2010年11月3日水曜日

Patisserie a la campange 自由が丘

Patisserie a la campagne 自由が丘

東京都目黒区自由が丘1-3-13
1-3-13 Jiyugaoka Meguro-ku Tokyo, Japan

Website: http://www.alacampagne.jp/index.php/shoplist/shop24

Price: 1000~2000yen






 Cafe and Patisserie in Jiyugaoka along the Suzukake street with many cafes. The famous Hara Donuts (Donuts made out of Tofu) store is next to it.  I love its retro exterior and its wooden interior. Its tile floors and the wooden tables and benches welcomes you with a warm touch. It feels like you are right at home.  First floor consists of take out cakes, breads, and gifts such as cookies, and sweets. The second floor can seat up to 60 people made as a cafe. Enjoy lunch with your friends, and families. Along with lunch, enjoy a nice relaxing afternoon tea with a cup of coffee and a cake. The coffees come in a fairly large cup so take your time to sit back and relax with a long chat. Many kind of cakes awaits you to try and even displayed in the windows to look at them outside. I know for sure that you will be impressed by the work they do on those cakes. They look gorgeous and filled with many fruits used especially on tarts. The cakes are not too sweet and a good size to finish. I would give this store 4 out of 5 stars. I will have to try their lunch menus.

Blood Orange Tart
Fruit Tart
I tried these tarts and they were wonderful. I loved how they use unusual fruits like blood orange to make tarts. The tart pies were crispy and filled with cream, but not too sweet and dense.



Cafe Au Lait


2010年11月1日月曜日

艸楽庵 (そうらくあん)

艸楽庵 (そうらくあん)

神奈川県足柄下郡箱根町湯本茶屋208 天山湯冶郷
サイト:http://tenzan.jp/
塔ノ沢駅から1115m 
参考地図:http://r.tabelog.com/kanagawa/A1410/A141001/14001691/dtlmap/

時間:12:00~19:30(ランチ営業)
定休日:木曜日、第2・4金曜日

そばは、話題の暁庵や御殿場にある民家が経営している小羽根山というそば屋も食べに行ったことがあるが、ここのそばが一番好き。

そばで一番こだわりたいのが香り、つや、のど越しの良さ。そばもコシと言うが、うどんほどコシが命ではないような気がする。もちろん茹で過ぎでやわらかいそばなんて論外だけど。

艸楽庵は、箱根に位置するそば兼湯治場のある場所。お店の横には沢が流れ、まるで時間を忘れるほど静かでゆったり出来る森の中にあるこじんまりとしたお店。最近では、人気が高まり、開店と同時に人が押し寄せ、ものの10分で満席になるほど。湯治場で湯に浸かった後に利用するお客さんも多いようだ。個人的には、湯治場はおすすめできない。凄まじい利用客で中は芋洗い状態・・・。

お店入り口
雰囲気ある入り口が大好き
店舗まで続く苔道
店舗入り口 テラス席にもお客さんがいっぱい!
店内


せいろそば
 そば本来の味を確かめるには、やっぱりせいろそばが一番。茹で上がりのつや、喉越しともに良く、香りも芳醇だ。二八そばだけど、そば粉の粉っぽさもなくとてもきれい。つゆも味が濃くなく、かつお出汁が利いていて美味しい。寒い時期には、鴨南蛮そばもおすすめ。何より出汁が美味しく、鴨も癖がない。ねぎの香りと鴨の独特な香りをかつお出汁が包み込んでくれるような美味しさ。ぜひ試してみては?



帰りも待ってるお客さんでいっぱい
休日を利用して、ちょっとしたドライブがてら箱根の天山に立ち寄ってみてはいかが?おいしいそばに舌鼓を打つこと間違いなし。周辺には、日帰り入浴を楽しめる場所も豊富。リラックスできる休日になることでしょうー。

Trattoria Gargas Tokyo

Trattoria Gargas Tokyo
〒104-8212
東京都中央区銀座4-6-16 銀座三越11階

4-6-16 Ginza Chuo-ku Tokyo 104-8212 Japan
Ginza Mitsukoshi 11th Floor
tel: 03-6228-8233
website: http://www.vinvino-to.jp/gargas/
price: lunch 1500 yen ~ dinner 5000yen~

A famous Italian restaurant owned by Juliani Gargani in Firenze, Italy finally opened its branch in Ginza, Tokyo. The restaurant is located inside the renewed Ginza Mitsukoshi Department store on the 11th floor.  The interior of the restaurant is compact and small with many artistic painting produced by Gargani himself.

The start of this restaurant dates back in 1979 where Juliani Gargani and his wife opens a small restaurant on Via del Moro. The name of the restaurant "Gargas" comes from his nick name.  In 1984, now the chef of Tokyo; Elio Cotza joined this restaurant who served as Gargani's right hand.  Working over 25 years in Firenze, he now is the main chef of Tokyo Branch.

finally the entrance after an hour wait in the line!!
 After waiting for an hour to get in, we finally got into the restaurant. We predicted that it would be very busy since Mitsukoshi had its grand renewal opening in September. It had not been long that I went to the restaurant since its new opening.

Paintings along the walls and ceilings
 I loved the compact interior with many drawings on the walls and ceilings. I felt as if I were in a small antique cafe in Italy. I had a great time looking through the interior while waiting for the food to arrive.

oops...a little blurry there.
I ordered the Pranzo Pasta, Pasta lunch comes with mixed salad, pasta, and bread. (1500 yen)
Pasta- Handmade Tagliorini with Veal Ragot sauce (+300 yen)

service bread...not very fascinating. very small and cold...
mixed salad
The mixed salad was rather a simple salad with olive oil and rock salt. Good mixture of greens, prosciutto, and the tomato. The saltiness of the prosciutto matched very well with the mixed greens. Since the lightness of the dressing, I liked how it represented every taste of the mixed vegetable.


Tagliorini with Veal Ragot sauce

Prosciutto, Porchini, and Eggplant Pasta in Parmesan

Pasta I found it very impressing actually. The one I had above, from the name of it, it seems very thick and heavy, but it was not at all thick or heavy. The pasta came just right in al dente, the taste was rich but seemed to made it light and smooth with use of chopped carrots. I also liked the pasta that my mom had in which let a strong but again not heavy scent of Parmesan cheese with the right saltiness of Prosciutto. I especially enjoyed the scent and texture of Porchini as well as the use of egg plant.

I will have to go try dinner. The one thing that ruins the whole place is that I saw no windows in the restaurant. How I thought it would be nice to glance out of the 11th floor and enjoy a nice Tokyo night scenery. Oh well, I will just have to go with the interior of the restaurant and some wine will do good:)