Cold Summer Noodles: Tsunamichi’s Zaru Udon, Zaru Soba

July 22, 2010 12 Comments

This entry is part 5 of 7 in the series Do Not Miss

When my mother first introduced me to cold pasta with pesto as a tasty antidote to the summertime heat, it was an epiphany to me. It is the first food I remember that was meant to not only give sustenance but also to cool. Tabbouleh was probably…

Kyoto Soba Wagashi Shinise – Soba Boro Cookie

July 3, 2010 4 Comments

Soba Boro is a traditional Japanese cookie that is made with soba (buckwheat) flour and lots of egg. The texture is similar to biscotti. It is a traditional Japanese confection and unlike many Japanese confections, it is quite cheap. It is also non-perishable so if you are looking for a light weight, easily transportable foodie souvenir on your visit to…

Spicy Cookbook: Scent of the Mansoon Winds

May 9, 2010 2 Comments

Scent of the Monsoon Winds. That is the piquant title of a new cookbook written by Michal Haines from New Zealand. And what a cookbook it is! A globe spanning cross-cultural collection of recipes, old and new, with the unifying element: spice. I had the pleasure of meeting Michal and her coffee roaster husband Chris when they visited Kyoto recently.…

Kyoto Cafe: Jouvencelle Gion and Maccha Chocolate Fondue

April 28, 2010 3 Comments

I have received requests for more Kyoto cafe reviews. Here is one of my favorites: Jouvencelle. Japanese Western-style cakes and confections, called yogashi, in Japanese, I am not a fan of. They are nearly alaways fluffy, puffy, airy things, short on taste and soul. Western-style cakes and confections available in cafes or for take out in the department store food…

Otokomae Tofu: Interview with Founder and CEO Shingo ‘Johnny’ Ito

March 10, 2010 6 Comments

In the last 30 years, two-thirds of the tofu producers in Japan have gone out of business. Seven years ago Shingo ‘Johnny’ Ito started Otokomae Tofu, moved to Kyoto to take over a bankrupt tofu factory and now has a total of 3 production facilities in Japan. Otokomae Tofu is surely the best known national tofu brand in Japan. Otokomae…

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