Archive for the ‘Japan’ Category

Hakuraiya Sizzling Hamburg, Yonago, Tottori – Japan

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

HakuraiyaTel. (0854) 23-8800, (0895) 23 1818

Hakurai-Ya

HamburgA most interesting operation is Hakuraiya in Yonago, Tottori, Japan, serving sizzling hamburger and steaks on a hot cast-iron platter.

Hamburger steakNecessary protection as it does tend to splatter – a lot!

Yakatori Daikichi, Yonago – Japan

Monday, August 9th, 2010

Yakatori Daikichi is a commercial chain but it was quite good in spite of it!

Chicken meat ballsChicken meat ballsChicken skewerSkewered chickenShochuShochuSalad greensSalad

OcraOcraLocal sakeLocal sake

Hand-Roll Sushi Party: Sashimi & Fresh Vegetables Straight From Her Family Farm – Japan

Sunday, August 8th, 2010

Kumi 2Kumi Kagawa

A delightful experience: Make your own hand roll. We placed some rice on nori (dried seaweed) and garnished with raw fish or fresh vegetables just picked from her family farm.

Rice, black beans and cucumberRice from her farm

Squid tentacles and cucumberSquid, squid tentacles and cucumber

Sea snails and squidSea snails and squid

SashimiSashimi, nori and sake

Sweet shrimpSweet shrimp

Dairiki Kazokutei, Yonago, Korean BBQ Japanese Style – Japan

Monday, July 19th, 2010

Exterior

Dairiki Kazokutei in the port city of Yonago is an example of a well-operated restaurant specializing in top-quality Korean Barbecue in the Japanese style. Shin shin (only 2 kg per cow) goes for ¥1,380, Harami (stomach muscle) ¥1,500  Raw liver (sashimi grade) ¥750, Yukke otherwise known as Beef Tartare (sashimi grade) with raw egg is also available.

Suntory beerPremium malt beer from Suntory

Korean style barbequeShin Shin

Korean BBQKalbi

Korean BBQRaw liver sashimi grade
SaladA decorative salad

Tokyo Bistro, Yonago, Tottori – Japan

Friday, July 16th, 2010

Tokyo Bistro, Yonago, Japan

At the Wine Bar

The kitchen

Tokyo Bistro, Tel. 0859-34-3456, Opening Hours: Morning: 7:30-9:30, Lunch: 11:30-14:00, Dinner: 17:30-21:00 (last order). The wine bar stays open until 1:00 according to the sign although that hour may vary depending on the day of the week. They have a good list of wines by the glass including some interesting Japanese wines although oddly, all wines are written on a chalkboard in Japanese language, usually they are left in the language of origin, which makes the wine list the only thing I am able to read! The cooking is quite good and usually has some interesting selections for instance, flying fish or terrine of fresh water eel & sticky potatoes.

Terrine of sticky potato and fresh water eel

Flying fish

A simply prepared seabass

Daily specials

Le Bistrot de Suzuki, Yonago, Tottori – Japan

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

Le Bistrot de Suzuki, Yonago

Tel. 0859-22-6080
Opening Hours: 11am-2pm (last order 1:30)
5:30-10pm

Le Bistrot de Suzuki, Tel.0859-22-6080, Opening Hours: 11am-2pm (last order 1:30); 5:30-10pm

I enjoyed a particularly well made Vichyssoise, the accompanying bread (crispy and delicious) was  served  in a yellow imprinted paper bag; chicken confit was garnished with ocra, carrot, broccoli, onion, peppers, potato, green beans, lentils and tomato sauce flavored with garlic. Vanilla custard with creme Anglaise along with a small slice of heavenly chocolate cake.

Chef Suzuki has the skill to cook, although more importantly,  he has the feeling and sensitivity that is evident in every dish he creates.

The main dining room

Vichyssoise

Chicken Confit

Vanilla Custard with Creme Anglaise & fresh fruit

Vichyssoise with rose petals below

Pork with light pepper jus, freshly picked vegetables

Crème brulée, caramel ice cream, small cherries

Sanpou Chicken Restaurant, Yonago, Tottori, Japan

Sunday, July 11th, 2010

Pictured above: The owner, Jun Nadatani who has owned and operated the restaurant for 42 years in the same location as of 2010.

Bransh Avenue, Ellmole 1st Street, Kakubancho, Yonago City, 683-0812, Tottori Pref.

Tel. 0859-22-5850

Sanpou means “Three Treasures” and Chef Jan Nadatani serves chicken in every conceivable way. If you feel like having chicken this is the destination and all of the recipes have survived the test of time.

Beer

SakeLocal Sake

Home Made PicklesHome made pickles to accompany the beer and sake

Chicken gizzardsChicken gizzards from what we know are reliable birds

Sanpou

SanpouFried chicken with just a light dusting of coating

Sanpou

SanpouBento Box chicken

Sanpou

Pousse Cafe Restaurant, Yonago, Tottori – Japan

Sunday, July 11th, 2010

Pousse Cafe

Pousse Cafe Restaurant, Tel. 0859-32-6688 is located on the second floor with a separate entrance up a stairway from the street. It has been proven to me to be consistently good over a long period of time, and is run by Mr. Kanyou Tsubokura, the same manager/chef that has been there for years. The restaurant focuses mainly on French bistro cooking, with the occasional Italian dish, to give a bit of diversification.  It is a comfortable place with a good view of the tree lined street below. On this latest visit the tuna was very good along with the tomato salad, pork belly and the outstanding potato crusted snapper with fresh basil leaves.

Pousse Cafe, Panna CottaA well made Vichyssoise was a good choice for a summer lunch

Tuna sushi, wasabi & ponsu saucetuna sashimi with wasabi and ponsu sauce

tomato salad with oil and sesame seedsTomato salad with oil and sesame seeds

Pousse CafeMarinated tuna with tapenade

Pousse CafePork belly sandwiched between zucchini slices

Pousse CafeSnapper with basil in shredded potato crust

Panna CottaPanna Cotta

Tampopo Curry Restaurant, Yonago, Tottori – Japan

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

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In downtown Yonago, Tottori prefecture, Japan, Tampopo has a small, bright and cheerful room with a counter-bar containing mainly tables for deuces, with one four top near the entrance. Their specialty is curry and they have a large assortment with a changing daily menu, all of the plates I tried were very good and they have on offer other dishes in the evening such as roasted chicken.

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Sushi Waka, Yonago, Tattori – Japan

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

Sushi Waka

Sushi Waka is a conveyor belt operation, but don’t get the idea that it is the normal, tired-looking sushi traveling around and around endlessly on a belt. This place has the freshest sushi you can hope to obtain anywhere, as it is situated in the port city of Yonago in southern Japan. Actually, since my wife’s brother Eiji Kagawa and his wife Kumi are friendly with the owners, all orders were hand-delivered, and everything we sampled was excellent.

Below: a really fresh scallop

Scallops

TunaMaguro tuna

GingerPickled ginger

UniSea Urchin roe (Uni)

scallopsScallops

Computer Ordering 2Selecting your order on a touch screen by computer

SakeSake

Ice Cream Three cousins eating ice cream: Reina, Hoshino and Akiko