[Japan] Shake Shack : my favorite fast food joint

Shake Shack is likely to be coming to Singapore. If you wonder what exactly is Shake Shack, it is a fast-growing American fast food restaurant chain based in New York City. It started out as a humble food cart outside Madison Square Park in 2001 serving only hot dogs and it moved to a food stand in 2004, it included burgers, hot dogs, fries and milkshakes to its menu. It has over 170 outlets in America and overseas. It is rumored to be opening at the upcoming Jewel Changi Airport in early 2019. 

I had it for lunch when I was in Tokyo just recently. There are a total of 9 outlets in Japan and 5 of them are located in Tokyo. I went to the outlet at Ebisu in Tokyo. The restaurant was almost full during lunch on a weekday. I ordered their signature Shack Stack, ShackBurger, Crinkle Fries, Strawberry Milkshake, and the Shack-made Lemonade. Their beverage menu is customized to the local flavors of the city, just like the special Hong Kong Milk Tea Shake together with 3 different Hong Kong style frozen yogurt desserts at their outlet in Hong Kong.

The Strawberry Milkshake is thick and creamy with a well-balanced sweetness. Their milkshakes have been reviewed as one of the best. The Shack-made Lemonade consists of Shack-made syrup in original or featured flavor. The featured flavor then was raspberry. 

ShackBurger comes with single or double Angus beef patties topped with lettuce, tomato, and ShackSauce, sandwiched between the potato buns. It is a no-frill cheeseburger that done really well. The quality of ingredients determines the taste of the burger which set apart a great burger from a mediocre one. The ShackSauce is none other than mayonnaise, dijon mustard, ketchup, cayenne pepper and pickle juice put together. 

Shack Stack is actually the combination of Cheeseburger and Shroom Burger. It consists of an Angus beef patty and a deep-fried breaded portobello mushroom filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheese. It was placed on a melted cheese then topped with lettuce. tomato and the ShackSauce, sandwiched in between the potato flour buns. 

The Crinkle Fries is one of the popular items on their menu, it is the must-order to go along with their burgers.

I am eagerly waiting for their opening in Singapore. 

SHAKE SHACK

Ebisu Minami 1-6 Shibuya-ku Tokyo JAPAN

Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 10.00 pm (Daily)

[JAPAN] Gyukatsu Motomuta : a memorable eating experience

Gyukatsu is a deep-fried breaded beef cutlet and is quite similar to the Tonkatsu. And, the most famous Gyukatsu in Tokyo is at Gyukatsu Motomura, which is one of the most popular restaurants in serving this dish. The queue is usually quite long and it could easily be an hour or even longer than that, it is even so during the off-peak hours.

Their menu is simple as there is nothing else except Gyukatsu but it comes in different sizes. There are the 100 grams serving at ¥1,100, this followed by 130 gram at ¥1,300 and 260 grams at ¥2,100. There is an option to add grated yam for ¥100 and you are supposed to drizzle it over your rice. Some reviews that I came across actually advised going against it as it is not quite appealing and it did not taste like yam and so, I did not order it.

It served along with a pile of shredded cabbage, barley rice, potato salad and pickles with miso soup. The beef cutlet is deep-fried quickly for a slight crispiness on the outer layer but still fairly rare within. 

There is a stone grill for every diner and if you do not like it to be too rare, you could sear it a little to your preferred doneness and then dunked it into the wasabi & soy sauce or horseradish sauce or sprinkled with the rock salt. I did not like eating it with wasabi and soy sauce but I do prefer to have it with horseradish and a bit of rock salt to enhance the savory taste of the beef.  

This is one of the best meals that I ever had. I do think it is worth the long wait. And, there are currently 6 branches in the Tokyo and those in Shibuya are always very crowded so you might want to go the other less crowded branches for a shorter waiting time.

GYUKATSU MOTOMUTA

. 3-32-2, B1F, Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN
Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 9.00 pm

Other branches:
. 3-18-10, B1F, Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN
. 2-19-17, B1F, Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN
2-15-13, B1F, Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN
1-6-14, Yaesu, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN
2-5-1 Hamamatsucho, Minato-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN

[JAPAN] Izuei Honten : a 260 years Unagi specialty restaurant

It is exciting to dine in a 260 years old restaurant that is specialized in Unagi since mid-Edo period till now and it has been highly recommended for Unagi lovers. The location is just a stone's throw away from the Ueno Okachimachi train station, across the street from Ueno Park's Shinobazu Pond. The 7-storey building is quite prominent even from far.

They are still using the traditional methods of cooking eels that have been passed down for generations. Please ask for an English menu if you have difficulties in ordering, it has pictures of the set meals with its prices clearly stated and simple descriptions. The staff is mostly women in yukata, a casual summer kimono, evidently trained in their manners and serving procedures to bring forth the best hospitality experience.

The condiments like extra unagi sauce, sansho pepper, and soy sauce are available on the table.

I ordered a Himeijyu, literally means 'Princess Box' which consists of a two-tiered bowl, the top layer is filled with various veggies and seafood as an appetizer and the bottom layer is 2 pieces of freshly grilled unagi on top of Japanese steamed rice glazed with their special homemade sauce and a dish of Kounomono, Japanese pickles. The traditional accompaniment to unagi is usually a small bowl of kimosui, eel liver soup.

The set is priced at ¥3,780. Everything was freshly made, handcrafted and nicely presented, it actually tasted as good as it looks. The unagi was charred-grilled to perfection with a hint of smokiness and a soft texture.

I also ordered a Tonojyu, which means 'Prince Box'.

It consists of 2 layers of unagi and rice, a layer on top of another layer and it also served along with kimosui and Kounomono at ¥6480. The perfectly crisp skin was infused with an aromatic flavor of the charcoal smoke but still soft and light within.

This is probably the best that I have ever eaten, it is utterly delicious though slightly steep in prices but definitely worth the experience.

IZUEL HONTEN

2 Chome-12-22 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo-to 110-0005 JAPAN

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 10.00 pm (Daily)

[JAPAN] Shin Udon Tokyo : the best handmade udon that I have ever had

Udon Shin is a restaurant specializing in Udon, a kind of thick wheat-flour noodle of Japanese cuisine. They have been consistently ranked amongst the best udon restaurants in Tokyo since their opening in April 2011. It is located in an alleyway a stone's throw from Shinjuku station, about 5 minutes walk to its location, which is in a hidden alleyway of South West Shinjuku area. There are only 6 counter seats and 2 tables in there, only a total of 10 customers are to be served at the same time. This is a local's favorite and there is always a long queue, the waiting time can be quite long but it is worth the while. While waiting outside, the service staff was handing out the menu and started to take the orders. 

They specialize in handmade udon that is made fresh in-house with a strong emphasis on the quality as well as the freshness and so, the noodles are never made in advance. The handmade noodles are cut and boiled fresh only upon the order is made. They even adjusted the boiling time of the noodles by taking into the consideration of the temperature and humidity of the weather. 

Their menu has simple descriptions in English so it is easy to order. The price range is in between ¥1,000 to ¥1300 per dish on their menu. The prices are quite reasonable. 

There is a selection of Zaru Udon, Kake Udon, and Bukkake Udon. Zaru Udon is boiled and served cold on the plate by itself and the dipping sauce that has a richer flavor is served separately from it, its texture is springier. This is supposedly the best way to enjoy the delightful texture of the noodle. Next is Kake Udon, it is boiled and served in a lighter taste hot broth with, its texture is smoother as compared to the Kake Udon. The Bukkake Udon is boiled then served with a little broth, it is the middle of Zaru Udon and Kake Udon. After the selection of Udon, you could also choose your choice of toppings like tempura, beef or grated radish. 

I ordered Kake Udon with tempura set (¥1300) that consists of an assortment of shrimp with vegetable tempura. Even though the orders were placed while waiting in line but the preparation work would only start until we were seated then the kitchen started to roll out the dough for the noodles and cooking it. It took about 10 minutes before the tempura assortment was served. It consists of 2 pieces of shrimp and assorted vegetables. They were lightly battered then freshly deep-fried to ensure its freshness as well as the crispiness and not too greasy as well. 

The warm udon noodles were served in a dried bonito-based broth that was quite appetizing and I ended up slurping every drop of it. The texture of the udon is firm and soft with its tensile strength still intact.

I also ordered Bukkake Udon serving with a special soft-boiled tempura egg and cooked pork fillet (¥1200). The noodles were springy and cooked perfectly. I started by breaking the tempura egg gently and letting the egg yolk flow out before mixing it with the noodles. The balance of the flavors was superb. Those slices of pork fille were quite tender. 

I have had many good meals during this trip but these stood out. It is just so amazing that how something so simple can actually taste so good. Highly recommended. 

SHIN UDON

151-0053, Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Yoyogi, 2-20-16, JAPAN

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 10.00 pm (Mon to Thu & Sun) / 11.00 am to 11.00 pm (Fri & Sat)

[JAPAN] Tamai Anago at Nihonbashi : Experience the Hakomeshi

This Michelin Bib Gourmand-rated eatery specialises in Anago, which is quite a rare find in Tokyo as most of them are specialised in serving Unagi. I went to their main outlet in Nihonbashi, located in an old Showa building that has a long history dated back to Showa 28 (1953). There is actually a difference between anago, a saltwater eel and the unagi, which is the freshwater eel, both are used very differently in Japanese cuisine. Unagi is known for its bold and rich taste but Anago is known for its incredibly soft texture and natural sweetness which melts in the mouth.

Hakomeshi is a must try if you are here, Hakomeshi is a term coined by Tamai to describe the style of eating their anago in the traditional Japanese lacquered boxes, which in the 1600s, were tiered into 3 to 5 layers as a convenient way to store and transport food. There are 3 different sizes, the small one at ¥1,750, the medium one at ¥2,950 and the large one at ¥3, 950. 

When removed the lid, you will find the anago fillets neatly arranged on top, the yaki-age is grilled to smoky perfection and the ni-age, boiled to a perfect softness and both have been moistened with the special anago sauce. 

It is also served with a bowl of miso soup and a saucer of Japanese pickles with condiments like freshly grated wasabi and yuzu zest, toasted sesame and slivers of scallion together with Japanese pepper that is found in a small bottle on the table. 

To experience Tamai's Hakomeshi, first is to choose the type of anago, there is a choice of simmered in sweet sauce or cooked on grill, you could also choose to have both, it is serving on rice. To start, have a few bites in the original flavor to experience the fresh and seasonal anago. Then, for a change in flavor, add a touch of wasabi (Japanese horseradish) for a spicy mustard taste. Next, try sprinkle with some Japanese spices, like 'negi' (leeks) for a mild onion flavor and 'yuzu' for a fresh citric flavor. The English menu has the step-by-step instructions to follow.

Do not eat it all but left a quarter for the chazuke, a Japanese dish made by pouring the dashi (broth) over cooked rice. There is an empty metal teapot and an empty soup bowl on the tray. When nearing the end of the meal, the teapot will be filled with the flavorful broth that is made from the dried anago bones.

Then, you are expected to place the cooked rice and the remaining anago into the small bowl then pour the hot anago dashi from the metal pot over it. You may also sprinkle the remaining negi and yuzu to flavor it.

Do try it if you happen to be in Tokyo.

TAMAI ANAGO

2-9-9 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 2.00 pm / 5.00 pm to 9.30 pm (Mon to Fri)

11.30 am to 3.30 pm / 4.30 pm to 8.30 pm (Sat, Sun & PH)