Japanese Meal

 The Cinema Bookshop team went out for a celebratory meal last night, after a successful Festival.

Belmont House is now owned by an English and Japanese couple, Simon and Kazuko, and they have started doing supper parties with authentic Japanese food.  They don't have a drinks licence, so ask guests to bring their own beer and wine.  They provide water and a sort of barley tea, which was quite refreshing.  

Greg, our manager, managed to find some genuine Japanese Asahi beer in cans, which was tasty and refreshing, and there was a bottle of white wine going round, too.  I'd brought a bottle of Blorenge Golden Ale from Tudor Brewery, from their regular stall on the Thursday market.

We were sitting at a table on the back patio, with a view down the garden and across the Wye Valley.

Before each course, Kazuko explained what the food was for the benefit of those of us who had never eaten Japanese food before.  Which was most of us, apart from Greg, who used to go to book fairs in Japan.

We started with two skewers each of chicken and vegetables - the sort of thing that would be street food in Japan.

Then there was a noodle soup in green tea, with deep fried pieces of vegetables.  The veg and noodles were eaten with chopsticks, and then we were encouraged to pick up the bowl to drink the tea There was a green leaf in there from a plant related to the chrysanthamum, which Kazuko grows in the garden, as it's impossible to buy in the UK.  All the ingredients were locally sourced as much as possible - she said she went out shopping in the morning, and decided then what the meal would be in the evening.

Then there was a small bowl of salad each, from Primrose Farm, with a sesame dressing which was delicious.

Only then did we get to the main course!  This was breaded pork steak, with a sauce to dip it into and a mound of rice, with chopped salady stuff.  The pork came from Geraldine, the butcher on Castle Street.  Kazuko said that the pork was as good as anything she could get back in Japan.

And finally, dessert was home made miso ice cream with two little home-made sesame biscuits on top - very rich and creamy.

After that we had coffee and green tea (and some more Asahi beer), and just enjoyed the evening sunshine.  

Meanwhile in the front room of the house another party had arrived for the sushi meal that they do.

Kazuko said that she also has all the equipment to do a Japanese tea ceremony!

She was dressed in a traditional Buddhist trouser suit that she had made herself (not pyjamas!).

They did a take away stall last year at the Festival, from their front garden, which seemed to be very successful - I tried some of the food then, and very much enjoyed it.  They tried again this year, but had to give up because the flats across the road had left their bins out, and the smell after a couple of days was really quite unpleasant in the hot weather.

They will also be doing a take away stall at the monthly Food Fairs in the square, on the first Saturday of each month (I think except August).