Author: TabemonoJourney

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Tabemono Summer Vacation- Hokkaido/Tohoku 2016 Day 6 – Furano and Biei Part 3 – Cheese Factory, Furano Marche, Soup Curry, Making Ice Cream

Continued from post here and you can view the start of the journey at this link.

The next morning, it was time to check out of Chalet Furuyi and wrap up our adventures in Furano.  The weather was perfect.   It was sunny and warm but not humid, nothing like the summers we experienced in Tokyo and Kyoto.  It was pretty much like our summer weather in California.  Being our last day in Furano, we really wanted to take advantage of the some of the remaining attractions it has to offer.  Our first visit was the Furano Cheese Factory. Continue reading “Tabemono Summer Vacation- Hokkaido/Tohoku 2016 Day 6 – Furano and Biei Part 3 – Cheese Factory, Furano Marche, Soup Curry, Making Ice Cream”

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Tabemono in SF: Sasaki – Amazing Omakase Sushi rivaling places in Ginza

Located at 2400 Harrison Street in San Francisco, there are no signs highlighting the restaurant.

March 23, 2017

I have been a huge fan of Chef Masaki Sasaki since having him prepare sushi for me at the counter of Maruya.  He is one of the few itamae (chefs) in San Francisco that can make sushi that rivals many of the high-end sushi places in Ginza, Tokyo.

I was disappointed when Chef Sasaki left Maruya, but I would see his name pop up in the media as he played consultant to many other sushi restaurants including Omakase, which eventually earned a Michelin Star.  Ironically, Maruya lost their star the following year when both Chef Masaki Sasaki and Chef Hide Sueyoshi left. When I read that Chef Sasaki was finally opening his own restaurant, I was excited and planned a visit.  During dinner service, I was able to talk with Chef Sasaki throughout our meal. He mentioned to me that one of the reasons he left Maruya was that he felt they wanted more fusion with kaiseki, while instead, he wanted to focus on Edomae style sushi. Continue reading “Tabemono in SF: Sasaki – Amazing Omakase Sushi rivaling places in Ginza”

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Tabemono Summer Vacation- Hokkaido/Tohoku 2016 Day 5 – Furano and Biei Part 2 – Blue Pond, Shirahige Waterfall, and Fukuzushi

The Blue Pond, looked more bluish-green today.  Depending on the angle and weather, the color can range dramatically to different shades of blue.

Continued from post here and you can read of the start of the journey here.

From the Trick Art Museum to Biei, it was a 20 minute drive north. Biei has many scenic attractions that are highlighted in the short summer months. Two of which, the Patchwork Road and Panorama Road, we previously driven through on our Day 4 drive from Asahikawa to Furano.  Both areas have impressive scenic rural landscapes with vast pastures of green fields and solitary trees that proudly stood out in the vast landscape.  Additionally the long stretches of road and flower fields were a joy to witness and drive through. However, due to the rain, we decided to skip going back as it is probably more enjoyable of an experience by bicycle and foot, and a good reason to come back in the future. Instead we focused on some of the other attractions of Biei, such as the Blue Pond and Shiragure Falls to wrap up the day. Continue reading “Tabemono Summer Vacation- Hokkaido/Tohoku 2016 Day 5 – Furano and Biei Part 2 – Blue Pond, Shirahige Waterfall, and Fukuzushi”

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Tabemono in SF Bay Area – Kenzo in Napa, Good Kaiseki and Sushi but not Great

February 26, 2017

Kenzo in the Napa Valley is an ambitious opening from Kenzo Estate winery owners Kenzo and Natsuko Tsujimoto.  Interestingly, Kenzo Tsujimoto was the founder of Capcom prior to his ownership of Kenzo Estate winery.  Besides the winery, the husband and wife couple have four restaurants and tasting rooms throughout Japan where they bring the Napa Valley wines to Japan.  Now with Kenzo, they plan to bring an authentic taste and experience of Japan to the Napa Valley area with a focus on kaiseki and sushi. Continue reading “Tabemono in SF Bay Area – Kenzo in Napa, Good Kaiseki and Sushi but not Great”

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Tabemono in San Francisco: Marufuku Ramen – Excellent Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen in Japantown

February 21, 2017

After the amazing Japanese ramen imports of Mensho, Hinodeya, and Nojo Ramen in 2016, the bar is raised in the crowded San Francisco ramen scene.  You would question whether San Francisco even needs another ramen shop as Ippudo is coming later in the year to Yerba Buena Ln in Downtown, San Francisco.  This was why I was surprised to find that Marufuku Ramen quietly took over what use to be Sapporo-ya Ramen in Japantown of San Francisco.  Japantown already has its fair share of ramen places, with many being sub-par to mediocre like the former Sapporo-ya Ramen.  Thank goodness for the formerly mentioned Hinodeya, and now I can add Marufuku to the list of excellent ramen destinations in Japantown and overall in San Francisco. Continue reading “Tabemono in San Francisco: Marufuku Ramen – Excellent Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen in Japantown”

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