"Kyo-yasai Meister" Yoshimasa Takagaki will come to Tokyo on Dec. 3 and 4 to introduce the charm of Kyo-yasai, literally "Kyoto vegetables," at the French de Kyo-yasai fair in the Blue Gardenia restaurant on the 40th floor of the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka. 

The shapes of Kyo-yasai are often unique, their colors are vivid, and their flavors and nutritional value are said to be richer than ordinary vegetables. Situated in a mountain basin, the low availability of fresh seafood helped Kyoto develop a rich culture of vegetable cultivation. One of Kyoto's distinctive cuisines, shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine), helped to maintain demand for these high-quality vegetables. Nowadays, they are also often used in other countries' cuisines, such as those of France and Italy.

Yoshimasa Takagaki, a chef of French cuisine at the Grand Prince Hotel Kyoto, is one of only a few Kyo-yasai specialists with the "Kyo-yasai Meister" qualification in Japan. Takagaki and his brother Hiroshi Saito, also a French chef at the hotel, will introduce French dishes that use the best of Kyoto's fresh vegetables, which are harvested by the chefs themselves and delivered directly from the farm.

Over the fair's two days, guests can enjoy some 45 varieties of these dishes at a buffet lunch and full-course French dinner. The lunch buffet will run 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for ¥3,500 and the dinner course will be from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. for ¥12,000. Prices include tax and service.

From 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on both days, Chef Takagaki will hold a Kyo-yasai seminar for the first 15 guests. He will share his rich knowledge of the vegetables, their charm and how to cook them to make the most of their flavors.

From Dec. 1 to 20, the hotel's seven restaurants will also have courses and menus featuring Kyo-yasai.

The hotel is a 2-minute walk from Akasaka-Mitsuke or Nagata-Cho stations.

For more information and reservations, call (03) 3234-1122

http://www.princehotels.co.jp/akasaka/index.html

Niki Club opens new guest house 

Now that the trees have turned color, this is the most beautiful time of year to visit Niki Club, which is situated in the rich natural surroundings of the Nasu highland in Tochigi Prefecture. Niki Club is one of the world's finest luxury hotels.

Nasu, home of the Imperial Family's summer place has long been reknowned as a fine resort area and only a short ride by bullet train from Tokyo. Niki club offers the best of Nasu with only 42 rooms sitting on an 85 acres area preserving the natural beauty of Nasu with its natural woods and streams. 

On Dec. 9, the Niki Club hotel will hold a piano recital by Flavio Varani, a famed Brazilian classical pianist, to commemorate the opening of its new guest house, Kanki-kan.

Kanki-kan's dining room, lounge, bar and library are laid out organically with carefully selected furniture in order to help guests relax in a warm, comfortable atmosphere.

Before the recital starts at 4 p.m. in Kanki-kan's dining room, guests are invited to enjoy a drink, and after the recital, guests will be treated to exclusive gastronomic delights created by Niki Club's executive chef Yasunori Miyazaki.

The concert costs ¥7,000, and dinner is another ¥15,000. For those who want to stay overnight, there is an accommodation plan that includes the concert, dinner and breakfast for ¥47,000 (double occupancy) and ¥69,000 (single occupancy) per person.

Niki Club is located at 1856 Takakuotsu Uenosugi, Nasucho, Nasu-gun in Tochigi Prefecture, a 25-minute drive from JR Nasu Shiobara Station, which is about 75 minutes by shinkansen from Tokyo Station. On Dec. 9, a shuttle bus service will be provided from Nasu Shiobara Station at 12:55 p.m. and 2:55 p.m., and from Niki Club at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.

http://www.nikiclub.jp/

For some this is soul food, warming and comforting; for others it is the rank smell of culture shock. Whichever side of the great divide you stand, though, one thing is certain: Your local convenience store will never deliver the authentic taste of any food. For that, you need to go to the source, to a long-established specialist — and for oden in Tokyo, that means a visit to Otafuku. 

At Otafuku, the Funadaiku family serve traditional Kanto-style oden.

Tradition runs strong in Senzoku, on the northern fringe of Asakusa, and nowhere is this more evident than at Otafuku. This family operation, currently run by the fourth and fifth generations of the Funadaiku family, has been serving its specialty here since 1916.

Unlike its neighbors, the family has lovingly rebuilt and preserved its modest timber premises. Set back from the street, the entrance is marked by large, white chochin paper lanterns, neat rows of shrubbery and a short entranceway of polished stone. Once inside, the first thing you notice is how down-home comfortable it feels, with its wooden pillars, low ceilings and walls plastered with postcards and woodblock prints evoking Taisho Era (1912-26) shitamachi. Next you spot the big copper oden pans steaming away behind the counter, and finally you realize: That is where the faint, fragrant, savory aroma reaching your nostrils is coming from.

There is a small dining room at the back with tatami mats and low tables. But the seats of choice for the predominantly local clientele (you are way off the tourist trail here) are the low-slung chairs at the counter, from where they observe the proceedings, chat with the two Funadaiku brothers, and order their meals, one piece at a time, much as you would at a sushi shop.

Not surprisingly, Otafuku prepares its oden in the robust Kanto style, seasoned with dark shoyu (soy sauce). The ingredients — predominantly of seafood, tofu or vegetable origin — are gently simmered for a couple of hours until they are infused with the rich, savory essence of that broth. What is less usual is the wide variety of different items to choose from. Scan the illustrated menu, written in perfect English, and you will see it offers almost 50 different kinds.

All the usual suspects are present and correct: whole, hard-boiled eggs; slabs of firm tofu; thick rounds of daikon radish; satsuma-age (deep-fried fish paste); and dark, rubbery konnyaku (devil's tongue root jelly), all texture and minimal flavor. There are more exotic offerings too: uzura no tamago (skewered quail eggs); iidako (miniature octopuses); and even whale tongue and blubber.

Our perennial favorites are the tsumire, flavorful balls of ground sardine, and the kyabetsu maki, cabbage leaf stuffed with finely ground beef. Both of these have plenty of inherent flavor that does not get lost in the long simmering process. Everything does start to taste a bit repetitive after a while; that is why each serving comes with a powerful dab of fiery yellow mustard to cauterize any staleness from your palate and sinuses.

Oden is by definition snacking food, in classic izakaya style. It's there to accompany the sake — and here you won't go wrong with the resinous taruzake, sake poured straight from the wooden cask on the counter. Chilled, it is served in wooden masu box cups, with a little salt on the side; to appreciate its full perfume, it is better warmed (ask for okan).

Even though Otafuku complements its oden with a full range of other dishes, from sashimi and tempura through to onigiri rice balls and dessert, it is the atmosphere rather than the provender that makes it worth the pilgrimage. To find traditional architecture of this kind still intact is a rare treat; to be welcomed and served with such care and consideration is even more special. 

Otafuku, 1-6-2 Senzoku, Taito-ku; tel. (03) 3871-2521. Open 5-11 p.m. (Sunday and holidays 4-10 p.m.), closed Sunday (except before Monday national holidays). Nearest stations: Iriya (Hibiya Line); Tawaramachi (Ginza Line). Most credit cards accepted. English menu; little English spoken. Reservations recommended, especially on Saturdays.

Konakara, on the other hand, is an odenya of a far subtler hue. It may sit in the shadow of Kanda Myojin, one of the three major shrines of old Edo, but it subscribes firmly to the idea that only when oden is prepared in the Kansai style can it be truly delicious.

The difference is remarkable. Where the oden at Otafuku is a hearty, long-simmered stew, Konakara produces the Japanese equivalent of a delicate pot-au-feu. The broth is clear, almost transparent.

Derived from plenty of katsuo (bonito) flakes and shiitake mushroom, it has an underlying richness of flavor that draws out the inherent flavor of the individual ingredients and sets the palate singing.

Hidden away down a side street that seems impossibly quiet for such a central location, you will see the welcoming red glow of Konakara's chochin lantern. The building itself is new, but designed in traditional style. Open the wooden door and remove your shoes before being shown to your cushion at a counter that runs three sides of an open kitchen.

It's a tiny dining area, just big enough for about 20 people wedged in tight, elbow to elbow. The decor is simple: rough plastered walls and wooden timbers, with a large tansu sideboard against the back wall. Inevitably, the center of attention is the large oden pot, a handsome pan in gleaming copper, hammered into the shape of a gourd.

The oden at Konakara is more refined, prepared in the Kansai style.

As an otoshi starter to go with your first beer or sake, you will be served a couple of mouthfuls of vegetables — perhaps some ohitashi greens, or some creamed squash with crunchy diced cucumber — along with a steaming-hot mini-chawan mushi egg custard. Delicate but invigorating, this serves to stimulate the appetite as you ponder the menu.

The blackboard on the wall (in Japanese only) details an excellent choice of seasonal appetizers. There may be oysters, served either raw with a citrus-flavored ponzu sauce or briefly dipped into the oden broth. The rolls of fresh Kyoto yuba (creamy soymilk skin) are delectable, as is the deep-fried eggplant (ask for nasu no agedashi). We haven't yet tried the lightly grilled slices of piquant daikon (karami-daikon no shioyaki), but we can testify that the tamago-yaki omelet is first rate.

So too is the oden. Not only is it prepared with delicacy, there are also many unusual and inventive combinations. Here are some of our favorites: kyo-ganmo — small golden balls of deep-fried tofu mashed with flecks of carrot and seaweed, with a delicate quail's egg at their center; daikon — always the benchmark of any oden shop, here the vegetable retains its natural flavor, texture and color, and is among the best you will find; iwashi tsumire — small, dark, intensely flavored balls of minced sardine; tori supaisu tsukune — balls of ground chicken meat, slightly crunchy in texture like the tsukune served at yakitori shops, but here spiked with piquant black pepper; satsukuri-san — sweet-potato puree formed into a soft disk shape, with a piece of chestnut in the center; and kabomaru-san — an excellent autumn special, prepared from pureed kabocha pumpkin studded with raisins to give an extra dimension of natural sweetness.

Although each serving is accompanied by the standard dash of karashi mustard, we find we leave it untouched, as we don't want to override the natural flavors of the oden.

To close the meal, be sure to order a serving of the special udon noodles (¥1,000 or ¥600). You will be given a small pestle and mortar in which you grind white sesame seeds to add to the dipping sauce. It's a tasty and satisfying way to end the evening without making you feel too full.

In fact, though, you are not likely to spend an entire evening here. Konakara has become so popular — deservedly — that it imposes a time limit and will usually turf you out (ever so politely) after two hours, or even less if you have arrived without a prior reservation.

So this is not the place to come if you want to linger; if you want a table of your own, rather than having everyone looking at you; if you are broad of beam and cannot wedge yourself into a tight space; and if you are not with someone who speaks and reads Japanese. Instead, it would be far better to explore Konakara's more central branch on the 5th floor of the Shin-Marunouchi Building, in front of Tokyo Station; or its new restaurant in Aoyama, which opens Nov. 9. 

 

The Hotel New Otani is holding an Autumn Roast Beef and Kushiage Fair at the Top of the Tower buffet restaurant on the 40th floor of its Garden Tower through Nov. 30.

Kushiage is a Japanese-style deep-fried kebab of bite-size morsels of meat, fish and vegetables. During the fair, guests can choose to add to their kebabs autumn specialties such as salmon, white fish, mushrooms and ginkgo nuts, and they can enjoy freshly fried kushiage straight from the deep-fryer.

Chefs will also carve lean roast beef, the restaurant's popular specialty, into your favorite cuts in front of you and serve it with a gravy sauce.

In addition, there will be a full menu — featuring foie gras croquette, gratin filled with autumn vegetables, pilaf with mushrooms and lily bulbs — as well as salads, soups, desserts and drinks.

The lunch buffet is ¥5,040 for adults and ¥3,150 for children (age 4 to 12), and the dinner buffet is ¥7,875 and ¥4,725. Prices include tax and service.

The Top of the Tower buffet restaurant offers panoramic views of Tokyo, including Tokyo Tower, Rainbow Bridge, the State Guesthouse and Tokyo Midtown.

The hotel is a 3-min. walk from Akasaka-Mitsuke Station.

Producing good wine is difficult anywhere, but it's particularly tough in Japan, with the rainy season arriving just as the vines begin to flower and a typhoon always likely to damage the grapes before harvesting. But there are some good domestic wines, including Kizan, which will be featured at the Winemaker's Dinner at Niki Club's Hiroo Salon in Tokyo on Nov. 24.

The Kizan Winery is a family-run business that has operated for more than 60 years in Koshu, Yamanashi Prefecture, perhaps the country's most successful wine-producing region. Because of its high quality and the winery's small output, Kizan wines are not usually seen for sale in retail stores.

Third-generation winery owner, Kozo Tsuchiya, and his wife, Yukari, will be on hand to present and serve four kinds of wine: Kizan Blanc, Family Reserve, Selection Chardonnay and Selection Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon. Kizan Sparkling Traditional Brut and Kizan Brandy La Flutiate will also be available.

To complement the flavor of the wines, Niki Club's chef, Yasunori Miyazaki, has created an original full-course dinner of late autumn specialties from the Nasu Highlands, where the Niki Club hotel is located.

The dinner starts at 6 p.m. (reception from 5:30 p.m.) and is expected to finish at 8:30 p.m. The cost is ¥20,000 per person, including tax and service.

Niki Club's Hiroo Salon is located at 4-7-10, Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo, an 8-min. walk from Exit 3 of Hiroo Station.

Niki Club's Winemaker's Dinner series continues on March 1 with Asahi Yoshu, maker of "Soleil Wine."

For more details and reservations, call (03) 5466-7899.

If you are an onsen fan then you have probably heard of Kusatsu. For those of you who haven't, it's a beautiful hot spring town in Gunma Prefecture. It originally became famous back in the Edo Period when the Confucian poet Hayashi Razan listed it as one of the Three Famous Hot Springs of Japan (the others being Gero Onsen in Gifu Prefecture and Arima Onsen in Hyogo Prefecture), and today it is regularly voted one of the top three Hot Springs in Japan and is noted for it's water quality and town atmosphere.

Although it wasn't my first time to Kusatsu, this was my first reporting trip and the plan was to check out some ryokan and see some of the surround area. First we did some hiking on Mt. Shirane which overlooks Kusatasu. It's an old volcano and has this sulfurous lake at the top that is a milky baby blue color. I don't think you wanna go swimming in it though. A funny thing you'll see there are fashionably dressed girls climbing the trail up the mountain... in high heels. Actually, its only a few hundred meter long paved trail so they're fine.

Anyway, the hiking in Kusatsu is nice, but the best part is the onsen. The town is centered around this big spring that has a series of wooden channels coming from it. It's called the Yubatake and it's purpose is to collect the mineral deposits from the onsen water which is later sold as a powder in the souvenir shops so you can recreate the onsen in your bath at home. We toured one of the nearby ryokan, Naraya, which is one of the oldest and nicest ryokan in the area. It looked great, kind of a modern old style if that makes any sense. Then we headed back to our ryokan for dinner.

The second day of our trip was for onsening. We hit up three different ones including the Saino Kawara Rotenburo (outdoor public bath), the Beltz Center, and Shirohata no Yu (the small public bathhouse next to the Yubatake). I'd been to Saino Kawara Rotenburo before and it remains one of my favorite outdoor baths. It's water is great and the atmosphere is nice since it is outside and practically on a mountain path.

The Beltz Center is meant for therapudic bathing, so I wasn't suprised that it was all older people in the bath. It's a typical bath and was relatively expensive, so I guess you could skip it in favor of the many more traditional bath houses in the area.

One of the neat traditional baths was Shirohata no Yu (free by the way) which is just next to the Yubatake. It's a tiny place with only two baths and feels like its a hundred years old. I loved it. But the water was the hottest I've ever tried and bathing was almost painful. I was only able to get in the cooler of the two baths for just a few minutes, and I stuck one leg in the hotter bath for just a few seconds before deciding that it was just not going to work. I don't think it'll actually hurt you though as one guy was cooking himself in it for a while. He was pretty pink though when he got out.