Masamoto Tsukiji Knives

This post is part 4 of my series: Tribute to Japan. Other posts in this series include: Part 1: Kappabashi-dori, Part 2: Tapas Molecular Bar, and Part 3: Suzuran (Ramen)
Part 4: Japanese Matcha and Azuki Breads

I'm not one that typically buys souvenirs.

Sure, there was a time back in high school when I obsessively collected pins or mugs from every place I visited, keen on bringing back with me physical mementos of my trips. As the unused junk started piling up at home, I subconsciously began coming home from my trips empty-handed.


That totally didn't happen on this Japan trip. For some reason, (probably via Bryan's insistent prodding) I decided it was time to upgrade my knives. Up until this point, I had been using the same, relatively economical knife set that I got right after college. 

Japan is probably THE top maker of knives in the entire world. Japanese steel is generally much harder than Western steel, and thus their knives hold their edge a lot better. How else do those sushi chefs cut such perfectly thin and delicate slices of fish? Of all cuisines, Japanese is the one with the artistry and sophistication that really demands the highest quality knives in the world.

After doing some reasonably extensive research online, I decided to visit Masamoto Tsukiji in Japan's most famous fish market, Tsukiji Fish Market.

This old world knife shop opened in 1891 and is currently owned by the 5th generation of the family. Not to be confused with Masamoto Souhonten, a completely unrelated company (although they do have the exact same logo - likely due to a split earlier on?), Masamoto Tsukiji is the smaller of the two, but still extremely highly regarded.

It's arguable which knife company is better. Of course Masamoto Tsukiji claims it's better, though others would argue that Souhonten is the industry standard for excellence.

Some report that Tsukiji knives are all handmade whereas Souhonten has gone the larger, commercial route, selling machine-made knives in bigger, fancier stores. The logo for most Tsukiji knives are hand "stamped" while the Souhonten ones are machine stamped. In fact, you can get your name personally engraved on the Tsukiji knives! I was fascinated by the skills of the store owner, who sharpened our knives for us and also hand-engraved our name on the knives.

It's a bit overwhelming to pick out a knife, as the store is filled with many, many different types. Many of these knives are pretty specific for Japanese cooking, especially the various sushi knives, and therefore there's a high likelihood that a typical home cook will not consider most of them. In fact, 90% of Masamoto Tsukiji's users are culinary professionals in Japan.

Steel
For me, the choice came down to a few key issues. First, I had to choose whether I wanted a carbon steel knife or a stainless steel knife. As a general rule, carbon steel knives sharpen more easily and have a smoother and sharper edge. Overall, they perform much better than stainless steel knives.

However, there are some disadvantages. Carbon steel knives are slightly more "brittle" and may not retain their edges as well. They rust easily, and therefore you must take care to wipe the knife dry after every use. They are sensitive to acidic foods and can easily discolor upon contact.

Stainless steel knives, although perhaps not as sharp, can withstand a lot more abuse. They are much less brittle and pretty impossible to rust. If you leave it in a wet sink and forget about it, you won't see a rusty knife the next day. Overall, they are much lower maintenance.

Industry professionals tend to use the superior carbon steel knives. It was quite clear that Masamoto Tsukiji was geared toward the restaurant industry. In fact, out of the hundreds of knives in the store, there were only four stainless steel knife choices.

I knew myself as a cook and knew that I needed a knife that I could sort of abuse. I decided to purchase three stainless steel knives and one carbon steel knife.

Chinese Cleaver (carbon steel)
Rectangular, heavier blade, all purpose knife for Chinese cooking. This workhorse is super sharp and chops like a dream. It's a bit big for my hands, but the large size makes chopping large vegetables (such as huge heads of cabbage) or huge fruit (like watermelons) much easier.

Santoku
Light, thin-blade, typically vegetable knife. Though some argue that this is not worth buying, it has become one of my favorite knives. The slightly smaller size fits my hand absolutely perfectly, and thus I feel like I have a lot of control (compared to the gyuto, which is just a bit long for my comfort).

Gyuto
"Butcher's Knife" - this is the closest thing to a chef's knife by Western standards. This medium weight knife can be used for meats, vegetables, and even bread! Most will argue that if you're going to get just one knife, this one is by far the most useful.

Small "Petty" Knife
I'm not sure of the name of the smallest knife on the bottom, but it reminds me of a slightly longer paring knife. The only stainless steel knife I didn't buy was an even smaller one which reminded me of a steak knife.  Basically, the store employee recommended the larger one over the smallest one.

Once you've picked out your knives, they sharpen and engrave each one at the store. It was fascinating watching them go through the step-by-step process of sharpening - first with a huge rolling stone and eventually down to whetstones of different "roughness" grades.

Here's the store owner, manually sharpening my knife on a whetstone.

Sparks fly!

I was really amazed at the artistry of the hand-engraving. With just a few tools, he was able to write out beautiful-looking Chinese/Japanese characters on the side of the knife.

The knives at Masamoto Tsukiji are not cheap. I think the prices for my four knives ranged from around $75 (for the smallest one) to over $200 for the Chinese cleaver. I think I spent close to $600 in the store. One inconvenient point is that they accept cash-only (Euros, dollars, Yen all OK). We had trouble taking out so much money at one time from the ATM. We ended up having to withdraw multiple batches before being able to come back (nearest international ATM was 10 minutes away in Ginza) and pay with cash. :P

Absolutely no complaints, though. I love love love my knives. I have never used such sharp knives before in my life. They seriously make prep work so much easier. Prep tasks that used to be a chore are now simple, as these knives will cut through most things like butter.

I have accidentally hurt myself a few times because I forget how seriously SHARP these guys are. I'll lightly brush my hand against the edge and the next thing you know, I'm bleeding.

Must show respect!

I highly recommend these knives. They are beautiful, cut like a dream, and are a special, sentimental reminder for me of one of my favorite countries. I think they are worth the hassle of lugging all the way back from Japan because:

1) They are very difficult to get outside of Japan (thought there might be ways now) and

2) They are very very useful, totally different from the scores of keychains, mugs, and T-shirts I used to buy while traveling

3) It's totally worth it to watch the knife being hand-sharpened and hand-engraved right in front of you at the shop! A personalized souvenir!

Here's the hand engraved logo (bottom) with our family name (CHE) on top.


4-9-9 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku
(Harumi Dori, Shin Ohashi Dori)
81-3-3541-7155
tukijimasamoto.co.jp

Japanese Matcha and Azuki Breads

This post is part 4 of my series: Tribute to Japan. Other posts in this series include: Part 1: Kappabashi-dori, Part 2: Tapas Molecular Bar, and Part 3: Suzuran (Ramen).

I've always had a special place in my heart for Japanese bakeries. I like how Japanese desserts in general are not nearly as sweet as their European/American counterparts. I also love Japanese flavors, like matcha (green tea) and azuki (red bean).

Alas, unfortunately, I am really not a baker. Between all 10 rounds of Project Food Blog, the baking challenge was by far the most difficult one for me. I seriously felt out of my element there.

A couple weeks ago, Foodbuzz invited us to develop a recipe using King's Hawaiian rolls. I actually grew up eating these sweet rolls and loved them as a kid. It has been years since I've tried some, mostly because I thought they didn't sell it in Massachusetts.

I was thrilled to find out that these rolls are actually all over the place. In the spirit of my tribute to Japan, I decided to use my favorite Japanese desserts as inspiration for my creations.

Best part? No baking required. You can "whip" these up in less than 15 minutes. ;)


Fillings!
I decided to make two fillings - green tea and red bean.

I had never made whipped cream filling before, and I was floored how insanely easy it is! Just take some heavy whipping cream and a sweetening agent (I used agave syrup) and beat using an electric mixer on high.  After about 1-2 minutes, the cream will aerate and become reasonably stiff. At that point, stir in matcha (Japanese green tea) powder (about 1 tsp). Careful not to beat for too long, or else you'll make butter!

That's it! So easy, and so delicious! The flavor of the whipped cream is strongly affected by the quality of the green tea powder you buy. I used the expensive stuff ("Ceremonial Quality" by Maeda-En on the left), which cost close to $20 for the tiny little can. You can also use their normal stuff ("shiki matcha"), which costs $12.99 and is still very good.

For azuki, you can purchase canned sweetened azuki (red bean) paste at many Asian grocery stores.

"Napoleans"

First I decided to try making layered "Napoleans." I sliced up the sweet dinner roll and then created stacked layers. Red bean, green tea, red bean, green tea.

Serve!

King's Hawaiian rolls are very moist and have just the right amount of sweetness that I find them to be quite similar to the bread sold in Japanese bakeries. They are not quite as refined, but I still think they are the closest substitute you'll find in an ordinary American grocery store.



Azuki and Matcha Buns!

Another favorite of mine is the Japanese "An-pan", a slightly sweet bun filled with red bean paste. An-pan is so popular in Japan there is even an animation character, called An Pan Man, named after the bread.

Here's a picture of An-Pan Man buns I saw in Japan.

I decided to make my own rendition of An-Pan (plus a Matcha Pan!) using these sweet rolls. It's really quite straightforward - cut open the rolls, cut or spoon out a bit of bread, and then fill with either azuki paste or matcha whipped cream. You can also mix the azuki paste with some whipped cream and fill the bread with azuki whipped cream instead.

It was sooooo good and ridiculously easy.

Enjoy!

Recipes

Matcha Whipped Cream
1/2 cup whipping cream
1-2 tsp agave nectar (or 1-2 tsp confectioner's sugar)
1 tsp matcha powder

Combine heavy cream and agave nectar in a bowl. Beat on high speed with an electric mixer for about 1-2 minutes, or until the cream is stiff. Gently fold in the matcha until incorporated.




Matcha and Red Bean "Napoleans"
1 4-pack of King's Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls
Matcha Whipped Cream
Azuki paste (1-2 tablespoons)

Optionally remove crusts from all sides of the King's Hawaiian Rolls. Slice each roll  into 1 cm thick slices (about 3 per piece of bread). Alternating slices, spread one with matcha cream and another with red bean. Stack the "creamed" slices in alternating order. Serve.




Azuki and Matcha Buns (An-Pan and Matcha-Pan)
1 4-pack of King's Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls

Matcha Whipped Cream

Azuki paste (1-2 tablespoons)

Slice King's Hawaiian Rolls in half. With a knife, carefully cut out a small square (about 1 inch wide and 1/2 inch deep) on each side. Fill the hole with either matcha cream or azuki cream. Recombine the two halves and serve.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer
As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program, I received a stipend to cover the cost of supplies for this post

Suzuran (すずらん)

Tsukemen (dipping noodles)

This post is part 3 of my series: Tribute to Japan. Other posts in this series include: Part 1: Kappabashi-dori and Part 2: Tapas Molecular Bar

There's something I can't resist about tiny, hard-to-find, authentic yet undiscovered gems that serve absolutely incredible food.

Now, I'm not sure if Suzuran, a tiny noodle bar off the beaten track in Shibuya, exactly falls in to that category.  For one thing, I would hardly call it  "undiscovered," as lines sometimes literally go out the door due to its popularity. However, there's definitely something special about this authentic and surprisingly hard-to-find noodle bar tucked away in a back alley of Shibuya.

Bryan and I discovered Suzuran back in 2009 while hunting for fresh, handmade noodles. We found this delightful gem tucked away behind the hustle and bustle of Shibuya. As we sat among Japanese businessmen in suits slurping up noodles for lunch, we truly felt like we were living and breathing a slice of everyday Japanese culture.


Suzuran is not your typical ramen shop for a couple reasons. First, they serve what's called tsukemen or "dipping noodles." Instead of having your noodles in the soup, your noodles and meat are served separately from the broth.

You then dip it, sort of like the way you would eat soba.

Second, they serve fresh handmade noodles (YAY!). In fact, they offer FIVE different kinds of sizes and shapes. They pride themselves on the freshness, variety, and quality of their noodles. It costs an extra 100 yen (a little over a dollar) for the fresh noodles, but it's well worth it.

Bryan's a huge fan of super wide and flat noodles, so of course that's what he got.

The restaurant is tiny. It's mostly KITCHEN, with barstools on three sides of the tight space.


It's very very Japanese. Both times we went, we were the only non-Japanese people there. The menu is written completely in Japanese, and the people there hardly speak a word of English. In fact, we had a hard time ordering. I have limited broken Japanese, so I was able to ask the lady to help explain the menu a bit. However, in the end, I felt that I didn't really have a good sense of the menu, and I had to order one of the few items that I knew how to say in Japanese.

The better thing to do if you're in that sort of bind is to do what Bryan and I did the first time we came.  I just told her to give me their most "famous" dish. They served us their famous Kagoshima style pork belly (buta kakuni), which is delicious and absolutely worth it. You get your choice of dipping sauces (soy sauce based, miso based, etc).

This time, Bryan ordered the chasu, which is reminiscent of Chinese roasted pork. Both are delicious, and the texture of the unusually fat noodles is one of the best parts.

I got a simpler noodle dish of eggs and scallions with a miso based broth.

Here's what the humble little restaurant looks like from the outside. Nothing's written in English, so it's a bit hard to find if you don't read Japanese. The first time we searched for it was on a dark rainy night - NOT easy! This time we came out during the day for lunch. The daylight coupled with our vague memories from our past visit helped a lot.

If you're a noodle fan and you love authentic experiences, I would highly recommend Suzuran. Definitely try their signature Kagoshima style pork belly with the wide and flat handmade noodles. You can use these directions to try to find it, which is what we did.

And yes, in Japan it's totally OK (in fact, encouraged!) to slurp.

Tapas Molecular Bar

This post is part 2 of my series: Tribute to Japan which will explore Japanese culture through my trip there back in November 2010.

It's not everyday you get to feel like you are sitting atop the clouds, staring down at the city below you. Here, on the 38th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Tokyo, floor-to-ceiling windows display unparalleled views of the city's shimmering lights.

Better yet, each night seven seats open up at the bar (once at 6pm, once at 8:30pm) for one of the most unique molecular gastronomy experiences in Tokyo. Instead of just an extended tasting menu of twenty or so courses, think of this as a show - an evening of entertainment and delight both for the eyes as well as the palate.

Welcome to Tapas Molecular Bar, a one-star Michelin restaurant that really takes "Tasting Menu" to a new level. Here, you'll experience familiar flavors delivered in unconventional ways. It's both a lesson in science as well as food. Be prepared to be surprised, delighted, and entertained the entire evening. I came here on my birthday and enjoyed a night that was full of surprises and loads of fun.

Sparkling Muscat
We started out with a sparkling muscat jelly, which was light, fruity, and a wonderfully bright way to begin the meal.

Bryan got a fun fruit (maybe lychee?) flavored cocktail.

Matsutake Gohan
This dried out rice "cracker" reminded me of a pork rind, except that it was made out of rice and Matsutake, a kind of Japanese mushroom. I loved the earthy flavors.

Aero Cheese
Next up was aerated cheese between two slices of pear (shown on left).

Apple Manchego
A super thin slice of dehydrated apple was wrapped around Manchego cheese sorbet.

Caesar Salad
A frozen Romaine lettuce hemisphere was topped with shaved Parmesan "snow." This was a unique gustatory experience, as the flavors were very reminiscence of Caesar Salad (something I've had hundreds of times), yet the vehicle of delivery was so whimsical and different that it was still surprising.

Next, the chef took out a rack of syringes and began pressing out black liquid into a clear bath. If you're familiar with molecular gastronomy, you'll recognize this as spherification, the process of using calcium chloride and sodium alginate to make tiny little balls filled with any liquid you desire. They short of remind me of salmon roe.

Here's a close up of the chef making the deep black spheres.

Amaebi
These spheres were then used in this "Amaebi" dish filled with seaweed, rock shrimp, and tiny little grape tomatoes.

Porcini Cannelloni
Thick slices of Porcini mushroom wrapped in a gelatin shell.

Tilefish, Powdered Aromas
This dish was subtle. You dip the raw fish slice into the warm foamy broth and also into one of the three powders (I believe they were different types of spices). To be honest, I had a hard time tasting the nuances of the broth. I also used so little of it (we didn't drink it), that I sort of felt bad wasting it all.

Duck Panna Cotta
Next we had super tender (I'm guessing sous vide) duck breast alongside kabocha panna cotta and a lime and cumin foam.

Emperor's New Mojito
The next course was a funny play on the diners. The bartender put on this whole convincing act of pouring nothing into these empty mojito glasses. The chefs then handed each of us the empty glass, which had a metal straw inside. Perplexed and confused, we sipped at the straw. BAM! A tart, minty, and rum-like concentrated shot exploded from inside the straw.

That was it - a surprise that made some gasp, others giggle . . .

Xiaolongbao
I was totally expecting to see some sort of dumpling when I saw the name of this item on the menu. Imagine my surprise when I saw a lamb rib! It turns out, the lamb is actually filled with hot soup! Thankfully, they strongly advised us to eat the entire thing in one bite, so most people did not have any squirt incidents. The experience was fun and not too messy! This was paired with a very young peach on the side.

Wagyu
We then had a super tender sous vide cut of Wagyu alongside a strip of parsnip.

Miso Soup
This next course was quite unique. Essentially, you have this HUGE spherified miso-soup flavored ball. It totally reminded me of an egg yolk. Once you bite into it, miso soup oozes out. It's surrounded by scallion oil and tiny spherified tofu. It was an odd juxtaposition of very familiar flavors delivered in such an innovative way.

Music by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 3.0". 

Liquid Nitrogen?
Next up we had a really funny and interesting dessert. It was a meringue of sorts frozen in liquid nitrogen. You have to watch this really short video (16 seconds!) of Bryan trying it - it's sooooo funny!

Puff; Fois Gras; Kinako; Raspberry Soda; Chocolate Pumice

This was followed by an assortment of interesting and whimsical desserts. A simple "puff" that was like cotton candy (mostly air); a fois gras filled savory doughnut; thin pieces of freeze-fried raspberry that sort of "fizzed" to give the impression of soda; aerated chocolate pumice which reminded me of Aero chocolate from England. Kinako, roasted soy bean powder,  is commonly used in Japanese sweets. It was the coating on the "lollipop"-like dessert.

Birthday Egg
As I had mentioned before, it was my birthday. They gave me an intact but super light egg shell (no holes!), which they told me to break, revealing a paper crane (with the words Happy Birthday Jennifer!) inside. I have no idea how they got the crane inside of the egg. They must have either used molecular gastronomy techniques to create an egg shell or somehow re-fused it together.

Fruit
Our last dessert was a plate of citrus fruits. First they told us to taste the lemon, the lime, and the orange. Nothing that spectacular. If anything, they were pretty sour and not that enjoyable. Next, they told us to bite into the little red nut and roll it around our tongues for 30 second.

We then tried the fruit again. Whoa!!! Miracle berry! Everything tasted like it had been infused with lots of sugar! I felt like I was slurping lemonade and limeade. Surreal and weird, everything tasted like a sweet cousin of itself.

Miracle Berry is a fruit that temporarily suspends your ability to taste sour for about an hour. This berry has a glycoprotein called miraculin that binds to your taste receptors, altering the way you perceive acids. It's great fun to get one and then try all sorts of acidic foods, like vinegars, various fruits, sodas, coffee . . . you name it!

We had a great time enjoying this crazy interesting meal. I wouldn't say that any of the flavors were mind-blowingly sophisticated. Instead, the experience is more about the way the food is presented and less about the uniqueness of the actual flavors. For example, the "miso soup" tasted just like a normal miso soup you would get at any Japanese restaurant. It just happened to be served in a really unusual way. Coming to Tapas is really about enjoying the crazy science behind novel and unusual ways of presenting familiar tastes.

It was quite helpful that at least one of the chefs spoke English. Two chefs entertained us the whole night. One who spoke Japanese (and served 3 of the Japanese guests), and one who spoke English (who served the 4 foreign guests). Having the meal presented in English enhanced the experience greatly, as we could ask questions and learn much more about each dish.

A few negatives - you are in a bar, so there will be smoking. Everything from my coat to my sweater smelled like stale cigarette smoke the next day. Also, the ambiance is a bit more casual than you might expect for such a nice and expensive meal. There's live music in the background plus the low roar of lively conversation from the hotel bar area. Some may prefer the casual environment while others may wish for a more quiet atmosphere.

All in all though, a meal at Tapas will be undoubtedly fun, interesting, and entertaining.

Plus, you absolutely cannot beat the view - even from the restrooms*!!

Tribute to Japan Series

This post is part 2 of my series: Tribute to Japan which will explore Japanese culture through my trip there back in November 2010.

Part 1: Kappabashi-dori

Part 2: Tapas Molecular Bar

*Accordingly to Bryan and many others, the view from the urinals in the men's restroom is incredible. Imagine the sinks in the picture above (which is of the womens' restroom) replaced by urinals.