Fine Dining – mmm-yoso

Road Trip – The House Brasserie, Quartz Ridge Trail, and Papago Park Butte Loop (Scottsdale)

September 12, 2026 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Fine Dining, French Restaurants, Phoenix/Scottsdale/Chandler/Central AZ, Road Trip, Travel

The Missus wanted a hike during our full day in Scottsdale, so I chose the Quartz Ridge Trail in the Phoenix Mountains Reserve. Being that JJ doesn’t like heat or very much direct sunlight we got an early start. 3 1/2/ miles, 600 foot elevation gain, not too bad.

And of course you get a feel of the Southwest.

Some nice views…..

And JJ did well.

We headed back to our hotel and just laid low during the hottest part of the day. Then headed back out during the late afternoon, walking to Old Town Scottsdale.

Kind of corny in some ways….but also somewhat charming and fun…..

The Missus found a tea shop She liked…..

And did a lot of window shopping……

We’d be having dinner just a block down from the Hotel Valley Ho at a place I noticed during our last stay in Scottsdale, named The House Brasserie. They had outdoor seating and folks told me it was more of a fine dining destination, though I’m not quite sure of that. Based on the name of the place, I was expecting a full on French restaurant, but as you’ll soon see, the menu was quite diverse and our favorite dish was quite unexpected.

Of course, I started with a Kir Royale. I loved the service, my glass of Champagne was brought to the table and the Sommelier brought over the Creme de Cassis and told me let him know when the “color was right” for my Kir! Something that I hadn’t experienced before. This was an awesome start to the meal!

And then the Amuse was brought out…..some pretty decent Gougeres.

Of course we started with some Foie Gras ($26).

We found the popcorn topping to be quite amusing. The Balsamic based sauce wasn’t too sweet and the bread was fine….though perhaps this a bit much. Though I’d probably try this again.

The Escargot ($24) was interesting as instead of the basic garlic-parsley-herb butter, bone marrow “butter” was used instead.

It was just overkill and this was waaaay too rich and oily for our taste.

Then the dishes started deviating from the expected norm. Next up were the Tempura Oyster Mushrooms ($22).

And while the batter wasn’t as light as typical tempura, it was nice and crisp. This came with smoked cauliflower which was awesome.

And yet, our favorite dish of the evening was one I just ordered because it stood out on the menu. The Crab Fried Rice ($26) with house made XO Sauce! My goodness; this was so good!

The rice was a little moist, but that egg was cooked perfectly….soft yolk, crisp edges. The crab was tender and sweet. And the house made XO sauce? It was an umami bomb! Savory, rich, perfectly salty, not very spicy…oh man, this was so good….better than many Chinese restaurant we know of!

Who’s have thought…we’d go to a Brasserie and get some really good XO Sauce Fried Rice? Service was excellent and professional. We really enjoyed this meal and can’t wait to return.

The House Brasserie
6936 E Main St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251

The next morning, we were headed out to Sedona. But first we decided to check out the Papago Park Butte Loop, which turned out to be a nice 2 mile loop trail.

A very easy walk, well maintained.

Loved the red sandstone buttes along the way.

There’s even an stone amphitheater.

Which was built by the historic stone amphitheater built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the Great Depression.

This was a fun walk and we left before things got too hot at 9am.

Next stop….Sedona!

Quito – Zazu Restaurant

December 6, 2025 mmm-yoso Ecuador, Ecuadorian Restaurants, Fine Dining, Latin American Cuisine, Memorable Meals, Travel

I usually try to plan at least one memorable meal when travelling internationally. This strategy has really opened our minds…exposure to different tastes, creativity, culture. From the first time back in Lima at Astrid & Gaston, to Tamarind in Luang Prabang, and Azurmendi, Osteria Francescana, and Maido. We may not have enjoyed every dish; but it sure does open your eyes and mind. Heck, I even forgot what is our favorite restaurant, Suzunari in Tokyo, which we’ve been to three times!

When it came to Quito, I actually picked Zazu, before booking our stay at the JW Marriott. It seemed to be in walking distance. I thought having a nice meal before we flew out the next morning would be fun. And it seemed like just a 15 minute walk from the hotel.

The doorman at the hotel looked quite worried as we started to exit. He asked us where we were going and I told him. He asked if we wanted a taxi and we said we’d be walking….he looked quite concerned. He asked us to wait and brought over this serious looking young lady; turns out she is the head of security here. It became clear that they were worried about our safety, which I really appreciated. She handed me a “safety card” and we promised that we’d be taking an Uber back. I had researched visitor safety in Quito, which was relatively safe in comparison to other areas. And it was still fairly light out.

We found the restaurant with no problem; the staff were quite friendly and we were guided to our table.

As we’d often do; we went with an appetizer focused menu; 1 ceviche, 3 apps, and 1 main.

I tried the Quito Mule, which is presented deconstructed and you can adjust it to your taste. It was very refreshing with a touch of smokiness.

First up was the Ceviche Mixto. The leche de tigre for this version was made with Aji Amarillo.

This also came with camote – sweet potato, starchy, sweet, and earthy. The shrimp was the best of the seafood, plump, sweet, and tender. The leche de tigre had some complexity, not only the sour-citrusy-fruity tones, but also some smokiness. We were told that the aji amarillo was roasted in the wood fired oven before adding it to the marinating liquid.

No, this is not bone marrow….it’s actually the Beef Tartare, which is served in a bone.

Wonderful presentation; but quite ok tartare, nothing special; the beef was more chewy than I prefer. The most interesting ingredient in this was the addition of pungent, almost horseradish like Mashua.

Of course we had to have Cuy, right? After all, I do love me some cuy. Of course, this was quite fancy…..

I swear, that cuy could have passed for mild roasted duck! Loved the crisp skin and the beer jus was lovely. The cuy had been confit; so it was so tender! The mini tostadas were also delicious. What threw me off were the little pastas, which were filled with peanut cream…which tasted like peanut butter!

Next up; the Suckling Pig Taquitos; these were so tasty and the texture was fabulous as well.

The “porky pig” had been confit as well, so wonderfully tender and swiney. That dollop of avocado cream, a hit of smokey spice from chipotle, and the pico de gallo balanced out the richness. The crisp and rather light wrappers were excellent as well.

For our main to share; we went with the Catch of the Day; which in this case was Seabass.

The fish was perfectly fried; the coating crisp, very moist and tender, though the flavor nothing to write home about. It was the aji manaba, very distinct, slightly spicy, mildly fruity, good acid that really made things interesting. That black garlic aioli was a bit too sweet and overkill.

It was a fine dish; though not as interesting and tasty as the apps….which is why we’ll often have an entire meal of starters!

Service was excellent, very professional and warm.

A good example of how wonderful the folks working were happened as we were heading out. We’d gone ahead and requested an Uber….which did a strange thing. The pick-up point they set was basically half way back to the hotel? What the heck? The host came over to check on us and told us to cancel the Uber; it would be better with a taxi….they then went and called us a cab. The host even waited with us for the taxi and spoke to the driver just to “check” and make sure he knew exactly where to take us! Outstanding service!

Zazu Restaurant
Mariano Aguilera 331
Quito, Ecuador

We got back to the hotel and one of the security persons came over to check on us! Such great folks here!

We went to our room and packed a bit. We had already arranged a driver to the airport for the next morning. Our flight to San Cristóbal Airport wasn’t until 11, so we would have breakfast in the lounge before heading to our next stop! Can you figure out our next stop?

London – More Shopping at Liberty, Dinner at St John (Smithfield) and Returning Home

November 1, 2025 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Fine Dining, London, Memorable Meals, Travel

As we strolled back to our room following a wonderful lunch at Barshu and exploring Chinatown, the Missus wanted to make one more stop. It was at a place we’d stopped by at earlier. One that “FOY” Sandy accurately wrote as being ” a bit out of my price range” in the comments of that post; Liberty.

This time, the Missus did some serious browsing…..

And in the end, found a scarf that She really liked.

I was actually relieved that, like our visits to Hermes in Paris, it was only a scarf….

Liberty London
Regent St.
London, United Kingdom

As for dinner…well, it was going to take us about a half hour total. So, after returning to our hotel, we set off. We’d be leaving from Paddington, so the Missus had a chance to check out the sculpture, The Wild Table of Love a bit more closely this time.

The actual ride on the tube was only about 10 minutes and we ended up at Farringdon Station, after which it was a ten minute walk to our destination.

Much like our lunch at Barshu, my choice for dinner had been on my “list” for ages. The destination was once named as Anthony Boudain’s choice for his “last supper”. Unfortunately, we all know that didn’t happen. But since, by total accident, we did actually have what Mr Bourdain had as his last meal, it just seemed right to go to St John….and of course, I’ve been wanting to visit for years, since seeing his shows featuring Chef Fergus Henderson. Of course I had to convince the Missus…since St John specializes in “nose to tail” cuisine….well, showing the Missus photos really didn’t help things. But in the end the Missus gave in…..and we were at St John in Smithfield.

Our dinner reservations were for 645pm, so the place was pretty empty when we arrived. But soon enough the place filled up. The service a impeccable, the staff polished, professional, while being quite amiable. As for the customer base…well, it seemed to be mostly Brits based on the accents we could hear.

The Missus’s preconceived notions changed quickly when the bread arrived.

My goodness……yeasty, crusty….just perfect. The butter, while being on the cold side was well…..so buttery!

Now we’d had quite a bit for lunch, so we had a small dinner; but thoroughly enjoyed it.

I had to get my phone out to translate…well, English to, ahem English for what the heck “Cold Roast Dexter” was. Well, Dexter….is (thankfully) not whom you might think, but actually a breed of Irish Cattle. Think of it as cold roast beef….but just any roast beef. The slices of beef were very savory/bovine-y, quite lean but still tender.

The anchovy based dressing was rich, yet so umami and the cress added a wonderful, crisp, bright pepperiness to things. This was so ono!

The signature dish; the one that Bourdain wished for his last meal is the Roasted Bone Marrow & Parsley Salad…..again, a very simple looking dish. I would add, something this good does not need any fancy additions.

Man, that veal marrow was ooozing, gelatinous perfection. Beefy, almost sweet, and a touch of salt on that wonderful bread….say no more!

The Crispy Pig Cheek and Chicory gave me pause as it looked over-dressed. But again, this was delici-yoso. The pig cheek was indeed still crisp but also quite tender, and so porky! I asked the friendly Server what kind of pork this was and he said “Middle White”. So, of course I got the phone out…. Middle White is a breed of British domestic pig.

Loved the porkiness…definitely not the “other white meat” and the bitter, bold flavor of the chicory! We found out quickly that the dressing had a good bit of pungent mustard in it.

This was quite a nice…though smaller, definitely not light meal! It also gave me an appreciation for what seems to be more traditional British cuisine. Both the Missus and I can’t wait to return!

St. John Smithfield
26 St John St.
London, United Kingdom

After dinner, on the way to the metro station, we took a look at Smithfield Market, which of course was closed.

I’ve heard that the market is closing and the location becoming the London Museum.

We got back to our hotel and slept well. Our flight home wasn’t until 1pm, so we didn’t have to wake very early. Plus the Heathrow Express stops at Paddington Station and takes about 20 minutes to get to the airport. Flying Business Class has its benefits as we got to have brunch at the lounge at Heathrow.

And of course we ate on our flight back to San Diego.

One part of the meal in Business or First that I enjoy on British Airways is having the cheese plate for dessert. I really enjoy the Cashel Blue….which I believe comes from Ireland, with a nice port before heading off to dreamland.

And for the next meal…I selected the “light menu”…which ain’t so light.

I actually enjoyed the Smoked Chicken.

Which went well with the ricotta.

Though, my choice for Main Course, the Pesto Trofie was questionable. I guess I was still recalling being in Liguria.

Still, this had been a wonderful trip, starting in London visiting Westminster Abbey and getting early access to the Tower of London is highly recommended. Then heading to Milan…which exceeded our expectations. Then it was off to the Cinque Terre, we loved Veranzza, and even the hikes/walks to the various villages. I’m glad we were able to spend some time in Genoa, where we got to sample some traditional dishes. And of course, visiting my favorite city, Paris. Where we got to hang out on my favorite street. I’d always wanted to take the EuroStar! And it all ended back in London!

We loved this rather longish vacation and maybe when JJ gets a bit older and his favorite Auntie is back in town we’ll be able to do it again!

Cheers!

Paris – Les Enfants Rouge Revisited and L’Escargot Montorgueil

August 23, 2025 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

After our wonderful walking tour of the Marais we headed off to lunch. After "striking out" on our previous two meals in the city….something that had never happened to us before, I didn't want to take any chances. So, knowing that one of our favorites, is usually not very crowded on a weekday for lunch we headed on over to…..

Les Enfants Rouge:

A Le Efants Rouge 01

And yes, I was correct as the place was quite mellow during the lunch hour.

The restaurant, helmed by a Japanese Chef, who does a comingling of French dishes with Japanese touches, has become a favorite of ours. We think there's more of a Japanese influence to the menu items. As with both of our previous visits, I was actually greeted first in Japanese…then in English by the Hostess!

For lunch, a 50 Euro three course tasting menu is presented and we were glad that some of our favorite dishes were on the menu!

Because I've already done two previous posts on Les Enfants Rouge; I'm just going to mostly do photos.

We love the Lamb Terrine; it's mildly gamey-winey, quite tender.

It goes so well with the bread. And yes, that is Kyuri Asazuke that is on the plate.

Of course we had to get our favorite dish at Les Enfants Rouge; the White Fish Tempura, served with a super umami nori "dashi".

The maigre (croaker) was so moist and tender, the tempura batter light and crisp.

As you can see that dish above really skews to the Japanese side in terms of preparation. While the Blanquette de veau – veal stewed in a white sauce takes it toward the French side of the scale.

Though the Eryngii Mushrooms were sauteed with a bit of soy and perhaps mirin.

The Missus went with the restaurant's version of a Paris-Brest which has to be ordered at the beginning of the meal.

While I, the one who really doesn't have a sweet tooth was happy to have the Cheese Plate…..which the Missus enjoyed as well.

You can see why we enjoy Les Enfants Rouge, right? I wish we had something like this in San Diego….it would be a regular stop for us!

Previous posts on Les Enfants Rouge here and here.

Les Enfants Rouges
9 Rue de Beauce
75003 Paris, France

After which we headed back to the hotel and relaxed. We'd put in a good amount of mileage!

It had drizzled while we were napping and upon awakening we were blessed with a rainbow….something that I miss about living in Hawaii. And of course, rainbows always makes us remember Frankie!

We had done quite a bit already on this day, so we basically just hung around the 2nd.

IMG_3514a

Then the question arose….."what's for dinner?" I hadn't made any plans for this stay in Paris. The Missus really wanted some escargot; She was so disappointed at what we'd had for lunch at Aux Crus de Bourgogne. Then it came to me……on Rue Montorgueil, before you cross Rue Étienne Marcel was a place we passed perhaps 40 times during our stays in Paris.

It was named L'Escargot. But, much like Aux Crus de Bourgogne, we've always thought of the place as being a "tourist" restaurant. Though the sign says that it was established in 1832, when Louis Philippe I ruled France!

Well, looking online, it seems that perhaps I might have been mistaken, as the reviews were pretty good. So, we decided to head on in.

The dark, ornate interior, screamed stereotypical neo-classic/second empire decor.

Our Server was a very serious, "humphing", almost a caricature of a French waiter; Olivier. We would later find out that he was a long time Server at L'Escargot and actually has a sense of humor.

The menu itself seemed like a cliche of what one would think at stereotypical French gastronomy would be.

And of course I ordered a Kir Royale, which got a nod of approval from Olivier. And upon m first sip, my opinion of L'Escargot started changing; the ice thawing as it was perfect.

Perfectly bubbly, with balanced tart and sweet tones!

Of course we had to have the Escargot. Of which we found that there were several preparations. Versions with Black Truffle or Foie Gras!

Of course we had to get the traditional preparation. We got a dozen; which the Missus absolutely loved.

So meaty, the snails had the perfect slightly toothsome, yet tender texture. The menu says the snails are precooked in a court boullion with herbs…it is indeed delicious! Nice herbacious-savory tones; so delici-yoso with the provided baguette!

And of course I had to get the Pan Seared Foie Gras. So this was 24 € but there were two pieces of perfectly cooked, "firmly-creamy" foie gras.

The sauce added a perfect touch of fruity sweetness and the brioche even held up. Which went well with the rich-slightly offally, savory Foie Gras. Be still my heart…literally.

The only clunker of the evening were the Frog Legs.

These bow-legged stanced hind legs of said amphibian were dry and on the chewy side. The herbal topping was fine; but we just didn't care for the heading toward sourness of the flesh.

Still, the escargot and foie gras more than made up for the frog legs.

We enjoyed this meal so much that we'd return the following night for more!

Sheesh…..hidden from us in plain sight all these years!

L'Escargot Montorgueil
38 rue Montorgueil
75001 Paris, France

We headed back to our room taking a roundabout route…a nice after dinner walk…"la balade".

After having two not so good meals the previous day, the two wonderful meals on this day was a perfect correction. And for at least this evening; all seemed right in the world.

Fauna – Valle de Guadalupe

August 7, 2025 mmm-yoso Baja California, Mexico, Fine Dining, Latin American Cuisine, Memorable Meals, Mexican Restaurants, Travel

For our blowout meal while visiting Valle de Guadalupe, I made reservations at Fauna which for several years had been touted among the "best" (in lower case and strong quotes) restaurants in Latin America. Of course…those lists…..Fauna was chosen as the "best" in Mexico in 2023 according to Eater. Of course, I kind of temper my expectations at bit. We've dined at Maido, which has claimed the title of Best Restaurant in the World in 2025 and Osteria Francescana when it held that title back in 2018. Both meals were good and innovative; but each with short comings for us. Still, what I had read and seen regarding Fauna was interesting, so I made those reservations.

Of course our driver, Ivan was super punctual, and off we went! We were dropped right at the entrance of Fauna which is located in the huge and sprawling Bruma Wine Resort.

We were greeted and seated. The Missus wasn't too fond of the communal seating arrangement, but I kind of enjoyed the social aspect.

I had a cocktail and the Missus wine while we looked over the menu.

We started with some wonderful shellfish. I think the Missus's favorite was the super sweet abalone, which came with a nutty pepito flavored aspic. The blood clams were so sweet and an umami bomb.

The Baja Oysters were mildly briny and refreshing, with a clean finish.

The Tuna Fin Sopes where a bit salty and the sopes were on drier-chewier side. For some reason, it also lacked a nice "maize" flavor as well.

The Octopus with Tomato was interesting as it was quite herbal. The octopus was cooked perfectly and quite tender.

The scallops in the Scallops in Eggplant Puree was so sweet and tender.

But the eggplant puree was thinner than I anticipated and really lacked the smoky-savory flavor we enjoy. It was also a bit on the salty side.

The Rabbit and Celeriac was an interesting dish as the rabbit was compressed.

Surprisingly mild in flavor, the rabbit was super moist and tender. The celeriac added some nice sweet tones as well. This was served with some blue corn tortillas, which, unlike the sopes were mildly sweet and "maizey".

Seeing Sweetbreads on the menu; you know I just had to order it, right?

Served on a savory, lovely potato puree, and with crispy fried kale to add an interesting bitter-sweet flavor and also textural contrast to the nutty-buttery, mildly offaly sweetbreads, this was an delici-yoso dish!

The Striped Bass with a Pasilla Adobo was very good.

The fish was perfectly pan fried, crisp exterior, moist and flaky, while a bit on the salty side. The adobo was wonderful, smoky, slightly sweet, mild spice, quite rich in texture.

There were two dishes we were advised to order by folks we know. The first being the Charred Cabbage.

Which lay in a large dollop of a sauce made of Chilhuacle Chiles, which was the sweeter side. The cabbage was fine….and we've been ordering charred cabbage this when we see it on menus since we had it at Senia. The cabbage was quite mild in flavor, even though it was charred and should have really developed a sweet smokiness.

And then there was the Wagyu which was served with a Pasilla Chile Stuffed with Cheese which was kinda overkill.

The steak was toothsome and quite beefy, though cooked past our preferred doneness.

The Missus did enjoy the desserts.

While the Missus was not particularly fond of the communal seating and definitely not in same league as Pujol; I think we'd return if we had a chance.

We felt sorry for the young man who was part of the Asian couple across from us. He was so excited to be dining at Fauna; but the young lady accompanying him was having none of it. She made many rude comments…sometimes not even touching what was on her plate! She just didn't want to be there it seems, making the meal as unpleasant for her date as possible, and was totally unable to just "suck it up" for the sake of the young man. Sigh….

Fauna
México 3 Km #73
Francisco Zarco, B.C., Mexico

After dinner we strolled around the area a bit.

Thinking that perhaps we might want to stay around here should we return to Valle.

Fauna 00

Milan – MU Dim Sum

April 1, 2025 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants, Fine Dining, Italy, Memorable Meals, Milan, Travel

We had enjoyed our time in Genoa and the Cinque Terre, but now it was time to head back to Milan. Our train from Genoa to Milan Central took about an hour-and-a-half. Since we had a flight the next morning, I booked a hotel fairly close to the train station.

As for dinner; well that was going to be interesting. I had taken into account the Missus's need for Asian food, but I missed the mark by one day. Still, I had made reservations for dinner at the Michelin listed Mu Dim Sum. After our rather disappointing meal at the 2 Michelin Star A Wong in London earlier during this trip, the Missus really wasn't too excited about this meal. Though I did point out that our previous foray into Chinese here in Milan at Hekfan was pretty good. Still, the Missus obviously didn't want to get Her hopes up.

As we walked to our dinner destination, I was quickly reminded that it was Halloween Eve. I never knew that Europe celebrated Halloween….but now I do.

It was a short four blocks to dinner. The restaurant is quite classy looking and rather dark.

We had a corner table. The service was quite relaxed, only one person spoke Mandarin which the Missus found interesting.

The menu is quite large; so while we looked it over, I started with……well, this is Milan…an Aperol Spritz.

The Missus was fascinated by the tea selection and ordered some tea, which She loved.

They even had a fancy hourglass for timing the tea based on type.

We placed our order and soon enough the Asume Bouche arrived. A tasty version of Million Layer Potato and a crisp-crunchy Fried Chicken "Nugget".

And soon our food started arriving. Things started on a high note as the Sweetbreads with Shiitakes and Shellfish Foam was delici-yoso!!!!

The rich buttery sweetbreads balanced with earth-tender shiitakes dancing in a shellfish based emulsion that was sweet-savory-umami-oceany.

Next up was one of my favorite crustaceans, Mantis Shrimp.

You know how I love Mantis Shrimp, right? The Soy-Sake sauce was light, not overly sweet, and didn't interfere with the wonderful sweet and tender shrimp. My favorite item of the meal.

The Mushroom and Truffle Crystal Dumplings were delicious as well.

The filling was so earthy-savory, with the black truffle flavor coming thru clearly. The wrapper was a bit thick, but had a decent "pull" to them.

The wrapper on the Spicy Duck Ragout was quite good, nice stretch, not brittle.

Didn't care much for the overall flavor as the salt and seasonings overshadowed the duck. It was quite salty.

We got one each of the Regular and the Black Char Siu Bao.

The filling was fairly tender, not overly sweet, very classic seasoning. The regular bao was a bit too wet and doughy. The "Black Bao", obviously made with activated charcoal had an almost gritty-crunchy texture, though the flavor was less sweet, but not substantially different from the "regular" one.

The next three dishes came out all at once.

The Missus was told by the one person who spoke Mandarin that the Char Siu was made from pork neck. We did like the toothsome texture and the strong porkiness.

The pork was nicely seasoned with five spice, white pepper, and salt. Instead of being highly glazed it was sauced which dampened the savory-sweetness a bit; but this was pretty good. The Missus enjoyed the fermented cabbage.

The Tripe was a bit harder than I like, but the flavor of ginger came thru quite nicely.

This was nice and savory and frankly better than many versions I've had here in the states.

IMG_3285b The Peking Duck was "almost there". The fat had been nicely rendered, but the skin was still a bit rubbery. The flesh was very tender, the flavors spot on, good gamey-earthy notes, five spice, a hint of sweetness. The dan bing weren't up to the task and tore easily. Still, the duck was not bad at all.

We took the dessert with us to go and the Missus had them to finish up Her evening in our room.

We had enjoyed this meal. Who'd have thought, not one, but two decent Chinese dinners in Milan? The service here was a bit spotty, but the Missus enjoyed the tea, we liked most of the dishes, and would gladly dine here again. And of course….the sweetbreads and mantis shrimp!

MU Dimsum
Via Aminto Caretto 3
Milano, Italy

The next morning, we headed out early, up Via Napo Torriani to Milano Centrale. Passing quite a few interesting things along the way. Like the church pictured below.

That's the Santuario di San Camillo de Lellis, a Catholic Church.

And while there was nothing that would quite match the sculpture L.O.V.E. which I made a point to see earlier during our stay, there is the sculpture below right in front of the Central Station.

It is a work by Michelangelo Pistoletto named The Big Apple of Milan.

While we had flown into Milan landing at Milan Linate Airport, we would be flying out of Milan Malpensa Airport. We caught the first available train from the station to MXP which took about 50 minutes or so.

We were flying out on Air France….you can figure where we were headed right? Anyway, since we had first class tickets, we had use of the lounge which was surprisingly empty.

Which meant I could get some lunch before our flight.

Our next stop was my favorite city in Europe, so I was quite happy!

Thanks for stopping by!

London – Tamarind (Mayfair)

November 29, 2024 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, Indian Restaurants, London, Memorable Meals, Travel

Because we'd be headed to Milan in the morning and that we'd done a decent amount of walking during the day, I had made reservations for dinner at a place that was just a pleasant 15 minute walk from our hotel. Being in London, we just had to get some Indian cuisine, right? And having a chance to get dinner at a Indian Restaurant with a Michelin Star? A place that laid claim to be the first Indian Restaurant to earn a Michelin star? Well, of course I made reservations to dine at Tamarind.

We arrived at the polished white restaurant a few minutes before our reservations. We were greeted warmly and escorted to our table. The staff here were wonderful and very professional, though the timing of the dishes were a bit inconsistent.

I think the timing was because the staff had food delivered by dumbwaiter and there always seemed to be a bit of congestion as the night went on and the place became busy.

Still, we really enjoyed the service

As for the food; well, we got the tasting menu and a single wine pairing which the Missus enjoyed and I should have kept better track of. Oh well…..

Things started with a very good Churi Chaat.

The crisp lightness of the papadum; the complex flavors of the yogurt and chutneys, not to mention the tart-puckery pomengranite seeds and the seasoning which had some mild sweetness and spice. I remember this being served with a wonderful Viognier

The "Gourmet Menu" had four courses with two available items. So, of course the Missus and I chose opposite so we could have a taste of the entire menu.

The first courses were a Chicken Tikka and a Coconut & Chilli Seabass.

We strangely found the chicken to be on the chewier side and without that sauce a bit bland except for a dose of tartness.

The Seabass was very moist and tender; though it had a hint of muddiness. The ikura went quite well with the fish as it added a briney component and a nice texture to the dish.

The coconut wasn't overly sweet and the spice not overwhelming. The black olives were perhaps a bit too much for the fish though.

The next two courses were the Chilli Lobster and Char-grilled Lamb Chop.

As you might know if you've read our blog long enough; the Missus hasn't been a big fan of lobster; though our trips to various locations around the world has kind of changed things. The lobster here was plump and tender. Again we were warned about the spice, but it seemed quite mild to us. The sweetness of the sauce really balanced out whatever spice the dish had and did not mar the flavor of the lobster.

The Lamb Chops were fabulous. Toothsome and gamey, the nutty pistachio added a nice crunchy to the dish. The Lamb was cooked to perfection.

The Missus really enjoy the Pinot Noir that went with this.

They then brought out a basket of crisp, yet pillowy, lightly buttery Naan.

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And some fragrant and tender Basmati Rice.

This was to accompany the Mangalore Prawn Curry and the Cholar Dal.

The Prawn Curry was the better of the two dishes.

The curry was so rich, buttery, complex, perhaps again a bit shy in spice, but the prawns were so tender. The curry just went so well with the Naan.

We didn't care for the raisins in the Daal, which was kinda of well….dull. At least compared to the curry.

We were surprised at the pairing of a Australian Grenache with these dishes, but it just went so well with them.

I was stuffed by this point, so the Missus requested just a single dessert.

Which She thoroughly enjoyed.

We really enjoyed this meal, perhaps the most refined Indian cuisine we've ever had. The staff were pleasant and professional. And at 89£ person and the single pairing cost 79£ we thought this meal was totally worth it!

Tamarind Restaurant
20 Queen St.
London W1J 5PR, UK

This was a wonderful dinner before leaving for Italy the next day.

London – Dinner at A Wong Part 2

October 27, 2024 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Chinese Restaurants, Fine Dining, London, Travel

**** So, this is part 2 of our dinner. If you haven't read part 1, you can find it here.

After the "Banquet" and the "Dim Sum", the next set of items up were named "Fish".

Anhui Province Red Braised Fermented Wild Seabass, I'm thinking that this was supposed to be a homage to Chòu Guì Yú, which uses a brine based fermentation technique?

We enjoyed the textural variations within the dish. The ikura like fish roe presented a savory-brininess. The fish was tender, not overly salty.

The "Why We Don't Need to Eat Shark's Fin Soup" was interesting, subbing agar for the shark fin.

We were told to pour the soup, which had a nice gelatinous richness onto the Braised Abalone with Shiitake Mushroom and Sea Cucumber which was part of the "set". It was a bit of overkill. For some reason the abalone tasted somewhat bitter?

And then there was the Garlic Steamed Tiger Prawn, Mung Bean Noodle, with "Superior" Soy. Not sure why they needed to add the Superior Soy to the name…..I use it in my dishes all the time and think of it as a kitchen staple?

Nice balanced garlic-ginger tones in this; but the tiger prawn was over-cooked and tough.

Next up were the "Snacks".

Starting with the riff on Rou Jia Mo; something we loved during our trip to Shaanxi.

A very interesting put it together yourself presentation. The mantou was a bit too doughy; it should be more crisp as well. The lamb had really been stewed in the juices and sauce, but was quite mild in flavor. It seemed a bit "tame"…which I think was the issue we had with many of the dishes here.

Soy Chicken with Ginger Oil and Oscietra Caviar. Man Ossetra Caviar, with Soy Sauce Chicken?

It was accompanied by some soy sauce for dipping. The caviar and soy sauce did a great job balancing out the dish which skewed sweet.

We did enjoy the texture of the Pulled Noodle Cracker with Japanese Wagyu and Shrimp Chili Oil.

But the Wagyu seemed a bit lost here. The chili oil was savory, but wasn't particularly spicy.

Next up were the "Five Flavours"; now you know how much I reference suan–tian–ku–la–xian, the sour-sweet-bitter-spicy-salty metaphor for balanced dishes.

Gong Bao Chicken, Roasted Peanuts, and Hot Pot Essence.

This was a nice bite as the ma-la (numbing spice) came thru cleanly.

We were provided with Nashi Pear edges with Sichuan Peppercorn as a palate cleanser for the final dishes.

The presentation of the Sweet and Sour Corn Fed Chicken, Thai basil, Pineapple and Candied Walnuts was eye catching.

But like many of the other dishes, the "Emperor had no clothes". It was too sweet; the chicken was not crisp enough and bland. Not enough basil to really add that anise goodness to the dish.

Not sure why the Roasted Cashew, Tamarind, Dried Shrimp and Coriander Cheung fun wasn't on the "dim sum" menu.

The Missus enjoyed the crisp youtiao that crowned the dish; it again skewed a bit sweet, though the cheong fun was nicely texture with a nice "pull" to it.

The silken tofu in the Chrysanthemum Tofu and Lemongrass Broth was beautifully silken.

The dish came with a very nice soup spoon of sauce on the side.

We were told to eat the tofu in combination with the Yunnan Seared Beef with Mint, Chili and Lemongrass.

Which was fine. As you can tell, we were getting a bit worn down by this time.

And my notepad on my phone was getting quite full.

On the bright side; the last "main dish" was quite interesting. The Young Coconut with Madagascan Black Pepper Sauce.

I know, doesn't look like much from this angle. But turn the plate around a bit……

Yes, there's more black truffle here. We were surprised that it went well with the slightly sweet and nutty coconut. The black pepper sauce really balanced the dish out with the fried shiso leaf adding in that touch of minty-anise-vegetal tones.

As you all know, I'm not much of a dessert guy, but I found the Coconut Water Ice to be quite refreshing. Especially after so many items.

The Candied Walnuts with Blue Cheese was an interesting, very non-Chinese item for dessert.

The Missus enjoyed the version of Dragon's Beard Candy provided.

We took the Petit-Fours with us. The Missus enjoyed them with coffee the next morning.

So, if you've made thru both posts, I'm sure you can figure out what we thought of the meal. The service was a bit hovering, but very nice. The presentation of the dishes were quite excellent; but we don't eat with our eyes. For a place whose owner claims to be a "Chef-Anthropologist", many of the dishes really didn't capture the essence and soul of the cuisine of the various regions of China to us.

As for the price; it was 200£ per person plus another 200£ for the wine pairing….which the Missus liked BTW. So, all told including service charges/tips the bill came out to about $1k US!

We'll have to mark this one up to "well, at least we finally tried A Wong".

A. Wong
70 Wilton Rd.
Pimlico, London, United Kingdom

London – Dinner at A Wong Part 1

October 26, 2024 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Chinese Restaurants, Fine Dining, London, Travel

**** OK, this is going to be a two-parter, since dinner was 30 courses!

I was really excited about our first dinner in London. I'd made reservations at A Wong which has the honor of being the first Chinese restaurant with 2 Michelin Stars outside of China. I had purchased the A Wong Cookbook which is no longer printed, way back in 2016. I'd tried some recipes with mixed results. Yet, I believed eating at the restaurant would provide some insight.

The restaurant was located about a mile-and-a-half from our hotel and the Missus decided we should walk. It was a pretty nice walk as we strolled thru the Green Park and past Buckingham Palace.

I did enjoy the walk.

A Wong is located on Wilton Road in Pimlico and it's a fairly low-keyed spot, between a Mexican restaurant and a Brazilian Steakhouse. We were welcomed as we arrived and seated at the bar.

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The menu is like a book, the 30 courses divided up into 6 sections with specific "themes" like the "Banquet", "Dim Sum", and "Fish". We also took the wine pairing as well. As for the Chef/Owner, Andrew Wong has quite the story, as does the location, which was formerly his parent's restaurant.

You can read the link and the page from the menu below if interested.

Apparently, the Chef has travelled across China and wants his menu to reflect his travels. I don't think I need to say how difficult it would be to pay homage to all 8 great traditions as well as regional cuisine like Hakka, Yunnan, and others. Chef Wong does fancy himself as a Culinary "Anthropologist" so this was going to be interesting.

The staffing of the restaurant is kinda amazing; it seems like there's a 1:1 ratio of staff to customers. The downside is that there's bit of "hovering" going on, which can be somewhat uncomfortable at times.

The meal was brought out in "groups", the first 8 dishes, comprising the "Banquet" arrived in unison. I must say the presentation was quite good.

That's Fish Fragrant Oyster on the right and Beans with wasabi soy sauce, and Osmanthus Jelly on the left.

The Yúxiāng Qiézi (fish fragrant aubergine) Oyster was first.

The oyster was nice and briny; but things basically stopped there as the "flavoring" was quite mild. I was looking for the layering of flavors, pungent-sour-a hint of sweet-spice, but this really lacked that.

We were instructed to have the Osmanthus Jelly next.

Mild pungent tones from the wasabi soy; we enjoyed the refreshing jelly.

We found the Yunnan Sweet Potato with Tamarind and Shrimp Caramel to be overly sweet.

The sweet potato noodles were the highlight of this, great texture, not overly sweet, somewhat vegetal.

The Smacked Cucumber with Trout Roe was decent.

Crisp cucumber, the briny trout roe added a nice layer of flavor, but it could have used more garlic and assertive – refreshing flavors which to me, are the hallmark of this dish.

The "Tiger Salad" with Cumin Lamb and Split Buttermilk was too sour-tangy, though I guess if you added more cilantro you could have gotten some weird Jeera Chas, but then that wouldn't be Chinese cuisine.

To be perfectly honest, the lamb was pretty much lost in this.

I was looking forward to the Cantonese Honey Roasted Pork with Grated Foie Gras.

Loved that foie gras powder; it did provide that "soul of foie gras", liverish-offaly-savory tones. Heck, I'd sprinkle it on my toast every morning! The pork was barely lukewarm, chewy, and the marinade too sweet.

The Isle of Mull Seared Scallop and Honey Glazed Char Siu was way too sweet (it seemed a common theme here?). The "crackers" on each side of the filling was really crumbly and really made a mess.

Our favorite dish of the set was also the most interesting looking.

That's the Zhou Dynasty Cured Scallop and Stuffed Crab Claw. Within the confines of the crisp noodles resided briny-savory-pleasantly sweet scallop and a stuffed crab claw.

Balanced flavors-seasoning and great textural contrasts. I mentioned how funny it was that our favorite dish so far looked like a "palm tawashi"!

Next up were the "Dim Sum" courses. Would they be changing the course of the meal? Six dishes were delivered to our table.

First up was the "Shanghai Steamed Dumplings" (aka Xiao Long Bao) with Ginger Infused Vinegar.

The "skin" was on the gummy side, the "soup" was very "gingery" (I guess there's no false advertising here), which overwhelmed the flavor of the dumplings.

The Wood Ear Fungus acted as a good vehicle for the mild sweet-sour tones of the dish.

The slice of onion was definitely needed to balance things out.

The Dim Sum Duo was up next for us.

First off, the wrappers on both the shumai and har gow were really "rubbery". The pork cracklin' was an interesting addition to the shumai, in fact, like the vinegar foam for the har gow, both were the most interesting features of the dish, which otherwise would be very mediocre dim sum to us.

We were instructed to have the Choy Sum with Century Egg as a palate cleanser before the last two dishes.

The Missus, who loves pidan, thought this too mild.

Next up was the Raw Wagyu, Fermented Meat Paste.

Being a big fan of tartare, I was looking forward to this; but it was way too sweet in my opinion. The slices of raw pear just exacerbated things.

Another dish that caught my attention was the "Memories of Peking Duck", foie gras, and smoked duck.

Oh my, caviar on one end, truffle on the other! We were instructed to eat this in two bites, to fully enjoy the dish.

Not a fan of the pancake like wrapper, but the smoked duck was very tasty. We couldn't make out the foie gras. The "truffle bite" added a pleasant mildly sweet-earthy flavor to things. The caviar seemed to amplify the saltiness of the smoked duck and seemed like overkill.

Well, at this point we had made it thru the dim sum but were still less than halfway thru the meal! There were still 16 more dishes left!

If you're still intrigued by the dishes here, stay tuned for part 2!

XO Restaurant (Honolulu)

September 19, 2024 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Fine Dining, Honolulu, Oahu, Travel

During our last stay back "home", while staying in town we wanted to have a nice meal. I had really enjoyed spending time in my old neighborhood. Having grown up in Kaimuki, it was crazy to see all of the changes. The place is kinda "hipster" now.

I made reservations at a place I'd heard good things about. I was really interested because growing up, this was the location of Kwok's Chop Suey. I actually went to school with one of owner's sons whom my my old friend from "small kid" time that I ran into at Ala Moana Park told me still lives in the old family home in Kaimuki!

The shop is now home to XO Restaurant.

Having grown up here, being exposed to the blending of cuisines, and then the heyday of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, I'm a bit cautious about the food being more "con-fusion" than fusion at these places. And yet, we'd had good meals at at Senia and more recently at Merriman's in Kamuela. So, I thought it would fun checking out XO.

We easily found parking in the tiny lot, but that was probably because we had early reservations. Upon entering I cracked up as I had the mental image of old Kwok's Chop Suey floating thru my head. Of course it no longer looks like that place…..

Our Server was very friendly (of course) and we ended up getting the Tasting menu along with extra "shooters".

Things started out with the Hamachi & Fake Crab Cannoli.

Not sure why a place of this caliber would be serving surimi in one of their dishes. But whatever. We enjoyed the crisp "scorza", but the filling was too sour and salty. We really couldn't make out much. So, I guess having fake crab in this really didn't matter, eh?

Next up was the Hamachi Crudo.

The fish was of decent quality, but all the "stuffs" really didn't elevate the dish. That's shishito, not a serrano, so no spice, the dollops of aioli had no flavor…the slices of orange added just a slight hint of citrus and there was a sour flavor to this that we didn't enjoy. We would have enjoyed a nice savory touch, a bit of pungency, or decent acidity.

The Thai Beef Larb Salad was mostly iceberg lettuce and mayo.

It was like having a few pieces of bulgogi on lettuce squirted with Kewpie mayo.

The Buttermilk Fried Chicken was more on the crunchy side, than crisp. The sauces, especially the sourish tzatziki really detracted from the overall flavor of the chicken.

The Shrimp and Calamari Seafood Pancake, obviously a take on Pajeon was texturally nice.

The exterior was nice and crisp, but the calamari was super tough, the glaze salty which over-powered the entire dish.

The Grilled Pork Belly Ssam was one of the better dishes of the evening.

The pork was nicely grilled, good seasoning, the Gochujang sauce was on the salty side, but not too bad as the lettuce could calm things down.

One "shooter" per person was included in the meal. You could add shooter for $11 each. Since there was A-5 Wagyu and Foie Gras on the list, how could we just get one each? We both got an additional "shooter". Which was basically said protein item on slightly seasoned rice.

The A-5 Wagyu was fine, if a bit overcooked, quite beefy in flavor. And you know me, if there's foie gras on the menu…… The foie gras was also a bit overcooked, but at least it wasn't what we call "dog food". It was pleasantly livery and sweet. I'm thinking it could have been elevated even higher with a nice glaze.

The desserts presented a funny moment, the Missus did enjoy the "Bunny Butter Mochi".

It's the Wagyu Fat Caramels that kind of freaked Her out; She got flashbacks to beef tallow butter and other versions in the past. Actually, it was perfectly fine.

As for the meal? Well, it was quite disappointing. More "con-fusion" than fusion. Kind of sad since we were looking forward to this dinner, especially since the location has a special place in my heart. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

XO Restaurant
3434 Waialae Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96816