restaurant

Good food

in

Japanese Kaiseki cuisine at its finest

Japanese Kaiseki cuisine at its finest

Last week I got to take photos at Nihon Ryori Ken in Sachsenhausen, Frankfurt. It's an intimate new restaurant hidden away in a quiet street and it's simple exterior bellies the fact that inside the restaurant, there's a Japanese essence to the place, people and food that is hard to find anywhere outside of Japan. If you know what shiso, yuzu and good raw tuna tastes like after being to Japan and feel like you have been disappointed by Japanese restaurants by owners who don't even speak the language, then you must try here. If you do go, a counter seat offers the possibility to view the chef close up and really appreciate the amount of care and attention that goes into each dish. The menu changes monthly too, so there's no fear of running out of flavour sensations.

 

Everything including the desserts are handmade

Everything including the desserts are handmade

Day 59

in

Samurai Gelato ice cream shop, Tenjin, Fukuoka (Mamiya 645 Velvia 100)

Samurai Gelato ice cream shop, Tenjin, Fukuoka (Mamiya 645 Velvia 100)

I think I should point out they don't go around with samurai sword chopping up the ice cream. After a chat with the shop staff about my son who was asleep on my chest, he got it down off the wall just for a photo. Unfortunately, the bright sign confused my camera's meter a little and I didn't compensate enough for it. But still I like the photo anyway.

An abandoned yakiniku restaurant

Rural Japan is changing as much as in the big cities as Japan readjusts to its adding population and changes in the country's wealth and economy. While many places stand the test of time, others get left behind like this yakiniku restaurant I found in the middle of nowhere up a mountain road.

empty tables

empty tables

It has always puzzled me how restaurants are hidden away and impossible to find unless by word of mouth first gain a reputation and then maintain it over the years. In Japan it is quite common to drive a couple of hours just to visit a particular coffee shop or udon restaurant, but with strong competition and Japan's general love of new things, restauranteering in the middle of nowhere must be a risky business.

 

snake skins are supposed to bring money

snake skins are supposed to bring money

Oddly enough although the front doors were locked, the back door was wide open. The are a few nonvenomous snakes in Japan but there are always signs warning of mamushi which have a bit of a reputation even though I am sure not many people have seen one. The mamushi has distinct head markings but I didn't check this skin.

Chairs and tables still set up for customers.

Chairs and tables still set up for customers.

the sign says they are getting ready for customers

the sign says they are getting ready for customers

There were a lot of items left behind that were in good condition like this tiger, loads of glasses and a tape printer machine that must have been from the 90s but seemed to have still been in use. I wonder what for...perhaps, regular customer's bottles of sake?

I love this cheeky little tanuki that looks like he's about to run away.

I love this cheeky little tanuki that looks like he's about to run away.

My favourite find was this tanuki with hat and even little grass shoes on (草履) . I would have taken him with me if it were my last day working at that restaurant!

the office and toilet

the office and toilet

It was quite a small freezer for a meat restaurant...I looked inside and was glad there were no dead bodies or snakes.

It was quite a small freezer for a meat restaurant...I looked inside and was glad there were no dead bodies or snakes.

The washing machine could do with a clean.

The washing machine could do with a clean.

I am not superstitious but when entering an abandoned building, I am always hyper alert for any sounds of movement from humans or animals and don't like any disturbing noises like having to walk on broken glass even of it is obvious that nobody has been around for months or years. However, there is something a bit spooky about a place that has lost its purpose. It is as if the place feels sad, lonely and probably a bit embarrassed about having guests at short notice without having cleaned a little. So I found myself saying "お邪魔しました" (sorry for disturbing you) so that I left the building politely anyway.