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

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:) 

Mokichi Foods Garden

Mokichi Foods Garden
Address: 〒253-0043
             神奈川県茅ヶ崎市元町13-1
             13-1 Motomachi, Chigasaki-shi, 253-0043, Kanagawa, Japan
Tel: 0467-84-0123
Closed on the 3rd Tuesday　(第３火曜日)
Website: http://www.kumazawa.jp/
Price: Lunch: 1500 yen～　Dinner: 2500yen～

An old beer brewery factory renovated into an Italian fusion Restaurant located in the Shonan area of Kanagawa Prefecture.  The restaurant can fit in well over 150 people also suit for private reservations. Enjoy the bakery set aside of the restaurant on your way back home.

Come with friends for a nice casual lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner. Wedding parties are held with a nice party course or a buffet style. Play space is also available for families with small children.

The old machines in the brewery is now used as signs and art to design the restaurant. The wooden building dates back before the war used as a beer brewery for making its original beer the "Shonan Beer."

entrance to the Restaurant

Terrace Dining also available

Enjoy lunch on a sunny day with your pet in the breezing air from the beach along the Chigasaki coast.  The interior of the Restaurant is decorated with antique books and furniture develops more character of the old brewery.

Interior of the Restaurant

Appetizer came with the Pizza Lunch menu below

pizza lunch 1380 yen

Avocado and chicken sandwich with Edamame Gazpacho, salad and marinated vegetables 1280yen

Pizza was a satisfactory. The pizza baked in a masonry oven came out crispy on the outside, soft inside. Good variation of toppings! Asparagus, potatoes, Eringi mushrooms, ham, and a hint of spicy chorizo sausages.

Despite its good assessments, I thought the crust could be a bit thinner... It can not be helped that dishes become cold, but it was a bit heavy and chewy by the time we were three quarters finished with the pizza. A bit disappointing to know...

The avocado and chicken sandwich came out a surprise because of its salsa flavoring. I thought the salsa was a good combination as it functions to moisten the chicken breasts as its often firm and rather dry. I especially liked how they used avocados not only they match very well with salsa, but also thickens and mellows the light taste. 

Tea chiffon cake and chocolate pudding

I thought that the price was inexpensive for its volume of the dishes.  Along with appetizers and the lunch plates came drinks and dessert. By the time we were finished with it all, my friend and I were in a food coma. Will have to try different dishes for lunch because they have different variations of pasta and french style lunch plates as well.

おぼんdeごはん/ Obon de Gohan

Obon de Gohan

Address:

〒247-0056 神奈川県鎌倉市大船一丁目

4番1号 大船ルミネウィング店7F

4-1-1 Ofuna, Kamakura-shi, 247-0056 Kanagawa, Japan
Ofuna Lumine Wing (connected to JR Ofuna station) 7F

Tel: 0467-48-5164

Website: http://www.obon-de-gohan.com/index.shtml

Price: around 1000yen

バランスの取れた健康に留意した食事を扱っているということで一度立ち寄ってみたかったお店。日本食本来の主食・主菜・副菜のそろった食事が取れるということで女性層に大人気なお店。主食のごはんは、3種（白米・五穀・五穀ひじきご飯）の中から選べ、おかわり自由。栄養の整ったものを食べることが出来、思う存分たら腹食べれるのがここの魅力かな。

ショーケースに飾ってあるから食べたいものが一目でわかる

ランチ・カフェメニュー

彩とりどりでバランスの整ったメニューが豊富

清潔感ある店内はお客さんでいっぱい

鶏肉の黒胡椒焼き定食

手軽にバランスよく、たくさん食べたい人におすすめなお店。私は、普段から和食中心に食べているからあまり新鮮味がなかったかな。鶏肉の黒胡椒焼きに横の筍とちりめんのごま油和えは、ちょっぴり脂っこかったのが残念。外食の多い人や普段不規則な生活を送ってる人は、時にはおぼんでごはんでお腹を休めるのもいかが？

和・Sweets 四季の実 Tea Room / Wa Sweets Tea Room

和・Sweets Tea Room/ Wa Sweets Tea Room 

Address:　神奈川県横浜市中区桜木町1-1-7
              コレットマーレ地下１階

              1-1-7 Sakuragicho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa
             Colette Mare BF1
             ( the new Department store just off of JR Sakuragi Station)

Tel: 045-263-6746
Website: http://www.shikinomi.jp/index.html
Price: ～1000yen

Modern style Japanese tea cafe in the new department store Colette Mare opened March 2010. A great mixture of old and modern interior with modern style Bonsai(?) and the new style of mochi dessert.

you can also take out the Aburi Mochi for 90 yen each.

It's perfect for a casual afternoon tea while shopping in Colette Mare. Enjoy a new style of mochi dessert with extensive varieties of Japanese tea. The Mochi balls so called "Aburi Mochi" is a rice cake ball baked on a special pan; comes in different flavors. Hard and crispy on the outside, and soft and chewy in the inside.

Aburi Mochi Set : Three assorted Mochi Balls with Japanese Tea (Genmai-cha) 580yen

The three Aburi Mochi I ordered were Mitarashi (Mochi filled with Soysauce and Sugar sauce ), Yomogi (Japanese Mugwort <herb>mixed in the mochi dough with Red Bean Paste inside) and Koshi-An (Red Bean Paste).

The teas come in different styles as some of them are combined together. The original tea they serve at the Wa Tea Room, "Oishiyasu" is the combination of Sencha and Tencha. The first brew comes with a 70℃ hot water to enjoy the fruity taste and the scent of the green tea. Then second brew with the 90℃ hot water to extract the original bitter and deep flavor of the tea.

doesn't this remind you of something? Takoyaki. It looks like a Takoyaki machine.

It was quite disappointing to find out that the mochi balls sticks to your teeth and I was full by the time I had two of them because I had a nice Mexican Lunch before this.  Despite the fact, overall it was nice to calm down and have Japanese tea to soothe my upset stomach then. I will have to try the different desserts and the tea served here.

阿吽

第３回目は、尾山台にある懐石茶屋のお店です。 東急大井町線の尾山台駅から徒歩２分。閑静な住宅街に建つこじんまりとしたお店です。


阿吽（あうん）
〒158-0086  
東京都世田谷区尾山台3-23-12 アールベル尾山台1F
営業時間： 11：00～15：30　17：00～23：00
03-6383-4341
東急大井町線尾山台駅　徒歩2分
丹精を込めて作った京風懐石料理が堪能できるお店。私が行ったのはちょうどお昼時。親戚の１回忌の食事会のために事前に予約をし、8000円のランチコースを頼んでいた。

8種の前菜、茶碗蒸し、いちじく？の胡麻和え

鱧とじゅんさいのおすまし

御造り

前菜からお椀、御造りまで一つ一つが彩り良く盛られていて、目でも楽しめるし、素材本来の味や旬のものを味わえたそんなコースでした。このあと、まだまだメインのお魚やお肉が出て来たが・・・もうこの時点で結構お腹いっぱい汗 私たちが食べたのは、8000円コースだったけど1000円前後のランチもあるから、気軽しに和食を楽しむことも出来そう。

				鮎の塩焼き とうもろこしの天ぷら 加茂なすと牛肉の煮物

季節の炊き込みごはん、赤出汁、お漬物   甘味：とうもろこしのアイスクリーム

詳しくは、http://r.gnavi.co.jp/e896900/menu4.htmlを見てみてください。いろんなメニューや店内の雰囲気がわかるリンクです♪