Izu Gourmet Guide

Tiroir -Wine Bar@Numazu- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-09-17T10:00:00.000+09:00

This restaurant in on the south side of Numazu station and is only 3 minutes by foot. It is on the first floor of the hotel Aria. It’s a bit hard to find the entrance because they don’t have a sign board and it seems that this place is for people in the know! When you enter the hotel on your left is a small glass door which is the wine bar entrance. It’s not very big and has seating for only 18 people. The lighting was low, the background music was bosa nova and it made me feel very relaxed.
As there is no drink menu you are asked what you like and given drinks that match your food order. While this lead to drinks that complimented our food it also was a little frightening as far as the bill went as you don’t know how much you have spent.

Before ordering the food the waiter asks if you dislike anything in particular. I ordered the seasonal recommended menu for 4180 yen which was a hors d’oeuvre, risotto, pasta, main dish of fish or meat and dessert.
The hors d’oeuvre was nine dishes served on one large platter.
They were homemade pickles, kinmedai (marinated fish) uncured deer ham, udo salad plant with fish soup, smoked sea perch, wild boar terrine, mushroom soup, cold cooked turban shell and chorizo sausage made from ‘Eberico’ pork. The pickles were burdock and tasted great and the uncured ham matched the wine perfectly.
Next was the risotto which was made with crab and spinach with a saffron flavor. The rice was a little crunchy but excellent.
After that was the pasta in a tomato, beef and spinach sauce. The pasta was perfectly ‘al dente’ and very thin and delicious.
The main course was fish ‘poware’ which was baked fish with boiled cabbage and broccoli. The taste was delicate and delicious. The meat dish was roast duck with glazed carrots and a herb called watercress which is like spinache. The duck was crispy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside and tasted fresh and very good.

Dessert was orange sherbet, campari gelee and chocolate mousse. I was surprised at how well the flavors matched each other and really enjoyed dessert.
There were many regular customers in the restaurant when we were there.

It has many types of wine and the waiter’s selections were excellent and all the wine we had was good.
It got quite busy after 10 pm and it seems that you can enjoy this wine bar by just having a single drink or going for a delicious course menu like we did.

written by

Tiroir
Address:2-4-8, Otemachi, Numazu
Tel:+81-55-963-0031
http://www.at-s.com/bin/guru/guru0040.asp?yid=E715935004
Budget:5,000 yen
Open:5：00pm～01：00am
Closed:Wed.
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Seian -Kaiseki@Numazu- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-09-16T10:00:00.000+09:00

Seiyan is a Kaiseki (Japanese traditional) restaurant situated in the Hotel West on the North side of Numazu station.
If you are a hotel guest you get a 10% discount and it is quite strict in that it doesn't allow smoking or childeren under 12 years old.

The decor is modern Japanese style and offers romantic views of the outside through oval windows.
There are 3 menus for dinner and as is often the case in Kaiseki restaurants they are called the snow, the moon and the flower.
The snow is 10,000 yen, the moon is 7,000 yen and the flower is 5,000 yen and we ordered the moon.

The drink menu had many famous and high class Japanese rice wines and of particular interest was the Emperor's choice "Ishidaya" which is 6,000 a glass. We ordered tea.

The first dish was semi-dried sea bream with spring onion like vegetables and wild mountain vegetables. It had a fresh and delicate taste.
Next that was sea urchin "chawan mushi" which is a steamed egg dish which also had soft fish roe in it. It was very creamy and didn't have the strong smell often associated with sea urchin.

Next was lightly roasted bonito, raw blow fish beatifully presented with some special spice for the fugu.
It was excellent but made me really want to drink sake but I tried to resist the urge.
After that was teriyaki yellow tail with pickled white radish.
The fish was deliciously fatty and made further resistance of drinking sake impossible so we ordered a small glass of the Emperor's choice sake.
The "ishidaya" sake was every bit as good as I expected it to be and made me wish I could afford to drink it more.

The next dish was conger eel and a special potatoes from Kyoto known as "ebiimo". They were both boiled and served with rose blossom petals and had a unique delicious flavour that made us wish we had more sake.
Sushi was served next and consisted of tuna, alfonsino, horse mackeral, and egg amongst others.
We were really impressed with the taste and texture of the sushi and the rice base was particulary good.
Dessert was salted icecream which was sound strange but is popular in Japan as the salt brings out the sweetness in the icecream.
It was a simple dish but a nice way to finish an excellent meal.

In conclusion Seiyan offers very comfortable surroundings, excellent and knowledgable service, interesting and tastey food so I would recommend you try it.

written by

Seiyan
Address:5-11,Hotel WEST,Takashima-cho, Numazu
Tel:+81-55-922-7110
http://www.numazu-seian.jp/
Budget:Lunch 3,000 yen Dinner 8,000 yen
Open:12：00pm～2：00pm,5：00pm～10：00pm
Closed:Sun.
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Takashima -Sushi@Numazu- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-09-12T10:00:00.000+09:00

Takashima is near Numazu port amoung many other sushi restaurants.
From the outside it doesn't look very impressive but it has a nice atmosphere inside.
We went at 2:00pm to avoid the crowds and managed to get a seat at the counter.
We asked for the days specials and were told they were written on the whiteboard.
They offer set menus ranging in price from 1,000 yen and sushi menus starting at 1,500 yen which is very reasonable.
There were no prices written for the toro or fatty tuna and tamago yaki but we felt they would be reasonable as well.

We ordered vinegared chub mackeral, amberjack cutlass fish and tuna at first.
The mackeral was nice but could have had a stronger vinegar flavour.
My companion doesn't usually like this dish but when I suggested they try it they were pleasantly suprised.

The cutless fish was suprisingly thick with an excellent texture.Our next sushi was horse mackeral, sea urchin and deep sea shrimp.
The horse mackeral tasted like it was swiming only minutes before and was my favorite so far and made me think that it was the reason why we came to Takashima that day.
The seaurchin was sweet condensed and without any fishy smell.
It was excellent.

We ordered both boiled and raw shrimp.
The boiled shrimp was very large and you couldn't see the rice under it. The raw shrimp was also very large and delicious and made me feel happy to be able to eat such nice fresh food.
The last sushi we had was conga sushi.
I had read on the internet that if you go to Takashima you must have the conga so I decided to eat it last.
After trying it I think that people's opinion of it would probably be divided.
The sauce is very rich and strong which some might think overpowers the flavour of the fish whereas others would probably love it.
In conclusion Takashima sushi is probably most suited for women who can enjoy many pieces of sushi without getting full up due to the small rice size.
It offers excellent value for money even though ordering the sushi individually is more expensive than having a set menu.
The interior decor is quite old so it's probably not the best place for a first date but the sushi itself is excellent.

written by

Takashima
Address:115-3, Senbon-minato-cho,Numazu
Tel:+81-55-951-5105
http://www.at-s.com/bin/guru/guru0040.asp?yid=E715935004
Budget:3,000 yen
Open:6：30am～9：00am,11：30am～2：00pm,4：30pm～8：00pm
Closed:Tue.
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Sushian Saito　-Sushi@Numazu- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-09-11T10:00:00.000+09:00

Sushian Saito is a small restaurant with only one room and 8 counter seats.
It is situated among the many sushi restaurants in and around Numazu Port and is in the mid-range of price.
The sushi chef looks like a pro wrestler tough guy but displays remarkable finesse in his creations.
His appearance is somewhat intimidating and made me sit up straight and made it hard to relax.

The signature dish is a squid tube filled with sushi rice, seaweed and sea urchin which was my first dish.
The textures of the slightly chewy squid, soft creamy sea urchin, rice and seaweed really complemented each other and made this dish delicious.
Next was abalone steak served in a soy sauce and sweet rice wine sauce. It was presented in the shell and was suprisingly tender and soft unlike most abalone I have tried.
It left me wanting more but I knew that I had many more dishes to come.

After that was a very artistic "shellfish" sushi that looked so good I didn't want to eat it.
I had been looking forward to trying this for a long time and it was very fresh and delicious.
Next was horse mackerel sushi almost in the shape of a ball so that you could not see the rice.
The fish pieces were quite big and fat and tasted fresh and like the sea.
After that was "Kinmedai" sushi that had the skin roasted so that it was hot and crispy and contrasted with the cold and delicate flesh.
It tasted superb and we were in raptures about it but this didn't get a comment or even a sushi from the stern faced sushi chef.
Next was "O toro" which is the fatty belly meat of tuna.
It was pastically cooked and tasted suprisingly like beaf steak and was nowhere near as good as the previous dish partially.

After that we had some very large cooked shrimp sushi and the rice was larger to match.
It was very good and made up for the slightly disappointing "o toro" dish before.
The last dish was egg sushi that was about 3 times the normal size.
It was a little too sweet for my liking.

This shop's sushi is very artistic so the presentation is excellent.
It also tastes great and is excellent value for money so I would highly recommend it.

written by

Sushian Saito
Address:47-2,Kasuga-cho, Numazu
Tel:+81-55-963-1234
http://gourmet.gyao.jp/0003009101/
Budget: 5,000 yen
Open:11:30am～9:00pm
Closed:Thu.
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Ventuno -Italian@Numazu- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-09-10T10:00:00.000+09:00

Ventuno is an Italian restaurant in a building that looks a bit like a country cottage near Numazu City Hall. I went to Ventuno because of its good reputation and looked forward to going there.

I went Saturday lunchtime, and the place was full but surprisingly quiet and I was not sure why the diners were not talking to each other. After being given my menu I waited 10 minutes before the waitress returned and ordered the lunch time pasta course and the meat and fish lunch time course. The courses included a glass of wine or a soft drink and I ordered white wine and grapefruit juice.

It took another 10 minutes for my drink to arrive which made me start to doubt the quality of service. I began to look around and realized that many people appeared to be tired of waiting which would explain why the place was so quite. As the restaurant is small there were only about 7 or 8 diners in total so you would think that the service would be quicker.

Twenty minutes after ordering I was served my ‘hors d’oeuvres’ which was uncured ham with balsamic dressing, scallop mousse and marinated salmon. The presentation and colours were good and looked fresh but the salmon tasted a bit too fishy, the oil was a little too oily and the scallop mousse didn’t taste very nice so I didn’t eat very much of it.

The next course was spicy roast chicken with cheese which was very tender and delicious so I ate it all.

The next dish was mimosa flavored shrimp pasta. The sauce was oil based and similar to a cream based sauce so it was a little too rich and I couldn’t eat it all. Dessert was tiramisu, cream brule and peach tart which were presented beautifully on a plate decorated with small red flowers.

The cream brule was similar to a caramel pudding and tasted good, the tiramisu was very rich with a strong cheese flavor and the peach tart tasted like the cream brule.

I went to Ventuno with fairly high expectations but was disappointed and I think it was because of poor execution in terms of the service and attention to detail in some of the dishes.

written by

Ventuno
Address:31-12, Yoshida-cho, Numazu
Tel:+81-55-932-5535
http://www.at-s.com/BIN/GURU/GURU0040.asp?yid=F870028241
Budget:Lunch 2,000 yen Dinner 3,000 yen
Open:Weekday:11:30am～3:00pm、5:30pm～9:00pm
Closed:Mon.
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Wa Diner Sun -Japanese@Numazu- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-09-09T10:52:00.012+09:00

Sun is about a half hour drive from the South side of Numazu station heading down the west side of the Izu peninsular.
Before going to the restaurant I checked their homepage and read that they serve "seasonal Japanese style food in a quiet atmosphere" so I was looking forward to going there.
I went there in April at about 7:00 pm. and found that the restaurant is in a residential area.
By the entrance I could see a lit up Japanese style garden and the entrance itself was large and similiar to that of a traditional Japanese style Inn.
I was led to a seperate dining area down a corridor which was about 6 tatami mats wide.
The room had a lovely Japanese feel to it with a nice view of the garden outside and a small display area for bonsai and a scroll so with the staff also wearing kimono the restaurant felt very Japanese indeed.
When I asked why the restaurant's name is "Wa Diner Sun " (which means 3 in Japanese) the staff said it was because it was founded by three brothers.
I ordered the 5,000 yen course which was the cheapest one and you need to preorder it when you make the booking.
The first dish was boiled field mustard or rape blossom with some sesami seeds on top.
It was very tasty and slightly salty but very delicious.
Next was squid,jellyfish and another squid dish.
They were served in yellow, white and blue dishes all inside a laquer ware box and the presentation was very good.
The yellow dish had lightly salted squid with mayonaise and had a subtle and nice flavour.
The white dish had jellyfish with a mixture of mustard and miso which was quite spicy and chewy and made me want to drink beer.
The blue dish had a very salty mixture of squid and squid internal organs which doesn't sound too good but is actually delicious.
As it was salty it made me feel like beer even more.
After that I was served shrimp, amberjack and tuna sashimi.
Next was deep fried small shrimp (sakura ebi) formed into a small pancake like shape.
It wasn't crispy at all and was quite chewy so I was disappointed with it.
This was followed by "chawan mushi" which is a steamed egg dish that was covered in spicy fish roe cheese.
The cheese was delicious but it over powered the steamed egg's flavour which was very mild in comparison.
Next was "nimono" which is boiled vegetables and spanish mackeral in a soy sauce based sauce.
It wasn't particularly good and didn't really impress me that much.
After that was a grilled pork vegetable casserol.
The vegetables had been steamed with ssesami oil and again I found that the flavours of each ingredient over powered each other.
In particular the sesami oil was too strong.

Next was rice with salmon caviar on top, a Japanese style soup flavoured with fish stock and salt and pickles.
I was again disappointed with this dish as the salmon eggs were tasteless and would suit someone who doesn't like raw fish.
For dessert was strawberry icecream which was quite good.
All around the restaurant is a beatiful Japanese garden which gives the place a very nice atmosphere.
The building , windows and verandahs are very traditional but the food was only average.
Of all the dishes I ate, only 2 were delicious so the atmosphere is much better than the food.

written by

Wa Diner Sun
Address:3078-5, Ushibuse, Shimo-kanuki, Numazu
Tel:+81-55-935-6545
URL:http://www.numazu-wadaina3.com/
Budget:Lunch 2,300 yen Dinner 5,000 yen
Open:irregular
Closed:irregular
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Honcho Unayoshi -eel@Mishima- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-09-05T10:00:00.003+09:00

Honcho Unayoshi is one of the 3 famous eel restaurants in Mishima and it has two branches although there is no actual relationship between them.
We went to the one in Honcho and its entrance was quite small and not very well lit, so it could be easily missed by passers by. As It is famous and there are often queues in front of the store we went early for lunch at 11:20.
There were already customers in the restaurant and there is seating for 8 on the first and for 20 plus six on tatami mat on the second floor. The customers are mainly business men who may come from the station by foot. The prices are a little higher than average and the service is nothing special. The menu prices on the wall all look very new which indicate that 2,300 yen for the regular una-don, 3,100 yen for the large and 4,000 yen for the extra large serve.

My companion ordered white steamed eel with no sauce which was served with rice, soup and pickles.
They gave me a taste and at first I tried it with no soy sauce. It was nice a little spongy and not to heavy. With soy sauce and wasabi, it was even better and I recommend that you try it this way.

I ordered the extra large una-don which is actually a double layer with rice eel more rice and more eel. It takes about 20 minutes to prepare and the staff were doubtful that I could eat it all.
When it arrived, the bowl cover could barely fit on the bowl and sause orange pieces were served for dessert.
It looked very big but when I tasted it the flavor was great and it was cooked perfectly if you like strong salty tasting food and rice sauces I recommend this highly. It tasted so that while at first I was a little doubtful my self about being able to finish it, I did so easily and with pleasure.
I knew I had really has e enough given the amount of people that have to walk for a seat I think the restaurant should provide more comfortable waiting areas.
The restaurant also offers sashimi and tempura which I would like to taste in the future.

Overall I recommend this restaurant and will certainly go there again.

written by

Honcho Unayoshi
Address:1-37, Honcho, Mishima
Tel:+81-55-975-0499
URL:http://www.honcho-unayoshi.co.jp/
Budget:3,000 yen
Open:11：00am～9：00pm
Closed:open 365 days a year
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Sushi Den -Kaiseki@Numazu- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-09-04T10:00:00.000+09:00

Sushi Den is about 5 minutes walk from the North Side of Numazu station and is in a traditional old style Japanese building.
We went on a Wednesday at 7:00 pm and were surprised to see that the carpark was full. Unlike many other restaurants that are struggling economically at the moment Sushi Den is booming and this is reflected in the prices of their set menus which start at 7,000 yen.
We were led to traditional tatami room which had a heated pit under the table for extra comfort and relaxation and a beatiful view of a small Japanese garden.

I ordered the 7,000 yen course which you need to specify when you make your reservation.

My first dish was tuna rolled in Japanese radish in a similar way that sea weed is used for sushi rolls.
It was flavored with sesame oil and presented beatifully with watercress and spring onions. The sesame oil had a slightly Chinese taste and the radish was deliciously soft. As the watercress can only be picked in the spring from cold mountain streams it seemed even more special than the tuna which was also very good.

Next was toro or fatty tuna,normal tuna, shrimp, octopus, seabream, baby abalone and sea toad liver sashimi.
My favorites were the shrimp which had a crunchy cooked head and a contrasting soft raw body and the sea toad liver which was meltingly delicious with ponzu (a citrus type of soy sauce) and sea weed.
All the plates are original designs made by the head chef which adds a touch of extra class to the otherwise brilliant presentation and I found my self looking forward to seeing the design of the next course's plates.
The next course was a kind of taro that had been washed, formed into a ball and stuffed with minced chicken, mushrooms and bamboo shoots with citrus on the top. It was served in a sweat sauce a tasted a bit like manju which is sweat bean paste in dough and was more like a dessert than anything else.
After that was roasted amberjack with not only the normal meat but also the jaw muscle which was served with roasted broad bean, sweet patatos, ginger and bamboo shoots.
I squeezed lemon over it all which brought out the sweetness of the fish and balanced the fattiness of amberjack in the spring.
Next was Japanese spring herb and conga, tempra that was interestingly presented with its bone coiled on the plate.
It was the first time I had tried conga tempra and it was quite salty and the crunchiness of the bone was very pleasant.

After the tempura was spotted shad, fatty tuna, amberjack, tamago yaki and a sushi roll filled with conga, squid, crab and egg.
The fatty tuna and spolted shad were the best and the sushi roll was somewhat disappointing.
Next was a Japanese style scallop soup that tasted fresh with a dried bonito flavour.
Dessert was vanilla icecream with black honey molasses dew sprinkled with crunchy soba balls.

The molasses was very sweet and went well with the icecream and the crunchiness of the soba balls.

The course was 7,000 yen but I think it is worth at least 10,000 yen so it is excellent value for money. While I was at the restaurant for rearly 3 hours it didn't seen like a long time as the food was so good, the surroundings pleasant and the service superb.

I think this is the best Kaiseki style restaurant in Numazu and hope to go there again many times.

written by

Sushi Den
Address:6-3,Takazawa-cho, Numazu
Tel:+81-55-925-4000
http://www.sushiden.jp/
Budget: 8,000 yen
Open:11：30am～1：30pm,5：00pm～11：00pm
Closed:Sun.
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GiGi -steak@Numazu- Izu Gourmet GUide

2008-09-03T10:00:00.000+09:00

GiGi is situated about 2 kilometers from Numazu in an area with wide streets and several other restaurants.
It is not on a main road and appears to be darker than the other restaurants.
It looks like a wild west steak house and when you enter you see a large teppan style grill which is just one table away from the entrance.
The restaurant is run by a husband and wife team and the atmosphere is very relaxed.
When I went I was the only customers and enjoyed a friendly chat with the owners.

Being a winelover I was happy to see the extensive wine list which included many types of cabenet as well as Crozes Hermatige which I chose to drink.
It was an excellent rich wine that complimented the steak perfectly.

I was given an extra hors d'oevre of bread and cheese which also went well with the wine.

You can choose between pottage or consomme soup and between rice ,garlic rice or bread to accompany your steak.
There are several choices of steak available including the cut of steak as well as normal or high grade Japanese beef.

The soups we tried were both quite orthodox in their style and flavour.
One was a pottage with parsley and the other was a clear consome and they both tasted as if considerable time was taken in their preparation and were very good.

A small but finely selected amount of fresh vegetables were served to accompany the highly marbled Japanese steak which possibly came from Saga Prefecture in Western Japan.
The sight of steak and fresh vegetables made me very hungry indeed.
The vegetables retained their original flavour after being grilled and tasted so good that I ate them quickly and could have eaten a lot more.
The onion in particular was incredibly fresh and sweet without the odour often associated with it.
The steak was cut into quite large cubes(pieces) which helped to bring out the excellent flavour to the fullest extent.
The marbling vanished during cooking and the steak was not oily in any way.
The salad was also very high class with premium ingredients and excellent dressing.

The only thing that disappointed was the garlic rice which was a little too strong and moist for my taste.

I recommed that if you go to GiGi you should either order white rice or ask for the garlic rice to be less concentrated and sticky.

A simple dessert of either vanilla or black currant sherbet icecream, is offered and tasted better than what you would expect to buy from most retail outlets.

High quality and carefully selected ingredients combined with a highly skilled and experrienced chef results in excellent tasting dishes.
To eat a similiar grade of meal in a hotel in tokyo you would have to pay two or three times the price so GiGi offers excellent value for money.

The service provided by the husband and wife team is not what you would expect from a high class Tokyo hotel but the taste and price more than make up for this shortcomming.

If you expect the service that you would recieve in a high class Tokyo hotel you will be disappointed by GiGi but I think the taste and price more than make up for this.
I will cartainly be back to GiGi again to enjoy the excellent tasting and fresh dishes it offers.

written by

GiGi
Address:370-1, Kamishoji, Shimokanuki, Numazu
Tel:+81-55-932-3986
http://www.steak-gigi.com/
Budget:Lunch:1,500 yen Dinner:8,000 yen
Open:Weekday:11：30am～2：00pm、5:00pm～10:00pm
Closed:Tue.
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San Marino -Italian@Numazu- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-09-02T10:00:00.000+09:00

San Marino is one of the oldest Italian restaurants in Numazu and is famous for its handmade pasta. It is down near the port and my friend recommended it which is why I went. It is situated amongst houses and it looks like a traditional Italian house from the outside. Once I entered I was surprised by the Asian style music which contradicted the strongly Italian themed décor.

The menu offers a wide rane of dishes from a la carte to pizza, pasta and set menus and I chose a set called ‘cantare’. My companion ordered handmade pasta ‘Fresco’.

When we placed our order the waitress called out our selections to the chef in a very Italian sounding voice which made us think that food to come would be very good and authentic.

My first course was complimentary and was roast duck with olive oil.
It matched the wine we ordered perfectly and was a great starter.

Next was smoked salmon, meat loaf and olives with semi-dried tomato on bread. The olives and semi-dried tomato tasted of vinegar and were very good indeed.
After that our pasta arrived with mine being bacon and cabbage with salt and pepper. I was disappointed with mine as it was too salty and didn’t have much flavor.
In contrast the fresco was a delicious subtle mix of fresh flavors including tomato, spinach, salt, pepper and garlic.
Next was the set menu meat dish which was fillet steak with mashed potato and foie gras served with Madera liqueur sauce accompanied by a fresh garden salad.
The meat was tender and the mashed potato tasted a bit like ‘kamaboko’ which is a Japanese traditional fish dish. I think if Italians went to this restaurant they might be quite surprised by this dish.
For dessert in the ‘cantare’ set is panna cotta, cheese cake and sherbet.
The pasta course dessert is the same but with gataue instead of cheese cake.
The desserts looked good but were a little too sweet for my taste but I did enjoy the sherbet.

When we paid the bill the chef came out to greet us. He looked very professional and made me think that I would like to come back and try his pizza someday.

written by

San Marino
Address:12-7, Yoshida-cho, Numazu
Tel:+81-55-931-7466
http://www.at-s.com/bin/yell/yell0020.asp?id=E753746095
Budget:Lunch 2,000 yen Dinner 2,500 yen
Open:Weekday:11：00am～2：00pm、5：00pm～9：00pm
Closed:Mon.
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VERJUS -French@Numazu- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-09-01T10:00:00.002+09:00

VERJUS is situated near the South Exit of Numazu station being about a five minute walk away.
It is suprisingly calm and peaceful given its central location and feels like a secret hideout amoung all the big buildings and traffic.
From the outside it is hard to tell what is within but once inside, the chic decor gives away the fact that its a high class French restaurant.
Before going I checked out the website and must say that it doesn't do the restaurant justice and should be changed.
When I made my reservation for a Sunday night I found the waitress very helpful and friendly despite the fact that I ordered the cheapest course at around 5,500 yen.
The decor was both traditional and chic and I couldn't help but be excited about the meal to come due to the combination of traditional Japanese influences with the strong French theme.

The atmosphere is intimate due to the flickering lamps on each table and the fact that there are only 3 tables in total combine to give the feeling you are eating in a French chalet.
As you would imagine the wine list is expensive and includes French wine from very expensive vintage through to more affordable but still good wine.
I ordered wine and a sparkling grape juice and they were served in a no fuss but warm and friendly way.
The waitress commented on how my choice of wine which was young and fruity would match our meal well.
Our first course was a ryebread roll with duck rillette which was quite similar to pate tasting slightly like corn beaf oiled looking like butter.
It made me think of how good it would taste in a sandwich.
Next was an "horse de voir" made from seacucumber and tomatoes with citrus, basil and olive oil which while being a little difficult to eat with a fork tasted really good.
After that was a sliced duckmeat and shallot salad and was the first time I had eaten shallots in this way.
The sauce was made from grated shallots and tasted similar to the grated white radish and onion sauce often served with steak in Japan.
After that we had a roasted fish dish in fish sauce.
The fish used was "Big Eye" and the sauce was fish stock and butter which was deliciously rich.
The balance between the crisp coating of the fish , the moist and tender fish underneath and the rich and tasty sauce was superb.
Under the fish was a piece of "Kinowah" which is the seed of a spinach like plant.
It matched the sauce well and added to the excellent taste of the dish.

I was expecting the rich and heavy food that is normally anociated with some French cuisine but the food at VERJUS was well balanced and not too fatty for my taste.

Next we had a roast chicken dish served with an apple and vinegar sauce.
This chicken is known as the "quean of chicken" in France and it tasted spicey and slightly acidic with a crispy yet tenders texture.
The sauce when eaten with bread tasted almost a like jam.

Dessert was served in a different room upstairs from the main dining area. There was a choice of 3 rooms and the area is used as a bar as well with last orders at midnight.
The bar is well stocked with a wide range of drinks including Belgium Beer.
Dessert was blackberry mouse, strawberry and vanilla icecream with strawberry and passionfruit sauce.
It was very refreshing and not too over powering after all the food we had eaten before.

After dessert you are given the choice of various premium coffees and teas and we ordered espresso.
Our espresso came with 4 small cakes, almond sprinkled with icing sugar, Kanure a type of butter cake originally made by sisters in a monastery, madelaine which is a sponge cake and chocolate gateau.

You can get the cake's recipes from the restaurants homepage which I will certaily do given how good they all tasted.

In conclusion I must say that this would have to be the best French restaurant I have ever been too.

The combination of excellent food, excellent service, relaxed and homely yet also chic atmosphere as well as brilliant value for money makes me recommend this restaurant highly.
Please try it yourself!

written by

VERJUS
Address:7-9, Sanmaibashi, Numazu
Tel:+81-55-964-0020
http://www.verjus.jp/
Budget: 7,000 yen
Open:Weekday:6:00pm ～ 0:00am
Closed:Wed.
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Taste:
Atmosphere:
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Tim and Karen's report Shimazu -Kaiseki@Numazu-

2008-08-29T10:00:00.000+09:00

I am an Australian who has been lucky enough to live in Mishima and Numazu for nearly 4 years.
I was given the chance to sample some of the areas first restaurants and would like to share my experiences with you.　I went to only Japanese style restaurants in the hope to introduce this unique, traditional and delicious style of restaurant to people from all over the world.
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‘Shimazu’ is situated near Senbon (one thousand tree) beach, about 10 minutes by car from the South side of Numazu station. It commands spectacular views of Suruga Bay and offers a dining experience that will surely be memorable for all the right reasons.

Upon our arrival on a rainy Sunday evening we were warmly welcomed and ushered into an extremely private room with seating for 6, overlooking a rather stormy but intriguing Suruga Bay just about to plunge into darkness. The waitress asked for our drink orders and also kindly checked to see if we had any allergies or couldn’t eat anything in particular as we had pre-ordered the 6,000 yen sushi kaiseki course.

Soon after our drinks arrived so did the first dish which was seared tuna (cooked like a rare steak) with yamaimo- which is a type of yam, and grated wasabi. Yamaimo can be a little confronting to foreigners as it is a gooey, stringy white substance, but it has a nice mild vegetable taste and it complemented the tuna well.

Next was shirasu (baby sardines) topped with ginger and spring onion, served in a bowl made from a whole piece of bamboo.
The fish looked like they should still be swimming – they were so fresh it made me comment that they almost allowed you to ‘taste the view’ due to their delicate salty and deliciously fresh flavour. It is worth noting that the waitress could not have been more helpful, and while she didn’t use English, she explained things very clearly in slow, simple and easily understood Japanese.

We were also served by a waiter who took this helpfulness to an even higher level by actually having a piece of paper with the English translations of the fish in our next dish, which was sensational sashimi.

Overall, the service had the perfect balance of politeness and friendliness. The sashimi was presented like a piece of art, and consisted of shrimp, tuna, scallop, herring roe, flounder and yellowtail. The tuna was as good as any I have ever tried, being soft and succulent. The scallop was also superb. I found the flounder to be a little too chewy for my liking, but it too was extremely fresh and delicious. The herring roe had an interesting crunchiness to it and went well with the shiso leaf it was layered with. The shrimp were also excellent, being sweet and creamy rather than gooey as they can sometimes be.

The next dish was a somewhat unusual cold soup-type offering with more yamaimo and sea urchin. It was served on ice and was actually quite pleasant with a mild fishy flavour, but my companion said that the dish took her ‘out of her comfort zone’, which could mean that it would be a little strange for Western tastes.

The plates that the dishes were so artistically presented on were a mixture of very traditional Japanese and more modern Western style, giving the impression of an interesting fusion of East and West cultures.

Our next dish was again beautifully presented, with tachiwo (knife fish) served in jelly, grilled Suzuki (sea bass) and green peas.
The jelly had a surprisingly strong but delicious flavour and the sea bass was excellent. I am not sure if it was just because it was cooked, but it was so moist, succulent and delicious that I could have eaten a lot more of it. The green peas were crunchy with a slightly nutty flavour that went well with the slightly sweet sea bass and knife fish jelly.

This was followed by what is known as ‘hiyashite mono’, or chilled food, and it consisted of a boiled prawn/shrimp, pumpkin, green bean and Satsuma imo which is a slightly sweet potato. It was served with a mild fish stock and soy in a thick soup-like sauce which complemented the other flavours and was the perfect follow-up to the previous dish.

Unlike other kaiseki restaurants we have been to, the timing between courses was perfect and we never had to wait too long for our next dish, while at no stage did we feel rushed to finish the dish we were eating. Tempura arrived next and was excellent, the carrot, corn, eggplant and sweet potato were perfectly cooked – not oily, and served with a delicious salt mixture that brought out the flavour of each vegetable. It was the first time I tried corn tempura, and I would certainly like to eat it again.

At this stage our hand towels were changed prior to the next course which was sushi. As with all the other dishes, the sushi was superbly presented. It came on an unusual rectangular tray-like plate, and held yellow tail, sea bream, cooked shrimp, salmon, and tuna sushi rolls all carefully and artistically arranged on it. The yellow tail melted in your mouth, as did the sea bream. The salmon had a mild flavour and was deliciously tender and not too oily, and the salmon eggs were also not too strong in flavour or too salty. The cooked shrimp was very large and succulent. In summary, the sushi was excellent and we appreciated the relatively small size of the rice balls that the fish topped as we were both getting full by this stage.
To finish the meal we had a delicious miso soup with a seafood flavour that came from the cooked shrimp head floating in it. Finally, dessert was a tropical fruit flavoured sherbet and a blueberry mousse, both of which were light and refreshing, and an ideal way to finish a truly memorable meal.

We departed feeling full and satisfied. Shimazu has the perfect combination of excellent food, great location, good value and friendly, efficient and helpful staff, so you really should go and experience it yourself!

Shimazu
Address:1907-155, Senbon-gorin, Numazu
Tel:+81-55-963-6760
http://www.sushishimazu.com/
Budget:Lunch 3,000 yen Dinner 6,000 yen
Open:Weekday:11:30am～2:00pm,4:30pm～10:00pm
Closed:Mon.

Tim and Karen's review

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Shimazu -Kaiseki@Numazu- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-08-28T10:00:00.000+09:00

We went to Shimazu in March which is a high class sushi restaurant overlooking Suruga Bay in Numazu.
The carpark was full of high class expensive cars which was an indication of the type of people who eat at this restaurant.
Upon entering a chorus of "Hai, Irasshai!" welcomes you and makes you feel energetic and enthusiatic about the meal to follow.
When we were shown to our a table I became quite excited as it offered a view of senbon beach and the table was huge and looked to be made of marble.
Due to the popularity of this restaurant I had to change my reservation even though we went on a Sunday night.

I noticed on the winelist a very rare rice wine called "Jyuyondai" but because of its high price I ordered a less expensive option called "Isojiman".

We ordered the 6,000 yen course and the first dish was shirasu or raw baby sardines with raw seaweed and shiso.
The baby sardines melted in the mouth and were fresh delicious.

We were served the rice wine at the same time and its mild flavour matched the shirasu perfectlly.

Next we were served sesame tofu which was fried and accompanied by grated white radish and uzu or citrus rind.
It tasted quite different from normal fried tofu in that it was slightly sweet and was very delicious.
After that was sashimi which consisted of toro (fatty tuna), shrimp, arch shell, sea bream and normal tuna.
It was all excellent.
Next was another tofu dish but was a different type to the one served before.
It is called "Karakusa tofu" which is made with egg and seaweed.
it was served in a soup flavoured with bonito stock.
Our next dish was grilled spanish mackral flavoured with miso, boiled burdock root in liqueur, and blow fish skin jelly.
The spanish mackeral was very good with a slightly sweet miso flavour.
The boiled burdock root had a mild and refreshing taste and the blowfish jelly was nice although the fish flavour was overpowered by the citrus that was added.
This was followed by boiled fish that was "Kinmedai" or alfonsin with shrimp, Japanese mushroom, and beans grated and formed into dumpings.
It was covered in a sweet dressing and the dumpling was soft and easily mixed with the dressing so it was very nice.
After that we were served tempura which we ate with salt mixed with uzu or citrus.
The first piece I had was white fish wrapped in dried sea weed and it had an interesting and unusual texture but was very good.
The next was a mountain vegetable known as butterbur sprout which had a slightly acrid or bitter taste that made me think that spring had come as this is when they are usually picked.

My next piece of tempura was a kind of broccoli but a bit more leafy than spinach.
It was soft and delicious.
The last piece I ate was Japanese mushroom which was also soft and pleasant.
All the tempura were good and left me wanting more.
The next dish was sushi which was chu-toro(medium fatty tuna), shrimp, Japanese cockle, salmon eggs, dipped in soysauce, tamagoyaki and sushi rolls with cucumber and shell fish.

My favorite was the cucumber and shellfish sushi rolls as the chewy texture of the shellfish contrasted with the crunchness of the cucumber making it very enjoyable to eat.
All the sushi was excellent and I was impressed by the level of service displayed by the way that my female companion was served two smaller sized salmon egg sushi while I was given one large one.
The presentation was excellent and the sushi was served on an unusual raised platter and all the dishes were presented on carefully selected and interesting dishes.

Finally we were given a piece of orange a strawberry and vanilla icecream for dessert with a choice of tea or coffee.
We were also given hojicha which is roasted green tea to drink with dessert.
Overall this restaurant offers excellent service, beautifully presented and delicious food, great value for money and a nice location with good atmosphere so I would recommend it highly.

written by

Shimazu
Address:1907-155, Senbon-gorin, Numazu
Tel:+81-55-963-6760
http://www.sushishimazu.com/
Budget:Lunch 3,000 yen Dinner 6,000 yen
Open:Weekday:11:30am～2:00pm,4:30pm～10:00pm
Closed:Mon.
Overall evaluation:
Taste:
Atmosphere:
Service:
Value for money:

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Mangia Pesce -Italian@Nagaizumi- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-08-27T10:00:00.002+09:00

This restaurant is situated in Clematis-no-Oka which is on a hill over looking Numazu & Mishima. It is next to the sculpture garden museum which makes the atmosphere feel relaxed yet sophisticated. Along the path to the entrance there are flowers including Chiristmas roses and pink main tulips which adds to the relaxed and gentle atmosphere of the place.
We went for lunch on a Sunday and gradually the restaurant filled up with people eagerly awaiting some nice Italian food. The name of the restaurant means please to eat fish so we thought we should order sea food and the fish shaped door knobs and sign board of the restaurant all added to a very strong seafood theme.
It was a rainy day when we went and the towels offered on our arrival by the staff were much appreciated. I wondered if there would be many guests on such a rainy day but when we arrived there were already 2 other couples eating. You are not able to make reservations for this restaurant but there were a wide range of people of all ages there.

At first we ordered drinks but because I drove I chose a non alcoholic wine and my companion had a red orange juice. The juice looked like tomato juice but tasted sour and was made from Mediterranean blood orange which didn’t interfere with the delicate flavors of the food and contains vitamin C and antioxidants. It is available for take away too but is quite costly at 1,200 yen /ℓ. The non alcoholic wine was a kind of carbonated grape juice with a slightly astringent taste. While I didn’t see the winelist when passing the cellars I noticed it was well stocked.

The lunch menu has a choice of 3 set menus, ‘Kaze’, ‘mangia pesce’ & the chef’s recommendation. They are priced at 3,500 yen, 5,200 yen and 8,000 yen and I chose the ‘mangia pesce’.
The first course was a warm carrot soup which was rich and tasted of the natural carrot sweetness. Because if was rich the small serving was a perfect amount.

The appetizer was steamed organic vegetables from local providers with a soft boiled egg in the middle. The taste was mild but it was served with a balsamic dressing which would complement it well if you like balsamic which I don’t. As it was the full flavor of the vegetables came through and I enjoyed it a lot. The next appetizer was a scallop and squid salad which was delicious and very fresh.

The pasta was a red shrimp and rocket sauce with fedelini which was cooked ‘al dente’. It mixed with the sauce perfectly and I could have eaten a lot more of it. The other pasta was spirals with ‘Aji’ and ‘Komatsuna’ in a tomato sauce. ‘Aji’ is a type of mackerel and komatsuna is as spinach like vegetable. The sauce was not very good as Aji is very fishy and didn’t go well with the tomato leaving an unpleasant after taste and smell. This dish was disappointing and nowhere near as good as the scallop and squid pasta.

The main dishes were fish and meat. The fish was grilled big eye with crispy skin and the flesh was moist, tender and well balanced. The flavor was delicate and satisfying and made me wish that the serve was a little larger. This dish represented my expectations of mange pesce and was served on a soft boiled turnip base which went well with the fish. The meat dish was a type of chicken that were traditionally fighting cocks whose flesh is a little different to chicken due to their more muscular nature. The meat was grilled and served with potato. The skin was deliciously crispy and the waiter said that the chickens were very active which was why the flesh was firm yet tender and delicious. It was served with a part of the chicken’s stomach or gizzards which were a little tough and chewy and quite different from what you get at a yakitori bar.

We ordered tiramisu and caramel mousse for dessert. You can choose from 5 or 6 types of dessert and our selections were soft, delicious and had beautiful aroma which made us wish we could order more. With dessert you can choose from blend or espresso coffee, English tea or herb tea and we had the tea. The herb tea was very mild and delicious and was better than the English tea.

Overall the food was good but some male diners may find that they are left wanting more. The highlights would have to be the fish and vegetables which were very fresh, healthy and delicious. The staff was helpful and asked if we had any allergies or didn’t like anything which was a nice touch. The staff also sang happy birthday in Italian to a guest whose was celebrating their birthday and this can be arranged when you make the reservation which makes this a good place to celebrate special occasions. While the location of Mangia Pesce makes it a little inconvenient it is well worth the drive and is frequented by many people from as far away as Tokyo. This might explain why it is listed under the Italian category of the Tokyo restaurant guide.

written by

Mangia Pesce
Address:347-1, clematis-no-oka,Tono, Nagaizumi-cho, Shizuoka
Tel:+81-55-989-8788
http://www.clematis-no-oka.co.jp/012_shisetsu/013_mangia/013_top.html
Budget:Lunch 3,500 yen Dinner 10,000 yen
Open:11:00～15:00,18:00～22:00
Closed:Wed.
Overall evaluation:
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Atmosphere:
Service:
Value for money:

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Tim and Karen's report Fukube-shabu shabu@Mishima-

2008-08-26T10:00:00.001+09:00

Fukube -blowfish@Mishima- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-08-25T10:00:00.000+09:00

Fukube is open for lunch between 11:30-2:30 and dinner from 5:00-10:00 and is closed on Mondays.
Lunch courses are quite cheap all around 1,000 yen but dinner ranges from 6,000-10,000 yen.
Overall I found this place to being only average and the value for money questionable.
It seems to cater primarily for the 40 to 60 year old age group with very few of the younger generation to be seen.Fukube is near the Mishima Hirokogi station being around a 10 minute walk away which doesn't seem particularly convenient and yet whenever I go there it's busy.

The entrance has the typical "Fugu" or blowfish restaurant style about it and looks quite classy and expensive.
Inside the door the first thing you see is a large collection of shochu and because this restaurant also serves shyabu shayabu (beaf dipped in a range of seasoned soups) there is a large range of wine which would please any wine lover.

The restaurant offers both counter seating and tatami rooms which can change size depending on the number of guests in your party.
In the tatami rooms you must sit cross legged which can poove uncomfortable for those not used to it.
The hot towel and the tatami made for a very Japanese style experience althogh the serenity was broken by the noisy party next door only a paper screen away.

I ordered the 7,200 yen Fugu(blow fish) course when I made my reservation.
The first dish was an appertiser made from tuna mixed with natto which is fermented soy bean.
As I'm a big natto fan I enjoyed the appertiser which was followed by a large plate of raw blowfish or fugu sashimi.
It was very impressive as I can't afford to eat blowfish sashimi often , perhaps less than once a year.
It tasted great with the momiji oroshi which is grated white radish with red pepper to give it the red colour of autumn.
It was also served with sliced spring onion and ponzu which is a soy sauce flavoured with sweet rice wine citrus, bonito and kelp.
The fish was a little tough but not too tough and the chewiness was pleasant and gave me a thirst.

Next was fried blowfish or "fugu kara age". It wasn't as oily as the usual chicken "kara age" but there were too many small bones for my liking so I didn't enjoy it as it took too much patience to eat.
The next dish was the main course which was chili blowfish hot pot or "nabe".
It consisted of tofu, white radish, enoki mushrooms, shungiku(a strong tasting Japanese leafy vegetable), mizuna which is a milder tasting leafy vegetable and sticky rice cakes.
Once I had the pot boiling I ate the blowfish which was delicious and made me drink more and more.
At the end of hot pot I poured rice into it as the soup had a nice blowfish flavour to it. I also added an egg and mitsuba which is another strongly flavoured leafy vegetable.
After a few minutes with the lid on it was ready to eat and it released a delicious smelling steam when you took the lid off. I ate it with a little salt and seawead and enjoyed the Japanese flavours and experience of Japanese life.

For dessert, a yuzu or citrus sherbet was served that was a nice contrast to the mostly hot dishes that preceded it. Its fresh and cool taste was a nice way to finish the meal.

After the meal I was left wondering why fugu is so expensive. Is it the brand image of the fish or just the fact that it has always been expensive and usually only eaten on special occasions.

Maybe the fact that it is so expensive is why people enjoy it so much and think it is delicious.

written by

Fukube
Address:4-17, Minami-cho, Mishima
Tel:+81-55-973-8211
http://www.fukube.jp/
Budget:Lunch 2,000 yen Dinner 10,000 yen
Open:11:30am～2:30pm,5:00pm～10:00pm
Closed:Mon.
Overall evaluation:
Taste:
Atmosphere:
Service:
Value for money:

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Sugimoto -Soba@Numazu- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-08-22T10:00:00.003+09:00

Sugimoto is in a traditional single story Japanese building that was built over 60 years ago.
It is in Numazu near the North side of the station.

The entrance is huge and is almost a room in itself with the decor making me feel like I was in a time warp back to the early Showa period of about fifty years ago.

The menu is quite basic but not so cheap being about 1,500 yen and from the amount of soba that I saw another customer served I realised that the standard size would not be enough.

We therefore ordered a large size tempura soba and a large size duck soba which each cost 200 yen extra.

Before going I read a review on the net, that recommended the tamago yaki at this place so I also ordered it for 800yen.

It keenly anticipated the tamago yaki as the reviewer said it was so good.
It was served first and was five pieces accompanied with grated white radish and radish sprouts.
I was very disappointed with its flavour as it was quite tasteless and not worth the 160 per piece.

Next came the soba which I hoped would make up for the tamago yaki which was very average indeed.
The tempura soba consisted of 2 shrimps, egg plant and onion as well as the noodles themselves.

It seemed like there could have been more tempura but the soba itself was meant to be the highlight.
The soba soup had a very rich flavour but was a little too salty for my taste although the noodles were quite good.

I found the soup too overpowering however I have been told that soba experts usually eat the soba at first with no soup at all and then only dip it in for one second or so which could mean that this shop is suitable for them.

The decor and gardens around the restaurant are very pleasant but I found the food to be disapponting kinder.

written by

Sugimoto
Address:4-35, Honda-machi,Numazu
Tel:+81-55-921-8468
http://www.at-s.com/bin/guru/GURU0040.asp?yid=E688609904
Budget:2,000 yen
Open:Weekday:11:30am～3:00pm,Weekend:11:30am～8:00pm
Closed:Mon.
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Tim and Karen's report Dokan Kagari -steak@Numazu-

2008-08-21T10:00:00.001+09:00

I am an Australian who has been lucky enough to live in Mishima and Numazu for nearly 4 years.
I was given the chance to sample some of the areas first restaurants and would like to share my experiences with you.　I went to only Japanese style restaurants in the hope to introduce this unique, traditional and delicious style of restaurant to people from all over the world.
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Dokan Kagari is situated down a dark side street running between Senbon Beach and Numazu Port. It is on the ground floor of a quite imposing-looking new building and has a nice traditional Japanese water feature by the entrance. We visited on a very warm and humid Saturday evening and were pleased by the cool and open plan layout inside.

Upon entering, we were a little surprised at how open it was – basically a large room with two long hotplates, with seating around them in the form of an oval. It felt a little like walking into someone’s house, and although our welcome by the waitress was very friendly, it almost felt as if we were intruding when we entered the room and everyone looked up. However, we soon relaxed and were entertained as well as fed by a rather serious looking but obviously skilled chef.

The waitress and also the chef spoke a little English, and we were promptly offered drinks and asked if we preferred sirloin or fillet steak. My companion selected fillet steak and a very reasonably priced Beaujolais from the extensive wine list, and I chose draught beer to accompany my sirloin steak.

As we had ordered the 6,000 yen course it was not long before our entrée arrived. We had some cold corn soup, smoked salmon, beef, shrimp and something that looked and tasted like the jellyfish you often get at Chinese restaurants in Japan. The reason we were not sure was because there was no explanation of the dish, which was disappointing even though the food was very good.

Next came some pieces of fish cake, konnyaku and sweet corn that were grilled in front of us on the hotplate. The fish cake was excellent and the chef explained it contained fish, scallop and crab. The konnyaku, which I am normally not a big fan of, was surprisingly good too, and the sweet corn, which was cooked on top of what looked like a pancake batter, was excellent.

When our steaks arrived we were very impressed by their size and watched with keen anticipation as they were carefully cooked in front of us. The chef performed tricks with the salt and pepper shakers, and used these seasonings liberally over the steaks. It was not long before they were cooked to perfection. To say that these were probably the best steaks we have ever eaten is not an overstatement, as both the flavour and texture of them was superb. The fillet was so incredibly tender that it almost felt like eating high-class sushi, as it seemed to just disappear on the top of your tongue.
The sirloin was excellent as well, with a slightly stronger beef flavour and a firmer texture. The vegetables that accompanied the steak were also delicious, with the large green asparagus being slightly crunchy, and the eggplant not bitter at all. I found myself eating a lot of the garlic chips that were provided, as they went well with everything we had.
The fatty end of my sirloin steak was removed and cut into small pieces that were then grilled for a long time, to make it almost like steak “pork cracking’, and was surprisingly delicious – if somewhat unhealthy. The salad that came with the steak was only average, but enjoyable as it balanced the other strong flavours we were enjoying.
Before our next course we were given ice water and some miso soup, this was followed by rice where you could choose either garlic or fish flavour, so we had one of each. The fish flavoured rice was nothing special, but I enjoyed the garlic rice even though my companion thought it was too overpowering.

We were both very hungry when we arrived at the restaurant, but by this stage were full and satisfied. As far as the performance went, dessert was the main attraction as brandy was used in a spectacular fiery display – and the lights were even dimmed to add to the effect. A lot of time is taken to poach the peaches in contreau and brandy for the “peach melba” dessert, which was beautifully presented and tasted as good as it looked.
Overall, we found this restaurant to be very good, and although it is not overly cheap it is certainly worth going to if you enjoy steak and wine.

Dokan Kagari
Address:26-3, Senbon-nisimachi,Numazu
Tel:+81-55-952-3600
http://nttbj.itp.ne.jp/0559523600/index.html?Media_cate=populer&svc=1303
Budget:Lunch:2,100 yen Dinner:6,000 yen
Open:Weekday:11:00am～1:30pm,5:30pm～8:30pm
Closed:Wed.

Tim and Karen's review

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Dokan Kagari -steak@Numazu- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-08-20T10:00:00.002+09:00

Dokan Kagari is located near Numazu port and has recently moved there from another location.
It's quite far from the station so a taxi is required if you want to drink.
It is in a small, dark and narrow street so wouldn't be easy to find if you drove there. There is a large green signboard to help you find it but it doesn't really look like a restaurant from the outside.

When you enter the restaurant it is suprisingly large and the entrance has a nice atmosphere.
There are 2 rows of teppan counters and the interior design is very 'chic' for a teppanyaki style restaurant.

Most of the other customers were couples of various age groups.
There were no guests dining alone but you can make single reservations if you like.
I went on a Monday so it wasn't crowded and was seated away from other people.
The menu offers teppanyaki style courses with a single page wine list that offers the choice of 5 or 6 red wines.
The housewine is named after the restaurant but it had no description so I didn't order it.

I ordered the Italian wine Classico that cost 3,000 yen for a half bottle which I thought as reasonable.
It had a fruity taste but was quite heavy so it matched the steak well.

Classico is very easy to drink so it can make you get drunk if you are not careful but it went very well with steak.

I ordered the Kagari course for 6,000 yen.
There is another course for 4,000 but both use Japanese "wagyu" so they are very reasonable.
I chose the 200 gram sirloin and it was enough to eat.
If you wish to share your course with your companions the staff are happy to cut it up into portions.
The difference between the courses is that the cheaper one is served with spinach and egg whereas the Kagari course has the house special flamed dessert.

The first dish of the Kagari course was a ratatouille with baby squid, shrimp and eggplant served with roast beef.

It exceeded by expectations and was delicious.

Then they served some steamed minced fish while they grilled the vegetables to be served with the steak.

It tasted good with "ponzu" dipping sauce.
The vegetables were asparagus, onions and enoki which are a type of Japanese mushrroom.
They were all grilled for a long time on low heat.

French fries were also served but were cooked elsewhere.

When the steak was served it was not as oily as I thought it would be and the chef performed some tricks with the salt and pepper for entertainment.
You can choose between ponzu sauce or garlic butter to go with the steak as well as garlic chips, wasabi or yuzu kosho which is a citrus pepper and salt seasoning.

I enjoyed a combination of yuzu kosho and ponzu sauce which tasted great with the meat.

The meat itself was not as tender as other high class Japanese beaf I have eaten but was still OK.
The fat from the meat is used in making the garlic rice which I chose instead of the other type of rice on offer which was Jakomeshi(rice with small white fish).

The garlic rice tasted very good and I was pleased with my choice.

Dessert was also grilled and was half an apple and a strawberry gently cooked on the teppan plate.
In another performance by the chef a peal soaked in alcohol was suspended above a ball of icecream on the grill which resulted in a firey display and the icecream being flambed.

The flavour from the alcohol was absorbed by the slightly melted icecream which was delicious.

The apple at first was quite sweet but as I ate it it became less so and tasted similiar to a sweet and sour dish.

In conclusion the side menus were excellent which helped the flavour of the steak however something seemed to be missing.

What exactly this was I am not sure but it meant that my overall impression was not as good as it could have been.

Depending on the night, this restaurant could be quite lively and noisey so it would be a good place to go with some close friends.

written by

Dokan Kagari
Address:26-3, Senbon-nisimachi,Numazu
Tel:+81-55-952-3600
http://nttbj.itp.ne.jp/0559523600/index.html?Media_cate=populer&svc=1303
Budget:Lunch:2,100 yen Dinner:6,000 yen
Open:Weekday:11:00am～1:30pm,5:30pm～8:30pm
Closed:Wed.
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Tim and Karen's report Unashige -eel@Shimuzu-cho-

2008-08-19T10:00:00.000+09:00

Unashige -eel@Shimizu-cho- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-08-18T10:00:00.006+09:00

Unashige is one of the 3 famous eel restaurants in Mishima.
The carpark was full of high class expensive cars which was an indication of the type of people who eat at this restaurant.

‘Shirayaki’ goes particularly well with rice wine so I recommend you try them together.

The main dish was ‘unajyu’ and the sauce smelled so rich and delicious that it made me very hungry indeed. Compared to the other famous eel restaurant Sakuraya Unashige’s sauce is much richer and made we eat my eel very quickly with a smile on my face.

Next I ate ishiyaki bibinba in three ways. First just with rice, then with tororo (grated yamaimo) and finally with green tea. They all tasted good but the first and most simple was the best.

Eating eel always maker we feel good and healthy although it also makes we persipire which my friend said is a sign of getting old. Whether It’s true that I’m getting old or not I think that the eel at Unashige is the best in Mishima and I strongly recommend that you try it for yourself.

written by

Unashige
Address:239-3, Fushimi, Shimizu-cho, Shizuoka
Tel:+81-55-975-6879
http://www.unasige.com/
Budget:3,000 yen
Open:Weekday:11：00am～2：30pm,4：00pm～9：00pm,Weekend:11：00am～8：30pm
Closed:Mon.
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Futaba sushi　-Sushi@Numazu- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-08-15T10:00:00.002+09:00

Futaba sushi is near Numazu fish market and is a very traditional style sushi restaurant where long queues of people always eagerly wait for the 11:00 am opening time.

The outside of the building looks like an old style Japanese shop and is an indication of how long this famous restaurant has operated for.
My point in going to Futaba sushi was to find out exactly why it has been so successful for so long.
We went after 1:00 pm and the counter seats were all full so we had to sit at a table.

I ordered the top of the range sushi course which was a very reasonably priced 2,310. Before the sushi I was served tea which I have found to be good at just about every sushi restaurant I've been to.

My sushi was served very quickly after I ordered which was good as I was hungry.
The first sushi I tried was the "toro" or fatty tuna which was delicious and melted in my mouth.
Next, I ate the amberjack sushi which I don't usually like but it was so fresh I enjoyed it.
I followed this with the cooked shrimp, tuna and squid sushi.
The shrimp was big, sweet and had a firm fresh texture that was excellent.

Next I had the conga sushi which had a roasted outer layer which was quite crispy and a delicious tender and sweet interior.

It is often said that a sushi restaurants worth is measured by the quality of its tamago yaki.

Futaba sushi tamago yaki was so large that I couldn't see the rice under it and was so soft sweet and delicious that I don't think I could ever make it so well myself.

After the egg sushi I had salmon egg sushi which was wrapped in dried seaweed.

The contrast between the crispy seaweed and the soft salmon eggs made it very enjoyable.

I finished my first sushi course with tuna and cucumber sushi rolls which were also good but I found that i was still hungry.

I then ordered another course but this time the middle of the range which doesn't include fatty tuna but has all the other sushi that I just had.

It was also very reasonably priced at 1,575 yen.
I think that most people would need to eat more than just one course to have enough for lunch.

The pickled ginger is made fresh every day and is worth mentioning.

The chef told me the recipe which is to first slice the ginger very thinly and then in winter you pour hot water over the ginger to soften it.

After that you squeeze all the water from the ginger and you pour sweet vonegar over the ginger. It's simple.

After eating at Futaba Sushi the reason for its long term success seemed quite clear.It's tradition of always serving the highest quality fresh fish combined with friendly service, and not changing the recipes or price means that it's likely that it will continue to be successful for many years to come.

Other restaurants let fame go to their heads but Futaba sushi's attention to detail and traditional approach make it an excellent value for money sushi restaurant.

It's worth noting that this restaurant closes when the fish sells out so it can be difficult to know when to go if you want to avoid the crowds.

written by

Futaba sushi
Address:121-8, Senbonminato-cho, Numazu
Tel:+81-55-962-0885
http://gourmet.yahoo.co.jp/0004834209/
Budget:Lunch:3,000 yen Dinner:6,000 yen
Open:Weekday:11：00am～8：00pm
Closed:Tue.
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K'S Diner　-Italian@Mishima- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-08-14T10:00:00.002+09:00

K's diner is near the south exit of Mishima station. It’s famous for its ISO kinds of liqueur from Japan, China, Europe and the all over the world. I went for lunch and ordered the 2500 yen lunch course.
The ‘hors d'oeuvre’ was two dishes, tuna calpachio with a citrus pepper sauce as well as white fish, roast beef and a spring roll with mocha(rice cake) filling.
The roast beef was served with Chinese XO sauce and the fish dish was like salmon. The fish was not so good but the roast beef was excellent although mochi does not appear to be a good filling for spring rolls.
The next course was an Italian uncured ham salad and a Chinese egg soup. Which is typical of this restaurant on it fries to blend various cuisines together. Sometimes it works well but in this case the soup and salad did not go well together.
After that was a yellow tail kingfish cooked in the traditional French meuniere method with lots of butter.
Each course was served on very unique plates and I enjoyed looking at them and the excellent food presentation. The yellow tail was presented in 3 layers with the top being fish, then fried potatoes and then mashed potatoes on the bottom.
It was good and this dish alone would have been enough for me.

The meat dish followed which was roast duck with mustard sauce. It tasted strongly Japanese influenced and I enjoyed it the most out of all the courses.
Next was a chicken and mushroom pasta which smelled like Japanese tea. By this stage I was very full and it was probably too much food but the pasta was nice and tasted like the traditional Japanese dish of ‘ochazuke’ which is rice with green tea.
Finally dessert was chocolate pound cake with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. You can choose between coffee and tea to have with dessert. The day we went was Valentine’s Day and because in Japan on this day women are meant to give men chocolate all the dessert were chocolate flavored. Even though I was full the dessert tasted so good that I wanted to eat more.

When we arrived at the restaurant before 12:00 it was empty but it quickly filled up so making a reservation would be a good idea.
The lunch sets are very reasonable and many people ordered the \800 course. The staff are young but provide good service even when it is busy.
Next time I go to K’s Diner I want to go for dinner so that I can drink some of the many kinds of liqueur.

written by

K'S Diner
Address:2-25, Ichiban-cho, Mishima
Tel:+81-5-976-8680
http://www.m-keizu.jp/kzweb/Default.aspx
Budget:Lunch 2,000 yen Dinner 4,000 yen
Open:11：30～15：00、17：00～24：00
Closed:Mon.
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Fukuden -Soba@Numazu- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-08-13T10:00:00.002+09:00

Fukuden is in Numazu near the Numazu East High School. From the outside it looks very traditional and is set in a tranquil Japanese garden.

The restaurant is quite small with only 5 tables and offers a simple menu that is a little more expensive than usual. It has a good reputation and is ranked quite highly among soba shops in this area.
I ordered a platter of seasonal vegetables for two including some wild or forest vegetables gathered in the mountains. On the back of the menu the chef has written details about the ingredients he uses in the dishes including the soy sauce which is apparently the best in Japan.

The vegetable platter had a subtle flavor and included tomato, sweet potato, yam paste as well as forest or mountain vegetable. We also had ‘tsukemono’ or Japanese pickles which were cucumber, carrot and white radish that also had a subtle and not overly salty flavor.
When the soba arrived it seemed to be not very much but was served on a bamboo basket and looked delicious. It came with a bowl, a flask of soba soup and some condiments or relish. You are meant to first put the soup into the bowl, then the soba and finally add condiments to your own taste. When I did this I found that the flavor was not as strong as I would like and it tasted a little weak. I had high expectations of the restaurant given its reputation but was disappointed however the soba itself was delicious even though the soup lacked flavor. The silky smoothness of the excellent soba really deserves to be served with a rich and tasty soup. In addition the amount of soba was not really enough and had I known this when ordering I would have asked for the large size for an extra 200 yen.

In conclusion I would have say that while the soba was good there are many better soba restaurants around for you to try.

written by

Fukuden
Address:1433-1, Okanomiya, Numazu
Tel:+81-55-926-7284
http://r.tabelog.com/shizuoka/rstdtl/22000081/
Budget:2,000 yen
Open:11：00am～7：00pm
Closed:Mon.
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Coo -Japanese@Mishima- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-08-12T10:00:00.004+09:00

Coo is owned by the same owner of the popular K's Diner which is a restaurant on the south side of Mishima station.
Coo has a very sophisticated and chic appearance from the outside so it would be a great place for a first date.

I went to Coo on a Sunday and all the tables were full so the waiter led me to a counter seat.
The counter is a large circular solid timber structure lined with bottles of many different kinds.
It was January 15th when we went so on the counter was a very large traditional Japanese New year's rice cake known as "Kagamimochi".
In most Japanese restaurants you find many kinds of rice wine and shochu but at Coo you also find a large range of plum liquer and other unusual liquers that you can order for 1,000 yen a glass.
The concept behind this restaurant is a Japanese bar style cafe where you can enjoy drinking and eating as well as just eating if you like.
As I had driven I ordered hot tea and while I was looking at the menu the waitress served me the traditional small appetizer you get at Japanese bars with hot water as I had not ordered any alcohol.
I was surprised to recieve the appetizer as you usually only get it when you order alcohol and it is not free twhich made the fact that it didn't taste very good even worse.

I ordered Korean flavored calpacho with raw octopus, spring onion and black pepper.
The octopus was excellent and I enjoyed it a lot.

Next I had sea bream on top of "ochazuke" which is tea flavoured rice soup. It wasn't particulary good and I wondered why I was given a trice dish second as I still had a number of other dishes to come.
Normally in multi course dinners, rice is given towards the end so as not to fill you up.

Next I was served more rice this time with the basil like Japanese herb shiso on top as well as miso soup.
I was again disappointed with this dish and while we were still eating it we were served our next dish of potato croquettes.
These were actually delicious and we enjoyed them a lot.

After that we had a "yakitori" or skewered grilled chicken set.
It included some unsual things like skewered tomato wrapped in bacon, skewered rice cake wrapped in pork, and skewered minced chicken wrapped in Japanese basil.
These creations were originals of this restaurant but I prefer traditional style "yakitori" cooked over charcoal.

The atmosphere and service at this restaurant is good and if you like unusual or original dishes you would probably enjoy the food.
I like more traditional style cooking so I don't quite understand the concept behind Coo but as the lunch menu offers good value at 1,000 yen I would like to go back at lunch time and try this restaurant again.

written by

Coo
Address:3-2, Ichiban-cho, Numazu
Tel:+81-55-981-7752
http://www.zen-inc.jp/coo/tennai.html
Budget:Lunch 1,500 yen Dinner 3,000 yen
Open:11：30am～2：00pm,5：00pm～0：00am
Closed:Mon.
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Tim and Karen's report Sushi Bun -sushi@Numazu-

2008-08-11T10:00:00.000+09:00

Tim and Karen's report Garden Basara -Kaiseki@Nagaizumi-

2008-08-08T10:00:00.003+09:00

I am an Australian who has been lucky enough to live in Mishima and Numazu for nearly 4 years.
I was given the chance to sample some of the areas first restaurants and would like to share my experiences with you.　I went to only Japanese style restaurants in the hope to introduce this unique, traditional and delicious style of restaurant to people from all over the world.
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It is often said that a great restaurant takes you to another place and during your visit there makes you feel truly special. Garden Basara is a restaurant that achieves this and more. From the walk up to the restaurant through lovely green gardens to the calm, sophisticated interior with its clean lines, mood lighting and spacious area, we found ourselves relaxing and forgetting about the outside world.

The restaurant was quiet on a Sunday evening, so we felt especially pampered by the attentive staff. We had the 7,000 yen set menu, which turned out to be a delightful surprise after surprise.
First, we were each served a rectangular platter with an assortment of delicacies. There was a mini peeled tomato in a lemony soup, Japanese marinated vegetable, white fish on succulent wakame, an extremely tender slice of duck with a touch of mustard, a creamy ‘tamago-yaki’, a slightly chewy shellfish and crispy fried iwashi (sardines) which had a lovely fishy flavour and was not oily. The presentation was awesome, right down to the turban shell and hydrangea flowers. This was only the beginning, however, and the waiter’s friendly explanation of each dish in English was much appreciated.

Next a soup with a ball of shrimp and mushroom was served. The thin broth was rich in flavour and very smoky. The shrimp ball had an egg-like consistency, and was extremely flavoursome. The garnish of shallots was crunchy and matched it perfectly.

After the soup we had a dish of sashimi consisting of tuna, squid and flatfish. Again, the presentation was exquisite, and the freshly grated wasabi was totally different to the instant paste found in other restaurants. The squid was surprisingly creamy, and the tuna was presented in generous slabs. The flatfish was a little chewy, but nice.

Following this we were served a teriyaki-style chicken dish with a beautiful salad presented within a slender glass. The teriyaki chicken took the idea of ‘teriyaki’ to new heights with its subtle taste that was not too sweet, tender pieces of meat and the delicious crispy skin. The salad was also delicious and the dressing had a bit of a bite to it! It is worth mentioning that dishes were brought and taken away at very comfortable intervals. We never waited too long before courses, and once finished with a plate they were immediately cleared away. The table always looked beautiful with its pristine white tablecloth, decorated with the never-ending arrival of beautifully presented dishes.

We then enjoyed an unusual concoction of eggplant and daikon served with a sesame sauce and grated ginger. It was an unusual blend of flavours but it worked well.

Our final dish before dessert was a white fish tempura wrapped in a shiso leaf and a white asparagus tempura. These were served with a small bowl of green tea powder, and the result was a salty, exotic taste. The fish was delicate and delicious, and the white asparagus was crunchy with a nutty flavour. White rice and miso soup also arrived to signal the end of the main courses.

At this stage we were served ‘hojicha’ and green tea, and it was a nice touch to be given another hot towel. We had shown interest in the ‘hojicha’, and to our pleasure the waiter brought two small bowls with the tea leaves in them for us to see!

Dessert was an exotic display of traditional Japanese desserts mixed with more western style ones such as a rich slice of chocolate and a mango sorbet. Even though we were full, we still enjoyed tasting each offering. We finished the delightful evening with an excellent coffee and an outstanding double espresso which was strong but not at all bitter, and unlike any other coffee I’ve ever had in Japan.
All in all Garden Basara offers an exquisite dining experience where you are truly treated like a king.

Garden Basara
Address:347-1, Clematis-no-oka, Tono, Nagaizumi
Tel:+81-55-989-8778
http://www.clematis-no-oka.co.jp/012_shisetsu/100_basara/100_top.html
Budget:Lunch 5,000 yen Dinner 10,000 yen
Open:11:00am～3:00pm、5:30pm～10:00pm
Closed:Wed.

Tim and Karen's review

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Sushi Bun -Sushi@Numazu- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-08-07T10:00:00.005+09:00

Sushi Bun is very famous not only in this area but in Tokyo and other prefectures as well.
On weekend the queues of people waiting outside indicate just how famous and popular it is.
We went at 2:00 pm to escape the lunch time rush and avoided the queues.

By this time, the daily set menu had finished so we sat at the counter which gives you a good view of the sushi being made.

At first, we were given kelp and pickled ginger that we enjoyed with our first order of "Tamago-yaki" which is a delicious soft and sweet cooked egg dish.

Next, I ordered raw white bait sushi, red sea bream sushi amberjack sushi and tuna sushi.

The white bait sushi was served with spring onion, ginger and soy sauce on rice.
Only the freshest red sea bream can be used for sushi and it melted in my mouth and was the first time that I had tried it raw.
I now realise what I've been missing by eating it in the more common boiled or fried ways.
The amberjack sushi had a slightly chewy texture that was very pleasing and when combined with the delicately warmed rice made for something that I could have kept eating all afternoon.
The tuna sushi was "chu-toro" which means medium fat level and looked as delicious as it tasted. The shine on the surface lot the fish is an indication of the fishes good condition and it tasted superb.

Next I ordered garfish sushi, horse mackerel sushi, arch shell sushi, and deep-sea shrimp sushi followed by sea urchin and conga sushi.

The garfish sushi was served with ginger and soy sauce. The sushi chef recommended that I eat it straight away within 3 seconds, which I did much to my pleasure.
The time between when it is made and eaten is critical for this dish and if it is left too long the taste is not so good.
During the meal the waiter constantly refilled our tea which helped us to enjoy the excellent food.
The Numazu area is famous for Aji (horse mackerel) and the sushi was very thin, quite fatty and delicious.
While being slightly chew, your tough, the arch shell was still good with a delicate taste, and aroma that I would like to eat again.
The sushi chef selected some live deep sea shrimp and peeled them in front of us for our sushi.

It also melted in my mouth and was so sweet that it was the best raw deep-sea shrimp I have ever eaten.
The food was so good that i got a bit carried away when ordering the sea urchin and conga which are both quite expensive.

The sea urchin was the best thing and proved to be worth the cost and was truly exquisite.

The conga didn't dissapoint either with 2 types being served.
The first was with rice that had a slight citrus and salt flavors.
The second was the more common conga coated in special sauce and both were excellent and surpassed the other very high class and delicious sushi we had been served.

Overall this restaurant would haveto be rated as close to, if not the best of the many in the Numazu area.

The service is amazing and makes you feel like you are being treated like a celebrity.
This combined with the fresh raw fish, quality of rice and range of dishes make it a sushi restaurant of the highest possible class.

written by

Sushi Bun
Address:109,Senbon-minato-cho,Numazu
Tel:+81-55-962-5651
http://www.at-s.com/bin/GURU/GURU0040.asp?yid=B291279136
Budget:5,000 yen
Open:11:30am～9:00pm
Closed:Wed.
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Garden Basara　-Kaiseki@Nagaizumi- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-08-06T10:00:00.004+09:00

Garden Basara is a high-class traditional Japanese restaurant established by Hirohisa Koyama who is the owner of famous Japanese restaurant “Aoyagi” in Tokushima. It opened in 2004 and is situated in Clematis Hill which is a multicultural facility of art and nature that overlooks Numazu.
The restaurant is in a modern building with high ceilings and an open plan style layout. The background music is jazz and gives the restaurant a modern feel. If you go for lunch you can enjoy the beautiful view of the gardens from your table.
The drink menu is impressive and includes all the usuals as well as a special sake made by Isojiman for Garden Basara. Unfortunately, I had to drive so I couldn’t try it but next time I will. They also serve a drink using the lime-like fruit sudachi which is famous in the Tokusima area.
When I photographed the menu the staff kindly gave me one which made me feel a little guilty as I only ordered tea which is free.
The food menu offers 3 courses, the yuki (snow) for 7,000 yen, the tsuki(moon) for 10,000 yen and the hana (flower) for 13,000 yen. We ordered the yuki which consisted of many delicious and beautiful dishes.
The first dish was shrimp soup made with ground shrimp shell and seaweed. It had a mild flavor that would suit most palates.

Next we had vinegared crab claw jelly, egg boiled in soy sauce and sake, stewed beef with egg and sardine with vegetables. They were all presented beautifully and tasted very good.

Next was a dish made from baby tuna which is very soft and not as oily as normal tuna.
It was served raw with seaweed, raw squid, lime and wasabi.
It melted it the mouth and the sake soaked seaweed and squid complimented it perfectly.

After that was mackerel sushi served with a special radish called Ome daicon.
The sushi itself was only avesage but the radish was excellent even though it was a little hard to chew.

Next was grilled salted spanish mackeral with vegetables and lotus root served with a special mustard and seaweed sauce.
The sauce was a little spicy but tasted great with the fish which was moist and tender with a nice crispy skin.
By this stage I was starting to fill up so if you are not a big eater it might be too much.
The grilled mackerel was followed by a boiled vegetable dish that smelled strongly of Japanese pepper when I removed the lid.
The vegetables included bamboo shoots, carrots and other Japanesespecialities and they tasted as good as they smelled. In particular the bamboo shoot was very sweet and delicious and smelled like sweet corn.
These delicious spring vegitables reminded us that spring was in the air and were a joy to eat.

The last of the main courses was rice, miso soup and Japanese pickles.
Small shrimp and citrus juice were added to the rice which had a delicious aroma and tasted good. The miso soup was nothing special and I was so full anyway.

Dessert was what is known as a pallet dessert and was served on a real painters pallet.
As the name suggests it looked like a piece of art and was a selection of tastey treats including papaya, green tea sherbet, pudding, soft cream, and other ttaditional Japanese sweets.

In conclusion Basara offers an exquisite range of high level Japanese food.
They use ingredients from Shizuoka ,Tokushima and Kyoto and combine them with excellent presentation and service.
The decor of the restaurant is sophisticated and overall dining there is a pleasure.

written by

Garden Basara
Address:347-1, Clematis-no-oka, Tono, Nagaizumi
Tel:+81-55-989-8778
http://www.clematis-no-oka.co.jp/012_shisetsu/100_basara/100_top.html
Budget:Lunch 5,000 yen Dinner 10,000 yen
Open:11:00am～3:00pm、5:30pm～10:00pm
Closed:Wed.
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Tim and Karen's report Soba Dining Den -Soba@Numazu-

2008-08-05T10:00:00.007+09:00

I am an Australian who has been lucky enough to live in Mishima and Numazu for nearly 4 years.
I was given the chance to sample some of the areas first restaurants and would like to share my experiences with you. I went to only Japanese style restaurants in the hope to introduce this unique, traditional and delicious style of restaurant to people from all over the world.
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You won’t have any trouble finding the Soba Dining Den – as long as you are on the right street you will easily find the impressive and stylish deep blue building.
It is immediately obvious that this is a Japanese establishment by the attractive bamboo decorating the outside of the building.
The reception area and whole interior is beautifully done – so traditional and serene that you relax immediately upon entering.

We had excellent, friendly service right from the word go, and we were shown to a lovely private setting with the very comfortable space under the table whereby although you are sitting on the floor you can stretch your legs out as if you were sitting on a chair. The décor was a mixture of modern and traditional, and the smell of the new woodwork was divine.

We spent our evening at Soba Dining Den alternating between admiring the interior design and admiring the fantastic food laid before us.
The first course was an amazingly presented assortment that included prawns in sweet chilli sauce, coriander and celery, and warm sesame sardines that were delicious with a rich depth of flavour. We also had broad beans, squid and konyaku, as well as a slightly spicy chicken ball that was very good. There was a prawn croquette that had a firm texture and had been skilfully fried.

Second course consisted of ‘tezukuri’ or ‘home made’ tofu, which was topped with spring onion shallots and ginger. It had a firm, fresh taste and was very refreshing after a day spent in a hot, humid climate. The third course was an absolute stunner – crab shumai with a yuzu juice sauce which was strong but not overpowering. The crab flavour in the shumai was exquisite – the best shumai I have ever eaten, and it almost requires a different name as it is so much better than regular shumai.

We also enjoyed admiring the plates that the food was served on. Each plate was handmade and unique, and added to the superb presentation of everything. Everything combined made us feel lucky to be in Japan!

Our fourth course was a moist and tender grilled yellowtail fillet with a slight teriyaki flavour, accompanied by a rich grilled shiitake mushroom which was also juicy yet firm, and a delicious crispy minced vegetable ball. The balance of flavours within each dish was skilfully manipulated – we had some sweet flavours, then savoury, others refreshing. We were feeling quite satisfied after the fourth course – not just full but the feeling that we had enjoyed a very satisfying mix of delicate flavours.

The fifth course was a lovely ‘chirashi’ sushi, and again demonstrated a balance between sweet and salty. The octopus was a bit too chewy, but the tamagoyaki was excellent. It may have been because we were getting full as while it was still very enjoyable, the chirashi sushi made less of an impression than the previous courses. Unfortunately after this course we had a rather long wait and as we didn’t know if the courses had finished or not and as a result we almost drank the noodle sauce that was placed on our table thinking it was tea. After a period of time a dish each of tempura and soba noodles arrived, and they were both well-worth waiting for.

The tempura was light, crispy and was served with a choice of two salts and green tea powder. The fish in the tempura dish was absolutely excellent. The soba at first taste was al dente and a little tasteless, but it came to life once dipped into the sauce with a mixture of wasabi and spring onion. It was very mild and delicate, with a hint of soy and bonito or some other fish flavour. The soba and tempura contrasted well with each other, and was another excellent combination of taste, texture and richness.

We were surprised to be offered the hot water used for boiling the soba, which we were told to add to our dipping sauce and then drink. It actually tasted very nice indeed, like a rich broth, and I drank it all even though I was very full. In the meantime, the almost empty restaurant that we had walked into at 6.30 pm was now packed at 8.00pm and staff were turning people away at the door.

Finally we enjoyed a dessert of a rich creamy vanilla icecream, served with kiwifruit and grapefruit. The soba cha tea had a slight wasabi flavour to it, and it was a nice way to finish a spectacular meal. The course we had was extremely good value, and that combined with the excellent food and service means we will be visiting again soon.

Soba Dinning Den
Address:5-14, Takazawa-cho ,Numazu
Tel:+81-55-925-4141
http://www.soba-den.com/menu/menu.html
Budget:Lunch 3,000 yen Dinner 5,000 yen
Open:11：30am～1：30pm,5：30～10：00pm
Closed:Sun.

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Tim and Karen's Report Katsumasa -pork cutlet@Numazu-

2008-08-04T10:00:00.009+09:00

I am an Australian who has been lucky enough to live in Mishima and Numazu for nearly 4 years.
I was given the chance to sample some of the areas first restaurants and would like to share my experiences with you. I went to only Japanese style restaurants in the hope to introduce this unique, traditional and delicious style of restaurant to people from all over the world.
This region is famous for all kinds of food ranging from seafood from the mysterious depths of Suruga Bay to rare mountain delicacies and the famous Ashitaka beaf.
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‘Katsu’ occupies a unique position within modern Japanese cuisine, and over the years my English students have often ranked it highly amongst their favourite food in the usual first class introductions. The word ‘katsu’ probably comes from cutlet meaning ‘crumbed meat’ and has been shortened and adopted into the Japanese language. Few would argue that the famous German dish ‘schnitzel’ is most likely where this ‘crumbed meat’ phenomena began.

Given my German heritage, it was with a sense of keen anticipation that I looked forward to going to ‘Katsumasa’, a well-known Katsu restaurant in the Izu area. Katsumasa is situated in Hara, which lies between Numazu and Fuji city and was made famous by the painter Hakusai as a stage along the old Tokaido road. From the outside the restaurant looks somewhat understated but has a distinct Japanese look about it.
Upon our arrival at midday on Sunday for lunch, we were immediately ushered into a comfortable booth and had the daily special explained to us. We were pleased to be served both hot and cold tea, and the hot towels were appreciated too. One significant difference about Katsumasa that must be applauded is that it is entirely non-smoking. This courtesy allowed us to enjoy our meal in a pleasant smoke-free environment.

Katsumasa is decorated in a modern Japanese style, with some lovely traditional touches such as the lights and woodwork. It has an open and airy feel about it, and customers have the choice of sitting at tables or on the more traditional tatami mat. The atmosphere was cheerful and the mood relaxed. Although the restaurant was full by 12.30, the level of service never wavered. Our tea was refilled constantly, our orders were brought promptly, and although we felt completely unhurried during our meal we were ready to leave within 50 minutes of arriving ? our stomachs full and completely content.

I ordered the special that the waiter had highly recommended as ‘juicy’ and ‘high in volume’. At 1544 yen, the ‘kiri ro-su katsu’ was indeed juicy and extremely filling. My dining partner ordered the ‘cheese chicken roll katsu’ (1344 yen), and we were impressed to be offered a choice of soup (tonjiru or seaweed) and type of rice (white or healthy). The waiter used a bit of English to help us with our choices, and we appreciated his friendliness and helpfulness.

Next, we were served a rectangular dish with 3 kinds of pickles, and individual bowls with roasted sesame seeds for us to grind ourselves. The pickles were crunchy and delicious, and the roasted sesame grinding ? while not as easy as it looks ? released such a delicious smell that I had to dip my chopsticks in and try some. We asked the waiter what we were supposed to do with the ground sesame, and he explained that we added sauce to it and used it to dip our katsu into. There was a choice of sauces and also salad dressings already on our table.

Our meals arrived served on large black trays and were very attractively presented on a variety of Japanese dishes. We were told we were welcome to ‘okawari’ ? extra servings of cabbage, rice or soup at any time.
My first piece of katsu tasted just as good as it looked and was tender and juicy with a deliciously crispy coating that was not oily at all. The ground sesame and sauce mixture complemented the flavour perfectly, as did the ‘oroshi’ soy sauce, dashi and grated white radish dipping sauce that I tried with my second piece of katsu. The healthy rice I ordered was surprisingly soft and did not taste anything like the brown rice I have tried before. My choice of vegetable soup was also good, containing a selection of crisp vegetables and small pieces of pork that made me realise that it was more like pork and vegetable soup than anything else. The fresh shredded cabbage was an excellent accompaniment to the other dishes and provided a nice balance to the meal.

My companion’s chicken cheese roll katsu was just as good as mine and was also moist and tender with a subtle ham and cheese flavour and a touch of pepper to round it off. She chose the normal white rice which was excellent, and while the seaweed soup she had was good it was not in the same league as the pork and vegetable that I enjoyed so much that I accepted the offer of a refill even though I was very full at the time.

In conclusion I would have to say that Katsumasa is an excellent restaurant and if you are at all interested in cutlets you should try it. Highlights apart from the excellent cutlets themselves would have to be the ground roast sesame sauce, the delicious pickles served as appetizers, the presentation and the helpful and friendly service.

Katsumasa
Address:2-13-11, Haramachinaka,Numazu
Tel:+81-55-967-8300
http://www.masago.net/page/katumasa1.html
Budget:2,000 yen
Open:11：00am～10：00pm
Closed:open 365 days a year

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Soba Dining Den -Soba@Numazu- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-08-01T10:00:00.002+09:00

Soba Den is near Takazawa park on the North side of Numazu station.
It is the "sister shop" of Sushi Den which is near by. From the ourside it looks quite plain with dark paint but has a fashionable and chic style to it.
The interior features Japanese traditional and modern colors and when you enter you are greated by a counter with many large bottles of Shochu desplayed on it.
The background music is Jazz which is in contrast to the traditional decor and the kimono wearing waitresses.

It was a cold day when we went and the waitress kindly set up a heater under us for comfort.
The drink menu had a huge range of shochu so I ordered soba shochu on the rocks.You must bookahead at this restaurant and it offers the choice of 3
set menus.
The first is 3,500 yen the next is 4,500 yen and the most expensive is 6,000 yen. I ordered the 4,500 yen which was as follows.

At first was a "basket of appetizers" which consisted of 5 treats in a basket.
They were fish cake which is a deep fried minced fish called "Satsuma-age" in Japanese, pickled small fish, scallop gratain, tofu with peanut sauce and boiled white radish in miso sauce.
I was surprised by the variety and lack of soba in the basket, but enjyoed it and the tofu.

The next dish was a fish dish using minced Japanese conga and tofu formed into balls with spring onions on top. The waitress informed us that the tofu was handmade and delicious but I wasn't all that impressed.

After that we were served crab shumai with a citrus taste. They were excellent and smelled strongly of citrus and I would have liked to eat more. It made me look forward to the next dish with keen anticipation. It didn't disappoint and was baked fish with 3 types as miso sauce. There was wasabi miso, Japanese mushroom miso and plain miso all beatifully presented on a square plate.
The wasabi miso matched the white radish best and was the best tasting thing I had eaten so far. The fish was very soft with a subtle and delicious flavour.
As it was March there was a lovely display of Japanese dolls for the "hina-matsuri" and the interrior of the restaurant is changed with the season.

The waitress was very knowledgable about both the food and drink menu and could answer all my questions quickly.

The next dish was a plate of sashimi served on a long rectangular plate with a sushiroll.
The sushi roll was probably because it was Setsubun season which is a time when Japanese traditionally eat "rice and sea weed roll" or sushi rolls.The sashimi was extra fresh and tasted excellent.

After that we were served shrimp, Japanese mushroom, eggplant, brussel sprout and conger eel tempura. Normally tempura is eaten dipped in tempura sauce but hear it is eaten with 3 types of salt, green salt made with tea, grey salt made with sour plum and plain salt. I tried them all but found that the plain was best and brought our the sweetness in the tempra.

Next we had soba which was served on a bamboo basket type plate. The soba was handmade and matched the flavour of the dipping sauce perfectlly.
It's texture was just right and was almost like "al dente pasta".

Dessert was vanilla icecream with sweat red bean paste, mochi which is Japanese rice cake topped with crushed nuts.
The icecream was deliciously refreshing and went down a treat.

At the end of the meal we were given soba tea and the owner came to our seat and chatted with us. He was very friendly and easy to talk and made for a nice way to finish our meal.
It was a very good meal and given the seasonal variations in decor and menu.
I would like to go to soba dinning Den in every season to see how it changes.

written by

Soba Dinning Den
Address:5-14, Takazawa-cho ,Numazu
Tel:+81-55-925-4141
http://www.soba-den.com/menu/menu.html
Budget:Lunch 3,000 yen Dinner 5,000 yen
Open:11：30am～1：30pm,5：30～10：00pm
Closed:Sun.
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Katsumasa -pork cutlet@Numazu- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-07-31T10:00:00.008+09:00

"Katsumasa" is a pork cutlet specialty restaurant.
To accompany the pork cutlets coutomers can enjoy all you can eat cabbage, miso soup and rice in this resutaurant.
You can choose between normal white rice or rice with barley and between pork soup or miso soup with kelp.

Weekends are busy and most customers need to line up before getting a seat.
When it is crowded, a clerk passes the guest a pocket beeper, so the guest knows when a seat becomes available.
When I visited the restaurant last Saturday evening, many guests were standing in line outside the restaurant.

Tonkatsu is an adaption of pork cutlets from Western cuisine and now, the pork cutlet is a typical dish in Japan.
I ordered a jumbo sirloin pork cutlet set and my companion orderd a Kurobuta set.
Kurobuta is the name of a famaous pork farm in Kagoshima.
I also ordered a large mug of beer which goes well with pork cutlets.

After ordering my meal the waiter brought some delicious Japanese pickles as well as a bowl of sesame seeds.
I enjoyed the pickles while grinding the sesame seeds in the special bowl they are served in.
Everyone seems to enjoy granding the seeds and it helps to pass the time while waiting for your order.
The aroma from the ground sesame seeds was sensational and made me very hungry indeed.

When my order arrived it was everything that I hoped for.

I mixed some Katsumasa original souce with the ground sesame seeds and poured it over my pork cutlet.
The taste of cutlet was superb and the texture of the crumbs as well as the tenderness of the meat
was very satisfying.
I tasted a piace of the Kurobuta with only a sprinkle of salt and the taste justified the reputation of this
farm in Kagoshima. The flavor of the pork is so good that it needs no sauce or spicies to be added.

I chose the rice with barley and the kelp miso soup which were both very good.
The cabbage was fresh and tasted so good with my choice of wafu dressing (which is a traditional
mix of soy souce and citrus juice) that I asked the waiter for some more.
He offered more soup as well but I declined because I was getting full as I ate every last piece of my 250 gram
cutlet and some of my companions cutlet, too.

Overall the meal was of very high standard and made me think of the poem below which is proudly displayed
at the entrance of the restaurant.

Some of the words are difficult to translate from Japanese to English, but the overall meaning should be clear
to anyone lucky enough to eat at Katsumasa.

The mouth is pleased with Saku Saku bread crumbs.
Tender meat extends to the mouth.
Hoku Hoku rice is sweetish.
My stomach wants shaki shaki cabbage.
The person smiles when he or she eats a delicious pork cutlet.
Now, eat a delicious pork cutlet.

written by

Katsumasa
Address:2-13-11, Haramachinaka,Numazu
Tel:+81-55-967-8300
http://www.masago.net/page/katumasa1.html
Budget:2,000 yen
Open:11：00am～10：00pm
Closed: open 365 days a year
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Sakuraya -eel@Mishima- Izu Gourmet Guide

2008-07-30T16:00:00.001+09:00

Sakuraya is a famous eel restaurant that has been operating since 1856 which was the end of the Edo period the décor is very traditional with antique and a unique floor.
Its popularity is such that it employs a full time guard to manage the queues of people eagerly waiting to eat there. Because of this we went early for lunch at 11:20 and avoided having to wait.
The restaurant already had several customers happily eating their eel dishes and it made me look forward to the meal to come.

The menu has various eel dishes including ‘unajyu’ and ‘unadon’ which are basically eel on rice served in different shaped dishes and ‘shirayaki’ which is plain grilled eel.
I ordered ‘unajyu’ and my companion ordered ‘shirayaki’ and we enjoyed looking at the interesting décor while we waited for our meals.

We were surprised to see the size of the restaurant as from the outside it looks quite small but it actually can seat many people.
We waited 20 minutes for our meals and the staffs were not overly friendly or talkative, but they were getting very busy. The eel was superb and was probably the most tender and best tasting eel I have ever eaten. When I added the sunsyo (Japanese pepper) I found it very spicy so be careful if you use it.
My companion gave me a taste of the shirayaki which was also superb and made me nostalgic of my childhood when I ate plain eel. Although there were a few small bones it still melted in my mouth, reminding me of eating tachiuo (cutlass fish) and was truly satisfying.

I would highly recommend Sakuraya and will go there again myself. Next time I will order a course menu with rice wine and go with a close friend.

written by

Sakuraya
Address:13-2, Hirokoji, Mishima
Tel:+81-55-975-4520
URL:http://sakura-ya.net/
Budget:3,000 yen
Open:11：00am～8：00pm
Closed:Wed.
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