August 2019 – Page 2

Lima Restaurant

August 19, 2019 mmm-yoso Peruvian Restaurants

**** Lima Restaurant has closed

Back in June, one of the folks in my office was headed to Jury Duty and asked me where to eat; of course I recommended Sultan. Which he really enjoyed. Though when he returned he asked me what I thought of the "new" Peruvian Restaurant which was across the street from Sultan. New Peruvian? Across the street from Sultan? So on the following weekend, I decided to head on down to see what he was referring to. And there on the corner of F and Fourth, with a rather discreet sign was "Lima Restaurant".

The fairly large, high ceiling restaurant was quite empty. Looking more like a sports bar than a restaurant.

The woman who waited on me was very friendly and warm. Turned out she was one of the owners.

I started with a Chicha Morada; which was perfect.

Very balanced sweet – cinnamon tones; quite refreshing.

And a little bowl of plantain chips and canchita, nice and warm arrived at the table.

I had ordered the Lomo Saltado, which arrived looking wonderfully vibrant. In a rather different presentation; the fries were served to the side. The nice lady told me that these days folks in Lima prefer Lomo Saltado served this way and I could mix it in as I desired…..or keep it separate to extend the crispness. Like I always say about Peru……the cuisine is always evolving.

The beef was surprisingly tender; there was a good ratio of tomato to onion…..providing a nice balance of acidity to pungency. I of course, like my papas fritas saturated in the sauce and my only complaint was that there wasn't enough of it. The sauce was more soy sauce forward; with less vinegar, but wasn't overly salty.

This was a nice version. Because the restaurant was fairly quiet; I had a nice conversation with the woman; who was indeed from Lima. We spoke about how the cuisine was ever changing, with everything from the new style "Leche de Tigre"; a creamy, cold soup like dish and how Tacu Tacu con Lomo Saltado has gotten popular. She also told me that Lima Restaurant was having a formal grand opening at the end of July. They were working on the installation and all of the licensing and approvals for a Pollo ala Brassa rostisserie.

I left quite satisfied. And waited to see if I'd hear anything about Lima Restaurant, but the only thing I saw was this; which, by the way, incorrectly attributes Lomo Saltado to the Japanese Diaspora. Being a Sansei myself; I'd love if that were true. The truth of the matter is; and this is from all of my Peruvian food books, and also everywhere online, Lomo Saltado is a Tusan (Chifa) dish. Sigh….

So finally, after not hearing anything for a while, I decided to head back down to the Gaslamp to see what was going on at Lima Restaurant.

The place was very quiet on this visit as well. The gentleman working was quite nice. Though the cancha this time around was cold and dry……not a good start in my book.

I started with the Causa. Which actually had real crab in it! It was perhaps a bit heavy handed in terms of mayo, though the potato was very moist and the seasoning spot on. The very gracious Server asked me if I wanted some "hot sauce" and I responded "some aji?" Which totally changed his friendly but reserved demeanor….."yes, we have four different aji!" So, I selected the Aji Rocoto and the nice Server actually brought me two. The Aji Rocoto and the Aji Panca. "The rocoto is very spicy, so I brought you the panca as well; which you might enjoy more." Great service. The Aji Rocoto was quite spicy, while the Panca had some heat and helped to cut the richness.

I also ordered the Cebiche Pescado, first asking what type of fish was being used.

I was quite thrilled to find out it was sole….making this truly a Cebiche Lenguado! Which was quite nice. The fish was nicely "marinated/cooked" in the Leche de Tigre, as it was still firm, but yielding and not mushy at all. The Leche de Tigre was surprisingly "picante"; quite spicy, but still refreshing. It was also ginger forward; not quite sure if I enjoyed that. At first I didn't think there was very much Leche de Tigre, but it was hidden underneath all that fish; along with quite a bit, perhaps too much, red onion.

I had actually saved my canchita not being sure they would serve more with the cebiche, but they did. It was on the dry side. The chocolo (corn) was too hard and tasteless; the camote had no flavor and was quite hard.

Still, I enjoyed the quality of the fish. I'd have this again just to see if the addition of all that chili was a mistake.

I had a nice conversation with the Server and mentioned the Pollo ala Brassa. He told me they were still working on completing all the inspections and will (hopefully) have it in by the end of August.

I enjoyed the quality of the main ingredients used and the folks working here. I wish it was in a more convenient location for me; though at least I now have another option when I get called for Jury Duty.

Lima Restaurant
409 F St.
San Diego, CA 92101
Hours:
Mon – Thurs 11am – 9pm
Fri – Sat 11am – 10pm
Sunday 11am – 8pm

Bann Korean Cuisine – Now in the H Mart Food Court

August 18, 2019 mmm-yoso Korean Restaurants

**** Bann has closed

Of all the places in the H Mart Food Court; the one that really interested me was Bann. While I considered Bann to be a decent option for lunch on Miramar Road; the food was prepared fresh, the flavors, while on the mild side, was decent, with the Kimchi Fried Rice the stand-out. Still, with a more discerning crowd, I was interested to see what changes, if any Bann had made since the move.

And so I headed down to H Mart at around 11am. The place is not nearly as crowded as when the place first opened. Good for me….not sure for all the businesses.

Bann is located to the right of Myungran Hot Dog.

The menu is tight and dishes no longer have the superflous green salads and mandu added to the menu items. Prices are about the same; even a few cents cheaper than before.

Though if you chose to have beef with your kimchi fried rice; it would be almost fourteen bucks!

I placed my order for the Kimchi Fried Rice with Spam (of course) and had a seat at one of the table.

Soon enough, I heard the mechanized "voice app" go off, it's the same voice for all the stands. It seems that each stand has a number sequence, so you'll deal with numbers in the thousands; "order five thousand – six hundred – seventy – three"……

First off; the portion size seemed to have increased quite a bit.

Secondly, it's way more spicy than it used to be….quite nice, though it might mute some of the other flavors. Couldn't really make out salty – savoriness of the Spam, which might be a good thing for some, but I really like the flavor of Spam.

Good amount of kimchi used; though it's not good fermented kimchi as it lacks the complex cheesy-sour-savory tones of a good baechu kimchi.

Thirdly, the egg was a nice sunny-side up.

Overall, a nice version of straight-up Kimchi Fried Rice. It won't win any awards, but is a decent version.

I really enjoyed the nice folks that used work the register at the Miramar location, but did not recognize the young lady working on this day. She was fine, but not nearly as pleasant. This was a decent lunch and Bann seems less fusiony these days. Nothing to go out of your way for; but perfectly fine if you're shopping at H Mart and need to load up on carbs.

Bann Korean Cuisine
7725 Balboa Ave. (In the H Mart Food Court)
San Diego, CA 92111

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Bistro Na’s (Temple City) Revisited

August 16, 2019 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

The Missus had been talking about returning to Bistro Na's since our first visit. So, knowing that's we'd have the Sunday after returning from our Budapest trip free; I made reservations before we left. Little did I know that Bistro Na's would earn a Michelin Star the week we returned.

I wondered how this would affect the restaurant. Well, it was even more crowded (Sunday lunch); but the service, as before was excellent.

And the food? Well, I'm just going to give you the overview here, as we'll probably be headed back to Bistro Na's soon.

The Chili Tofu Skin Salad and signature Crispy Shrimp were still amazing. The Crispy Lamb Brisket was very good; gamey, crisp exterior, and super tender. The Missus enjoyed the Braised Brisket with Quail Egg; but said that the red cooked beef shortribs I make at home is easily just as good. The only clunker was the Fried Mixed Mushrooms; which while crisp, were way too sweet to enjoy.

This place is easily the Missus's favorite Chinese restaurant right now. As for me; as long as they keep making that bean curd skin and crispy shrimp, I have no complaints.

Bistro Na's
9055 Las Tunas Drive
Temple City, CA 91780
Hours:
Sun – Thurs 11am – 230pn, 5pm – 9pm
Fri – Sat 11am – 230pm, 5pm – 930pm

Reims – Brasserie du Boulingrin

August 14, 2019 mmm-yoso Champagne Region, France, France, French Restaurants, Travel

After spending the day touring the Champagne Region and having had two dinners at fairly modern bistros, I thought having a nice "old school" dinner would be a change of pace. So we walked on over near the Porte du Mars and the area we had checked out the day before, to an Reims institution, established in 1925, Brasserie du Boulingrin.

Decked out in art deco style, with a menu to match Entrecote Roti, Tete de Veau, Ris de Veau……

We started with some wine…..we let the Server pick and he did a nice job.

We decided to go with the one dish I was looking forward to trying here and the Missus got a simple salad.

I ordered the Pieds de porc panes rotis au four et lentilles de Champagne……figure it out yet? It's roasted breaded pig trotters with local lentils.

At first our kind Server wasn't sure we knew what we had ordered….so he asked again…..and we repeated what we wanted. "Monseur, are you sure?" We nodded in the positive.

The Missus really enjoyed the perfectly cooked lentils; tender but still holding its shape. She basically went at it like a hot knife thru butter.

As for the trotters…well, they were perfectly roasted; the breading gave the exterior a bit of a crunch. The seasoning was simple, but spot on. Nice tender bits of meat and wonderful collagenic connective tissue.

I think you can figure out how much we enjoyed this, right?

Sorry about the photos; there were red neon lights right above us that pretty much killed the photos.

We enjoyed this hearty dinner. It was a fine last meal in Reims, nothing fancy, but quite satisfying.

Brasserie du Boulingrin
29 rue de Mars
51100, Reims, France

After dinner we took our time getting back to our hotel room. Like I mentioned; there was quite a bit of road and other work going on around Hôtel de Ville (City Hall).

Compared to Paris, things were quite quiet on this Wednesday evening.

We walked on over to the usually busy shopping street; Rue Condorset, which was very quiet this evening, and enjoyed watching Le Carrousel Vénitien.

Then headed back to our hotel for a nice night of sleep.

Our train wasn't leaving until 1245pm, so we had some time to kill in Reims. We decided to head on back to the Cathedral, which I covered in an earlier post.

And enjoyed the stained glass.

And reminded myself of the stories of Joan of Arc. And how, after the French victory at the Battle of Patay, Joan convinced the Heir Apparent (Dauphin), Charles to be crowned in Reims. Thus began what is called "the March to Reims". On July 17th, 1429, Dauphine Charles, was the 12th ruler crowned in Reims and became Charles VII.

Another interesting story is how Charles VII's estranged son Louis heard of his father's impending demise and rushed to Reims to ensure that he and not his brother Charles of Valois, would be crowned king. Ah yes…..such drama and intrigue.

We enjoyed our time in Reims and perhaps we'll return someday.

Reims is close enough to be a day trip; but if you plan to visit, you may want to at least stay one night. It seems that as day turns to evening in Reims, at least during the week, the day trippers sail off into the sunset and Reims becomes a peaceful, laid-back, city, with so much history….and yes, Champagne everywhere.

Some folks will even bend over backwards for you!

Turo Turo Tuesday – Revisits Edition; Nanay’s Best BBQ and Pinoy Fiesta

August 13, 2019 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

A couple of revisits of Turo Turo places here in San Diego.

Nanay's Best BBQ:

Stuck in meetings, folks graciously picked up some lunch for me…….

Not so good…it was from Nanay's. Now, I totally get that the guys really like huge portions…..but I think they can do better.

The Menudo was so bland; lots of meat, but there were a couple of pieces that was almost inedible connective tissue. Not enough tomato, or much any flavor as a whole.

The "Spicy Pork"; their version of sisig was the remainder of BBQ Pork in a kind of stir fry. The pork was tough; not spicy enough, lacking in sour tones…..

Nice try guys….but totally quantity over skill and quality. Lots of leftovers for others though…..

Nanay's Best BBQ
6715 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92121

Pinoy Fiesta:

I went and ordered some Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings for a potluck recently. So, being in National City, I decided to grab some lunch. Of course, Tita's is the obvious choice. But it had been a while since I'd visited Pinoy Fiesta, so I decided to see what was going on there.

The really friendly woman working had just filled the tray of Chicken BBQ, so I got that, along with (of course) some sisig.

I should just give up on the sisig here; it was cold, waxy, sour, but not spicy, and just mushy overall. Ok, it's finally sunk in.

The chicken bbq was interesting as it was very tender. Didn't care much for the sauce though as it was overly sweet and acidic. Too bad as that chicken was so soft and tender.

I did really enjoy the woman working who was so sweet and warm……though I think it'll be a while before I return.

Pinoy Fiesta
550 E 8th St
National City, CA 91950

Hu Tieu Nam Vang Kho-mparison: “KuyTeav” From 777 Noodle House, Ly Heng, and Trieu Chau

August 12, 2019 mmm-yoso Cambodian Restaurants and Cuisine, Vietnamese Restaurants

I'm thinking this post is long overdue; after all, I've been eating Hu Tieu Nam Vang ("Phnom Penh Noodles") Kho ("Dry") for ages. But just recently, I decided to try all three (not two) places in City Heights which claim Cambodian (versus Khmer) roots.

As for the roots of the dish itself; I'm more inclined to agree with folks who believe that Kuy Teav is more of a Cambodian-Chinese (Chiuchow/Teochow) hybrid that had been adopted by Vietnamese cuisine; than a purely Khmer Dish. In fact, while we ran into the very traditional Num Banh Chok when visiting Cambodia, a dish that has legendary deep roots in Cambodian folklore, there's not quite the equivalent for Kuy Teav.

Regardless, I tend to eat Hu Tieu Nam Vang Kho in the very typical way; for breakfast. And over the last couple of months, I decided to revisit these three places a mere third of a mile apart.

So, let's get started, shall we?

777 Noodle House:

777 used to be my choice for Hu Tieu Nam Vang Kho; but was eventually surpassed by Ly Heng, but on my last visit, things were looking up.

So, what would it be this time around?

The bean sprouts were nicely blanched; the only place that did this during this rotation. The noodles were nicely cooked; though the sauce for the noodles were the mildest of the three. This bowl also had the least and cheapest toppings. The accompanying soup was good, not too salty. I shocked at what was the usual shank with meat as it looked fairly skimpy. It was however, almost all, very tender, very porky meat, and just a sliver of bone!

In terms of price; this was in the middle of the three bowls. If you'd like to know more about the original owners of 777 and enjoy a blast from the past, you can check this out from almost seven years ago to the day it was published.

The place is looking a bit worn; though it's basically the same folks who have been working the front of house from when I first visited back in 2010.

777 Noodle House
4686 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92105

Ly Heng:

Next up; Ly Heng, which I first visited when they opened in 2014. Over time; I thought that Ly Heng had over taken 777 with regards to the Hu Tieu Nam Vang Kho.

I was a bit surprised with what arrived. It was the most interesting presentation and also the cheapest ($6).

The soup had a nice sized bone in it with a decent amount of tender, flavorful, meat. As usual; it edged on the salty side, and was perhaps the least favorite of the three.

Check out that presentation; in a shallow bowl, with everything on lettuce (?) which wilted. The chicken served with this was dry, the liver tasted not-so-fresh, the noodles were over-cooked. The bean sprouts weren't blanched as well.

Hmmmm…..

The young lady who waited on me was wonderful and Ly Heng was the most modern and busiest of the three places. It was strange as everyone; all five other tables seemed to finish at the same time and leave within minutes of each other.

Ly Heng
4451 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

Trieu Chau:

Talk about a blast from the past. Yes, that post is from 2006! Actually, I did revisit after our Cambodia trip. Let's just say I didn't "handle" the food well and leave it at that. Usually, I'd never return to, or ever post about somewhere when that occurs. But heck, it's 2019, right?

And while the restaurant looks basically the same outside; I think the interior looks a bit better.

Though there are some interesting touches….like did you ever wonder what happened to Mandarin Garden's (another blast from the past) chopsticks after they closed? Well, look no further.

The version here was the most expensive; like eight bucks, but it also had the most meat.

And while there was a pittance of unblanched bean sprouts and the bone in the soup was just that….no false advertising here, it was almost all bone, with some really tough meat and connective tissue, I think the broth was the best, as it actually had some nice porkiness to it.

The noodles were a bit over-cooked, but the sauce used for the noodles were also quite good, if a bit salty (the lime helps with this); it did help that there was a good amount of what looked like seasoned-sautéed garlic as well. The shrimp was large, moist and plump. The rest of the meats were fine as well. So if you prefer more meat with your Kuy Teav, this is the place to hit up.

Trieu Chau Restaurant
4653 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

So who was the winner? Well, me of course as I got to enjoy three decent versions of Hu Tieu Nam Vang Kho, all for less than most of us pay for a sandwich! Though I will say that the version at Ly Heng has slipped (though it's only $6) and I was pleasantly surprised by Trieu Chau.

These noodle soups are so inexpensive that you should probably check them out if you're in the neighborhood.

Sunday Sandwiches – Banh Mi From Lena’s Sandwiches & Deli

August 11, 2019 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Lena's Sandwiches & Deli has closed

It seems that I just don't get up to City Heights as much as I used to. While driving on ECB a few months back, I noticed that Kim Chan Sandwich Shop, which was once upon a time a Banh Mi staple for me and an old favorite of Ed from Yuma, was gone. It had been replaced by Lena’s Sandwiches & Deli.

So, after returning from our trip, I decided to drop by. Parking in this lot is an adventure; especially in the mornings where all the "coffee guys" hang out at Nhu Y.

In addition, the parking spaces are very small here and on both visits there were vehicles taking up more than one space. Kind of a bummer for the businesses here.

The shop does look a bit like Kim Chan; with a fresh coat of paint and modern signs. The folks here are very kind and mellow.

As is my MO at Banh Mi shops; I started with the Dac Biet ($4.50), just to see how things are put together.

The longer type of "baguette" used here was fairly yeasty; though on this trip it was heading to past its prime as it was mealy and dry.

The pickled carrots aren't very heavily pickled, though the radish is and the jalapenos were no joke! The cucumbers were crisp though the amount of cilantro was rather sparse.

Liked the ratio of Thit Ngoi, the ham to the Cha was perfect, medium-thin slices. I really enjoyed the pate as there was a pretty good amount of it; nice earthy -rich flavors.

This was a pretty good sandwich, so I returned the following weekend.

This time around I ordered the Banh Mi Nem Nuong ($4.50). The older gentleman working was so nice when he mentioned that they griddle the sausage so it would be a few minutes. I tols him no worries since it was Sunday and I'd even managed to score a nice parking space!

This time around the bread was perfeect; it held up well, nice yeastiness, a crackly crust.

I really enjoyed the salty-porkiness of the nem nuong; it was browned nicely. And those jalapenos were pretty darn spicy.

My only issue was that the cilantro was starting to turn brown.

I rather enjoyed the sandwich. Especially after having recently eaten at all these Westernized shops around town. This old school Banh Mi shop was refreshing. And it was pleasure dealing with the folks here as well.

Maybe one of these days I'll do a Banh Mi Retrospective again. Come to think of it; I think the Banh Mi Ba Chi from Cafe Dore is calling me…..

Lena’s Sandwiches & Deli
4712 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92115
Hours:
Mon – Tues 8am – 8pm
Wed 8am – 2pm
Thurs – Sat 8am – 8pm
Sunday 8am – 6pm

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Never Made the Cut Road Trip Edition

August 10, 2019 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Bun Bo Hue, Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Orange County, Pho, Road Trip, Santa Barbara County, Vietnamese Restaurants

Here are some photos that I was just going to delete…..I have a bunch of breakfast one's from when I was driving to Irvine almost weekly as well. But since these weren't in San Diego; where I try to visit places more than once; I thought I'd just do one of those "never made the cut" posts.

I went to lunch with the folks I was working with in Irvine a couple of times.

Ngu Binh:

I've posted on Ngu Binh before, but was excited to try the Bun Bo Hue. Unfortunately, the folks that got there first ordered for all of us…….

They like their Bun Bo Hue not spicy with no pork hock and that's what I had waiting for me when I arrived……what the??????

Ngu Binh Restaurant
14072 Magnolia St
Westminster, CA 92683

Pho Lovers:

Which was right in front of Lien Hoa, it has since moved.

loved the herbs which were amazingly fresh.

The pho was seriously defatted, the noodles over-cooked, though the broth wasn't overly sweet or salty.

Now at:

9892 Westminster Blvd
Garden Grove, CA 92844

From other Road Trips.

Chengdu Taste (Alhambra):

The Missus was seriously psyched to try the place that had been declared the "best Sichuan Restaurant in America". We were quite disappointed.

And the service was so terrible, that we got our mapo tofu and Shui Zhu Niu Rou, the beef boiled in hot sauce to go. Both just didn't have enough spice and were seriously defatted versions. The won tons in hot sauce were too sweet and lacked spice, not even close to the version I had at Long Chau Shou (龙抄手).

828 W Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91803

The Lark (Santa Barbara):

This one was from the same road trip where we had a wonderful meal at Yoichi's. It was a super hot weekend; yet they had the fire pit going!

From the mushy brussel sprouts to the teeth rattling sweet duck wings, not our favorite meal.

Though the lamb shoulder confit was quite good.

The Lark Santa Barbara
131 Anacapa St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

So there you go; thanks for indulging me.

I'll be back tomorrow with more San Diego restaurants.

Budapest – Jacques Liszt Bakery, By Beans Coffee, and Leaving Budapest

August 9, 2019 mmm-yoso Bakery, Budapest, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, Hungary, Travel

We awoke bright and early on our last morning in Budapest. And of course we took in the view (yet again) from our hotel window.

While the Missus was waking; for some reason, I decided to check on our train that was scheduled to leave Keleti Station at 140pm. I read that Keleti Station was closed for repairs and trains had been routed elsewhere. I told the Missus that I was going downstairs to speak to the Concierge and then perhaps go and grab something light for breakfast.

As is usual for the Marriott, the Concierge was ever so helpful….they checked the schedule, called around and found that our train had been rerouted to Deli Train Station (Southern Station). They got me all the info I needed; told me not to worry, they'd arrange a cab to the station.

So I went looking for a bakery. Right across the street from the hotel in the building which houses the Hotel Zenit I noticed a sign……

It was a bakery….right across the street and we hadn't noticed it at all!

I walked in, and yes, this was a working bakery. You could see the Baker at work.

I recall the prices being amazingly inexpensive for a bakery basically in the middle of all the hotels and tourists.

I ended up getting 2 croissants and a couple of those gougere like items they call "scones" (Pogácsa) here and took them back to our room.

The croissants were a bit disappointing; lacking in the flakiness and butteriness we look for in a good croissant.

The Pogácsa were ok; though a bit more dense than what we'd had the day before.

Jacques Liszt (In the same building as Hotel Zenit Budapest Palace)
Apáczai Csere János utca 7
Budapest 1052, Hungary

The sun rises at around 5am in the morning at the end of May; so even though it was bright and sunny outside; we had the boardwalk to ourselves as we headed out for one last walk.

Passing all the landmarks large……

And small that we'd seen during our short two days in the city.

We loved the sights just as much as we did on our first day……

Though we had learned some of the history, both ancient and some more recent, and of the tragedies that are part and parcel of the city.

Having done some decent walking; we decided to grab a cup of coffee. After checking around a bit, we headed back to the Hold Utca Food Market and that coffee stand where we had seen the sweet pooch lying around the day before. No dog on this morning; but the young lady working was very sweet.

The Missus had a Cortado.

And I had an Americano.

And we sat watching the school kids walking hand-in-hand as they toured the market hall.

It was a nice little break.

By Beans Coffee
(In the Hold Street Market Hall – ground floor)
Hold utca 13
Budapest 1054, Hungary

After our caffeine fix, we strolled back to the hotel and rested for a bit. Check out time was at 11. We got a taxi from the hotel and went across the Chain Bridge again…..this time on four wheels though. We went through the tunnel that bores under Castle Hill and ended up at Deli Station a few minutes later.

Deli Station looks a bit worse for wear, but we easily found a place to sit. And I went to the bakery stand for more Pogácsa and some water.

We had really enjoyed our short visit to Budapest. I'm fairly certain we'll return someday. But it was time to move on to our next stop.

Though I'll always remember the jewel of a city that is Budapest.

Thanks for stopping by!

Budapest – Dinner at Borkonyha Wine Kitchen and the View from Castle Hill at Dusk

August 8, 2019 mmm-yoso Budapest, Fine Dining, Hungarian Food and Restaurants, Hungary, Travel

We headed back to the hotel after having a wonderful morning and light lunch. Remember I mentioned all the statues in Budapest; well, here's another. Located on Zryinyi Utca; this one is known as the "Fat Policeman".

We got back to our room and took a short nap. Of course upon waking; I just had to enjoy the view from our room….again. I mean, this just doesn't get old.

I had made reservations for dinner on this evening at a One Michelin Star restaurant, which wasn't too far from where we were staying. We took our time getting to the restaurant, stopping at Szamos Gourmet to look over the cakes and desserts. The place is very nice and the Missus bought something small for a snack later on in the evening and some cookies as gifts.

Szamos Gourmet Haz
Váci utca 1
Budapest 1052, Hungary

We walked past all the tourist shops and places like the Hard Rock; skirted around Erzsébet Téri Park and crossed busy József Attila Utca, onto rather quiet Sas Utca and our destination; Borkonyha Wine Kitchen. I'd chosen the place because the Missus really wanted to try Hungarian wine.

The restaurant was fairly casual, comfortable, and instead of doing the tasting menu we ordered ala carte.

Things started out with a interesting trio of breads. The version with caraway was a favorite; with the cumin bread coming in a close second.

Of course we had to have the Duck Liver with Tokaji Aszú – basically a foie gras terrine.

The texture was luxuriously smooth; though the cherries and the really sweet wine was a bit too much.

I ordered the Oxtail with Soured Vegetables.

This was wonderful as the beefiness of the oxtail came through quite clearly and the "soured vegetables" helped to cut the richness of the dish. The accompanying tuile was a nice touch, adding a nice textural contrast.

We had also requested a pairing for each dish…..until the Missus tasted the Tokaji Furmint Sec; which She loved. Very floral, nice acidity, it went really well with the cod dish the Missus ordered. So, She decided that this was the wine we'd have with the rest of our meal….except for our lamb dish.

The fish was perfectly cooked; though a bit underseasoned for our taste. The skin was light and crisp and the flesh was moist, tender, and flakey, with the perfect amount of fat. The Kohlrabi puree was a nice match for the fish. A good dish.

I'd ordered the Saddle of Lamb and Tongue with Green Beans.

The lamb, like the fish was prepared well. It was toothsome, yet tender, though really mild in flavor. The tongue however, was amazing! My favorite item of the meal; super gamey, slight offal-ness, it was quite tender as well. The green beans were fresh, though slightly under-cooked for my taste.

The Missus enjoyed Her desserts.

The was a solid; if not great meal. Most everything was prepared well; the service, though a bit spotty was cordial. And the Missus loved the Tokaji Furmint Sec….She has me trying to find this in San Diego!

Borkonyha WineKitchen
Sas Utca 3
Budapest 1051, Hungary

The Missus wanted to head back to Castle Hill during sunset to watch the light of the Parliament Building come on. So we headed back in that direction.

But first; another statue. This one is known as the Bronze Newsboy.