Taiyaki

If there were ever a typical “meibutsu” of Tokyo, it would have to be taiyaki. The original taiyaki shop is Naniwaya, in Azabujuban, which invented taiyaki in 1909. “Tai” or sea bream is a traditionally expensive, luxurious food – it’s often served at weddings, because the word “tai” is in “omedetai” or “auspicious”.

But for the average person, tai was too expensive so when Naniwaya introduced taiyaki, shaped like the expensive fish but at an affordable price in the Meiji era, it was an instant hit. People could enjoy a small luxury. Made of sweet batter similar to a waffle and filled with bean paste, taiyaki is warm, cheap and tasty, so I love it in winter. In summer, you can buy taiyaki filled with ice cream! I heard they have something very similar in Korea.

In 1975, a hit children’s song about taiyaki  called “Oyoge! Taiyaki kun” or “Swim! Little taiyaki” was released, mentioning Naniwaya and modelled on the ever-cheerful owner, Masamori Kobe. The song made the Guiness Book of Records for best selling single ever, in Japan. Sadly, Mr Kobe, “Taiyaki Ojisan”, died two years ago, but the shop lives on. It now also offers kakigori (shaved ice) in summer and yakisoba.

The original taiyaki from Naniwaya. Crispy and delicious.

Making taiyaki at Naniwaya

Naniwaya

Taiyaki Ojisan

Naniwaya in Azabujuban: 1-8-14 open 10am – 8pm http://www.azabujuban.or.jp/shop/food/1403.html

Here's a link to the taiyaki song in a 1970's TV special with cute animations and groovy fashions: oyoge! taiyakikun

The standard fillings are anko (sweet red bean paste) or shiroan (white bean paste made from butter beans, which isn’t quite as heavy and “beany”).  But you can also get chocolate, sweet potato and in Shibuya I’ve seen cheese, “german potato” and bolognaise sauce. If you want a more way-out Taiyaki, you should try “The Taiyaki”on Center Gai, Shibuya.

My favourite taiyaki shop is Nezu no Taiyaki on the main street of Nezu, kind of in front of Nezu shrine (exit Nezu station to the left and follow the sweet, waffly aroma). They’re crisp, fresh, very hot and the anko filling is a little chunky – perfect in winter. It’s often featured on TV shows and as each Taiyaki is made individually, there is usually a line on weekends. And for trivia buffs, apparently, former US VP Walter Mondale went there once. Big time.

If you want real value for money, head to Kanda Taiyaki Daruma, where they don’t trim off the edges of the waffle mix, so you get a yummy, crispy square with a big fish in the middle. They have a second outlet in Ueno, under the train tracks in Ameyoko. They cost about 140 yen. 

Kanda Taiyaki Daruma in Ueno

The store's daruma logo

Yummy. This one from Yokohama Kurikoan had "pariparichoco" - crispy chocolate inside.

Taiyaki from Solamachi at Skytree.

Giant taiyaki model as a store display in Ginza.

They also made taiyaki mobiles!

Being a working folk’s treat, taiyaki shops tend to be in the “downtown” areas or near universities for all those hungry students. It’s ironic that Azabujuban is now one of the most expensive areas of Tokyo, thanks to all the international embassies.

Recently I’ve seen taiyaki molds for making your own at home – they look like a sandwich press (or jaffle maker) and come with different shaped metal inserts. I want one!

I saw these at Kitchen 212. The brand is Vitantonio.

Finally, some taiyaki eating etiquette: it’s better to pull it open with your hands than just bite the head or tail off. The worst thing you can do is bite it in the middle – you’ll look like a cat!

This is Neko Musume, or Catgirl, from Mizuki Shigeru's awesome manga, Gegege no Kitaro. 

Omiyage heaven!

Tokyo Skytree

So, I've already told you all about the fabulous, leopard print "Tokyo Banana Tree" omiyage, and there's little chance to go up to the top of Skytree for a while - it's booked out until at least July - but there's a lot more to see than just the tower. And to my friend Kathryn, I'm sorry I didn't wait to go there with you, but you went gallivanting all over Kochi and Korea! But I'll happily go back, any time!

The area around Skytree has been designed to attract tourists of course, but it's also in the middle of the old part of Tokyo, which hasn't changed much since the war, so there's a strong local flavour. A lot of local restaurants are now offering "Skytree" themed dishes - think towers of fried shrimp, towers of ice cream... towers of anything, really. There are some great guidebooks in Japanese designed to encourage people to explore the local area, and there are high hopes that people won't just go to the new shopping centre, but patronise the traditional shops as well. You can hire a bike at Solamachi or just walk around.

These shots are from a charming book called "Tokyo Skytree Sanpo Book" - sanpo meaning stroll.

One of the nice things about many Skytree souvenirs is the blend of traditional design with the new  Skytree image.

Towering shrimp at Kamimura soba

A Tower Danish - or should that be "Denish" from Narihira Kimuraya bakery

One of the locals.

Getting to the Skytree area is easy - take a train to Oshiage or "Skytree Station"and there are buses from Ueno station, but I really recommend walking from Asakusa and strolling through the back streets.

The shopping centre below the Skytree is called "Solamachi" or sky town. It has the usual stores like Zara, Diesel, Hello Kitty, Loft and a Disney Store, but the designers have also attempted to capture the local flavour. So you'll find specialties from around Japan, locally grown organic vegetables, local sake and many of the specialised crafts. In fact many of the stores have beautiful light fittings using "Edo Kiriko", the traditional cut glass of the area. I think they've attempted to go a bit deeper into the local history and culture than a lot of tourist traps, so hopefully the centre will have a positive impact on the area. It also means, if you're pressed for time, you can stock up on all the omiyage you need in one shopping trip!

I leave you with some photos of Solamachi...

The standard toys and boxed omiyage

Solamachi is also a shopping destination for locals to pick up select fresh foods.

Skytree looks best at night.

You can get unique "Edo" Be@rbricks and other toys at Medicom Toys

This store has famous packaged foods from around Japan

Kabuki themed cookies

A history of your favourite brands

The Tobu store has some nice smaller gifts and a Shiseido "Skytree" perfume. Apparently, Skytree smells like white flowers.

I was quite taken with this scarf / large handkerchief, with it's retro design and colours, showing the area and local festivals. 

This is a specialty from Kanazawa on the other side of Japan, but the hand painted "bean" paper boxes have  special scenes of Skytree and other local attractions.

Inside, you'll find delicious, crunchy soybeans coated in a salty or sugary crust.

The H.P. France store Tokyo October has a great selection of surreal items

Fashion brand Beams has a special self-serve yoghurt bar called Lemsons, with a bunch of vending machines so you can buy branded souvenirs without conversing with staff. 

Beware the self-serve ice cream bar! They charge around 300 yen for 100gms and it's so easy to pile up that cup with different flavours and goodies! This was almost 900 yen. Not a budget choice if you have kids!

Not such exciting product - a mix of local jams and cheese cakes with some Italian oils etc, but  "Cheese  Garden" is really popular and has a nice layout. Good looking cafe, too.

These cat shaped treats are from nearby Yanaka, which has become famous for its local cats.

Cube shapes profiteroles and towering cones.

Croquettes from Kobe - hopefully containing Kobe beef.

This town is bananas!

Tokyo Banana

I’ve been looking for an excuse to eat and write about “Tokyo Banana”, for some time. It’s a really popular omiyage, but most of my friends in Tokyo have never tried it because it’s just that: something you buy for other people, not for yourself.

But the opening of Tokyo Skytree and its surrounding shopping mall “Solamachi”, proved irresistible. There’s a new, “only at Skytree” choco-banana flavour of the snack, and when I saw that it came in a leopard print, I had to try it.

So what is Tokyo Banana? It’s a small sponge cake, filled with banana custard. It was “born” in November 1991. As a souvenir I guess it’s popular because it says “Tokyo” on the box, bananas are a cute shape, the banana custard is actually nice and not fake-tasting and they’re super fresh – each box lasts for about a week. They’re also individually packaged, so they’re easy to share.

The original Tokyo Banana

Classic packaging. I like the spotted "bow ties" - gives the bananas a distinguished look.

I don’t really see the connection between “Tokyo” and “banana”, though I guess bananas have a slightly exotic connotation and perhaps if you came from a small town to see all the excitement of the big city, bananas might sum up the experience somehow. Bananas as a graphic device make me think of the Memphis design movement of the late 1980s, and the packaging for Tokyo Banana shares a certain ‘post modern’ spirit. 

A post modern design aesthetic

Last November, a caramel banana version was released to celebrate the 20^th anniversary, but the new leopard print, “Tokyo Banana Tree,” is the one. I visited Solamachi just after Skytree opened on May 22, and even on a wet Monday night, it was teeming with people. It took a while to buy my precious leopard bananas, thanks to all the school kids on excursion, lining up to buy 4 or 5 boxes each.

New packaging

Leopardy!

Well, I’m relieved to report it was worth the wait. The banana cakes are soft and springy, filled with choco-banana custard. The taste isn’t too sweet and cloying. The “leopard print” is actually a pattern of chocolate cake pressed into the pale yellow sponge. My husband thought the pattern was a little “kimochi warui” – creepy – as it made him think of mouldy bananas. But the taste was extremely fresh.

Inside: fresh choco banana cream!

The full name of this omiyage is “Tokyo Banana (mitsuketa)” or “I found Tokyo Banana!” Actually, it’s not so hard to find – major train stations like Tokyo, Ueno, Omiya and Shinjuku have stores, along with the airports, Tokyo Tower, Odaiba and now, Skytree. Prices start at 500 yen for a pack of 4 (but if you want the fancy box, you’ll need to buy a pack of 8 for 1,050 yen). The classic bananas are 50 yen cheaper.

Two years ago, real bananas were crazy expensive (or just plain impossible to find) in Tokyo, thanks to the Banana Diet, which was got a lot of coverage on TV. The idea was that you had a banana and a glass of lukewarm water for breakfast and then ate normally and you were supposed to lose weight. Well, bananas are back to100yen a bunch where I live, so I guess it didn’t work.

Somehow I think a Tokyo Banana diet wouldn’t work, either. Shame.  

Utsunomiya

Gyoza a go go

If you’ve had gyoza in Japan, you might know why my friend and I decided to take a lazy day to travel up to Utsunomiya. The biggest city in Tochigi, on the way to Nikko, is famous above all, for these deliciously garlicky pork dumplings.

Tobu railways are promoting Utsunomiya at the moment

Close up of some of the many varieties

It takes about an hour and a half by train from Tokyo, on the Shonan Shinjuku line or the Utsunomiya line. However, if you’re pressed for time (and feeling flush), there’s also a Shinkansen from Ueno. The city centre is compact, and you can walk to most interesting areas within 10 – 15 minutes. There aren’t any spectacular sights – a bit of a ruined castle, a park that’s a popular cherry blossom spot, and Futarasan shrine. The real pleasures are the narrow back streets beyond the shrine around the Kame river, crowded with jazz bars, kooky little shops, and of course, gyoza.

The story is that back in the 1930s, many soldiers from Utsunomiya were stationed in Manchuria, where they developed a taste for the local version of Chinese dumplings (potstickers). After WWII, they returned to their hometown, they brought the recipes with them, and many of the soldiers opened gyoza shops.

Since Utsunomiya lacks the spectacular attractions of nearby Nikko, the city’s tourist officials seized on the fact that locals consumed more gyoza than anyone else in Japan, and promptly promoted Utsunomiya as “gyoza city”. Anyway, all you need to know is, they are delicious! What makes them so special? Perhaps the extra thin, crispy skins, and the generous amount of fillings – these ain’t your typical supermarket gyoza!

We headed first to Utsunomiya Gyoza Kan, just off to the left, if you take the West exit of the station (but they have several restaurants – just look out for the “gyoza boy” statue!). You can get a mixed dozen – a great way to figure out your favourites. I liked the garlicky nira gyoza, the spicy kimchee and the shiso ones the best, but I wish they put little flags in them or something – we had to play “guess which one you’re eating”. Other recommended restaurants are Kirasse, near Tobu Utsunomiya station, Ming Ming and also Iki Iki Gyoza, which has odd fillings including uni (sea urchin roe) and chocolate (not together, thankfully!)

We dubbed him "gyoza boy"

What goes best with gyoza? Beer, of course.

We wanted to visit the Oya stone museum, where the local volcanic stone (it looks a lot like pumice), comes from. However, it was closed due to safety concerns after the earthquake (it might be open again now). We contented ourselves with finding the odd statues carved from the stone that are dotted around the city. Of course, you can’t miss the “Venus”, wrapped in a Gyoza.

Restaurant sign

More hand-painted signs

In a traditional medicine shop. I don't want to know!

Pandas are multiplying

You'd feel pretty special having coffee here

Pretty back street canal

Boy with a toothache? One of the many local sculptures

Before we left, we had a few “last gyoza for the road” inside the station. I think the best were the “kurobuta” (black Berkshire pig) gyoza – very juicy, without too much garlic to kill the delicate flavour.

A few for the road.

We tried deep fried gyoza, but they didn't taste as good as the regular pan fried type.

In case you’re not a fan of gyoza, fear not: Tochigi prefecture is also famous for strawberries, so you’ll find the shops in the station full of strawberry-cream  pastries, freeze-dried strawberries, jams, candies – and if you’re there in season, you might actually find fresh ones.

Venus emerging from a gyoza