Tokyo Weekender - November 2017

[ PROMOTION ]
Finally, it was time to savor
one of Niigata’s most famous
local specialties: sake. Common
sense tells us that sake made
by competing breweries will
taste different, but that night
we learned that the same sake
served in cups of varying materials
could change the taste
of the product remarkably. A
sake cup made with aluminum
made our sake taste sweet and
strong, while another, slightly
larger cup, made of kawara
(the same material as roof
tiles) made it seem smooth
and mellow.
ROLLING HILLS AND
NIGHT-TIME THRILLS
Well-fed and well-boozed,
we moved over to the newly
started campfire to enjoy a chat
as the sky turned black around
us. It was only the call of a long
hot soak in a nearby super
sento a short drive away that
would rouse us from our seats.
The sento had several baths
and saunas inside, and another
three or four outside. The
contrast of the crisp autumn
evening air and the hot bath
was refreshing as we soothed
our aches and pains away. By
the time we got back, most of
us were ready for bed, and we
fell into a deep slumber until
the next morning.
NOON NIBBLES
We woke to drizzling rain, but
we didn’t let that dampen our
spirits (only our clothes), because
it was time to eat again:
this time in the form of toasted
NIIGATA IN 10
GALLERY VOL. 2
The next NIIGATA in 10 event will be
in Tokyo, where you will be able to try
out many of the products we used in
the Camp in Niigata event. It’s a great
opportunity to get the feel of these
high quality products and experience
how different they are to use. There
will also be a chance to compare the
taste of sake served in different cups
and a number of other fun experiences,
like trying on kimono.
Where: Omotesando Niigata-kan
N’ESPACE, 4-11-7 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku
When: Nov 30-Dec 3, 10:30am-7:30pm
How much: Free
sandwiches and fresh coffee. The tongs came
in handy again here as we deftly moved our
slices of bread from the hot sandwich makers
to our plates. Stainless steel tumblers kept our
tea ice cold and refreshingly delicious. Far
from our trip being done, once we packed up
our tents and things, we ate again – this time
to try the local specialty, seabura ramen (pork
back fat ramen). Say what you will about Niigata,
but they do make sure you’re well fed.
stood up without support when placed down
on the table. While it may seem like a minor
detail, not having to worry about the tip of
your tongs getting covered in muck while
rushing about cooking was a surprisingly
welcome treat. Lunch was a feast of grilled
vegetables, chicken marinated in yogurt
and miso mixture, lightly toasted rice balls,
and Spanish Gambas al Ajillo appetizer with
mouth-watering shrimp.
CUTTING-EDGE KNIVES
From there we headed to Tojiro Co Ltd, an internationally
renowned knife producer – and
purveyor of the knives we had tried the day
before. Here we were rewarded with a special
tour guiding us through how craftsmen make
their knives – spending over two months from
start to finish on one knife for special custom-made
ones. While here, you can buy your
very own Tojiro knife from the knife gallery.
Here, our trip came to an end, leaving us with
an understanding that Niigata-made items are
not just beautifully designed, but also practical
and easy to use.
AFTER LUNCH COMES DINNER
By the time we had finished our meal,
we already had to start preparing dinner.
Camping in autumn meant we were short
on daylight hours, so to make the most of the
light we had, we started cooking early. Dinner
would be a creamy Thai chicken curry, with
rice cooked in a glistening copper pot on a gas
stove. Though we worried about cooking the
rice this way – normally it takes a fair amount
of time and skill with temperature control
– the rice was perfectly cooked within 20
minutes. Thanks to the high conductivity
of the copper, the rice cooked both quickly
and evenly, and faster than it would have
using a normal rice cooker. With the curry,
we had a feast of grilled pepper steaks, Japanese
scallops with basil butter, and steamed
edamame pepperoncino.
TOKYO WEEKENDER | NOVEMBER 2017 | 13