Burger King Japan's BK Pumpkin Burger

   Burger King is always coming out with new food items.  Burger King in Japan is no exception.  For the fall season, Burger King unveiled their new product: the BK Pumpkin burger.  The BK Pumpkin is a hamburger that comes roasted kabocha pumpkin slices.  

   Kabocha pumpkin is a popular fall vegetable.  When roasted, the kabocha pumpkin becomes a little sweet but still has a meaty umami flavor.  It goes particular well with Burger King's broiled hamburgers.  When the burgers are flame-broiled, the flavor of the hamburger becomes enhanced.  Pumpkin is a perfect match because it tends to hold a meaty flavor when cooked.  Plus when the pumpkin is cooked, the sugars that found in the flesh are released, and the pumpkins becomes sweeter in taste.  The sweetness brings a diferent characteristic to the burger.

    Be aware: the BK Pumpkin burger is a Japan exclusive.  You will not this burger outside of Japan.

Outside of the Burger King at the Chikusa Aeon Mall, which is the only Burger King in Nagoya

Click on the link below to see my review of the BK Pumpkin.

                                              Burger King's BK Pumpkin

You can, also, Burger King's Japan website at http://www.burgerkingjapan.co.jp

Echigo Red Ale: A great tasting and affordable Japanese microbrew

    Are you looking for a great tasting yet afforable beer?  Are you a fan of microbrew beers?  Then, I have found the answer for you.  You should try Echigo Red Ale.  Eichigo beer is from Niigata Prefecture, Niigata City in Northern Japan.  It's a smooth tasting beer that is quite different from the beer that you may be used to be drinking when going out to a bar or having a drink at home.  Eichgo beers are appearing more and more in supermarkets, liquor stores, and some convienent stores.  A 350 ml can will cost you around 240 yen which is quite cheap for a microbrew beer in Japan.  

Go to the link below to watch the video of me of pouring and tasting this great beer.  Also you can go the Echigo Beer's website at http://www.echigo-beer.jp/

                                                              Eichgo Red Ale

名古屋市今池の百老亭餃子専門店 Hyakuroutei Gyoza Shop in Imaike

    After a long day of work, you are looking forward to something to eat and drink.  Maybe, you are looking for a light snack before you hit the town for the night.  If you are in Imaike, I suggest that you go to Hyakuroutei (百老亭）and eat some handmade gyoza (pot stickers).  Most of the time when you are eating gyoza, you also probably eating ramen too.  The ramen is the main focus of the meal,while, the gyoza is a side dish to accompany the ramen.   However, this shop's main focus is the gyoza.

    I am huge fan of gyoza.  I love pan-fried gyoza.  So when I found this shop in Imaike, I was very happy.  Handmade gyoza restaurants are rare in Japan, but recently they have becoming more and more popular.  At this shop, the gyoza is the main item.  There are four different preparations: pan fried, in water, in egg soup, and in soup in which the gyoza can be prepared.

    Gyoza are a perfect otsumami (おつまみ), foods that you eat while you drink alcohol.  These dumplings go well with beer or shochu.  If you a fan of gyoza or having a light snack before going out drinking, I highly suggest going to Hyakuroutei and eat some gyoza.  

If you are at Imaike Station, you will see this sign.  The shop is about a 5 minute walk from the station.

                                                  On the street looking at Hyakuroutei

                          My light snack: 10 pan fried gyoza, an ice-cold beer, and some pickled cabbage.

                                               Pan fried gyoza (pot stickers)（焼き餃子）

                                                 Potstickers in water (水餃子）

The menu at Hyakuroutei

名古屋市平針の一風堂ラーメン Spicy ramen at Ippudo Ramen in Hirabari, Nagoya

    I love spicy and hot food.  I think I started eating more and more spicy food when I was in universtity.  When I was growing up, I can clearly remember the time my father and I were at a Thai restaurant.  The waiter asked my father, "How spicy do you want it?"  My father replied, "As spicy as you can make it."  When the dish arrived, you could have smell the heat and spices coming from the dish.  My father could not finish the dish because it was too spicy for him.  That was quite surprising for me because I knew my father loved spicy food. 

       When I was in university, I was always going out and trying new foods from dim sum in Chicago's Chinatown to pho in Uptown to Thai food in Albany park.  When I started eating new foods, my palate  suddenly became exposed to new flavors and tastes.  One of those tastes was spice and heat.  I loved the endorphin rush that comes from eating spicy food.  It is quite addictive.

       Recently, I have been loving all sort of spicy foods from Thai curries to spicy dan dan men (a fiery spicy ramen) to mapo tofu (tofu and ground beef in a spicy sauce).  A few months ago, I was in a bookstore, and I saw this magazine.  I love reading food magazines whether they are in Japanese or in English.  When I noticed that they had a section dedicated to spicy food, I knew I had to buy this magazine and go out and try these different dishes.  So far, I went to Magic Spice in Osu to try a spicy soup curry.  Afterwards, I wanted to eat some ramen.  This is how I came to eating at Ippudo ramen in Hirabari, Nagoya.  According to description in the magazine, I noticed that the sauce for the ramen will contain habernos and other chilis.  From the point on, I knew I had to go this shop and try this ramen.

      When coming out of Hirabari Station on the Tsrumai Line, the ramen shop is about a 5 to minute walk form the station.  It is next to a Book Off.  Look for the sign below and you get to the shop.  Please note that are many Ippudo ramen shops in Japan.  It is a national chain specializing in Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen.  The broth is made from pork bones.  It has a unique smell.

       When I got to the restaurant, I was seated at the counter.  The server asked me what I wanted to order.  I told her that I wanted the Ippudo Karaka Men (一風堂からか麺）and I told I wanted it the toku version.  With this ramen, you can choose the level of heat.  I chose the second hottest version that they had.  Also, she asked what kind of noodles that I wanted.  I said that I wanted the noodles rather hard.  I sometimes like hard noodles in my tonkotsu ramen.  Below are some pictures and a video that I took of the ramen.  It should be noted that I crushed 4 cloves of garlic into the ramen.  Plus, you can see the various condiments that come with the ramen.  You can add crushed garlic, ground sesame, and other pickled vegetables if you like.

名古屋市平針の一風堂ラーメン　Ippudo Ramen in Hirabar, Japan

      Here is the finished bowl of ramen.  In terms of heat, it was not that bad at first.  However since the spice and heat was in the ramen, I felt the heat of the chilis about a half later after eating it.  With being said, itt was a very delicious and tasty bowl of ramen.  I highly recommend it.

Here is the menu for Ippudo Ramen.

Here are some pics from inside of the restaurant.  

Japanese Fall Vegetables!!

Fall has finally arrived in Japan!!  Summers are very long in Japan with hot and humid weather almost every day!!  When fall arrives in Japan, a wide variety of vegetables and produce begin to enter the Japanese market.  

When you ask people living in Japan, what is your favorite autumn food?  Typical answers vary from matsutake gohan, roasted ginan nuts, pumpkin, chestnuts, sanma (Japanese saury: a silver oily fish), and more recently figs.  

The following pictures were taken at a department store food department in Yokkaichi, Mie, Japan.  Many department stores have a food floor that is usually located in their basement.  However, the Kintetsu department store in Yokkachi has their food floor located on the first and second floors.  Here are some interesting food items that I found on the food floor.

Pumpkins and squashs are very popular in autumnal Japanese diet.  Usually, you will find Japanese kabocha.  Recently, you can find butternut and spaghetti squashes which is great to see.

They have big Halloween pumpkins for only 298 yen which is very cheap in Japan.  Typically, you will find these for about 1000 yen or more.


 I love the fall season because you will find a huge variety of mushrooms.  Mushrooms will bring an unami flavor to any dish.  Also, you can make mushrooms in a variety of ways.

Japanese people love chestnuts in the fall and winter seasons.  You will chestnuts in deserts to rice with chestnuts.

Matsutake mushrooms are ultimate Japanese mushrooms.  While France and Italy have truffles, Japan has matsutake mushrooms.  Prices can reach astromonical heights.  One package of the mushrooms in the picture above are selling for 35,000 yen (about 400 dollars).

Ginan nuts are beginning appear more and more in Japanese markets.  Ginan nuts are great roasted in a frying pan with a little salt.  They go great with beer or shochu as a snack or an appetizer.  You can usually order ginan nuts in izakayas during the autumn and winter seasons.

Green peppers are also appearing more and more in local markets.  They are little spicy but they are great in stir-fries or even grilled.

I found a new interesting liqueur at the department store.  I found black sesame liqueur.  I did not buy unforunately because I had a busy day.  However the next time I will visit the department store, I will definately pick up this product.  I just have to think of some interesting drinks to mix with it.