2010 Sakura Culinary Trip: Apple Tree Omelette Rice & Godiva Chocoiste, Harajuku

Back to our 2010 Sakura Culinary Trip series!  Harajuku (原宿) is our next stop!  Harajuku is the fashion capital of the world – internatinonal designer brands and local Japanese favourites all situated in this little suburb! 

 Every Sunday young people dressing in weird clothes, what they called gothic lolita and cosplayers, gather around Harajuku Station – a type of Harajuku socializing.

I was looking for the Best Japanese Omelette Rice in Tokyo and found this Apple Tree recommended by a number of foodies and travel guides.  Apple Tree is hiding at the basement of Omotesando (表参道), the busiest road in Harajuku.  We ordered the signature dish Omelette Rice with Tomato Sauce and Curry.  There are only about eight seats in this tiny basement eatery and the queue is never-ending!  We were pretty impressed when our omelette rice arrived, full of colours and aroma!  Fried rice was carefully wrapped in a soft and fluffy omelette and both of the accompany sauces just brough the dish to the next level!  Delicious!!!

After lunch we kept walking on Omotesando and visited our favourite Japanese toy flagstore – Kiddyland.  Kiddy Land is a 5 storey building situated at the prime spot of Omotesando.  It is magical kingdom not only for kids but also for adults like us, once you go inside you don’t want to come out ever again!

Opposite of Kiddyland is another landmark building Omotesando Hills.  This indoor shopping mall was built in 2005 and was designed by Tadao Ando (安藤忠雄) and it has 130 shops and 38 apartments.  Tadao Ando won the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1995, but do you know that he was a truck driver and boxer before he practiced architecture and he had never taken any formal training!  Tadao Ando loves to use natural light and natural forms of landscape as the basis of his design.  His buildings are often described as “complex 3D paths” – paths interweave between interior and exterior sapces.

I think we could spend days wandering around Omotesando appreciating all these fabulous architectural buildings.  However our little feet complain to us after long hours of intensive walking!  We stopped by at Godiva Chocoiste at Harajuku for a warm succulent hot chocolate and enjoy the dusk of this beautiful buzzling city.  The “melting chocolate” ceiling at the Harajuku flagship store was humorous and interesting.  I just feel like going into Charlie’s Chocolate Factory! 

Apple Tree (アップルツリー)
Opening Hours: Mon-Sun 11am-10pm
Address: B1F, 1-13-18 Jingumae, Shibuya-Ku, TOKYO (東京都渋谷区神宮前1-13-18 安田ビルB1F)
Phone: +81-3-3478-0453

Godiva Chocoiste (ショコイスト 原宿)
Address: COSMO Harajuku Building, 4-31-11 Jingumae, Shibuya-Ku, TOKYO (東京都渋谷区神宮前4-31-11)
Phone: +81-3-3403-3958
Web: www.godiva.co.jp

2010 Sakura Culinary Trip: Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo

Tsukiji Fish Market is every sashimi and sushi lover’s dream place!  Tsukiji Shijō (築地市場) is called Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market and it is the world’s LARGEST wholesale fish and seafood market!  Tsukiji is divided into two sections: Inner Market (licensed wholesale market) and Outer Market (wholesale and retail shops).  If you want to eat the FRESHEST seafood Tsukiji is the heaven! 

In Tsukiji Market you can find all sorts of seafood like Sea Urchin, Scallops, Wasabi (I am talking about the “real” plant!), and one of the specialty food is Egg Rolls.  Japanese are crazy about Egg Rolls (Tamagoyaki) – there are different flavours of omelette eg Seaweed, Mushroom, Fish etc etc.  Tamagoyaki is usually cooked in a rectangular omelette pan, some egg rolls are sweet and some are savory.  It’s one of my favourite Japanese food!

 

At the Inner Market the auction of frozen tunas start at 5am and usually finishes at around 7am, wholesalers will distribute the bidded products to restaurants all around Japan and some of the best quality of fish will remain at the Tsukiji Market for sushi!

Whenever we go to Tsukiji Market this coffee shop is a “must-visit” detour!  Yonemoto Coffee sells the best quality of Blue Mountain Coffee in Tokyo.  Established in 1960 Yonemoto Coffee is one of the oldest stores still survivng at Tsukiji.  Japanese loves to come here purchase fine quality coffee beans, tourists liks us always enjoy a cuppa and enjoy the aroma infiltrating the store.

Ready for some sushi?!  Sushi Zanmai (すしざんまい) is a chained sushi restaurants in Japan, there are 20 stores located in Tokyo.  The owner Mr Kiyoshi Kimura was named as The King of Tuna.  We visited Tsukiji Bekkan (Annexe), located at Outer Market of Tsukiji, it openes 24 hours a day all year round.  For three pieces of tuna (Maguro, ChuToro, OoToro aka Red Tuna, Fatty Tuna, Super Fatty Tuna) it was only 598Yen (A$7)!!!  How can you believe this???!!!  And all sushi are handmade in front of you 🙂

Maguro (Red Tuna), ChuToro (Fatty Tuna), OoToro (Premium Fatty Tuna)

I can’t help myself ordering another serve!!! A$7!!! What a steal!!! 

Grilled Eel and Uni (Sea Urchin) – look at how big is the eel!!! The same length of the plate!!! Not to mention the freshness of the Sea Urchin. Yum!!!

Mr F’s favourite Tamago (Egg Omelette).  Or if you don’t know what to order, just simply pick one of their sushi platters and sample a variety of yummy sushi. 

For non-raw-fish diners like Mr F you can order the tasty Tempura Moriawase and Grilled Silver Perch. 

Tsukiji Market, I’ll miss you forever!!!  (Rumours saying that Tsukiji Market will close in 2012 or relocate somewhere else? I hope it’s not true!)

Sushi Zanmai (Bekkan) (すしざんまい)
Opening Hours: 24 hours all year round
Address: 10-6 Tsukiji 4 Chuo-ku TOKYO (東京都中央区築地4-10-6)
Phone: +82-3-5148-3737
Web: http://www.kiyomura.co.jp/sushi-e/shop/shop02_menu01.html

2010 Sakura Culinary Trip: Jijuken Curry Rice (自由軒), Osaka

Jiyuken Curry Rice (自由軒) celebrates its 100 years anniversary in 2010! It is well-known for its own distinctive style of curry –Japanese Curry. The curry recipes served in Jiyuken have a unique taste and secret method of preparation. We ordered the signature dish Meibutsu Curry (名物カレー 650Yen) and Omu-Rice (オムライス 700Yen). When the dish arrived the curry was already blended with steamed rice and topped with a raw egg. It has a combined taste of classic Indian hot and spicy as well as sweetness from a traditional Japanese curry. The Omu-Rice is a fried rice with chicken in tomato sauce wrapped in an omelette. The tomato sauce has a sweet and tagy taste and the fried rice is delicious!

Jiyuken is located right behind Bic Camera (a popular electronic chain store), the restaurant opened at 11:20am and when we arrived at 11am there were already patrons queuing outside.

“Menu” is displayed on the window! Japanese love to display their “menu” asplastic replicas (aka fake food). These fake food usually replicates 99% of the appearance of the real food items. Paraffin was used to create fake food in the 1980s but the colour fades under heat or sunlight exposure, latelyVinyl Chloride was used instead to make these fake food “near eternal”.

The proper way to enjoy Meibutsu Curry: add the secret sauce and blend the raw egg with the curry rice. Jiyuken is very popular in Osaka, we saw many local tourists followed the domestic travel guide to come here!

Jiyuken (自由軒)
Opening Hours: Tue-Sat 11:20am-9:20pm
Address: 3-1-34 Namba, Chuo-ku, OSAKA (大阪市中央区難波3-1-34) {Behind Bic Camera}
Phone: +81-6-6631-5564
Web: www.jiyuken.co.jp