Location: Home > food > This is Japanese Food Culture Week in New York City
This is Japanese Food Culture Week in New York CityPosted Mar 6th 2007 6:05PM by Jonathan M. ForesterFiled under: Tastings, Parties, East Coast, Lush Life, The Best ... in All of New York, Raves & ReviewsThis is the First Annual Japanese Food Culture Week in New York City that is being coordinated by The Japanese External Trade Organization (Jetro), the Japan Society, Nikkei America, and other Japanese / American organizations and restaurants. I've been caught up in a whirlwind and this is the first I have been able to write about it. From Sunday March 4 - Saturday March 10, 2007 there is a week of special events, seminars, food shows, and Japanese restaurants with fantastic specials for the general public to enjoy. The events are being held to educate and expose the public, as well as restaurant owners, chefs, etc. to Japanese cuisine and its effects and interactions in the US. I will describe in detail some of the events I have had the good fortune to attend.Japanese Food Culture Week Events:Japan Pavilion at the International Restaurant and Food Service Show - March 3 to March 6"25 Japanese food and product vendors will be displaying their products, some of which are making their international debut. Products on display include artisanal oils and vinegars, tofu, kelp, teas, shochu, sake, knives and tableware essential to creating Japanese inspired cuisine. The subtle flavors of premium rice and wagyu are among the products available to sample. Throughout the show vendors will give cooking demonstrations and short seminars. The JETRO booth will be available throughout the show for business support and introductions. In addition, major Japanese food related companies will also be exhibiting independently next to the Japan Pavilion. This is the premier of the Japan Pavilion. The event was created in hopes of attracting interested store buyers, chefs, and food related businesses to fine Japanese ingredients."I attended the first day of the International Restaurant and Food Service Show and spent a good part of my time at the Japan Pavilion. I tried dozens of sake's and shochu , exotic vinegars and vinegar drinks, and real Japanese Wagyu beef in various ways: raw, sushi style, seared outside raw inside sashimi style, and seared rare and medium. I spent a great deal of time interviewing the directors of sales for each of these vendors and obtaining information packages and setting up further interviews and product reviews. I was more than a bit wobbly by the time I met up with some friends and headed out for a meal.Japanese Food Culture Symposium presented by Nikkei America, Japan Society, and JETRO New York at the Japan Society - Monday, March 5th, 3:00pm – 5:30pm open to the general public, no admission fee, advance registration required. Sold Out"Keynote speaker Yuzaburo Mogi, Chairman & CEO of Kikkoman will speak on his experiences as a Japanese pioneer in the American food market. After Mr. Mogi's address, star chefs Masaharu Morimoto, Daniel Boulud, and Japanese food expert, journalist, and cookbook author Elizabeth Andoh will appear in a panel discussion focused on how to expand the popularity of Japanese food culture in America. Audience Q&A set to follow the discussion." The panel was moderated by Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue Magazine Food Editor, and author of The Man Who Ate Everything."I really enjoyed this symposium at the Japan Society. They are known for the quality of the events that they sponsor. I was very impressed with Mr. Mogi from Kikkoman. Hearing how he ended up coming to the US for an MBA at Columbia University, his experiences with American food in the early 60's, and about the food discussions he had with his American friends. Then he talked about his 46 years with Kikkoman as he rose in the ranks to become its leader and directing the vision of the company and its products. Jeffrey Steingarten was his usual amusing, dry, and slightly sarcastic self. Controlling the panel and guiding the discussion. Those of you who have seen him judge Iron Chef America know what I mean. I have met Mr. Steingarten on many occasions, during filming of Iron Chef America, when I was working as a hard cider maker, as a cheese maker, at BBQ events in NYC, and on the street at NYC Greenmarket in Union Square. I always enjoy and am amused by his droll comments.I have also met Iron Chef Masaharu Marimoto before, during and after filming of Iron Chef America, and while his English may not be the most fluent, I find him to have a great sense of humor, as well as love of food, zest for life, and full of food knowledge. I would love to spend hours sitting and sipping sake with The Iron Chef while discussing the role Japanese cuisine is having on the world, especially here in the USA where there are over 10,000 Japanese restaurants, 2/3 of the worlds total of around 16,000. Chef Daniel Boulud also has a great sense of humor and talked in-depth about Japans love for exploring other countries cuisines. He mentioned that many top restaurants in France have Japanese chefs training in their kitchens so they can one day go home and open French restaurants in Japan. Also he talked about how the ingredients in Japanese cuisine are making their way into western cuisines, both cooked in traditional Japanese ways and in fusion or western styles. As well as his journey over the years using Japanese cuisine and products and playfully tweaking them in different directions.Elizabeth Andoh impressed me highly with her knowledge and obvious love of Japanese cuisine. She brought passion to the discussion and spoke in depth about many products, especially sea vegetables and the unique types and preparations for things as simple as seaweed. The audience was groaning in pleasure from her descriptions and I heard several people sitting near me whisper how hungry they were and couldn't wait until the reception afterwards to try the products she talked about. I had to agree since my stomach was rumbling and I had eaten a nice meal just 2 hours before. I would love to get a chance to interview her and pick her brain for hours, especially about the role of produce in Japanese cuisine.Afterwards was a reception with various foods like sushi and sashimi, yakitori, and other cooked meats and vegetables. There was also a very nice selection of sake and shochu, especially some of my favorite shochu style made from Japanese sweet potatoes, and a plethora of new juices, teas, etc. from Japan.Gastronomic Discovery: An Evening of Japanese Food Culture Presented by the Japanese Food Culture Festival Committee and JETRO New York - Monday, March 5th, 6:00pm – 10:00pm Invited Guest-Limited Event at the Marriot Marquis Hotel Times Square."Opening remarks will be made by Japanese food expert Elizabeth Andoh. The Majority of the evening is dedicated to 3 of the highest-ranking kaiseki master chefs Masahiro Kurisu, Motoi Kurisu, Kenichi Hashimoto and famed culinary genius David Bouley. The visiting chefs from Japan will share preparation techniques for their favorite dishes and their culinary philosophies. David Bouley will follow with a demonstration sharing his original cuisine based on Japanese ingredients. Attendees may enjoy tasting the creations of these 4 talented artists. The evening is a cross-cultural learning experience highlighting traditional to contemporary Japanese cooking practices and how they are being explored by Western chefs."The word WOW! comes to mind here. This event had around 300 attendees and was by invite only. Well I have the feeling that these 300 were among the happiest in New York City last night. The event started with Elizabeth Andoh speaking for an hour about many aspects of Japanese cuisine. I was even more impressed by the time she was finished than I was just a few hours ago when I first heard her speak.We then moved into the ballroom to meet, mingle, and find our way to our tables. The guests were a complete mix of New Yorkers composed of all levels of society, as well as dignitaries, both American and from Japan. At out tables we found a variety of Hors D'Oeuvres including: Braised asparagus topped with spicy cod fish roe dipping sauce, BBQ Eel with pickled burdock and shiso leaf in puff pastry (my favorite), Kumamoto oysters in yuzu jelly with flying fish roe, Tuna and salmon tartare on rice crackers, and beef yakitori. White wine was served and for a few of us who wandered around and found it there was sake as well.There were several introductions and speeches and then the Japanese kaiseki chefs did demonstrations on how they made all the evenings dishes, this was easily visible to all because the demonstration kitchen was well lit and shown on several huge screens to each side. As each dish was finished in real life the same dish was then served to the guests. My favorite was the first creation, grated, steamed lotus root with seafood. I took detailed notes as this dish was prepared and it is actually simple enough to make and serve at home. The textures were amazing and the hidden pieces of scallops, shrimp, ell, etc. were tasty little treasures that you came upon as you made your way through the lotus root. Fresh, real wasabi was grated on top and when mixed in brought out all the other flavors with a bright intensity. If you have never tasted real wasabi root I have to say that it really bears no impression to the green dyed, powdered horseradish paste called wasabi outside of Japan.Chef David Bouley demonstrated the use of fresh tofu skins and how their delicate structure and taste can be used in a variety of ways. He culminated his discussion and demonstration in creating a dumpling of scallop and cold smoked foie gras, where large chunks of each were wrapped in the tofu skins and steamed. This was a decadent dish with the firm and juicy diver scallop covered with the melting lightly smoked foie gras and gently held together by the wrapper of tofu skin. perfect meld of tastes and textures that has my mouth watering just thinking back upon it.Finally there was a detailed demonstration of fanciful sashimi carving and presentation by a master sashimi chef and artist, and a demonstration on soba making.The final part of the evening was dinner. Around the room were many stations serving all kinds of foods and beverages. For beverages I had green tea, sake, shochu, and several 12 and 18 year old Yamazaki single malt Suntory whiskeys. As for the food, there was sushi and sashimi, wasabi or crab shumai and shrimp gyoza, teriyaki chicken, Mori soba, soba salad, Takikomi Gohan (white rice steamed in dashi and broth with vegetables) and premium white Japonica rice, a desert station with poached Asian pear in red wine syrup, almond potted cream with candied ginger tulip, mango chocolate tureen with clementine sauce, green tea mouse cake with crystallized ginger, and Japanese tarts pleasures. The piece de resistance were the beef carving stations. Enormous roasts of real Japanese Wagyu beef and veal cooked medium rare with a salty seared outside crust. I have had wagyu and Kobe wagyu beef before and have to say this was some of the best I have tasted, including visits to wagyu beef restaurants in Kobe, Japan.We finally left burdened down with gift bags containing Japanese food products and beverages, fine Noritake porcelain mugs decorated with vegetables, and other goodies. All in all, it was a great evening which left me satiated mentally, physically, and emotionally.Japanese Restaurant Week - Presented by The Japanese Food Culture Festival CommitteeThroughout this week participating Japanese restaurants around New York will offer specially designed gourmet menus.Dates: Sunday, March 4th – Saturday, March 10thPlace: Participating Japanese restaurants throughout NYOfficial Website: http://www.JPRW.netI look forward eagerly to having a weeks worth of special dinners at some of these fine restaurants. So should any of you who are in the New York City area.SHUKI-TEN (Japanese Sake Vessels Show)Dates: Tuesday, March 6th – Saturday, March 17thPlace: The Nippon ClubOrganizer: Kyoto Society for Inter-art ExchangeContact: Mr. Naozane Utada 917-612-0836I saw a pre-view of this show at the Gastronomic Discovery event. The sake vessels on display are unique and beautiful. I collect both antique and modern sake vessels, as well as tea pots and other items and was fascinated. For those of you who love both ancient and modern Japanese pottery, this will be a nice way to spend a few hours seeing the works of 50 famous artists including Tatsuzo Shimaoka, a "Living National Treasure" of Japan.
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