TsukuBlog

One thing I really miss about Canada is breakfast restaurants. On Saturday or Sunday mornings, I really hanker for a breakfast that includes bacon and eggs — and it is even better if someone else cooks it for me.

I have only found one restaurant in Tsukuba that has a breakfast menu that satisfies my weekend needs. Gusto, on the corner of Tsuchiura Gakuen Sen and Nishi Odori, offers a cheap (under 500 yen) breakfast until 10am on the weekends that includes eggs (scrambled or fried), bacon or sausages, toast or a roll, some lettuce with Japanese style dressing (okay, that part isn’t very traditional, but nevermind), and access to free drink refills. Occasionally, if I can get myself sorted out before 9:30am (I like my weekends lazy), I like to saunter over to Gusto for a nice weekend breakfast.

I’m sure I am not the only person who hankers for this sort of breakfast, but I never see any other foreign people at the restaurant. I wonder if people know about it.

Are there any other decent breakfast places in Tsukuba? If you find one, please let me know!

Every day can be exciting if you live in Tsukuba. One reason for that is that new places to eat are always popping up at various locations around town. Yesterday, I stumbled upon a very soon to be opened (tomorrow, April 16) cafe, which will serve up some fine varieties of coffee and home-made cakes, along with some other exotic and wholesome offerings which will be part of an expanding menu.

The name of this new establishment is Cafe Noir and it is located off the beaten path in the Green House Lodge in Shimohiratsuka, just across the street from the Tsukuba Ham Restaurant. It can seat 12 customers at 6 small tables inside a cool, Scandinavianesque interior, with wide window views out to the Ibaraki countryside. All drinks are 500yen and you can choose from the special Noir blend, Guatemalan or organic coffee from Costa Rica. You might also want to try the supremely sour organic iyokan juice (a type of citrus) which will surely drive any drowsiness you might have away.

The daily set lunch features Ghanaian food with bread, salad, etc and can be had for 850yen.

The proprietress Yo said she wants to create a comfortable space to slowly enjoy coffee , perhaps with a book, with natural greenery just right in front of you. Her husband a sociologist who studies rural development, has many contacts with farmers, and she hopes to incoroprate their unique and fresh produce in the dishes she serves.

She will always be playing Jazz , Bossa Nova and soft Latin music.
Tuesdays are off.
11am to 7pm

Bon appetit!

Opening the door to SRI LANKA, bells jingle and you are instantly greeted by Sunil Jayantha and his wife Kiyomi who call out with a hearty IRASSHAIMASE which resounds from the kitchen! At the same instant you are also engulfed in the heavenly aromas of SERENDIB: freshly ground spices — cardamon, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and black pepper – all simmering in coconut milk, onions and garlic. It’s intoxicating! You take your seat, order and wait a bit (maybe more). Never mind! This certainly is NOT fast food. In fact, when your INDIVIDUALLY prepared curry is set in front of you and you take your first taste, it’s as if TIME STOPS. No matter how busy you are on that particular day, there is no rushing through THIS meal. Every spoonful is a treasure. 

For more than 20 years, the Jayantha family has been spicing up life in Tsukuba with their savory curries. Sunil came to Japan to study Japanese in order to help deal with the increasing number of Japanese tourists staying at his family’s hotels in Sri Lanka. Lucky for us though, he met Kiyomi and has been here in Tsukuba ever since, busy raising his three kids and keeping our taste buds  titillated.

Sunil has told me that he has adjusted his cooking to Japan, and that always seemed curious to me since his curries were just about as far from Japanese curry rice as I could imagine. I eventually realized what he meant.Curry Shop Sri Lanka has adopted the Japanese custom of changing their SPECIAL CURRIES in accordance with the season. In summer, mackerel, eggplant and goya are shun (in season) and these are the curries which they serve in that season, in addition to the regular menu. My favorite season for their specials is winter when Sunil always has scallop, salmon or daikon radish curry.

Another reason I have been a regular customer of SRI LANKA is that for vegetarians and there are many ordering options . My favorites are the vegetable and daal curries. These are DEEPLY tasty and completely meat free.

Everyday lunch specials are 750 yen and consist of a curry, rice, soup, and salad. Beer and the more potent Sri Lankan arak are available along with juices and lassis.

Sri Lanka serves its customers everyday (except Monday) from 12:00-2:00 and then from 6:00-9:30.

Sri Lanka is located off Nishi-Odori near the south-western quadrant of the intersection where that road meets Tsuchiura Gakuen-Sen, south of the Photo Studio Alice which is on the corner and across from the GUSTO family restaurant. You cannot park along Nishi Odori, however (though you can get there on foot or by bicycle by going along it. If you are driving you have to go around by turning at Ton Q restaurant or Takarajima. It is maddening giving directions in Japan as there are usually no street names! Here is a map.

Tel-029 855 2621

For those of you who do not know, there is a small ‘cafe’ in Doho park, right on the end of the pond! The name of this resting place is AHIRU cafe, or “Duck cafe” in English. The view is spectacular and you can enjoy summer days there minus the sweltering heat and humidity.

They offer healthy one-plate lunches, reasonable tea/coffee, ice cream, and other simple things. From August 7th for a limited time (approx. one month) the vegetables from the daily lunch plate served there will be organic ones! Additionally they will feature some kind of home-baked cake each day. I have previewed a slice of maccha cake and it was tasty.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments section!

It’s nice to eat outside, and Cafe Plus 1 in Sakura Techno Park might be the best place in Tsukuba for an alfresco lunch or dinner. Within the confines of its faux American South-west style adobe courtyard, with its large picnic parasols and industrial-sized fan, even an afternoon meal in midsummer can be pleasant. The food there is always good, reasonably priced, and served in filling portions.

The other day at lunch, I learned something new about Cafe Plus 1. Dogs are welcome in its courtyard eating area, and are even served a dog-dish full of water, which is carried out by the staff on a tray.

So if you’d like to spend some more quality time with your pooch, Plus 1 might be the place for you and Pochi to dine.

Growing up in the US, I only knew them as rubbery little brown slices that came out of a can. Coming to Japan opened my eyes to the exciting and varied world of mushrooms, or ki no ko (literally the children of trees) in Japanese. A walk around the produce section of your local supermarket in this season will reveal an exciting array of edible fungi, which when cooked are startlingly tasty (try stir frying maitake mushrooms in soy sauce and sake!).

According to a popular traditional Japanese expression, SHIMEJI mushrooms are the most delicious (though many now prefer maitake and shiitake). The same adage 香り松茸味しめじ (KAORI MATSUTAKE AJI SHIMEJI), however, claims that in terms of aroma the matsutake mushroom is king (the expression directly translated means “aroma matsutake, taste shimeji”).

The matsutake has become one of the three representative foods of the season (along with persimmons and sanma (a kind of fish), and valued as a delicacy and as a high end gift. Many Japanese like to have steamed matsutake rice, with its unique aroma, at least once every autumn.

Domestically harvested matsutake are becoming harder and harder to come by (at present these mushrooms cannot be cultivated, and have to be HUNTED and picked) and when you find them in stores you will most surely be discouraged from buying them due to their astronomical cost. You might want to take a picture of the price tags though. Last week in Tokyo I found a few of these phallic shaped fungi (this is probably another reason for their prestige in the orient) on sale for nearly 600 dollars (57,000 yen!)

Tsukubans interested in having a classic autumn culinary experience, can do so, with an inexpensive matsutake rice lunch set, at the ICHINOYA RESTAURANT. For the price of a usual lunch set (teishoku) you can have a MORE THAN FILLING meal which includes the famous delicacy (the matsutake they use are not domestically harvested). This special will only be available till the end of the month so you had better hurry.

If you do go, write me and tell me how YOU would describe the aroma. I have asked several Japanese (including professional chefs) what word they would use for the smell. The usual response was ”HHMMM, well, uh, it’s the MATUTAKE AROMA!”

Ichinoya restaurant has been around for a long time and is a favorite place for older Ibarakians. They serve up most kinds of Japanese food in very generous portions. It is also very reasonably priced.

Though the number of Italian restaurants in Tsukuba is countless, you cannot really say the same for Japanese ones. I am a big fan of Japanese food and really like kaiseki meals…at non-kaiseki prices (lunch averages at around 1600yen). In Ninomiya you can experience mini-kaiseki at Kita restaurant, located just behind NON cafe. (same building but way back, kind of hidden)

The food you’ll find at Kita is Japanese with a slight French/Italian twist. Everyday Japanese fare doesn’t tend to have cream in it though some dishes at this restaurant do. Standard mini-dishes are: sashimi, vegetarian nigiri sushi, some meat or fish main, and some fried croquette. (As you can see from the picture, there is a total of 6 mini-dishes - this is their standard way of serving up lunch and dinner)

Topping off the meal is a seasonal dessert dish. Once I got fresh fruit with red bean topping, round piece of shiruko (sweet sticky rice ball) with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. Another time it was fresh fruit jelly. Another time it was 5-layer ice cream with exotic flavors like mango, black sesame, green tea… You can order drinks but the lunch set comes with black tea or coffee, both are self-service.

While the desserts tend to change, some may find the menu choices at this particular restaurant to be somewhat too constant (similar). That being said, the overall quality is always guaranteed to be excellent - freshly prepared tasty dishes! While the vegetables are not organic, the owner makes an effort to use fresh local produce in the dishes. Please try it out sometime, I don’t think you’ll regret it. It is a good place to bring out-of-town guests. The last time I brought 5 friends there and every one of them was impressed and satisfied with the lunch.

A review, in Japanese can be viewed here:

http://www.e298.jp/epi/modules/wordpress1/index.php?p=26

Ninomiya Arumikku Building 1F/2F

Lunch: 11:30 to 14:00 (LO); Dinner: 17:00 to 21:00 (Monday off)

The next time you have to extend your visa, consider going to Mito instead of Tokyo so you can enjoy a great lunch at Pizza Lino right near the immigration office. Pizza Lino offers a “lunch for two” that is a quite a deal. For 2600 yen (in total for two people), you will get access to the salad bar and drink bar, two main dishes (one pizza and choice of either pasta or rice), and a dessert selection (usually three small desserts like cake, panacotta, and ice cream per person). The salad bar is rather small but surprisingly filling. Actually, I have never once been to Pizza Lino and had someone complain that they didn’t get enough food.. You can also add a third person in for an extra 1300 yen.

To get to Mito, take a bus from Tsukuba Center to Tsuchiura Station (approximately 30 minutes) and then take the Joban line from Tsuchiura to Mito (approximately 1 hour). The immigration office is located on the south side of Mito Station. There is a Mini Stop (convenience store) located to the south and east of the immigration office. Pizza Lino is located on the same street as the convenience store near the McDonalds and Royal Host closer to the station.

Address: Jonan 2-8-32, Mito
Tel: 029-225-9877
Open: Monday to Saturday from 11:30am to 10pm,
Sundays and Holidays from 11am to 9:30pm

I didn’t intend on going to this restaurant in order to write up a review but ended up doing so because I thought some people might be interested in such a place.

Momoko House, is a casual restaurant located somewhat far away from Tsukuba Central (close to Yatabe city hall). They specialize in Japanese-style Western foods, such as: hamburger steak, cabbage rolls, doria, gratin, spaghetti, and so on. For the sweet tooth in you, they have plenty of desserts in a glass showcase near the entrance.

It is a little similar to Westhouse restaurant but somewhat quirkier - the decor is made up of quilted goods and somewhat frilly. Even the rice served is in the shape of a ‘kawaii’ heart. That and the food seems like home-cookin’. For those with a hearty appetite, you might want to order the mentaiko pilaf or giant doria (white sauce and cheese covered fried chicken+rice…definitely not for dieters!).

So if you are not on a diet and crave some generously sized dishes, why not head out to Momoko House?

Hours of operation: 11:00 to 22:00 (THU off, LO@21:00 )

More details can be found on their website!

http://www.woody-carrot.jp/

I just found this newly opened Indian restaurant just 1 minute by foot from the Takezono Hard Off recycle shop.

The name is MOBARAK. The owner, Mr. Zaman, already has a restaurant in Kashiwa, Chiba since years back so this Tsukuba MOBARAK is managed by the chef Shaiku-san, who has previously worked for my favorite Indian restaurant AJANTA, (Tokyo) and who has been in Japan for 13 years. He is a very friendly person and will make sure that you enjoy your meal there. When you go, be sure to also say “Hi” to Shaiku-san’s handsome son who is working behind the counter.

The restaurant not only has the “usual” lunch sets with curries & nan but for dinner choices there were quite a few items that I haven’t seen in other Indian restaurants in Tsukuba. I had the dal curry and nan and it was really really good. I also ordered “paratta” (which is a bit like nan but more moist), they also serve “chapatti” (made from Atta flour). The Mangolassi was also yummy yummy good!

インド本場カレーレストランMOBARAK
Address: Takezono 2-41 (on the same street as Hard Off, 1 minute walk towards the center)
Tel: 029-859-3787
Hours: Lunch 11:00-15:00, Dinner 17:00-23:00

Maew gave us some information about a new Thai restaurant in Tsukuba.

If you like a spicy and tasty foods, why don’t you try Thai foods at the Thai restaurant Songfungmekon. It is not far from the University of Tsukuba.

Address: 1-6-9 Amakubo, Tsukuba-shi
Tel 0298-51-6722, 090-6936-3823
Open: 17:00-24:00 everyday except 2nd and 4th Sunday

Special offer from the owner:
5% discount for all TsukuBlog readers. Just tell the owner that you saw this ad on TsukuBlog.

Buffet for lunch will start this coming Sunday, 17 June from 11:00 am.

Maew tells me that Songfungmekon means “the two sides of Mekong river. One side is Thailand (the male owner, the husband) and the other side is Laos (the female owner, the wife)”.

Ken Aoyagi, an Alien Times reader, sent us this recommendation:

I went to a new restaurant called “Oh! La Vache” located in the Takezono 2-7-27 of Tsukuba City. The European food and modern atmosphere were great.They served special organic vegetables that were so fresh and unique. The owners spent a couple of years in New York City and Paris learning various cooking styles. A menu in English is available. Here is the phone number: 029-860-2877.

Thank you, Ken!

Hi Everyone!

I’ve been looking for a good place to have a massage in Tsukuba, and have also been dying to go to Okinawa but haven’t found the chance! Well, finally I think I’ve found a great combination of the two!

“Yuima-ru” is located on Nishi-Odori, offering relaxation therapies followed by delicious Okinawan cuisine. On the therapy menu are reflexology and aromatherapy massages, as well as facials, and a special room where you lie covered from head to toe in warm wood-chips!
The Okinawan cuisine is wonderful with fresh vegetables and meat or fish - I have had the lunch set before which was delicious!

Here’s the website:
http://www.yuimaru.e-tsukuba.jp/index.htm

I’m planning on trying a combination of the Reflexology Massage and Lunch set, so I’ll give you an update on how it was!

Kate

When you just don’t feel like making it from scratch at home…

I don’t know about you but I often get disappointed when I go to an okonomiyaki shop which does everything for you - that and I get impatient waiting for my order.

At Gojya okonomiyaki restaurant, they do all the hard work (cutting ingredients, measuring mixing them precisely…adjusting the taste) but you can enjoy savouring the best parts: cooking and eating it!  One great benefit of cooking it yourself is that you can control the final texture - while some people like well-cooked Japanese pancakes, others like it somewhat soft and moist.

Gojya is reasonably priced, even at dinnertime (um…sorry, I mean only at dinnertime - it is not open for lunch!).  The okonomiyaki entrees run from 700-something yen to 1000-something yen.  (sorry, I forgot the specifics!)  They have interesting side dishes much like those that are found at Japanese izakayas (pubs)…I really enjoyed the fried head of garlic with miso dish…that and tuna+mentaiko topped salad!  The portions are perfect and my grapefruit juice was in a generously sized glass. 

Many families and couples go there so it is best to make a reservation before you go!  From 6pm the place starts filling up rapidly.  While we were there a good 3-4 groups of people were politely turned away(lack of free tables).  We concluded that Gojya is popular due to its reasonable prices, speedy service and excellent staff - surprisingly attentive and extremely polite.  The restaurant is located next to another favorite restaurant of mine, Raja Indian curry restaurant.  NOTE: be sure to call before you go because their holidays are a bit irregular.

Information: http://www.okonomiyaki.jp

Gojya restaurant, Ninomiya 2-2-3, 029-851-8906

Blizzardboy (whom we are going to have to recruit as a TsukuBlogger, I think!) has written a review of Tsukuba’s most famous Iranian restaurant, Ali’s Kebab. Actually, as BB points out, the restaurant is in fact in Tsuchiura, but it used to be in Tsukuba (from what I hear, they used to have a food van in the Amakubo area), so I still think of it as Tsukuban.

The restaurant is located on Higashi Odori, south of the pink pedestrian overpass (Sasagi intersection, where Higashi Odori and Route 354 intersect.) Keep going south on Higashi, past the sports stores on your right (Alpen, Xebio), and go under the Joban Expressway overpass. You will then see a Jomo gas station on your left. Ali’s Kebab on the left-hand side, just past the Jomo, across the street from the Kanto Bank. Bamiyan is just south of Ali’s. If it comes up too quickly before you can make the turn into the restaurant, just turn left at the intersection after Bamiyan and double back until you get to Ali’s.

The address is Tsuchiura-shi, Nishine 1-2-20. Click on the address to see a map (in Japanese).

I went to Il Cuore for lunch yesterday. Il cuore apparently means “the core” or “the heart” in Italian. (Can any TsukuBlog readers confirm that?) The restaurant is a bit hard to locate, but if you don’t mind getting a bit lost (and then, hopefully, getting a bit found) it is worth the effort.

I had the lunch set for 1680 yen. It is a bit pricey, but the quality of the food is high enough to warrant the price. The meal started with appetizers (a small meat dish and bruschetta), then there was a pasta course, followed by a meat course. Dessert and drinks were also included. The food was very tasty and served in an appealing way.

The restaurant is small and very tastefully decorated. There are large windows, which make the restaurant bright during the daytime, and the chairs are large and comfortable.

I would definitely go back to this restaurant again, and feel no qualms in recommending it to friends.

Address: Kise 1642-3, Tsukuba (click address for map)
Tel: 029-857-7179

La Vie Provencal is a restaurant and bakery that is connected to La Cote d’Azur, the big bakery in Higashi Arai (near Takezono).

I have heard that Cote d’Azur is one of the highest grossing bakeries in Japan, but to be honest, I am not a big fan of fancy schmancy bakeries in Japan. I find that the treats they offer are not sweet enough (because of my lingering Canadian sweet tooth), or that they don’t have a strong enough taste, or that they have far too many beans in them to be considered a real dessert. Anyway, both Cote d’Azur and La Vie Provencal are high quality bakeries, but I haven’t really been excited about having them in my neighbourhood…

Until today. When I went to Provencal the first time, I just bought some bready things at the counter and ate them in the dining area. I can’t recall whether I knew about the restaurant menu at that time. Perhaps I just didn’t have time to wait for a meal to be cooked that day. I remember thinking that the bready things were good, but not great. Kind of standard Japanese bakery things, but fancier (and remember, fancy doesn’t usually impress me in a bakery).

Today, however, I did have time to order a meal. I had a tomato soup dish with three slices of baguette (two with toppings and one plain) and my friend ordered a kind of soba crepe with salmon, cheese, and vegetables inside (which had a proper name on the menu, but I can’t remember it right now). Both of the dishes were deemed delicious by their respective owners, and there was enough there to make sure we were not tempted to go for one of the desserts on the menu (which means that I can’t review the desserts — sad for you, happy for my waistline).

Today’s visit forced me to reconsider my opinion of La Vie Provencal. I will definitely start including it in my list of places to recommend when people ask me to suggest a good lunch place.

La Vie Provencal is located on the road that skirts the east side of K’s Denki on Tsuchiura Gakuen-sen. If you are coming from Tsukuba Center, drive west on Tsuchiura Gakuen-sen away from Seibu and Jusco. Pass the intersection with Nishi Odori and take a left (south) at the next intersection. Follow that road and you will see La Vie Provencal on your left, about 300 meters (at least that’s my impression) from the intersection. If you pass the yakiniku restaurant, you have gone too far. The address is Onozaki 147-1. (Click for a map in Japanese.)

You may have heard of the phrase, “ofukuro no aji” before - in a nutshell, it means mother’s taste, or ‘home-cooking.’ This is the kind of food you can find at MaMaYa, a tiny shop located in Ninomiya, just in front of Backyard Cafe.

The owner is a friendly woman who serves daily teishoku lunches for 1050yen. The set includes all sorts of homestyle foods which come one plate at a time, ensuring fresh and hot dishes! A typical course includes: rice, some miso or other soup, grilled vegetables, simmered vegetables, tofu and meat dish, and/or seasoned sauteed vegetables. The menu depends on the season and basically what is available…rice plus soup plus 5 or more small side dishes, definitely not your typical teishoku. The deluxe teishoku includes a big sashimi seafood rice bowl or grilled fish, for 1380yen and includes coffee.

The foods are made with fresh rice, natural sea salt, quality Akita miso, and locally produced fresh vegetables. The owner is proud of her chemical-free, additive free cuisine and hopes that customers will go there to enjoy good food for the mind, body and soul.

Oh, it must be noted that the place serves great anmitsu, a typical Japanese dessert! Lunchtime is from 12:00 to 15:00…dinner is kind of short, from 15:00 to 19:00, reservations are recommended but not required.

http://www.coco-ejan.com/townnavi/816/00015658/

I went to an end-of-the-year party (known as 忘年会, bounenkai, in Japanese) last night with some of my colleagues. I am not overly fond of these parties because they tend to be quite expensive and are often filled with people who are drinking and smoking more than they really should (it’s really the latter that concerns me). I was pleasantly surprised last night, though, because out of the 25 people in attendance, only ONE was smoking. That is really a big change from when I first arrived in Japan and would often be the only person in a group of that size who wasn’t smoking.

Anyway, I did not sign in to rant about smoking today. I wanted to tell you about the restaurant that we went to. It is called Tsuruya and it is located in Matsushiro, near the intersection of Route 408 and Tsuchiura Gakuen Sen. The food they served us was quite normal for a group party in Japan — lots of plates with various kinds of food, including lots of fish and shellfish, and a big boil-your-own nabe (like a huge bowl of soup). The food tasted really good and there was enough of it to satisfy. The interesting thing about this restaurant is that it is very, very modern. The food and the place settings (bowls, etc.) seem to come from an older era, but the restaurant itself is brand, spanking new (either they just recently refurbished the place, or they are really, really good at their janitorial duties). In any case, it was kind of a strange, but not unpleasant, combination.

I can’t really go on in any more detail because I was too busy laughing and enjoying my evening with my colleagues to notice much of anything else. I guess I can sum things up by saying that if you want to have a traditional Japanese culinary experience in a non-traditional setting, this is a good place to go. I enjoyed it.

Address: Matsushiro 1-11-5
Tel: 0120-36-0145

As a sample post, I will introduce a restaurant in Tsukuba.

Yellow Leaf is a unique little restaurant. It only seats about 10 or 15 people and it is only open for lunch. The menu is limited to about 3 or 4 options, but everything is healthy and delicious. The food is sort of “Asian Fusion” with a couple of noodle and rice dishes. There is a boutique on the south side of the restaurant that has high quality goods (clothing, jewelry). This is a lovely place to spend your lunch hour with friends. Call ahead to make a reservation to be sure you can get a seat. (I believe it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.)

Here is one of the dishes they serve. It is called “Tomyankung” and it is a kind of Thai soup. It is a bit spicy and it is served with either rice or noodles inside. The portion-size is huge. Lunch options come with dessert and coffee.

It is a bit difficult to find the restaurant. Drive south down Nishi Odori. Go past the Doho Koen intersection. At the intersection just before AIST West, turn right (west). Follow the road past AIST West until the fence ends. Turn left. The restaurant is just up that road a bit on the right.

Address: 389-1 Kamihara, Tsukuba, 305-0055
Phone: 029-837-2629

Put this address into www.mapfan.com: 〒305-0055 茨城県つくば市上原389-1 to see a map.

(This article is archived from the Tsukuba Dining Out blog which is no longer being maintained.)

Check out the following restaurants for the vegetarian dishes on their menu.

KUMPEL BAUM:
70% vegetable under Kids Cafe

SPIGA
Vegetarian friendly

DONO DONOS
Vegetarian friendly
(Ed’s note: This restaurant has since closed down.)

NON FURNITURE CAFE
Veggie friendly.

GROOVY
About ten vegetarian dishes out of 180

PAPAGENO
We found we could eat veggie here easily.

HILLTOPS
Two main veggie dishes

OK, sub sandwich fans, you won’t need to go to Tokyo to eat subs anymore. The first SUBWAY restaurant in Tsukuba will be open in “Q’t” on August 9, Thursday!
Please see:http://www.creo-sq.com/event_info/0707/sub_w.html

If you can’t wait that long (LOL), then what you can do is to visit the other SUBWAY restaurant in Moriya City. A new shopping mall called “Loc City” opened near the TX Moriya Station on June 28, and SUBWAY made its debut in Ibaraki.

You can also search for other SUBWAY locations in Japan in English:
Store Information

and download cupons (thanks “B” for the info!) :
http://www.subway.co.jp/about/webcoupon.html
(you might not be able to open the pdf if you are using the older verison of Firefox)

I just wanted to introduce a restaurant to you TsukuBlog readers out there.  It is not really a formal restaurant review but I will say that I was impressed by the place! 

Faro, is an Italian restaurant located in the middle of some rice fields (this is a pretty accurate description!) which looks much like Tottoro’s house…or a scene straight out of a Miyazaki animation movie!  Apparently the restaurant moved from Tsuchiura to Tsukuba sometime ago, for expansion reasons.  That being said, it is still a relatively small place - reservations for lunch are a MUST, unless you want to end up dining on the now-chilly outdoor terrace area. 

I have not found any official website or advertising…probably because the place sells itself!  People go there because of recommendations from friends or colleagues and it is clear that most of the customers know about the restaurant by word-of-mouth. 

The focus is authentic Italian cuisine and there is much proof of it…in the back of the restaurant, I spotted a pig’s leg displayed on a dolly - probably smoked prosciutto rolled out to be cut on demand.  Somewhat grotesque yet all-the-while impressive!  A well-stocked wine cellar can be seen from the dining area, too. 

It was said (by my friend) that a famous sashimi/sushi shop owner in Tsuchiura highly recommends this Italian shop because he knew the owner buys seafood from the same purveyor as him.  My friend’s seafood pasta was loaded with incredibly fresh delights: JUMBO scallops, mussels, abalone, shrimp, squid…in tomato sauce cooked up with spaghetti.  (Though it came at a price of around 1800yen) 

The entrees all come with freshly baked bread - I dipped it in generous amounts of garlic-flavored olive oil, very tasty!  My entree was the chicken, roasted with a twig of rosemary, generously salted and spiced…I was surprised to find the chicken plate included both a big piece of white meat as well as dark meat (skin-attached), chicken liver, chicken inners, along with spinach, round of potato, round of nagaimo mountain root, and giant button mushroom.  They offer shirako au gratin, tomato cream seafood pasta, and a variety of dishes…it was VERY hard to choose!  It is said that the chef goes to the market every day and whips up a menu the very same morning.

Dishes here range from 1400 to 2100yen at lunchtime.  A nice leafy (fancy greens, not plain lettuce) salad is included in the meal but drinks are not included.  (though non-alcoholic drinks are very reasonable…oolong tea and other drinks at 200yen…my freshly squeezed grapefruit juice was 300yen, banana juice, blood orange juice, other juices are also priced at 300yen)  One can expect lunch to cost around 2-3000yen per person.

Desserts are not exceedingly decorated - they keep it simple here.  Tiramisu, small creme brulee, seasonal Mont Blanc (with a HUGE glace chestnut!), gateau chocolate cake, banana tart, caramel flan, and so on.  The prices are not listed but I am guessing the cakes are all around 600yen while seasonal fresh fruits are pricier, around 800-1000yen.  One should expect dinner here to come to at least 5-6000yen/person, so it is an ideal place for celebrations like birthdays and anniversaries.

HOW TO GET THERE: going North on Higashi-odori…go toward the Sakura technopark area…when you see the big green dragon and CHINRAI ramen shop, take a right (east)…then at the T-intersection, take a left…then a right…until you see a small greenhouse (onshitsu) and take a right there…go down the narrow somewhat winding road…and you will see the restaurant on your left.  Remember what I said: looks like a scene out of a Miyazaki movie!  The road there is very very narrow and might be a wee hazardous at night…be careful not to roll your car into the rice fields on the way there.  ^_~

http://www.geocities.jp/ponite99/d_ex_1121_1.htm 

This is a website I found with some limited information in Japanese…keep in mind that the address is no longer the one listed (in Tsuchiura)  Oh, and the restaurant is closed on MONDAYS.

Here is a special message from Ayako Komine, a staff member at Ritz’n.

Our shop “Ritz’n” is a natural goods shop as well as a vegetarian restaurant all under one roof. We are going to celebrate our 7th anniversary from September 15 to 17, just before “Be Kind to Animals Week in Japan” (Sep 20-26). Please come and join us!

We will hold the following special events.

In the Restaurant

September 15 to 17: Special Macrobiotic Menu
We will serve a special tofu menu (1,680 yen) produced by Ms. Chiwako Okubo, an instructor from the Kushi Macrobiotic Institute of Japan.
Starters: Deep-Fried Tofu Marinated in Vinaigrette Sauce, Green Vegetable with Mustard and Soy Sauce, Pumpkin Salad.
Main Course: Ganmodoki (Fried tofu ball mixed with vegetables) with Kuzu sauce.
Rice: Sticky Rice with Walnut and Carrot
Soup: Clear Soup with Takigawa Tofu Noodle.
Dessert: Sweet Black Rice Soup with Tofu Dango Dumpling
Bancha Tea

September 16: Fresh Soba
Mr. Doi, a proficient soba chef from Mitsukaido city will give a soba-making performance and serve fresh soba noodles. Fresh soba (buckwheat) noodles with side dishes (1,260 yen).

In the Shop

September 15 and 16: Bach Flower Remedies Consultation
Bach Flower expert Mr. Yabuki will ascertain which flower remedies will suit your needs.

September 17: Homemade Organic Soap by Junoka
Junoka’s soaps are all handmade and free from chemicals. Their fragrance and colors are amazing and changing seasonally. Please find your favorite one.

September 17: Cartomancy and counseling by Mr. Hikaru Kondo
500 yen

Outside of the Shop and Restaurant

September 15 to 17: Ritz’n Farmer’s Market
A small market outside of the restaurant. We will sell:

• organic vegetables from Mr. Matsuura’s farm in Ishioka and Mr. Nagai’s farm in Kukizaki
• organic tofu by Inamoto Tofu shop (free from GM beans)
• organic breads by Backerei Brotzeit, Tsukuba
• organic jams by Kisetsuya
• “Nukazuke” Japanese Pickled Vegetables (100yen/100g)
• fair-trade coffee by Namioka Coffee Shop: Their coffees are organic and fair-trade certificated ones from Brazil and Ecuador. Please sit back and relax with rich aroma of fresh coffee
• vegetarian lunch boxes for take out: We have vegetarian lunch box (Brown rice with side dishes), Hie/Takakibi Don (Brown rice topped with grain/millet loaf), Vegetarian Burgers and Curries

September 17: Quick Shiatsu Massage by Mr. Koichi Kusakawa
Mr. Kusakawa’s massage not only makes you relaxed, but also helps you find out what is wrong with your body. You can also consult with him about your health problems (500yen/5min).

Ritz’n

Natural Goods Shop and Vegetarian Restaurant
747-84 Kamihara, Tsukuba, Ibaraki
Tel: 029-856-0009
Fax:029-856-0009
Website: http://www.ritzn.jp/
Closed on Monday (When Monday is a national holiday, the shop is closed on Tuesday.)