Old Is Great in Tokyo

Posted on Jan 7, 2016 in Hiroko's Blog, Recipes

Tokyo is a Michelin star studded city. There are hundreds of good restaurants. Here is a must check web-site for you, when you are planning to visit Tokyo. https://savorjapan.com/tokyo/?cid=awse_pc_yg_ss_us_31_02&gclid=CLX1pPnWmMoCFcEUHwodqYsCPAWhen Every restaurant, which you dream of, is here. I love to eat at old establishments, many of which do not have Michelin star. I am glad for that. One of such restaurants is Isegen, a 185 years old restaurant where they serve...

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I Love Pork; I Love Hakata Tonton

Posted on Mar 4, 2013 in Hiroko's Blog

The story about “An Iowa Farmer’s Quest for No Ordinary Pig” on the NY Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/01/us/with-iowa-swabian-hall-a-farmers-quest-for-perfect-pig.html?pagewanted=all ) made me hungry for delicious pork meal. So, I headed to Hakata Tonton in New York City. The name of the restaurant, Hakata Tonton, is easy to remember and fun to pronounce. “Hakata” is a ward/district in Fukuoka city in Fukuoka Prefecture in the Kyushu island,...

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My Pork Belly Hot Pot Meal

Posted on May 21, 2012 in Hiroko's Blog, Recipes

Here is what we enjoyed tonight – pork belly hot pot. First prepare the sauce: In a food processor or juicer mixer add 1/4 cup white sesame seeds, 1/4 cup shoyu, 1/4 cup sake, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon toban jiang and 1 to 2 teaspoons ginger juice. Process the mixture until smooth. Transfer the sauce to a clean jar and cover with a plastic wrap. You can make the sauce 2 to 3 days in advance. The flavor gets...

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Is pork meal at Hakata Tonton heavy on the stomach?

Posted on May 21, 2012 in Hiroko's Blog

Even though Hakata Tonton specializes pork, many of which uses pork belly and pork knuckles, the meat is prepared and served in the Japanese way – with plenty of vegetables and very little or no added oil. Everyone leaves the restaurant with satisfied stomach, but not stuffed with heavy, greasy meal. The photo is one of the must-order pork nabe, hot pot, dishes. Thinly sliced pork belly (look at the beautiful, very fresh color of the meat) are placed on top of mound...

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Hakata Tonton and Koji Hagihara

Posted on May 19, 2012 in Hiroko's Blog

I had additional great meal at Hakata Tonton two nights ago. Hakata Tonton is a casual Japanese restaurant in West village where chef Koji Hagiwara serves up delicious pork dishes (there are, of course, non-pork dishes, including sashimi), including must-try hot pot dishes (all pork). The menu at Hakata Tonton is extensive. In order to enjoy all of the items on the menu you need to make many trips. Even after ten or so visits I never got bored or tired with his meal. After...

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