Kotoshironushi Shrine gets really crowded during Ebessan, and long lines often form in the evening
Although the period of doing hatsumode 初詣 (first shrine/temple visit of the new year) is basically over, the businesses will have their turn January 9-11 at the Ebisu Festival (Ebisu matsuri えびす祭り, known affectionately as Ebessan えべっさん. Business owners flock to the Kotoshironushi Shrine 事代主神社 in Tokushima City and pray for business success and prosperity. They bring last year’s lucky talismans (bamboo branch decorated with auspicious items) to the shrine and buy new ones. Sometimes, companies will bring their entire staff and have a blessing by the priest.
On the first day (Jan. 9), a boat-like float filled with vegetables is paraded around town followed by the Seven Lucky Gods, of which Ebisu is one.
Even if you don’t have a business, there are food booths, plant sales, and more around the shrine area. This afternoon, I took a quick spin around the festival and saw classic favorites (takoyaki, karaage, baby castella cakes, candy-coated fruit, okonomiyaki, grilled squid, fried noodles) and newer offerings (10-yen coin cheese pancakes, croissant taiyaki, meat skewers). My personal favorite is hashimaki はしまき, a savory pancake rolled around a chopstick and smothered in okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise, and your choice of topping (runny fried egg, cheese, green onions).
Food booths line the side streets around the shrine and on Motomachi StreetMy favorite street food is hashimaki with a runny fried egg
You can also get a citrus fruit tree (sudachi, mikan, shikwasa, etc.) at the plant sale, already popping with fruit.
Kumade (bamboo rakes decorated with auspicious items)Plants for saleLots of citrus trees are being sold
This is one of the few winter events with this bustling festival atmosphere, so it gets quite crowded in the evenings after work with residents and families.
**I also found a bunch of my favorite food stalls in the first floor garage of Bata House. (It’s on the edge of the pedestrian-only zone closer to the Shinmachi River and Fureai Bridge) You’ll find Terrace38’s Filipino oden, Hyoryu Shokudo’s soups (1/10 Suiton, 1/11 Clam Chowder), Murata Onigiri Stand’s rice balls, Momofuku’s okonomiyaki, Fior’s hot whiskey and hot lemonades, Bonbonniere’s crepes, Bonne Chance’s cute Ebisu icing cookies, and coffee from Koji-an and Salotto. Stop by for some great food and drinks 13:00-21:00 on the same three days.
So much good food and drink at Bata House during Ebessan
Wanna get free money to use at Tokushima’s restaurants? To support local eateries who follow coronavirus guidelines and support the local farmers and fishermen who supply them, the “Go To Eat Tokushima” campaign is selling special coupon booklets. Here’s some information in English about where, when and how to use them.
What are the coupon booklets?
Each booklet is 8000 yen, and you get ten 1000-yen coupons (a 10,000 yen value) to use at select eateries around the prefecture. So basically, you get 2000 yen worth of coupons for free!
JA Offices – Most JA (Japan Agriculture Co-ops) offices sell them during their business hours (times will vary by branch) until February 26. JA Tokushima City (Main Bandai branch, Hachiman, Kamona, Ito, Bizan, Hokubu, Sanagochi, Kokufu, Kita-Inoue, Ojin, Tobu, Nanbu, Katsura, Tokushima, Minami-Inoue), JA Tobu (Aisai Hiroba), JA Myozai-gun (Main, Kamiyama), JA Agri-Anan (Honten, Anan, Hokubu, Nanbu, Aioi, Naka-Seibu), JA Kaifu (Hokubu, Sankyo, Nanbu), JA Itano-gun (Honten, Agri Itano, Tobu, Tonari Marche, Seibu), JA Awa-gun Tobu (Main), JA Otsu-Matsushige (Egao Market), JA Tokushima-Kita (Main), JA Awa-cho (Main), JA Oe-gun (Main, Seibu, Himawari Farmer’s Market Kamojima, Himawari Farmer’s Market Kawashima), JA Mima (Main, Mima), JA Awa-Miyoshi (Miyoshi, Mikamo, Ikeda)
Shopping Centers – Fuji Grand Anan 9:00-21:00, Fuji Grand Kitajima and Ishii 9:00-22:00, Aeon Mall Tokushima (1F Information, Aeon Style 1F Service Counter) 10:00-20:00.
Hotels – JR Hotel Clement 10:00-19:00, Tokushima Grand Vrio Hotel (24H), Awa Kanko Hotel (24H), The Grand Palace (24H), Hotel Sunshine Tokushima 10:00-17:00, AoAo Naruto Resort (1F Terrace Cafe Ohge) 10:00-17:00.
How can we use the coupons?
All participating restaurants will display this sign outside and/or at the register:
Using the coupons is easy. Each coupon is worth 1000 yen and it used like cash when paying for your food/drinks. It can be used for eat in and takeout orders. Alcoholic beverages can be purchased with these coupons. These coupon can be used until April 15, 2021. (the coupons have an expiration date of March 15, 2021 printed on them, but they will be honored until April 15, 2021.)
IMPORTANT:
1) No change is given when using the coupons. So if the total cost is 800 yen and you use a coupon, you DON’T get 200 yen back. So be sure you use the coupons when your total check/order is over 1000 yen.
2) You CAN use a combination of coupons and cash/coins. For example, if your check is 1700 yen, you can use one coupon and 700 yen in coins. You can also use one coupon and a 1000 yen bill, and get back change. However, as rule 1 states, you can’t get change back if you use two coupons.
But the GREAT thing about these coupons is that it’s like getting a 200 yen discount every time you use a coupon. Yay! (Examples of this later in this blog.)
Where can we use the coupons?
There are a ton of restaurants and eateries where you can use the coupons. This is the full list, but I warn you…it’s quite long (arranged in Japanese alphabetical order, by city/town). There are eateries in almost every town, so there are lots to choose from. This page has a keyword search, area search, and genre search function (in Japanese).
Some of the major chain restaurants like Coco Ichibanya Curry House, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald’s, MOS Burger, Sushiro, and Gusto accept the coupons at their branches in Tokushima. (NOTE: some branches do not accept them, so check the list or contact the restaurant beforehand).
Almost every genre of food, from ramen shops to curry shops, sushi bars to izakaya, and even eateries in hotels, Michi-no-eki (roadside stations), and expressway service areas. There are bars, cafes, fast food, and high class restaurants.
Here are some favorites and how you can save:
Karlito’s BB Mex: Buy a medium mix pizza to go, use a couple of coupons and a 100 yen coin, and your 2100 yen pizza costs just 1700 yen. (Remember, you can use the coupons for takeout.)
British Beer Pub 1Pint: If you’re grabbing a regular order of Fish ‘n Chips, one coupon changes the actual cost from 1000 yen to 800 yen!
Door!: I bought my Osechi for New Year from them, and used the coupons, so my 5000 yen set actually cost 4000 yen! (Hint: Using the coupons for family or group meals can really save you money!)
Smoke and Beer Bar Cheerz: The selection of craft beers from around the world is one of the best in the prefecture, and with a price tag of 1000-1500 yen per bottle (totally worth it), using the coupons can make after-work brew more affordable.
Other places you can use the coupons: La Tavola near Awa-Ikeda Station, most Todai Ramen locations, Lieben Frau in Ishii, Rise&Win Brewing Co. BBQ&General Store in Kamikatsu, Ethnic Izakaya Risoi in Kaiyo, Yama Udon near Tokushima Station, mother’s cafe in Naruto, WUTO-WURK in Anan, in Between Blues in Kaiyo, Terrace 38 along the Shinmachi Boardwalk, all Masala (Indian Curry) locations, Ristorante Fishbone at the Resort Hotel Moana Coast in Naruto, Chinese restaurant Karin, Mirai Konbini in Kito, most eateries and sweets shops at Aeon Mall Tokushima, and MUCH, MUCH, MORE!
Safety First!
The participating eateries on this campaign are asked to allow guidelines to prevent the spread of the New Coronavirus. Restaurants will be taking precautions such as:
Spacing out tables and/or chairs with appropriate social distancing, or partitioning with plastic barriers.
Keeping areas well-ventilated with fans, open doors/windows, outdoor seating, ventilation equipment, etc.
I know, “What The…HOTEL!?” What happened to “hidden gems of gourmet delight?”
The secret mission of these Mystery Dinners has always been to expand people’s restaurant repertoires so that we don’t go to mass-consumption chain eateries every time we look for dinner. There are fantastic locally-owned, locally-stocked restaurants all over Tokushima, and they need our patronage to stay afloat and continue to provide wonderfully-cooked food that comes from the heart. Kirin and Cafe Bon have certainly shown that.
So about the hotel? I love the cakes and tarts at Agnes Cafe in The Agnes Hotel just a block from Tokushima Station. Unfortunately, the Agnes Cafe was booked for an event…so we just went next door…for the same cakes…
…The Agnes Hotel is part of a family-operated local empire, including the Agnes Hotel アグネスホテル, Grand Palace グランドパレス, Four Season Tokushima フォーシーズン徳島 (all are within a block of each other), and the Parc Westin パークウェスティン (across the Suketo River, popular for its weddings), and recently a Japanese restaurant called Domannaka. The hotels all use pastries and desserts from Agnes’ kitchen.
Always seasonal and always professionally created, each sweet maintains a muted elegance that is often hard to find in Tokushima.
So our fabulous night winded down with a simple cake set in the Grand Palace 1st floor restaurant. We had a choice of gateau chocolat, strawberry shortcake, fruit roll cake, caramel flan, and Mont Blanc.
Some took gateau chocolat ガトーショコラ, because…can’t fail with flourless chocolate cake. Always a winner.
Some took caramel flan, which is called “pudding” (purin プリン) in Japanese. Rich egg flavor, bitter caramel…adult way to end the night.
I chose the Mont Blanc モンブラン, with its mountain of chestnut mousse swirled over a spongecake/whipped cream base. The ice coffee came with a classy touch…instead of simple syrup, a small tub of black sugar syrup (kuromitsu 黒蜜) was proffered. This is often found in Japanese sweets, but it gave a rich mellow undertone to the coffee that sugar can’t.
Can’t think of a better way to end a Mystery Dinner than in a locally-owned hotel that tries to keep it classy. Just because we live in “the boonies of Shikoku” doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the finer things in life.
Until the next Mystery Dinner (which is right around the corner on May 22), have a Wander-ful evening!
Started in 2011, it’s a fun gourmet event to introduce residents (and visitors) of Tokushima to its multitude of restaurants. Throughout the evening, we visit three eateries and enjoy dishes at each stop. Where will be go? What will we eat? That’s the mystery! (Until we get there, anyway)
Interested in joining? Have a group of friends who want a surprise culinary adventure? Join the Facebook Group and find out when the next one is…
So after leaving Kirin for our first stop, we wandered down the 192 towards Tokushima Station. Everyone was getting worried, since the only eateries most people see along that stretch of road is MxDxxxxx’s (fast food) and Sxxxxxx (fast moving sushi).
After a quick fake-out at the sushi place, we turned the corner there are headed for the railroad tracks…no sign of a restaurant…then just as we hit the elevated tracks, the corner store had cute tables and a blackboard menu. The smell of grilled meat wafted through the air…2nd stop in the most unlikely of neighborhoods.
Roast Chicken & M.C. Cafe Bon. Nestled in what was once a corner sundries store, Katsuya Shiotsu brings his French Cuisine expertise to create an incredible casual meal…the perfect roast chicken.
His roast chicken can be ordered by the piece, lunch set, wrap sandwich, or single dinner…but get you friends and order the Zeitaku Moriawase 贅沢盛り合わせ, a grand feast laid out on a giant cutting board that showcases Katsuya’s pursuit of the ultimate chicken experience.
First thing: Each chicken part is cooked separately at different temperatures and times, so the wings fall off the bone, the thigh meat is rich and succulent, and (see photo below) the breast meat is brought to the perfect balance of juicy pink while cooking all the way through. And don’t forget the skin, which lovingly envelopes the meat in a coat of flavor.
Next: All of the sauces are homemade, and make the perfect chicken even tastier. For a light touch, the fresh tomato salsa and marinara are great choices. There was a yogurt sauce with olive oil for a refreshing tang. Of particular note are the mustard sauce and teriyaki wine sauce. The mustard sauce blends French grain mustard with the roast drippings from the oven…concentrated flavor. The wine sauce is French all the way, but teriyaki slides it into the Japanese palate with a balanced East-West sweetness.
Third: Sides, sides, sides! The Zeitaku Moriawase includes sides like salad greens in a light dressing, crunchy cole slaw, creamy guacamole, fried potatoes, sliced cheese, and…honeyed nuts! Oh, if you think that’s a weird thing to eat with chicken, the sweetness brings the flavor out of rich thigh meat and adds crunch to the whole meal.
And then the salts!! Black: olive salt. Green: celery salt. Purple: red wine salt (how the hell does he stop the salt from dissolving while pouring wine over it??). If the suaces and sides weren’t enough, just a pinch of any of these is enough to kick up leftover chicken slices.
(Most sets come with a choice of one or two sauces/sides, but the Zeitaku Moriawase is the only to get all of them in one greedy combination, so get a group or keep coming back and try a new sauce each time!)
Oh and did I mention the tortillas? A slice of breast, a sauce, a side, and maybe some salt…piece de resistance!!!!
Needless to say, the Mystery Dinner crew got right to work and DEVOURED everything. They had the time of their life (they all raved about this course) but look how serious they all are!!
Singlehandedly, Katsuya mans the kitchen and makes all of this fantastic food a reality. Along with the various chicken sets, he also has a small menu of other wonderful dishes that go well with his abundant alcohol menu (homemade lemonade with soda/wine/beer, craft beer, wine, cocktails): One day it might be salmon confit, another it might be delicately heated chicken liver.
Right now, he bolstered his dessert offerings with a Dutch Baby, a chewy dense pancake cooked in a cast-iron frying pan.
I just can’t say enough about this (too well) hidden gem…so much skill and care going into every aspect of a casual meal (with fine French roots) that fits anyone’s budget (even though he should be charging more for quality eats like this).
So, the Mystery Dinner group dragged their sagging bellies out of Cafe Bon and on to our final destination… (TBC)
Started in 2011, it’s a fun gourmet event to introduce residents (and visitors) of Tokushima to its multitude of restaurants. Throughout the evening, we visit three eateries and enjoy dishes at each stop. Where will be go? What will we eat? That’s the mystery! (Until we get there, anyway)
Interested in joining? Have a group of friends who want a surprise culinary adventure? Join the Facebook Group and find out when the next one is…
Walk between train stations just to have dinner? You’d be surprised what you can discover as you stroll along, and the exercise will whet your appetite. A group of us met at JR Sako Station 佐古駅 and made our way toward Tokushima Station, stopping at three restaurants to eat a few dishes.
The first place was a gem of a seafood izakaya along the main street from the station to Route 192, Kirin 季林.
Since it’s relatively new, the furniture is clean and modern, yet the dimmed interior keeps it cozy. The menu has most of the typical dishes you’ll find at izakaya, but the good eats are on the specials menu, which is heavy on seafood that the owner selects every day.
We started with a shrimp and avocado salad (ebi to abokado sarada 海老とアボカドサラダ ) . Typical fare, but popular among women and gets the taste buds flowing.
The next dish I requested was chinmi karaage 珍味の唐揚げ, where they deep-fry unusual fish or interesting fish parts. The last time I was here, it was tuna stomach (chewy and meaty strips..yum!). This time…moray eel (utsubo うつぼ）! The gruesome-looking fish has skin with a high collagen/gelatin content and light meat, resulting in chewy-fluffy morsels with a crunchy crust. Delicious with a pinch of salt and a swig of beer.
So, the final dish was supposed to be a seasonal salt-grilled yellowtail (buri shioyaki 鰤の塩焼き）, but the owner apologetically said he wasn’t happy with the yellowtail at the market today (last time, it was a double-thick fillet bursting with juice). He said, “Would maguro kabutoyaki 鮪の兜焼き be OK?” (Me: blink. blink. OMG yes, that would be more than fine.)
What was placed before the guests was half of a tuna’s head, deep-fried with salt and pepper (usually, it’s grilled over fire, but I’m not complaining).
WOW!! I couldn’t ask for more impact and flair…sure beats tiny yellowtail fillets. Since there is so much bone in a fish’s head, the meat is protected, rich, tender, and oily. Yummmmmmm…well, all we could do was…rip into it!
Although the top interior section is full of great meat, the prized parts are the cheek meat, which is some of the best eating around (and only two tiny pieces per fish).
The other prized part is the…eyeball. Yep…although the eye socket is bone, the rest of it is a soft, luscious, gelatinous mouthful of heaven. Only with large fishes like this can you enjoy the eyeball.
And to boot…the owner threw in a free side dish…shirako 白子, a creamy milky organ from the cod fish, often eaten blanched with ponzu sauce.
Kirin’s menu is not only affordable (many dishes are 500-700 yen), but fresh and seasonal with generous portions.
What a great start! Now to walk the longest distance to stop #2…
Started in 2011, it’s a fun gourmet event to introduce residents (and visitors) of Tokushima to its multitude of restaurants. Throughout the evening, we visit three eateries and enjoy dishes at each stop. Where will be go? What will we eat? That’s the mystery! (Until we get there, anyway)
Interested in joining? Have a group of friends who want a surprise culinary adventure? Join the Facebook Group and find out when the next one is…
Did you know there is a bar dedicated to plum wine (umeshu 梅酒) in Tokushima? Oddly enough, it’s called…PLUM BAR.
In addition to featuring delicious, locally-produced umeshu mainly from the Misato region of Yoshinogawa City, it also carries a nice variety from all over the country.
Usually, I’m greeted at the counter by large jars filled with plums, rock sugar, and a base liquor…all aged together to make plum wine.
They say the early bird gets the worm…no worms today. Despite gorgeous blue skies and balmy temperatures that makes the ice & snow of last week seem like a bad dream, yours truly got up at 11:30. Sigh. Continue reading →
In a darkened stretch of shopping arcade, light streams from a single storefront. A pungent, fragrant aroma drifts out to passersby. Kamikatsu Curry （上勝カレー販売店 カレー屋さん） is open for business in the Share Bar（シェアーバー）.
Any foreigner living in Japan is flustered by the abundance, yet lack of good pizza. There’s a pizza shop in every town, but Japanese love toppings like mayonnaise, tuna, corn, potato salad, and egg salad on their pies. There are also many Italian restaurants who serve the crispy thin-crust version so common to that country, but many gaijin who hail from North America are looking for something more substantial.
Starting April 3 (today!) you can get this in the bar district of Akitamachi in Tokushima City:
This is an American style pizza, with a thicker chewy crust and ample edges. (cue Hallelujah chorus and heavenly spotlight)
Here’s the delicious play-by-play. If you order a whole pie, the dough is rolled out (with a few snazzy spins in the air), zesty tomato sauce is slathered over the top, followed by a blend of cheeses and your choice of toppings. American favorites like pepperoni & olive, italian sausage, Hawaiian pizza, meat lovers, and vegetarian are all on the menu (subject to change).
Pop it into a REAL PIZZA OVEN and choose your drink (beers! Dr. Pepper! Root beer!) while your pie bakes to perfect in less than 10 minutes (itsa hot in here!).
VOILA!
Cheese is gooey, sauce is bubbly, crust is crunchy yet chewy. And a slice is 1/6 of this pie (everything is big in America). If you can’t get no satisfaction from this, go eat a rolling stone.
There’s a 30 cm medium (1500-1800 yen) and a 40 cm large (1800-2500 yen), along with selected slices (400-450 yen, when available). It’s only take-out and delivery to the immediate area (as in the bar district), but there are seats outside if you can’t wait for home to chow down.
Don’t get me wrong. I adore a crisp Italian margherita, and will break down and nibble from a “German potato” or “Tarako mochi nori” pizza from the H*t or R*y*l H*t. However, my birthplace flies red, white and blue and a properly-baked American pie with pepperoni and gooey cheese definitely satisfies me in a way corn and mayonnaise can’t.
Big Brothers Pizza （ビー・ビー・ピザ）New York Style
Call: 090-1320-2279
徳島市 栄町 １－１８（OSグランドホテル向かい）
Tokushima-shi, Sakae-machi 1-18 (opposite the OS Grand Hotel)
Wanderful Tokushima 