Noeud.TOKYO, Sustainable Restaurant

Noeud.TOKYO, providing sustainable food

"A sustainable restaurant that harmonizes nature, seasons, and food. Your precious time, not only “delicious”,experience “true deliciousness” for your mind, body, and environment want to provide". (from Noeud.TOKYO's website)

Noeud.TOKYO is a sustainable restaurant that harmonizes nature, seasons, and food. Nœud means "connection" in French. Beginning with food, the circle of nature, society, and people is newly connected and circulated, so that is exactly what Nœud is. Therefore, diners are not only "delicious", but also feel a connection to the mind, body and environment, and feel advanced.

The entrance of Noeud.TOKYO is in an inconspicuous place. 

The entrance of Noeud.TOKYO is under this staircase.

It's an open kitchen, so there's a sense of unity.

According to the restaurant, the business of food is based on various ecosystems and cycles, such as seeds, soil, producers, regions, the natural environment, and our health. At this restaurant, diners can experience the continuous circle drawn by food in all its ingredients, menus, and space.

This is a biscuit made from bread crumbs.
The eating experience itself is the best.

I ordered wine mariage to match the course. 
All of them are delicious.

Just the right amount of softness 
that makes use of vegetable ingredients

Powdered vegetable skins are wrapped around it.

Of course you can't eat stones, 
but it makes you feel strange.

Stone seems to be the main character. 
That's good. If your heart is satisfied

dessert

tea and sweets

Eating at Noeud.TOKYO made me feel like I was on another planet. It's an otherworldly experience.

Hillcrest Hirakawacho B1F, 2-5-7 Hirakawacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Culinary Art Feeds Soul

Culinary Art Feeds Soul

The culinary arts include relationship with ingredients, health and philosophy. Through the process, culinary art feeds the soul. I choose natural farming ingredients. This is because they are in harmony with the environment. And I make the most of seasonal vegetables and cook them. For example, carrot peels and leaves are also used in cooking. Because they are grown naturally, insects sometimes stick to the vegetables, but that is because they do not use pesticides. Insects are living beings just like humans. Cultivation that eliminates living things will eventually extinguish humans.

Naturally cultivated mandarin oranges with edible peels

Naturally cultivated vegetables can be eaten with their outer skins, so even if they are expensive, they are still worth it. It's environmentally friendly and waste-free. Practice is more important. I make a contract with a natural farmer and cook with vegetables that are delivered regularly.

This is a mandarin orange called kabosu. The outer skin is a little harder than ordinary Japanese mandarin oranges. It has a refreshing lemon-like scent. Take the seeds (if I had a garden, I'd like to sow them), cut them into small pieces with the outer skin, add honey and sugar, and put them in a zipper. You can make hot lemon tea just by pouring hot water.

Hot tea made with naturally cultivated mandarin oranges

If you cut kabosu into small pieces together with the outer skin,
add honey and sugar, and put it in a zipper,
it will take 2-3 days in the refrigerator
for the flavors to blend in and the skin to soften.

Face the world in everyday cooking

I don't eat vegetables grown efficiently in large quantities. Many of them are highly efficient for their business. In other words, efficiency is cheap labor, genetically modified, or unnatural. I subscribe to vegetables directly from the farmer for a fair price. They are so delicious, brightly colored, and have vibrant leaves that are incomparable to the pretty vegetables you see in supermarkets. Every day is practice. By making the right choices, I face the world. A small but decisive move. Even intellectuals, politicians, and teachers who talk about ideals are worthless to hear unless they are put into practice.

It is up to the farmer to decide what kind of vegetables will come.
Unlike the vegetables sold at the supermarket,
they are full of energy.
Turnips and carrots also have leaves and stems.
Of course, we also cook and eat them.

Vegetables delivered every week
in cardboard boxes from contracted farmers.

Hamarikyu Garden in Tokyo, where you can cleanse your soul

Autumn scenery in the city center garden

The Metropolitan Hamarikyu Garden, which has been designated as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty and a Special Historic Site in Japan, is a feudal lord's garden with a tide pond that has continued since the Edo period. From mid-November to early December, about 260 trees such as trident maples, wax trees, cherry blossoms, and maples can be enjoyed in their yellow and autumn colors.

The water garden in central Tokyo
is a sanctuary where you can cleanse your soul.

The bridge is a metaphor for another world.
 I feel it strongly here.

You can also enjoy the matcha green tea and Japanese sweets set (charged) at Nakajima no Ochaya. The scenery of the water surface spreading while drinking tea is very tasteful.

Enjoying the waterside and tea is the best.

The combination of raw Japanese sweets and matcha is the best.

While strolling around, I came across a traditional Japanese calico cat. There is a shrine in the park nearby, so maybe it's a god's messenger cat?

A cat that turned when I prayed to look this way. 
Is it a divine beast? This cat has a majestic air about it.

A little thought becomes a seed and bears fruit

A little thought becomes a seed and bears fruit

By chance, I stayed at the hotel I wanted to stay two years ago. At that time, I was interested in how the working style was changing. Zoku is a hotel based on the cutting-edge idea of sharing working spaces and staying while working. I was surprised when I decided to attend the event in Amsterdam. Because the venue was near Zoku.

The common space is spacious and comfortable. 
I enjoyed mint fresh herbal tea and cake.

There was a large table set in the common space.
There is also a seminar space.

The front desk is on the 6th floor.
The sky is wide open and the plants welcome the guests.

The four alphabets at the entrance, ZOKU, are unique.

There is also a veranda to go outside.
If it's warm, it's perfect for a drinking party.

The entrance is on the zero floor.
I couldn't remember which floor the entrance was on,
so I asked for help.

I stayed in room 401 on the stairs.

It's at the end of the stairs.

Look, this is 401. I was happy when I found it. There

It is a type called Bootstrap.
Although it is 12m², it can accommodate up to 2 people.
I liked that there were no unnecessary things like a TV.

Climb the roll curtain rail onto this desk and pull it.
A really well thought out design.

The whole wall is a mirror,
so it gives an illusion that it is wide.

Awareness that the laws of the universe work

By staying at the hotel I was interested in, I realized that the important laws of the universe are functioning. What I thought two years ago stuck with me and influenced my future. This is not a coincidence, it is inevitable. And, as if to prove the trend of the times, the universe took me to a new style hotel. Even if it was just a small choice, it made me make a choice. Everything makes sense.

Bonus photo: A round rainbow is said to be a sign of good luck.
 This is an aerial photo on the way from Doha to Amsterdam.

A small coffee stand like a jewel in Tokyo, Ichigaya

A small coffee stand that only seats 5 people

I went to a small coffee stand in Ichigaya, Tokyo, Bun Coffee, which had been on my mind for a long time. The inside of the store is large enough for five people to sit. When I casually ordered a flat white, I was surprised at how delicious it was. Just a cup of coffee can impress people so much!

the best cup of coffee makes me happy

I also had a lamington with coconut.
When I told my daughter and I to eat together,
the staff cut it in half.

Small but cozy coffee stand

Handwritten signboard full of information

Organic coffee from Australia

This coffee stand "BUN COFFEE" sells organic coffee from Australia. I am particular about roasting. "BUN COFFEE" was launched by David Kennedy in 2005. At a roasting house in Byron Bay, Australia, he himself selected beans from all over the world and completed 6 special blends by roasting methods that match each bean.

This coffee gave me new pleasures in life. Even if you're not adventurous enough to take a trip, a coffee stand with a nice atmosphere is very useful for a little break.

There are two special seats with a view of the street.
The other three seats are in the back of the store.

Plants hang from the ceiling,
and the sun is shining just right,
so it's pleasant just to look at them.

Bhimrao Ambedkar, Pioneer of the Age of Aquarius Beyond Tradition

Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar 

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

I was surprised to learn that there are few Buddhists in India, the birthplace of Buddhism. In Japan, Shinto and Buddhism are both deeply rooted in Japanese culture and life to avoid conflict. Buddhism was officially introduced to Japan in the 6th century. Shintoism was originally in Japan. The majority religion in India is Hinduism. I had an intuition that it was similar to Shinto in Japan. It is the sensibility to see God in the universe.

I learned that there was a person who revived Buddhism in such India. The person is Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891-1956).

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891-1956) 

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891-1956) was an Indian statesman (minister of justice in the Nehru cabinet), drafter of the Indian constitution, and leader of the anti-caste movement. Born into the lowest caste (Dalit) family, he is known for starting a Buddhist revival movement. Between 1927 and 1932, along with his followers, he promoted a non-violent movement demanding confirmation of the rights of untouchables to enter Hindu temples and use public reservoirs and wells. Tens of thousands of untouchables joined the movement as non-violent resisters. It ended in a legal victory for lower caste activists. In addition, Ambedkar, who believed that the ancient Hindu scriptures, the Law Code of Manu, was a major basis for the harsh treatment of untouchables, decided to burn the Law Code of Manu.

all gods are one
 (Narada sees viśvarūpa from wiki)

No religion is 100% correct

It can be said that no religion is 100% correct in the way it is practiced. But all the original ideas were great. Otherwise the pure believers would not have followed. 

About 30 years ago, when I was young, a young German man confessed to me that he was an atheist. To him, the confession was a gamble that might have made him question his humanity, but to me it was a natural understanding. Perhaps for many Japanese, faith meant living modestly in harmony with nature. It is far from the image of an enthusiastic believer. 

Beyond the long tradition

Even if human rights are stripped or precious lives are taken away in the name of religion, is religion still wonderful? Whether it has a long tradition or not. Humanity may have been going in the wrong direction for thousands of years. That's why I sometimes look at it from a cosmic perspective to see if I'm standing in the right position. Beyond the long tradition, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891-1956) is great.The Age of Aquarius encourages a break with hierarchy, control, and individual freedom. It will be a good guidepost in a chaotic society.

The hallmark of Buddhist temples is the bell.
This is not in Shinto.
Japanese people are mostly familiar with both Buddhism and Shinto.

When a child is born,
the family visits a nearby shrine and greets the gods.

Statues of Nyorai and Bodhisattva
are enshrined in Japanese Buddhist temples.
During Buddhist ceremonies,
incense sticks are burned, and the bell is occasionally rung
while the sutra is chanted.

Kamidana (home shrine) is a Shinto style.
The object of worship is usually a round mirror.

Shinto shrine gate
There are various materials
such as vermilion painted wood and stone.
Bow here before entering the shrine.