I have only just recovered so here goes for the remainder of the month.

Highlighting the best of what’s on in Numazu for January 2011. If you like something click on the link for more details. If you have an event you want to add put it in the comments below.

Beer – Baird Beer will have their new Brewmaster’s Nightmare Rye IPA

Live – Speak Ez’s acoustic night featuring Toshio Souno, Yuka Aoshima, Norito Makino among others. Entry 1000yen 8pm-11pm 13 Jan

DJ –  Speak Ez – DJ Koji, Toru and Maiko will be mixing it up here for you for free from 9pm Jan 14

Culture – Lecture in Japanese Culture – International communication and exchange meeting. 13:30-15-30 at Palette

Dance – Speak Ez – the very seductive salsa will be hitting the floor from 8pm. 1000yen for vertical porn is cheap! Jan 20

Live – Numazu National College of Technology Brass Band Concert Doors open 1:30pm – Jan 21

Live – Baird Beer’s Fishmarket Taproom will be host a live performance of world renown Irish Fiddler, Dale Russ. This is an event not to miss. Entry is only 500yen. 7pm start. Jan 21

Live – Speak Ez – Jam session. If your a muso then this is your chance to show off your talents. Free. 8pm-1am – Jan 21

Sports – 58th Numazu Relay Road race applications at 7:30 for 9am start – In Ashitaka Athletic Park. Jan 22

Singles mixer – Speak Ez – Lonely and single? This is the place for you. Entry is 2500yen for Boys and 2000yen for girls (includes a drink and a snack) Good  luck. Jan 24

DJ – Speak Ez – Open DJ event bring your Mamma Mia Sound Track and make em suffer!!! Free. Jan 28.

If you know of any other event going on this month in the Numazu area feel free to post them in the comments below.

Yakiniku King Numazu Korean BBQ

Right. Pay attention. If you want to test yourself before any competitive eating championship, then I recommend you take yourself to the stables of the Yakiniku King on the Numazunorth side’s Rikodori (dori means road, kiddies). It’s easy to find, just follow your nose to the passenger jet, super-charged, mega, big-like-all-buggery exhausts pumping the smell of delicious charred flesh into a dispersal radius of 500 meters.

Once inside the Yakiniku King, a trainer will take you to a table and present you with a training regime as they light your Korean barbeque. Before deciding, it is important to make yourself familiar with your surroundings so you can maximize your eating time.

Look, put simply, any competitive eater worth their weight in beef needs to be at home in their surroundings. They must be able to reach for sauces with out even looking. They must be able to send out an order while simultaneously flipping strips of fleshy charred goodness on the barbeque. The must not let ANYTHING interrupt their steady, focused mastication.

Your trainer will present you with three training regimes each running for precisely 100minutes:

• 58 item menu 2,480yen
• 100 item menu 2980yen
• 120 item menu 3,480ye
  

Each program increases in difficulty as their quality and scope of choice distracts you from your ingestion.

            There is also a drink list that you can pay per item for or take the soft drink or beer and minor spirits all-you-can-drink (nomihoudai) option to help you wash down your food.

            Ordering is simple, but you need to be on your game because you only have 100 minutes to stick as much as you can in your mouth. You will need to make these steps second nature before you go.

Step 1 – Grab the touch screen console. These bad boys get slippery so watch out. It is a good idea to get some calluses on your hands before you come. I hear that the pro’s callus their hands by turning their meat on the barbeque with their fingertips. This also gives them the advantage of developing a certain heat resistance to the scorching flames emanating from beneath the grill (NOTE: not for the amateur or faint of heart.).

Step 2 – Press the screen with your free hand (remember the other hand should be either stuffing food in your head or flipping the meat).

Step 3 – Choose from a selection of meats or side dishes. Diehards will immediately go to the meat.

Step 4 – A new screen will appear and give you an option for meats (or other items). Choose what category you want. It is pretty easy to figure out thanks to the pictures. Training guides generally tell you to go for the beef first. A couple of thin pieces of skirt steak followed by some beautifully marbled rib eye slivers are a good start for me. After the beef I’m onto the pork and then finally the chicken.

Step 5 – You should now be in the final sub menu. Select your items by pressing on them.

Step 6 – Now two things could happen next. It’s designed to test your will power and dexterity. Either another small plus and minus icon will appear near you selection and you press the (+) to add more items and the (-) to take them away (but that would never happen right? Right? Good.), or a pop-up window will appear with the same plus and minus icons also with a choice of seasoning (sorry by this stage I am in the ‘zone’ as the meat haze descends upon my consciousness so I don’t remember what is what).

Step 7 – Once you have made a selection you are free to make more. Warning!!! There is an upper limit to the amount of items you can select at any one time. If the console is not letting you select any more then you have probably maxed out your limit for that order. It’s time to take it to the checkout.

Step 8 – To checkout, simply press the big red shopping basket at the bottom of your screen.

Step 9 – It’s not over yet. Another screen will open to confirm what you have ordered is correct before sending it off.

Step 10 – Repeat steps 1 through 9 until you either run out of time (almost never happens), feel like you are going to vomit (need more training), or send the Yakiniku King stables bankrupt (a titan of the competitive speed eating world).

courtesy of Lauren Donald

At the end of your 100minutes at the Yakiniku King it is time for quiet reflection. Think about what you did well, where you could do better and mentally prepare yourself for the next time.

Good luck and I will see you at the championships.

Mmm, meat flavoured meat.

Scott

Yeah, I know, I know I am totally late for this one and deserve a good beating but Osaka and Kyoto were totally worth it. I’ll go fetch the studded paddle and warm up the dungeon while you check out What’s On in the Zu this month.

Highlighting the best of what’s on in Numazu for December 2011. If you like something click on the link for more details. If you have an event you want to add put it in the comments below.

Beer – The Baird Beer team are at it again with a warming winter special, the West Coast Wheat Wine 2011. According to the brew master Bryan’s blog this beauty is derived from the British barley wine style but refined in Sacramento U.S.A. using West Coast hops. Check it out at the Fishmarket Taproom.

Exhibition – Mon Myuze Numazu Art Museum – View the art of Noboru Iwaki – 10:00-17:00, Dec 3-25

Exhibition – Senbon Plaza Gallery - The art of paper cutting by Takenokono – Kai Dec 6-12

Live – Speak EZ acoustic night from 8pm to 11pm, 1000yen entrance, Dec 9

Opening – The Opening of the Numazu Deep Sea Aquarium is an exciting step for tourism in Numazu. This place will feature deep sea marine animals in Suruga Bay. Entry 1600yen for adults. Opens Dec 10

DJ – Speak EZ’s Kousankai will chill you out this Saturday. Entry 1000yen + 1 drink, 8pm start, Dec 10

Exhibition – Senbon Plaza Gallery – An exhibition of flower pictures by – Dec 13-19

DJ live – Speak EZ is gonna get you thrashing to some intense hardcore at “Ogre”. Dec 23

Highlighting the best of what’s on in Numazu for November 2011. If you like something click on the link for more details. If you have an event you want to add put it in the comments below.

Beer – Country Girl Kabocha Ale – is at Baird Beer’s Fishmarket Taproom and ready to blow your mind. This is one of my favourite seasonal beers.

Activity – Ganyudo Ferry Boad – Jump on a traditional ferry boat and discover what it used to be like when Numazu was a fishing village. On the Kano River. 100 yen one way. 0900-1525hrs Oct29-Nov 6

Exhibition – Traditional Fishing Historical Exhibit - National collection of fishing artifacts – Numazu Imperial Villa now-Nov 2

Attractions – Chrysanthemum Flowering – The Numazu Imperial Villa comes to life with this attractive floral display. Fee 100yen Nov 3 – Nov 17

Party – Spazz if you want too – Live DJ with some groove at the SpeakEz Bar. Free – starts at 9pm – Nov 5

Festival – Kanaoka Festival – Up on the far north side of Numazu just accross the road from route 1 is an interesting festival in the back streets. Nov 6

Live – Full moon acoustic party – SpeakEz is at it again for this great event. Nov 11

Festival – 15th Yosakoi Tokaido - This massive two day event occupies the streets of downtown Numazu and the Kano River. This is like no other festival. The Yosakoi is a colourful traditional (an not so traditional) dance theater competition. Beautiful costumes, soaring giant flags, and amazing dancing. Don’t miss it. Don’t let the scary kid on the homepage fool you. Free on the south side of Numazu – from 11:00 12-13 Nov

Dance – Salsa Night – Wiggle your hips at Speak EZ for their salsa night. 1000 yen Starts at 8pm.

Performance – Rakugo (traditional Japanese humorous monologue) - Japanese highbrow comedy. Performances at 13:00 and 16:30 Feb 19

Live – Takehara Pistol – A SpeakEz concert – 21 Nov.

Events –  International Exchange Fare – Local expats sharing their countries dance, traditional clothing and food. A NICE production – San-Well Multi-purpose hall 4fl – 10:30-15:00 Nov 27

Basically, supermarkets are broken down into:

• Small to mid sized locals like Marutomo, Potato and Mamy that may not be large but are convenient.
• Large stores like Seiyu, Max Value and Coop who are generally well priced.
• Boutique stores like Seibu, Shizutetzu, Komatsuya and Donkihote that have an eclectic range of goods worth a browse.
• Large supermarket and home-ware department stores like  E-spot, Ito Yokado, Cainz, and Sun to Moon than, in some cases are a little out of the way but are very much work a look.
• Home ware stores like D2

It looks like the festivities will kick off this year on Saturday night October 29th 2011  to let those of us who work on the weekdays party.

Here’s a suggested itinerary.

Step 1

Get into your best costume. Yup there are going to be prizes. And besides you owe it to the girls who will be wearing their skimpy Halloween costumes.

Step 2 

Get yourself down to the Taproom by at least 5pm and lubricate yourself on some outstanding beer. The Taproom crew will be setting up a free karaoke machine with free English and Japanese songs. Spook your friends with your crappy karaoke voice. I know I will.

Step 3

Jump into a taxi or freak out the locals by walking, but no matter what you do make sure you finish the night at SpeakEZ. There will be a live (well depending on their costume) DJ and prizes for the best and sexiest costume (look out I will be shaving my legs). Starts at 8pm.

Step 4

Go home with the guy, girl or thing you found that night.

Step 5

Sneak out of the place before they get up and head on down to the Taproom for a hair-of-the-dog and some breakfast on the 30 October. (getting changed is optional)

Step 6 

Gush over how great a time you had.

See you there.

Scott

SpeakEz will also be holding a BBQ in the park near the Taproom.

Highlighting the best of what’s on in Numazu for October 2011. If you like something click on the link for more details.

Beer – Baird Belgian Pale Ale – This new one tastes great. Have a pint at the Taproom

Exhibit – Autumn Flower Exhibit – Numazu Imperial Villa. 09:00-16:30 – Oct 6-26

Art – Stages Art Festival – part of the Imperial Villa Japan Art Festival. From 18:30 Oct 8

Sports/Beer – Rugby World Cup in Numazu - Baird Beer’s Fishmarket Taproom will be playing the world cup. If its not on when you are there ask for it and I am sure they will oblige.  Next Saturday is the first and second qualifier and it should be on around mid afternoon. Oct 8,9,15,16,21,22

Concert – Yomei-ji Music Festival – four local music groups playing – From 17:00 Oct 9

Concert – Shiorai no Utage (Concert among the pine trees) - part of the Imperial Villa Japan Art Festival. 100yen. 13:00-14:30 Oct 10

Beer – Yamamomo Mountain Peach Ale – Baird Beer will be releasing this exciting new ale. Taproom Released around Oct 10-15

Festival -Uchiura Aji Festival (horse mackeral fest) – Learning about a major part of the fish industry – 9:00 – 14:00 Oct 10

Concert – Yugen no Sekai (Jazz concert) – part of the Imperial Villa Japan Art Festival. Free. From 18:30 Oct 11

Contest – Numazu 2nd language speech contest – Japanese with say a 5 min speech in English and vice-versa. City Library 4th floor – 13:00-16:00 – Oct 16

Dance -Salsa Night – Speakez are at is again with their monthly salsa night. Have a ball. – 8pm – 9pm – 1000yen entry fee includes dance lesson with a cute girl or guy. Free after 12 (not the guy or girl). -21 Oct

Festival -Autumn Green Festival – Gardening displays, classes and auctions- Numazu Imperial Villa – 9:30-16:30 – Oct 22-23

Craft – Pottery Class – Senbon Plaza – 500yen 11:00-12:00 – Oct23

Party – Yuichi and Kyoko Birthday Bash - Speak EZ is celebrating the owner, Yuichi and his bar babe Kyoko’s birthday. Come along and enjoy. Oct 26

Party – Halloween – SpeakEZ with be hosting its annual Halloween Party. Get your fancy dress on and impress. 29 Oct

Party – Halloween – Taproom will be hosting a Halloween Party come along and check out their Autumn beer. 30Oct

Last night I returned to Allegro, formally Pizzaria Il Pallio (don’t panic same awesome chef), on Numazu Southside for a birthday treat.

Sometimes the second time around at a restaurant you feel that the meal does not stand up to the same high quality as your first visit. This was not so at Allegro.

For starters my wife and I shared a Panchetta salad that was so good my wife didn’t have time to take a photo.

Our shared main was a creamy tomato crab linguettine (yeah, didn’t know that either so I checked it out from this site.) Meaty legs of crab in the shell straddled the pasta.  The chef prepared this well and kept the sauce mild to allow the subtle flavour of the crab meat to shine through.

Crab pasta Allegro Numazu - photo Lauren Donald

Next was a Bismarck pizza. With dollops of mozzarella, ham and gooey egg in the middle. A Jalapeno oil was presented along side for us to add what we liked. What I like about the pizza here is the sauce. It’s a short-cooked tomato sauce with an almost blended salsa taste.

Pizza Bismark Allegro Numazu - Photo Lauren Donald

For dessert I tried Zuccotto, a classic Italian layered cake that can come in many flavours. Allegro’s version started with a vanilla sponge, then a creamy pistachio middle, before finishing with a chocolate mouse-like centre. I wasn’t over sweet but it was decidedly addictive.

Zucotto - Allegro Numazu - photo Lauren Donald

You can find out more about Allegro at my old post here or at their website below.

Website: http://www.pizzeria-allegro.com

Numazu Jiman Beer Garden Festa

The festival ran from the 7th to the 9th of  September in the Numazu Chuo Koen (south side of the station where the walking bridge across the Kano River is). The open air event spread out over the park with stalls in one corner, stage in another and the rest of the park packed with tables and chairs.

Early Autumn in Numazu just feels like summer minus the humidity. This makes it perfect for beer drinking because, while you are a little hot sitting at the table, you cool down just enough with the help of a beer.

The night I went was Friday night and the weather was ideal. I am glad I went early because the park was soon packed and even invoking the power of my foreignness this time did not work to dissuade people from sitting at my table or attempting to take the chairs I was guarding for friends.

The whole crew from Numazu Baird Beer were there including the beer master Brian. They also invited another craft brewer, Iwate Kura Beer, to the event but I didn’t get a chance to taste their beer. The local passion for Baird Beer could be seen by the long trail of customers lining up for a beer. If you did not want beer you could choose from a cocktail vendor and a local sake maker.

Bair Beer Crew at the Numazu Jiman Festa

Baird Beer Brew Master Brian Baird at Jiman Festa

While I was there,  the stage events started with a gravity defying cocktail making performance by a local awarding winning barmen. The show was spectacular. The barman juggled and spun bottles and shakers to some pumping beats before dispensing his cocktails in Martini glasses and offering them to a lucky few of the of the audience.  After this was a local alternative jass group that performed some mellow songs to keep everyone chilled for the evening.

Jazz Group Playing at Jiman Festa

Before I went home I wandered among the stalls. As the name of the event suggests, all the food was from local restaurants and cooks. There was Rosso Pomodoro, a local pizza vendor, who brought his wood-fired pizza oven along and was cranking out hand made pizzas to a large queue of hungry customers. Another stall was cooking up local seafood over the barbecue.  A yakitori vendor was smoking up the place with some delicious skewered delicacies. And if you were too worried that you would lose your chair when you got up to get something to eat, then you could call out to one of the Numazu Pro-wrestlers who were wandering around with a variety of cooked goodies.

Barbecue seafood at the Jiman Festa Numazu

In short the Numazu Jiman Beer Garden Festival was the perfect event for the right time of year. More importantly, you got to try out some of the amazing food that Numazu that I have been in love with for years. Numazu should be proud.

Stay tuned to Numazu Traveler to find out when next year’s Jiman Festival will be.