Sendai Food Convention 2016 仙台フードコンベンション 022-224-5640

For a bit more of some of the food that my be featured, click HERE to see my wrap-up from the 2014 event.

Website:  http://foodconvention.net

Address:  錦町公園 (仙台市青葉区本町).  Nishikichō Park is located about a five-minute walk from Kotodai-koen Subway Station.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open Saturday, October 1st and Sunday, October 2nd from 10 am to 7 pm.

This "convention" is a relatively small foodie affair, but it offers you a chance to sample some specialties from Sendai establishments.  I counted 29 restaurants that will showcase their finest this weekend.  Compared to the recent Oktoberfest and Niku Festa, this festival, in the past, has not been nearly as crowded and should be much easier on your wallet.

It looks like the weather might be better on Saturday, so that might be your best bet.

I hope to see you there!

Sendai Food Convention 2016 仙台フードコンベンション 022-224-5640

For a bit more of some of the food that my be featured, click HERE to see my wrap-up from the 2014 event.

Website:  http://foodconvention.net

Address:  錦町公園 (仙台市青葉区本町).  Nishikichō Park is located about a five-minute walk from Kotodai-koen Subway Station.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open Saturday, October 1st and Sunday, October 2nd from 10 am to 7 pm.

This "convention" is a relatively small foodie affair, but it offers you a chance to sample some specialties from Sendai establishments.  I counted 29 restaurants that will showcase their finest this weekend.  Compared to the recent Oktoberfest and Niku Festa, this festival, in the past, has not been nearly as crowded and should be much easier on your wallet.

It looks like the weather might be better on Saturday, so that might be your best bet.

I hope to see you there!

Izumi Marché 2015 this Saturday, September 26th!

Website:  http://www.izumimarche.com/2015.html

Please click HERE for my article describing last year's event.

I was really impressed with the 2014 Marché, and this year's promises to be just as good, if not better.
The difficulty is in choosing which of the delicious delectables to devour!

And easy to find as this festival is held above Izumichuo Subway Station.

Hope to see you there!

Izumi Marché 2014 泉マルシェ

Website:  http://www.izumimarche.com/index.html

Located at Izumi-chuo Station.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Saturday, September 20, 2014 from 11 am to 5 pm.

Apologies for the very late notice.  I have never been to this event, but luckily I was alerted this morning while perusing a Sendai message board.  And since I have never been, I cannot give a first-hand account, but the reviews I read gave it a thumbs-up.

It appears as if this is the sixth year for this annual grubfest, hosting 150 food/drink/boutique stalls, as well as two stages with live performances throughout the day and a wine festival (advanced ticket purchased required-so that’s probably not going to happen).

What I found notable were four restaurants that I have reviewed previously on this blog, three of them being in my Favorites List:  Bistro Ampoule, Café de Mieux, and Daily’s Muffin.  The fourth, Spica, is listed under my Recommended Eateries.

According to the reviews, it’s best to get there early, as the food stalls do sell out.

I can’t wait till tomorrow to try these tempting treats!  

Hope to see you there!

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IKEA Restaurant イケアレストラン 050-5833-9000

Website:  http://www.ikea.com/jp/ja/store/sendai/

Address:  仙台市太白区あすと長町 2-1-1.   Located across the street and to the side of Nagamachi JR Train Station.  Also easily accessible from the Nagamachi Subway Station.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open:  Not yet, but the Grand Opening will be on Thursday, July 17, 2014.  Until September 30, 2014, the store will be open from 10 am – 9 pm.  But after that the store hours are as follows:  

Sunday – Friday: 10 am – 7 pm.  Saturdays and Holidays:  10 am – 9 pm.

Today, I got a special sneak-peek inside the brand-spanking new IKEA Store thanks to my friends, Tony, who gave me his “invitation only” Family Day at IKEA ticket, and Yvonne, who works there and provided the ticket.

I don’t remember visiting my local IKEA back in the States very often, and I never ate at their restaurant, so I can’t do a comparison, but I was quite impressed with the number of foods available at this Sendai IKEA restaurant, which included salmon, tandoori chicken, and roast beef among its many entrées .

My wife went with the Salmon Lasagna for 616 yen, with a slice of Arctic Bread for 60 yen.  It was the first time for her to ever try a salmon lasagna, and she really liked it, especially the salmon taste.  She also stated that the Arctic Bread didn’t have a lot of flavor by itself but that it went well with the lasagna.

サーモンラザニヤ・アークティックブレット

I chose the Swedish Meatballs for 599 yen, a Mini Bread for 90 yen to accompany it, and a butter packet for 20 yen.  The ten meatballs came with gravy, cranberry dressing, and mashed potatoes.  The meatballs were not extraordinary, but quite good, and the cranberry dressing added a nice touch to the flavor.  I’m not a big fan of mashed potatoes (I’m picky), but I enjoyed these!

スウェーデン・ミートボール

For dessert, my wife decided upon the Apple Cake for 299 yen and a Café Latte from the Drink Bar for 120 yen.  I picked the Cinnamon Roll for 90 yen.

アップルケーキ&シナモンロール

Both the Apple Cake and Cinnamon Roll were not very sweet, and had tastes that were nothing like their traditional counterparts.  Despite this, we still thought they were quite tasty, perhaps due to both having a nutty flavoring to them.

So IKEA is not a traditional restaurant, but that's what they call it.  It's more of a cafeteria, and our two complete meals plus dessert came in at under 2000 yen.  I would say that overall, we were both totally satisfied with our meals.

Since I never experienced eating at an IKEA Store, I don't know if this is standard practice there, but I found it interesting that you don't pay for your meal until you are done with it (unlike most cafeteria-style joints). After placing your selected platters on your tray, you proceed to the check out lane.  The clerk will give you an itemized receipt, and then you go off to find a place to sit.  When you are done with your meal, you take your tray to the disposal area, and then use an automated register to pay for your meal.  I had never seen this before.

If you’re shopping at IKEA, visiting their restaurant might provide a nice needed break from wandering around the huge store..   

But, if you want to save even more money, go to their Bistro on the 1^st floor past the checkout lanes.  They sell hot dogs for 100 yen and soft cream cones for 50 yen!  The hot dog looked good but I was already full from the restaurant.

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Juan-Les-Pins French Cuisine ジュアン・レ・パン 022-379-6929

Website:  http://www.jlp-sendai.com/menu.html

Address:  仙台市泉区中山1-18-3.   According to their website, located about a ten-minute walk from Yaotome Subway Station.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Lunch:  11:30 am to 2:15 pm. Dinner:  5:30 pm to 9:00 pm.   

Closed Wednesdays. 

I’d like to thank my student, Aki, for recommending this superb restaurant to me, as this was quite a treat!

Hidden along a residential side street, this small, quaint eatery looks more like a house than a restaurant, and can easily be passed by.

As we were handed the menu, we were surprised that only two different course menu options were available, with no a la carte alternatives to choose from.

My wife decided on the lower-priced soup/entrée/dessert course for 1890 yen, and I went with the Chef’s Recommended course for 2500 yen.  As each course offered a selection from the same number of soups (3) and entrées (7), the only differences between the two was that the Chef’s set comes with an appetizer and a wider variety of desserts. 

I’ll start of with a description of my Chef’s course.  The listed appetizer was a fish with vegetables combination (本ますのポワレと春の野菜の取り合わせ) that didn’t sound appetizing to this picky eater.  I politely asked if the chef would kindly substitute another hors d’ oeuvre due to my aversion to fish.  I was brought a lovely dish of mini-pork steaks with yukina greens soaked in red wine sauce.  The pork was so tender that a knife was not necessary to cut it.  The sauce and the leafy vegetables were delicious!  This would have made a great entrée all by itself!

Pork with Yukina Greens in Red Wine Sauce

With both courses came the piping hot homemade rolls with homemade butter!  When I first picked up the roll, it burned my fingers and I dropped it, luckily back onto the plate.  After letting it cool down for a minute or two, I broke opened the bread and saw the steam arise from the insides of the roll and the aroma of freshly baked bread wafted across the table.   I attempted to take a photo of this, but to no avail.  According to their website, they pre-bake the bread to 80% of its completion, and only upon a customer’s orders will they bake the remainder so that it arrives oven-fresh to your table.  These rolls were quite large in size and, as I had been warned ahead of time by Aki that, since the courses were brought out at a slow pace, I might have the feeling of fullness quite quickly, so I nibbled on the roll at a leisurely pace.

Homemade Butter and Rolls

Next came the onion gratin soup.  My student raved about two things on this menu:  the onion gratin soup and the dessert (but more on that later).   My wife and I both ordered this soup and completely agreed with her.   I don’t like cheese but I was made a convert with this soup.  Oniony yet sweet, with chunks of the homemade bread added to the mix.

オニオングラタンスープ

I selected the beef rib meat steak with a lightly seasoned vinaigrette sauce for an additional 315 yen.  Topped with an assortment of fresh vegetables (string beans, broccoli, carrots, and potato with cheese), this made for a delectable platter.  The steak was tender and flavorful, and although I did enjoy the sauce, I think I would have preferred to savor the succulent beef flavor by itself.  Still, I was not dissatisfied at all.

牛ともバラ肉のステーキをさっぱりヴィネグレットソースで

My wife fancied the three varieties of fish platter as her entrée, which came with shimeji mushrooms and snow peas smothered in a creamy sauce.  She loved the fish and commented on its tenderness.

3種のお魚料理

The serving sizes of all the dishes in both of our courses were more than adequate, and we were absolutely full when we were reminded that dessert was on its way.

We ganbare-ed and took to our 別腹!  The standard lunch course came with the Chef’s selection of desserts.  Luckily for my wife, this was quite bountiful!  Her dessert plate came with pudding, Fuji apple tart, grapefruit cake, and black sesame ice cream.

おまかせデザート

According to my spouse, the pudding was pudding; nothing special, but not bad.  And the black sesame ice cream was unique, but in a good way!

While she was devouring her savory sweets, I was shown the dessert wagon cart with six different treats to choose from.  There was no ice cream available but the three other desserts that were on my wife’s platter were also offered, along with strawberry cake, tiramisu, and cheesecake.

デザート６種類

I was under the impression that I could choose whatever individual dessert I wanted, but no, this was not the case.  I was told by the kind waitress that I could choose ALL the desserts, if I so desired!  Since my stomach was already bursting, I asked for small samples of the strawberry cake, the grapefruit cake, and the Fuji apple tart (I’m not a big fan of tiramisu nor cheesecake, and my wife had already stated that the pudding was just pudding).

The apple tart was fantastic!  And both the cakes were soft, sweet, and scrumptious.  I wish I would have been able to eat larger portions of the desserts, but I was too stuffed.

Grapefruit Cake, Strawberry Cake, and Fuji Apple Tart

As this outstanding feast was coming to a close, we sipped on the rich coffee and admired the amazing view of Izumi through the windows of this hilltop restaurant:  What a perfect ending to this wonderful meal!

I’m posting Juan-Les-Pains (JLP) in my Recommended section, but I’m sure that after another visit or two that I will upgrade this fabulous restaurant to my Favorites!  The menu changes from month-to-month, as JLP offers only what is in season in order to provide the freshest, tastiest cuisine, so don’t be surprised if what I’ve written about is no longer available, but I’m sure whatever appears on the new menu will delight you.

This is a small restaurant with about nine parking spaces available, so I highly recommend that you make reservations ahead of time.  

My significant other and I are thinking of a romantic dinner visit to Juan-Les-Pains, as viewing the moonlight over Izumi while dining on the incredible flavors they provide seems oh-so enticing!

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Happy Happy Melon Pan returns for four days!

Website:  http://happy-happy.jp/shop/index.html

To read a previous post on Happy Happy Melon Pan, please click HERE.

What a treat!  Starting tomorrow, Friday, March 21st till Monday, March 24th, the mouthwatering melon pan truck will be parked in front of Daiei Department Store!  

I'm willing to brave the snow for this taste of heaven!

UPDATE:  I'm trying to cut back, so I only bought ten this time!

Kagayaki Pâtisserie 菓々YAKI 022-353-7334

Website:  http://tabelog.com/miyagi/A0401/A040102/4014179/

Address:  仙台市宮城野区岩切分台1-4-4　ルシアンKATOビル１F.   Located about 400 meters from Iwakiri JR Station on the JR Tohoku Line.  Or if driving, just off of Route 35 coming from Route 8, behind the COOP Market.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open: 11 am – 7 pm.

One of my best friends, Yvonne, recommended this unique restaurant to me some months ago, and although she gave a very enticing description of the fare offered at Kagayaki, I just couldn’t wrap my head around the idea of bread being served as a meal. 

Since this restaurant was Yvonne’s idea, I asked her to join my wife and me for lunch on a recent Saturday afternoon to delight in these baked goodies.

There were four different meal options on the menu, including one brunch set, and all came with a salad and soup.

Let me get the soup and salad out of the way.  Actually, there’s not much to talk about.  They were both pleasing, but nothing to write home about.

Soup

I went with the B set for 680 yen, which included the following three types of bread:

-Shrimp and broccoli with white sauce gratin:  Maybe it was because I’m a picky eater, but I really didn’t care for this.  I like broccoli and I’m usually okay with shrimp, but I wouldn’t normally order anything that came with white sauce or gratin.  I guess it was to be expected that this would be my least favorite. 

-Buttered potato with corn:  This was quite good, as it reminded me of my beloved corn bread.   I could’ve gone for another slice of this!

-Herb and green bell pepper, onion, cherry tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese:  This pizza-tasting slice was also very savory.

エビとブロッコリーのホワイトソースグラタン、

じゃがバタ焼きもろこし、プロヴァンス

My wife and Yvonne (both non-picky eaters), both ordered the Brunch Set for 680 yen, which came with the following bread selections:

-Italian Blue Cheese and Miyagi zucchini:  My better half stated that this was her favorite, and she really enjoyed devouring this one.  Yvonne also expressed that she preferred this slice over the other three. 

-Small fish and tomato:  Nope, my wife didn’t care for this one, but still, she cleaned her plate.  My normal-eater friend wasn't impressed with this one, either.   Perhaps the restaurant might want to rethink this dish.

-Herb and green bell pepper, onion, cherry tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese:  This was the same slice that came with my set, and it was a winner of the 'good taste' award by unanimous decision.

ブルーチーズとズッキーニ、プロヴァンス、
小魚の和風トマト

We all opted for hot coffee for an additional 200 yen, as well as ordering dessert.

My wife decided upon a slice of chocolate cake.  I pleaded for a taste and found it to be nice, but not very sweet.

Chocolate Cake

Yvonne went with a strawberry sundae (350 yen), and I went with a banana chocolate sundae, only to be informed that they were out of bananas.  They offered me a choice of any other fruit substitute for a 50 yen discount.  I requested strawberries instead and it went well with the chocolate sauce.

Strawberry Sundae

Psuedo-Banana/Chocolate Sundae w/Strawberries

I recommended Kagayaki to a friend of mine, Keiko (another non-picky eater), and she purchased three loaves of bread to take home, I believe at a cost of 1200 yen each.  She mentioned that, unlike me, she liked the shrimp and broccoli the best, with a chestnut and mushroom loaf coming in second.  I’m guessing she thought the cheese bread came in third.

If you get a chance, sit by the window to catch a glimpse of the bullet train streak by every now and then.

There’s plenty of parking if you travel by car and the restaurant itself is quite spacious.

I recommend Kagayaki due to its uniqueness, as I’ve never run across a meal such as this.  If you’re looking for something different, try some unconventional slices of the staff of life.

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