new york events introducing japanese food

“Washoku - Try Japan's Good Food” Reception - The Official Residence of the Consulate - General of Japan in New York
International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of NY - Jacob K. Javits Convention Center

Thank you very much for using J-Simple Recipes. On February 26, we went to the “Washoku - Try Japan's Good Food” Reception sponsored by the Japanese government at the invitation of the Consulate - General of Japan in New York. Though it was the fourth heaviest snow storm in New York City history on that day, the ambassador's residence was crowded with many guests on both floors. It started with Ambassador Shinichi Nishimiya's greeting at 2:00PM, and over the next three hours there were many different activities. On the 1st floor, Mr. Timothy Sullivan gave a lecture on sake, and Ms. Yukari Sakamoto gave one on shochu. On the 2nd floor, the ambassador's Japanese chef splendidly demonstrated the cutting of mature yellowtail sashimi. It was very fresh and delicious. Next, he also demonstrated how to cook shabu-shabu using premium Japanese beef. It was also very delicious and melted in our mouths. Next, there was a demonstration of how to prepare a simmered young yellowtail and Chinese yam dish. Strawberries from the premium brand “Benihoppe” were served at the end, and the guests were surprised at their sweetness. Many kinds of ingredients and seasonings such as matcha, sake, shochu, soy sauce, tofu, and yuba were introduced in another room. All of the guests, including restaurant chefs and owners, mass media and others, greatly enjoyed the demonstrations and the delicious food.

On February 28, we went to the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York which was held for three days. Because it was so crowded on the morning of the first day, we knew it was a very popular event. New York State Restaurant Association holds this event every year. The Japan Pavilion was the largest space and included booths representing more than 90 Japanese food companies (26 of which were selected by the Japanese government), 6 prefectures (the largest ever) and one city. The Japan Pavilion is popular every year. One interesting thing the consul told us is that there are now 22 prefectural representative offices in New York. Many visitors enjoyed tasting tofu, noodles, seasonings, sake and many other Japanese food products.

Thanks to many people's support, we can continue our website. We are deeply grateful to you and would like to continue introducing simple and delicious Japanese food recipes for your enjoyment.

If you would like to know more information about the “Washoku - Try”, you should see Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries website, Consulate - General of Japan in New York website and Columbia Spector's article by Jason Bell.