Check out our top three recommended food happenings in Tokyo this month.
World wine festival 2019
Location:
TMMT bldg. 2 Chome-1-11 Higashishinagawa, Shinagawa City, Tokyo 140-0002
Date and time:
November 9th and 10th, 10:00-19:30 hrs
10:00～12:30 (Reception 09:30)
13:30～16:00 (Reception 13:00)
17:00～19:30 (Reception 16:30)
Cost:
- Standard ticket: 3,300 yen (tax included)
Wine free flow (2 hours), food ticket (200 yen x 5) - Special ticket: 5,500 yen (tax included) Wine free flow (2 hours), food ticket (200 yen x 5), select wine tasting ticket (400 yen x 5)
- Premium ticket: 11,000 yen (tax included) *available starting Sunday, September 1st at AEON LIQUOR storesWine free flow (2 hours), food ticket (200 yen x 5), select wine tasting ticket (400 yen x 5), use of private room, souvenir wine (sales price about 6,800 yen)
100 select wine farms from around the world will gather at the TMMT building in Shinagawa. 26 wineries from 10 different countries will be participating, bringing their best and most special wines, from ones that you can enjoy in your living room after a long day at work, to ones that you can buy for a special occasion.
The event opens 3 times a day, allowing you to have a “free flow” (all-you-can-drink) of wine for two hours while the winemakers explain to you the merits of their products. You can also enjoy the perfect food combinations to go with your wine. Presenting the wine “O RESERVA,” hailing from the winery “Emiliana” in Chile that specializes in organic cultivation of grapes.
Nabe Festival
Location:
Hibiya Park Fountain Square, 1-2 Hibiyakoen, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0012
Date:
November 22nd 10:00-20:00
November 23rd 10:00-20:00
November 24th 10:00-17:00
Entrance cost:
Free
Soul food is something universal, whether it’s food that you’ve had since you were a kid, or local soul food that someone offers you when you’re feeling homesick in another country. It possesses that special something that takes us back home and warms ours heart with nostalgia. That would be my description of “nabe”.
“Nabe” literally just means “pot.” It’s a very versatile dish that can vary greatly depending on the area, season and family. But the base of nabe will always be the golden stew made from “dashi” (boiled bonito fish flakes and kelp). The first time I had nabe, we were invited to a camp high in the mountains in the middle of November. If you thought the city gets cold this time of year, just imagine how cold it gets in the mountains!
This trip was my first time outside of Tokyo, and it brought back many memories. When I was little, I used to travel a lot outside the city and camp with my whole family (grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, mom, dad, and siblings). When I started feeling rather homesick, that’s when dinner came, cooked in this amazing hot pot using locally harvested mushrooms (as big as the palm of my hand), leek, Chinese cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and chicken from a local farm.
It could also be spiced up using skin from “yuzu” (a citric fruit from Japan) or “ponzu” (soy sauce that has a scent of yuzu). When all the veggies and chicken were finished, we added cooked rice and served a second portion. Eating it felt so warm and homey that all my feelings of homesickness were washed away and replaced by this amazing sensation of internal peace.
This festival brings together many different cooks from all over the country, all with their own styles and recipes. You’ll surely have a lot of fun filling your belly with one of the most homey and delicious dishes from Japan. Also!!! 35 different sake breweries from around Japan will be featuring their products!!!
Japan Fishermen’s Festival
Location:
Hibiya Park Fountain Square, 1-2 Hibiyakoen, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0012
Date:
November 14th – 15th 11:00 – 21:00 hrs.
November 16th 10:00 – 21:00 hrs.
November 17th 10:00 – 18:00 hrs.
Entrance cost:
Free
Celebrating its 5th edition, this festival has become one of the most important fish-related events in Japan, a place where you can fill your belly with any seafood you can imagine. You can sample small portions from the stalls, or buy a stomach-filling portion of rice topped with ikura (salmon roe). The choice is yours for every taste.
And it’s not only about sashimi or sushi. You can find seafood cooked in various styles like char-grilled, tempura, with noodles, or with rice. This festival celebrates fish in all its variations, and also all the hard work and effort put forth by fisherman every day to bring all this deliciousness to our palate.
The recommendations for this year are:
- Uni (sea urchin) from Fukushima. This golden delicacy will melt in your mouth.
- Hokkaido rice bowl containing 5 different types of seafood: sea urchin, salmon, crab, squid, and salmon roe over rice.
And if you want to experience more delicious, seasonal and fresh seafood, be sure to join our Tsukiji food tour anytime of the year!
