The 61st Annual Ginza Holiday Festival will take place at the Midwest Buddhist Temple in Old Town, August 12th through 14th. The Japanese cultural festival will feature Japanese arts, cuisine, and entertainment. Meet master craftpersons. Learn about bonsai and ikebana (flower arranging). There will be exhibitors offering Japanese textiles, t-shirts, kimonos, artwork and jewelry. There...
The 2015 Chicago Ginza Holiday Festival, now in its 60th year, celebrates Japanese culture Friday, Aug. 7 through Sunday, Aug. 8 in Old Town at the Midwest Buddhist Temple at 435 West Menomonee Street. Schedule: August 7: 5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. August 8: 11:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. August 9: 11:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Festival...
Basketball sushi. Now that’s pretty neat! In Honor of March Madness, Chicago’s Pan-Asian restaurant, Jellyfish will be offering Slam Dunk Sushi Rolls. This specialty item will be available Monday through Friday during Happy Hour throughout the entire month of March. Sushi Chef Puje assembles these basketball-shaped rolls made with sushi rice, fresh Scottish Salmon, wrapped...
Japanese Restaurant Week returns February 17th to March 16th with 30 participating restaurants around town. The theme is “100-Year-Old Flavors of Japan” and will focus on traditional dishes and regional cuisines of Japan. Dishes include Wagyu beef and Bluefin tuna sushi from Megu New York, sukiyaki from Restaurant Nippon, Kanazawa-style curry, sweet-and-sour fried chicken from...
The 58th Annual Ginza Festival will take place on August 9th through 11th in Chicago’s historic Old Town. This Japanese cultural event, presented by the Midwest Buddhist Temple, will feature live entertainment and stage performances from taiko drumming to kendo demonstrations. Master craftsmen (Waza) will be present showcasing their craft and skills. There will be...
Japanese Restaurant Week launched March 4th and extends to March 18th. There are 35 restaurants participating, representing over 21 regions in Japan. Restaurants include Kyotofu, MEGU Midtown, Aki on West 4th, Curry-Ya, Blue Ribbon Sushi, and Robataya NY. Some restaurants will be offering special ekiben bento boxes featuring regional specialty dishes and items. Ekiben are...
Chizakaya brings together Chicago and izakaya. An izakaya is a Japanese bar that also serves small plates and tapas-like dishes. Over at Lollapalooza’s Chow Town North, Chizakaya offered some of their Chicago-inspired Japanese pub dishes. On their menu was the JapaDog, a bacon-wrapped hot dog, Asian pork belly slider, tako-yaki, and sweet potato fries seasoned...
Heading to the Ginza Festival Chicago this weekend? Below is what to expect when it comes to the food options. The Ginza Festival is a Japanese cultural celebration taking place August 10, 11 and 12 at the Midwest Buddhist Temple located at 435 W. Menomonee St. in Old Town. There will be also be arts,...
Here’s another vegan recipe I tested for Terry Hope Romano’s upcoming international cookbook. So far, I’ve tried her fresh noodle soup in sesame miso broth, ginger marinated cucumbers, pumpkin potato panko cutlets, as well as her spicy kale coconut relish. This time I tested another one of her Japanese-inspired dishes – oshitashi, a Japanese spinach...
This past Tuesday July 26th, HaChi Restaurant & Lounge celebrated its grand opening with a media event and preview party at their new space in the Lower East Side and we were there in attendance! HaChi, meaning the number “8” in Japanese (a lucky number), offers casual fine dining with a contemporary French-inspired Asian fusion...