Not So Mild Ale - by Shiga Kogen & Nøgne Ø

Shiga Kogen (in colabartion with Nøgne Ø) - Not So Mild Ale - Nagano Prefecture - 5% - 330 ml bottle:
Taste: Hops, roasted malt - both prominent, not really sweet- more of an earthy edge, just a taste of sour plum.
Smell: Hops & sweet malt, banana, apple, pear...
Look: Murky chestnut brown- mahogany even, no head, nor carbonation, little stings of lace but not much.
Verdict: Honestly this is not as grand as I was expecting it to be considering who they collaborated with for this, more of an experimentation than a true & tested brew. Not saying this was bad- as it's unique in taste, can't think of another beer like it; but definitely not as satisfying as other beers that Tamamura-Honten is doing.

Kobushi Hana Maerzen Lager - by Hanyu

Hanyu Brewery - Maerzen Lager - Saitama Prefecture - 6% - 330 ml bottle:
Taste: Malty sweet, touch of honey, faint sour notes, smoothly fizzy.
Smell: Malts, whiffs of grape, other sweets, again with a slightly sour hint.
Look: Deep copper-red, poured without head, left no lace.
Verdict: Brewed in the classic German Maerzen style, this lager was pleasant and had a nice medium body. Malts play the big role here and they don't disappoint, this beer is brewed with care as is evident in the balancing of other tastes. For those looking for a darker lager, this beer is recommended.

Ikinama - by Echigo

Echigo - Ikinama (Super Premium / All Malt Beer) - Niigata Prefecture - 5% - 350 ml can:
Taste: Malt is dominate and provides a nice earthy taste, hops are blended-in giving way to some bitterness, there is some resemblance to apple juice here, carbonation produces the fizziness associated with this style, refreshing.
Smell: A balanced malt and hop aroma.
Look: Very clear, light golden, a nice looking Pilsner, poured with a small head which settled quickly.Verdict: Nothing too special here, but do feel this is slightly better than similar class-lagers most macros producing.

Espresso De La Nuit Norie - by Niigata Beer

Niigata Beer - Espresso De La Nuit Noire - Niigata Prefecture - 7% - 350 ml bottle:
Taste: Variety of flavors here: espresso coffee, chocolate, nuts, very sweet, bitter aftertaste, hits of vanilla extract, heavy/syrupy texture, Guinness-like but more intense, not hoppy- but has a bite similar to bitter-chocolate.
Smell: Potent chocolate & coffee, whiffs of vanilla extract, alcohol and sweetness.
Look: Black- can't see through this beer, small but beautiful brown stained head which dissipated in about 2 minuets, just a little lacing lingers; looks like black coffee, noticed some shades of brown around the rim of the glass.
Verdict: Yeah I like this; guess I like most stouts then, but this one hides its high ABV reasonably well with its complex flavor. This a better than average stout but far from the best; I just really like to root for the little guys. The bottle is simple yet mysteriously attractively- it's what caught my attention in the first place. I drank this on Christmas Eve alone- so it holds a special place in my heart now ;-)

Ramen Hide (Kyodo branch)

Ramen Hide (pronounced he-day) is the perfect example of an excellent ramen shop that probably will never garner the recognition it deserves. The competition is too fierce in battleground: Tokyo; and Hide is nested in the small town of Kyodo- which is known for it's salons more than food offerings. This might actually be to Hide's benefit though as it's King-of-the-hill in this quaint town.
I came across Ramen Hide early on in my stay here- as I was walking down Suzuran Dori and noticed a small camera-crew in-front of the store preparing to shoot. I slowed down to see what all the hub-bub was, and afforded a look-in. Instantly I felt acquainted with its 1950's-diner look, and the chef was being interviewed; this was a joint I had to hit up! I've since had two enjoyable meals here and look forward to coming back at least once more before I jet town.
Their Kyushu-style tonkotsu ramen is very approachable, the broth is not very thick- rather it's more on the lite side, and has a great balanced taste. It's not so strong as to scare away those who prefer a traditional taste, but is potent enough to keep veterans coming back for more. The noodles are straight, thin and firm which is a great balance to the soup's consistency. Also notable is their chashu- which is a beautiful pink cut with minimal fat; and their egg while not semi-boiled the way I love- is at least nicely marinated.
On my second visit I was feeling adventurous and ordered a speciality dish- karai (spicy) ramen; I opted to try this in the tuskemen (dipping) style as well. The chef warned me this was hot, but I paid him no attention as I had yet to taste anything in Japan resemble the spices we play around with in the US. To my complete surprise- this shit was hot! I had my Japanese friend try it out just to confirm that this was indeed out of character, the twisted look on her face was all the confirmation I needed.

I think the nori is actually melting from the heat of the peppers!

All-in-all I did enjoy this dish; again the quality of ingredients was excellent with pork chunks as well as ground-up pork settling at the bottom of the thick fiery-red broth. My stomach might disagree with this last statement, but I still claim that I would order this dish again... just not next time ;-)

Tokyo Black Porter - by Yo-Ho

Yo-Ho - Tokyo Black Porter - Nagano Prefecture - 5% - 350 ml can:
Taste: Chocolate, coffee, smoked & burnt malt, sweetness, syrup, dates, not very bitter- though it is there.
Smell: Smoked malt aroma is most prominent, subdued sweetness.
Look: Great look, close to pitch black- but held in direct light revels deep tones of brown, dark body, almost no head at all- but what forms is darkly stained, no lacing, this stuff is silk-like.Verdict: I love this porter, one of my favorites - possibly because its so similar to a stout, love the look of the beer and design on the can. Will always bring forth fond memories of my first tastes of jibiru back in 2007 at Ushi-Tora (hand pumped there of-course).

Kawabata - by Aqula

Aqula - Kawabata Pilsner - Akita Prefecture - 5.5% - 330ml bottle:
Taste: Prominent malts, hops present to a lesser extent, citrus hints, delicious creamy head, fizzy body, refreshing.
Smell: Malts, cream and lemon scents.
Look: Body is a light golden brown, steam of carbonation, small but strong head, some lacing.
Verdict: This gold medal winner of the Japan/Asia Beer Cup in the Pilsner-family division is truly a great malt beer- the best I have had so far in Tokyo, which says allot since it's a popular style here. Highlights include the creamy taste of the head, and crisp refreshing feel from the carbonation level.

Minamishinsyu - Apple Hop

Minamishinsyu - Apple Hop - Nagano Prefecture - 6.5% - 330 ml bottle @ Nagano Sake Village:
Taste: Sour apples, apple skin, lightly hopped, fizzy, sweet & sour fits this well.
Smell: Apple, sweetness... candy apple, wheat malt.
Look: Opaque yellow, weizen-looking, carbonated, no head.
Verdict: Another strike for Minamishinsyu; while I was happy this was not a hard-cider and was actually a beer brewed with apples, the hops were far too light, and without much other flavors this ended up tasting like apple juice more than much else. Points given for creativity- but that's it.
After-thoughts: Maybe this would work very nicely for fans of white wine; its got that apple-taste, has some fizz, is very lite, hardly bitter... hmm, this might actually play a useful role in certain situations... okay, giving them a half-pass here!

Biere De Rydeen Porter - by Oh! La! Ho Beer

Oh! La! Ho Beer - Biere De Rydeen Porter - Nagano Prefecture - 5% - 350 ml can @ Nagano Sake Village:
Taste: A mild tasting porter, roasted malts, some smokey flavor- but not much, there was a sour note to it as well.
Smell: Malt comprised most of the aroma.
Look: Body was a dark brown, poured a weak head which settle fast, was lightly carbonated.
Verdict: This was an unimpressive porter; the taste was subdued in all the important areas, not enough smoke, roasted flavor, nor hops, although the level of sourness was fine. Not recommending this one- better off with a Tokyo Black!

Minamishinsyu - Amber Ale

Minamishinsyu - Amber Ale - Nagano Prefecture - 4.5% - 330 ml bottle @ Nagano Sake Village:
Taste: More malt than hops- mild hops here, some hints of fruit if your looking for it- very subtle; this is easy to drink and refreshing but ultimately lacking in taste.
Smell: Malts are present, subdued hops, faint traces of fruit.
Look: A light red/orange and clear, didn't produce much of a head nor lace.
Verdict: I was not very impressed with this beer, it's an easily drinkable ale - but I cannot recommend this when an alternative such as Echigo Red Ale is accessible and superior on all counts.

Nagano Sake Village

Searching out jibiru in Tokyo can be a daunting task, it's not as easy as you think it would be -- you know being in a ginormous savvy metropolitan and all. Actually it's been a chore; but as with any problem- solutions are abound. Antenna shops have become one such solution to my dilemma. For those of you who aren't in the know, Antenna shops are stores representing a specific prefecture- the products and produce they sell are from that prefecture. See where I'm going with this? ...That's right, if a prefecture has a local brewery (or two) then it's likely you'll be able to find that beer in an Antenna shop of that prefecture. Whew!
Nagano Sake Village is one such place- representing the prefecture of Nagano (duh)- and the best Antenna shop I've been to to boot. Their set up is more as a standing-bar than a store, but it's this arrangement that makes this shop so rewarding. Since they sell their regional beverages and food at retail, you also have an option to drink & eat there what you purchase- at retail price! Buy a beer and they give you the proper glass to drink it in, order sake or shochu and it's the same deal.
Their back-r00m is lovely, as in it's the type of room that makes my heart flutter. Small, dimly lit and stocked to the brim with hard to find jibiru, sake and shochu. Prices here are very reasonable, and consider this probably the most complete selection of alcoholic beverages from Nagano in all of Tokyo. And trust me, you want to drink beverages from Nagano! The jibiru offered comes from breweries such as: Shiga Kogen, Yo-Ho, Minamishinsyu, and Oh! La! Ho.

Horse meat and beer!? Who would have thunk it?!

As mentioned, the food selection is nice and cheap, all plates are served in appetiser sizes- perfect to compliment your drink(s), and prices range from Y100 to Y300 per dish, honestly this is one of the best deals I've come across here.

I highly recommend stopping by Nagano Sake Village for a quick drink & bite to eat - get a taste of what Nagano prefecture has to offer and buy a bottle of sake or jarred goods to bring home with you. Cheers!

Taishoken (Ikebukuro branches) - Ramen shop

Ramen has traditionally always been served in hot broth (soup); however a relatively recent trend is tsukemen style, in which the noodles (served luke-warm) are dished separately on their own plate while the broth remains served in a bowl. The idea is simple yet fun, take some noodles and dip them into the hot broth, consume, repeat.

Tsukemen is now a mainstay and is offered at almost all Tokyo ramen shops; however its origins go back about 40 years when then inspiring Ramen chef Kazuo Yamagishi was "caught" (viewed by a customer) dipping his noodles into a separate cup of broth. Today Yamagishi-san is retired and considered a legend for the contributions he made to this once simple dish.
Tsukemen broth is usually a thicker and more hearty than its counterpart's. Taishoken's is made from pork, chicken and anchovies and is boiled down until additional ingredients are added, such as shoyu, miso, or spice.
I've been to the two Ikebukuro branches, unfortunately neither are the original shop- which was torn down a few years ago due to a city construction project. On my first visit I had to go with what made them famous, the tsukemen. The broth was almost sweet & sour in flavors, and was a little thinner than I was expecting. I consider it excellent tsukemen, but not the best I've had. On my visit to their other Ikebukuro store I tried out their traditional soup-based ramen; again the broth was on the light side (though broth can definitely get lighter). And again I very much enjoyed the quality and taste, but... I've had better.

Baeren - Rye

Baeren - Rye (Specialty Grain) - Iwate Prefecture - 5.5 % - 330 ml bottle @ Bulldog Pub:
Taste: Surprisingly very weizen-like (citrus/banana), rye is apparent in aftertaste though, sweet (not bitter like other ryes).
Smell: Wheat-notes, whiffs of orange & banana.
Look: Medium body, semi-opaque, golden orange w/ brown tones, highly carbonated, frothy head, lace lingers a little before settling.Verdict: Best Rye I've ever had - why? Because it didn't have a trace of that weird bitterness I usually taste from "bigger" rye beers (e.g. Hop Rod Rye by Bear Republic or Righteous Ale by Sixpoint). I recommend this an an alternative to a regular weizen, this is much more interesting!

Ozeno Yukidoke - IPA

Ozeno Yukidoke - IPA - Gunma Prefecture - 5% - Japanese Pint @ The Cat & Cask Tavern:
Taste: Grapefruit is the major player here, citrus hop flavor with a juicy bitterness, hints of pine.
Smell: Grapefruit, citrus, and hops.
Look: Hazy pale golden, orange/yellow hue, poured with minimal head, some spotty lace lingered about.Verdict: An American citrus IPA, very similar in style to the Mojo IPA by Boulder Beer Company. This is a highly recommended beer. Could see the grapefruit making this ideal in

40th Anniversary Ale - by Shiga Kogen

Shinga Kogen - 40th Anniversary Ale - Nagano Prefecture - 8.5% - US Pint @ The Cat & Cask Tavern:
Taste: Bitter & sweet; different somehow... a unique taste... it's pine- very sharp & bitter; this is a funky beer, a mash-up of fruits, butter, caramel, a bit of vegetable.
Smell: Sweet, funky mix of ingredients, and alcohol whiffs.
Look: Opaque, red/orange, no lace, no carbonationVerdict: This is an interesting, though weird beer; I love the high alcohol level, but the beer itself might not have matured quite how they would have liked in taste. Unlike most beers from Shiga Kogen this is a rarity that I cannot recommend, not that its a bad beer per say... get it??
Notes of interest: To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Tamamura Honten (40 years of Sake & 4 years of jibiru), they have released this beer- a specially long-aged version of their House IPA.

Gallowsgate IPA - by Swan Lake

Swan Lake - Gallowsgate IPA - Niigata Prefecture - 5.5% - UK Pint @ The Aldgate:
Taste: A strong hoppy nicely balanced bitter taste, malt is detectable but stay in the background, hints of citrus, grapefruit, caramel, has a subtle sweetness to it.
Smell: Citrus, floral, hoppy aroma.
Look: Opaque golden orange, reminiscent to a cloudy honey, nice head with good lace as shown in the picture.Verdict: This is a great take on a US West Coast IPA; big & hoppy! This would play its part perfectly at any serious beer bar and I have no doubt would make a devoted following even if priced a little higher than a US domestic micro.

Preston - Brown Ale

Preston - Brown Ale - Ibaraki Prefecture - 4% - US Pint @ The Aldgate Pub:
Taste: A good amount of malty taste, not very bitter, and semi-sweet, hops are hiding somewhere I guess..
Smell: Sweet- more-so than in taste, malt, banana nut bread popped into my head.
Looks: Brown-ish/red, no head, no lace, no carbonation, a very clear beer here.Verdict: While not a bad ale- I was not completely impressed with this Brown. I could never fully recommend this over a Hakusekikan brown variety, and definitely not over the amazing East Coast browns back home (Brownstone by Sixpoint, Brooklyn Brown by Brooklyn Brewery, or Old Brown Dog by Smuttynose).

Fujizakura Kogen - Octoberfest Weizen

Fujizakura Kogen - Octoberfest Weizen - Yamanashi Prefecture - UK (weizen-style) Pint @ Bulldog Pub:
Taste: Wheat brings out banana, hints of orange & lemon, slightly smokey, fizzy from carbonation.
Smell: Bubble gum is up front here, whiffs of banana.
Looks: Great thick head, strong lace which hold, very opaque - reminiscent of apple cider, remains carbonated even after an hour! (So I was drinking slow - problem for you?!)Verdict: Maybe I've mentioned I'm not too into wheat beers, but here in Japan I've had an opportunity to expand my mind and try some interesting takes on this style, this Octoberfest weizen was smooth, creamy and actually hit the spot nicely, much more enjoyable than a regular weizen.

Jangara Ramen (Harajuku branch)

[Above pic "borrowed" from here]

Jangara Kyushu Ramen is a well-known chain specializing in the Kyushu-style, and the shop in Harajuku is probably the most popular of them all- so of course I wanted to take my guests here for an authentic Tokyo-feel... although after having gone, I would say it's more like an authentic Harajuku-feel, meaning very lively, vibrant and colorful. There was a line (as expected) and we waited for about 15 minuets in it before we were ushered to the upstairs restaurant only to continue waiting in another line for another 15 minuets; waiting in lines is just part of the Tokyo ramen culture- it's best to just except it early on.
So what makes Kyushu ramen different from other styles? Well it's made with a lite but very oily shiro (white) tonkotsu (pork bone) broth which provides a very rich, buttery flavor. The noodles are on the thin side and are cooked to be firm rather than soft and chewy (don't worry- there's still a "chew" to them!). This dish's signature however is the pork! Unlike most ramen, where the focus is on the broth or noodles, here the pork garners most of the attention and with good cause, as there's allot of it, and it's fatty! In every bowl two styles of pork are dished- chashu and slow-stewed buta kakuni; as if the noodles weren't filling enough already- the pork is just simply overload!
Jangara is good ramen no doubt- but it's not the best, not by a long-shot. What it provides is a foreigner-friendly place to get your feet wet; they have an English menu, it's a crowded place, located in an entertaining area, and dishes are of good quality & quantity- so it's a good base on which to judge future ramen outings in Tokyo.