tokyo food file

petals on a pond: time for reflection and contemplation

  petals, pond, koi

  petals, pond, peace

These vids were taken at one of the ponds at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, in the centre of Kamakura.

 

hanami — the last petals

There's just a day or so left before the blossoms will have all been shed at our favourite lunchtime hanami spot — well, one of them, anyway...

Since my post last spring about En's peerless terrace tables, it's been actually been awarded a Michelin star. Coincidence? I don't think so!

The Market SE1 — artisan gelati well worth the ride

The pot of gold at the the end of that monorail line is the wonderful little gelateria known (somewhat cryptically) as The Market SE1 — as introduced in my column in The Japan Times last Friday.

 

Set up just over a year ago, it's a modest little place but well worth checking out if you're in the area — in fact some people think it's worth a special trip (we met someone who'd come down from Ibaraki last time we were there).

 

Owner Yasuo Atarashi is more than just a gelato artisan though. He's a trained chef with a fascinating background (ask him about his involvement with F1 racing) and he's a stickler for quality ingredients.

He makes all his gelati himself — ten varieties each day — using premium unhomogenised milk that he sources from the Oku-Izumo region of Shimane Prefecture. It's from Brown Swiss cows and is marketed under the Yama no Ochichi brand — which translates as either 'Mountain Milk' or 'Mountain Teat' (take your pick).

 

 

The flavours vary week by week, according to his whim and whatever fresh fruit is in season that he sources locally. Check his blog to find out what to expect. Currently he has blueberries from orchards in Shin-Yurigaoka, at the other end of Kanagawa Pref.

 

As I said, it's a tiny little shop, with just room for a small counter and 4 chairs if it's too hot/rainy to sit outside... Besides the gelati, Atarashi-san also serves espressos, beer (Yonayona in cans), and a small range of panini at lunchtime. Not to mention the aforementioned Pimm's.

 

This (above) was one of the chorizo panini; he also makes a mean vegetarian version with Mediterranean veggies and proper hummus.

Besides serving up all the ice creams and snacks, Atarashi-san is a cheerful welcoming guy, and his enthusiasm permeates the place...

 

Atarashi lived in England for seven years and is a major anglophile. You can tell from the name he's chosen for his business — named after the post code for Borough Market, the prime source in London for farm fresh produce, farmhouse cheese, meat from traditional livestock breeds, home-baked bread, and lots more artisanal foods from all over the UK and the Continent too.

It's also evident from the little objets he's chosen to decorate the interior of the shop...

                        

 

Here's the link to The Market SE1's home page... and for Atarashi-san's blog...

And here is a map link...

How to get there:  From Shonan Enoshima Station (endpoint of the Shonan Monorail), walk down to the lights, cross over and turn left up the main street. Follow the shops to the end and turn right, crossing the Enoden tracks. You will now be directly opposite The Market SE1.

 

Just look out for the benches, the milk churn and the sign advertising the very reasonable prices: ¥300 for a single (1 flavour); ¥450 for a double (2 scoops).

 

You can see how close it is to the Enoden tracks: there's plenty to watch as you slurp your ice cream...

a little excursion (taster for tomorrow's JT Food File)

The journey starts here. All aboard...

It's a bog-standard provincial train in all respects but one. There is no track.

Here we go...

Careering above the streets, swaying over intersections, zooming through tunnels, you get a great view — look, you can even see the sea sparkling in the distance.

To give you a better idea, here are a couple of grainy vids.

Finally we've arrived. Now it's time for some great ice cream — and maybe a Pimm's!

Much more tomorrow in The Japan Times (it's up now — here's the link).

Update: As mentioned in the comments, this is the Shonan Monorail, which runs from Ofuna — next to the JR station (Tokaido, Yokosuka and Keihin-Tohokou lines) — to Shonan-Enoshima.

For train and travel buffs, there's an interesting photo essay by the Monorail Society which gives some good background info.

It's a great ride!

Hopman — craft beers on tap; good food on the menu

We dropped back into Beer Cafe Hopman last night for a quick couple of very fine pints. That's Yonayona Real Ale on the right; and Toshi's IPA on the left...

 

As mentioned in my JT column on Friday, Hopman opened at the very end of July in Chigasaki (about an hour south of Tokyo by train) and it's the first place in the Shonan area to offer a full range of craft beers — a whopping 21 of them at last count.

It's a smart, modern-looking place — open all day from lunchtime — and it's already attracting a good crowd, ranging from local folks and dating couples to beer geeks and surfer dudes.

 

The master of the house, Kousei Tashiro, used to work at Ushitora in Shimokita, so he has a very good grounding in both the beer and the kind of food that goes with it.

 

And it's an intriguing menu that he's put together, mixing café/dining standards (curry-rice etc) with mainstream pub grub (fish and chips etc) and more. The fries (potato wedges) are served with malt vinegar (along with mayo and ketchup)...

 

He's put together some intriguing takes on classic izakaya chinmi (珍味). Such as iburigakko (smoked takuan pickles, a speciality of Akita Pref.), sliced fine and sandwiched around cream cheese...

 

…and the original 和風 (wafu) pizza. The pizza base is homemade, and you get a choice of 2 different toppings: 1) Dried Fruit and Nuts (which we didn't try); or 2) ネギとカリカリじゃっこ (kujo-negi spring onions and crispy little whitebait), with red miso smeared on the crisp crust for extra savory seasoning. This one we did try and it was surprisingly good!

 

And then there's the shepherd's pie. It's an excellent variant on the traditional British classic. OK, not quite authentic in that the mashed potato on top is too creamy. But the savoury minced lamb underneath is something else!

 

Tashiro-san hasn't translated the food menu yet; but he already has the beer list available in English.

 

Yesterday, he had some back-up behind the counter (besides the usual kitchen henchman). Kawano-san of the excellent Beer Buddy was pulling pints and helping out...

 

So we had to try a couple of his brews too: the Beer Buddy Red Ale; and his Golden Summer Ale. Both are really good, though the Red Ale is served too cold and needs to stand for a bit to let its full flavour emerge.

 

As mentioned, Hopman stays open all day every day, from lunchtime right through to the last train — perfect if you're planning a day down on the coast (it's about a 20-minute walk from the beach).

Here's a map link...