Dusseldorf – Furusato – The joyful taste of home

Discovering Furusato was one of those wonderful accidents of life. I had just wandered into Carlsplatz, the gourmet food market in the Dusseldorf Altstadt (old town). With no particular goal in mind, I was wandering between the stalls of exotic foods, taking in the sights like new vegetables hereto unknown to myself and enticing cuts of meat and enjoying the scent of fresh baked bread, steaming pasta and flowers.

Suddenly, the name Furusato written in large friendly Japanese script catches my eye. Furusato means ‘home town’ or ‘homeland’ in the deepest sense. It means the place of origin from where one comes from and one longs to return to. It is a word that touches an emotional spot in all Japanese living abroad.

I notice the kitchen window through which I spot a mountain of Japanese fried chicken ‘kara-age’ and I look up to see the friendly face of Chen Sun smiling at me. He greets me in Japanese and I tell him that if I had known about his shop, I wouldn’t have lunched elsewhere. I also tell him I love kara-age but that I’m regrettable full. Then he tells me to wait for a moment and fries up two large pieces to taste. Touched and moved by the gesture, I savor the succulent warm chicken in the crispy batter.

Good food invites heartfelt contact and more conversation. I found out to my surprise that the Chen Sun is actually Chinese. I couldn't initially tell from the way he speaks Japanese like a native. And I guess 30 years in Osaka would make one a native. As we reminisced over our respective roots, Chen Sun tells me of the good times growing up in his grandfather's mansion in Tianjin southeast of Beijing where he and the other children would hang out by the great kitchen where a staff of 12 cooked for the family and fed tasty treats to the children. That was where he first acquired his love for food and his fantastic store of knowledge.

The two pieces of chicken quickly led to an invitation to come inside for a cup of tea and an introduction to his wife Yuki Nagatsu who was busy making gyoza dumplings. Yes, that means Furusato’s gyoza is truly homemade. And this alone with the fried chicken is worth putting Furusato in my blog. However, there was more.

Chen Sun tells me of the meat and pototo korokke (croquettes) which he recently added to his menu. Then as if heaven had been listening, another regular Japanese customer entered the shop to order the korokke. And as she joined our conversation, I was touched by yet another kind gesture. She broke off a large piece of the korokke and insisted that I have some.  The first bite was like a revelation, an explosion of taste so good that I could only say ‘Wow’. No wonder his regular customers include the Japanese consulate staff and many others who come in each week. I would find it very difficult to find a korokke in Tokyo that would match his. In any case, this is the first time a korokke made me say ‘Wow’.

Chen Sun then lets me in on the secret behind his korokke. Next to his shop is the stall of a world famous potato specialist Das Kartoffelhaus Carlsplatz. They supply him with a specific potato named Heide Laura. And he mentions that he also gets much of his other ingredients fresh from various vendors in the market. Hence as the lady who ordered the korokke points out, even the humble cabbage side-salad is a treat in itself. And in the summer, Chen Sun serves cucumbers from his own garden, grown from seeds taken from his hometown Tianjin. Apparently these cucumbers surpass all local European varieties. Now, this information has me making a mental note to travel to Dusseldorf again during cucumber season.

In fact, I know now that I must make many more trips back to Furusato as there are so many things to draw me back. Of course, korokke and kara-age and gyoza are high on my list but so are the stewed porkbelly (kakuni) and the beef ramen noodles. But it is not just the good food. It is the contact and the joy of sharing and conversing that makes Furusato ‘home’ for many.

I regret now that I do not live close to Dusseldorf. On the other hand, to travel back to Furusato is a befitting concept. After all, one longs to journey back to the homeland far away. 

Nijmegen - Makro - Gourmet food court

The Makro is a wholesale supplier for business and restaurant owners with large warehouse-like stores situated in the industrial areas of major cities in the Netherlands. As such, it is a paradise for foodies who have a Marko pass…unfortunately you must be written into the Dutch Chamber of Commerce as a business to acquire a Makro pass.

Years ago, the Makro traded in their cafeteria-like restaurant which served up simple snacks and meals for a classy shiny open kitchen in the middle of warehouse. It is a bit odd to see this island of sparkling wine glasses, shiny counters and a fully equipped kitchen just off the aisles for kitchen ware, cutlery and olive oils and in view of the bakery and refrigerated meat section.

They’ve christened this the Food Court. However Food Court is a misnomer for this open kitchen. For one, I tend to associate the term ‘food court’ with the collection of fast food joints clustered into an area in the shopping mall. And that association is so far from what this food court is about. Here, the cook on duty prepares lovely dishes to order as you savor your glass of wine at the counter. And these are not just your ordinary snacks. My favorite is the large serving of freshly chopped (not ground) beef tartare topped off with a slice of fois gras and a quail egg. Other choices are duck served with risotto, venison stew with vegetables and a ribeye steak on bread. The menu varies according to season so let yourself be surprised. There’s also a catch of the day that varies and sometimes a half lobster with risotto or salad is offered. My favorite cook, Nick not only prepares the food but presents each dish with an artistic flair. It is a pleasure to see him carefully arrange the meat and the vegetables in a beautiful composition. And this is all at a price that is unbelievable. The steak on bread goes for about 10 euros and the tartare with fois gras will set you back around 17 euros.

 The reason such luxury is available for barely the cost of the ingredients is based on the fact that the Makro food court is intended as a showcase to inspire their customers to try out the food they sell. Everything served at the food court can be bought in the Makro store, from live lobsters to fois gras, exotic vegetables and mushrooms to a choice selection of cheeses. And this strategy works. So far, each time I drop by after work to see Nick and grab my dinner, I’ve ended up picking up some choice groceries…a kilo of frozen fois gras, ribeye steaks, padrone peppers and so on. If you don’t have a Makro pass, I suggest you find someone who does and tag along one day.

https://www.makro.nl/

2023 - Long overdue update. Makro downsized their food court service during the corona pandemic. And sadly, the gourmet food that I so loved is no longer available.

Nijmegen - Blonde Pater - Gorgeous pinchos, salads and sandwiches

Situated on the corner of the Houtstraat and the Lange Hezelstraat, the Blonde Pater is my favorite spot for lunch on a busy shopping day in the center of Nijmegen. They excel in sandwiches with a variety of breads ranging from toasted cornbread to crisp ciabatta. The fillings ranging from goat cheese vegetarian concoctions to a mean mouthwatering pastrami. On a paleo diet? Then go for their sumptuous salads. My favorite is the Sydney salad generously topped with large shrimp and prepared with an Asian dressing.

In accompaniment to the great dishes, the Blonde Pater has an excellent range of coffees, teas and thirst quenching fresh beverages. Personally I almost always go for their homemade fresh ginger tea in the winter and homemade ginger ale in the summer. The ginger tea featured in the photo below is on its own a treat consisting of paper thin slices of ginger, a stick of cinnamon and a wedge of lime served with honey.

For the adventurous, I recommend planning your visit on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday evening when they serve pinchos. These are culinary creations mostly stacked on small slices of bread. Ordinarily, you would be able to eat pinchos as finger food. However, their pinchos are quite formidable. The way each piece of bread is stacked with a tower of creative ingredients makes it physically impossible to take a bite without causing an avalanche down your shirt front. I’ve enjoyed their pinchos in several occasions and am surprised they have not yet run out of creative ingredient combinations. An example would be grilled eggplant with a sweet sauce topped with a dried date stuffed with cream cheese or a half egg stuffed with salmon tartare and shrimp and avocado. The pinchos go for 1.90 euros each and the end tally is made by counting the decorative toothpick that holds the tower of food in place. Note, six of these pinchos is enough to fill you up for the evening.

http://www.blondepater.nl/