JAPAN VILLAGE OPEN IN BROOKLYN’S INDUSTRY CITY

If you ever traveled to Japan and want to feel nostalgic, there is village of food that will spark that “kid in a candy store” experience. A Japanese food and drink marketplace with authentic Japanese food stalls and New York City’s largest Japanese grocery store, tofu market, fish market and meat market recently opened in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn and still expanding.  Known as Japan Village, said to be a 20,000 square-foot, it is a totally authentic Japanese marketplace. 

 

Owners Tony and Takuya Yoshida, who leased the space in Industry City, had it designed to make us feel as though we stepped into a traditional Japanese village square as you enter the doors of 934 3^rd Avenue. 

Japan Village is divided into four sections, featuring: Sunrise Market, the Japanese grocery store; 11 food stalls, and both Kuracihi, a Japanese liquor store located in an adjacent building along with the near future Wakuwaku, a full scale restaurant. 

Sunrise Mart features a foodie’s paradise of frozen and packaged proteins as well as frozen and fresh vegetables. Shelves are lined with all the groceries you would need to prepare your own authentic Japanese meal including drinks and desserts.  Go up to the meat market, upcoming fish market and tofu market and give them your requests.   

Trying to take it all in, I did a “walk through” of Sunrise Mart, promising myself to return with at the least one insulated bag. 

  

There appeared to be an ample amount of table seating at the food court.  I did, however, go there at about noon on a weekday.  A courtyard is just outside the door and may well work for those days that the weather permits you to hang out.  

With eleven vendors in the food court area, here are the ones that I sampled.  Obentoyasan has daily-made bentos and made-to-order onigiri, featuring different Japanese rice. I was most interested in the miso soup station. You choose a red, white or mixed miso and variety of toppings such as: scallion, fried or soft bean curd, chicken, pork, and burdock.  Basis soup costs $3 and each topping is fifty cents more.  I went for the white miso with chicken and tofu.  Miso soup was not salty or made from a packaged mix. 

Hachi : Japanese street food, takoyaki (octopus balls), yakisoba (pan-fried noodles), taiyaki (fish-shaped sweets filled with red bean), and obanyaki (round cakes with assorted fillings), of which I indulged in, made with octopus, cabbage, shrimp and scallop.  Hiroshima style prepares one with cabbage, tempura flakes, dried bonito flakes, red pickled ginger and yakisoba noodles. 

Shokusaido : Japanese appetizers, including agedashi tofu, hijiki seaweed salad, and salmon nanbanzuke. The shop serves traditional tempura, and an assorted mix of Japanese croquettes, fried chicken, fried mackerel, and french-fries with Japanese dips such as mentaikomayo.  I sampled the hijiki seaweed salad that is simmered in a sweet soy sauce as well as Kinpira Gobo, a container of braised burdock root and carrot, in a buttery soy sauce.  Both were addicting-ly delicious.  

Café Japon is a bakery with Japanese bread and cakes crafted on-site, as well as teas, matcha lattes, and drip coffee. They actually grind the matcha tea leaves to prepare your tea rather than a product already in powder form.   I indulged in a matcha latte and did my own ceremony.  They sell bread and pastries that are already packaged or you can choose one from their case.  I chose the tiramisu with green tea topping.  So….good.  Brought home packaged Green Tea cookie custard and what is called “melon bread.”  It resembles a pastry shaped into a sort of “melon.”  Slightly sweet, crunchy and soft, I chose one topped with chocolate chips.  What? I’m a chocoholic! 

When I return I will pig out…errr…sample some of the other vendors, such as Gohei, a soba and udon noodle shop, which has their own sit down counter.  You to view the production of the buckwheat and flour noodles on-site.  Nothing like having the noodles freshly made in front of you.  The menu changes, but basically, a base soup of fish and seaweed broth with either of the noodles, costs $8.  Add mountain vegetables and wakame for $2, washugyu (premium beef) for $3 or gyusuji (beef tendon) for $5. 

If you prefer ramen noodles, there is Ramen Setagaya.  Choose from either the vegan or pork (tonkotsu) bone broth.  A classic tonkotsu contains: two pieces of chashu (pork belly), bamboo shoots, scallions and seaweed at a price of $12.  Homemade pork gyoza (dumplings) are also sold $5 for five.  

Moriya  is a rice bowl shop serving gyudon (washugyu beef bowl), Japanese curry, shogayaki (pork ginger), oyakodon (chicken and egg bowl), katsu-don (chicken or pork cutlet with egg bowl), vegetarian rice bowl and more.  A plain vegetable curry using either white or brown rice costs $8.00.  

Mika N’ Momo : Japanese juice and salad bar, featuring fresh vegetables including shiso (a sort of Japanese basil), mizuna (said to taste a bit like arugula), kabocha (a winter squash), mitsuba (parsley type vegetable) and komatsuna (a mustard spinach).

Brooklyn Steak & Lobster : Teppanyaki steak and lobster is yet to open.  Here is the info given. “The steak cuts will be wagyu, washugyu, or premium beef, and each steak will be served with Japanese condiments including ponzu with daikon, soy sauce with fresh wasabi, and yuzu kosho pepper. The lobster will be served with various condiments including soy sauce butter and yuzu butter.”

Also coming soon is Wakuwaku a restaurant that will serve “Japanese tapas, from grilled chicken skewers, to sashimi, to gyoza dumplings, and additional eats paired with specialty beverages. The cocktail bar will serve local craft beers and specialty cocktails.” 

Japan Village’s liquor store, Kuraichi, will exclusively feature alcohol from Japan with a focus on sake, Japanese whisky and wine. 

Japan Village is accessible by subway and bus.  However, the ferry nyc has a stop at Sunset Park.  It’s a 15 minute trip from Rockaway or along the Brooklyn run from Wall St to Astoria.  You can either walk the mile after or take a bus.  Taking the car? Parking on the premises is free for two hours if you make a purchase of $50 or more.  Have the ticket validated. 

 

Japan Village is open every day from 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM. For further information go to www.japanvillage.com

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE SEA KIND

Experience the motion and emotion of the ocean without gear or even getting wet as National Geographic Encounter presents Ocean Odyssey.  Featuring immersive walks through simulated environments from the South Pacific to the coast of California, you encounter up close marine life that include: humpback whales, giant squids, sharks, and coral reefs.  The process is done through photo-real animation, giant screens and interactive technology that are not just for kids.  

 

Purchase a timed ticket as the encounter is run by a tour guide as you go room to room, each using a different way of experiencing the marine life.  It begins with two tri-screens that give you an introduction followed by instructions from the tour guide. 

Enter the first room where you are standing at the bottom of the ocean looking at a huge screen. Your steps will produce a puddle but that’s all. You may want to step on the horseshoe crabs, but would you do that if you were in the ocean?  View the ocean through the video photography of someone else that did the swimming.  There is both a voice giving you description as well as the guide providing extra information. 

If you ever wanted to know about coral, you don’t need to go to a reef.  There are several screens in this room with both video and still photography.  Colors and types were amazing to the eyes.  If you actually touch coral, we are told that it will die.  You can however, feed it krill and they will open up. 

We also learn the importance of krill.  According to National Geographic, “The lowly krill averages only about two inches in length, but it represents a giant-sized link in the global food chain. These small, shrimp-like crustaceans are essentially the fuel that runs the engine of the Earth’s marine ecosystems.”
“Krill feed on phytoplankton, microscopic, single-celled plants that drift near the ocean’s surface and live off carbon dioxide and the sun’s rays. They in turn are the main staple in the diets of literally hundreds of different animals, from fish, to birds, to baleen whales. Simply put, many oceanic life forms depend on krill.”

If you’ve ever eaten calamari you may think twice upon what you dine on when you experience a movie devoted to giant squid and view a squid fight during an open ocean at night. 

Don a pair of 3-D glasses for another oceanic movie that takes place at a different ocean.  Therefore you will not see the same marine life as any of the other videos.  Remember, each of these large videos has both an audio accompaniment as well as the guide offering further information. 

One room provides a chance for total relaxation as you take a seat and close your eyes on this video that is meant to have you experience the sounds of the marine life. See if you can pick out the sea creatures by the sounds.  
 
You’ve probably never seen kelp like going into a “funhouse” mirrored maze that appears as an underwater “cathedral.”  Children will love it! Adults will have a good time, too.  Again, there is much information given to you prior to your entering.  

One of the final rooms has interactive sea lions.  You stand on a large round spot where you view one of them. They will do tricks as they respond to the movements of your hand. There are many of these displays and each of the sea lions is programmed to do certain tricks.  

As you ascend the ramps, take in information and photos of various sharks, dolphin and murres as well as learning about the life of schools of anchovies. You know, those little salty fish you put in salad or on top of pizza. Due to the small size of these fish, they gather in schools and form a circle to make them appear much larger to their predators.  In the meantime, you can also view the names and information about the photographers who have contributed to the Encounter.  

You have now left the guided portion of the experience where you are met with a photographer who will take a souvenir photo in front of a screen and if you want have it transferred to various backgrounds (For a cost, of course).
There is, however, another opportunity that is free of charge. You now enter a room that has some interactive displays which allows you to spend as much time as you wish.  There is a focus on cleaning up the ocean in this area. Take a pledge to do something that is environmentally healthy such as pledging not to use plastic that winds up in the ocean.  You will get your photo taken and be able to email it to yourself.  In addition, there is a wall that displays your photo and what you pledged.  

Give your feedback on your experience on a piece of a puzzle. Play with holograms.  Your final room is a gallery that has a display of photos and photographers.  

Yes, there is a gift shop. All is meant to bring science to life. It is an experience you may never have “sean” before. 

 
National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey is located at 226 W. 44^th  Street.  Tickets are at various prices depending upon if you want a one-day visit, VIP access or family package of 4. The guided portion of the tour takes about an hour.  Tel: 646-308-1337.  Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 10:00am-9:00pm; Friday & Saturday, 10:00am-10:00pm

Fridays after 4pm on January 11th, 18th and 25^th, Sundays after 4pm on January 6th, 13th and 27^th, warm up your weekend at Encounter and enjoy Sip n’ Sea – a complimentary glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage after your adventure across the Pacific. Valid for every admission on the noted Fridays and Sundays after 4PM. No code required. Blackout dates may apply and hours subject to change.