5/18/2024. Two dudes from the JO1 boy group joined Daisuke in Niigata. I initially assumed they were another comedy duo -- I assure you this was NOT the case.
The ingredient of the week is Haru Kabu: Spring Turnip. Not the usual purple type but a clean white root bulb. And grown in sand, no less. Just a brisk washing and they just chomped into it raw! Dishes were so-so, IMO. A simple one with prosciutto and mozzarella cheese, a steamed dish with clams, and a great tai sea bream with sauce.
As is sometimes the case they broke into the action to introduce a second, unrelated item: MOCHI! I guess some merchant needed the PR. The kampai dish was a white stew featuring both the kabu and mochi.
New on NGN: 10/17/2020. Return to Ryogoku. A return visit for Iwai Yuki from the Halaichi team. They eat some (presumably) expensive soba and hang out in a Hokusai museum. The ever-bubbly Sakashita Chiriko joins the crew later on.
5/11/2024: Tarumizu, Kagoshima. It's a fish episode with first-time guest Kageyama Yuka, a former member of one of them 48 groups and a real cutie. I know they're all over the land but they don't show up nearly as much as the comedian dudes.
The fish is Akabana, a farmed Kanpachi. It's a really good white fish but I've never had that variety other than sushi/sashimi. Of course the first thing they have is aged sashimi, including a toro cut. Other dishes: charcoal grilled fillets, a seared katsu, and kampai with a fantastic Kakuni dish. Really good variety in this episode.
4/27/2024. Okaya, Nagano. Kazama Shunsuke made his fourth appearance on the show. Seen him for the first time in last year's hit drama SILENT and seemed like now I recognize him all over the place.
Well, it's the unagi episode and I was thinking jeez, what can you do with them eels other than, yanno, broiled and bathed in secret sauce on a bed of rice? Well they did vary it up some: a French-inspired omelet and kampai-ing with "real" unagi pie.
5/4/2024. Kumagaya, Saitama. First-time guests: Another comedy duo. I'm sure they're talented and work hard for the money but it's gonna take a while for me to warm to a couple of strangers. And right off the bat they're no Sawabe or Kasuga.
They sure did luck out on the ingredient, rapeseed oil. I mean, that makes the cuisine options limitless. We got tempura, a sawara confit, pork stir fry, and finally toasting with a marvelous Chicken Nanban dish.
Latest NGN episode: 10/3/2020. Kendo Kobayashi joined Ariyoshi and Shopan in Futako Tamagawa, in Setagaya. I thought for sure this dude was a pro wrassler but nope, just another Yoshimoto funny dude. Another episode with all visits planned ahead of time and the three pedestrians mask free which, in 2024, I actually feel comfortable with.
Latest on NGN: 9/19/2020. First pandemic-era episode to air on NGN is in Kyobashi, between Ginza and Nihonbashi. Regular guests were rotated for narration duty -- this episode had Cunning Takeyama. Guest is Wakatsuki Chinatsu, a good foil for Ariyoshi. Oddly the group weren't masked up throughout the episode, both indoors and out. I'm certain they conformed to proper social norms months later.
"New" episode on NGN: 3/21/2020. Okachimachi, Taito-ku. The last episode before the COVID pandemic changed all TV programming -- oh, what a time. The obligatory comedy team guest is ZUN. Representing the pretty women of Japan is Kawakita Mayuko, a model/"actress" born and raised in New York City, USA. Kawakita gets to illustrate her heritage by reading the English text of a milk tea shop in a pitch-perfect Western accent.
New episode: 4/20/2024. We harvest takenoko in Kyoto with... some comedy duo. They begin the show in Eigamura, a touristy destination I've never checked out.
Off to the forest! The expert sprinkles the land with konbu, katsuobushi, and... maguro blood??! Does this make this brand of takenoko non-vegan? In any case I have no idea how they can find the shoots peeking out from the marsh. I also can't imagine munching on freshly uprooted bark, but hey they're television professionals.
Today's menu: roasted slices with anchovy butter sauce, pepper stir fry with pork, takenoko tsukune meat sticks. The kampai dish is Tenshinhan: a kind of omelet topped with a rich ankake sauce.
4/6/2024: Sakuragawa, Ibaraki. It's back to another comedy duos -- most of them on the show are a blur to me now. These guys are at least fans of the show. Today's ingredient: Super Fruit Tomatoes. Yet another episode that tries to convince me that tomatoes are like apples and oranges. Yeah, right -- I still can't see myself taking a big ol' bite of one freshly plucked off the vine.
Good veggie episode, at least. Salad, stir fry, a cream soup, and a chicken saute. Kampai dish is a mabo-don dish, subbing in tomato for tofu.
4/13/2024. Maizuru, Kyoto. One of my favorites makes a return visit, Tomochika! She has an excellent rapport with everyone and really seems to enjoy being a part of the program. She also looks almost exactly the same in like, the last fifteen years and change!
It's a fish episode, Sawara! Lucky for Tomochika they aren't going out to sea today: Straight from the packing box to the table, ready for carving. I've had this as sushi before so my appetite grew considerably when they started out with sashimi, including toasting some pieces with one of them butane torches.
I've seen Sawara cookied Saikyo-yaki style so I had high hopes for this episode. First dish was foil-wrapped and baked in a toaster oven. While waiting Tomochika played a "Who Am I" guessing game with hints. Next was grilled kama, which also looked awesome. Next: A dashi chazuke and a Saikyo-miso saute, ending with a curious choice for the kampai dish, a Tatsutaage sandwich topped with tartar sauce. Well, beats a Filet-O-Fish for sure!
Latest episode: 3/30/2024. A first-time guest: Okada Yui, a fresh-faced personality who's the child of a wacky comedian dude I saw strolling about with Ariyoshi Hiroki. I never imagined he had an adult child. I guess Yui-chan is making her way in the world today...
It's a fishing episode in Ichikawa, Chiba. The crew is catching Kurodai, a good white fish that even *I've* had as sushi before. They go to Tokyo Bay, where seemingly dozens of fish varieties exist. After some non-activity out in the middle they went back to a certain dock and Daisuke scored a few times. Unfortunately, Yui-chan was shut out.
LOVE me a good fish episode: sashimi, nigiri, a mayo-sauce dish (mimicking ebi-chili), poêlé (seared/fried in a pan). The kampai dish is Acqua Pazza, a dish that has its own Wiki page. The entire fish is just put in the pan and I can only hope the meat falls off the bone without any choking risks.
SHOJIKI SAMPO is back on NGN! 3/7/2020, on the cusp of the pandemic lockdowns -- what timing! This episode has Ariyoshi and Shopan (not sure when she returned from maternity) in Omurai, Sumida-ku. Guests are the Ungirls comedy duo and actress Kawakami Maiko.
Latest episode: 3/23/2024. Jinnai Tomonori returns to the program, this time in Awaji, Hyoko-ken. He was also in Awaji for the show in May 2015, fishing for Sawara. This time the weather was considerably more hospitable.
It's a veggie episode which feels like hit or miss to me, especially when the ingredient is niche. We see arugula being grown in a greenhouse. This type is Selvatica, a kind of wild type with more stems in each leaf. Of course Jinnai and Daisuke begin munching on freshly picked stems -- bitter yum! As a bonus, they also sample French marigold flower buds.
They start with a salad, of course; however the slices of beef they add make me feel like this is a cheat. Other dishes with a homemade Selvatica sauce: hirame with a meuniere sauce, shio yakisoba with shrimp, a nice kakiage with tako. The show kampais with seared beef sushi with the same Selvatica sauce.
What a JOY of a series this was. I can't remember a drama where I had empathy and affection for just about *EVERY* character in the narrative. Truly wonderful dialogue and themes. One of the best I've ever watched.
New Aozora Restaurant: 3/16/2024. Isumi, Chiba-ken. The vapid Takizawa Karen makes her long-awaited return to the program. Unfortunately for her, there's some really windy and rainy weather. On the plus side, she gets to eat mass quantities of TAKO today! This octopus looks just about the same as the famed Akashi variety.
Good thing they don't have to go out on a boat in this weather to pick up the octopus traps. Instead they get but a simple demonstration. With all seafood, the dishes are superb: sushi, shabu-shabu, a fried dish with potatoes, and an interesting agedashi dish. The kampai entree: Okonomiyaki!
Latest episode: 3/9/2024. Another chilly affair in Karuizawa, Nagano-ken. I'll bet you can't guess who the guests are... Another comedy duo, Beni Shouga. There will never be a shortage of guests for variety programs. I'd love to attend a school where they just teach you how to laugh and eat up on programs such as this one.
Today's ingredient is strawberry and the specific variety is Shinku no Misuzu. Sounds like a movie title. It's off to the Karuizawa Garden Farm greenhouse to eat a bunch of strawberries. I never been to one of these tourist venues but it must be super fun, if not super filling.
Three different hotel chefs are on hand. Of course strawberry shortcake leads off -- the one and only! Followed by... Tempura?!! I mean, everyone else liked it. The final dishes are Gazpacho (a cold soup) and concluding with a sweet and sour pork entree to kanpai with.
The ingredient of the week is Haru Kabu: Spring Turnip. Not the usual purple type but a clean white root bulb. And grown in sand, no less. Just a brisk washing and they just chomped into it raw! Dishes were so-so, IMO. A simple one with prosciutto and mozzarella cheese, a steamed dish with clams, and a great tai sea bream with sauce.
As is sometimes the case they broke into the action to introduce a second, unrelated item: MOCHI! I guess some merchant needed the PR. The kampai dish was a white stew featuring both the kabu and mochi.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913nh810yglfzwy0n4m.html
https://www.fujitv.co.jp/burabura/_basic/backnumber/index-436.html
https://osanpo-guide.com/shoujiki_sanpo-201017
The fish is Akabana, a farmed Kanpachi. It's a really good white fish but I've never had that variety other than sushi/sashimi. Of course the first thing they have is aged sashimi, including a toro cut. Other dishes: charcoal grilled fillets, a seared katsu, and kampai with a fantastic Kakuni dish. Really good variety in this episode.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/19137afvrkdlw4oyo2gp.html
4/27/2024. Okaya, Nagano. Kazama Shunsuke made his fourth appearance on the show. Seen him for the first time in last year's hit drama SILENT and seemed like now I recognize him all over the place.
Well, it's the unagi episode and I was thinking jeez, what can you do with them eels other than, yanno, broiled and bathed in secret sauce on a bed of rice? Well they did vary it up some: a French-inspired omelet and kampai-ing with "real" unagi pie.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913h8c7gxzmmj3kmt5r.html
5/4/2024. Kumagaya, Saitama. First-time guests: Another comedy duo. I'm sure they're talented and work hard for the money but it's gonna take a while for me to warm to a couple of strangers. And right off the bat they're no Sawabe or Kasuga.
They sure did luck out on the ingredient, rapeseed oil. I mean, that makes the cuisine options limitless. We got tempura, a sawara confit, pork stir fry, and finally toasting with a marvelous Chicken Nanban dish.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913qxghv612k1kbupdz.html
https://www.fujitv.co.jp/burabura/_basic/backnumber/index-434.html
https://osanpo-guide.com/shoujiki_sanpo-201003
https://www.fujitv.co.jp/burabura/_basic/backnumber/index-432.html
https://osanpo-guide.com/shoujiki_sanpo-200919
https://www.fujitv.co.jp/burabura/_basic/backnumber/index-407.html
https://osanpo-guide.com/shoujiki_sanpo-200321
https://www.sake-tv.com/ariyoshi-syoujikisanpo-okachimachi-20200321/
Off to the forest! The expert sprinkles the land with konbu, katsuobushi, and... maguro blood??! Does this make this brand of takenoko non-vegan? In any case I have no idea how they can find the shoots peeking out from the marsh. I also can't imagine munching on freshly uprooted bark, but hey they're television professionals.
Today's menu: roasted slices with anchovy butter sauce, pepper stir fry with pork, takenoko tsukune meat sticks. The kampai dish is Tenshinhan: a kind of omelet topped with a rich ankake sauce.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913aivvzb5gfxatb0it.html
4/6/2024: Sakuragawa, Ibaraki. It's back to another comedy duos -- most of them on the show are a blur to me now. These guys are at least fans of the show. Today's ingredient: Super Fruit Tomatoes. Yet another episode that tries to convince me that tomatoes are like apples and oranges. Yeah, right -- I still can't see myself taking a big ol' bite of one freshly plucked off the vine.
Good veggie episode, at least. Salad, stir fry, a cream soup, and a chicken saute. Kampai dish is a mabo-don dish, subbing in tomato for tofu.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913kou0igl4snhk7q8n.html
4/13/2024. Maizuru, Kyoto. One of my favorites makes a return visit, Tomochika! She has an excellent rapport with everyone and really seems to enjoy being a part of the program. She also looks almost exactly the same in like, the last fifteen years and change!
It's a fish episode, Sawara! Lucky for Tomochika they aren't going out to sea today: Straight from the packing box to the table, ready for carving. I've had this as sushi before so my appetite grew considerably when they started out with sashimi, including toasting some pieces with one of them butane torches.
I've seen Sawara cookied Saikyo-yaki style so I had high hopes for this episode. First dish was foil-wrapped and baked in a toaster oven. While waiting Tomochika played a "Who Am I" guessing game with hints. Next was grilled kama, which also looked awesome. Next: A dashi chazuke and a Saikyo-miso saute, ending with a curious choice for the kampai dish, a Tatsutaage sandwich topped with tartar sauce. Well, beats a Filet-O-Fish for sure!
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/19134xj914y2ibp45iyg.html
It's a fishing episode in Ichikawa, Chiba. The crew is catching Kurodai, a good white fish that even *I've* had as sushi before. They go to Tokyo Bay, where seemingly dozens of fish varieties exist. After some non-activity out in the middle they went back to a certain dock and Daisuke scored a few times. Unfortunately, Yui-chan was shut out.
LOVE me a good fish episode: sashimi, nigiri, a mayo-sauce dish (mimicking ebi-chili), poêlé (seared/fried in a pan). The kampai dish is Acqua Pazza, a dish that has its own Wiki page. The entire fish is just put in the pan and I can only hope the meat falls off the bone without any choking risks.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/191366begypi3v2leyuu.html
https://www.fujitv.co.jp/burabura/_basic/backnumber/index-405.html
https://www.sake-tv.com/ariyoshi-syoujikisanpo-sumida-komurai-20200307/
https://osanpo-guide.com/shoujiki_sanpo-200307
The channel is expanding to the US Mainland market on Charter Spectrum cable this month: https://twitter.com/NGN_TV/status/1773785789660532897
It's a veggie episode which feels like hit or miss to me, especially when the ingredient is niche. We see arugula being grown in a greenhouse. This type is Selvatica, a kind of wild type with more stems in each leaf. Of course Jinnai and Daisuke begin munching on freshly picked stems -- bitter yum! As a bonus, they also sample French marigold flower buds.
They start with a salad, of course; however the slices of beef they add make me feel like this is a cheat. Other dishes with a homemade Selvatica sauce: hirame with a meuniere sauce, shio yakisoba with shrimp, a nice kakiage with tako. The show kampais with seared beef sushi with the same Selvatica sauce.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913j5lpdo1b7wtt7fbc.html
Good thing they don't have to go out on a boat in this weather to pick up the octopus traps. Instead they get but a simple demonstration. With all seafood, the dishes are superb: sushi, shabu-shabu, a fried dish with potatoes, and an interesting agedashi dish. The kampai entree: Okonomiyaki!
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913w0ia42mgvuipu5xp.html
Today's ingredient is strawberry and the specific variety is Shinku no Misuzu. Sounds like a movie title. It's off to the Karuizawa Garden Farm greenhouse to eat a bunch of strawberries. I never been to one of these tourist venues but it must be super fun, if not super filling.
Three different hotel chefs are on hand. Of course strawberry shortcake leads off -- the one and only! Followed by... Tempura?!! I mean, everyone else liked it. The final dishes are Gazpacho (a cold soup) and concluding with a sweet and sour pork entree to kanpai with.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913ygvahuq5sbibg8l8.html
And what a fanciful conclusion: the ikemen yoshoku restaurant!