Hello everyone, we are pleased to announce the renewal of The Cloakroom Tokyo's email newsletter. In addition to the usual information on new arrivals and event announcements, we will now be bringing you a wealth of topics to help you enjoy clothing and fashion even more, including food and alcohol columns by an impressive lineup of contributors.
This time, as a preparation for the renewal, we will be bringing you the 0th installment of the "Gourmet News" series by Professor Seki Osamu.
When you think of a place you want to dress up and go out to, it's got to be a nice restaurant. You can imagine a lovely location, delicious wine and food, and fun scenes with family, friends, partners, etc. The Cloakroom would like to suggest a way to spend time, where you can tie up an elegant suit and have fun as an adult.
In the series, Professor Seki will share his wealth of experience and sharp insights, and will also share his monthly wine recommendations and delicious restaurants. Please look forward to the dress-up index, which will give you some tips on how to dress for each restaurant.
It would take too long to introduce my encounter with Professor Seki here, so I will save that for another time, but he has been very kind to me and has been very helpful to me. I am overwhelmed by the wide range of research topics he has, such as "handsome men," "hosts," and "Johnny's." I'm sure we will talk about that in the future.
In 2021, we would like to plan an event where we can all enjoy wine and food together. This is the pre-event, so the first one is scheduled for around the end of the year or the beginning of the new year. We hope you will enjoy it.
I think this is an unusual number of characters for a clothing store newsletter, but I am confident that the content is interesting. Please take the time to read it.
The Cloakroom Tokyo
Masashi Shimada
"Gourmet News" No. 0
"My first Beaujolais Nouveau"
Speaking of November wine, Beaujolais Nouveau is the one. It is released every year at midnight on the third Thursday. This year it is the 19th. Nowadays, there are many different types and prices, from inexpensive plastic bottles sold at supermarkets and Don Quijote to premium wines created by natural wine masters, so many people may have trouble deciding which one to choose.
I vividly remember the first time I had Beaujolais Nouveau. It was a few years after I entered university in 1980 and started eating French cuisine. I found a restaurant I frequented, and had it there. Because of the time difference, it was released earlier than anywhere else in France, let alone in developed countries, so during the bubble period in the late 1980s, a Nouveau train ran to Narita Airport, and it was before the wild parties were held at the airport. The current rules on the release date were established in 1984, so it must have been around that time. It is said that it was first airlifted to Japan in 1976, so even though it had been almost ten years, I had never seen it before. In other words, at that time, Nouveau was still a precious wine that could only be found in restaurants.
Speaking of French cuisine, it was a time when hotels and conference halls were mainstream, and even in town, grand maisons such as Maxim's and Lecrin were the norm. Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Daikanyama, there was a stylish restaurant called "Visconti" for some reason, even though it served French cuisine. Famous actors such as Mikijiro Hira and Mayumi Ogawa were regular customers, and the restaurant was also featured on the leading gourmet program of the time, "Ryori Tengoku" (TBS). With the support of my father, I became a customer, and the young chef Ryo Hirota also took a liking to me.
Then, one day in the depths of autumn, I visited Visconti with my father and some of the women who worked for the bank. The chef respectfully brought out a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau, saying that he had acquired a special wine. The bottle, with the Air France sticker on it, was, of course, made by Georges Duboeuf. It can be said that it was Duboeuf who helped to popularize Nouveau around the world. And it was with the help of his ally, Paul Bocuse, the "Emperor of Nouvelle Cuisine."
Beaujolais is classified as one of the Burgundy wines. Burgundy wine is produced in the Yonne department, an exclave that includes Chablis, and in the region along the Saône River from Dijon in the north to Lyon in the south. Beaujolais is located at the southern end, just north of Lyon. Bocuse's restaurant is also located in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, about 10km north of Lyon. The red wines of this region are made from Gamay grapes, unlike other Pinot Noir varieties, and are produced using a different method. Not only Nouveau, but regular Beaujolais as well is a wine that should be drunk early.
So this is the Beaujolais Nouveau I've heard about. For me, who was still busy studying French cuisine and it took me another ten years to open my eyes to wine, the Air France seal and the dignity of being shipped by air were impressive, and the price of 6,000 yen was also impressive, so I was very grateful to receive it. However, I don't remember drinking it again after that, and since then, I've become obsessed with Bordeaux, and red wine has become the furthest thing from my mind. However, now that I know that most imported wines at the time were damaged by heat deterioration, it is true that that Beaujolais Nouveau was a precious wine that I was able to drink in good condition, ironically.
Nowadays, most Nouveau is loaded into reefer containers early and sent to Japan by sea. Air freight is costly, and with so many people drinking it, air freight alone would not be enough. However, ironically, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems that this year many planes carrying Nouveau instead of passengers are coming to Japan. I don't know if the airline stickers are still respectfully affixed to the planes, but I think it's fun to think about what traveled to get the Nouveau you're drinking to this faraway land in the Far East.
Finally, my name is Seki Osamu. I am a university professor specializing in modern French thought and cultural theory. I have been fascinated by French cuisine for 40 years, and have been a French wine lover for over a quarter century. I also serve as a director of the Reefer Wine Association (Inc.). Last year, I published a translation of "Mr. Pydlo, what is the use of a gourmet critic?" by Gilles Pydlofsky, a French gourmet critic whom I respect. I am working hard every day to become Japan's own Pydlo. From the next issue, I intend to start a full-fledged serialization. I hope you will continue to support me.
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This month's recommended wine: Beaujolais Nouveau
"Beaujolais Villages Nouveau 2020 Domaine Mejia" 3,980 yen (excluding tax)
With the start of the next season, we will introduce the "Recommended Wine of the Month" and make arrangements for you to purchase it. However, an importer contacted us and said, "A wine will arrive at Haneda tomorrow." He was actually a high school classmate of ours who worked for a certain French airline. The airline gifted non-saleable wines to its customers were from Mejia, and he was the liaison with the Domaine as the cargo manager. The Domaine asked us to sell the wine in Japan, so we obtained an exclusive sales contract, quit our job, and started selling it. Mejia is a winemaker who represents Siloubles, one of the villages that can claim to be Cru Beaujolais village wines. The wines from villages that are counted as Crus can claim to be village wines, which are of a higher rank. Of course, this is your chance to try the wines that arrived on a plane from a certain French airline, which only a limited number of people have been able to drink until now.
To purchase, please visit Media Japon L Wine Boutique .
Please note that in the photo, the label does not say "Nouveau", but the label on the back says "Nouveau" and "Vintage".
Biography
Osamu Seki Born in Tokyo in 1961. Currently a part-time lecturer at Meiji University and other institutions.
He specializes in contemporary French thought and cultural theory, and is a director of the Reefer Wine Association.
His books include "An Introduction to Beautiful Men" (Natsume Shobo) and "My Neighbor is Arashi-kun" (Cyzo), and his translations include "How Should We Read Foucault?" by Oksara (Shinsensha) and "Mr. Pydrow, What Use Is a Gastronomic Critic?" by Pydrowski (Shinsensha).
Seki Osamu Official Website
This time, as a preparation for the renewal, we will be bringing you the 0th installment of the "Gourmet News" series by Professor Seki Osamu.
When you think of a place you want to dress up and go out to, it's got to be a nice restaurant. You can imagine a lovely location, delicious wine and food, and fun scenes with family, friends, partners, etc. The Cloakroom would like to suggest a way to spend time, where you can tie up an elegant suit and have fun as an adult.
In the series, Professor Seki will share his wealth of experience and sharp insights, and will also share his monthly wine recommendations and delicious restaurants. Please look forward to the dress-up index, which will give you some tips on how to dress for each restaurant.
It would take too long to introduce my encounter with Professor Seki here, so I will save that for another time, but he has been very kind to me and has been very helpful to me. I am overwhelmed by the wide range of research topics he has, such as "handsome men," "hosts," and "Johnny's." I'm sure we will talk about that in the future.
In 2021, we would like to plan an event where we can all enjoy wine and food together. This is the pre-event, so the first one is scheduled for around the end of the year or the beginning of the new year. We hope you will enjoy it.
I think this is an unusual number of characters for a clothing store newsletter, but I am confident that the content is interesting. Please take the time to read it.
The Cloakroom Tokyo
Masashi Shimada
"Gourmet News" No. 0
"My first Beaujolais Nouveau"
Speaking of November wine, Beaujolais Nouveau is the one. It is released every year at midnight on the third Thursday. This year it is the 19th. Nowadays, there are many different types and prices, from inexpensive plastic bottles sold at supermarkets and Don Quijote to premium wines created by natural wine masters, so many people may have trouble deciding which one to choose.
I vividly remember the first time I had Beaujolais Nouveau. It was a few years after I entered university in 1980 and started eating French cuisine. I found a restaurant I frequented, and had it there. Because of the time difference, it was released earlier than anywhere else in France, let alone in developed countries, so during the bubble period in the late 1980s, a Nouveau train ran to Narita Airport, and it was before the wild parties were held at the airport. The current rules on the release date were established in 1984, so it must have been around that time. It is said that it was first airlifted to Japan in 1976, so even though it had been almost ten years, I had never seen it before. In other words, at that time, Nouveau was still a precious wine that could only be found in restaurants.
Speaking of French cuisine, it was a time when hotels and conference halls were mainstream, and even in town, grand maisons such as Maxim's and Lecrin were the norm. Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Daikanyama, there was a stylish restaurant called "Visconti" for some reason, even though it served French cuisine. Famous actors such as Mikijiro Hira and Mayumi Ogawa were regular customers, and the restaurant was also featured on the leading gourmet program of the time, "Ryori Tengoku" (TBS). With the support of my father, I became a customer, and the young chef Ryo Hirota also took a liking to me.
Then, one day in the depths of autumn, I visited Visconti with my father and some of the women who worked for the bank. The chef respectfully brought out a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau, saying that he had acquired a special wine. The bottle, with the Air France sticker on it, was, of course, made by Georges Duboeuf. It can be said that it was Duboeuf who helped to popularize Nouveau around the world. And it was with the help of his ally, Paul Bocuse, the "Emperor of Nouvelle Cuisine."
Beaujolais is classified as one of the Burgundy wines. Burgundy wine is produced in the Yonne department, an exclave that includes Chablis, and in the region along the Saône River from Dijon in the north to Lyon in the south. Beaujolais is located at the southern end, just north of Lyon. Bocuse's restaurant is also located in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, about 10km north of Lyon. The red wines of this region are made from Gamay grapes, unlike other Pinot Noir varieties, and are produced using a different method. Not only Nouveau, but regular Beaujolais as well is a wine that should be drunk early.
So this is the Beaujolais Nouveau I've heard about. For me, who was still busy studying French cuisine and it took me another ten years to open my eyes to wine, the Air France seal and the dignity of being shipped by air were impressive, and the price of 6,000 yen was also impressive, so I was very grateful to receive it. However, I don't remember drinking it again after that, and since then, I've become obsessed with Bordeaux, and red wine has become the furthest thing from my mind. However, now that I know that most imported wines at the time were damaged by heat deterioration, it is true that that Beaujolais Nouveau was a precious wine that I was able to drink in good condition, ironically.
Nowadays, most Nouveau is loaded into reefer containers early and sent to Japan by sea. Air freight is costly, and with so many people drinking it, air freight alone would not be enough. However, ironically, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems that this year many planes carrying Nouveau instead of passengers are coming to Japan. I don't know if the airline stickers are still respectfully affixed to the planes, but I think it's fun to think about what traveled to get the Nouveau you're drinking to this faraway land in the Far East.
Finally, my name is Seki Osamu. I am a university professor specializing in modern French thought and cultural theory. I have been fascinated by French cuisine for 40 years, and have been a French wine lover for over a quarter century. I also serve as a director of the Reefer Wine Association (Inc.). Last year, I published a translation of "Mr. Pydlo, what is the use of a gourmet critic?" by Gilles Pydlofsky, a French gourmet critic whom I respect. I am working hard every day to become Japan's own Pydlo. From the next issue, I intend to start a full-fledged serialization. I hope you will continue to support me.
This month's recommended wine: Beaujolais Nouveau
"Beaujolais Villages Nouveau 2020 Domaine Mejia" 3,980 yen (excluding tax)
With the start of the next season, we will introduce the "Recommended Wine of the Month" and make arrangements for you to purchase it. However, an importer contacted us and said, "A wine will arrive at Haneda tomorrow." He was actually a high school classmate of ours who worked for a certain French airline. The airline gifted non-saleable wines to its customers were from Mejia, and he was the liaison with the Domaine as the cargo manager. The Domaine asked us to sell the wine in Japan, so we obtained an exclusive sales contract, quit our job, and started selling it. Mejia is a winemaker who represents Siloubles, one of the villages that can claim to be Cru Beaujolais village wines. The wines from villages that are counted as Crus can claim to be village wines, which are of a higher rank. Of course, this is your chance to try the wines that arrived on a plane from a certain French airline, which only a limited number of people have been able to drink until now.
To purchase, please visit Media Japon L Wine Boutique .
Please note that in the photo, the label does not say "Nouveau", but the label on the back says "Nouveau" and "Vintage".
Biography
Osamu Seki Born in Tokyo in 1961. Currently a part-time lecturer at Meiji University and other institutions.
He specializes in contemporary French thought and cultural theory, and is a director of the Reefer Wine Association.
His books include "An Introduction to Beautiful Men" (Natsume Shobo) and "My Neighbor is Arashi-kun" (Cyzo), and his translations include "How Should We Read Foucault?" by Oksara (Shinsensha) and "Mr. Pydrow, What Use Is a Gastronomic Critic?" by Pydrowski (Shinsensha).
Seki Osamu Official Website