Review of the National Gyoza Festival in Sendai

Website:  http://gyoza.strikingly.com

Address:  Kokusai Center Subway Station.   

Map:  Check on their website.

Sunday, July 2^nd from 10 am to 4 pm.

For more info, please read my initial posting of this event HERE.

When I realized in the late afternoon that it would not rain today, I decided to venture on out and fight the crowds at the famed Gyoza Matsuri.  I was concerned that with today’s heat and humidity that waiting in line with a bunch of strangers for a small sampling of food might not make for an enjoyable afternoon.

But to my surprise upon arrival at around 3 pm, I discovered that the event was NOT crowded at all!  In fact, all but two of the gyoza stalls had lines.  There were lots of people there, but no lines.

This was the size of the crowd

For my first sampling, I chose the Utsunomiya Gyoza, which did have a line.  Of course it had a line; Utsnomiya and gyoza go hand-in-hand.  I had to wait a WHOLE five-stomach growling-minutes.  I was unable to find a seat under a tent so I went to one of the many standing tables available.  

This was good gyoza!  Crispy on the outside with a flavorful filling.  And at five dumplings for 300 yen, I recommend this one! 

There were 5.  I was starving and ate 1 before I took the photo.  Oops.

Next, I moseyed on over to the other stall that had a loooooooong line (I waited three-minutes tops) for a jumbo Tsu Gyoza from Mie Prefecture.  This was one puffy pot sticker reportedly registering 15 cm in length.  (This time I was able to find a seat under a tent, but it was so hot it didn’t feel like the shade helped that much.)  The wrapping was thick and a bit crispy, stuffed with all the flavors that you’d expect.  This was good, but I liked the Utsunomiya Gyoza better.

One chubby gyoza

For what I thought was my final taste testing, I decided to try the Fukushima Gyoza, as that booth had accumulated a short line.  Apparently, Fukushima Gyoza is popular due to its emphasis on vegetable fillings, and for the fact that 700 of these gyoza can be cooked at the same time.  This gyoza was very good!  I recommend this one, too!  Very similar to the Utsunomiya Gyoza.  

Fukushima Gyoza

How many gyoza do you see?

While waiting in line, I ran into my friend, Fumika, who graciously invited me to join her and her friend.  They had purchased the Hachiman Gyoza from Fukuoka Prefecture, which uses yuzu pepper as a condiment, and offered me a dumpling.

We all first tried the gyoza without the yuzu pepper.  It was good, as I detected a slight sweetness to it.  Then we all tried the yuzu pepper by itself.  The yuza flavoring was sour, the pepper strong.  I guess that was to be expected.

Hachiman Gyoza

I suspect that since it’s supposed to be sunny tomorrow, that’s when the crowds will flock to this event, so I’m glad I battled the heat today.   

Also, if the tents are crowded, you might want to try the Kokusai Center Station viewing platform.  There are tables, chairs, steps, and most importantly, shade!  

If you try some of the other gyoza, please let me know what you thought of it.

Have fun if you go!

From the Kokusai Center Station Viewing Platform

National Gyoza Festival in Sendai 全国餃子祭りin仙台 022-259-3712

Website:  http://gyoza.strikingly.com

Address:  Kokusai Center Subway Station.   

Map:  Check on their website.

Saturday, July 1^st from 10 am to 6 pm, and Sunday, July 2^nd from 10 am to 4 pm.

I stopped by late Sunday afternoon during last year’s festivities, and some of the gyoza booths had already sold out, while other stalls had lines that were more than a 40-minute wait.  This proved to be an extremely popular event in 2016.

Still, it was fun to sit, eat, and watch the crowd enjoy themselves.  I also got a glimpse of Gyoza Man (?-I don’t know he calls himself).

Gyoza Man?  Mr. Gyoza Head?

Kirin Beer is once again hosting this gyoza extravaganza and there are live performances scheduled throughout the event.  

All the vendors are selling their gyoza packages for 300 yen, which are usually four dumplings per pack.

I’m sorry, but I really don’t remember my impressions on the pot stickers from last year, but I’ll add a few photos just to give you an idea.

Hope to see you there!

Dashichazuke-en だし茶漬けえん 022-352-4596

Website:  http://dashichazuke-en.com/about/

Address:  仙台市青葉区中央１－１－１エスパル仙台東館2F.  Located on the second floor of the new S-Pal addition to Sendai Station, close to the East Exit.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open:  Everyday from 10 am to 10 pm, but apparently they sell onigiri from 8 am to 10 am.

A couple of years ago a world-traveling student of mine, Chiaki, told me of her favorite restaurant in Narita Airport.  She said she would often delay her return to Sendai just so that she could eat at だし茶漬けえん, which specializes in ochazuke (お茶請け).

I tried it on my next vacation and it has become my “go-to” spot whenever I fly out of Narita.

If you’ve never eaten ochazuke (お茶請け), it’s simply pouring green tea on a bowl of rice with varied ingredients.  It reminds me somewhat of the Campbell’s Chicken with Rice Soup that I loved as a kid.

While recently taking a leisurely stroll among the new shops and restaurants in the newly renovated S-Pal addition at Sendai Station, I was pleasantly surprised to find that だし茶漬けえん had come to Tohoku.

The restaurant is small and somewhat hidden.  The pink (?) circle marks the restaurant.  (Besides being picky, I’m also colorblind, so it may not be pink.)

You order your meal using an electronic touch screen monitor.  A nice feature of this device is that it allows you to choose the language you would like to use (Japanese, English, Chinese, or Korean).  You can also choose which size bowl of rice you would like (small, regular, large), though all sizes are the same price.  Once you have confirmed your order, insert your money to pay and it will spit out a receipt that you hand to the waiter.  

Easy to use touch screen order system

I ordered a regular serving of Chicken Rice and Amami Island’s Best Selected Products (奄美大島 鶏飯風だし茶漬け) for 721 yen and my wife ordered the Grilled Salmon with Red Salmon Eggs (the restaurant lists it as caviar-焼き鮭といくらの親子だし茶漬け) for 821 yen.

The rice bowl I received had small chunks of chicken, shredded egg yolk, spinach, sliced shitake mushrooms, and しば漬け (shibazuke-a Kyoto specialty of pickled eggplant), and the whole thing looked rather plain.  Then I had fun pouring the green tea into the bowl and watching it transform into a savory soup!  If you would like to savor the soup a little more, you can also order a refill of your green tea pot at no extra charge!

The chicken itself was just boiled chicken and didn’t have any special seasoning to it.  But because of the mixture of the other ingredients, the soup was quite enjoyable.  

The meal also came with a small serving of 冷奴 (hiyayakko-chilled tofu with a sesame soy sauce), ヒジキ (hijiki-a sea plant), and pickled cucumber.

奄美大島 鶏飯風だし茶漬け-Before the tea

After the tea

The chilled tofu had a definite sesame seed taste and was a little sweet.  I’m really not too keen on tofu but this was quite good.

I instantly classified the hijiki as seafood because it looked like seafood.  I don’t eat seafood.  I gave it to my wife.  She really enjoyed it.  I enjoyed not having to eat it.

The pickled cucumber was quite sour but it went well with the chicken-rice soup.

My wife said that her bowl of grilled salmon with salmon eggs had a definite nostalgic Japanese taste which she really enjoyed.  She also thought that because of the sesame soy sauce, the chilled tofu had a unique taste.  She described the entire meal as having a “natural, simple taste.”

焼き鮭といくらの親子だし茶漬け-Before tea

After tea

That natural, simple taste I feel translates into a light meal, which is one reason I liked eating this before boarding a plane at Narita Airport.  It satisfies my hunger but does not make my stomach feel heavy.  

If you’re starving and are hunkering for a mass quantity of grease, calories, and fat (which at times has a useful purpose), this may not be the restaurant for you.  But if you are looking for a gratifying, tasteful meal that won’t weigh you down, this is the place to go! 

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!

Happy Happy Melon Pan is back this weekend!

ACCORDING TO THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED.
SAD NEWS.

Website:  http://happy-happy.jp/#6  

This is a new website that really doesn't have a lot of information, but you can also find them on Facebook under ...

幸せのメロンパンHAPPｙHAPPｙ.

To read a previous post about this scrumptious melon pan, please click HERE.

For delicious, mouth-watering, hot melon pan, head over to AEON (formerly Daiei Department Store) on Chuo-dori this weekend, Friday, July 8th to Sunday, July 10th.

A word of warning, they raised the price of the melon pan to 220 yen.  

Still, more than worth it!

2016 Thai Festival in Sendai タイフェスティバルin仙台 022-714-0545

Website:  http://www.thaifestival-sendai.com/index.html

Address:  勾当台公園市民広場.  Come up off the Kotodai-koen Subway Park exit and you’re there.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open Saturday, June 11th from 10 am to 8 pm.   Sunday, June 12th from 10 am to 7 pm.

Please click HERE for some information about last year's festival.

It's the 4th annual Thai Festival in Sendai this weekend, and hopefully, unlike the last couple of years,  the weather will be accomadating for the 50,000 people expected to enjoy the many features of Thai culture, but mostly the food!  (hee-hee)

By my count there will be sixteen different restaurants offering their Thai cuisine samplings, so there will be plenty to choose from.

Hope to see you there!

Yakiniku Rose Garden 焼肉ローズガーデン 022-267-1710

Website:  http://www.hotpepper.jp/strJ000027613/

Address:  仙台市青葉区国分町２−８−１２KビルB１F.  Located across the street from the Don Quixote store on Bansui-dori, about an eight-minute walk from either the Kotodai-koen or Hirose-dori Subway Stations.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open every day from 6 pm till 2:30 am.

I thought this place was legendary in Sendai, as all my friends seemed to be regulars when I first ate here some fifteen years ago.  At the time it was always the “go to” place when you wanted to get your grub on along with a nomihoudai for a reasonable price.  But while helping to organize an impromptu night out with friends last week, I was surprised that most of my long-time Sendai-living companions had never even heard of Rose Garden.
So perhaps, I thought, neither have you.

It had been at least five years since my last visit to this basement dwelling, so I was hoping that things hadn’t changed.

They haven’t.

The Rose Garden, back in the day, was known for its famed party course, which we partook in just the other night.  

For 3410 yen, nine dishes of various meats and vegetables for grilling, Japanese-style kimuchi, salad, along with a two-hour nomihoudai were served throughout the night.

Sorry, I was so focused on the friendly, free flowing conversations that I forgot to take photos of all the plates that were brought to our table, but here are a few.

Vegetables galore!  (We actually waited till the end to grill these)

This may have been pork ... or beef.

Chicken bits

Marinated pork and beef

Is your mouth watering?

It's Sendai, so it's got to be gyutan!

Although this was not a tabehoudai, with the amount of food that was brought to our table, it sure seemed like one.  A couple of my friends also ordered a bowl of rice which was free of charge, but most of us dedicated ourselves to devouring as much protein as we could.

I asked my friends after the frenzied feast what they thought about their first experience at Rose Garden, and all seemed to be thoroughly satisfied.  Our main complaint was with the dim lighting conditions inside the restaurant, as it made it difficult to see whether or not the meat was properly cooked.

The salad was the first item to be brought to our table, and a few of my friends mentioned how good it tasted.   And this is a charcoal-grill yakiniku restaurant, which is supposed to be superior to gas-grill establishments.

Rose Garden offers a variety of party courses (which can be viewed when you click HERE) and you can also order individual food items off the menu, but I would imagine that’s a bit pricier.  The good thing about Rose Garden party courses is that only two people are necessary to be considered a party.

I highly recommend making reservations ahead of time, as this place seems to be still be quite popular.  Also, check to see if there is a coupon available for an extra plate of meat.  I failed to see this beforehand.  Click HERE for the coupon page.

If you’re looking for a reasonably priced yakiniku night out with your friends, it would be hard to beat dining at the Rose Garden.

Sendai Food Convention 2015 仙台フードコンベンション

Website:  http://foodconvention.net/

Please see last year's wrap-up HERE.

Address:  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 3rd and Sunday, October 4th from 10 am to 7 pm.

Apparently, last year's event was such a great success that they added three extra hours each day for this year's gig.

For a more detailed description of the restaurants and shops showcasing their wares this weekend, please click HERE.

The forecast predicts great weather for strolling Nishikichō Park and sampling some great grub.

Hope to see you there!

2015 Thai Festival in Sendai タイフェスティバルin仙台 022-714-0545

Website:  http://www.thaifestival-sendai.com/index.html

Address:  勾当台公園市民広場.  Come up off the Kotodai-koen Subway Park exit and you’re there.

Map:  Scroll down below.  That was the closest I could get.

Open Saturday, June 27^th from 10 am to 8 pm.   Sunday, June 28^th from 10 am to 7 pm.

I’ve been looking forward to this year’s festival ever since I attended this event last year when over 40,000 people (according to the organization’s website) attended this two-day food-fest.  Unfortunately, the weather may not be kind to Sendai this weekend but if you’re willing to brave the elements and are searching for some great eats, head on down to the 3^rd Thai Festival in Sendai!

Besides the scrumptious cuisine, there will be stage performances throughout the day, many of them Thai related (traditional dance, Muay Thai demonstrations, etc.).

I can’t foretell how this weekend’s happening will turn out, but take a look at my write-up of last year’s festivities for a further in-depth report.  Just click HERE.

Hope to see you there!

38Mitsubachi Kitchen #2 ミツバチキッチン 022-302-6938

Website:  http://hitosara.com/0006048571/

Address:  仙台市青葉区二日町2-1.   Located about a three-minute walk from Kotodai-koen Subway Station, behind City Hall.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open Tuesdays thru Sundays from 10 am to 6:30 pm.  Closed Mondays.

**If you’d like to read about my previous posts related to this restaurant, please click HERE for the original post, and HERE and HERE for a couple of updates.

Last Friday night I inadvertently became lost downtown, but luckily ran into a sight that was news to me: A second location of the popular pancake restaurant, Pancake & Café 38Mitsubachi. 

The next afternoon my wife insisted on trying this new restaurant to see if it lived up to its inaugural store’s standards.

This second shop is just a tiny bit bigger than it’s flagship operation, but not by much, as it seems to seat a maximum of only 27 guests.  We were told that this restaurant opened in June of last year, probably due to the fact that it’s quite difficult to obtain a seat at the first Mitsubachi during a weekend.

My wife ordered the 1100 yen Berry Berry pancake (sic), which consists of five 11 cm in diameter pancakes, topped with a generous amount of fresh cream, yogurt, three types of berries (strawberries, frozen raspberries, frozen blueberries), berry sauce, almonds, and comes with coconut syrup if you so desire.  

ベリーベリーパンケーキ

Initially, my wife did not use either the coconut syrup or the maple syrup, and she was surprised how non-sweet the cream and the pancakes were.  She next tried a bit of the maple syrup and was quite happy with the outcome.  Towards the end, she poured the coconut syrup and remarked how coconutty the syrup was, but this was not to her liking.

There were four different offerings on the lunch menu, including an interesting Mexican pancake (which I have never heard of, and I’m Mexican).  The others were a hamburger type with fried egg in which the hamburger buns are pancakes, a chicken salad with pancakes (this was sold out), and a hamburger patty drenched in a stewed tomato sauce along with a mini-salad and panna cotta.

I chose the latter hamburger patty/pancake with the drink set for 1280 yen.  I ate the mini-salad, which had a very nice tangy dressing, first, as I did not want the salad dressing and the maple syrup mixing … I’m picky that way.  The three hotcakes were incredibly soft, fluffy, and grilled to perfection.  The homemade hamburger patty was very tasty, and indeed the tomato sauce was rich and tomato-y.   

完熟トマト煮込みハンバーグ

The panna cotta was topped ever so slightly with a raspberry sauce that complimented this dessert wonderfully.  In fact, when I had eaten all the raspberry dressing, I didn’t much care for the rest of the panna cotta, as it reminded me of yogurt, which I don’t care for.  Perhaps others would enjoy the sauceless panna cotta.

We were completely stuffed and satisfied as we wobbled out the door.   We will definitely be back again and again to delight in these pancakes.  My wife already has her eye on the chocolate-banana topped pancakes.

This new locale is basically situated on the street behind the original, just a couple of minutes walk away.  So if you go to either restaurant and find that it’s full, perhaps you could just walk around the block and see if you have better luck and the other restaurant.

One thing I’d like to add … I know Japan is known for their customer service, so we who live here are use to being treated well, politely, and in a timely manner.  But on this day the waitresses seemed to be just a little bit more enthusiastic, prompt, and friendlier than at a regular Japanese restaurant, which really made for a nice atmosphere when visiting a restaurant for the first time.  I enjoyed this and I hope this keeps up.

If you have a hankering for hotcakes, head on over!

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

Please see my previous post HERE.

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 tomorrow Sunday, October 5^th from 11 am to 5 pm.

Strolling into Nishikichō Koen this gorgeous afternoon, the many aromas of different delicacies wafted through the air.  Upon first glance, this Food Convention seemed much smaller than what I imagined, yet there was enough of a variety of goodies to choose from.

I started off with a steak sandwich (500 yen) from the JAMIN/Le Café de Herisson booth.  It was quite popular and I had to wait in line for about ten minutes.  The bread was soft and tasty.  The meat was very tender, but a bit undercooked for my liking.  However, I’ve noticed that many Japanese restaurants serve their steaks while it is still red in the middle.  I don’t mind pink, but I don’t like my meat still red.  The sauce was quite delectable.

ステーキサンドウィチ

My wife thoroughly enjoyed her Watari はらこめし bento (1000 yen) from たその, which included pieces of salmon, salmon eggs, and rice mixed with various ingredients.

はらこめし

Next, was the green curry (500 yen) from the SABAI SABAI Thai Restaurant booth.  This was quite spicy and caused some sweat beads to be formed, but the bamboo shoots had a hint of sweetness to them and the chicken was amazingly tender.  This was a good choice!

グリーンカレー

Dessert was in order so we went for the apple-cinnamon focaccia (300 yen) from the AL FIORE stand.  The apples were quite sweet and delicious, but there wasn’t enough cinnamon flavor.   The bread was soft, but I was expecting sweeter.

リンゴ＆シナモンフォカッチャ

I was thrilled to see my favorite fritters, サーターアンダーギ, being sold (150 yen) at the 仁藤商店 booth, but this was also a disappointment.  They were too greasy and not very sweet.

We left for a few hours but then returned for some more snacks.  I tried the grilled beef (350 yen) from 三丁目小福, but it was miniscule compared to the photo.  Still, it was flavorful, but not worth the money.  Earlier in the day, this stand was extremely popular, but maybe it was another item on their menu that was a big hit.

Tasty, but a bit on the small side

Lastly, I tried the salsiccia sausage (500 yen) from Café & Restaurant GALLOW, but unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo.  You could tell this wiener was grilled to perfection with the sensation of a tart, crisp, juicy sausage upon the first bite.

There were many other tantalizing tastes to be found, but I was just too full.  

If you get the chance, I recommend a trek out to Nishikichō Park for a food adventure!

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Thai Festival in Sendai タイフェスティバルin仙台 022-397-9741

Website:  http://www.thaifestival-sendai.com/

Address:  勾当台公園市民広場.   Located exactly at that address.  Come up off the Kotodai-koen Subway exit and you’re there.

Map:  Weird.  Google Maps cannot show this accurately.  Sorry.

Tomorrow, Sunday, June 29^th from 10 am till 6 pm.

Sorry that this is such late notice, but I didn’t attend the inaugural Thai Festival held last year in Nagamachi, so I didn’t know much about it, but I caught the last two minutes of this morning’s あらあらかしこ TV program which was promoting this event, so I thought it would be worth a try. 

This is the lowdown:  If you want to try some delicious, SPICY, Thai cuisine, you should go!

Once there, you might find it difficult, as I did, to choose among the many different food stalls, each with their own enticing aromas of Thai dishes.  My wife and I decided on the Phu Thai vendor, although all of the   restaurant representatives offered equally tempting dishes.

We went with the Stir-Fried Chicken with Holy Basil on Rice (500 yen), and I added a “Sai Krok”, or Grilled Herbal Sausage (300 yen).  I had never heard of Holy Basil before, but holy crap:  Was it ever spicy!!!  And equally scrumptious!!!

鶏肉のバジル炒め

Besides a wide selection of food being offered, there is always a live performance to be entertained with, as well as many stalls selling Thai goods, foods, and souvenirs.

I was lucky enough to spot my favorite あらあらかしこガール,Manami Kawada, in the crowd and she was kind enough to pose for a photo.  On this program, Manami seems extremely down-to-earth, funny, and very cute!  In person, she did not disappoint!   She made my day!

If you don’t get a chance to make it out tomorrow, be on the lookout for next year’s festival!