JAZZ for foodies - Yokohama Jazz Bar Tour -

"Nice to meet you! I'm Mogushima, a jazz amateur, my favorite food is minced meat dishes, and I hate people talking to me while I'm eating! I'm Mogu Culture reporter! Yokohama is famous for having the most jazz bars in Japan, so I went around the jazz spots with great curiosity and a strong appetite, thinking that I'd be able to eat some delicious food.

I'll be introducing them one after another~☆

The first place we visited was the cafe "TIME OUT" which is attached to the jazz club Faraut and also serves lunch.

FAROUT has many faces, including a jazz club, studio, and classroom.

I immediately tried the recommended "Taco Rice"!

A large plate filled with a mountain of taco rice!

"I want to eat it quickly!" I tried to suppress my urge to hurry, but as I was mixing it... I noticed something stringy... cheese? It seemed like cheese was hiding somewhere, which at first glance didn't appear to be a topping. Oops, surprise cheese! I took a bite, munch, munch, munch, munch, munch! The crispy minced meat was fragrant and juicy. It's irresistible for minced meat lovers! The fresh tomatoes and crunchy lettuce also provided a nice helping, and I ate the whole thing nonstop. Ahh... what a happy afternoon.

After the meal, we talked to the owner, jazz pianist Rikuo Murao, who wrote "Jazz Poetry Encyclopedia Volume 22." He also holds lectures and lessons at this studio.

The Complete Jazz Poetry, 22 volumes in total, took more than 10 years to complete!

Next we headed to "Bar Bar Bar"

http://www.barbarbar.jp/

With a stately exterior and plenty of table seating inside the spacious restaurant, and a jazz stage, this is truly a jazz restaurant.

In addition to the extensive a la carte menu, they also have a course menu, making this a great spot to visit on special occasions like dates and anniversaries. The manager's recommended menu items are the following two dishes!

<Three kinds of grilled meat "Chef's choice, served with barbecue sauce">

Today's chef's meat selection is "lamb, duck, and beef"! It's so luxurious to be able to enjoy three kinds of meat at once. All the meats are delicious, especially the unique flavor of the lamb! And this time, it was so delicious that I wanted to enter it in the "Exquisite Mogu Selection 2013" (← there is no such thing;)

＜Potato gratin Savoie style “baked with garlic-flavored eggs and cream”＞

Ugh ☆ My potato prince!! lol It's like a potato gratin version of mille crepes, with thinly sliced potatoes baked in a gratin style, and it's just so delicious! The golden brown of the surface is like a masterpiece. The cross-section of the overlapping potatoes is a magnificent sight. Put it in your mouth and you'll be munching away in bliss!

The moment I tasted this deliciousness, I was reminded of potato gratin, which is introduced alongside scarves and shumai as a Yokohama specialty and delicacy (seriously).

Manager, let's enter first! World Heritage Site is not just a dream!

By the way, it seems that many people choose this restaurant as the location for proposals or birthday events, and the staff and musicians work together to liven up this major event in their lives. "If it's successful, we'll secretly give a little fist pump (laughs)," says the manager. It would be the happiest moment to be proposed to while munching on potato gratin and listening to some great jazz music...!! (According to Mogu Island, it's a no-no to be spoken to while munching, but we'll consider this case an exception.)

The next place we visited was the deeper "Little John".

The aged interior and dim lighting give the store a sophisticated atmosphere.

"We only have dry foods," said the taciturn and kind-looking owner, and as I sat down at the counter, a record by a female jazz vocalist played, a basket of snacks caught my eye. They were the kind of snacks you can buy in small packets at supermarkets and convenience stores.

We have a wide range of products, including nuts and smoked foods.

As for the menu, the owner, who is probably a mascot character (?), brought out Tanqueray and cheese cod!

It's a picturesque combination.

This cocktail, invented by a female captain in Yokohama, is a 1:2 ratio of gin and vodka, and is named "Sakana 2". Fish 2 and cheese cod. I gulp and dive into these two fish-related drinks. Haha, they go so well together! Maybe the exquisite sound of the jazz deepens the flavor of the alcohol☆ It has such a mellow taste. The cheese cod was also the tastiest cheese cod I've ever had. Right? Or am I just imagining things?

The master closes his eyes and surrenders to the music, tapping his fingers along the edge of the table to create a rhythm.

This guy definitely loves JAZZ. lol

Hoping to meet the master again, I decided to save the story of "Sakana 1" for my next visit.

The first place we visited after being recommended by the owner of Little John was "First".

http://www9.ocn.ne.jp/~first-ay/

The cobalt blue and mint green decor is refreshing. The interior is neat and tidy, giving it a casual restaurant feel.

"We sell a lot of avocado salads at our shop. We plant seeds like this and let them grow into lots of plants," he said, and began introducing the avocado seedlings that were being grown in various places, including inside the shop, in front of the store, and even in the toilets.

A diagram of hydroponic avocado cultivation. Am I the only one who thinks this looks like Benkei taking the brunt of the damage while protecting Yoshitsune?

Just as I was beginning to empathize with the avocado seed and Benkei, the salad that came out was so colorful! My mood changed instantly.

There are so many chunks of avocado that it seems like a whole one is used per dish.

When I put it in my mouth, the avocado, coated in dressing seasoned with the perfect amount of salt, melted in my mouth so quickly that I hardly had time to chew it!
When I squeezed the lime that came with it, the refreshing flavor filtered through the mellowness of the avocado, and my nostrils involuntarily flared up.

The “Now Playing” frame, which the master replaces each time, is also stylish.

Apart from the monthly live and jam sessions, the bar owner plays jazz records in the background, and you can enjoy food, music, and conversation all at the same time. It seems like a good place for beginners to start.

The second place Little John's owner recommends is the jazz record bar "Down Beat."

http://www.yokohama-downbeat.com/

The walls are filled with records - it's a sight to behold!

I was drawn in by the swinging jazz I could hear leaking from the other side of the door, and was greeted by the friendly owner, who looked tough but had a funny personality, and a young student working part-time.

Recommended menu items include naan pizza and draft beer.

"It'll take about an hour because we make it from scratch," the chef jokes, as the naan pizza is topped with three types of cheese: blue, cheddar, and gouda. I see, that makes sense... ahhh! Before I knew it, my mouth was filled with the delicious flavors of cheese in a three-way battle! Three kinds of cheese all mixed together! Help!

In fact, it is times like these that we need to stay calm and show our concentration on the food. With our brows furrowed, we focus all our attention on the qualia of the food.

...There they are!!! Blue, Cheddar, Gouda, they're all there!!!

Everyone! That was so good (tears). No, I'm not crying. I just had a little bit of beer spill out of the corner of my mouth...

The ceiling is decorated with a collage of records and the toilet door has a bass guitar. The unique interior is impressive.

The long and narrow interior of the restaurant that spreads out on both sides from the entrance is divided into non-smoking counter seats and sofa seats where smoking is permitted, in a modern style. On the sofa seats, you can sit back and relax while listening to the loud music coming from the speakers.

We also went to the long-established jazz live bar "DOLPHY"!

http://www.dolphy-jazzspot.com/

The interior of the store, which has an all-wooden floor, tables and stage, is apparently popular for its good sound.

The cheerful owner with a big smile ordered...

The menu includes a beautiful mint-colored original cocktail called “The Pacific,” inspired by DOLPHY's striking green exterior sign, and homemade pizza.

It's not just Italians and Americans, whose staple food is pizza, who get excited about incredibly stringy cheese.
I'm sure we've all had the experience of cheese becoming too stringy and causing trouble. Perhaps it's been a while since you've had any of those happy or sad cheese-related experiences?

This pizza is definitely for you. At first glance, it looks like a calm lake surface, but when you put your hand in, you'll be surprised at how hot it is inside. That's right, I used to be like that too. But now I'm completely cool. It's hard as a rock, sniff (tears). But! I'll try my best again tomorrow. Ah, this pizza is delicious!

...Sometimes the cheese on your pizza gets too stretchy, it's delicious, and you realize something important.

We headed to "KAMOME," a place that touts the phrase "quality music and food in a casual setting," a line that any foodie would have no reason to reject.
http://www.yokohama-kamome.com/

A luxurious entrance that will make your heart beat faster.

"Girls these days are really meat eaters," the owner said, and chose for us a choice of sauteed pork, roast beef, or pork cutlet sandwich.

No, it's quiche! Bacon and onion quiche!

Of the many authentic dishes on the menu, the chef recommended this quiche because he is confident about it. The moment you put it in your mouth, you will be surprised at how soft, fluffy, and creamy the pie crust is, the crust is so crispy! You will definitely smile while munching on it. The deliciousness of the savory bacon will make you breathe through your nose with your mouth closed for a while. When you pour in the red wine "Pinot Noir", you will instinctively gasp! It was dangerous, it almost spurted out...
There is a "boiling point" for deliciousness too.

Apparently, the food alone has been featured in magazines and other publications. I'm now looking forward to enjoying more of KAMOME's delicious menu along with wine.

We visited ADLIB during a "JAM session" where performers were improvising.

http://www.jazz-adlib.info/

Wife's homemade pizza mix, fish and chips, and gin and tonic

The extremely thin and crispy crust was accented with a topping of fresh raw tomatoes and was very delicious.
The sweet and juicy tomatoes go great with the salty black olives! And the refreshing feeling of a gin and tonic is... Ufufun. The fried white fish is crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and the tartar sauce is delicious, so you can't tell whether you're eating fries or tartar sauce.
There is a famous saying that "Sashimi is just an excuse to lick soy sauce," but if I said that "Fried fish is just a spoon to "dip" into the tartar sauce," would that be an exaggeration? lol

The sight of office workers coming home from work with their instruments gathering one after another and joining in the performance is like a "forest concert" and is truly beautiful.

(summary)

Ugh! I'm full! I'm a jazz amateur, but I used food as an excuse to go around and eat at jazz spots. What did you think? Jazz bars are really hot places to munch on, because you can of course see live performances, you can make requests to the bartender, and they can also be used as a stage for dates and events. If you munch and gulp in such a jazzy space, the best thing will come in through your mouth and ears, so maybe something amazing will happen inside your body! I wonder why I haven't been there before. I think it's a really interesting place!

If you take the opportunity to go there, you will see, hear, encounter, and feel a lot of things. I was happy to experience it while munching away. Thank you for the meal!

Thank you for reading to the end. Please download the information on the shops we interviewed and the map showing jazz spots in Yokohama, and be sure to check them out!

Print out the map and head out to tour the jazz bars in Yokohama!