Video: MVP Trip Part 4 “Breakfast at Tsukiji”

On the final day in Tokyo, the Miku team ventures out to the world’s most famous fish market, Tsukiji, to taste the “freshest sushi in the world.” And yes, it REALLY was that good. Their reactions says it all. . . .enjoy! As you’ve probably noticed already, we spend about 70% of the time in Japan eating.

>> Watch previous videos from the MVP trip: Part 1 “Departure Day,” Part 2 “First Night in Tokyo,” Part 3 “Chris’ Tokyo Pastry Shop Tour“

Foodie PechaKucha Night in Vancouver

On November 24th, Erica and Lisa attended volume 19 of the PechaKucha series at Vogue Theatre. Hosted by Scout Magazine’s Andrew Morrison, the food-themed PechaKucha featured 12 speakers, including Terry David Mulligan from Tasting Room Radio, executive chef Quang Dang of West restaurant, John Neate of JJ Bean, Coffee Roaster, Heidi Noble of JoieFarm Winery and Alexandra Gill, restaurant reviewer for The Globe and Mail.

Just in case, you don’t know what Pecha Kucha is. . .

PechaKucha Nights are informal and fun gatherings where creative people get together and share their ideas, works, and thoughts. The event is based on a simple presentation format where speakers show 20 images, each for 20 seconds. The images forward automatically and speakers talk along to the images. The presentation format was created by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham of Klein Dytham architecture, and the first one was held in Tokyo in their gallery/lounge, SuperDeluxe, in February 2003.  Today, Pecha Kucha nights are happening in over 230 cities around the globe.

Here are Erica’s thoughts:

“I couldn’t help but smile throughout the entire presentation.  It made me so happy being in the room full of Vancouverites who came together for one common interest: food.  Everybody’s presentation was different — some made me laugh, some made me cry, some made me do both.  Either way, I was completely touched by the way each speaker spoke so passionately about their story.  One of my favourite talks of the night was by Quang Dang, the executive chef at West restaurant.  He shared his process of creating a dish, from his first scribbles on paper to the final execution of the dish.  As a painter, it made me realize how similar our process is.  Essentially, we are all artists in this world,  working with different mediums, wanting to perfect our craft and create our art.  Heidi Noble of Joie wines creates bottles of wine with the most perfect grapes, John Neate brews cups of coffee with beans, just like how I paint pictures with acrylic paint.  It is rare to meet people now a days who say they love what they do, but that was no exception when listening to the presenters at PechaKucha.  If I learned one lesson from attending the talk, it was to find your passion, practice it and follow your dreams.”

Here are Lisa’s thoughts:

“I was tearing up the entire time,  because the passion of the chefs and business owners of this city is truly remarkable – we definitely live in a special foodie city. A theme that was particularly touching and prevalent amongst the speakers was the concept of family. Adam Chandler (owner of Beta5 Chocolates) spoke of mother being a major influence in his life, as she was adamant about not eating junk food and making sure food was made from real ingredients in the kitchen. Food blogger, Jeanette Ordas, spoke of nostalgic moments she has of her mother when she bakes her chocolate chip bundt cake recipe. Sophie Dikeakos (Sophie’s Cosmic Cafe) shared the importance of letting her sons take on the business in their own way and vision, not hers, for the next generation of the iconic Kitsilano diner. I think it all comes to making sure you have a food culture at a home. From making time to eat at the table together, maintaining family traditions, collaborating in the kitchen, to children being the inspiration to making a healthier and more sustainable tomorrow, food is all about love.”

Video: MVP Trip Part 2 “First Night in Tokyo”

The second video of the Miku MVP Japan Trip is finally up! The team has now arrived in Japan, and this video documents their first night out in Tokyo. We still have more videos of the trip coming up over the next month, so keep checking back on the Miku blog for more.

Miku MVP Japan trip members: Chris Janik (Executive Pastry Chef), Takuya Motohashi (Executive Chef), George Katagai (President/CEO), Lisa Nakamura (Communications Specialist), Caitlin Bryant (Manager)

And just in case you missed Part 1: “Departure Day,” here it is!

New Menu Launch: Fall & Winter 2011

Miku’s Executive Chef, Takuya Motohashi describes the new fall & winter menu as ‘Warm, Innovative, and Collaborative’ – most people would simply describe it as ‘delicious.’ Click on the video below to hear Takuya speak about the inspirations and flavours behind the new sushi, kitchen and pastry items for the season.

All of the new items are marked by the Miku sun in the menus. Click below to view menus:
LUNCH - DINNER - TAPAS - DESSERT

Sustaining Japanese-Canadian Culture

Written by Lisa Nakamura

Me with Justin Ault (Owner, Hapa Izakaya)

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the inaugral 2011 Nikkei Place Community Awards & Fundraising Dinner. Emceed by Justin Ault, owner of Hapa Izakaya restaurants, the event recognized key leaders and contributors making a difference in the Japanese-Canadian, Nikkei Place community. Their fundraising initiative also raised $75,000 for centre programs and museum.

You often hear the term ‘Nikkei’ in business reports from the Tokyo Stock Exchange, but it also refers to someone whose ancestor was a Japanese that immigrated to another country before/after the second world war. Today, sociologists use the term to refer to the general population of Japanese immigrants across generations, around the world. In Canada, based on a 2006 study,  there were 98,900 (about 62,430 of whom are of mixed heritage), and each generation has a specific name:

• Issei (一世) – The first generation of immigrants, born in Japan before moving to Canada
• Nisei (二世) – The second generation, born in Canada to Issei parents not born in Canada
• Sansei (三世) – The third generation, born in Canada to Nisei parents born in Canada
• Yonsei (四世) – The fourth generation, born in Canada to Sansei parents born in Canada
• Gosei (五世) – The fifth generation, born in Canada to Yonsei parents born in Canada

At the awards, I sat at a table with six very successful young Japanese-Canadians, including lawyers, teachers, and civil servants. But when I looked around the room,  I couldn’t help but notice nearly half of the attendees were over 60 years of age. This frightened me a bit,  because I’m not sure if there are enough youth and adults to sustain the Japanese-Canadian culture in the next 20 years. Can a young Japanese-Canadian even name a community leader (other than David Suzuki) off the top of their head? Most Japanese-Canadians are now mixed heritage, also known ‘hapas,’ so how do we ensure we keep this community engaged in Japanese language, culture, traditions and values?

But every time I walk into Miku Restaurant, I feel there is something very special happening that room. Half the staff are Japanese (some mixed heritage), and half are of other ethnic backgrounds. What we’re experiencing is the creation of a distinctly new Japanese-Canadian culture, where it is our Polish, Chinese, Filipino, Hungarian and Indian staff who are eager to embrace Japanese culture, learning not only about the food, but the language, etiquette and values. Which makes me think, perhaps the answer to the cultural dilemma is right in front of me. The Japanese-Canadian culture will be sustained by the open minds and hearts of Canadians as a whole, rather than an exclusive ‘nikkei’ society.

Miku MVP Trip Video #1: “Departure Day”

Travelling brings out the best and strangest in people, and the Miku MVP Japan trip was no exception. We stuck a video camera onto Lisa Nakamura (Miku’s Communications Specialist) to make sure there was documentation of what jet-setting Miku team members are like when they’re off the restaurant floor.

Here’s part one of the Miku MVP Trip Videos – “Departure Day.” Many more videos to come. Enjoy!

Miku Team Returns from Japan

Written by Lisa Nakamura

After spending a week exploring the roots of Miku in Miyazaki, and the hustle and bustle of the world’s most densely populated city, Tokyo, five Miku team members have returned to Vancouver safely and jet lagged. Sleep deprivation and overeating are two ways of describing the trip, but most importantly, it was a culturally rich experience inspiring each team member in a different way.

In the itinerary was a day devoted to touring pastry shops of Tokyo, visiting the famous Tsukiji fish market at 6:00 am to eat the best sushi in the world, attending the Tora Corporation (Miku Restaurant’s sister company in Japan) conference, and paying respect to the Shinto gods at the Udo Shrine near Miyazaki.

The Miku MVP trip is an employee recognition program, which was launched in August 2011. Employees were asked to nominate a co-worker, who has been an exceptional team player and genuinely embraces the ningenmi corporate philosophy. Executive pastry chef, Chris Janik, was chosen for the program’s inaugural year, for his absolute love for pastry arts, and the compassion he brings to the team each day. Accompanying Chris were George Katagai, Takuya Motohashi, Caitlin Bryant and myself, Lisa.

I had the chance to catch up with Chris to reflect on the trip – here are his thoughts:

LN: What was the most memorable part of the trip?

CJ: Miyazaki for sure – it just had a real feel to it , felt more japanese and it was my first tropical encounter , saw a palm tree for a first time, the temple and crazy big waves.

LN: What was your impression of Tora Corporation before the trip?

CJ: I expected Tora Corporation to be more like traditional corporate type, cold and very serious but what I found was a company with a human touch and people who treat you more like a family member and make you feel special, welcomed and appreciative of your involvement in the company.

LN: What was the most surprising/unexpected thing you found in Japan?

CJ: Most surprising for me was the extremely high standards in the service industry sector. I have never thought service could be elevated to such heights.

LN: Are you tired – since we hardly had any time to sleep in Japan?

CJ: No – if anything I am motivated and inspired to transfer what I learned and apply this knowledge in my daily routines.

LN: What’s the best meal you had? Best Dessert?

CJ: Best dish for me was a home made miso soup at NONOYA and dessert green apple/caramel dome from Mont St. Claire patisserie in Tokyo.

Over the next two weeks, I will be putting together video footage of our trip. Check our twitter feed for updates.

MVP Trip Preview – A pastry tour in Tokyo

Written by Lisa Nakamura

Pastry Chef Chris Janik

On Friday, September 9, Miku MVP and Executive Pastry Chef Chris Janik will be heading to Japan to explore Miku’s roots in Miyazaki, and to indulge in Tokyo’s decadent pastry culture. By visiting shops of renowned European pâtissiers and the hidden gems of traditional wagashi (Japanese sweets), Chris hopes to bring back new flavours and inspirations to Vancouver.

Chris will be joined by CEO George Katagai, executive chef Takuya Motohashi, manager Caitlin Bryant, and myself, Lisa Nakamura, communications specialist for Miku. I will be documenting our journey on this blog, sharing stories and capturing beautiful images of Japan, the food and the people.

The highlight of the trip will be our visit to Miyazaki, home of Miku’s sister company, Tora Corporation. Here, we will be meeting with over 400 employees of the Tora group, attending their annual conference and visiting all eight of their restaurants. The next post will be written from a hotel in Tokyo!

Here is Chris’ list of top pâtisseries and chocolateries to visit in Tokyo:

1. Jean-Paul Hevin – Born in 1957, Jean-Paul Hevin is a French manufacturer of high-end chocolates operating four stores in Paris,  five in Japan and two in Hong Kong. In 2004, the economic newspaper, Nikkei Shinbun, ranked Jean-Paul Hévin, the #1 chocolate maker in Japan. In 2004 and 2005,  his chocolate macaron was elected as “Paris’ Best Macaron.”
2. Pierre Marcolini – A Belgian master chocolatier, who has won titles like Belgium’s Best Patissier 1991, World’s Best Patissier 1995 and European Patisserie Champion of 2000. He owns shops around the the world, including Japan and Kuwait.
3. La Maison du Chocolat – The story of La Maison du Chocolat goes back to 1955, when pastry and confectionary shop owner, Robert Linxe, transformed the “La Marquise de Presle” into a catering business. Robert sold his pastry side of the business to the famous pastry chef, Gasto Lenôtre.Robert, who developed the business into a boutique chocolaterie. Today, there are numerous locations in the food capitals of the world including, London, Paris, New York, and Tokyo.
4. Oriol Balaguer - A Spanish pastry chef,  who is often called a ‘gastronomy revolutionary’.Winner of the Best Dessert in the World (2001), Best Pastry Chef in Spain (2008), and Best Gastronomy Shop in Madrid (2008), Oriol Balaguer shops can be found in 11 countries.
5. Sadaharu Aoki - In 1991, Sadaharu Aoki arrived in Europe to work at Jean Millet’s and Couderc’s restaurants in Paris, and at Girardet’s in Switzerland. He opened his work atelier in 1998 in Paris, and now has four boutiques between France and Japan. Chef Aoki is also contracted with All Nippon Airways (ANA) to create in-flight desserts for business-class travellers.
6. Pierre Herme - French pastry chef, most famous for his macarons of unusual flavour combinations. One of his most famous creations include the  Ispahan, made with rose, lychee, and raspberry. French Vogue magazine calls him “The Picasso of Pastry.”
7. Hidemi Sugino - Winner of the 1991 World Pastry Competition, and no doubt, the Japanese heavy-weight in the pastry world ever since. His one and only store draws in large crowds, with customers lining up starting around 8.30am.
8. Yoshi Kaneko – A Japanese pastry chef, who has worked with an impressive list of French pastry masters including, Philippe Andrieu chez Ladurée, Gilles Marchal at l’hôtel Bristol, Arnaud Larher, Patrick Roger and Laurent Ledaniel