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“ECHIZEN-BAR RADICARE” -A restaurant serving dishes prepared with fresh local products in Fukui-

2018.06.15

Gourmet

outside shot of the restaurant

A friend of mine and I had lunch at “Echizen-Bar Radicare” in Fukui City. It’s a restaurant which serves dishes prepared with fresh local products in Fukui Prefecture. I arrived at the restaurant at around noon, but the place was almost completely full. Luckily there was one table for us.

 

 

menu for lunch, it's a sign board outside

They serve 5 different kinds of lunch combos and it’s 1000 yen for each one.
Of course, lunch combos are prepared with fresh local products in Fukui Prefecture as well as any other meals at the restaurant. They make the meals as customers order, so the customers can have freshly cooked hot ones.

 

 

a photograph in the menu of hamburger steak served with the specail sauce

The photograph above is a hamburger steak combo. The hamburger steak is served with the special sauce which is made with grated daikon radish and ponzu sauce (soy sauce containing citrus juice). A friend of mine had this combo and she said that the special sauce was refreshing and good to eat with the hamburger steak. The special sauce made a heavy and rich hamburger steak light and even tastier.

 

 

a photograph in the menu of hamburger steak served with demi-glace sauce, brown sauce

I had a hamburger steak combo which was served with demi-glace sauce (brown sauce) on the hamburger steak. The salad which was prepared with fresh vegetables was good as same as the miso soup which was prepared with amazing broth.
The hamburger steak was great. The demi-glace sauce (brown sauce) and a medium sunny side up make a perfect combination with the juicy hamburger steak.

 

The atmosphere of the restaurant is stylish and relaxing.
Because the restaurant is located in the middle of a business district in Fukui City and it was during the day on weekdays when I visited, there were many business people.

 

 

menu1
menu2
menu3
menu4
menu5

As the name of the restaurant is “Echizen-Bar Radicare” (Echizen Province was an old part of Fukui Prefecture), they make many dishes using the local products from Fukui Prefecture. You can see them in the menu on the wall.

 

They open for dinner as well.

 

 

sake of Kokuryu

I saw a bottle of my favorite sake from Fukui. I’m sure the sake and the dishes at the restaurant would make a perfect combination.

 

T.F

 

Location : 3-8-10 Ote, Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture

Phone: 0776-28-3033

Opening hours:

Lunch 11:00-14:00

Dinner 17:00-22:00

Closed for lunch on Saturdays

Closed (for both lunch and dinner) on Sundays

The Japanese film “The Forest of Wool and Steel”

2018.06.14

Movies

The film is based on a novel by Ms. Natsu Miyashita, who was born in Fukui City.
Also, the novel received “Honya Taisho Prize” (chosen by bookstore staff nationwide) in 2016. I read the novel, and I had been looking forward to see the film since I heard the novel was made into a film, so I went to see the film.

 


From TOHO website

 

Then, when I got the theater, surprisingly I met Ms. Miyashita in person at the lobby.
Of course, I had no personal acquaintance with her, but I automatically said to her “It’s a pleasant surprise to see you here! I am looking forward to seeing the film.” and she smilingly replied, “I will see it now.” Although she must have seen the film at a preview, she may have a new impression to see the film at a local theater with audiences. I sometimes see Ms. Miyashita on local TV programs. She looks gentle and elegant, talks modestly, and has a maidenly transparent feeling. I always thought she is a wonderful person and actually Ms. Miyashita was exactly what I had imagined.

 

The film has a lot of beautiful picturesque scenes and the actors’ performance didn’t disturb the atmosphere. Their performances as a tuner were very good as if they were real ones, from which I could guess that they prepared the roles well. I like Ken Mitsuishi’s performance, and in this film as well, he had a presence, though he didn’t have many lines. I think that he is really a clever actor. Also, you can enjoy piano performance at the same time in the film. Especially, piano performance by Mone and Moka Kamishiraishi sisters was impressive.

 

The main character thinks that he isn't capable of a tuner and his senior tuner
said to him. “Capability is a feeling of love something.”
I think that the phrase is an axiom which I want to share with everyone.
If you like something very much and if you can master it, it is an excellent capability.

 

And, the ending theme (written by Jo Hisaishi, played by Nobuyuki Tsujii) was so beautiful that it made me want to cry as if the world of the film would continue. By seeing such a good film, I could re-examine my daily life and make a course correction a little. (H.S)

 

The iris flowers at Daian-zenji Temple in Fukui City will be in full bloom soon

2018.06.11

Places to visit

On June 7th and 10th, I went to the Daian-zenji temple to see the iris flowers. On the morning of the 7th, the flowers were in bloom partially, but they became to bloom much more in recent 3 days. Actually, the half of the iris flowers were in bloom, and they might bloom fully in a few days.

 


June 7, 2018 (Thursday)

 


June 10, 2018 (Sunday)

 

By the way, we can also see the inside of the 350-year-old temple with this iris festival admission ticket, but it may become impossible to see that familiar old cathedral soon.
Big restoration works of the temple that will take ten years will begin next year.
T.S

 

Arigato Sake, “Kokuryu Adoso” -The Perfect Gift for Thanking Someone-

2018.06.08

Sake

Kokuryu Adoso

On May 30th,　2018 “Kokuryu Adoso” of this year has been released.　Kokuryu Adoso is the official name of a sake from Kokuryu brewery, and it is also known as “Arigato Sake”. Arigato means “thank you” in Japanese. This is the perfect gift for thanking someone special such as family members, friends, wives, husbands and so on.

 

Kokuryu Adoso is the sake which has been brewed with the rice planted and harvested during Arigato Project.

 

 

Rice planting

Arigato Project is the project in which the participants plant and harvest rice, and learn about more detail of the quality of sake. The participants also watch fireflies as well. Since fireflies can only live in the area which has clean water and air, the participants learn that rich nature is necessary for making sake rice. They learn not only about Japanese sake, but they also learn about the value of connection with others and the charms of Japan and Fukui.

 

 

Rice harvesting
An American man is rice harvesting

And at the end of the Arigato Project, they receive finished sake and give the sake to people whom they want to thank to.

 

The taste of the Kokuryu Adoso for this years is very smooth and mellow with refresh and sweet aftertaste.

 

How about giving Kokuryu Adoso to people who are special in your life and you want to thank them?

 

T.F

For more information about Kokuryu

Kokuryu Sake Brewing Corporation Official Site

Cannes Palme d’Or winning film “Shoplifters”

2018.06.06

Movies

Recently, at the 71st Cannes Film Festival, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Shoplifters” won the Palme d’Or. In Fukui, its advance screening was held last weekend and I went to see the film.

 


On the surface, modern Japan is thought to be affluent.
But it has problems piled up that we should discuss more seriously.
Seeing the film, various keywords related to the problems crossed my mind one after another. And, Kore-eda’s screenplay and direction reflects the problems without feelings and messages. In addition, all the cast members’ performance beyond acting creates the overwhelming reality. The two child actors are also really great.
Gradually, I didn’t feel that I was watching a film any more.
And, maybe the reason there were many eating scenes is that we cannot live without eating.

 

Director Kore-eda doesn’t make us cry easily and see things in black and white.
He purposely avoids them. I felt that his pride that he would not make a shallow film such people could cry easily and this is a right answer.

 

I don’t think that this film should not be criticized posing as a critic.
Nobody could say anything in a know-it-all attitude.
Even after you see the film, probably you don’t have the answer.
However, the film will give you a chance to think deeply once again about poverty, good and bad, life and death, love of family. (H.S)

 

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