Tokyo boasts plenty of Belgian culinary spots, from beer bars to chocolate shops. Chef Bart Sablon even points out that there is a Belgian waffle store right around the corner from Pommeke, a recently opened operation where the 39-year-old works as executive chef. “That’s a total coincidence, though,” he says. ...
Rene Redzepi, currently Denmark’s second most famous export — behind Lego but ahead of Carlsberg — in an interview with Japan Times food columnist Robbie Swinnerton paid high compliments to the wait staff in Japan calling them “some of the best on Earth.” I ...
Vegetarians in Japan will quickly learn that there are two common options for the filling inside the nori-wrapped onigiri (rice balls) found in convenience stores: umeboshi (pickled plum) or kombu (seaweed — though I recently read that even certain types of prepared kombu might ...
The New York borough of Brooklyn has been a hotbed of culinary trends over the past decade. And now Japan’s Mister Donut wants to cash in on the city’s brand of cool. Launched as Brooklyn D&D, this new “donut and danish” hybrid (¥194) comes ...
If in some yet-to-be-explained plot twist the British TV show “Downton Abbey” winds up in Osaka, expect Kitahama Retro to play a starring role. It’s period perfect — right down to the maid in her pinafore, the linen curtains, silver-service tea sets and giant ...
French wholesaler Alain Cohen is the gastronomic equivalent of a gold digger, constantly on the lookout for new culinary treasures. When he makes what he thinks is a major find he presents it to French celebrity chef Alain Ducasse — usually to discover Ducasse ...
On Aug. 30, 1945, newly appointed Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers Gen. Douglas MacArthur landed at Atsugi Airport in Yokohama and headed straight to an elegant hotel overlooking the harbor that had escaped destruction during the war. The Hotel New Grand served as ...
Swaying to the soothing strains of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” a little girl sets the table for her special tea party, with a giant stuffed toy broccoli and Mickey Mouse as her invited guests. I had been in this space years ago, child-free, ...
After a drumroll of media announcements, a steady drip of social media speculation and the crescendo of anticipation, Noma Japan has finally opened. Denmark’s preeminent restaurant has begun its month-long residency in Tokyo, and it’s every bit as remarkable as expected. You can’t help ...
Have you heard? There’s a Michelin two-star chef running a two-month pop-up in central Tokyo. But this one is not inside a plush, high-rise hotel. It’s a food truck — or kicchin kā (kitchen car), as they’re known here — and it’s the brainchild ...
It’s a weird time to be a lover of french fries in Tokyo. On one hand, a string of fancy-pants stores are charging ¥600 for a handful of deep-fried spuds. On the other, you may find a tooth in an order at McDonald’s. Lawson ...
Here’s a joke unlikely to be endorsed by the Osaka Government Tourism Bureau: “There are three great reasons to visit Osaka: great people, great food and because Kyoto doesn’t have an airport.” The truth hurts, even if it’s also mildly humorous. Osaka, a much ...
For the past few years, I’ve harbored a secret dream — an extremely nerdy ambition unlikely to be shared by anyone other than the hardest of hard-core sake and wine geeks. That dream is to become a master taster. I’ve always envied those who ...
