UPDATE: Bistro Ampoule ビストロ・アンブル 022-743-5785

Website:  http://r.gnavi.co.jp/t267400/

If you haven't read about Bistro Ampoule before, please read my original post at:  Bistro Ampoule.

Bistro Ampoule is now one of my FAVORITES!!!  When I first reported on this fabulous restaurant, I listed it under my Recommended list because just after one visit I couldn’t be sure if its greatness was consistent or if it was a one-hit wonder.  But I’ve been back again and again (and again) and I have confirmed its wonderfulness.  It appears that many others agree with me, as every time I venture in there always seems to be a crowd.  

From the “Evening Lunch” menu (this is different from their Lunch and Dinner menus), the “A” set for 1260 yen that I ordered came with an appetizer and a main dish.  It was tough to decide upon which appetizer to go with, as there were thirteen very different choices to choose from.  I was in a meat-eating mood so I chose the salad with homemade sautéed bacon and spicy mustard as the appetizer.   The two thick slices of bacon were amazingly delicious, with the German mustard complimenting them very well.  The fresh salad had a tangy Italian dressing.  This appetizer was absolutely delicious and I loved it!  With the accompanying toasted bread and zesty balsamic sauce, these alone practically filled me up.  As I mentioned before, the bread came with お代わりservice!  How often does that happen in Japan?

実家製ベーコンのソテー粒マスタード添え

Toasted Bread with Balsamic Sauce ... and a touch of house wine.

For the main entrée on this evening I went with the black peppered pork roast with lemon and vegetables, which costs an additional 300 yen.  The veggies consisted of eggplant, red and yellow bell peppers, sweet potato, and a carrot purée, all being served at room temperature making them, as a whole, seem more like ratatouille.  The pork steak was soft, tender, and peppery, with a thin crusty layer on top that added a textural delight to the senses.  This was truly scrumptious!  Although the pork came with the same spicy mustard that accompanies the beef steak they serve, it didn’t go as well with the pork as it did with the beef.  But the pork didn’t need any additional accoutrements to aid in its appreciation, it stood alone.

ロース肉の黒胡椒ステーキ　レモン添え

My wife’s bouillabaisse, with spinach, potatoes, eggplant and 鰈 fish (flounder), along with the  金目鯛  fish platter (1410 yen) appeared too much for her to eat.  Yet she happily obliged and stated that everything tasted just grand.

Seafood Galore!

On yet another outing to Bistro Ampoule we were served a sampling of carrot pottage on the house, which was very delightful.

Carrot pottage

My better half just loved her shrimp pasta and its creamy tomato sauce while I enjoyed the dinner variation of the steak and fries.  The dinner variation, unlike the lunch variation, came with a balsamic sauce topping that was very pleasing.  However, in my opinion, the tanginess of the balsamic topping did not mix well with the spiciness of the German mustard, so I kept those two apart.

Shrimp Pasta

Dinner Steak & Fries with Balsamic Sauce

The masterful chef, だいぞー,conjures up amazing dishes and a plethora of options with ingredients from local farmers.  My wife and I love Bistro Ampoule, and we think you’d love it, too.  

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VENICE - Al Vecio Canton Pizzeria Ristorante

Website:   http://www.alveciocanton.it/eng/index.php

Map:  Scroll down to the bottom.

Address:   Castello 4738/4739, Venezia.  Phone: 0415287143.
Located about a 5-minute walk from the San Zaccaria vaporetto stop on the way to Santa Maria Formosa Palazzo, at the end of Ruga Giuffa.

This restaurant was recommended by Lorenzo, the owner of the Ai Tagliapietra B&B that we are currently staying at.  We figured that we ought to give this restaurant a try considering that it's only an eight second walk from our front door.

In my broken Italian I ordered the Prosciutto pizza for 8 Euros (778 円, $9.91),  a 30 cm. pizza with paper-thin slices of ham.  This was the third pizza I had eaten in less than 48 hours, and after the first bite it became the best pizza I had in Venice!  The sauce, the cheese, the crust, ... the ham!!! Each bite just seemed to be more heavenly than the last!

Prosciutto Pizza

My wife ordered a salad with lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, olives, corn, and tuna.  It came with no dressing but she still enjoyed it very much.

Salad:  Italian style

She also ordered the Spaghetti Bolognese, which she raved about!  I sampled and agreed that it was delicious; light and non-greasy, giving the effect of frehness.

Spaghetti Alla Bolognese

My wife also endulged in the local Venetian appertif, a Spritz, which is concocted with a bit of Prosecco sparkling wine, mineral water, and a bitter liqueur called Aperol.  She loved this, as well.

A Veneto Spritz

I went with a deep, rich Ialian coffee, one of the many flavors I've come to love here in Venice.

Espresso

Food, drinks, and cover charge came to a grand total of 42 € (4086 円, $52), which is a little bit higher than what we've paid for other meals here in Italy, but still not too bad for real Italian grub.

I know this is far from Sendai, but if you're ever out this way take a break from San Marco's Square and enjoy the Al Vecio Canton!

Their justification for a cover charge

I forgot this

View Pizzeria/Trattoria al Vecio Canton in a larger map

Weekend Update: July 15, 2012

Yesterday my wife and I went for another great lunch at Billy's.  I, of course went with my usual club sandwich with avocado topping and my wife went with the half sandwich with drink set.  She chose the potato pottage soup as her beverage.  I'm sorry, but I didn't take my camera so I don't have any photos, but my wife was raving about the pottage's taste.


Afterward, we sauntered over to Mitsubachi 38 Cafe for some delicious dessert pancakes.   Again we went with our usual, caramel pancakes for my wife and buttermilk with ice cream topping for me.  But I did notice one thing different on the menu.  They now offer a tempting stack of ten buttermilk pancakes for 1500 yen.  Oh, and the pancakes we ordered were top-notch!


For dinner we waltzed on over to one of our new favorite neighborhood eateries, Bistro Ampoule.  They'll be a new update about this splendid new find soon, but let me just say that our meal was simply marvelous!


For this evening's supper we found ourselves at an old standard, Cappriciosa.  But because we were just a bit hungry we decided against the Pair Set and went a la carte.   My wife ordered a small garlic and tomato sauce spaghetti (905 yen) and I asked for an order of garlic bread (134 yen) and a Cappriciosa pizza (1229 yen).  The Cappriciosa comes with salami, bacon, and onion, but I kindly requested for them to take out the onion.


First, came the garlic bread.  It was good, but not great.  But at 134 yen, I guess you can't go wrong.  We were quite surprised at how big the serving of spaghetti was.  It was so large that I was able to share in its good and garlicky taste.

トマトとニンニクのスパゲティ

My pizza was very good!  I imagined that it would be topped with the standard small slices of ペパロニサラミ, but to my surprise there were at least five 9 cm. in diameter slices of salami.  The whole pizza was good sized, about 28 cm. in diameter.   Because we weren't all that hungry, so I only managed to eat half of it and brought the remainder home.

カプリチョーザ（サラミとベーコン）

I noticed a sign for their take-out pizzas at 1430 yen.  For this price, this is actually cheaper than a large Pizza Hut pizza, and better tasting.  This might be a good option for you if you happen to live near a Cappriciosa.

Hoshiyama Coffee ホシヤマ珈琲店 022-723-8111

Website:  http://www.hoshiyama.co.jp/menu_index.html

Address:  仙台市青葉区中央1-3-1アイル２階.   Located on the 2^nd floor of the AER Building.

Map:  Click the “Location” link below.

Open:  10 am – 8 pm.

Last month we visited the fancy-shmancy Hoshiyama Coffee in the AER Building for its Afternoon Set.  There are three branches of Hoshiyama altogether, an older one on Ichibancho between Hirose-dori and Jozen-ji dori, and a newer, more modern restaurant near Chuo-dori on Minami-machi dori.  But these other two locations do not offer the exclusive Afternoon Set (currently at 1890 yen). 

Unbeknownst to me at the time, the Afternoon Set menu changes every month.  This is great if you would like to try something new, yet familiar every month.  Not so good if you’re relying on their webpage for the actual names of what you had eaten the month before.  Had I known that, I would have taken better notes (or at least written this post a lot sooner).  

Since I did not write down what I delighted in that afternoon, I’ll just have to describe the best I can as to what I was served.  But as the menu changes every month, you wouldn’t be able to eat what I had last month anyway, so I guess it doesn’t really matter what the name of the food was.

June's Afternoon Set

So on to the food.  The first plate consisted of two different types of gelatin; one white with a flan-like mold, and the other clear that appeared to be Jell-O.   I like cherry flavored Jell-O but apart from that I really don’t care that much for gelatin, so when I first gazed upon the first tier of this food pagoda I was already wincing a little.   Much to my delight, the flan-like substance was light, creamy, and not too bad by itself.  I blended the accompanying raspberry sauce drops with this and it became delicious!   The clear gelatin was sweet and quite nice in its own right.  We were off to a very good start!

The Gelatin Plate

Instead of eating the dishes from top to bottom I opted to forgo the sweets on the second tier and decided on something of more substance and went with the sandwich plate at the base.  I thought that the mozzarella panini was good, and that says something because I’m not fond of cheese.   The tandoori chicken sandwich was great, with a spice that was not designed to create sweat beads but rather to gratify the taste buds.  The bread rolls on both of these sandwiches were light and fluffy.   The peppery dressing on the salad was fantastic while the broccoli-bacon tidbits, though adding a nice touch, weren’t anything extraordinary. 

Sandwich Platter

Next, I proceeded to devour the middle platter.   The pineapple mousse was wonderful with just the right amount pineapple flavor without it being too powerful. 

The 杏仁豆腐 (almond jelly) with melon jelly was my least favorite of all the tempting treats because I don’t like 杏仁豆腐, yet I found this edible … at least half of it.  My wife happily offered to eat the remaining half (she loves the stuff!).

The black sesame tart’s caramelized topping reminded me of peanut brittle and せんべい.   The heavy sweetness of this top layer and the mild taste of the filling seemed to compliment each other quite nicely.

The Middle Platter

And now on to what Hoshiyama is known for:  COFFEE!  It was OUTSTANDING!  Flavorful and rich without being overpowering.   We were served the famous Royal Blend Coffee, which by itself costs 1050 yen a cup (and at today’s current exchange rates, that’s $13.26 for a cup of Joe).  And as a super special bonus, we got a refill on the house!  Coffee refills in Japan?  I thought this was only available at Mr. Donuts.  

The best part of waking up

Hoshiyama prides itself on its elegance (and coffee).  Each coffee cup and saucer set has its own unique design and is made of bone china (my wife was served with Wedgwood china).  I saw no one in the place dressed very casually, and a few people seemed to really dress up.   You’ll need to make reservations for their Afternoon Set as they sell out quite quickly.  This June afternoon was our third attempt at reserving a table, as we were politely rejected on our previous inquiries.

I highly recommend Hoshiyama for their Afternoon Set.  It’s something different, something elegant, something exquisite. 

Bistro Ampoule ビストロ・アンプル 022-743-5785

UPDATE:  Bistro Ampoule has been upgraded to my Favorites listing.  Please read my updated post here: Update-Bistro Ampoule.

Website:  http://r.gnavi.co.jp/t267400/

Address:  宮城県仙台市太白区泉崎１－３３－１０　富沢公園パークマンション１０２.   Located about a three-minute walk from the Sendai Gymnasium or a five-minute walk from Tomizawa Subway Station.  

Lunch:  11:30 am – 2:00 pm. 　　　Dinner:  6:00 pm – 10:30 pm.

Closed Wednesdays.

While flipping the channels this morning we happened upon a local TV program called あらあらかしこ which was currently showcasing businesses near Tomizawa Subway Station.  One of the eateries highlighted was Bistro Ampoule, and the show’s reporters were just raving about the exquisite food.  

We live within walking distance to this restaurant and have driven past it countless times, but it never seemed to catch our attention.  In fact, it’s kind of difficult to tell that there’s a restaurant at that location.  This seemed to reaffirm a theory that I proposed to my wife:  The truly great restaurants in Sendai seem to do the least in attracting attention to themselves, while restaurants with more, shall we say, common fare, tend to go overboard in their displays of “Look at me!  I’m a restaurant!  I have bright colors, big banners, and plaster the side of the building with photos of the food and the prices!  Eat here!  Please!”  びっくりドンキー is an example of this “I’m over here!” type of restaurant.  I actually enjoy driving by Bikkuri Donkeys because each restaurant has a different motif on the outside of the building.  You can spot a Bikkuri Donkey a mile away.  I have nothing against びっくりドンキー.  I’ve eaten there and it was good.  But it was also nothing special.  Conversely, Bistro Ampoule seems to follow the concept taken by such greats as Café de Mieux and Bistro Boeuf d’Or, which almost seem to hide their existence.  Rather than focus on being seen, these restaurants focus on quality.

We strolled over to Bistro Ampoule and at first were turned away due to them hosting a full house (the place only holds about twenty people).  We thought that perhaps others in the neighborhood had seen the same program, as well.  But we gave them our cell phone number and they gave us a call ten minutes later saying they had an opening.  

My wife and I both ordered the “A” set lunch that came with an appetizer, a main dish selection, bread or rice, a drink, and dessert for 1000 yen.  For an additional 500 yen, I went with the steak and fries, the mouthwatering platter they showed on the TV program, while my wife ordered the fish selection, but more on these later.

「牛ロース肉」ステーキフリットビストロ風

First came the focaccia bread and the ratatouille appetizer.  The ratatouille consisted of eggplant, red and yellow bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, mizuna, and zucchini while topped with a light dressing.  This was very good!  The focaccia was light with a slightly crunchy crust that complimented the ratatouille very nicely.

Focaccia

ラタトゥイユ

My wife stated that the fish was tender and delicious, and that the vegetables were fabulous!  The accompanying veggies were as follows:  Chinese cabbage, sweet potatoes, radish, spinach, yellow bell peppers, onion, carrots, eggplant, and green onions.  She said that it seemed to be topped with a delightful a carrot sauce!

舌平目

I’m always a bit concerned when ordering steak in Japan, as I don’t like to see the meat red.  Back in the States I order my steaks medium (or medium rare for prime rib), but in Japan I have to ask for well done just so that it won’t be red in the center.  But this time I forgot to request how I wanted my steak prepared when ordering .   Luckily for me, it was grilled to a perfect medium setting, and like my wife’s fish, this was also tender and delicious, and much to my delight, appeared to be just a bit bigger than what I saw on TV that morning.

We were seated at the counter where I could see the chef preparing our food from our vantage point.   I’m no cook, so I don’t know if this is standard practice or not but it was the first time I had seen this:  the chef held the uncooked steak in one hand away from the stove and sprinkled the salt over it, then the pepper, before he placed it on the grill.  It looked … different, but it also gave me the impression that he was sweating over the details and that he was really putting in a fair amount of effort into our food preparations.  I liked that!

The fries were just the way I like them:  crispy and salted to perfection.  A nice added touch was the spicy mustard on the platter that went well with both the steak and fries.

For dessert, we were brought a wonderful serving of vanilla ice cream to top off the meal, or so I thought.   By the end of our meal, we were the only ones in the joint.   The waitress, having noticed me writing my notes and taking umpteen flash photos asked me, “Do you write a blog?”    I told her I did.  She then brought out the regular menu (we had only seen the lunch menu up until then) and told us a little about the restaurant.  They’ve been open for business for three years now and are proud of their wine lists and their food preparation.  She says that sometimes the menu changes as they set the day’s menu according to the availability of the freshest ingredients.  We noticed that they offer a wine nomihoudai, which is something I’ve never seen advertised before.   

Vanilla Ice Cream

Perhaps they were trying to buy my loyalties as the waitress served us some cherries.  She said that the chef had just returned from his hometown in Yamagata and wanted to share his omiyage with us.   It worked.

Bistro Ampoule does not offer a stamp card but they did give us two 100 Euro tickets, which is good for a 100 yen discount each off our next lunch.  Click on the クーポン tab on the gnavi site for the same discount ahead of time.  Another coupon choice is the 1050 yen two hour house wine nomihoudai.  The website states that they have six parking spaces available.  Since it’s a small establishment you might want to call ahead and make a reservation.

I’m listing Bisro Ampoule in my Recommend listings for the time being, but I have a feeling that after a couple of more visits this restaurant will be moving up to my Favorites.

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Teddy’s Diner テディーズ ダイナー 022-223-9333

UPDATE, OCT. 13, 2013:  UNFORTUNATELY, TEDDY'S DINER IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS AT ITS PREVIOUS LOCATION, AND I'M NOT SURE WHETHER IT HAS MOVED OR GONE OUT OF BUSINESS.
On my last visit sometime ago, the owner had told me that he was thinking of moving to a new location near the kencho, but I have not tried looking for it recently.
If you know any information, please let me know.
Until then, you can still read this post to see what you missed out on.
Oh, well.

Website:  http://www.hotpepper.jp/strJ000689907/

Address:  宮城県仙台市青葉区一番町 4-3-3 KIビル2F.   On Hirose-dori across the street from Baskin-Robbins 31 Ice Cream.  Look for their emblem which is the Grateful Dead Teddy Bear sign.  

Map:  Scroll down to the bottom.

Open from 5 pm – ?:00 am.

Today my wife and I visited an old favorite.  We haven't been here in quite a few months and we desperately missed these burgers.   Unfortunately, Teddy’s is no longer open for lunch, which is when we most frequented this diner.   But today we hung around downtown just long enough for some first-rate grub.   

Although my wife used to always order the hot dog, we both went with the standard Teddy’s Burger (750 yen) with a side order of onion rings (500 yen).   

The onion rings, about ten or so, were fantastic!  No need for ketchup with these rings.  But because we were so hungry we devoured them before I remembered to take a picture.   Sorry about that.

Since Teddy's is currently a one-man operation, it took quite a while before our burgers came, but it was definitely worth the wait.  The hamburgers were great!  I cut off a piece of the meat patty to judge its quality, and it was delicious!  I wouldn’t have minded just a serving of meat patty.  The hamburgers came with a few fried potato wedges, which were salted to perfection. 

Teddy's Burger

However, there are a couple of things that if changed would make this place superb.  One is that the hamburger patty, though tasty, is rather small.  I’m not a big eater but the single patty hamburger was not enough to fill me up completely.  They used to offer an extra patty in their toppings menu, but I didn't notice it this time.  Another thing is that you have to order a drink with your meal.   My wife and I aren’t big on soft drinks and we often just drink water with our meals.  Having to order a beverage rubs me the wrong way just a bit.  Also, Teddy's Diner is not a smoke-free establishment, and since this is a small place it can be a bit bothersome if there are smokers present.

On the plus side Teddy’s menu lists a variety of burgers, hot dogs, shakes, and even tacos, as well as a wide range of alcoholic beverages.  If you're hungry and brave enough, check out the Mega Burger for 1980 yen!

A word of caution if you plan on visiting Teddy’s:  As we left, the owner told us that he's planning on moving to a location near the Kencho.   He doesn't know the exact date yet but he says the phone number should remain the same, so you may want to call ahead to find out if it’s still at the above address or not.  I will keep you updated as I find out more information. 

I'm adding Teddy's Diner to my Favorites list partly for nostalgic reasons.   I've shared some great food with great friends there over the years, and when I think of going to Teddy's it brings a smile to my face remembering those times.  If they were open for lunch, I would once again become the regular customer that I had been. 

If you happen to find yourself one evening hanging around Kokubuncho or the Disney Store and feel like a burger would be a great idea, head on down to Teddy’s.

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Kame House Burger カメホウス ハンバーガー 374-5747

URGENT UPDATE:  PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR IMPORTANT NEWS REGARDING KAME HOUSE BURGER.

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

Address:  仙台市泉区中央１丁目22-1.   Located on Route 35, about a three-minute walk from Izumi Subway Station.

Map:  Scroll down to the bottom.

Weekdays lunch:  11:30 am – 2:45 pm.     

Weekdays dinner:  5:30 pm – 10:30 pm.

Sundays and Holidays:  11:30 am – 8:30 pm.   

Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

A great, big “THANKS!” to blog reader Crawford who recommended this hamburger joint to me (read Comments of the Freshness Burger post).  You were spot on with this, Crawford!

Upon entering, I immediately got a kick out of the American-style décor and the 50’s rock n’ roll music livening up the place.  It sounded like they had stolen my iPod!

Looking at the menu you see that Kame House offers a wide selection of burgers starting at 750 yen.  Crawford suggested I try the Avocado Cheeseburger with Bacon, but instead I went with just a basic hamburger.  I guess it’s the picky eater in me but I really don’t care for other “stuff” on my hamburger (Sorry, Crawford).  I feel a good hamburger should stand on its own laurels and not need any other “stuff” in order to make it right.  I love avocado and I love bacon!  But I’ve never really cared for either of those on my burgers.  My twisted taste buds feel that these great singular flavors taint the wholesomeness of the burger.

Sure it looks like a plain, but that's all I need

My plain, basic hamburger was good … very good!  Everything tasted fresh.  I tried a piece of the meat patty by itself to see if it was appetizing enough to stand on its own.  This piece of patty possessed pleasant and palatable flavors!  The menu states that the Kame House chefs make their meat patties from a mixture of Australian and Wagyu beef, which must be the reasoning behind this great burger.

My wife went with a BLT (750 yen), and although I didn’t get to taste it, she stated that it was really delicious!   All platters come with French fries, which I think is a good value, but we also ordered some onion rings for the side (but at five for 280 yen, maybe not such a great value).

BLT

The fries were cut too thin for my textural liking, but there was nothing lacking in their taste: crisp and salted to perfection.  The onion rings, at first glance, didn’t seem too appetizing either, but to my surprise they were great!  I hold a similar sentiment between hamburgers, fries, and onion rings:  they should be flavorful enough to be enjoyed exclusively, without any needed flavor enhancers.   The onion rings, like the French fries, were delightful with or without ketchup.  I did find it a bit strange that they served the onion rings with a spicy salsa that, my wife and I both agreed, didn't really didn’t go well.

And since I’m complaining, another thing I didn’t like was the pickled carrot slice that was on my plate.  Again, I got caught judging a book by its cover, but this time it didn't go in my favor.  I thought it was just a regular, raw slice of carrot.  Imagine my surprise when I bit into it and realized that it was a pickled carrot!  

Hamburgers + pickles = Good!  

Hamburgers + pickled carrots = No, thank you! 

Onion Rings with weird Salsa

This restaurant offers a point card but upon close inspection it really isn’t worth much as you have to spend at least 4200 yen before you get a 100 yen discount.

Kame House is really easy to find on foot and has two parking spaces for those who drive.  If I lived in Izumi this place would definitely make my Favorites list as I would be a regular diner at this diner.  I highly recommend this eatery and am looking forward to my next trip to Izumi.

大きな地図で見る

Oktoberfest in Sendai

Yodabashi Website:  http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20120607-00000005-khks-l04

Nishikichou Website:  http://www.oktober-fest.jp/2012sendai/ 
Download the flyer from the Outline page for a 100 yen coupon.

Guten abend!  As of tomorrow, June 10th, 2012, there will be two, yes count them, zwei Oktoberfest events in Sendai running simultaneously.

Every year Sendai hosts two Oktoberfests, a small one in June and a bigger one in September.  I usually visit the one in September and always enjoy the food and the atmosphere.  Last year was especially enjoyable as it was heart-warming to see so many locals letting their hair down and having a raucous good time despite the hell that was endured during the year.

It's always a bit pricey, but when you're in the mist of a rollicking good time you really don't mind paying a bit (or a lot) more.  If I remember correctly the price of the special platter of spare ribs, sausages, and sauerkraut was 2500 yen.  Would I want to pay that normally?  Of course not.  But was it worth it then?  Definitely!

Oktoberfest 2011 platter:  2500 円

This year it looks as if three Oktoberfests will come to Sendai, two of them this weekend.  As you may have gathered by now one event is being held on the second floor of the old Yodabashi Camera building behind Sendai Station (in case you haven't heard, there is a new Yodabashi Camera across the street).  As I was checking out cameras today I decided to saunter over to the old building for some sausages and saurkraut, and to soak in some of that Oktoberfest festive feeling.  Was I in for a surprise!

The entire second floor was filled with tables and benches.  A three-piece female band was playing German music (I think), and the booths selling beer, wine, and food lined up an entire side of the place.  However, there were only about ten people in the place.  I blame this on poor PR, for even the Yodabashi Camera staff inside didn't know anything about this event.  On the outside of the entrance to the new Yodabashi Camera there is a woman who is handing out coupons for this Oktoberfest, but inside some staff didn't know what I was talking about.
The Yodabashi Oktoberfest is open Mondays thru Fridays from 4 pm till 10 pm and on weekends from 11 am.  This event will run till September 2nd.

An empty beer hall

But plenty of beer

Nishikichou Koen is opening their Oktoberfest tomorrow and it will run till Sunday, June 17th.  Click on the "Location" link below for a map to this park. This event will probably be more festive then the Yodabashi site, but the big steins will come in September.  For a peak at that Oktoberfest, please look at the following site:  http://www.sendai-oktoberfest.jp/

Just to let you know, since I passed on Yodabashi today, but still feeling in a German mood, I headed over to Brunenheim for another fantastic dinner!

Curry Shop Sakaiya カレーショップ酒井屋 022-227-7976

Website:  http://r.tabelog.com/miyagi/A0401/A040101/4000311/

Address:  仙台市青葉区一番町2-4-17　ブルーリボンビル２F.   Located on Ichibancho between Aoba-dori and Minami-machi dori, about 50 meters from McDonald’s and on the opposite side.

Map:  Scroll down to the bottom.

Open:  Every day from 10:30 am to 9:30 pm.

If you’ve walked down this part of Ichibancho I’m sure you’ve seen this restaurant’s big, yellow, canopy sign staring down at you.  This mom & pop operation has been around for over 50 years, although I’m not sure whether the current mom & pop are the original mom & pop.  But they could be, as they have the demeanor of people who have been doing this same job, every single day, for their whole entire lives.  They weren’t mean to me, but nor were they what you would call friendly, either.  I think I’ve grown accustomed to the overly polite staff of Japanese restaurants who enthusiastically welcome you with a boisterous いらっしゃいませ！  That ain’t happening here, bud.   

But on to the food!  This curry house offers a number of curries including dry curries and some with brown rice, which seems to be one of their specialties.  Their set menus include a mini curry with a serving of soba.  

I went with the 中辛 chicken curry for 650 yen, which came with rice, a small cabbage salad and miso soup.  

The curry was just right, not too spicy where your mouth is burning but just spicy enough to get the sweat beads forming.  I was impressed by the amount of chicken that was in the curry, and by the wonderful taste!  I helped myself to some sweetened pearl onions and 福神漬け that were placed on the counters, and those flavors went nicely with the spices of the curry.

Chicken Curry

The miso soup was just okay, nothing special about it but at least they didn’t screw it up.

Fair to Middling Miso

Sakaiya also boasts of blending a variety of fresh juices including apple, carrot, and cabbage.  I felt a bit adventurous and tried the fresh apple juice (sad, really, when drinking apple juice becomes an adventure).  The apple juice was sweet, but not too sweet, and a bit foamy on top, which reminded me of an Orange Julius (anyone remember these in So. Cal?).

Fresh & Frothy Apple Juice

I enjoyed sitting by the window looking out on the pedestrian traffic walking along Ichibancho.  Actually, there aren’t a lot of seating options.  You either sit at the counter facing the window, or you sit at the counter not facing the window.  There are no tables.  Because of this feature, or lack there of, it appears that their demographic are students and salarymen, not couples looking for a romantic dinner (or someone who wants to sit at a table).  

I had always wanted to eat at Curry Shop Sakaiya, and I’m glad I did.  I walked out of their completely satisfied:  a good hearty meal for a reasonable price!  What more could anyone ask for?  Okay, maybe a table with some friendly conversation, but oh well.

If you don’t want to spend a lot of dough but want a decent meal, I recommend this curry shop.  It’s worth a try!

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Happy Happy Melon Pan Truck

Please read my previous posts on Happy Happy Melon Pan Truck HERE and HERE.

Location:  In front of Daiei Department Store on Chuo-dori.

Just a reminder that hot, fresh, mouth-watering melon pan will be available from tomorrow, Friday, June 8th till Monday, June 11th.

Hope to see you there!

Current Info as of Saturday, June 2, 2012

Some quick news about current foodie events.  Baskin-Robbins 31 Ice Cream is running their Triple the Challenge campaign in which you can get a triple scoop of ice cream for the price of a double.  I believe that the small triple scoop is 400 yen while the regular size (which is supposed to be 1.5 times more ice cream) is 570 yen.  Add in a waffle cone for only 30 yen more.  I believe this campaign will run well into July, so no need to hustle over.

Today I tried their new Chocolate Oreo flavor and I think it will be my new “go-to” ice cream along with Rocky Road.  By the way, when I was a child my family referred to this ice cream shop as “31 Flavors,” but as a teenager my friends called it “Baskin-Robbins.”  What did you call it?  Seems like every Japanese person I’ve met refers to it as “31 Ice Cream.”

Another campaign that is currently running is Fujisaki Department Store’s Okinawa Fair, which I believe runs till June 5^th.  Sure, every depato seems to run an Okinawa, Hokkaido, etc… fair every weekend, but the Okinawa Fair on the 7^th floor of Fujisaki’s is quite extensive with samples of food (including マグロ), sake, and other tidbits!  Plus, I found one of my favorite desserts:  fritters!!!  Okay, that’s what I call them.  When I was a boy there was a local buffet style restaurant named Sir George’s.  I only ate there a few times but I still remember the wonderful taste of their sweet, corn fritters.  Well, there’s an Okinawan specialty called サーターアンダギー that’s almost exactly the same as what I remember at Sir George’s.   Actually, they are nothing more than fried, brown sugar doughnut balls, but I love’em!

Fritters?

Preparing マグロ(tuna) sashimi.  The sample was delicious!

And the big news … the Happy Happy Melon Pan Truck will return to Daiei NEXT WEEKEND, Friday, June 8^th till Monday, June 11^th!  I actually dropped the ball in March and missed them when they last came around, so I’ll definitely be making a trip downtown next weekend.  

Hope you enjoy these current finds!