mmm-yoso – Page 58

Big Island – Dinner at Merriman’s and Waimea Town Market (Kamuela/Waimea)

November 19, 2023 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Farmer's Markets/Night Market, Fine Dining, Hawai'i - The Big Island, Memorable Meals, Travel

During our last trip to the Big Island, we decided to stay the night. As I've mentioned in a previous post from almost 10 years ago, Kamuela holds a special place in my heart. I'm glad the Missus enjoys the laid back, gentrified, farm-village vibe of the town. This time around we decided to stay for the night; something we hadn't done in years. We stayed at the Waimea Country Lodge and enjoyed strolling around town. For dinner, I had made reservations at Merriman's. We'd had dinner there over two decades ago and really didn't enjoy it much. This time, I hoped for better.

We walked on over…..

We arrived a bit earlier than our reservation; but the young man at the host stand told us "no problem" we have a table. We experienced this type of warm and accommodating service during our entire meal. It was such a pleasure dealing with folks who were efficient and professional, yet so very warm and kind.

The place was about two-thirds full at 530 pm. The Servers and staff seemed to know quite a few folks eating, so I'm guessing many were regulars from this town of about 9500. The Missus and I were so impressed by the staff….there was a young man with obvious learning/cognitive disabilities having dinner with his parents. Apparently he's a regular. All staff members dropped by to tell him hello, they knew he was wearing his "favorite shirt", they knew his favorite dishes….they embodied the "Aloha spirit". And this reminded me of why I almost took a job there back in the early 90s!

It's totally a tasting menu here two starters and desserts and a main. What we really enjoyed was that you could order 2 first courses and bypass the dessert! We ended up ordering three starters and one dessert which suited us perfectly!

Peter Merriman is considered one of the pioneers of "Hawaii Regional Cuisine", something that I have a love-hate relationship with. At its best the food represents the melting pot of people and cuisines of my home. At worse it is a cliched, soul less con-"fusion" of flavors and textures. I was hoping for the best here and the wonderful service had us off to a good start.

The amuse was Smoked Ulu (breadfruit) with Taro Chips. Basically a version of pulehu ʻulu.

I don't think the Missus has had ulu before. There were all the flavors She enjoys in this; a mild smokiness, a pleasantly sweet-rich flavor which harkens to a mix of sweet potato and roasted chestnut. She loved it.

Next up, the Shoyu Poke.

The Ahi as of excellent quality, so tender, well marinated in shoyu, though we would have appreciated more inamona and ogo. The mashed avocado kind of dulled the flavor of the poke.

The shrimp in the Grilled Wild Shrimp Bulgogi was fabulous; sweet and briny.

This really didn't need much and we were glad that the "bulgogi" flavoring did not interfere with the wonderful sweetness of the shrimp which were also cooked to perfection.

The Kalua Pork Quesadilla was our least favorite dish of the evening.

The pork was too salty, the smoke flavor too mild, the "tortilla" was more too hard and brittle; the sauce too sweet. This could have used something with a bit of "heat" to it.

The Missus ordered the "Day Boat Catch".

The fish was mahi mahi and was quite fresh, nicely cooked, mist and tender. The prawns were the highlight of this dish; fabulously tender and sweet.

This being cow country; I went with the Kua'Aina Beef Tenderloin. It was a great choice.

It was cooked to a perfect medium rare, loved the beefiness. I was told this is grass fed beef, so I expected it to be more toothsome. The cauliflower was delicious; at least that's what the Missus said as She quickly poached them all from the plate. The jalapeno mashed potatoes were quite creamy and not really spicy at all.

The Missus enjoyed the "Chocolate Purse".

Overall, we enjoyed the meal and loved the service. We'll definitely return in the future.

Merriman's Big Island
65-1227 Opelo Rd.
Waimea, HI 96743

I had picked the Waimea Country Lodge for a simple reason. Right next door is the Waimea Town Market, which opens at 730am on Saturdays! In fact, I could see the market, which takes place at the Parker School from our window.

And we headed on over right after the market opened.

We enjoyed our time there.

And made some nice purchases.

Waimea Town Market at Parker School
65-1224 Lindsey Rd
Waimea, HI 96743

On a fun note; the gentleman who was working the Akaka Falls Farm stand started chatting with us. He asked us where we were from and we told him "San Diego". He asked "where in San Diego"? And we said "Bay Park". He stuck his hand out to us for handshakes and told us, "North Clairemont baby!!!!" We cracked up.

Such a small world, huh?

Secret Sister – The Missus’s Current Favorite Sourdough

November 18, 2023 mmm-yoso Bakery

The one great thing we loved at Mabel's Gone Fishing was the Sourdough Bread. If you read this blog regularly, you'll know that ever since the Missus had the sourdough at Boulenc in Oaxaca, it had been a regular item in our kitchen. After trying a few places, we had settled on Con Pane, which became a regular part of my "six stop Saturday mornings." The young lady working at Mabel's told us that they get their bread from Secret Sister, which along with the wine bar and restaurant The Rose, makes up the company's trio of businesses.

So, of course, soon enough I was assigned to get the sourdough from Secret Sister. I actually headed down to the bakery in South Park in the restored Rose Grocery Building at the end of errands on one Saturday and struck out. I then went one afternoon during the week and struck out again, though I did get a baguette, which was too hard and chewy. I was given some good intel from the "secret sister" on duty. They will usually run out of sourdough by noon from Thursdays onward and often by 2pm earlier in the week.

So, I headed over on a Sunday, found parking, and walked on over.

Secret Sister 01

I had gotten to the shop around 9 in the morning.

Secret Sister 01b

And they had a couple of loaves left.

Secret Sister 02

And even though the price gave me pause – $8.50……

Secret Sister 03

The loaf is huge! They sliced it for me and the rest is history. I've gone back 4 times since. I actually wasn't going to do a post on this, but I felt guilty about keeping a "secret" from my "sisters" (and brothers…). So, I actually took a photo of the most recent loaf. I had Thursday off, so I got this in the morning.

Secret Sister 04

Like I said; the loaf is huge. My only petty complaint is that on occasion; like on this visit, the crust is a bit over baked and on the hard side. But considering that this is a "country style" sourdough, we expect a bit of a thicker crust and that we usually toast (though we've been enjoying it untoasted with Duck Rillette and Beurre de Baratte (Butter from Normandy)) this is kind of a moot point.

I'm not sure you noticed it in my photo, but the menu board indicates that the starter for the sourdough is 152 years old! I keep forgetting to ask about that. Though I did read that it was from "a local family" in this post.

Secret Sister 05

Anyway, the bread is yeasty, with a nice sour-tanginess. It is fluffy and lacks that "chewiness" that so many bread products in San Diego have.

It's the Missus's current favorite, She's the sourdough bread lover in the family. Other than the baguette, I haven't tried anything else on the menu. I'll do a post if I do.

The folks working at Secret Sister have always been quite nice, even when they are faced with a line.

Secret Sister
2215 30th St.
San Diego, CA 92104

Usually, there's not much parking near the shop, so I end up parking a couple of blocks down near South Bark Dog Wash or on Dale, Hawthorn, or Grape. It's a nice walk.

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Secret Sister 09

Paris – Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji

November 17, 2023 mmm-yoso Bakery, France, Japanese Restaurants, Paris, France, Ramen, Sandwiches, Travel

Even though we had quite a bit of walking during the day, we decided to head back out toward the 1st and 2nd Arrondissement for a nice evening walk.

Heading West on Rue Reamur, then up Saint-Denis an interesting and "colorful" area.

I've posted on some of the interesting characters in this neighborhood, the former red-light district that is becoming more gentrified with every visit.

Walking thru Passage Choiseul yet again.

The Missus exclaimed how distances in Paris were seemingly a lot shorter these days……

There was one church we had been wanting to check out in the area; Église Saint-Roch.

We had walked by many times; but had never gone in. We decided to pop on in for a look.

The church itself was built between 1653, when Louis XIV laid the first stone, completed in 1740.

Within its walls hung works of the most renowned artists of the day. Of course, the French Revolution was right around the corner and the church was looted and sacked. In fact, the famous French writer Denis Diderot was entombed at Saint Roch. When the church was looted, his grave was sacked and his corpse was left on the church floor. And his final resting spot is not known.

It's quite an impressive church! We should have visited earlier.

We decided it was time to get some dinner so we headed out. We could see the Ferris Wheel from the Tuileries Christmas Market down the street.

Things did seem much "closer" in Paris these days…..

As for dinner; well, the Missus thought some ramen would be nice on a chilly winter night. There was a ramen shop I'd been wanting to try since I first read the story of a retired French Air Force pilot who opened a ramen shop because of his love of of the dish. Jean-Baptiste Meusnier first opened Kodawari Ramen (Yokochō) in the 6th Arrondissement. The restaurant's theme was a "Yokochō" a food alley. Since we were in the 2nd, we headed to Kodawari's second location, Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji, which is based on…yes, Tsukiji. We arrived at a fairly early dinner time, so the restaurant, while busy, did not have a queue.

The interior was festooned with boxes of fish and fish market themed items stacked everywhere, the floor had even been wet to give it a real fish market feel….lucky for us, the "seafood" in the boxes weren't real nor was there the "parfum de poisson" lingering in the air. It was pretty tight quarters in the restaurant.

Of course I needed to start with a "biru".

By the time we placed our order there was a line outside of the restaurant. So we had some good timing.

Looking over the menu, I knew this was going to be an interesting meal. Based on the theme of the restaurant; this location of Kodawari featured a broth that was based on sea bream and chicken. Now, I wasn't sure how the Missus would handle that; but this would turn out to be the Missus's favorite ramen in Paris!

There are some nice appetizers on the menu, we ordered 3 apps along with the Sea Bream Paitan Ramen.

The "Sardine Shelter" was savory, umami-land.

A bit smoky, briny, good oil, rich lardo.

The Missus loved the Sea Bream Carpaccio.

The fish was fresh and firm; the grilling added a nice smokiness, the miso sauce added a layer of savory.

The Sea Bream Tartare was refreshing, with a clean flavor.

The sauce had a nice savory-slightly sweet miso and the shiso really did a nice job refreshing the palate.

As for the ramen; well, I ordered the Sea Bream Paitan Ramen. Based on previous experiences with similar versions of ramen; I wasn't sure the Missus would like this.

I was wrong; the Missus loved this. The broth was rich enough to nicely coat the tongue; the chicken flavors weren't overly strong and there was a nice balance with the flavors from the bones of the sea bream that were simmered for 5 hours. The shio tare wasn't overly salty and the sea bream was so very tender and moist. The Pata Negra Chashu was quite porky f on the more chewy side. The chili paste was totally unnecessary as this was packed with umami. The tamago was decently cooked and marinated and was warm. The noodles, made inhouse were nice and firm, with a good chew.

The Missus loved the broth.

I was worried when we got here that it was all kitsch and concept over substance, but I gotta say, Kodawari Tsukiji went past the over-the-top setting.

Look at the line outside as we left!

So yes, it was a fun setting, but the food was quite satisfying and by the Missus' request, we'd return later during our stay.

Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji
12 Rue de Richelieu
75001 Paris, France

Bellies warm and full, we enjoyed the walk back to the apartment.

Needless to say, we slept well.

To give us a nice break, I had made reservations to stay in Strasbourg, so we could once again enjoy the wonderful Christmas Markets in the city. It's only a hour and forty-five minute train ride to Strasbourg, but of course, I needed to do the very French thing and get us some sustenance for the ride. On one of my earlier visit to Boulangerie Pezeril I noticed the group of police getting sandwiches from the shop….so heck, if they are getting food from there…..

Our train left Gare l'Est right on time at 1255 and we enjoyed our lunch and desserts on the train.

Boulangerie Pezeril
183 Rue du Temple
75003 Paris, France

And we were looking forward to two fun nights in Strasbourg!

Stay Tuned!

Menya Ultra (Mira Mesa) Revisited

November 16, 2023 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

FOYs Mar and Sandy were curious about the visit to Menya in Mira Mesa that led Calvin and I to finally brave the crowds and visit Ramen Nagi in UTC. So here it is.

Calvin wanted to meet up for lunch and suggested Menya in Mira Mesa. Even though I last posted on Menya MM way back in 2019 in those days "BC", we had met up at this location a couple of times in the last year.

Menya MM Rev 01

Both Calvin and I had noted that the tonkotsu ramen had been rather uneven at times and wanted to give a place another chance. Because of all the publicity, the Michelin mention, etc; Menya is quite popular. In fact, they've just opened in UTC, which makes I believe ramen shop #3 there!

To get to the visit, we arrived 10 minutes before opening and put ourselves on the iPad "list". It really wasn't too bad on this day as we were the second party seated.

Menya MM Rev 02

Of course I got the Ajitama Ramen ($15.95).

Menya MM Rev 03

So, what was up with this bowl that led us to go "straight to Nagi" on our next ramen visit? Well, first the good. The noodles were cooked to a perfect al dente, with a nice stretch, slippery, and just right for slurping. The chashu was for some reason cold, but flavorful and "porky".

From there; like on previous visits, the tamago was ice cold and very salty. The broth was lukewarm in terms of temperature making it seem more greasy than rich. It was also strangely too salty.

Menya MM Rev 04

This was quite sad because I had been quite a proponent of Menya, from being among the first 10 people in line on the first day they opened on February 25th, 2017, something I would usually never do. I did enjoy their ramen. But perhaps their success has gotten the better of them; after being called possibly the "best ramen in America" by a well known television food personality (though I still laugh because he called "tonkatsu ramen"), then being named as the city's 2017 Restaurant of the Year by Eater San Diego, and then of course being listed in the Michelin Guide. Perhaps sprouting two, now three other locations has diluted the quality? I'm not sure. But I am somewhat disappointed as the Ajitama Ramen at Menya just does not seem the same since reopening post-Covid.

So, while I am now enjoying Nagi, I will return to Menya in perhaps a few months, hoping to prove myself wrong. I hope I do……

Menya Ultra
8141 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Long Story Short – A Quick Look

November 14, 2023 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Wine Bars/Wineries

**** Long Story Short has closed

Before we left on our trip, the Missus wanted a nice dinner in the North Park area, “something new”. We’d recently had a not so satisfying dinner in the area and with prices these days, well, we’d rather not spend $19 for a single scallop appetizer. While doing a bit of searching, I found that the wine bar Little Thief had closed and was replaced by a restaurant and wine bar called Long Story Short. I enjoyed the backstory of the chefs a husband and wife team. You can read about that here. The restaurant was only open from 4pm to 10pm Tuesdays to Saturdays and the menu was ever changing, based on what could be sourced locally, something that is amazing when it works out, but can be disappointing when it doesn’t.

I made reservations for Tuesday at the 5pm slot and we headed on over.

Long Story 01

The place was pretty quiet when we arrived.

Long Story 02

Our Server was a very friendly woman and we decided to have seat outside since it was such a nice day.

We weren’t too hungry and ordered two “hot” dishes and a pasta.

First to arrive was the Uni “French Toast” ($30).

Long Story 03

Well, this is San Diego Uni, so while I was worried we’d be getting one little piece of Uni on a slice of micro toast, we still had to try it. Luckily, it was not that. The uni melted in your mouth with that delicate lightly briny-savory-sweetness; the brioche had a nice butteriness but wasn’t overly sweet. There was just a touch of avocado which really made no difference. The shoyu added some saltiness to things. As for the koji-maitake miso; well, the best thing I can say is that it didn’t interfere with the clean, yet decadent textures and flavors of the uni and brioche. This was by far our favorite dish of the meal.

Based on the other dishes in the meal; I ordered some bread ($9) and butter. Yes, they charge you nine bucks for bread here.

Long Story 05

Especially since it was “Hoja Santa” Sourdough. You know the Missus and Her love for Hoya Santa, right? Unfortunately, the hoya santa was placed on the crust of the bread and we really couldn’t make out the wonderful anise-minty-grassy tones of hoya santa we love. Also, it just seems that the flavor of Hoya Santa here is not as assertive as what we’d had in Oaxaca. We also didn’t care much for the “street-corn” butter. The bread itself proved to be an adequate vehicle for dipping though.

Next to arrive was the Roasted Winter Squash ($22).

Long Story 04

The Missus loves Kabocha which was in this dish; She loves mushrooms and this featured Maitake and Oyster mushrooms. Unfortunately, the sum of the parts just didn’t go together well. The sweetness of the kabocha was overly heightened which nullified the earthy tones of the mushrooms. A bit too much sour and sweet for us. The brown butter was also a bit much. Our least favorite dish of the evening.

The last item up was the Chino Farms Corn and Ricotta Agnolotti ($29).

Long Story 06

I would usually hesitate in ordering a pasta dish with corn in the fear it would be too sweet. But this dish included Huitlacoche another one of our favorite ingredients. The actual dough for the pasta was a bit on thick side and chewy, but the balance of sweet and salty was nicely balanced. The sauces weren’t too heavy. The aleppo pepper was barely detectible in the dish. Still, the sauce was quite nice with the bread.

The Missus enjoyed the two glasses of wine She had with Her meal. The timing was kind of uneven as it was almost a 30 minute wait between the Kabocha dish and the pasta, though the folks working were quite friendly. We did enjoy the uni, so perhaps we’ll return. It’s totally up to the Missus if we will. I’m hoping they do well; heck two of the places we visited less than a year-and-half ago; Verbena Kitchen and Hoxton Manor have already closed.

Long Story 07

Whoa, I just noticed that I’m over 700 words for a single visit post with 3 dishes! I guess I made what should have been a “short story long” in the case of “Long Story Short”!

Long Story Short
3017 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92104
Current Hours:
Tues – Sat 4pm – 10pm
Closed Sunday and Monday

Revisits – Chung Hing, Chicago Fire Grill, and Tenkatori

November 13, 2023 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants, Hot Dogs, Japanese Restaurants

So, what would you consider a decent price for lunch close to work that's not a sandwich these days? Maybe under $14? Yeeesh, I never thought I'd ever be typing that. So, since we've gotten back from our trip, I thought about a couple of places……GyroGrill came to mind, but then I recalled that the "Gyro Combo" was $15 bucks when I last visited back in May.

After thinking over things a bit I came up with three places last week and I tried them all in a row. So here goes.

Chung Hing:

I'm not sure why Chung Hing came to mind. I'm not a fan of Chinese fast food, but I drive past the place quite often. Last time I visited; a whole 16 years ago a plate at Chung Hing was barely over five bucks! I was wondering how things were now, so what the heck…..

Chung Hing Rev 01

Chung Hing opens at 1030 and I got there at around 1045. Walking up to the shop, I noticed that "combination plates" are now $10.75, which in terms of the area is dirt cheap.

Chung Hing Rev 02

The woman working was all business. The only item I've found being close to edible here is the char siu; which is kinda their ahem, "claim to fame". So, I got the Chicken Wing – Char Siu plate with Fried Rice. They chopped the char siu fresh for me; I paid and was on my way.

Chung Hing Rev 03 Chung Hing Rev 04 Yes, that's what the plate looked like. Man, those…in very loose quotes "won ton" were like a cardboard gau gee, time didn't do the wrapper any favors as it was quite chewy.

The fried rice was on the mushy side, but decent coated and on the salty side.

Chung Hing Rev 05 Chung Hing Rev 06 The chicken wings were still a crisp-crunchy when I got back to the office, but had way too much MSG and had me gulping down water in no time at all.

The char siu is still the best item here, though I think it has slipped a bit over the years. It's now a bit leaner with many pieces on the chewier side. The pieces that aren't incinerated and bitter have a decent savory-sweet porkiness.

Chung Hing Rev 07

Well, at $10.75 these days I guess I got what I paid for? I have eaten at Panda Express in nearly two decades, how much do they charge now? And in that vein, we may have to wait another 16 years before I eat here again.

You can read about Soo's visit here and Mary's visit here.

Chung Hing
7160 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92121

Chicago Fire Grill:

Man, had it been a year-and-a-half since I last visited? I think part of the problem is all the crazy road construction in the area with ever changing traffic patterns. Still, it had been a while since I'd seen George, so I decided to return to Chicago Fire.

Chicago Fire Rev 01

The Chicago Dog, which comes with fries is now $9, up a buck since my last visit; but still under ten bucks. The young lady working the register was quite nice and George was busy working the back.

Chicago Fire Rev 02 Chicago Fire Rev 04 It seems that I had a "shift" in the tomatoes on the drive back to the office. I was just happy to have tomatoes on my dog which were MIA on my last visit. The fries, which were crisp on my last two visits, were soggy and dry this time around; though I kinda liked the pieces that had celery salt on them.

Other than the roll being on the soggy side, it was pretty much status quo, snappy dog, sport peppers, neon green relish, and all……

Chicago Fire Rev 03

Still, under ten bucks……

Chicago Fire Grill
8935 Towne Centre Dr.
San Diego, CA 92122

Tenkatori:

Well, Tenkatori is an interesting one. I will usually order the Mix Bento Box. But never online. Just for kicks I went and checked how much it was online….$16.30! I will usually call, but this time I drove down and got there right at 1030.

Tenkatori Rev 01

So, would Tenkatori's Mix Bento make the $14 cut-off?

Tenkatori Rev 01b

Well, look at the price on the menu; $12.50. Can you believe a $3.80 upcharge just for ordering online, not even delivery? Sheesh…..

Tenkatori Rev 02 Tenkatori Rev 03 All the chicken, both the karaage and the wings were nice and crisp and very moist; nicely seasoned, a hint of soy, but not overly salty. The best I've had from Tenkatori thus far.

The mashed potato was consistent with other visits; though a bit too cold for my taste.

Tenkatori Rev 04

The one item not good on this day was the rice. Holy cow, it was so mushy and sticky, like it hadn't finished steaming. Look at how it stuck to the piece of karaage in the photo above. Maybe I should have been like FOYs Derric and Junichi, just ordering a bunch of chicken and just forgo the starches.

Perhaps next time! I will say that Tenkatori seems to have really "hit their stride" at least with regards to the chicken.

Tenkatori Rev 05

Tenkatori Miramar
6780 Miramar Rd Suite 104
San Diego, CA 92121

When it comes right down to it. For a $1.75 more, I'll take Tenkatori over Chung Hing any day of the week……

Paris – Pierre Sang in Oberkampf and More Wandering Around the Marais

November 11, 2023 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Cheese, France, Paris, France, Travel

I'm quite "old school"…well perhaps, I'm just old? Anyway, when it comes to finding places to try on trips I check out blogs and various sites, and yes, even discussion forums….when was the last time you heard that term? As for Paris; well, the now defunct Chowhound had a lively Paris board, after CH shut down, many of the folks moved over to Hungry Onion. There can be quite a bit of "noise", but also some useful info; which is how we found that Aux Crus de Bourgogne a place we passed so many times and thought was a tourist stop, was worth a visit! And which is how I came across all the recommendations for Pierre Sang in Oberkampf. Now there are those who are going to take pause at the thought of dining on French-Korean. But, look at all the French-Japanese places we've dined at in Paris!

Pierre Sang Boyer came to prominence after appearing on France's version of Top Chef and now has a kingdom of several restaurants in Paris. The most highly recommended, at least on H.O. is the tasting menu only location on Rue Oberkampf in the 11th. So, being that we were in Paris for an extended time, I made dinner reservations.

We walked on over to the restaurant, which has a few tables and a bar area. Checked in and were seated. The staff were very friendly, unusually so for Paris, and then we found out the "other part" of the process here for the 5 course menu. You were served and had to guess what you were eating! Which I thought was fun.

My apologies for the poor photos; the lighting in the place was so dark.

Anyway course 1. This was an easy one.

Obviously Salmon Tartare, flavored with sesame oil. No biggie, just a simple dish. I guessed that there was daikon in this; but it was watermelon radish.

Next up.

This had some perfectly cooked lentils and I also correctly guessed kimchi and chorizo! The Server was kinda impressed. At least someone was impressed. This dish seemed so mild in flavor in spite of the kimchi, which there was too little of and soy sauce which we actually couldn't taste.

Dish 3

Well I got the Beef Tataki part. The beef was a bit tough for our taste. I also guessed cho-jang, but was told gochujang. I'm thinking the tones of vinegar and sweetness tilted things to the chogochujang side of things. The pickled onions were quite good, crisp and bracing; there was a citrusy component to the dish as well.

Our favorite item of the night. This is an easy one.

The duck was perfectly cooked, the skin crisp, the flesh fairly tender. The butternut squash puree added that little sweet-fruitiness complimenting the duck. The bok choy was still nice and crisp. The gochujang was too overpowering for the duck. In theory, it should work a la hoisin sauce; but the spice was a bit overpowering in this case.

The Missus enjoyed the dessert.

Overall, a fairly unique and fun meal, but with more misses than hits. We liked the staff, but really don't think we'll return.

Pierre Sang in Oberkampf
55 Rue Oberkampf
75011 Paris, France

The next morning we got up and did what was now our routine; coffee and croissants at the apartment. Then headed on out to do that Flanuer thing, exploring the area around Boulevard Beaumarchais. It's such fun just wandering and window shopping…..

We got to check out the trendy Merci at 111 Bd Beaumarchais.

Loaded with all those things you don't need…..

And there was a moment, just like what happened a few days earlier, where we were reminded…….

Of that "special one"…..

We stopped by Maison Plisson and took a look around.

And got some terrine for lunch. The cheese looked tempting, but I had another destination in mind.

Maison Plisson
93 Bd Beaumarchais
75003 Paris, France

Near Place des Vosges we came across this chocolate shop with some, well, unique designs.

Yes, those "shoes" are made of chocolate!

The name of the place is:

Joséphine Vannier – Chocolaterie d'Art
4 Rue du Pas de la Mule
75003 Paris, France

At Place des Vosges, we took a quick look at the courtyard of Le Pavillon de la Reine.

It was fun ducking in and out of places and shop with no objective in mind. We loved little scenes like this one.

We finally made our way to Rue Saint-Antoine, which becomes Rue de Rivoli and made two quick stops; one at Fromagerie Laurent Dubois.

Cheese heaven.

Fromagerie Laurent Dubois
97-99 Rue Saint-Antoine
75004 Paris, France

Heading back to the apartment, we picked up a baguette at Boulangerie Pezeril, which I posted on before, and had terrine, fromage de truffe, and baguette for lunch.

Before nap time kicked in>

I was really enjoying "Paris at our leisure" and hope you enjoyed this post!

Thanks for stopping by!

Paris – Musée National Picasso, A. Lacroix Pâtissier, and Brunch at Le Saint-Regis

November 10, 2023 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Desserts, France, Paris, France, Travel

Day six of our two week stay in Paris was a Sunday and I had an idea. During the first Sunday of the month, many museums have free admission. The Musée National Picasso was fairly close by and opened at 930am, which would mean less crowds. We had already been to the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, so we thought this might be an interesting place to check out. After getting croissants from one of the nearby Boulangeries and a morning coffee we headed out.

The museum is housed in the very impressive Hôtel Salé, which was built in the 17th century.

One of the special exhibitions during the time we visited was an exhibition based on Maya Ruiz-Picasso, one of four known children of Pablo Picasso, born of Marie-Thérèse Walter one of seven known "partners" of the artist (who was also married twice – shades of Diego Rivera). Young Maya was quite the muse to her father as a child and became devoted to the study of her father as well as an expert on his works. She also had quite the collection which was on display as well as many photographs.

We sometimes find that the artists are even more interesting than their works.

We enjoyed our one hour visit.

Sadly, Maya Ruiz-Picasso passed away just a couple of weeks after our visit.

Musée National Picasso
5 Rue de Thorigny
75003 Paris, France

After our visit we crossed on over to Île de la Cité taking a quick look at Notre Dame, then on over to the left bank, where we came across yet another Patisserie.

Where the offerings looked lovely, thus the Missus bought a couple of items for le goûter (tea time) later in the day.

The "Notre Dame", the one looking like a green apple and full of confit pomme verte (green apple of course) was actually quite good, not sweet, fairly tart, nice with tea.

A. Lacroix Pâtissier
11 Quai de Montebello
75005 Paris, France

We decided to cross back over one Île Saint-Louis, the island right next to Île de la Cité. Passing Le Saint-Regis, we decided to stop in for lunch. We had previously enjoyed having coffee here and had noticed that the food looked decent. Plus, those al fresco tables looked perfect for people watching.

The Missus had enjoyed the Salmon Benedict (19€/$20.35) She'd had in Montpelier earlier in the trip, so She decided to try them here.

The "salmon" here was lox, which had been nicely cured and quite tender without being too salty, the eggs were nicely poached, and the Hollandaise was smooth and not overly buttery.

I got the Salmon – Avocado Tartare (17€/$18.25).

Man, where do they get the avocado here? It was perfectly ripe and creamy. It went well with the salmon. I enjoyed the mustard vinaigrette and the pleasantly biter greens.

It was a nice brunch and we'd gladly return. Also, not sure if it was just me, but it seemed like prices in Paris were cheaper than in San Diego?

Le Saint-Regis
6 Rue Jean du Bellay
75004 Paris, France

We strolled down Rue Saint-Louis en l'Île.

Stopping to peek in at various shops….especially if we saw pooches. Like this fella' whom we deemed "Winston" as we saw him amble into one of the bakeries.

He was obviously more interested in visiting the bouchon…..

And then we crossed the Seine on the Pont Marie. This being Paris, there are many historical sites.

That is Fontaine de Jarente.

And then there are "other places" along the way….

We’re Back!

November 9, 2023 mmm-yoso France, Italy, London, Milan, Paris, France, Travel, yoso-silly

Yes, we're back! And yes, I'm waaaay behind on my travel posts….the ending of our two weeks in Paris, our Taiwan trip, our Prescott – Albuquerque – Santa Fe – Taos, The Big Island and Oahu in February, and even a recent road trip to Buellton/Los Alamos! And here I go again on another trip! I know most folks come here looking for San Diego – SoCal food posts, so I save my travel stuff for weekends. Hopefully, I'll catch up soon now that we're back in town.

We were actually in Italy for Halloween, which was kinda interesting.

And even had one of the best meals of our trip! Yes, it was Chinese cuisine…in Italy!

We really enjoyed our time here and can't wait to go back!

Speaking of "going back". Of course we had to spend at least a couple of days in our favorite city.

Mainly to shop…..

And of course visit our old favorites…..

And do our favorite activities here. One of which is just "people, and pooch watch".

The more we visit; the harder it is for us to squeeze meals at our favorites in a couple of days. Though this time we found a new favorite, which was in plain sight. It seemed to be and is a kinda touristy restaurant, but we found the traditional dishes there to be quite good! Heck, we'd pass this place sometimes 4 or five times a day during our stays and never even though of eating there!

That mistake has been rectified!

One thing that we'd never done in this city is a tour. One this trip, we booked a private tour of our favorite neighborhood, from one of my favorite podcasts. And man was it fun and informative.

There was so much hidden in plain sight….stuff we had walked by so many times and never noticed! The tour was well worth the time and cost!

And of course, you'll always see something new when you visit….like this rainbow!

And then we ended up where we started. We had just one full day; but I got to see an item on my "bucket list".

And to do a bit more exploring.

Things ended on a high note as our last two meals were quite good. A Sichuan restaurant whose menu was developed in consultation with on of my favorite authors.

And a wonderful meal at the favorite restaurant in this city, of a late chef, author, and travel personality.

I know I need to catch up with all my travel posts. I'm hoping to do so soon!

Thanks for stopping by!

Where in the world are we – part 2

November 4, 2023 mmm-yoso Cinque Terre/Genoa, Liguria - Italy, Italy, Travel

After enjoying our visits to two large cities we headed off to an area on the Italian coast known for their five villages.

Picturesque and full of character, we really took to the area. On our first day, the Missus took me along for a hike. The main trail from one village to another had been washed out so we did an inland route which took 5 hours! Going up was not bad; but my knees are still recovering from the climb down!

You couldn't complain about the views though!