[Tokyo] Juchheim Baumkuchen

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[Tokyo] Juchheim Baumkuchen

Thanks to having a relative who frequently travels between Tokyo and Shanghai, my family often receive beautifully crafted Japanese confectioneries (see my previous posts on Hiyoko and Fukusaya). A present that she frequently brings is Juccheim Baumkuchen, a traditional German cake that was first introduced to Japan in 1909 by a German confectioner Karl Juchheim, and has since then be refined and adapted to the Japanese palate.

Baumkuchen literally means “tree cakes”, presumably because its layers resemble the growth rings of trees. Each layer of the baumkuchen is made with soft batter produced by whisking the egg yolk and egg white separately, and the emulsifying of the egg yolk and the foaminess of the egg white produce a soft and fluffy texture.

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[Tokyo] Toraya 虎屋

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[Tokyo] Toraya 虎屋

Toraya 虎屋 Add*: Galleria B1F, Tokyo Midtown, D-B117, 9-7-4 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan Tel: 03-5413-3541 Hours: 11:00am-9:00pm Website: www.toraya-group.co.jp Tokyo Midtown Galleria B1F is a foodie wonderland. Sleek and stylish shops of Sadaharu Aoki, Henri Le Roux, Jean-Paul Hévin, and Maison Kayser bewitch passerby with their alluring display of bright colors and fancy garnishes. Admist all the hustle and…Continue Reading “[Tokyo] Toraya 虎屋” →

[Tokyo] Ichiyuu 一遊

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[Tokyo] Ichiyuu 一遊

Ichiyuu 一遊

Add: 神奈川県足柄下郡箱根町仙石原837
Tel: 0120-016-213
Price: approx. ¥8,000/set
Website: viala.harvestclub.com/restaurant/index.html
Visited: Jan 2011

Side tripping to Hakone, a famous onsen (hot spring) town about 1 hour away from Tokyo. With the help of a friend, we were able to stay at a membership-based onsen resort called Tokyu Harvest Club Viala 箱根翡翠, which not only offers a most relaxing venue for onsen, but also amazing cuisine.

Not wanting to over-stuff ourselves after a nice onsen bath, we chose the small 7-course kaiseiki set. Here’s the menu:

Choose your own sake cup.

The appetizer was a trio of tidbits. My favorite with the Botan shrimp with caviar, a decadent combination of plump sweet shrimp with caviar. The intensely flavorful dried mullet roe was also quite memorable, and the circular disk made from paper-thin daikon slices was especially impressive.

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[Tokyo] Fukusaya 福砂屋

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[Tokyo] Fukusaya 福砂屋

Fukusaya 福砂屋 is a historical cake shop famous for its Castella (カステラ), a simple Japanese sponge cake made with sugar, flour, eggs, and syrup. Though it is now a specialty of Nagasaki, Castella originally came from Castile of Portugal, and was brought to Japan in the 16th century. Fukusaya has been baking these divinely fluffy and moist Castella cakes since 1624, and their website quite clearly explains the process. As impressive as the taste, on the other hand, is the packaging. Let’s go layer by layer…

First, a yellow wrapping paper that depicts the founding date of Fukusaya, the shop’s various locations, and its signature bat-shaped logo. In Chinese (which the Japanese also use in the form of Kanji), “bat (蝠)” has the same pronunciation as “happiness/luck (福)” , which is why Fukusaya chose the bat as its store logo.

Inside the yellow wrapping paper is a thin but sturdy yellow paper box, again with the bat logo.

Opening the paper box reveals a sealed washi paper-textured spun polyester sleeve.

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[Tokyo] HARBS

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[Tokyo] HARBS

HARBS

Add: 3F, Marunouchi Bldg 2-4-1, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-6269-9595
Hours: [Mon-Sat] 11am-9pm [Sun] 11am-8pm
Price: [cakes] ¥600~1200/slice
Website: www.harbs.co.jp
Visited: Jan 2011

It’s hard to not like HARBS. The warm lighting, the wooden furnishings, the cute hand-illustrated menu, the beautiful, massive cakes on display – all the elements wave invitingly at passerby, luring them to line up one after another at the perpetually long queue. What you’ll get when you are eventually seated are huge cakes that are made fresh daily and sliced by the order, which prevents the sides from getting stale. We went to HARBS in Marunouchi Building, one of the 26 branches in the country, and despite the long line we were seated in about 20 minutes. Bring on the cakes!

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[Tokyo] Ryugin 龍吟

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[Tokyo] Ryugin 龍吟

Ryugin 龍吟

Add: Side Roppongi Bldg, 1st Floor, 7-17-24 Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo 106-0032
.           東京都港区六本木7-17-24 サイド六本木ビル 1F
Tel: 03-3423-8006
Hours: 6pm-1am
Price: ¥23,100+10% service charge/set, drinks extra
Website: www.nihonryori-ryugin.com
Visited: Jan 2011

Ryugin is definitely on the hot list. This kaiseki restaurant has been awarded 3 Michelin stars, ranked 22 in S. Pellegrino’s World Top 50 Restaurants, garnered unanimously positive reviews on Chowhound and food blogs, and was recommended to me by two very serious food fanatics. I made a reservation almost 2 months prior to my visit, knowing how difficult it is to snatch a table at this highly regarded restaurant.

At Ryugin, Chef Seiji Yamamoto puts together a seasonal menu that changes daily. As far as I could tell, most tables were served the same set, though there was one table occupied by a frequent patron that had customized dishes.

Dish #1: 100% Turnip Hot Soup with “Turnip and Fish” Ball. The soup was as clear as crystal but very expressive. The turnip fish ball was delicate and fell apart easily at the spoon, and thin strends of yuzu peel added a refreshing touch to the soup.

Dish #2: Premium Monkfish Liver” from Hokkaido with Special Miso Sauce. This was absolutely mesmerizing. I loved the voluptuous richness from the monkfish liver, and the accompanying vegetables dressed in apple vinegar delivered a pleasant zest.

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[Tokyo] Toshi Yoroizuka

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[Tokyo] Toshi Yoroizuka

Toshi Yoroizuka

Add: 東京都港区赤坂9-7-2 東京ミッドタウン・イースト1ＦＢ－0104
.            Tokyo Midtown East 1F B-0104. 9-7-2 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5413-3650
Hours: [shop] 11am-9pm [salon] 11am-10pm
Price: ¥1,200~1,300
Website: grand-patissier.info/ToshiYoroizuka
Visited: Jan 2011

I love the idea of sitting at a bar facing an open kitchen, where pastry chefs conjure up beautiful desserts from scratch, right in front of my eyes. Naturally, Toshi Yoroizuka was on my must-visit list for Tokyo. The pastry chef has spent several years in Europe training in Switzerland, Germany, France and Belgium before returning to Japan, where his two boutique cafes now have pastry chefs assembling seasonal desserts to order. To avoid the wait, I skipped lunch and headed to Toshi Yoroizuka at noon. I was ready to be blown away.

There was no line during lunch time – I guess not many people eat desserts for an actual meal like I do – but it was a full house when I passed by again later in the afternoon. We were seated immediately and handed the menu, which only consisted of 8 items to choose from. If you obviously don’t speak Japanese, the waiter will bring you an English menu with detailed construction drawings of each dessert.

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