu (3500 Yen), and some other items between the three of us. First out was the Natural Tofu House Salad

Next out on the tasting menu was a Fried Shrimp Dumpling & Deep Fried Potato

3rd out was Tempura 3 ways

4th to come to the table was 3 types of Yakitori

Then came Soba noodles, which I didn’t manage to get a picture of and finally the dessert course – Pumpkin and Coconut Ice Cream!

To supplement the tasting menu we also ordered a lovely Blue Fin Tuna Tartare (950 Yen)

Also a Soft Shell Crab Roll from the 3rd floor sushi bar (1350 Yen)

Lastly was the Tataki – Seared Beef with Honey & Truffle Vinaigrette Sauce (780 Yen)

So all in all the meal totaled in about 22 USD per person without drinks….very reasonable for the amount and quality of the food served. The food at Gonpachi isn’t considered fine dining by anyone’s standards…including their own. It’s intended intstead to be an elevated Izakaya experience (modern country-style if you will). And this is why Gonpachi is a success in my book. Sure you can get better Yakitori and Sushi and other more specialized locations… but if you’re a tourist looking for a nice meal in Roppongi, a seasoned traveler who needs to entertain some out of town guests, or just a rabid Tarantino fan Gonpachi is a great value. Also the large space, long tables and secluded rooms are perfect for entertaining large groups. I think everyone should visit at least once, at least for a quick bite and beer before heading into manic Roppongi.

Gonpachi
1-13-11 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku.
Tel: 03-5771-0170.
Nearest stn: Roppongi or Hiroo.
Open: 11:30am-6am daily
Menu: English/Japanese