Food
Hot summer months calls for a mix of pesto and pasta
More light and refreshing than a cream-based sauce or a chunky ragu, pesto makes for an excellent accompaniment to pasta during the hot summer months. It couldn't be simpler to make; just process fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, salty Parmesan cheese, and extra-virgin olive oil together in a food processor.… Read
Hilton Tokyo offers 'Happy Honey-holic' summer dessert buffet
Hilton Tokyo’s latest dessert buffet wonderland “Happy Honey-holic” is being served all summer in the first-floor Marble Lounge. The entrance is marked by the sunflower frame with a yellow carpet that leads you into a happy wonderland. The array of desserts is mainly made with honey, lemon & cheese-a perfect… Read
Kyoto tea merchant’s matcha parfait ice cream bars: The desserts we’ve been waiting 187 years for
Japan is big on limited-time, seasonal dessert flavors, but green tea ice cream has earned a year-round spot in the hearts, and stomachs, of sweets fans. But while a scoop or swirl of matcha ice cream is plenty appealing all on its own, it becomes truly transcendent when you combine it with other… Read
Japan now has crab fish paste sticks that taste like soda
Over the years, Japan has been reinventing the way we eat bread with new butters and spreads featuring the flavors of mint chocolate, coffee, and even matcha. But now the Ichimasa brand of kanikama “salad sticks”, which are faux crab pieces made from minced white fish paste, is taking the trend even further by… Read
All Japanese customers banned from restaurant…in Japan?!?
Akio Arima runs a ramen restaurant on Ishigakijima, one of the most beautiful islands in Okinawa Prefecture. Ordinarily, his restaurant, called Yaeyama Style, should be packed with summer travelers, but on a recent day the 42-year-old Arima only served noodles to two diners, and that was the total for both the lunch and dinner “crowds.” But… Read
Drink to that: Small foreign brands find space on local shelves
Anybody who has lived in Japan for a while will be familiar with the fleeting nature of food and drink trends. Take bubble tea, for example. New pop-up shops appear every week, and people line up for a city block to try a new flavor. But soon the tea may be gone. It’s… Read
Appetizing prospects: Uber founder takes aim at S Korea's shared kitchen market
Chef Youm Jung-phil plans to close his restaurant in Seoul's affluent Gangnam district this month, worn down by the rising cost of labor and rent as well as declines in the number of customers eating in. Instead Youm, who has nearly 20 years of experience in the industry, has opted… Read
Cheddar in a souffle? French chef rages at Michelin over lost star
Flamboyant French chef Marc Veyrat has railed against Michelin, demanding that his top restaurant be withdrawn from the guide, after telling AFP that its inspectors claimed he had used English Cheddar cheese in his souffle. Veyrat, who lost one of the maximum three stars for his La Maison des Bois… Read
Ramen-covered fried chicken is coming to Japanese convenience stores
Japan’s convenience stores are locked in a never-ending battle for cheap, convenient, and delicious dominion over our taste buds. In the fried chicken arena, the Lawson chain generally comes out on top, largely thanks to its Karaage-kun line of fried chicken, which has been offered in flavors such as extra-spicy, cheese, Black Hole, and Final Fantasy. And… Read
Hello Kitty and Kawaii Monster Cafe Harajuku team up
If what you love about Japan is Hello Kitty, Harajuku fashion, and everything cute, then you’re in luck; quite possibly the cutest and most colorful collaboration is coming to Japan this summer, when Harajuku’s famous Kawaii Monster Cafe teams up with Japan’s beloved cat girl character to celebrate the love of all things adorable.… Read
