Japanese Sake : All Japan News,Inc

By Aya Ota

“WOKUNI”, an innovative restaurant which offers fresh seafood cultivated directly from their own self-operated aqua-farm in Nagasaki, appeared in Midtown in late October, and has become the talk of the town.

“I would like to spread the Japanese food culture in which people eat fresh seafood, to the world,” says Daiichi Sakamoto, President of Tokyo Ichiban Foods (the company is listed with the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange). This company opened a fugu (blowfish) specialty restaurant called “Torafugu Tei” first in 1996 in Shinjuku, Tokyo, and since then, they have developed a restaurant chain of 50 restaurants specialized in seafood in the Kanto area including “Torafugu Tei” and “Uohkuni”, etc.

With the company’s philosophy, “to serve high quality food ingredients at reasonable prices”, they launched their own aqua-farm in 2011. They are Japan’s one and only food service company which handles everything by themselves including producing, processing, and selling of seafood.

The sales points of “WOKUNI”, their first overseas development, are undoubtedly their own brand tuna and adult yellowtail. Their own aquafarm is located in a cove flourishing with nature, where the clear stream of Yasumandake, the highest peak of Hirado City, Nagasaki prefecture, and Tsushima Ocean current meet. They conduct an environment-friendly sustainable cultivation by not catching young fish until they grow to become as large as 50 kilograms or more, etc. They also follow through with quality control by feeding fish with human-consumable fresh sardine and mackerel. I was impressed to know that they produce tuna and yellowtail, considering American customers who do not care for the fishy smell by making adjustments with the foods for the fish. They are the most particular about freshness. Normally, it would take 5 days for the fish to arrive at the restaurant if distributed through the fish market, but for them, it takes only 48 hours because they use their own distribution route to directly send fish from the aqua-farm. The fish are never frozen in the direct shipping, so the quality and taste stay its best. Cultivating fish in its own fishing ground makes consistent supplying possible, and also their own distributing system allows them to keep the prices as low as 60 to 70% of the normal distributing system. In addition to their own tuna and yellowtail, other naturally-caught fish is procured through their own distribution system every week from Tsukiji and various Kyushu areas, and overall, 80 to 90% of their fish is from Japan. The rich variety on the menu that includes not only sushi and sashimi, but also hot grilled, fried, and BBQed dishes, and cold dishes such as tartar, carpaccio, etc., allows you to enjoy the goodness of seafood fully. 30 brands of Japanese sake are strictly selected with the view of “best pairing with the seafood” in mind. From the end of November, they started to serve lunch, and the items such as seafood bowls, chirashi sushi, unagi bowls, etc., are served with reasonable pricing.

“There is no other country but Japan in which such high-quality seafood can be caught naturally or cultivated. I would like to spread the splendidness of Japanese seafood culture from New York, which can be called the Capital of the world,“ says Mr. Sakamoto as his reason to have chosen New York as the base for the company’s first overseas development. While popularity of sushi and sashimi grows bigger, fish consuming population seems to grow every year by one hundred million globally. “I am surprised that customers’ fish consumption is much larger than I originally expected. I feel that we must set our future prospects by looking at the world from now on,” continued Mr. Sakamoto. At “WOKUNI”, most of their customers are local Americans. After the grand opening,they have been making adjustments in the details of the menu structure, food volume, presentation, tastes, etc. according to the customers’ reactions. Their American customers are speaking highly about the restaurant, saying “It is a place where you can eat high-quality sushi and sashimi at reasonable prices”.

In the future, he wants to expand not only the restaurant business, but the company’s own brand of tuna and yellowtail wholesale business, basing WOKUNI. They keep challenging the world as a general fisheries company. He is very enthusiastic about becoming the base of spreading Japanese food culture itself, not to mention seafood.


日本の高品質な鮮魚を世界に向けて発信

長崎の自社漁場から直送する鮮魚を提供する画期的な店『WOKUNI』（うおくに）が、2017年10月末、ミッドタウンに登場して話題になっている。

「新鮮な魚を食する日本の食文化を世界に広めたい」と語るのは『東京一番フーズ』（東証一部上場企業）の代表取締役社長、坂本大地氏。同社は、1996年に、ふぐ料理専門店『とらふぐ亭』を東京・新宿に開店して以来、現在では、関東地方中心に『とらふぐ亭』や『魚王KUNI』など、魚介料理を強みにしたレストラン約50 店舗を展開している。同社では「こだわりの食材を手頃な価格で提供したい」という理念を持ち、2011年に自社漁場に着手。魚類の生産、加工、販売まで一貫して手がける日本唯一の外食産業だ。

同社の海外初進出店となる『WOKUNI』の目玉は、なんと言っても、自社ブランドのマグロとブリだ。自社漁場は、長崎県平戸市最高峰の安満岳の清流と対馬海流が流れ込む、自然の恵み豊かな入り江に位置している。稚魚の乱獲をせずに50 キロ以上になるまで大きく育てるなど、環境にも配慮したサステナブルな養殖方法を採用。そして、人も食べられる鮮度のイワシやサバを餌として与え、品質管理を徹底している。魚臭を苦手に感じる米国人顧客を意識して、餌を工夫して、魚臭が少ないマグロやブリを生産していることにも驚かされる。一番のこだわりは鮮度だ。通常、市場を介して流通した場合、約5 日かかるところ、自社ルートで漁場からレストランへ直送するため、たった48 時間で到着するという。一切冷凍せずに直送するため、品Interior Exterior質や味の点でも引けを取らない。自社漁場で生産するので安定供給も可能で、市場を介さず自社流通するため価格も約60 〜70％に抑えられる。このマグロとブリ以外にも、独自の流通ルートを通して、築地市場や九州各地から天然魚を毎週取り寄せており、店全体で使う魚介類の8 〜9 割が日本産だ。メニューは、寿司や刺身はもちろんのこと、焼き物、揚げ物、串焼きなどの温菜から、タルタルやカルパッチョなどの冷菜まで豊富に揃い、魚介類の魅力を味わい尽くすことができる。日本酒は“ 魚と合わせて美味しい”という観点で厳選し約30種類用意している。11 月末からはランチもスタート、海鮮丼やちらし寿司、ウナギ丼などを手頃な価格で提供している。

「天然も養殖も、これだけ高品質な魚介類が捕れる国は、日本以外にない。世界の食の首都とも言えるニューヨーク、世界中から多くの人が集まるニューヨークから、日本の魚介類のすばらしさを発信していきたい」と、坂本氏は海外初の拠点をニューヨークに定めた理由を語る。寿司や刺身の人気が高まる中、世界的に見て、魚食人口は毎年1 億人ずつ増えていると言われている。「お客様が魚を食べる量が、当初予想していたよりもはるかに多くて驚いている。これからは世界を見据えていかないといけない」と坂本氏。同店では、顧客のほとんどが地元米国人。グランドオープニング後は、顧客の反応を見ながら、メニュー構成や、ボリュームや盛り付け方、味付けなど、細かい点で見直しをかけているという。米国人客からも「高品質な寿司や刺身をリーズナブルに食べることができる」と好評だ。

今後はこの『WOKUNI』を拠点に、レストラン事業だけでなく、自社ブランドのマグロやブリの卸売り事業を広げていきたいと考えている。“ 総合水産企業”として、世界へ挑戦し続けている。魚介類はもちろんのこと、日本食文化そのものの発信拠点にもなりたいと意欲的だ。

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WOKUNI
325 Lexington Ave.
New York, NY 10016
(212) 447-1212
http://wokuninyc.com
Dinner Mon.-Fri. 5:00pm-10:30pm
Lunch Mon.Fri.11:30am-2:45pm
Sunday Closed

By Elli Sekine

“AEDAN”’ tent shop in the Saturday Farmer’s Market held in the very popular Ferry Building in San Francisco, which sells fermented foods such as miso and koji that are not sold at any other shops, is attracting attention. “Miso” and “Koji”, which are the typical products in San Francisco’s unprecedented fermented food boom, have been adapted in menus by America’s top chefs. Lately, you even see the word “Koji” in some restaurant menus. Like setting fire on such a boom, Aedan Fermented Foods, a manufacturer of all hand-made miso and koji-- indispensable ingredients from ancient Japan-- is creating a movement.

The founder, Mariko Gledy, launched this business initially to donate the profit from the sales of hand-made miso to her friends to 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake victims, thinking what she could do to help from the US. “Before that time, I was making miso for my own family. I got an idea of selling it to my friends so I can donate the money from the sales,” says Mariko. She started to make miso at home to inherit a Japanese tradition to her children. “I felt the great power of miso once again when I learned that you can basically survive for a few days with only miso and water.” As she was studying further on miso and koji for the future business opportunity, she felt a strong hope for conveying this wisdom of Japan to as many people as possible, especially to American children who are responsible for the next generation. This hope of her is reflected on the company name, Aedan (wisdom transmission), and has also become the The founder, Mariko Gledy, launched this business initially to donate the profit from the sales of hand-made miso to her friends for the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake victims, thinking of what she could do to help from the US. “Before that time, I was making miso for my own family. I got the idea of selling it to my friends so I can donate the money from the sales,” says Mariko. She started to make miso at home to pass on a Japanese tradition to her children. “I felt the great power of miso once again when I learned that you can basically survive for a few days with only miso and water.” As she was studying further about miso and koji for the future business opportunity, she felt a strong hope for conveying this wisdom of Japan to as many people as possible, especially to American children who are responsible for the next generation. This hope of hers is reflected on the company name, Aedan (wisdom transmission), and has also become the company mission as well.

In the following year, 2012, the company started a full-fledged sales activity by joining an incubation kitchen, “La Cocina”, which supports female and minorities to start businesses. From then on, the variety of merchandise production and the business structure continued to expand by receiving business advice and support from La Concina. The company steadily gained more recognition through catering of cuisines using house-made fermented condiments, and workshops, lectures, etc.

In 2016, she founded an LLC, and in the same year, the company acquired a regular presence in the Saturday Ferry Building Farmer’s Market, which every small business owner in the food industry dreams of. In the tent of the Farmer’s Market, miso soup, amazake ($3 each), and Hakkoh Bento (Fermented lunch box, $15) using miso and koji, etc. are sold in order to let people who do not yet know about miso learn about its attractive benefits. Aedan manufactures and sells 4 kinds of miso, shiokoji, amazake-based marinade called Sagohachi, and amazake, all made with organic soy beans and/or rice ($10 each). They also sell chickpea miso made uniquely with chickpeas instead of soy beans. Their locally-made miso goes through no fermentation-stopping process such as heating, and thus the koji enzyme stays alive, and helps create a deeper taste as it ages. The amazake completed by the Vitamix machine is so smooth, creamy and rich, and gaining popularity for its uniquely profound taste. Not only do they sell, but they also carry out to let people know the delicious ways to eat miso and koji. The Shiokoji kit ($20) that contains mixed raw koji and salt, is popular among travelers because it is easy to carry around under natural temperatures.

Japanese cuisine has well settled into the local scenes lately, and more and more Americans even know what koji or shiokoji are, not to mention what miso is. Helped by such a background, wholesale orders are increasing from long-established San Franciscan grocers such as Rainbow Grocery and Bi-Rite Market, and also from restaurants. The catering menu that includes omelet cooked with amazake, tofu dengaku marinated in shiokoji, koji pickles, etc. is well received, and orders have also increased year after year for its simple yet deep tasting selection of items. Their Washoku Lunch menu which is gentle to your body, is also becoming an important part even for many Americans.

Mariko continues, “My goal is to have everybody make miso at home. Different miso for each family!” In order to achieve this goal of miso making and eating at every household, she is diligently putting efforts in miso making workshops and classes called “Terakoya Aedan”. She is expanding such activities to teach American citizens Japanese traditional food cultures by also having lectures at some museums and health-conscious specialty stores.

The number of fans of Aedan Fermented Foods has grown in the past 6 years due to its diligent efforts in conveying the good benefits of miso and koji. Now Mariko is planning to take a new step. At this point, there is no store fixture, but she is hoping to open a “Miso Café”, which would be a store with a café space.

There, she wants not only to sell miso and koji and serve miso soup and dishes, but also to have a space for miso-making workshops and cooking classes. Such days when you can enjoy body-friendly foods at a San Francisco’s very first fermented foods specialty café may come soon.


健康志向ブームで注目を浴びる発酵食品

サンフランシスコ最大のファーマーズマーケット、フェリープラザの土曜日に出店している味噌や麹などの発酵食品を売る「Aedan」が注目を集めている。

この２、3 年の発酵食品ブームを背景に、家庭の主婦からシェフまで買付が急増し、最近ではレストランのメニューで「koji」の字を時々見かける。日本古来から欠かせないものであった伝統の発酵食品を全て手作りで生産する会社、Aedan Fermented Foods ( 叡伝) が、ムーブメントを起こしている。

創設者の摩利子グレディ氏は、2011年の東日本大震災時、被災地のためにアメリカで何が出来るかを考えた時、味噌を作って、その売り上げを寄付したいとこのビジネスを立ち上げた。「それまでは家族の為に作っていました。その味噌を友人に買ってもらって、売り上げを寄付することを思いついたんです」と摩利子氏。味噌を家で作り始めたきっかけは、アメリカでも子供達に日本の伝統食文化を継承したいという思いからだ。「基本的に味噌と水があれば人間は数日生きていけることを知り、味噌の力のすごさを改めて感じたんです」。販売するにあたって味噌や麹についてさらに探求するうち、この日本の叡智を次の世代を担うアメリカの子供達、もっと多くの人々に伝えていきたいという気持ちが強くなったという。その想いは社名の「叡伝」に表され、会社のミッションになっている。

翌2012 年には、女性やマイノリティの起業を支援するインキュベーションキッチン、「ラ・コシーナ」に加わり、本格的な販売へと乗り出した。そこからラ・コシーナのビジネスアドバイスとサポートを受けながら商品の生産の種類、ビジネス形態も拡張した。例えば自家製発酵調味料を使った料理のケータリングや、ワークショップ、レクチャーなどを通じて地道に認知度を上げてきた。

2016年にはLLCを設立した。同年、食関係のスモールビジネスのオーナーなら誰でもあこがれる、土曜日のフェリービルディングファーマーズマーケットのレギュラー出店を獲得した。このテントでは、まだ味噌に馴染みがない人たちにもその魅力を伝えるため、味噌汁や甘酒（1杯$3)、味噌や塩麹などを使った発酵弁当($15) なども販売している。現在叡伝ではオーガニックの大豆と米を使い４種類の味噌に塩麹、Sagohachi という甘酒ベースの漬床や甘酒（各＄10）を製造販売している。ユニークなものでは大豆の代わりにひよこ豆を使ったChickpea Miso がある。地元で作っているため、加熱処理など発酵を止める処理をしていない味噌は、麹の酵素が生きており、熟成が進むほどに深い味わいになる。バイタミックスでなめらかに仕上げられた甘酒はクリーミーで濃厚と評判がよい。Aedan では、売る為だけではなく、味噌と麹の美味しい食べ方を人々に伝えるのが信条だ。

近年では日本食人気が定着し、味噌はもちろん、麹の認知度がアメリカ人に広がり、レインボーグローサリーやバイライトマーケットなど、サンフランシスコの老舗食料品店、レストラン、ケータリングの注文も増えている。年々増えているケータリングの内容は、甘酒を使った卵焼きや塩麹に漬け込んだ豆腐の田楽、麹のピクルスなどシンプルだが奥深い味わいのメニューが好評だ。体に優しい和食ランチはアメリカ人にとっても貴重な存在になっている。

さらに摩利子氏は、「目標はみんなに家で味噌を手作りしてもらうこと。一家に一味噌！」と、人々にそれぞれの家で味噌を仕込み使えるよう、味噌作りのワークショップ、「寺子屋叡伝」にも力を入れている。また、美術館や健康思考のスペシャリティストアに出向き講義も行うなど、活動を広げながら日本の伝統的食文化をアメリカ市民に教導している。

6 年かけて地道に味噌と麹の魅力を伝えてきた「叡伝」にはファンも増え、同司は次のステップをもくろんでいる。現在のところまだ固定店舗はないが、今後の展望はカフェを併設した“味噌カフェ” をオープンすることだという。味噌や麹の販売はもちろん、味噌汁や料理を提供するのみでなく、味噌作りワークショップ、料理教室も開催できるスペースを備えたいという。サンフランシスコ初の発酵食品スペシャリティーカフェで体に優しい食事を楽しめる日も近いかもしれない。

Aedan Fermented Foods: http://aedansf.com/

By Keiko Fukuda

I still remember that I almost always ended up choosing “Koto” near the airport for the place to have lunch when I was in Orange County. This Koto has moved from the old location near John Wayne Airport to Fountain Valley now, and is still doing well under the operation of the owner/ chef Yasuo Matsuki who used to be in charge of the old Koto.

The original Koto was operated by a Japanese sushi restaurant “Tsukiji Tama Sushi”. Mr. Matsuki was assigned to run their first American development, and came to the US in January of 1991. “Koto” then made its grand opening in February of 1992. The restaurant was a dignified-looking structure with a Japanese garden, and gradually became more and more known as a place where you could enjoy authentic Japanese cuisine and sushi.

“Back then, there were many Japanese companies nearby, and many people including those from the nearby businesses used to come. The first 3 years were a series of trial and error periods. However, the restaurant was gradually becoming known, and the condition of the operation was improving,” Mr. Matsuki reminisces. The business continued to pick up after that as well. However, the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York changed the scene drastically.

“Foreign tourists stopped coming to the US, and domestic people stopped traveling as well. The restaurant business was also suffering.” Despite all that, Tsukiji Tama Sushi continued to run Koto until 2004.

When they finally decided to withdraw from America, it was expected that Mr. Matsuki was ordered to go back to Japan. However, Matsuki chose to remain in the US. “I was ordered to go back to Japan, but I decided to quit, and started a small restaurant by myself. I had been working on the succession of Japanese cuisine in America, and I wanted to continue it to expand further rather than quitting in the middle. I really wanted more people to enjoy sushi here.”

In 2005, he started a restaurant under the name, “Mimi”. After he got permission from Tsukiji Tama Sushi for using the name “Koto” in 2008, the restaurant was restarted as the newly reborn “Koto”.

I asked Mr. Matsuki what has changed since he started to run the business. He answered, “I feel the same way as the time when I first came to the US in 1991. I just want to offer customers safe and delicious food. I cook and run my business with this one and only purpose.”

Mr. Matsuki has a 46-year career in this business. He used to be a pitcher in a corporation- supported amateur baseball team. He injured his elbow when he was 22 years old, and gave up playing baseball. Through a recommendation of an acquaintance, he started to train to change his career to become a sushi chef. With the phrase in mind, “Train in Ginza if you want to become a topnotch artisan!”, he was hired in Tama Sushi, and eventually became the manager in charge of their Ginza branch. He said, “When I was at the Ginza branch, Japan was in the bubble economy period. The sales of the Ginza restaurant was rising rapidly, and the restaurant was open late, welcoming customers until after midnight.” He was then singled out to be assigned to manage the US development.

The secret to Koto’s popularity is Mr. Matsuki’s continuous efforts to offer the best quality cooking by utilizing his long career as a sushi chef. Their Sunday brunch with a discount for seniors over 65 years of age (adults: $32, seniors: $28, 12 or younger: $20, and free for 3 or younger) is very popular. Various seafood bowls and chirashi- sushi are beautiful to look at, taste delicious, and reasonably priced.

Many ingredients come directly from Tsukiji Market, which cost 3 times more than locally bought ingredients, but they never compromise with the quality of the food ingredients. Koto’s cuisine is surely the concentration of the sincere attitude of Mr. Matsuki who decided to remain in the US to continue his purpose that is the succession of Japanese cuisine in the US.


「寿司文化継承」の思いが凝縮された店

今でも思い出すのは、オレンジ郡でどこかランチに行く時には必ずと言っていいほど「空港の近くの古都にしよう」という結論にたどり着いていたことだ。今、その古都は場所を以前のジョン・ウェイン空港のそばからファウンテンバレーに移し、当時責任者を務めていた松木保雄さんがオーナーシェフとなって、変わらずに盛業中だ。

最初の古都は、日本の寿司店、築地玉寿司の経営だった。アメリカ出店に伴い、経営を任された松木さんは1991 年1 月に渡米。古都は1992年2月にはグランドオープンを迎えた。日本庭園を備えた堂々とした店構え。本格的な和食と寿司が楽しめる店として徐々に知られるようになった。

「当時は周辺に日系企業もたくさんあったので、企業の方も含めてたくさんのお客様に来ていただきました。しかし、それでも最初の3 年間は試行錯誤の連続。少しずつ認知度を高めて経営状態が良くなってきました」と松木さんは振り返る。経営はその後も上向いていったが、大きな転機となったのは、2001 年のニューヨークで起こった同時多発テロだった。

「旅行の方が一気にアメリカに来なくなったり、人が動かなくなったりして、店は低迷しました」　それでも2004 年まで、築地玉寿司は古都の経営を続けた。撤退が決まった時に、当然、松木さんにも帰国辞令が出た。しかし、松木さんはアメリカに留まる道を選択した。

「帰ってこい、と言われましたが退職願を出して、自分で小さな店を始めることにしました。アメリカの地で日本食を継承していくために取り組んできたのですから、それを途中で止めることなく、さらに広めていきたいと思ったからでした。寿司をより多くの人に食べていただきたい、その気持ちがありました」　2005 年にはミミという名前で店を始めたが、その後、築地玉寿司から「古都」の店名の使用許可を得て、2008 年に新生「古都」として再スタートを切った。

経営者になってから何が変わったかを聞くと、松木さんは「今も1991 年にやって来た時と同じ気持ちです。お客さんに安全で美味しいものを食べていただきたい、その一心で料理と店の運営に取り組んでいます」と答えた。松木さんはこの道46 年。もともとは社会人野球の選手でピッチャーだった。22歳で肘を故障して野球人生を断念。寿司職人への転身を知り合いに勧められ、修行を始めた。

さらに「一流の職人になるには銀座」の言葉を胸に、玉寿司に入社し、銀座店を任されるまでになった。「銀座店時代は日本のバブルの時期でした。銀座の売り上げはウナギのぼり。玉寿司の銀座店も深夜もずっと営業してお客さんを迎えていました」。そしてアメリカ出店時に白羽の矢が立った。

古都の人気の秘密は松木さんの長年の寿司職人の経験を生かして、最高品質の料理を出し続けていることだ。日曜には65 歳以上のシニアには割引料金が適用されるサンデーブランチ（$32.00、シニア$28.00、12 歳以下$20、３歳以下無料）も人気を集めている。各種の海鮮丼やちらし寿司は見て美しく、食べて美味しく、さらに非常にリーズナブルな料金に抑えられている点が良心的。築地から直接仕入れている食材が多く、ローカルで調達するよりも３倍のコストがかかっているそうだ。それでも食材に妥協することはない。古都の料理には、日本食継承のために渡米し、そしてアメリカに留まった松木オーナーの真摯な姿勢が凝縮されている。

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Koto
18120 Brookhurst St. Unit 25
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(714) 964-0988
http://www.kotooc.com/

Mon.- Thu. 11:30am-14:00pm
5:00pm-9:30pm

Fri. 11:30am-2:15pm
5:00pm-10:00pm

Sat. 11:30am-2:45pm
5:00pm-10:00pm

Sun. 11:30am-2:45pm
5:00pm-9:00pm
7 days open

By Yuji Matsumoto

While I’ve written repeatedly in the past about the lack of marketing efforts in branding Japanese sake bottles, it’s very disappointing that most breweries still haven’t implemented my suggestions. Every time a new Japanese sake product is introduced, many manufacturers still use labels very different from previous ones.

The bizarre marketing strategy is evident as soon as one picks up a product. Take vodka for example. While colors of the bottles may change, neither the label design nor the fonts of corporate logos ever change. Wine, whiskey, beer, etc., no matter what product you grab, the branding is such that customers immediately recognizes the manufacturer at first glance.

Wine labels share the same design, but different shapes of bottles and colors depending on the variety of grapes. For vodka, the shapes of the bottles are the same, and only the color of the label is changed according to the flavor. For beers, light vs. regular is differentiated by color, while the design is the same.

Designs of alcohol products are standardized in this manner. However, why not so with Japanese sake? Considering the cost and time required to launch a product, the lack of standardization in design for marketing purposes is “bizarre” to say the least.

I once heard from a sake manufacturer that when displaying sake bottles in small retail shops, various products by the same brand lining the shelves would confuse consumers, thus there was no choice but to change the labels. Another’s opinion was that if one brand fails, sales of other products under the same brand would also suffer due to chain reaction.

Looking at the current brands of Japanese sake, there isn’t one manufacturer whose labels are standardized among Nigori, Junmai, Ginjo, and Daiginjo. The changes in design and fonts are easy to notice.

American consumers are very loyal to brands. While the majority of them cannot read Japanese, using a standardized logo design would help consumers who happened to like Junmai to next sample Ginjo, Daiginjo, or Nigori sake.


奇怪な日本酒ラベル

以前にも繰り返し日本酒ラベルのブランディングのマーケッティング不足について話を書いてきているが、未だにほとんどの蔵元が実践していないのは非常に残念なことだ。

日本酒で新商品がでるたびに以前のラベルと全く違う顔のラベルを使ったものを使用している会社が多い。

これは、身近にある商品を手に取ってみるといかに奇妙なマーケッティング戦略であるかが分かるはずだ。たとえば、ウォッカ。ボトルの色を変えることはあってもラベルのデザイン変更や会社ロゴの字体を変えた商品はまずない。ワイン、ウィスキー、ビールどの商品をとっても基本的にその会社と一目でわかるようになっている。

ワインは、ラベルに関してはデザインが一緒でブドウ品種によりボトルの形状や色を変えている。ウォッカについては、ボトルの形状が一緒でフレイバーによりラベルの色だけを変えているケースが多い。ビールは、ライトとレギュラーで色別でデザインは一緒、というようにどのアルコール商品を見ても統一されている。しかし、なぜ日本酒だけはそうでないであろうか？一つのブランドを立ち上げるための費用と時間を考えると“奇怪”としか言えない。

ある酒造会社によると日本での小売の棚取りの際、同じブランドが多数並んでいると消費者が戸惑うからラベル変更しざる追えないという話を聞いたことがある。また、もし現状のブランドが失敗したら連鎖で他のものも影響が出る、という意見もあった。

現存する日本酒をみてみるとにごり酒、純米、吟醸、大吟醸と全てラベルが統一されている会社は一社もない。どこかデザインや字体に手を入れてあることに気づくであろう。

米国人はブランドに対してのロイヤルティーが強い。しかも日本語は読めない人が圧倒的である中、統一したブランドロゴデザインを使用することで、純米を気に入ってくれた人は次は同じブランドの吟醸や大吟醸、またはにごりを試していくことに繋げていけるはずである。

By Aya Ota

ICHIRAN” is a natural tonkotsu ramen specialty restaurant chain. Their headquarters are in Hakata, in the Fukuoka Prefecture, and has developed 68 restaurants all over Japan. This company claims themselves to be “the preeminent company researching tonkotsu ramen”, and they narrow down to offer only one type of ramen in the menu. The soup made with 100% tonkotsu (pork-bonebase stock) using special high skills has no unpleasant smell, and “Hiden no Tare (Spicy Red Sauce)” floats in the middle of each bowl. Those are some of the results of the daily study of 40-plus expert artisans in the efforts to try and create true tonkotsu ramen, insisting to use high-quality food ingredients. While the menu is pretty much narrowed down, they provide a special customizing form to respond to each customer’s preferences. On the form, customers can make optional adjustments from the following 7 categories: “Dashi”, “Richness”, “Garlic”, “Scallions”, “Charshu/ Sliced Pork:, “Hiden no Tare /Spicy Red Sauce”. The most unique system they offer must be the way to eat such a particularly-made bowl of ramen; you eat in an individual space separated from the next seat called “the flavor-concentration booth”. After submitting your customization form, and your ramen arrives, the little bamboo blind that hangs in front of you closes, so you can be relaxed, and really concentrate on your ramen. If you want to order extra noodles (kaedama), or a drink, you do not need to call out, but to merely push the call button.

As for their development overseas, they opened the first North American restaurant in Brooklyn, New York in October of 2016 following Hong Kong in 2013. During the preparation period, many doubted if American customers would be willing to eat alone in an individual space. Moreover, the location is not easily accessible, and the region is still under development. It was chosen to also build a factory nearby to be the base of the future development to have more restaurants. Some wondered if people would be willing to go to such a place just to eat ramen. Some thought that $20 for a bowl of ramen would sound too expensive even including tips.

“I was only half-convinced about succeeding at the beginning, but now I feel certainty. I think the same taste, service, and the atmosphere as in Japan are well received in the US,” says Satoshi Komaya, General Manager. More than 100 people formed a line on opening day, and the restaurant has now grown to have people waiting for hours to get in on weekends. Mr. Komaya analyzes the reason for their success in acquiring customers as follows; “Our brand power established in Japan and Hong Kong has been diffused and permeated through SNS such as Instagram and Facebook.” Just like in Japan, they serve only one kind of ramen.

The key ingredients such as the Hiden no Tare and dashi are directly imported from Japan. Other ingredients are locally procured, so it took about 10 years to prepare in order to replicate the same taste locally. They offer only one appetizer and one dessert, and for alcoholic drinks, there are only three; beer, matcha beer, and Japanese sake. The reason for this careful line of selection is only one and the biggest, which is nothing but offering a good match to the ramen. I thought the matcha beer had been selected to take advantage of the matcha boom and be unique; however, it was not the case. It had been specially developed from deep thinking about how well it would match with ramen. “The flavor-concentration booth” is very well accepted, and receives much better comments than other table seating arrangement. Many people say things like, “My sense of taste felt sharper, and I was very impressed!” I believe that all those experiences create added value, and make people willing to wait in line no matter how inconvenient the access is, how long they have to wait, or how expensive ($20) a bowl of ramen is. One change they made to suit New York life style is the table called “Ichiran Yatai”. Most of the customers use “the flavor-concentration booths”, and average length of stay is as short as half an hour. So people started to use this table as a bar to enjoy appetizers and sake with friends before or after eating ramen.

Mr. Komaya predicts, “From now on, ramen restaurants in the US will probably branch out in two ways; specialty restaurants utilizing Japanlike styles, and those which are more locally adopted. So far, what’s spreading in the US is the type of ramen restaurant which serves various dishes and sake in addition to ramen to enjoy varieties. I am certain that “Ichiran” is the kind that can aim for the best in the world as a ramen specialty restaurant,” He also says that the factory has ample producing capacity, and a plan to have more restaurants in the US is under consideration.


一杯のラーメンに情熱を注ぎ込み、とんこつラーメン専門店として世界一を目指す

天然とんこつラーメン専門店『一蘭』。福岡県博多に本店を置き、日本各地に約68店舗を展開する。「とんこつラーメンを世界一研究する会社」と謳う同社では、メニューをラーメン1 種類に絞り込む。高度な特殊製法で作った“100％豚骨で全く臭みなく仕上げたスープ” や、丼の中央に浮かべた“ 元祖・赤い秘伝のタレ” をはじめ、安全で高品質の食材にこだわり、40 人もの熟練職人が日々研究を重ねて、本物のとんこつラーメン作りを極めている。メニューを特化した一方で、客の微妙な好みの違いに応えるために、専用オーダー用紙を用意。「味の濃さ」「こってり度」「にんにく」「チャーシュー」「秘伝のたれ」の7 項目を調整できる仕組みを提供している。最も独特な点は、そのこだわりの一杯を、隣席と仕切った空間「味集中カウンター」で食べることだろう。専用オーダー用紙を提出し、ラーメンが運ばれてきた後は、目の前の簾も閉められ、周囲を気にすることなく、リラックスした状態でラーメンに集中する。替え玉やドリンクの追加注文時も、一切言葉を発する必要はなく、呼び出しボタンを押すだけでいい。

海外展開は2013 年の香港に続き、初の北米店としてニューヨークのブルックリン地区に2016 年10 月に開店。準備段階から「米国人が、個室で、一人でラーメンを食べるのか」との声も多かった。また、立地条件は、アクセスが不便で発展途上の地域。多店舗展開の拠点として工場併設のために選んだ立地だが「こんな場所に、わざわざラーメンを食べに行く人がいるか」と疑う声もあった。チップ込みとは言え「ラーメン1杯20ドルなんて高すぎる」という反応もあった。　　

「当初は、自分自身も半信半疑だったが、確かな手応えを感じている。日本と全く同じ味、サービス、雰囲気が米国でも受け入れられている。」と語るのは、同店のジェネラル・マネージャー、米屋聡氏。開店初日には100 人以上が行列、今や、週末には数時間待ちが続く店に成長した。「日本や香港で確立したブランド力が、インスタグラムやフェイスブックなどSNSを通して、国境を越えて拡散・浸透している」と米屋氏は集客成功要因を分析する。日本同様、ラーメンは1 種類のみ。秘伝のタレや出汁などキーとなる食品は日本から直輸入するが、それ以外は現地食材で同じ味を再現すべく、約10 年の準備期間を費やした。前菜もデザートも各1 種類、アルコールもビール、抹茶ビール、日本酒の3 種類しかない。“ ラーメンに合う” という唯一にして最大の理由で厳選された内容だ。抹茶ビールは、近年の抹茶ブームに便乗し奇をてらったメニューかと思いきや、ラーメンとの相性を考え抜いて特別開発されたものだ。「味集中カウンター」も好評で、テーブル席を利用した客よりも、圧倒的に評価が高く「味覚が研ぎ澄まされ、感動した」などの声が多いそうだ。これらすべての体験が付加価値となり、
アクセスが不便であろうが、長時間待とうが、1杯20ドルだろうが、客は列を作るのだろう。ひとつ、ニューヨークらしい変化を遂げたのが「一蘭屋台」と呼ばれるテーブル席。多くの客が「味集中カウンター」を利用し、また平均滞在時間は30 分と短いため、ラーメンを食べる前後に、仲間と共につまみや酒を楽しむバーとして活用されるようになったという。　　
　
「今後、米国のラーメンは、日本らしさを生かした専門店と、現地化した店に、二分化していくのではないか」と米屋氏。「これまで米国で広がってきたのは、ラーメンを中心にいろいろな料理や酒を楽しめる“ ラーメン・レストラン”。一蘭は“ ラーメン専門店” として世界一を目指せると確信している」と続ける。現在の工場は十分な生産能力もあるため、店舗を拡大する計画も考察中とのことだ。

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ICHIRAN
374 Johnson Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11206
(718) 381-0491
https://en.ichiran.com/

Everyday 11:00am-11:00pm
Weekday (Monday to Friday)
11:00am-6:00pm

[counter-seats] 6:00pm-11:00pm

[counter-seats & ICHIRAN Yatai seats]
Weekend (Saturday and Sunday) 11:00am-11:00pm

[counter-seats & ICHIRAN Yatai seats]
(Last call 10:30pm)

By Keiko Fukuda

My first encounter with Marugame Udon was in Hawaii. About 5 years ago, I stayed at a hotel across the street from Kuhio Street in Waikiki. I was planning to visit this restaurant during my stay because I knew how popular this restaurant was among the local people by reading a blog of a person who was residing in Hawaii. Every time I looked down from my hotel room window at this restaurant, there was always a long line of people stretching from the front of the restaurant regardless of if it was lunch time or dinner time. I was so determined that I must get in the line myself, and so I did. I experienced the California style udon ordering, in which you pick the kind of basic Udon first, then pick tempura pieces of your choice as toppings. It was fun, and also delicious. I wanted to try a different kind of basic udon with different tempura pieces for the topping next time. Udon is not a new food for a Japanese person like me, but I felt that Marugame Udon was a very refreshing eating experience.

After the experience in Hawaii, I visited one of the numerous Marugame Udon chain restaurants every time I went back to Japan. Then I discovered that you could get the same fun and authentic taste from this cafeteria type restaurant chain equally in both Japan and Hawaii.

Then I started to wonder, “There is one in Hawaii, but why not in LA?” Well, finally, in September of 2017, the very first Marugame Udon on the mainland US opened on Sawtelle Blvd. in West Los Angeles. The Sawtelle area is a highly competitive district for Japanese food businesses. Both sides of Sawtelle Blvd are tightly packed with many Japanese restaurants specialized in sushi, ramen, Japanese style curry, yakitori, tebasaki (chicken wings), etc.

In front of the restaurant, you see the familiar sign for this chain, which is a paper lantern with the name of the company, “Marugame Seimen”, written in Kanji. As soon as you step inside, there is an ordering counter and you see their staff working diligently over the counter. There was a tasting event held right before the grand opening when I went. I ordered “Nikutama (egg and meat) Udon” which is not what I normally order. I ordered a cold udon because it was the season in which you can still feel the warmth of the ending summer. Another unusual thing I did was that I chose clearly too many freshly fried crispy tempura pieces that included chikuwa, squid, chicken, karaage (different from chicken tempura), and asparagus. I just could not help but to keep taking them one after another.

It is such great fun that you can keep taking and putting whatever you want on your tray flowingly. Another big point for somebody like me who tends to be hasty is the fact that the waiting time between ordering and starting to eat disappears, not to mention the appeal of the products that are reasonably priced - the udon is freshly made and cooked, as well as the crispy tempura. After taking some free stuff at the end of the line of food, which are chopped green onions and tenkasu (fried tempura batter crumbs), and taking the tray to your table, you can start your meal immediately. The most important aspect, the taste, did not disappoint me. I was highly satisfied by the quality of the udon as well, but the karaage was quite impressive, too. It was so good, and made me want to know how it was marinated before fried.

My total charge was about $15 with a drink because I took too much tempura, but the cost should be only about $10 if you order a simple regular udon (Kake Udon), and add some tempura, which is very reasonably priced. Besides udon, there are various rice bowls topped with spicy tuna, tuna/avocado, tuna/ikura (salmon roe), etc., which are also prepared quickly in front of you over the counter so you can taste freshly-made meals.

After leaving the restaurant greatly satisfied, I saw rows of people waiting outside of a popular ramen restaurant on the same street. People gather in the Sawtelle district to eat Japanese foods. I bet that you will also be seeing a similar scene in front of Marugame Udon after their grand opening.


讃岐うどん専門店「丸亀製麺」アメリカ本土初上陸

丸亀製麺の初体験はハワイだった。今から５年ほど前、私はワイキキのクヒオ通りを挟んで丸亀製麺の向かい側のホテルに宿泊していた。かねてより、ハワイ在住者のブログを読んで、いかに同店が当地で人気かを知っていたので、滞在中に絶対に食べに行こうと思っていたのだった。

そして、時折、ホテルの部屋から店を見下ろすたび、ランチタイムやディナータイムに関係なく、店の前には長蛇の行列が伸びていた。「これはもう並ばずには食べられないのだ」と覚悟を決めて、私は行列に並んだ。そして、最初にうどんの種類を選び、さらにトッピングの天ぷらを選ぶというカフェテリア方式のうどんを体験した。楽しかった。そして美味しかった。次は違う種類のうどんに違う天ぷらをトッピングしてみたいと思った。うどんは日本人の筆者にとって、決して新しい食べ物ではないのだが、なぜか、丸亀製麺は非常に新鮮な食体験に映った。

その後、日本に帰省するたびに、日本に数あるチェーン店、丸亀製麺に足を運んだ。そして、そのカフェテリア方式の楽しさと本格的な味は、日本でもハワイでも同じだということを知った。

そうなると「なぜハワイにあってロサンゼルスにないのだ」と思うようになってきた。しかし、遂に2017年９月、ウエストロサンゼルスのソーテル通りに米国本土１号店が開店した。ソーテルと言えば、寿司、ラーメン、日本スタイルのカレー、焼き鳥、手羽先といったレストランが通りの両側にびっしりと並ぶ「日本食激選区」。

店の前にはおなじみの「丸亀製麺」と漢字で書かれた提灯が下がっている。店内に入るとすぐそこからうどんを注文するカウンターがあり、カウンター越しにキビキビと働くスタッフの姿が見える。グランドオープニングの直前に開催された試食会のこの日、私はいつもとは違う肉玉うどんをオーダー。まだ残暑が感じられる時期なのでコールドうどんにした。さらに、揚げたてサクサクの天ぷらはちくわ、イカ、鶏肉、唐揚げ（鶏肉の天ぷらとは別商品）、アスパラガスを取った。これはもう明らかに取りすぎだと思ったが、手が伸びてしまったものは仕方ない。

こうして流れるように自分の食べたいものをトレイの上に並べられるのが、大きな魅力。リーズナブルな料金に、打ちたて、茹でたてのうどん、さらにサクサクの天ぷらという商品自体の魅力に加えて、私のようにせっかちな人間には「注文してから食べるまでの待ち時間」が発生しないことも非常に大きい。あとは、無料のネギや天かすを乗せてテーブルに運べば、食事はすぐにスタートできる。

肝心の味はやはり期待を裏切らないものだった。うどんの満足度も高かったが、印象的だったのが唐揚げ。下味をどうやってつけているのか知りたくなるほど、癖になる美味しさだ。

この日は天ぷらを取りすぎてしまったために、料金にするとドリンクも入れて15ドルほど。しかし、普通のかけうどんに天ぷらをプラスしただけだと余裕で10ドル以内に収まる、非常にお得な料金設定だ。うどん以外にスパイシーツナ、ツナアボカド、ツナいくらをはじめとする各種の丼ぶりも揃っている。これもまた目の前でカウンター越しに手早く作ってくれるので、作りたてが味わえる。

大満足で店を出た後、同じ通りの人気ラーメン店の行列が目に入った。こうやって日本食を求めて人はソーテルに集まってくる。グランドオープン後にMARUGAME UDONの店の前にも同じような光景が展開しているにちがいない。

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MARUGAMEUDON
2029 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90025
424-317-2222
http://marugameudon.com/

Sun.-Wed. 11am-11pm
Thu.-Sat. 11am-12am
7 days open

By Elli Sekine

In San Francisco where the restaurant business is becoming more and more diversified, a restaurant facility called “Onsen” that combines a bath house and a restaurant made its debut at the end of last year. This restaurant that took 3 years to build, replicating and beautifully modernizing the traditional Japanese bath house (sentoh), unifying a bar and a restaurant, is the talk of the town for its unique and unprecedented concept in the US.

Sunny Simmons and Caroline Smith, the owners of this restaurant facility are a married couple who love Japan very much. Among many Japanese cultures, they have been particularly charmed by hot springs and bath houses. They wanted to spread the “Japanese bath house culture”, the true essence of relaxation, to the US, and opened this facility. The place looks like nothing but a restaurant if you only look at the entrance, but as you go deeper inside the space, a new world opens up. You can use their bath or the spa facility alone, or the bar and the restaurant space also individually. In San Francisco, where there are many people who love Japanese culture, people are talking highly about the experience that they can truly enjoy through having drinks and healthy Japanese dishes after soaking themselves in the Japanese bath.

The Tenderloin District in the west of downtown, where this facility is located, used to be unstable with public safety, and had a far from trendy image, but stylish bars and restaurants are slowly coming to the area in recent years. The Onsen’s sophisticated look has definitely refreshed the surrounding scenery. The owner/architecture designer Sunny explains why this location was chosen. “This redbrick building inspired my designer spirit to create an ideal facility.” The building is deep inside, and the space was suitable for building a bath house. It is not very close to the nearby train station, and there is not much foot traffic either, but it is close enough from the downtown area, so tourists come by Uber from hotels, and many neighboring people also come. A parking lot is also available across the street. For the Americans who love to experience Japanese culture, this is an innovative facility where they can enjoy having meals while visiting a spa or a yoga studio-like place instead of going to equivalent facilities in hotels.

Its modern Japanese-flavored interior space designed by Sunny draws your attention immediately after entering. The artistic space themed with an old Japanese-style house is full of old household tools such as an old fire place and an accompanying hanging hook, a tea ceremony set, a traditional iron kettle, etc. You can sense his love of Japan. When you walk deeper into the space, you reach the entrance of the “Sentoh (bath house)”, his masterpiece.

There is a long quaint corridor, and you see a massage service room, a tatami banquet room, and a locker room on the way to the entrance door. You find comfortable cotton robes made in Japan in the locker room for you to change into to go to the bath house. The sophisticated looking elegant bath house has a high ceiling from where the sunlight comes in, a lot of green plants cascading from the walls, and is creating a beautiful contrast with the settling red bricks. You can spend very relaxed happy moments going into the steam room, dry sauna, etc. in the facility equipped with a shower room and TOTO-brand toilets.

The dining room is rather small with a counter bar, 4 tables and 16 seats, but they have an extensive drink menu with cocktails, beers, wine, and sake. For health-conscious customers, there is a rich collection of teas including konbu tea, herb tea, Pu-erh tea, matcha, and even gyokuro tea. Their new-age Japanese dishes are created by Chef George Meza who has worked at high-end Japanese restaurants like “Ame” and “Terra”. His dishes are creative using Californian ingredients while retaining the standard skills, lightly-flavored, yet satisfyingly rich. The beautiful presentation of the dishes using herbs is highly acclaimed as well.

The popular dishes include “Mushroom dumplings” ($16) cooked in dried bonito-base dashi, citrus, and oil, served with beautifully decorated local vegetables, 5 kinds of juicy yakitori with vegetable skewers, and ginger-base dashi udon noodles with spicy miso ($13). Each dish is made small in quantity suitable to accompany sake and beer drinking.

There are plenty of spas in San Francisco, and as the pioneers of Japanese style bath houses out of highend hotels, there are “Kabuki Spa”, etc. However, “Onsen” is the only place that is combined with a restaurant, and started to attract the attention of curious restaurant side clientele who don’t know what the bath house is. On the other hand, at American homes, installing of Japanese style bath tubs and washlets are slowly but steadily increasing. I hope that the Japanese bath culture that provides ultimate relaxation will spread, triggered by this debut of “Onsen” restaurant.


日本の“風呂文化”を駆使したレストラン施設がオープン

日本食レストランの多様化が進むサンフランシスコで、「Onsen」という名前のお風呂＋レストラン施設が去年の暮れ登場した。3 年の工事期間を経てオープンした同店は、日本の伝統文化である“ 銭湯” を美しくモダンに再現し、バーとレストランを融合させた全米でも類を見ない新しいコンセプトで話題を呼んでいる。

オーナーのサニー・シモンズ氏とキャロライン・スミス氏は日本をこよなく愛すご夫婦。日本文化の中でも特に温泉や銭湯に惹きつけられ、リラクゼーションの真髄である日本の「風呂文化」をアメリカにも広げたいと、オープンしたのがこの施設。エントランスからは一見普通のレストランに見えるが、奥に進むと別世界が広がっている。お風呂やスパ施設は単独でも利用でき、バー、レストランは常時利用できる。親日家が多いサンフランンシスコで、お風呂に浸かった後のドリンクや健康的な日本食メニューは最高だという声がすでに聞かれている。

同店が位置するダウンタウンの西側、テンダーロイン地区は長年不安定な治安でトレンディとは無縁だったが、近年この周辺におしゃれなバーやレストランが少しずつ増えている。その中で「Onsen」の洗練された外観は周りの風景を一新している。この場所を選んだ理由ついて、「理想の施設を創造するのにデザインスピリットを掻き立てられる（赤煉瓦の）ビルだった」とオーナーで建築デザイナーのサニー氏。建物は奥行きが広く、風呂施設を建設するのに適していた。駅からは少し離れ人通りは少ないが、ダウンタウンから近いのでホテルからUberなどを利用する観光客や地元客が多い。向かいには駐車場もある。日本文化が好きなアメリカ人にとっては、ホテルの施設より身近にスパかヨガに行く感覚で食事も楽しめる画期的な施設だ。

店内に入った瞬間惹きつけられるインテリアは、サニー 氏がデザインしたモダンな和テイスト空間。古民家を意識した空間美術は、囲炉裏に付随する火棚吊り棒や茶道具、伝統的な鉄瓶などの古民具が散りばめられ、彼のセンスと日本への愛情が感じられる。奥に進むと彼のマスターピースとなる“ 銭湯” への入り口がある。そのドアまで続く風情がある長い廊下には、鍼やマッサージのサービスが受けれる個室、宴会ができる畳の個室がある。風呂場の前にあるロッカールームには、着心地の良い日本製の綿浴衣が常備され、それを着て風呂場に入る。洗練された優雅な雰囲気の風呂場は、高い天井から陽光が差し込み、緑が滝のように垂れ、落ちついた赤煉瓦とのコントラストが美しい。スティームルーム、ドライサウナの他、シャワールーム、TOTO製トイレが設備され、快適でリラックスした至福の時が過ごせる。

ダイニングルームはカウンターバー7席と ４テーブル14 席とこじんまりしている。しかしドリンクメニューは、カクテル、ビール、ワイン、酒と健康志向のメニューにはコンブ茶、ハーブティーからプアティー、抹茶、玉露までを揃えている。新感覚の日本食を担うのは、元高級日本食レストラン「Ame」や「Terra」での経験を持つシェフ、ジョージ・メザ氏。彼の独創的な料理は、基本を保ちながらもカリフォルニアの食材を用いライトなのに味がしっかりして食べ応えがある。緑のハーブを添えた美しいプレゼンも定評がある。人気は、鰹節でとった出汁に酸味やオイルを加え、地元の野菜を彩りよく添えたマッシュルームダンプリング（$16）、野菜を含めた５種類のジューシーな焼き鳥、ジンジャー出汁のうどん辛味噌添え（$13）など。お酒やビールに合う小さなメニュー構成だ。

サンフランシスコには現在スパ施設は多いが、高級ホテル外で、日本的な風呂施設の先駆けとして「Kabuki Spa」などがある。しかしレストランを併設する「Onsen」は随一で、風呂を知らない人もレストランを訪れた際興味を持ち始めている。「Onsen」の登場が引き金となり究極の安らぎを与える風呂文化の普及に期待したい。

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Onsen
466 Eddy St.
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 441-4987
https://www.onsensf.com/

Bath:
Mon, Wed 3:30pm-10:00pm
Thu 11:00am-10:00pm
Fri 12:00pm-11:00pm
Sat, Sun 10:30 am-11:00pm

Restaurant:
Wed-Thur 5:30pm-9:30pm
Fri-Sun 5:30pm-10:00pm
Mon-Tue closed

By Keiko Fukuda

The words, Sushi, Tempura, Yakitori, Ramen, and Udon are already recognized without being translated into English, and now a new Japanese food term is about to be added to such recognition by Americans in the areas where it is served. The new word is “Sutadon”. It is an abbreviation of Sutamina Donburi (energetic bowl), which is a bowl of rice topped with pork belly slices in garlic soy sauce. This dish was originated from the menu for employees of a ramen restaurant in Kunitachi-city, Tokyo, about 50 years ago. When they added this dish to the official restaurant menu, it became a big hit.

Under the first generation ownership, there was a total of only 3 restaurants; 2 in Kunitachi, and 1 in Kokubunji, but under the second generation ownership, they grew into a franchise. In 2015, their first US restaurant opened inside the Mitsuwa Marketplace in Chicago. “Our business philosophy is to provide cooking which can be the base power for Japanese and people worldwide,” says Hayato Yanagisawa, the General Manager of VEGIITA USA which is in charge of operations on the American side. On weekends, many enthusiastic American clients drive long hours to Chicago from far away to have “Sutadon”. On the other hand, the second U.S. restaurant in the Torrance Mitsuwa Marketplace is not as extremely popular as the Chicago branch, but the sales have been stable despite being in such a competitive location for Japanese restaurants because there are so many of them in the area. In the beginning, half of the Torrance branch customers were Japanese, but as the popularity grew by word of mouth, the Japanese clients now account for only 30%, and the rest, made up of other Asians and non-Asian customers, is increasing. I asked Mr. Yanagisawa the reason why the “Sutadon” is so well accepted. He said, “It’s the taste. Something they never tasted before. Another reason must be the freshness. Each bowl is created by hand after each order has received. Customers love that they can taste the freshly made food.”

About the sauce - the majority of its recipe is secret. Each branch finishes making the sauce; however only 3 people at the headquarters in Japan actually know the complete recipe. About the food ingredients for the bowl - pork and Japanese negi leeks are used in Japan, but for the U.S., Pork and onions are used with a bit of green onions for the green color. Some adjustments as such are made depending on the customers’ preferences of each region. Another equally popular item as Sutadon for the Torrance branch is the Chicken Cutlet Curry. The Japanese style curry is gaining popularity in the US nowadays, and the Sutadon restaurant curry made daily has made the third US branch in Plano, Texas, recognized as a curry restaurant on Yelp.

From now on, they aim for the developing of a multi-restaurant business by bringing their Japanese business style to the US, in which they do not limit to just Sutadon, but also include other specialty restaurants such as ramen restaurants. Mr. Yanagisawa spoke about the strategy to open more restaurants. “We will narrow down target locations where there are as few other Japanese restaurants as possible, but yet people are wanting more Japanese food. Unless we find a property of excellent conditions, it is unrealistic for the business like ours to spend high labor wage rate for low individual customer sales. In California, the competition for the Japanese food business is so tough, and the hourly wage is going higher and higher on top of it. We are also considering no-man operation such as receiving orders through computers in order to lower labor cost, but it still takes some investment capital to acquire such computer systems. Therefore, we will probably consider the option after we succeed in increasing the number of restaurants to a certain point.”

VEGIITA USA is planning to add 3 branches every year from now on in North America. You can taste the Sutadon only in Chicago, Torrance and Plano, now, but you may become able to taste it all over the United States in the future if their branches keep increasing.


伝説のすた丼

Sushi、Temprua、Yakitori、Ramen、Udonはすでに、日本の呼び方そのままにアメリカ人に認知されている。そして今、新たな日本食のキーワードとして、出店エリアのアメリカ人に受け入れられつつあるのが、Sutadonだ。本来は「スタミナ丼」と呼称されるもので、ご飯の上にニンニク醤油のタレを絡めた豚バラ肉を乗せた丼。今から50年近く前、東京は国立市内のラーメン屋でまかない飯として作り出されたのだそうだ。その後、店の正式なメニューに並ぶと、瞬く間に人気となった。

初代は国立2店舗と国分寺１店舗の計３店舗を経営していたが、二代目になると看板料理となったすた丼をより多くの人々に知らせるべく、チェーン展開を開始。そして2015年にはシカゴのミツワ・マーケットプレイス内にアメリカ第１号店を開けた。「当社の企業理念は、日本、世界の人々の底力となる料理を提供すること」と語るのは、同店をアメリカで経営するVEGIITA USAのジェネラルマネージャー、柳沢隼人（ルビ：やなぎさわはやと）さんだ。

シカゴでは、週末になると「すた丼を目指して」遠方から何時間も運転してくる熱心なアメリカ人顧客も多いという。他方、1年半前に開けた、アメリカで２店舗目のトーランスのミツワ内の店舗は、もともと日本食店が集中している競争が激しいロケーションにあることもあり、シカゴのような突出した人気店というよりも、売上は常に安定した状態となっている。

それでもトーランス店のオープン当初は顧客の半数近くが日本人だったが、その後、口コミで評判が伝わり、今では日本人が３割に留まり、それ以外のアジア系と非アジア系顧客の割合が増加している。すた丼が受け入れられている要因を柳沢さんに聞くと、「やはり味ですね。他で食べたことがない味。また、注文を受けてから１個ずつ手作りしている、出来立てが食べられる、というフレッシュさも評価をいただいているポイントだと思います」と答えた。

タレに関しては、そのレシピの大半が秘伝となっている。最終的な仕上げは各店舗で行われるが、完全なレシピを把握しているのは日本の本社の３名のみだそうだ。具材に関しても、日本では豚肉と長ネギを使用しているが、アメリカでは豚肉と玉ねぎ、さらに青みを追加するために長ネギを少々使うといった点でも顧客の嗜好に合わせて調整が施されている。

さらにすた丼に負けず劣らず、同店の人気メニューとなっているのがチキンカツカレーだ。近年、「日本のカレー」がアメリカ人にも大人気だが、すた丼屋のカレーは毎日仕込む手作りカレー。３号店のテキサス・プレイノ店は「カレー屋」としてYelpに認知されているほど。

今後はすた丼に限らず、ラーメン屋など、日本国内で手がけている業態をアメリカに持ち込み、多店舗展開を目指す。出店の戦略について、柳沢さんは次のように語る。

「できるだけ日本食店がない、しかし、人々に日本食が求められている地域に絞って展開していく計画です。もちろん、良い条件の物件があれば別ですが、現状、カリフォルニアなどは日本食の競争が激しいだけでなく、今後、徐々に時給が上がっていくことを考えると、我々のように低い客単価で人件費に多くを割くことは非現実的です。オーダーをコンピュータで受け付けるなどの無人化を推進することも考えないではないですが、システム導入費に投資が必要になりますから、ある程度、店舗数が増えた段階で検討に入ることになると思います」

VEGIITA USAとしては。今後、年に３店舗ずつ、北米に新規店舗をオープンさせていくということだ。今はシカゴ、トーランス、プレイノでしか食べられないすた丼が、店を増やし続けることで、将来的に全米各地で味わえるようになるかもしれない。

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Sutadonya
21515 S. Western Avenue Torrance, CA 90501
424-558-3788
http://vegiitausa.com

11:00am-8:30pm
7 days open

By Aya Ota

It has been long believed that bringing the Japanese way of business as is to the US would not lead to success. It has to be modified to fit the tastes and habits of local customers. Lately in the New York area, although authentic Japanese taste in general has settled in and well accepted in various menus, I believe almost no one has succeeded in bringing the Japanese way in every aspect including styles of service and operation up until now. The “Ikinari Steak” chain in Japan has been growing with incredible speed since the opening in December of 2013 with their innovative concept of “tachigui steak” (meaning you eat steak standing up), and now has 120 restaurants all over Japan. In February of 2017, their first overseas restaurant opened in the East Village of Manhattan, and has rapidly become super popular with more than 400 visitors daily.

Here is how it is at “Ikinari Steak”—when you enter the restaurant, you will be guided to a table with usually no chairs (There are a few with chairs). You pick up a number plate on your table, walk towards the kitchen, and order your steak. There are 4 different types of steaks: “Ribeye” ($2.55/ oz), “Sirloin ($2.27/oz), “Filet” ($3.12/oz), and “Assorted Steak”) ($22.16 for 10oz). The price is by the weight of your order, and the meat is cut in front of you. The meat will be cooked according to your preference right away, and brought to your table on a sizzling hot iron plate. You pour the soy sauce-based special sauce made in-house by yourself, and eat the steaming excellent quality meat that is full of aroma. When you finish eating, you take the check on the table to the cashier to pay for your meal.

“The customers seem to enjoy the experience as a whole,” says Takashi Tsuchiyama, the US President of the company. During the planning for the opening, many people thought that no one would want to eat steak standing up, or that it would be so uncommon to have customers bring the bill to the cashier, but all those worries turned out to be in vain. The concept of “eating standing up” came from the hopes of offering high quality meat with reasonable pricing. As a result, the great taste and quality led to winning. In Japan, they use US, Australian, and domestic meat according to the menu, but in the US, they use only American beef to enable the offering of low cost yet high quality meat.

Customers in general prefer medium rare temperature, but the restaurant strongly recommends rare steak, and now 30% of the customers prefer rare. Their special sauce created with the idea of Kunio Ichinose, the founder of the company, is served warm in a thermos so the cooked-off-the-grill piping-hot steak won’t cool down.

The serving style of Japan is directly introduced as well. As soon as you arrive to your table, a glass of water is served. There is a place under the table for your belongings. In order to avoid spills or smells, your belongings will be covered with a cloth napkin, and for you, they provide a paper apron to protect your clothing from the spill of meat juice. The restaurant staff wear a see-through plastic mask for hygiene, and so not to hide their friendly smiles.

Their detailed service doesn’t end there. There is an odor-eliminating spray can at the exit. No tipping is necessary. The specially-priced lunch menu is offered until 5PM. There is no compromising except the little inconvenience of eating standing up. They also made minor adjustments by making the tables higher and wider than the standard sizes, and just started to change the meat weight unit from grams to ounces in July. All those efforts are for their “customers first” principle.
Their second restaurant is planned to open around this coming October in the Chelsea District. Their goal is to open 20 restaurants in Manhattan alone, and eventually a total of 1,000 restaurants nationwide. The secret for their success in Japan, where they opened 100 branches in only 3 years, was limiting the number of menu items for effective operation and productivity. One other secret for success for this New York restaurant is the introduction of Japanese sake on the menu. The promotion of the “J-Steak”, a Japan-made steak eating style, was very effective, and also made people want to drink sake. They introduced only one brand of sake in April, and sell more than 100 bottles a month.

Their next immediate goal is to familiarize in the US, the “Niku (meat) Mileage membership card” combined with an app., which is very popular in Japan. You collect points according to the weight of the meat you eat for discounts. In Japan, you can even add pre-paid amounts on the card, and get bonuses accordingly. They also publish the customer ranking according to the collected points, which creates many repeaters who wants to come eat steaks as if they enjoy playing games. I would really like you to go and try this new restaurant, “Ikinari Steak” in New York that gives you continuous surprise and excitement.


日本そのままのビジネスモデルで成功

米国飲食業界では長年、「日本のやり方を持ってきてもうまくいかない。米国人客の嗜好や習慣に合わせなくてはいけない」と言われてきた。近年ニューヨークでは、メニューに関しては、日本そのままの本格的な味が受け入れられるようになったが、サービスやオペレーションまでそのまま持ってきて成功を収めている店は、これまで存在しなかったのではないだろうか。『いきなり！ステーキ』は“ 立ち食いステーキ”という斬新なコンセプトで、2013年12 月創業後、驚異的速度で日本全国に約120店舗に拡大。そして、2017年2 月、海外1 号店をイーストヴィレッジ地区に開店。瞬く間に一日400 人もの客が訪れる人気店となった。
　『いきなり！ステーキ』の仕組みはこうだ。店内に入ると、まずテーブルに案内される。テーブルと言っても、基本的には椅子はない（一部着席できるテーブルがある）。テーブルに設置された番号札を持って、キッチンへ歩き、肉を注文する。メニューは「リブロース($2.55/oz)」「サーロイン($2.27/oz)」「ヒレ($3.12/oz)」「乱切りカットステーキ(10oz $22.16)」の4 種類のみ。目の前で塊肉を好みの量にカットしてくれ、値段は重さに応じて決まる。焼き方を選んだ後、すぐさま焼き上げ、アツアツの鉄皿に乗せて、テーブルに運ばれる。客は自らの手で、醤油ベースの特製ソースをかけ、その香りと湯気を楽しみながら、極上の肉をほおばる。食べ終わったら、テーブルに置かれたチェックをレジに持参して精算…という流れだ。

「客はこの世界観全体を楽しんでいる」と話すのは米国社長の槌山隆氏。開店計画中には「ステーキを立ち食いする客などいない」「レジで会計させるのは非常識」などの声も多かったが、杞憂に終わった。立ち食いを導入したのは、そもそも「高級ステーキを安価に楽しんでほしい」と考えたからこそ。結果的に、味や品質が勝因につながった。日本では、牛肉は米国・豪州・国産を使い分けているが、ニューヨーク店ではすべて米国産を採用した結果、より低コストで高品質な肉を提供できている。一般的にミディアム・レアを好む客が多い中、同店では自慢のレアを堂々と勧めて、レアを頼む客も約3 割に増えたという。創業者の一瀬邦夫氏が考案した特製ソースは、焼きたての肉に温かいソースをかけるという細やかな配慮で、保温ポットで提供される。

日本で実践しているおもてなしもそのまま導入。テーブルに着くと即座に水が運ばれる。足下の荷物置き場に荷物を置くと、臭いや汚れがつかないようさっと布をかけてくれる。肉汁が飛ばないように紙製のエプロンを用意。店員のマスクは、衛生面と笑顔が見えることを両立させた透明のプラスチック製。店の出口には消臭スプレーを設置。チップも廃止。ランチタイムには破格なメニューを用意し、しかも夕方5 時まで注文可能だ。

つまり、立ち食いなだけで、他は一切妥協しない。わずかに調整を加えたことと言えば、テーブルを少し高く、幅を広くしたこと。そして、この7 月にはグラム表示からオンス表示へ変更したこと。「顧客満足が第一」と考えるからこその調整だ。

10月頃には2号店をチェルシー地区に開店予定。マンハッタンだけでも20店舗、全米に1,000 店舗を目指しているという。日本でもわずか3 年で100 店舗という偉業を成し遂げた秘訣は、徹底してメニュー数を絞り、オペレーションを効率化し生産性を向上させたことにある。ひとつニューヨーク店初の試みとして成功したのは、日本酒の導入だ。日本発ステーキ“J-Steak” としての打ち出し方が功を奏し、日本酒を飲みたいという客が多かったという。4 月から1 種類のみ導入したが、1 カ月にボトル100 本以上売れるという。

今後注力したいのは、日本で成功している「肉マイレージカード」とアプリを、米国でも浸透させること。これは、食べた肉の量に応じてポイントが貯まり特典がもらえる仕組み。日本では、プリペイド機能もありチャージ額に応じてボーナスが付く。また、ポイント量に応じたランキングも発表され、ゲーム感覚でステーキを食べるリピーターも多いという。

驚きと感動の連続『いきなり！ステーキ』ニューヨーク店。ぜひ足を運んでみてほしい。

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Ikinari Steak
90 E 10th Street
New York, NY 10003
Tel: 917-388-3546
http://ikinaristeakusa.com/
7days:11:00am-11:00pm

By Keiko Fukuda

There is a restaurant in Torrance that has gained popularity quickly in the past few years for its vivid ambiance, in which you enjoy fresh seafood and meat dishes. It is “Izakaya Hachi”. Another Hachi restaurant also opened in Costa Mesa in Orange County a year ago. They opened their first restaurant in Santa Monica about 9 years ago as an affiliated restaurant of the Manpuku Group, and their popularity grew when they moved to Torrance in April of 2013.

“Back then, my goal was to make a restaurant where people can feel the true essence of Japan in Torrance where many people from Japan live, and many of them are corporate business people on assignments. My image for this place was a typical izakaya in the Shinbashi area of Tokyo. Lately, more and more local people started to come by word of mouth. I was not expecting that, but I heard that good reviews on social media such as Yelp spread widely,” says Tomohisa Kawachi, the Supervisor.
Their meat is procured from the same vendor which the Manpuku Group uses. Hachi’s most recommended meat dish is the thickly sliced beef tongue. The slowly charcoal-broiled tongue is flavorful and has a hint of sweetness. Their solid confidence in the freshness of the ingredients is represented by having beef sashimi on the menu. The seafood ingredients are directly sent by air from Japan.

There are so many items of seafood, meat, vegetables, and even Battera (pressed sushi) on the menu, which makes it difficult for you to make decisions. The list of menu items gets renewed every 6 months after a deep discussion between the chef and Mr. Kawachi.

Kawachi continues, “The data shows what sells well. What we want to push is not necessarily the same as what customers want. Therefore, based on the data, we decide what to leave, and what to add on the menu. For the dishes that are loved by only a few customers, we still offer them as the daily specials once in a while.”

Among their alcoholic drinks they carry for pairing with the food items, they recommend “Shinriki” from Hiroshima as a rare and precious sake brand. Among sake rice, Yamadanishiki is well known nowadays; however, before World War II, Shinrikimai was also very widely used along with Yamadanishiki. The Shinrikimai was believed to be eradicated due to the atomic bombing in the area.

He said, “A small amount of survived crop was found a few years ago, and preserved. Now, only a few hundred bottles of sake made with Shinrikimai are sold only in Kure-city of the Hiroshima prefecture. We get a few of those precious bottles through a special connection after a negotiation.
The sake Kawachi loves is "namazake" (non-filtered raw unprocessed sake). He says, “Its alcohol content is 19%, which is very different from other dry, fresh Japanese sake brands that are currently popular in the US. It tastes so satisfying!” He seems to be really fond of this sake.

“Customers are happy as long as good food and sake are there, and we tend to speak louder encouraged by seeing them being content. This reaction provides the restaurant’s vivid ambiance. I believe that vividness of a restaurant is created not intentionally by the restaurant, but by the customers. To me, it is very important for the healthy growth of the restaurant to keep making solid and consistent efforts in improving the quality of the service with continuous training of the staff,” says Kiuchi. This restaurant does not advertise at all. I asked him about the target for 5 years from now. “I would like Hachi to become a restaurant of a higher quality, meaning the kind of restaurant which even people from far-away places want to visit.”

Even now, there are already more than a few people who come from outside of the State. They also even have received a request to open another branch outside of California. However, as an immediate goal, Kawachi thinks it is more important to have the Costa Mesa branch catch up with the success of Torrance. I believe that the possibility of having more branches may open up after achieving that goal.


日本の本格居酒屋を料理、サービス、雰囲気で再現

新鮮な魚料理と肉料理が楽しめる活気ある店として、ここ数年で人気が上昇しているのがトーランスにある居酒屋八だ。１年前にはオレンジ郡コスタメサにも店を開けた。もともとはサンタモニカで９年ほど前に、焼肉のまんぷくの系列店としてオープンしたが、人気に勢いがついたのは、2013年４月、トーランスに場所を移してからだった。

「当初は駐在員をはじめ、日本人が多いトーランスで、日本を実感していただけるような店にしたいというのが狙いでした。イメージは新橋の居酒屋ですね。ところが最近は口コミでローカルの方々が増えてきました。狙ったわけではなく、いつの間にかYelpなどで拡散したようです」。そう語るのはスーパーバイザーの河内智久さんだ。

まんぷくと同じ業者から仕入れる肉料理の中でも、同店の一押しは厚切り牛タン。炭火でじっくりと焼き上げたタンには、しっかりとした旨味と甘味が感じられる。牛刺身がメニューに並ぶのも新鮮さに絶対の自信があるから。また、魚料理の食材は日本から直接空輸で取り寄せている。

魚、肉、野菜、さらにバッテラまで、どれをオーダーするか迷うほどの豊富なメニュー。これらのラインアップは半年ごとに河内さんとシェフとで検証し、話し合った結果、作成し直すのだそうだ。

「何が売れているか、データで出てきます。僕らがやりたいものとお客さんが求められるものが必ずしも同じというわけではありません。そこで、どういうものを残し、また無くして、追加していくか、ということを決定します。ただし、少数のお客様に支持されている料理もあるので、それらはデイリースペシャルの品として時々登場させています」

これらの料理と共に楽しめるアルコールの中でも、同店が希少な品として顧客に薦めているのが広島の神力（ルビ：しんりき）。現在は日本酒に使われる米としては山田錦が有名だ。しかし、戦前は、その山田錦と並んで神力米も行き渡っていた。ところが原爆でその品種は絶滅したとされていたそうだ。

「数年前に、わずかな量が発見され、それを大切に育てて、今は年間数百本のみ、神力米から造られた酒が広島県呉市のみで流通しています。その中の幾つかを特別に交渉して当店に入れています」

河内さん自身が気にいって入手した、その酒は生原酒。アルコール分が19％と「アメリカで今受けている淡麗なスッキリ系の日本酒とは一線を画す、ぐっとくる飲み応えのある日本酒です」と河内さん。かなり惚れ込んでいるようだ。

「美味しい料理と酒があれば、お客さんに楽しんでいただけます。すると自然と声が大きくなります。それによって賑やかで雰囲気のある店になります。活気ある店は店側が意図的に作るのではなく、お客さんが作ってくれるものだと思います。ハッピーアワーをやって強引にお客さんを呼ぶのではなく、キャパシティーを超えることなく、料理を出すスピード、クオリティ、従業員を教育してサービスの質も上げていくという努力を着実に積み重ねることで、店を健全に成長させていくことが重要だと考えています」

同店では広告も一切打っていない。５年後の目標を聞いた。「八を価値のさらに高いお店にしたいと思っています。例えば遠方からでも、目指して来てもらえるようなお店ということです」

今でも他州から噂を聞きつけて来店する人は少なくない。そして、カリフォルニア州外にも店を出してほしいという声もかかっているそうだ。しかし、まずはコスタメサ店の売上をトーランス店に追いつかせることが取り組むべき課題だと河内さんは話す。その先には多店舗展開の可能性が開けてくるかもしれない。

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Izakaya Hachi
1880 W.Carson St.Ste A
Torrance, CA 90501
(310)618-8357
http://www.manpuku.co/en/shoplist/hachi/

Mon.-Thu. 5:30pm-10:30pm
Fri. 5:30pm-11:00pm
Sat. 5:00pm-10:30pm
Sun. 5:00pm-10:00pm