komeraku

Friend Greg‘s sisters are in Japan and invited me to meet up for lunch

Before meeting them, I explored Ikebukuro a bit.

Points if you see Mount Fuji...taken from the 15F of Tobu Department Store

also loved the rounded windows on the 15F of the Tobu Department Store..

On the 6th floor of the Tobu Department Store is the largest Daiso.

So big that you need a map!

This area combines Daiso with its other brands Threeepy & Standard Products, apparently it opened this past February.

I also recently learned that Daiso is now a Korean company! so be prepared to find more Korean snacks and stuff here...

H & J wanted to eat ochazuke, so we met up at Lumine's Komeraku

Choose your side dish...I chose chicken with black vinegar sauce

And choose two toppings for your chazuke...I chose ume & shio kombu.

The other topping choices were mentaiko (spicy pollack roe), salmon flakes, shirasu (whitebait)

They actually have more toppings to choose from but they will cost extra

When you are ready to make your chazuke, add the rice to the bowl, your topping, add the dashi...

On the table, are wooden boxes with nori, katsuobushi, ceramic containers with bubu arare & spicy green togarashi paste

Bummed I forgot to photograph my first round of chazuke...ume, bubu arare & nori

Cute note thanking you for ordering your lunch and tells you the health benefits of it.

I should've asked for a little less rice, it was too much for me to finish...

I hope they had enough to eat and it was nice catching up with both of them 

and we appreciate the omiyage! 

I am planning to share this with my friend in Tokushima who sent us the shine muscat a few months ago as well as other friends we plan to see soon.

Thanks for today H & J, I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip!

Komeraku (Tappuri Yasai & Ochazuke)

Lumine Ikebukuro 8F

Hours: 11:00-22:00

Closed when Lumine Ikebukuro is

dashichazuke

I recently saw dashichazuke featured on a morning program.

Instead of tea, you use dashi (stock).

These days, I make my stock "coldbrew" style a day ahead.

Filling a container with the amount of water suggested on the package and putting in a "tea bag" style dashi packet.

Then I put the container in the refridge overnight.

The next morning, I put some rice into a bowl and then serve with different toppings.

Bubu arare (tiny rice cracker balls), nori (revived in the toaster), tsukemono, some fish...(put whatever you enjoy)

The first time I did this, I thought that the grilled saba (mackerel) would have enough saltiness so that I wouldn't need to season the dashi (stock), but it did need a little seasoning, so...

The next time I made this, I heated up 300 milliliters (about a cup and a half) of dashi (for 2 people) with a teaspoon of shoyu and a teaspoon of mirin.

I heated this thoroughly but didn't boil it.

If you give this a try, I hope you like it.

It is perfect for these cold mornings.