Rose Bakery Ginza, and an outlet park across Tokyo Bay

Shopping and dining out have often been touted as inseparable pairs by shopping mall owners to the point of cliche. However, the quality and the depth of the scene often create a pleasing experience for both activities. 

In Tokyo: 

While in Tokyo, the fennel bulbs went to the Dover Street Market Ginza, a multi-brand boutique owned by renowned Japanese label, Commes des Garcons. In seven stories of retail and art space one can find collaborations of the famous label with other authorities in the fashion industry. Dover Street Market has also collaborated with Rose Bakery, an international chain owned by Rose Carrarini, who first set up the restaurant in Paris. The Ginza store is not a bakery at all, as it is more of a cafe. 

The staff were cordial and attentive. European staff are also available for those who cannot communicate in Japanese, although their Japanese is impeccable. 

On one occassion, we ordered the daily special which on that day happened to be grilled salmon with organic vegetables. (JPY1,600). Rose Bakery prides itself in using only organic and fair trade produce, and one can imagine that the ingredients are a bit more expensive as a result. Some bread was served with pale rich-tasting butter and Himalayan salt. Upon arrival at the table, the salmon and the vegetables indeed seemed to be delectable. The marriage of hues from the salmon, mushroom, capsicum, and potatoes and those of the okra and haricot verts was definitely an enticement. 

The taste was a lesson in refinement: the quality of the ingredients plays a major role. Herbs and seasonings only seemed to function as to enhance the intrinsic flavours of each ingredient. The salmon tasted fresh, and the okras were crisp, the viscous and clear juices oozing with every bite. The mushrooms were cooked well, and had an earthy taste as if it were plucked on the morning of the day itself. With potatoes underneath, this dish is nutritious, it does provide sufficient carbohydrates, but it does not make one too full; indeed a highly recommended dish for women!

On another occasion, the fennel bulbs ordered Kedgeree (JPY1,200). Kedgeree is a British dish from colonial India, and it consists of cooked basmati rice, curry amongst other spices, chopped bits of seafood (shrimp and fish), and hard boiled eggs. Rose Bakery was creative enough to have the yolk and the white split and crushed. The bits are sprinkled on top of the dish as if it were a yin-yang. At first, we thought it was cheese! The dish had the hint of Biryani and if we were not mistaken, that distinctly metallic saffron taste can be quite sensed too. 

For dessert, a green tea layer chiffon cake (JPY700) was ordered. The chiffon cake was like a sponge, but perfectly baked. It was infused with green tea which yielded a mild addition to the chiffon. Custard was spread in between the layers. It was a light tasting dessert, and one could hardly feel the sinfulness of eating a very good dessert.

Lemon and Coconut pound cake (JPY580) were ordered too. The coconut was mixed in with the pound cake. The lemon frosting on top blended well with that nutty flavour imparted by the coconut. One could have imagined the exactness to produce such a hearty pound cake, and we think it was all good! 

Outside Tokyo: 

Located across Tokyo Bay is Chiba prefecture. Around an hour and a half ride from Tokyo by train, and around an hour on bus (in the easiest of traffic conditions), is the town of Kisarazu. This used to be a progressive industrial town, but when the economic bubble burst in the 90's, much of the town lost much of its hustle and bustle as businesses moved out. But the town is picking up again, and one obvious development that's bringing in people from all over the Kanto region is the Mitsui Outlet Park, a retail park showcasing the most sought-after names in fashion. 

The outlet park has created a warm open atmosphere of shops and restaurants guaranteeing a good dining experience. As it was a Sunday and hordes of people are just flocking to the outlet park, there were likewise long queues in the various restaurants. In any case, we chose Obon de Gohan, which serves modernised Japanese cuisine, as well as 洋食 (Western-style food). 

The menu was available only in Japanese, and we confined ourselves to those items whose names we can manage to understand. Obon de Gohan serves healthy and balanced food in a cosy cafe setting. As it was a Sunday, the restaurant was too busy for what would have been a regular cafe, but the staff managed to remain efficient and polite. 

We ordered sauteed fish in a black vinegar sauce with five-grain rice (JPY1200). The fish was cooked superbly well. It seemed to be either sea bass or hamachi. The sauce was thicker than black vinegar itself, and it could have been mixed with soy sauce, sugar, and some cornstarch for thickening. The sweetness and sourness blended well together. Among the sidings was a delicious potato salad in mentaiko (cod roe) sauce.  The rice, which consisted of several types of grains and sea grass (known as 鹿尾菜, hijiki, in Japanese) was nutritious and rich in fiber. One could actually choose from around 5 kinds of rice to go with their set meals after all the Gohan (ご飯）in Obon de Gohan doubly means a meal, or cooked rice. 

Afterwards we ordered some green tea chiffon and fried rice balls topped with ice cream (JPY450). The green tea chiffon tasted heavily bitter but it was subdued by the vanilla ice cream. The fried rice balls were perfectly cooked, and it seems they have been toasted or baked to attain that texture. 

Obon de gohan also has branches in other parts of the Kanto region, mostly in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture. 

Note: To get to Mitsui Outlet Park Kisarazu, one can take the Sobu line from Tokyo Station to Chiba. Depending on the train schedules, some Sobu lines also continue on to Kisarazu (木更津）and Sodegaura (袖ヶ浦) on the Uchibo Line. Mitsui Outlet Park can be accessed either from Kisarazu or Sodegaura stations through local bus. The fare for the train ride from Tokyo station is around JPY1500 - JPY2000. Alternatively, one can take the bus that crosses the Tokyo Bay Aqua Line for ~1300JPY. The bus station is located across Tokyo Station and crosses Tokyo Bay to Kisarazu and Kimitsu. If you are lucky, you can catch a bus that goes directly to Mitsui Outlet Park from Tokyo Station.

Umami Hambaagu House

One rainy Saturday, the fennel bulbs decided to have lunch at Umami Hambaagu House (うまみハンバーグ).

This restaurant serves Japanese 洋食 (youshoku or Western-style) cuisine. The main item is evident from the name, and it's hamburg steak. The place is clad in homely colours and the smell of a tidily-kept home greets one's senses upon entering the restaurant.

The menu and the walls had a few aphorisms written on them like enjoying oneself and uplifting one's mood through food. On its menu were items loaded with "calories and happiness", and before one even enters the store, it warns that being "boring" is not an option inside the premises.

The menu is aesthetically pleasing, and the items are named in such a way that they're easy to remember, and all had their appropriate Japanese translations. Hamburgers are paired with various ingredients from tomatoes and cheese to the opulent foie gras. On the last page, the store expresses its intent to keep in touch with its customers.

The fennel bulbs first started out with a cream of corn soup. It can be had by just adding Php60 to the set. The soup was delicious and finishing it up felt good on a rainy day.

Anyway, the fennel bulbs ordered Battousai (バトウサイ, Php345）. It's hamburg steak in bell pepper sauce with roasted tomatoes. Also, Maison du Japon (Php340) was ordered. This time it's hamburg steak topped with Gruyère cheese and caramelised onions. Each order comes with a cup of rice, cabbage in sesame dressing, largely-cut fries, and edamame.

First of all, the quality of the hamburg steak is evaluated. The server at first weirdly commented that our orders would be "well done". And to which we thought that it can be prepared other ways (the rare to well-done spectrum, that is). Our server explained that it should be "well done" since the hamburg steaks (or patties for that matter) are a mixture of pork and beef. And upon hearing that fact which we though as okay, we simply acquiesced. But then again, it was totally superfluous to ask such a question when there was just basically one way for the hamburg steak to be prepared.

The steak was redolent with the flavour of fatty pork. A more refined flavour could have been achieved by increasing the portion of beef, and by using lean primer cuts of both pork and beef, however minced they are. Lean sirloin beef or pork would produce a more refined steak. Hamburg steak is actually a popular dish when one comes to Japan, and more often it is topped with grated daikon. The meat is usually mixed with some flavour-imparting ingredients like sake and miso. But the quality of the meat plays the primary role in creating the hamburg steak, so we think.

The Battousai was dressed in a bell pepper sauce which only faintly reminded us that it was supposed to be bell pepper. The sauce was more yellowish and we failed to see any hues that a green or red or even bright yellow capsicum could have imparted. That specific tartness one tastes from a cooked capsicum was just not there. Overall, the Battousai simply lacked flavour. The Maison du Japon had gratinated Gruyère cheese and caramelised onions on top, and it imparted some saltiness and enhance the otherwise mediocre hamburg steak.

The salad and the fries were good, though. One can imagine that they have used readily-available goma (sesame) dressing for the salad. The edamame is much the same as the edamame served in Japanese restaurants here in Manila - dry and a bit sad, having been transported more than 2000 kilometres away from its source.

From their drinks and dessert menu that guaranteed "only two things: Calories and Happiness," the Kohi-cha Romance (Php140) was ordered. It was, from the name implies, a mixture of coffee and tea.

And despite the theme of trying to conjure happiness, the staff were quite uptight, if not sarcastic and cold. The place has definitely high ideals and it could gain a steady following. But the fennel bulbs would like to suggest refining the basics at first, which is the quality and the flavour of the hamburg steak. Umami means a pleasant savoury taste, and this could also be achieved by improving the taste of the accompanying sauces such that one feels that the dish has organic and harmonious unity.

Also a more relaxed and cozy atmosphere can be achieved by getting rid of the uptightness. Quite sadly, 窮屈ハンバーグ(uptight hamburg) is a more appropriate name for this store.

The Fireplace

Celebrating during the holidays can be quite a tricky thing. A lot of hotels would offer yuletide dining packages, often in the form of overpriced buffets. Restaurants are often full, as this time of the year can be the busiest and the most stressful. This time, the fennel bulbs decided to have dinner at The Fireplace, Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila's steak and seafood restaurant.

The Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila is situated in Malate along M. H. del Pilar, not exactly the prettiest place to find a five-star hotel. Nevertheless, the hotel's subtle, unassuming, and yet refined interiors invoke an elegance and sleekness of its own. And not to mention, the Hyatt is known for its top quality food.

The Fireplace has a dim ambience conjuring a sense of intimacy and confinement. The place is overall comfortable. The staff were friendly, if not they have quite overdone that aspect of customer treatment.

At first we were provided some complimentary bread with French butter - yes, the pale, sinfully rich butter that can only be French. The bread was sweet and the texture was perfect. The breads were quaintly queued on the counter just beside the kitchen, ready to be brought to the dinner tables.

We ordered firstly a salad of organic greens with scallops and foie gras in berlinoise sauce (Php1200). The salad is big enough to be shared by two people, and so we had it split. The greens were perfectly crisp and fresh, and the dainty portions of pan-seared foie gras were delightful. The scallops seem to have been sourced locally, and one would have wished for the plumper and richer kind from colder waters. Berlinoise sauce is mayonnaise-based with a fruity acquirement due to the addition of redcurrant jelly and lemon. The sauce imparted a sweet and sour taste to the salad, which just complements the richness of the foie gras and enhances the scallops. 

For the main course, the server suggested some dry-aged beef rib eye (Php3,700 for 380g). Dry-aging is a meticulous process where beef is simply wrapped and left in an environment where the temperature is strictly controlled to prevent molding for around 1 week. This aging process allows the beef to further intensify its flavours and at the same time the connective tissues of the beef break down, thus making the meat more tender. 

We had this dry-aged rib eye with a risotto of forest mushrooms (Php800), which we had split into two as well, as the servings were sufficient enough. The beef, at first, was heavenly in terms of texture and taste. We had it done "medium", and it was quite apparent that the quality of the beef was superb; otherwise, nothing else can be done to fortify this dish. One can imagine the steak might have been simply doused in an oil-based marinade; or just simply sprinkled with salt and pepper and grilled afterwards. The beef also came with a serving of boiled baby potatoes, and some rich mushroom sauce, although the beef itself was flavourful enough.

The risotto had some shiitake and button mushrooms, and other kinds which were not acquainted with; but definitely not chanterelles or morel mushrooms. The taste was mild and earthy, and the often strong-tasting shiitake was quite subdued and blended harmoniously with the cream, cheese, and the nutty-tasting arborio rice.

Although it served just as an embellishment, the marinated grilled red capsicum was just really delicious! The texture was soft, as it has been grilled, and then stored in olive oil in most likely a jar, where it further developed its tart and distinct capsicum flavour. The haricot vert and the asparagus were also good.

All this heavenliness was accompanied by a glass of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon (Php680 per glass). The taste is sweet and distinctly fruity, and is good for the palate as a breather from the hearty food.

For dessert, Chocolate soup was had (550Php). Once again, it was big enough to be split into two. It is not really liquefied chocolate - so that it resembled hot cocoa, but it was more like a souffle, with a gratinated and solid outer surface and a soupy and viscous interior. One can imagine Valrhona chocolate would have been used. The black pepper ice cream blends well with the rich chocolate. This dessert may not be visually appealing, but the flavour is sublime. Indeed, The Fireplace is a place where an extraordinary gastronomic experience can be had.