It's the feast before the fast. For many it's all about Fat Tuesday and carnival excess. But for quite a few others it's Pancake Day.
Some of my favourites are made with buckwheat flour — especially those at Maison Bretonne.
They're so good and wholesome, surely they must be allowed during Lent.
I dropped by last night's opening reception at Ivy Place, the latest project from David Chiddo and the TY Harbor Brewery group.
It's in the shiny new Daikanyama T2 development, facing Kyu-Yamate-dori. There was a good turnout, buzzy but not over-crowded...
It's a handsome building, low-rise and freestanding, with plenty of timber.
It's also got ample deck space — and because it's in the middle of the development, it looks out onto pedestrian paths, not traffic-choked streets.
This is the main dining room, spacious but with low ceilings...
On the other side there's a cafe area which will be open from 7 in the morning, serving buttermilk pancakes, scrambled eggs and other breakfast specials.
And in the middle is a bar area, complete with six taps dispensing ales from the TY Harbor Brewery.
As for the food, David tells me the aim is to serve quality comfort food, blending Mediterranean influences (a la Cicada) with modern American dining (Beacon) and a line of craft beers in the bar (TY Harbor).
It all sounds excellent. And we'll find out exactly how good just as soon as it's up and running — which will be from tomorrow (Dec. 5).
Aussie celebrity chef Bill Granger caused plenty of waves when he decided the location of his first branch outside Sydney. Scenic as it is, the Shichirigahama coast of Kamakura hardly seemed the most obvious choice. Well, the second bills is a lot more mainstream — in the Red Brick Warehouse, right on the Yokohama waterfront.
It's a great fit. Granger told me at the opening that he loves the feel of the location because it's almost like Sydney harbour (well, if you close your eyes and use a healthy dose of imagination).
The Red Brick Warehouse is a tourist destination, sure. But it's also very fine to see the water lapping through those windows or — as soon as it gets warmer — from the open terrace (it's currently enclosed in plastic).
Although I got Granger to pose for a couple of photos in the kitchen, he's definitely not a hands-on chef. But his recipes are just spot on — especially the world-famous scrambled organic eggs, the ricotta pancakes and the sweet corn fritters. Here he's introduced a new Yokohama-only specialty, his Berry Berry Pancakes. The red berry fruits are "for romance" says Granger.
Here's the official link to bills. And here's the link to the Japan Times link... And here's my map link...
Food writer and restaurant reviewer for the Japan Times contact: foodfile (at) me (dot) com
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