ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 Italian food lovers in this town know Angelo Cozzalino. While his original trattoria Babbo Angelo in Jiyugaoka is still bustling every night, Angelo himself is busy presiding in the kitchen of his newly opened restaurant Mecenate, barely a stone-throw away from the old location. When we entered the premises of Jiyugaoka’s Kumano shrine on a very cold February night, we could see the warm and welcoming lights of Mecenate on the right. The restaurant is elegant, yet has a traditional Italian feel to it. While sipping our aperitivos, we studied the menu. On offer are three course menus: Cena al Carbone (¥5,700), Cena Bergamotto (¥7,800), and the Cena Mecenate (¥10,000 without tax). There is no à-la-carte, but the menu changes every two weeks, and Angelo can be flexible with people with special preferences. We started our Carbone course with a tuna carpaccio and caviar, daikon with foie-gras, and various grilled organic vegetables. The pasta round consisted of spaghetti with tomato-based mussels ragout and fettuchine with creamy prawn and truffles sauce. Then it gets even better: a portion of risotto with broad beans and green peas. After a light refreshment of yuzu sherbet, the main course was offered as a choice of today’s fish – a grilled snapper, or meat – a lightly grilled beef filet. The day’s choice of desserts were chocolate mousse, strawberries marinated in red wine, or various fruit tarts. Wines start from ¥3,900 (house wine); we started with an “Amantiglio” Toscana Chardonnay 2006 (¥5,700), then moved on to an excellent “Ducenzia” Nero d’Avola Sicilia 2004 (¥5,200). Unlike “Babbo Angelo”, this restaurant is entirely non-smoking.Open 12:00~ and 18:00~; closed on Tuesdays. Tel 03-3718-8878, 1-24-6 Jiyugaoka.Explanationsdaikon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daikonyuzu: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuzu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 Sounds interesting. I know what I wanted to ask you. Do you get Marlin where you live? I have never seen it available before over here until Wednesday evening. We stopped for a meal at a pub on the way home from the cinema, and I had Marlin, grilled in a wine and cream peppercorn sauce. It was absolutely delicious. It had the texture of pork, with a pleasant fresh fishy flavour, stronger flavour than most fish. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb Posted March 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 I really had to look it up to find what a Marlin actually is. And then check the dictionary what it is called in Japanese: Makajiki. It seems that it exists in Japan, but is rather rare. I don't think I have ever tried it. We have one large fish restaurant near here that is built like a fish market. I will ask, next time I go there, if they have Makajiki.From the Japanese Wikipedia entry it appears as if it is related to the swordfish?P.S. what movie did you see? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 ... it appears as if it is related to the swordfish?I had always assumed that was the swordfish. There is a "thing" on a boy scout's knife ( classically used for getting stones out of horses hooves) that is called a "Marlin Spike". It's actually purpose is for rope splicing. I had always assumed that since rope splicing is a seafaring thing the spikes used for this purpose originally were swordfish pointy bits.But then, as usual, I could be wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 I really had to look it up to find what a Marlin actually is. And then check the dictionary what it is called in Japanese: Makajiki. It seems that it exists in Japan, but is rather rare. I don't think I have ever tried it. We have one large fish restaurant near here that is built like a fish market. I will ask, next time I go there, if they have Makajiki.From the Japanese Wikipedia entry it appears as if it is related to the swordfish?P.S. what movie did you see?The other Bolyn girl.The Marlin is a type of swordfish, but I believe that its sword is shorter. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 I really had to look it up to find what a Marlin actually is. And then check the dictionary what it is called in Japanese: Makajiki. It seems that it exists in Japan, but is rather rare. I don't think I have ever tried it. We have one large fish restaurant near here that is built like a fish market. I will ask, next time I go there, if they have Makajiki.From the Japanese Wikipedia entry it appears as if it is related to the swordfish?P.S. what movie did you see?The other Bolyn girl.The Marlin is a type of swordfish, but I believe that its sword is shorter. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irene Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 I really had to look it up to find what a Marlin actually is. And then check the dictionary what it is called in Japanese: Makajiki. It seems that it exists in Japan, but is rather rare. I don't think I have ever tried it. We have one large fish restaurant near here that is built like a fish market. I will ask, next time I go there, if they have Makajiki.From the Japanese Wikipedia entry it appears as if it is related to the swordfish?P.S. what movie did you see?The other Bolyn girl.The Marlin is a type of swordfish, but I believe that its sword is shorter. :DI've read the book, and various others by the same author.Historical novels are my favourite. :D On the subject of Marlin...I have purchased it locally. In Sainsburys, I think. I absolutely agree, it's delicious. :DEdit: By the way, I haven't seen marlin there recently. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 I really had to look it up to find what a Marlin actually is. And then check the dictionary what it is called in Japanese: Makajiki. It seems that it exists in Japan, but is rather rare. I don't think I have ever tried it. We have one large fish restaurant near here that is built like a fish market. I will ask, next time I go there, if they have Makajiki.From the Japanese Wikipedia entry it appears as if it is related to the swordfish?P.S. what movie did you see?The other Bolyn girl.The Marlin is a type of swordfish, but I believe that its sword is shorter. :D I've read the book, and various others by the same author.Historical novels are my favourite. :D On the subject of Marlin...I have purchased it locally. In Sainsburys, I think. I absolutely agree, it's delicious. :D Edit: By the way, I haven't seen marlin there recently. :( He's on holiday. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 Isn't it funny how all these things seem to come together. Fish, foreign (to us) food and films. Then for Irene to say "By the way, I haven't seen marlin there recently".Well, she died. Some time ago. She changed her name from Norma Jean to Marlin Mon roe (my eggs) for some odd reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irene Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 I really had to look it up to find what a Marlin actually is. And then check the dictionary what it is called in Japanese: Makajiki. It seems that it exists in Japan, but is rather rare. I don't think I have ever tried it. We have one large fish restaurant near here that is built like a fish market. I will ask, next time I go there, if they have Makajiki.From the Japanese Wikipedia entry it appears as if it is related to the swordfish?P.S. what movie did you see?The other Bolyn girl.The Marlin is a type of swordfish, but I believe that its sword is shorter. :D I've read the book, and various others by the same author.Historical novels are my favourite. :D On the subject of Marlin...I have purchased it locally. In Sainsburys, I think. I absolutely agree, it's delicious. :D Edit: By the way, I haven't seen marlin there recently. :( He's on holiday. :lol:I must remember not to add any edit comments in future. Here's end up being there's!! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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