Nippon Craft Beer Festival 2011

A little while ago, my friend Dylan and I were at Ushitora, the local craft beer bar here in Shimokitazawa, and saw the information for the upcoming Nippon Craft Beer Festival.  I had heard about this festival before but missed it so we picked up tickets on the spot!  (it's best to buy tickets for this event from one of the local craft bar beers, like Ushitora, CraftHeads, Popeye's, DevilCraft, or Taproom)

For your 3000-yen-ish ticket, you get a small beer glass and ten tickets.  Each ticket gets you a pour (about 120ml, good-sized) of one of the 46 craft beers on tap at the event.  Should you want to push your luck by trying all 46, extra tickets are only 250yen, which is a pretty good deal considering these beers all sell for 1000 yen or more a pint.  There's also a little bit of food for sale for 1 or 2 tickets each, although most attendees had wisely brought a bento along with them.

The event was crowded, but not overly so.  I've also been to the Great Japan Beer Festival and those tend to be so crowded that it's kind of not fun.  Here, there was always room to move around and generally you didn't have to wait too long for any one beer.

They had live music as well -- visually the most interesting was the punk bagpiper who was playing when we arrived.  One of the craft beer bars put together a band that played a selection of mostly folk music in English, which several of them looked like they were sight-reading (classically-trained musicians slumming?).  Apparently they couldn't get quite enough groups since that group played twice, repeating the exact same setlist (including "Country Roads") each time.  I'm inspired -- next year our Inokashira park group should sign up for a slot!

Anyway, enough of the event descriptions.  Here were the beers I got to try. Keep in mind that this event was full of amazing beers, so even a beer I describe here as "OK" would probably be the best beer on tap at your local. Also, if you haven't tried beers with me, my taste in beer runs strongly to American-style IPAs (very bitter, very hoppy).

Brewery	Beer	Style	Comments
プレミアムビール鬼伝説 (Japan/日本)	赤鬼ペールルエール　カスケード・アマリロ	American Pale Ale	OK/まま
いわて蔵ビール	スモークエール	Smoked Ale	It's amazing to taste the same kind of smoke in a beer as you get in meats or cheese, but I didn't like that taste. / いや
Harvest Moon Brewery	復興 IPA	American IPA	Good but didn't stand out in this crowd / よい
August Beer / アウグスビール	Toshi's IPA	IPA	This is fantastic, but I knew that before the festival. This is the IPA from the new company established by the original founder of Yona Yona Ale. / もちろん Toshi's はすばらしいです。
多摩の恵	ベルジャンウイット	Witbier	OK/まま
OH! LA! HO! Beer	ビエール・ド・雷電　インディアペールエール	American IPA	OK/まま
ヤッホーブルーイン	Yona Yona Real Ale Cask Conditioned / よなよなリアルエール　カスクコンディション	American Pale Ale	OK (Yona Yona is probably the best widely-available craft beer in Japanese supermarkets. Don't hold back from buying it there!) /まま
城端ビール	Dragon's Taste / 竜の味	IPA	OK / まま
Brew Dog	Hard Core IPA	IPA	Omigod. This was the best beer among the tastings at the show, and was my vote for the top prize. A lot of other people apparently agreed - this took first place in the voting. It really says something about who comes to this event, because this beer is correctly named: it is an extreme version of an IPA, with overwhelming Hop flavor and strong bitterness (that's the way, uh-huh, uh-huh, I like it). / 一番のビールだと思いまして、そのショーの一番賞を受けました。
Brew Dog and Mikeller	Artisan Black	Very, very black	Brew Dog was offering 30ml samples of this as a special event at their booth. And it really was a special event, this is an amazing, strong, dark, beer; more like sipping a wine than tasting a beer. What an amazing experience!
Baird Beer	Hop Stoopid		Right towards the end of the show, Baird opened up a new keg to hand out samples of their excellent hoppy brew.

So there you go, a rundown on my experience at Nippon Craft Beer Festival 2011. Next year, I'll definitely try to plan ahead and actually volunteer; but in any case, I'll definitely go again.

One small hint for those of you who (apparently, you're reading here) stay all the way to the end: at about 5 minutes to 5, they declare all beers to be free (no tickets required): "Help us drink what's left!" Handy to know if you really want to get your money's worth out of the ticket ;-).

Do the Funky Cucina

Restaurant: Funky Cucina UNO / ファンキー・クッチーナ・ウーノ
Neighborhood: Kichijoji / 吉祥寺
Style: Italian
Website: Tabelog here

My friends Dylan and Katie introduced me to their newest find in Kichijoji: Funky Cucina UNO, or as everybody calls it in English, the Funky Cucina. It immeidately shot to the top of the Tokyo price-performance leagues for antipasti-style Italian!

Funky Cucina is a small place off of Inokashira-kouen in Kichijoji; it's just outside the park entrance near the intersection of Kichijoji-dori and Inokashira-dori. We arrived about 6:30pm on a Saturday and were almost the only customers, but by 8:30 the place was filled up so based on your timeframe reservations may be appropriate.

They got started with the o-toshi which was a small cup of yummy Gazpacho, perfect for the hot summer weekend. That and the fresh-baked italian bread took us off to a good start. We were a group of six so we got to try a lot of things but there were three standouts. Counting down from #3 to the top, they were:

• The tuna tartare with avocado was beautifully done, and again a perfect dish for a summer night. We got two!


• We got one dish Dylan couldn't enjoy due to his vegetarian tendencies: a unbelievably tender garlic-roasted piece of steak (flank steak if I'm not mistaken)


• The topper of the evening though, was one where Dylan's previous exploration served us well: an exquisite truffle risotto. If you think of truffles mostly in conjunction with chocolate, this will take you by surprise. The delicate, earthy taste of the truffles is well-matched by the risotto, and how in Japan they can afford to put that much truffle on a dish that's only 1200円 I have no idea. Go try this soon before they come to their senses and raise prices!

In general Funky Cucina UNO is a great value. The wine list at Funky Cucina reflects this: while they have a lot of expensive wines you're welcome to explore, what's amazing is how many extremely affordable and drinkable wines they have. You can upgrade to the 2500円 level after you're done exploring the 1995円 list, and no I didn't slip a 0 there.

The bottom line is that (especially in a group) you can have a great meal here very reasonably. We got a truly filling meal including a generous amount of wine for 4500円 per person (though naturally dialing up the wine list can change that). It makes a perfect capper to a pleasant day spent in Inokashira Park and has the same kind of relaxed vibe.

The master (whose name I sadly didn't catch) grew up in Canada and speaks perfect English, although the staff will prefer Japanese. Enjoy!

Better than your average Japanese Indian

Name: Dhaba
Neighborhood: Marunouchi
Style: (South) Indian
Website: http://www.dhabaindia.com/

My friend Jin organized a meetup here just as she was running out the door to go snowboarding. While Dhaba isn't a revelation, it is a cut above most Indian restaurants in Japan. Curries are a little spicier than most, and even the Papadams had a bite to them. It's definitely a good option if you're in the Marunouchi area.

そば ^ max

Name: 香り家 / Kaorika
Style: Soba
Neighborhood: 恵比寿 / Ebisu
Website: None, but see http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1303/A130302/13001653/

My friends Naoco and Nick introduced to this awesome soba restaurant, which is surprising considering it's right near my house and not near theirs! I have nothing but props for this place. They have a whole variety of interesting drinks (an awesome nihonshu whose name begins with kiku, nigori umeshuu, and sobayu+sobashochu among others) and a lot of good food to warm up with (the dashimaki was really good, as was the chicken tataki). But of course it's a soba restaurant so the highlight was the soba at the end. As advised by our guides we order the gomadare (sesame sauce) soba, which is thicker than typical soba but oh-so-good. And of course drinking the leftover sauce with sobayuu afterward is equally awesome.

After this win-win experience I can't wait for the next place they've promised to introduce me to, Spoon in Shinjuku 3chome.

The Pie that Mama Makes

Restaurant: Mama Tarte Daikanyama / ママタルト代官山
Neighborhood: Daikanyama (duh) / 代官山
Style:Pie Shop
Website: http://daikanyama.st/mamatarte/ but http://www.coocle.jp/sh/21499/ has more info

Oops, I realized I never posted about this place. When you have a hankerin' for full-on American-style pie, this is the place. There are a sprinkling of pie shops all over Tokyo, but to be honest, most of them aren't all that good. This place, despite being busy, has a pretty relaxed feel and a great selection of pies. It was awhile ago when I went, so I don't remember the exact items we got, but every piece of pie was great.

They do have non-pie "real food" items as well, which were tasty but very limited in selection, so go here because you want some dessert!

American Brunch Problem -> Solved

Restaurant: 57
Neighborhood: Roppongi
Style: American Brunch (on weekend mornings)
Website: http://www.fiftyseven.co.jp/

One of the few kinds of food (besides deep-dish pizza, sigh) that I actually miss in Japan is good American-style brunch: eggs, omelettes, pancakes, waffles, etc. I used to be addicted to Hobee's in the Bay Area and although Japan is full of good food there's nothing quite like that.

Fortunately, my friend Jin organized a meetup (via www.meetup.com) for brunch this morning, and although I'm always leery of going to Roppongi 57 turns out to be exactly the brunch place I've been looking for!

First of all, this restaurant is one of the most American-feeling places I've been in Japan. The ceilings are tall, the tables are widely spaced (definitely something that sets it apart from most Tokyo eateries) and there's actual open space on the floor. The staff, although mostly Japanese, reflects the Roppongi setting by being English-friendly. In another clear indication of the western-ness of the place, the chef came out after awhile and worked the room, introducing himself to everyone and inquiring after their meals.

Next up: the coffee. This place serves one of the best cups of coffee I've ever drank, period. Not particularly bitter, not particularly strong and yet not weak like so many Japanese restaurants; simply one of the best-balanced cups of coffee I've ever had the pleasure to pour down my throat. There's only one minor downside to 57's coffee: unlike a typical American brunch spot, it is not bottomless. That's probably just as well, I might have ended up overcaffeinated!

And, I wouldn't the posting about this place if it wasn't for the food. Because we were a large group, we were ordering off of a limited menu and it was still awesome. I got the French toast, which was definitely heavy and yet showed no trace of actual egg bits: the egg was fully absorbed into the bread before heating. The serving was what I would expect in Japan in terms of size (two triangles), but it more than made up for that by coming with two awesome condiments. One, as you would expect here, was real maple syrup. But actually the big winner of the whole meal was the second condiment, house-made applesauce with small chunks of apple and brimming with spices. My fellow diners reported that just being able to sit in the vicinity of the applesauce was a pleasure.

I didn't get to sample 57's brunch menu widely although the fruit smoothies were certainly tasty, so I need to go back. And, I gather they're actually primarily a dinner restaurant. But the french toast brunch was certainly a great way to start!

Heavenly Neighborhood Yakitori

Restaurant: Kushi-waka-maru / 串若丸
Neighborhood: Nakameguro / 中目黒
Style: Yakitori-ya / 焼鳥屋
Website: None that I know of, but google 串若丸 or kushiwakamaru for lots of reviews

This is one of those places that makes living in Japan special. I was hanging out at another restuarant, the extremely sociable Pampa in Meguro, when another customer recommended Kushi-waka-maru to me. This fellow customer also explained the origin of the name to me: it's a complicated wordplay on a Edo-era historical figure combined with 串 / kushi, the character for the skewer in yakitori cuisine.

My friend Atsushi was up visiting from Kansai the first night we went, and so we met the most infamous part of Kushiwakamaru, the long wait for a table. We waited almost an hour, which is almost unheard of in Japan (rather than waiting, you just go somewhere else). The wait was inconsequential after we got to taste the food, though. Everything was absolutely top-of-the-charts among yakitori-style restaurants and we spent the evening chatting with the couple sitting next to us.

Tonight I grabbed late dinner there which only reinforced what an awesome place this is. The highlight of tonight's meal was the toriwasa, which is raw chicken with wasabi and shoyu. I've had chicken tataki at a number of places, but was little rolls of tataki chicken with very little in the way of added flavoring. Oh my goodness, so delicious. As a bonus, while I'm pretty sanguine about eating things in Japan even if it's raw chicken, but I don't think I'd try this in rural China, so it's a definite Japan treat.

Besides that, I had a salad (the battle in Japan is to try and get your greens), some scrumptious tsukune, anogo shiroyaki, and of course some dashimaki tamago. It's an "I feel lucky to live here" feeling. Kushiwakamaru isn't particularly expensive, even if you eat a lot your food bill will be 3000-4000円 and you can easily dial that down if you're on a budget. Beers are a normal 600円 or so.

Seriously, you can wait a long time here; come early or be ready for a good time hanging out in line.