Few plants are as useful as bamboo. A member of the grass family, it is fast growing and very prolific given the right growing conditions, which makes it eco-friendly too. The bamboo plant is indispensable in the Japanese kitchen, where every part of it is used. The leaves and bark ...
A new flavor of one of America’s best-selling candies has just hit Japanese convenience stores. You can now pop white, ...
Long associated with college frat parties, beer pong is now mainstream in the United States. Although the game — which ...
What’s not to like about the original Butagumi? Tokyo’s temple to high-end tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlets) really is the finest in town. Where else serves such beautiful cuts of premium pork — from hand-reared breeds of “heritage” pigs — and in such a classic setting? ...
Who would choose to become a teuchi soba specialist? Kneading and rolling the dough, cutting it by hand, then carefully cooking and serving the delicate buckwheat noodles — it’s a long, laborious job to prepare a meal that can take mere minutes to consume. ...
The Internet has been good to Marc Matsumoto. In 2007 he started putting his recipes online while working full-time in marketing in New York. He watched traffic to his blog grow, interest percolate.
When faced with a six-page menu allied with a supplementary page loaded with specials and all in a language that makes less sense to you than abstract art, what do you do? Get up and leave is one answer, as proven by the nearby ...
Growing up, I’d always thought that drinking before dusk was considered something of a no-no. When my friend suggested on a recent Sunday that we stop by Koenji Bakushu Kobo to try some jikasei (homemade) beer at 3 p.m., I pushed it to the ...
Here’s an odd couple: soup and pancakes. But this is how Elk, a small but expanding chain of cafes, advertises itself. The day I ate at Elk the pancake crowd was definitely in the ascendancy; there were a few soup eaters like myself, but ...
The French and the Belgians get all the attention when it comes to good chocolate, but you have to give credit to the Spanish for introducing the treat to Europe. Cacao Sampaka, which hails from Spain, is a reminder of that: The luxury brand ...
I thought I missed hummus. By which I mean: I missed being able to pick up a tub at the supermarket. But to hear an Israeli acquaintance talk of it is to learn that there is so much more to miss. “Eating hummus reminds ...
Who said that you’re not allowed to play with your food? Lion recently released gummy treats based on the insanely addictive new crossover puzzle game “Puyopuyo Tetris” that you just can’t help but toy around with. You can put together chewy “Tetris” blocks and ...
While sakura are definitely a beautiful sight, their subtle flavor can also be enjoyed in a cocktail. ANA Intercontinental Tokyo (1-12-33 Akasaka, Minato-ku; 03-3505-1111; www.anaintercontinental-tokyo.jp) in Akasaka is among the best places in the capital to find such a creation. The champagne bar on ...
Any al fresco seating is good now that the weather’s warming up. If there’s a view, that’s an added bonus. At Pizzeria Tonino, you get to watch colorful streetcars going past from the luxury of your terrace seat. Of course, you don’t go to ...
The only drawback to the sakura season is that no matter how beautiful the blossoms, the celebrations can get very chilly. You need somewhere you can repair to for warmth and sustenance. If you're anywhere near Yoyogi Park, you won't do better than Ostü.
