Big and Homely Flavours

This is going to be quite a late post, but the fennel bulbs were in Manila for the holidays, and it was just timely to eat out and celebrate the season. One restaurant that's quietly tucked in Makati's Legaspi Village just a stone's throw away from Greenbelt Mall is the Balkan restaurant. As the name suggests, it serves food from the Balkan peninsula, in particular Yugoslavian (or rather Serbian) food. 

And most of the food were meat dishes with some vegetables. There seems to be no seafood, after all, this is a cuisine from a landlocked country. And the fennel bulbs ordered a rich dish, pork knuckle stew (~Php650). 

The pork knuckles were absolutely delicious. The pork knuckles were cooked for a very long time until it has become very tender. Also, the flavor was rich and concentrated. Indeed this dish conjures images of homeliness, slow cooking in a kitchen, with all the spices and herbs imparting their flavours to the dish in a wonderful way. 

For vegetables, the fennel bulbs had Sarma (~Php250), which were basically cabbage rolls stuffed with minced meat. A rich garlic sauce was used as the base. The dish was served with mashed potatoes. 

In conclusion, this restaurant serves dishes that are big on flavour. A nice yoghurt drink afterwards would be best as a refreshing contrast for all the thick flavours. Overall, Balkan restaurant is worth a visit. 

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The fennel bulbs were not accustomed to going to the southern parts of Metro Manila, as it was simply too tiresome to get there because of the traffic. But since it was since the holidays, there was not much traffic and they decided to go BF Homes in Paranaque where there are a lot of undiscovered restaurants that should be worth giving a try. 

BF Homes is actually home to a thriving Korean community, which explains for so many Korean restaurants in the area. And the fennel bulbs chose Sam Won Restaurant along Aguirre Avenue. As usual to standard Korean fare, the meal began with a set of appetizers, called banchan (반찬). The diversity of it was quite generous - fried courgettes, tofu, hard-boiled egg in soy sauce, kimchi, spinach, anchovy fry, and baby potatoes. 

Next, kalbi (beef ribs) to be wrapped in lettuce with vegetables were ordered. The flavour of the beef was quite good - it was not too sweet which was all too common with marinades used. The vegetables were in a chili soy dressing. The dish had the delicate balance of richness from the beef and lightness from the vegetables. 

Lastly, kimchi jigae (kimchi soup) was ordered. This is a very delicious dish, and is most ideal food to eat at home during a very cold Korean winter. The flavour was well rounded, and just the same, such flavour must have come from cooking it slowly. The heat and pungency of the kimchi was subdued and developed to a total different flavour, which must have probably been the outcome of mixing it with broth. 

Two dishes were all served with plain rice, and the fennel bulbs couldn't complain with regards to being satiated. A meal for two would cost just around Php600. Price and flavours considered, Sam Won is truly a  bargain! 

And so there goes two restaurants; two cuisines from the East and West - both with rich flavours, evoking feelings of homeliness. :-) 

Wonderful Kichijoji

Away from the chaotic crowds of Shibuya and Shinjuku is the overlooked neighborhood of Kichijoji. A lot of travelers would be familiar with other big places that are serviced by the Yamanote line or by the Tokyo Metro. Kichijoji, on the other hand, is a little quieter and has its own Bohemian feel about it. It is located in Musashino, outside Tokyo's 23 special wards, but just less than half-an-hour's train ride away from either Shinjuku or Shibuya. 

Kichijoji is most well-known for Inokashira park, which the fennel bulbs think to be one of the prettier parks in Tokyo. A lot of performers come here to show off their craft, and a lot of artists and painters also come to this park to sell their works or to just find inspiration. 

And a neighborhood as interesting and lively as Kichijoji is impossible without a selection of very good restaurants and cafes. In fact, some of these need reservations in advance as weekday nights are often very busy, and it is quite often that walk-in customers get turned down. 

A nice restaurant which is frequented by younger people is Medewodine. Another branch does exist in Jiyugaoka. The set menu is moderately priced between around Y1,200 - Y2,000, which includes a cup of soup, salad, and non-alcoholic drinks. For this particular dinner, the fennel bulbs ordered grilled pork fillet with vegetables (豚とろ野菜セット). 

The salad was good, and the dressing resembled the taste of hummus, probably with the use of sesame seeds. The corn soup was a bit anti-climactic however, being served on a simple lightweight cup. 

The grilled pork was delicious. The flavor was mild, as the cooking method is Japanese. The pork meat was also delicious and tender, and the field vegetables blended well with the sauce. The sauce is soy-based and tastes much like Wafu sauce (和風).

Medewodine has a competitive selection of desserts, and since it was almost Christmas time back then, the yuletide apple pie was ordered (1,000Y). The taste was good as it seems visually. The pastry was flaky and the consistency of the baked apples was also very good. 

Another nice restaurant which serves Japanese food is Donburio. The choices are all limited to donburi (rice bowls) only. The most interesting point about the restaurant is its very contemporary interiors with its clean lines and the use of natural surfaces, most notably wood. The fennel bulbs ordered tofu and kelp with soup bowl (豆腐と昆布のスープ丼), Y800. 

Soft tofu was used, and it blends well with the green onions, grated ginger, and the slight saltiness of the kelp. The soup is a bit gelatinous and must have been contributed by the cellulose of the kelp. This is a complete meal in itself as there are 2 side dishes (sweet potatoes and mixed burdock and seaweed). A dessert made of soy with a sweet brown sugar sauce and topped with sesame ends the meal. 

Kichijoji is also home to a lot of bakeries, including Tanakatei which has excellent bread and cookies. The cookies are priced fairly at around Y150 - Y200 per pack (1 pack contains 2 cookies), and as the sticker says, its taste really warms the cockles of the heart. 

But more than the cookies, Kichijoji is a place to warm the cockles of the heart, indeed. :-) 

*Kichijoji can be easily reached from Shibuya through the Keio Inokashira line (17 minutes) and from Shinjuku through the JR Chuo Line (12 minutes). 

Autumn in Tokyo and Environs

Autumn usually brings in a lot of vegetable and fruit produce. Pumpkins come to mind too, especially in the West during Halloween. In Japan, Halloween is quite a celebrated event as well, and people usually come out in creative costumes and party the night away. And similarly, pumpkin is used by a lot of restaurants as a theme ingredient during this period. Such as this tiramisu in Cocolo Cafe in Shinjuku: 

This sumptuous dessert + drink set costs around Y850. Delicious and sweet pumpkins are used and they blend effortlessly into the mascarpone cheese. 

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A nice and very affordable place to eat in Shimokitazawa is Pebble Cafe. The place is youthful and vibrant, and so is the menu, with its rather simplistic selection: rice toppings, curry (served either with naan or rice), noodles, and dessert. 

The fennel bulbs tried the keema curry with naan (Y900). The naan was baked nicely, and the keema curry is just hearty; not too salty and rich to the palate as ready-made curries tend to be. A simple salad of fresh greens and a sweet/garlicky dressing is served on the side. 

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The fennel bulbs have gone to Shizuoka just to see more of Japan. Most travelers just go past Shizuoka between Tokyo and the two much larger cities of Osaka and Nagoya. However, this city has a lot of nice views to offer, including magnificent vistas of Mt. Fuji, as long as the weather is clear of course. 

PARCO shopping center just near Shizuoka station has a selection of rather standard run-of-the-mill restaurants; but one just simply caught the fennel bulbs' interest: Baqet restaurant on the shopping mall's top floor serves a set meal consisting of soup or salad, a main course, and unlimited freshly-baked bread and a glass of wine for just around Y1,700.  

Shrimp, broccoli, and egg salad was chosen for the salad course. The dressing is based on mayonnaise, and it was light and refreshing. 

For the main course, a cutlet of chicken breast is deep fried Cajun style and served with vegetables (broccoli, eggplant, and courgettes). The chicken is cooked very well and the quality of the meat is very good. The flesh is not threadlike which usually happens when chicken is fried. A hearty meal, to go with 3-4 wheat/rye rolls and a croissant.

*Shizuoka is around 150 km to the west of Tokyo and can be easily accessed by the JR Tokaido Shinkansen in an hour, or in 3 hours using the JR Tokaido Local Line via Atami. Some spectacular scenery can be viewed along the way. 

Muji Cafe * Soholm Cafe

The fennel bulbs have always been partial to Muji, a big Japanese lifestyle brand known worldwide for its simplicity of style. It sells everything we need from day to day from clothes to furniture, food, and yes, condoms even. The largest store in Tokyo is located in Yurakucho (有楽町), right in the centre of Tokyo. 

Muji has several cafes all throughout Tokyo including one in Shinjuku, and another one in more laid-back Aoyama. The cafe in Yurakucho is rather in the style of a canteen. Surprisingly, noise levels are not at all debilitating and the atmosphere is calm and relaxed enough for one to have a quiet brunch while reading a good book. 

For a light evening meal to end a bit of shopping around, a set of 4 deli dishes was ordered. From top left clockwise: quiche, chicken tandoori, eggplant with cheese and tomatoes, and squash salad (Y1150). Everything was definitely beyond satisfactory.

On another autumn afternoon, after a nice stroll in Shinjuku Gyoen, the fennel bulbs had some cake at Soholm Cafe, a nice cafe serving Scandinavian-inspired snacks. As it was autumn, pumpkin was a very timely ingredient, and they had pumpkin cheesecake. A set with black tea costs around Y700. The cheesecake blended very well with the drizzling of maple syrup. 

*Yurakucho (i有楽町) is a short walk from Ginza. Yurakucho station can be easily reached through the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho line, and through the JR Keihin-Tohoku and Yamanote lines. 

Healthy Dining

There are a lot of neighborhood restaurants in Tokyo that serve surprisingly ingenious cuisine. One neighborhood in Setagaya-ku that has a rich eccentric vibe to it, apart from being one of the centers for youth culture in Tokyo, is Shimokitazawa (下北沢). This neighborhood has a lot of specialty boutiques, including ones selling cheaper pre-owned designer goods, bars, cafes, and the usual Pachinko slots. 

One restaurant that serves delightful French food with organic and anti-aging ingredients/formulations is BioMaison. Located in a quieter section of Shimokitazawa, BioMaison is a quaint place that looks more like a nice kitchen nook. It serves French-inspired cuisine with the aim of promoting well-being. Healthy food is definitely on the menu. 

A downside is that the menu is entirely in Japanese, and one would need a dictionary to understand which items to order. For this visit, the fennel bulbs ordered some dishes with more or less familiar ingredients, and all fortunately turned out to be truly memorable. 

For starters, a trio of diminutive hors d'oeuvre was presented (Y330). This is not ordered, but given rather mandatorily. It would be quite rude to refuse as the taste and the presentation are both worth more than its price. From left to right, a succulent sun-dried tomato, parsley, and cheese ball; followed by shaved herbs and cheese over a slice of ham and some greens; and lastly a slice of bread with a vegetable spread. 

Next in line is a shrimp and avocado salad (~Y880). The flavours are delicate and very well balanced. The proportion of avocado, dressing, and shrimps are just enough such that there is a unison of flavour that is unique. And the cherry tomatoes are so sweet!

For the main course, a superb dish of fish cooked in the Corsican style (which uses tomatoes), is served with some freshly-grown vegetables - a slice of squash, peppers, cauliflower, and purple carrots (~Y1880). On the side is bread baked with organic yeast (Y330), supposedly to promote good digestion. Also, the menu says that a lot of B vitamins essential for the health of the nervous system and general well-being are abundant in these ingredients. 

The servings are a bit on the small side though, and more authentic French cuisine can be had elsewhere. But, BioMaison is a homely experience for those who want to experience healthy (and anti-aging, as it claims to be) cuisine. 

*Shimokitazawa (下北沢) can be reached easily (in 10 minutes or so) either from Shibuya through the Keio Inokashira Line or from Shinjuku through the Odakyu Line.