Tasting Britain
TastingBritain.co.uk - Hyper Japan Christmas Market 2015 @ Tobacco Dock, Shadwell, London
Hyper Japan isn't strictly a food and drink festival, but Tasting Britain keeps getting reinvited due to all the delicious food and drink on offer. Also we seem to be getting all âculturalâ these days. Anyway, for those who don't know stuff about Hyper Japan, it's probably the UK's biggest Japanese culture festival. Three days of anime, J-Pop gigs, sake tastings, people dressed as Naruto, video gaming, martial arts demos, sushi and me and my friends (which is not actually an âattraction' but I'd like to think we're attractive anyway).
Hyper Japan started in 2012, and by its own description is 'curated by local Japanese people, with the intent of introducing the âeclecticâ Japan to the UK'. As of this year (I think), has been held at the O2 Arena in Canary Wharf. However, what youâre looking at here, Hyper Japanâs Christmas Market, is a little different. Christmas themed, for a start - visitors are invited to âenjoy a Tokyo shopping experienceâ - and it really is more retail oriented. The atmosphere is vibrant, the weather is cold, the people are kawaiiiiiiiiiiiiii and the atmosphere isâ¦atmospheric (*dramatic music*).
Highlights from the event this year included a Kawaiicore band (this exists) called Lady Baby making their European debut. And The Eat-Japan Sushi Awards 2015 - supposedly the longest running sushi competition. This competition sees five sushi chefs (each repping their respective restaurant) taste testing various unique sushi creations on a willing (600 strong) audience, and whoever wins the popular vote wins the competition. 2013âs Sushi Awards winner, Yoshihiro Motohashi, was running the show at this yearâs Sushi Bar - serving up his award winning âHyper Rollâ (oh baby wanna see my Hyper Roll?). This yearâs winner? Henryanto Aloysius of Genji - and his 'Spicy Crunch sushi'.
Also good to see: interactive demonstrations and workshops such as Ippudo's ramen cooking session. And I must also mention the inaugural Sake Cocktail Awards (which you can see some pictures of the heats for). We got to try some of
Marco Rosina of Chotto Matteâs Chotto Jelly cocktail (Saturday), Marie Ariga (of Wazen)âs âOne Piece' and a third one, (a name I did not get! Turns out Marco won that round but I honestly believe the aforementioned third one was the true winner here (just take my word for it - thatâs the one with the guy pouring what looks like yoghurtâ¦. delicious yoghurt). All in all, Japanese culture is alternatively baffling, fun and amazing - and the Eat Japan food court never fails to deliver (on variety in the very least!). We will most certainly be back - arigato...
TastingBritain.co.uk - Hyper Japan Christmas Market 2015 @ Tobacco Dock, Shadwell, London
Hyper Japan isn't strictly a food and drink festival, but Tasting Britain keeps getting reinvited due to all the delicious food and drink on offer. Also we seem to be getting all âculturalâ these days. Anyway, for those who don't know stuff about Hyper Japan, it's probably the UK's biggest Japanese culture festival. Three days of anime, J-Pop gigs, sake tastings, people dressed as Naruto, video gaming, martial arts demos, sushi and me and my friends (which is not actually an âattraction' but I'd like to think we're attractive anyway).
Hyper Japan started in 2012, and by its own description is 'curated by local Japanese people, with the intent of introducing the âeclecticâ Japan to the UK'. As of this year (I think), has been held at the O2 Arena in Canary Wharf. However, what youâre looking at here, Hyper Japanâs Christmas Market, is a little different. Christmas themed, for a start - visitors are invited to âenjoy a Tokyo shopping experienceâ - and it really is more retail oriented. The atmosphere is vibrant, the weather is cold, the people are kawaiiiiiiiiiiiiii and the atmosphere isâ¦atmospheric (*dramatic music*).
Highlights from the event this year included a Kawaiicore band (this exists) called Lady Baby making their European debut. And The Eat-Japan Sushi Awards 2015 - supposedly the longest running sushi competition. This competition sees five sushi chefs (each repping their respective restaurant) taste testing various unique sushi creations on a willing (600 strong) audience, and whoever wins the popular vote wins the competition. 2013âs Sushi Awards winner, Yoshihiro Motohashi, was running the show at this yearâs Sushi Bar - serving up his award winning âHyper Rollâ (oh baby wanna see my Hyper Roll?). This yearâs winner? Henryanto Aloysius of Genji - and his 'Spicy Crunch sushi'.
Also good to see: interactive demonstrations and workshops such as Ippudo's ramen cooking session. And I must also mention the inaugural Sake Cocktail Awards (which you can see some pictures of the heats for). We got to try some of
Marco Rosina of Chotto Matteâs Chotto Jelly cocktail (Saturday), Marie Ariga (of Wazen)âs âOne Piece' and a third one, (a name I did not get! Turns out Marco won that round but I honestly believe the aforementioned third one was the true winner here (just take my word for it - thatâs the one with the guy pouring what looks like yoghurtâ¦. delicious yoghurt). All in all, Japanese culture is alternatively baffling, fun and amazing - and the Eat Japan food court never fails to deliver (on variety in the very least!). We will most certainly be back - arigato...