Fine Dining – Page 6

San Francisco – Mourad

September 10, 2018 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, Moroccan Food, North African Food, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, Travel

Much like our trip to Portland in 2015, part of reason was just to rest in air conditioned goodness….which is what we did after lunch at China Live. We awoke refreshed and decided on a short stroll before dinner. We decided to just take a stroll down Market to the Ferry Building.

It was a nice stroll, past the hustle and bustle, the street merchants were just closing up for the day.

We walked through the Ferry Building, giving the Missus a chance to check out various places as possibilities for tomorrow's lunch.

We walked through and past various shops…..most were closed or closing for the day. And then headed out back to the Ferry Terminals and just basically sat and watched.

I guess this must seem just routine to folks who live in the Bay Area; but for us, it was just relaxing and fun.

A short time later we decided to head to our dinner destination. Our good friend Candice had recommended Mourad, a Michelin Star restaurant that serves Moroccan inspired cuisine with local ingredients and modern techniques. The location was a few blocks from our hotel on New Montgomery Street. We were a bit early for our reservation, so we had a seat at the bar. Our mixologist was quite the showman and very knowledgeable. I had, what might be the best and one of the most expensive ($24) cocktails I've had in recent memory. A magical concoction called "Legend of the Brave".

A blend of Scotch, ciociaro, jalapeno-pineapple shrub syrup, "Scotch mist", and blood orange, this had that nice combination of smokey-savory-bitter and not-too-sweet flavors I enjoy in a cocktail. The Missus had some Scotch and is now somewhat enamored with it.

Soon enough, we were notified that our table was ready. It was in the upstairs portion of the restaurant.

Mourad does have a tasting menu and what they call "la'acha" family sized meals….which based on what we saw on two other tables would be just too much for the Missus and I. We ordered a couple of dinner items and two sides, which turned out to be more than enough for us.

The first three dishes were brought out together.

Things started off with the Lamb Tartare ($18), which was topped with sliced green apple.

The tangy green apple added a nice crunch but really didn't add much to the overly salty tartare. Ditto the wheatberry. The sodium level just wiped out any flavor the tender lamb would have.

Next up; what they simply call "Eggplant" ($18) on the menu.

This dish featured a wonderful range of textures and flavors. From the tender earthy eggplant and oregano, the brightness of za'atar, the crunchy, very clean-brininess of the cucumber. On occasion you'd have the distinct, nutty, resinous of pine nuts mixed in. The bread was hot and wonderful. The puree was slightly smokey, mildly sweet, but also on the salty side. It was best used as a spread for the bread.

When the Foie Gras ($26) arrived….well, we weren't too sure about it. Wrapped with shredded and from what we could taste, pickled green papaya and topped with freeze dried strawberries (??), this was very good!

The crunch, mild sourness of the green papaya and the light sweetness of that trendy freeze dried strawberries to complement the richness of the creamy foie gras was nothing short of amazing. We could detect the slight fragrance of rose water as well. Add to that crisp, buttery, and slightly sweet brioche toast and this was easily my favorite dish of the evening.

In a display of almost flawless timing, our last dish and two sides were brought out seconds after we had finished our first three dishes and our table cleared. We both thought the service at Mourad was very professional and pleasant.

The Duck Basteeya ($25) was presented to us as Chef Lahlou's signature dish.

You really couldn't fault the presentation. The filo dough around the eggroll-chimichanga-ish basteeya was light and crisp; it had been put together perfectly. Unfortunately, while the duck confit was lovingly, we found this to be much too sweet for our taste.

I enjoyed the Heirloom Bean Shakshuka ($10); topped with a "ying-yang" of bread crumbs and what tasted like a feta cream.

The beans had a wonderful texture; just enough of a bite and I enjoyed the blend of flavors in this one.

The Missus really loved the Kale ($10).

This was a wonderful braised kale dish; the Harissa, something I use quite often in my cooking adding some zip. It was a wonderful, hearty dish.

Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Mourad; there were some nice surprises and the meal ended with two comforting dishes. The service was excellent. And that cocktail! I think we'll be back…probably to eat at the bar…..some foie gras, eggplant, kale, and beans……and a couple of those cocktails!

Mourad Restaurant
140 New Montgomery St. #1
San Francisco, CA 94105
Hours:
Mon – Fri 1130am – 10pm
Sat – Sun 5pm – 10pm

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Still Our Favorite Restaurant. Suzunari (Tokyo)

July 11, 2018 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region

While we were a bit sad to leave Kyoto, which is one of Missus's favorite cities. We were excited to be back in Tokyo.

Beyond the rather overwhelming, sensory overload of the city; we loved the various neighborhoods, the order, the streets packed with wonderful surprises at every turn. We'd gotten used to the rhythm of this city of over 13 million people.

The Missus had gotten really fond of the Yotsuya neighborhood, which is where we decided to stay on our return to Tokyo. There's something less touristy and more "real" about this neighborhood; at least to us. And while we have yet to find Hattori Hanzo's (the real one) grave or have yet to see obake in the neighborhood, we love walking the back streets and exploring.

Plus, the view from our hotel wasn't too shabby at all.

Another reason for staying in the neighborhood; is that our favorite restaurant, perhaps in the world, resides down one of the narrow streets of Arakicho. Yes, even after visiting Osteria Francescana on our recent trip to Italy; or Azurmendi, Disfrutar, David Toutain, Alliance (post coming up), or any number of other places, even from my pre-blogging days (The French Laundry/Gary Danko, etc). Suzunari remains our favorite.

Honest, seasonal, perfectly prepared Kaiseki for non-tourists……it just resonates with us. Business must be good, Chef Murata now has two assistants. And like our previous meal; our good friend Reiko joined us. Once we told her we'd be returning to Tokyo and Suzunari, she was quite excited, and rightfully so.

I'll spare you the 10,000 words here; since I've posted on this place several times before.

From the stuffed sakura leaves to the Hassun….everything tasted as good as….and even better than, it looked.

The Missus still calls the simple, broiled rockfish (kinki) we had on this evening, the most perfect fish in terms of texture She has ever had.

I loved the abalone on bamboo shoots….and the abalone liver even more!

Reiko is allergic to shellfish and some forms of seafood; so instead of the usual kamameshi; they made us a version with takenoko (bamboo shoots), and provided lovely, savory dried shrimp for the Missus and I.

There's something about this place that just resonates with us.

We gotta get back to Japan (and Suzunari) again soon.

Suzunari
7-9 Arakicho, Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo

Returning to the room; I opened a "cold one".

And looked off into the night……

Thinking about how blessed we are to able to travel as much as we do…..and to be able to say; "yes, our favorite restaurant is in Tokyo."

Thanks for stopping by!

Arriving in Alaska, Girdwood, and Dinner at the Seven Glaciers Restaurant

May 28, 2018 mmm-yoso Alaska, Caffeine Fix, Fine Dining, Travel

It was nearing the end of May; the usual time the Missus and I head off on a trip. This year, we had only a week or so and nothing else until the end of the year. The Missus wanted to scratch something off Her bucket list, so we headed off to Alaska to see if we could get it done.

Landing in Anchorage and picking up a cup of coffee on the way out of town….well, it seemed like just another city in the states.

I was shocked to see that I could get an Ethiopian pour over for $3.50!

Not a great cup, but with the typical acidic-sweet-floral tones of African beans, pretty good. The place seemed pretty popular with hipsters and folks on their laptops and such.

Black Cup
341 E Benson Blvd
Anchorage, AK 99503

A few minutes down the road and we realized that we were definitely not down in the "Lower 48" as the locals call it, anymore.

Even though the weather was quite gloomy and there was a slight chill in the air, we couldn't help but keep stopping at places like Beluga Point along the way.

We'd often stop and other folks would start talking to us. Asking us where we were from, where we were headed, all quite friendly. It's definitely something we aren't used to here in SoCal. We also ran into a transplanted Californian, one of many we'd meet along the way. He was a very cheerful person, I ended up volunteering to take a photo of him and visiting family…..I guess I was getting into that mode as well.

At milepost 90….those green milepost signs are how you find many of the directions in the 49th state, I took a left and headed toward, then past, the town of Girdwood and up the road, finally taking a left on Arlberg Avenue and arriving at the Alyeska Resort. The Missus had recently had a birthday and I wanted to make our first night in Alaska a nice one. So I chose the Alyeska Resort because of the well regarded location, accommodations, and restaurant. Indeed, check-in was friendly, professional, and smooth. We had a Junior Suite, which was comfortable and huge, and the Missus's favorite room of the entire trip. Oh, and the really nice young man who worked the front desk was from….you guessed it, California! The view from our room wasn't too shabby either.

Of course, once we checked in, the Missus was just rarin' to go. So off we went, making the two plus change mile walk to the town of Girdwood. Even though it drizzled off and on during our walk the scenery was lovely.

The view while crossing over the river was amazing.

While Girdwood is described as a resort town……it bore no resemblance to the mental picture I had of a resort village. It looked like a charming little town with a single street with a general store on the corner.

There are a couple of restaurants/bars, a post office, what looked like a yoga place, and other services along the single street.

We stopped for a caffeine fix at a coffee shop cum curio store called The Grind.

The collection was indeed "eclectic"……I was sorely tempted to get that "Freeloader Fork"…but settled for an Americano instead.

We sat on the porch of the coffee shop and watch time slowly flow by the quiet street. On occasion someone on a bike would pass….you'd see a couple of dogs frolicking in the park; folks dropping the Post Office to pick up their mail.

The Grind
236 Hightower Rd
Girdwood, AK 99587

We headed on back to the resort and took the trail alongside Arlberg Avenue back.

And noticed a few things we had missed on the walk down.

We also took some time to walk around the grounds of the resort as well.

I'd made dinner reservations at the resorts Seven Glaciers Restaurant. We got ready and decided to head up to the restaurant. And I do mean "head up". You see, the restaurant is located at the top of Mount Alyeska.

And the only way to get there is by tram.

You can pick up your complimentary tram tickets an hour before your reservations. We went up about a half hour before. We had the entire tram to ourselves and our tram operator was from….you guessed it; California….the Bay Area to be precise. He was a friendly, chatty fellow and described the surrounding area like a tour guide. The restaurant is named for the Seven Glaciers you can view from the place. The crazy steep slopes are Black Diamond rated and the view, well, that's priceless.

Funny coincidence, the young man lived in Girdwood and had actually seen us having our coffee on the porch of The Grind earlier in the day. He was one of the fellows who rode past us on a bike.

At the top there's a shop, a bar, the restaurant, and ski runs. Even though it was mid-May, it was still snowing in Denali and had just snowed here a few days earlier.

After having a bit of fun in the snow and ice we headed into the restaurant which was quite well done. What struck us the most; other than the million dollar view was how well the tables were spaced and placed to maximize the view while dining.

While waiting for our table we both had cocktails….which were really low on the booze and way too sweet.

Just as we took the first sips of our drinks, our table was ready and we were seated. The view was fantastic.

One of the reasons I chose Seven Glaciers is that the menu; while priced on the high end, is locally focused. Our Server was great; genial, yet a total pro, and did a good job of describing each dish.

The butter, so creamy and milky was fantastic, the bread not so much, as the marbled rye was dry and crumbly and the lavash just passable.

The amuse was a "ceviche", very nice seafood, a delicious cilantro cream (I need to make this), and a very "corny" flavored "tortilla".

I'd read some good things about the Scallop Bisque ($12) so we started with that; our Server totally got the idea that we'd be dining "family style" and was awesome at setting up the dishes and setting for us.

The wonderfully mildly sweet-oceany flavor of the bisque was good, though it was on the thin side for my tastes and lacking that nice tongue coating texture I enjoy. The chive oil, while on the mild side in flavor was a nice accompaniment. But that scallop, the most amazingly sweet scallop, seared perfectly, the interior rare, just melted away on your tongue……it was fantastic.

The "Tartare of the Day" ($18) was Yak. And let me tell you, it was also delicious.

Very tender, clean tasting, not overly seasoned or gamey, this was nicely put together. The pickled onions were perfect; just sour enough, with distinct clove-herbal tones.

The Missus has never enjoyed King Crab, saying that it "lacked the deep crab flavor" and isn't a big fan of drawn butter either. I did mention that Bering Sea Red King Crab was supposedly the best so why not try it here (1/2 pound $35). I was shocked at how much crab this was.

Well, while meaty, and without an overly brined flavor, this still wasn't the Missus's cup of tea. Not sweet enough, too dry, on the bland side is how She described it. No regrets in trying it here though.

Our entrée, the special of the day is without doubt the best thing we had on the entire trip. It was something both that Missus and I are familiar with; black chicken, but served in a totally different manner; roasted. Traditionally served in a medicinal soup in Asia; I've found it to be terribly tough and while the Missus loves it, I'm not a fan…though it's mostly because of the medicinal flavor of the broth. Seeing Black Silkie Chicken on the menu ($42), we just had to try it.

Along with some very tasty fried artichokes, local asparagus, and tender fiddlehead ferns, on top of a nicely prepared barley risotto, perhaps the best version I've had, the chicken was so good. While toothsome and bony…hey this is free-range black chicken here, nothing out of the ordinary there; the deep poultry flavor was amazing. This is what chicken tasted like when I was a kid! It reminded me of the chicken that my grandparents raised. Sadly, I think folks aren't used to the flavor as the folks on the table next to us sent theirs back saying it was too "tough and gamey" for their liking. We on the other hand just loved this dish.

We also enjoyed the seasonal roasted vegetables ($8). The Missus loves broccolini and asparagus anyway.

The gig surprise was the roasted kale stems which had a nice acidic touch to it. It was surprisingly tender, something you don't associate with kale stems.

While we were rather stuffed, the Missus decided to order the restaurant's signature dessert; the Baked Alyeska, the classic browned meringue topped ice cream and cake.

I went with an Alaskan Brewery White Ale.

Man, that dessert was so rich and dense….I had one bite and went "no mas"……..the Missus did finish it off.

Boy, this was some meal.

The service was excellent and the food quite good.

It wasn't cheap by any means, but a wonderful special occasion meal.

It was a nice way to celebrate both the Missus's Birthday and our first night in Alaska.

Seven Glaciers Restaurant
(In the Alyeska Resort – sort of. It's on top of a mountain)
1000 Arlberg Ave
Girdwood, AK 99587

We enjoyed the ride down in the tram.

On the good side; this was a great first meal and the best meal we had on our trip.

On the bad side, this was the best meal of our trip and we had 7 more nights to go…..

Thanks for stopping by!

A Walk Around Amsterdam and Dinner at Restaurant Daalder

March 5, 2018 mmm-yoso Amsterdam, Dutch Food and Restaurants, Fine Dining, Netherlands, Travel

It was an overcast as we headed out after our morning coffee. We had two full days in Amsterdam and since we had leftovers from our previous night's meal we didn't need to stop anywhere. We decided to take on a good chunk of the city during the morning.

One has to keep alert when walking the streets in this lovely city and not get sucked in by the lovely canals or the lovely houses that line them, all crowned with distinctive Dutch gables. You see, Amsterdam claims to be the most bicycle friendly capital city in the world, there are over a million bikes in the city. Most glide along quietly, so you should be aware. It's also easy to get distracted by various interesting sights as well.

Some of which are quite humorous……

We walked along the canals, making our was back along the path we took the previous night. It looked quite different during the day.

We made our way back to Amsterdam Centraal Station. The Missus wanted to take the walk outlines in Rick Steves pocket guide to Amsterdam. So we headed down Damrak. It's a bustling and busy street. Lots of tourist shops and other places.

One of the things I wanted to try in Amsterdam was Gouda cheese. We've never particularly enjoyed Gouda in the states, so we wanted to try some here. One of the first shops we came across is this location of the Amsterdam Cheese Company.

There weren't any customers in the store when we arrived….it was rather early in the morning. The young lady working here was amazing! She was quite knowledgeable, had us taste Gouda aged for different periods of time, and was just a joy. So, of course we ended up buying some Gouda. We would enjoy it in Paris.

After a brief stop for some coffee, we arrived at Dam Square. In the 13th century, a dam was built across the Amstel River to link together settlements on both sides of the river and create a village named…..you guessed it "Amstel-dam".

There's quite a bit to see here including the National Monument(above). This World War II monument is an obelisk like structure which has sculptures representing the suffering of war – there are two weeping dogs, representing suffering and loyalty. All topped with a sculpture of a woman with a child in her arms and doves flying around her representing victory, peace, and new life.

Across the way is the Royal Palace, which was once the Town Hall. The structure became the "Royal Palace" when Napolean installed his brother as King.

There's a shopping street which parallels the main avenue named Kalverstraat…..it's truly pedestrian…..folks need to walk their bicycles on this street.

Ducking down a side gate we came across what might be our favorite stop of the day; the Begijnhof. This wonderful Hofje ("Courtyard") dates back to the 14th century when it was built as living quarters for the pious Begijntjes a Catholic sisterhood, who lived a semi-monastic life dedicated to God, even though they took no vows like Nuns.

This beautiful and quiet courtyard is rung by lovely homes that still houses older single women, though the last Beguine died in 1971.

Off to the left we saw a simple black door. This is the entrance to Begjinhof Chapel. Often called the "Clandestine Church" this was built in 1680 by combining two residences. When Catholicism was banned in the 16th century all the churches had to be given up….which is what was done with the brick church across the way. Catholics had to worship in the privacy of their own homes. Eventually, the Protestant city council approved the building of this church….as long as the building did not look like a church.

The interior is Spartan and quiet. One could imagine needing to worship in silence in fear of prosecution.

Across the way is the former Catholic Church that became the English Reformed Church.

This church was built in 1420 for the Beguine to worship. It was converted during the Reformation.

It is said that many of the Pilgrim Fathers fleeing persecution in England made their way here before leaving to form a separate congregation in Leiden and eventually sailing to the New World in 1620. The only stained glass window in the church depicts the Pilgrims praying before boarding the Mayflower. It was a gift from Edward William Bok to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the departure of the Pilgrims.

The bible on the altar dates back to 1763.

We really enjoyed the quiet, which gave us time to really take in both churches.

We exited Begjinhof and headed right, to an area known as Spui.

We did a bit of window shopping…..some of the displays are quite amusing. I believe this one is from a Cheese/Gourmet Shop named De Mannen van Kaas.

Eventually we wandered our way to the Flower Market.

Full of bright colors.

And then a bit further, the very popular area known as Leidseplein.

We decided to head back to the apartment, have our leftovers for lunch….then it would be nap time.

We wove our way through the shopping area known as De 9 Straatjes (Nine little streets).

We stopped by several shops, people watched, and enjoyed some of the more entertaining window displays…..like this one….notice the mannequin giving you the one finger salute?

We stopped by the Marqt on Wolvenstraat; sort of like a cross between Trader Joe's, Sprouts, and Whole Foods and picked up some drinks and more Stroopwafels for the Missus.

After a filling lunch we had a nice restful nap and got up in time for….well, dinner of course!

I'd made reservations at a popular place that I'd read about named Restaurant Daalder. It was located just a few blocks away and the food seemed an interesting pseudo Modern Dutch cuisine.

We both liked the cozy, under-stated, unpretentious, almost bistro-like interior of the restaurant.

We went full speed ahead; the "Daalder" course tasting menu with one wine pairing (we've learned our lessons) and the foie gras supplement (of course). This came out to about 100 € each, very reasonable. Especially since we'd just come from Scandinavia!

The Amuse started with jamon in a roll made of airy-light meringue. The "rolls" were slightly sweet and savory and melted in your mouth.

Along with a foamy, almost yogurt, fruit compote. The lemon foam was quite good.

The first course was a Tuna Tartare, which totally reminded me of poke.

Topped with avocado and watermelon; this would have been passable if not for the bitter-salty-tar like kombu reduction which just killed the poor fish dish.

The next dish was interesting; a poached egg enrobed in cauliflower puree. There was a dusting of coffee powder on the dish which really blended in nicely; adding a layer of pleasant savory-bitterness to the dish. The egg was poached perfectly and there were tiny pieces of crouton on the bottom of the bowl to add a nice textural contrast.

The scallops were good; crisp exterior, cooked perfectly, nice and sweet.

The turbot was cooked perfectly, but the dish was again marred by that kombu "tar".

The duck was quite good; though not as tender and gamey as what we had at Arakataka.

We both enjoyed the pistachio crust and the earthy, but slightly sweet jus really did well paired with the duck.

We were glad to have the foie gras supplement. The duck livers on toast were quite good. Caramelized onions just goes so well with duck livers.

Our favorite item of the night was the foie gras. It was seared so perfectly, slightly crisp, with a creamy interior. The tart, yet slightly sweet lychee just went so well with this little morsel.

And the Missus got Her dessert.

Service was relaxed, yet professional. We enjoyed the wine pairings.

Though I could tell the Missus had gotten Her fill of "tasting menus" for a while.

Still, a nice meal.

Restaurant Daalder
Lindengracht 90
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

We rolled on back to the apartment.

Good thing we had a bit of walking planned the next day.

Thanks for reading!

Tromsø – Dinner at Mathallen

February 7, 2018 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Fine Dining, Nordic/Scandanvian Food and Restaurants, Norway, Seafood, Travel

We'd had a fun day exploring Tromsø. It was so different from San Diego. Polar night is fascinating and a bit disorienting as noon seems like dusk and by 2pm it looks like had fallen. We really only had time for one dinner in Tromsø since the previous evening we'd been "Chasing the Aurora". We had decided to stay close to the apartment, just kind of chill and relax, and had made dinner reservations at the highly regarded Mathallen. Locally sourced ingredients and they had something on the menu I wanted to try….and no, it's not reindeer.

We had early reservations, which really didn't matter, since it already was so dark it felt like 9pm.

The menu was really small, with only four starters and three mains.

And like almost every other restaurant we had dinner at in Norway, they had an open kitchen.

We love the bread in Scandanavia and Mathallen was no exception. Also, I had wanted to visit Mack Brewery, founded in 1877, it is the northernmost brewery in the world. But we had run out of time, so I settled for a Mack Pilsner at Mathallen. Not very distinctive in flavor; very light and easy to drink.

The Missus started with the King Crab Soup (185 NOK – about $22/US). Yes, that's right, this bowl of soup was over twenty bucks.

Not too much crab, but the soup was nice and rich and obviously made with a very good seafood stock. Loved the texture which coated the tongue quite nicely.

We just couldn't seem to get enough pickled herring, so I ordered the Christmas Herring (155 NOK – $18.50/US).

This was delici-yoso!!! Just a couple of bites, but man, the herring melted in your mouth. It wasn't fishy in the least; very savory, and I'm thinking the Aquavit really added a nice touch of sweetness.

The Missus went with the "Catch of the Day", Cod (320 NOK – about $39/US).

She enjoyed it and said it was nicely cooked.

Since we were in Norway, I really wanted to try Lutefisk, which is made by air-drying fish, usually cod. A few weeks (yes weeks) before serving it is soaked in water for a week, then in lye (!!!) for two days. At which time it's pretty much poisonous. It is then soaked in water for another ten days to make edible.

I ordered the Lutefisk (575 NOK – $70/US). Yep, about seventy bucks US…..yikes!

The process gives the fish a jelly like texture, which was a bit odd. At least you can't complain about dry fish here, eh? Apparently, during the last set of soaking, the fish becomes so hydrated that you don't need to add any liquid to "boil" the fish! It also has a fairly strong smell; but not too bad. The flavor is fairly mild, on the briny salty side. It definitely needed the lardons and mustard sauce for flavor. Those brown shavings are Brunost, a brown "cheese" that is made from milk, cream, and whey. It has a very interesting slightly sweet and yeasty flavor. The mashed peas were very bland, the potatoes, simply done were delicious.

It was an interesting meal, the service was fine, not as friendly as at other places in Scandanavia. And heck, I'm not opposed to having lutefisk again…….

Mathallen
Grønnegata 58-60
Tromsø, Norway
Hours:
Tues – Sat 1130am – 11pm

We took the short walk back to the apartment and relaxed. I just sat at the window and watched the snow flurries come in.

Our flight from Tromsø was scheduled for 1030 am. We got up, packed and walked over to the stop for the airport bus.

It was 8am in the morning……

And it looked like midnight. We watched these guys working on the roof of a building across from the stop. Man, I sure wouldn't want to be doing that during the winter.

The airport in Tromsø is fairly small.

But SAS actually has a small lounge.

Where we were able to grab breakfast.

While staring off into the snow……

I'm not sure we'll ever be back in Tromsø, but we really enjoyed our time here. It was a great experience, but we were now looking ahead.

Next stop…..Amsterdam.

Oslo – Dinner at Arakataka

January 25, 2018 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, Nordic/Scandanvian Food and Restaurants, Norway, Travel

We'd done a good amount of walking in Oslo, so we settled in for a nice nap. I awoke to the sound of a ships horn. I looked out the window, it was already getting dark at 430pm, and I saw the cruise ship we'd arrived on leaving the harbor.

It was time to wake up. We had dinner reservations at…surprise, a place the Missus picked out. I managed to get reservations at Arakataka which seemed a bit off the beaten path, though it was only a half mile away. The darkness probably had something to do with it.

The restaurant was rather small with an even smaller open kitchen.

The bar area was a bit larger, but the place was still not very large. The Hostess and our Server were amazing. Very knowledgeable, amiable, and just so nice. I mentioned being told to try the Aquavit in Norway; specifically Aquavit Linie. Man, this stuff is good. I ended up bringing back a couple of bottles. I'll tell more about it in a future post.

Most folks were getting the tasting menu, but having a bunch of tasting menu meals coming, we decided to order from the menu. And it turned out to be the perfect thing to do.

The weakest item of the night was the Potato Bread and Smoked Artic Char.

The potato bread was on the soggy side, the flavor of the char very mild and lost under all those greens and herbs.

Things turned around with the rather interesting Rutabaga, Porcini, and Pecorino. Which looked nothing like what I had imagined it would.

Thinly sliced and made pliable; the rutabaga had a nice crunch, the fragrance of porcini danced around the plate, and the pecorino added a nice milky-saltiness which really elevated this dish.

The Reindeer Tartare, Beetroot, and Juniper was another nice combination.

The mild, clean flavor of the reindeer, matched with the sweetness of the beets, and the tartness of the juniper was a surprisingly nice combination!

The Dry Aged Pork was nice and tender….and yes, it medium rare, making it ever so moist.

But the real winner was the combination of shaved black truffle and kale. Another interesting and rather delicious combination of earthy flavors with the crunch and bitterness of the kale.

The Skate was so buttery and mildly sweet. A wonderful piece of fish….the Missus claims one of the best She's had.

But I really enjoyed the pungent-mildly garlicky ramps and the savory and almost briney flavor of the salsify. We were both enjoying vegetables that we really don't get much back home in San Diego.

Of course we had to order the Duck, Cabbage, and Lingonberries, which looked quite lovely.

A nice sliced duck breast on the right. Nice and gamey. Slices of duck confit under roasted wild cabbage, lingonberries, with black garlic. This looked and tasted wonderful itself. But then another bowl arrived and was poured on the dish.

A espuma of duck confit, hearts, skin and barley……

Good lord! This was like being invited into duck heaven! The texture of the duck hearts were especially satisfying.

We were wiped out after this hefty dish and had no room for dessert. Another glass of Aquavit….well, one does need a digestif, right?

This was probably our favorite meal in Scandinavia. It had the right combination of comfort, flavor, and interesting, yet tasty dishes that were nicely seasoned and kept our attention. While the combinations were interesting, nothing was so over-the-top to be strange. And like all the places we ate at in Scandinavia, service was so friendly.

Arakataka
Mariboes Gate 7
Oslo, Norway

As we were finishing up dinner, we noticed a large queue lining up one block over. The Missus was curious. So we walked over after dinner and asked what was going on. We were told that there was a concert going on….and then in the typical Norweigan way, we were told that there were "still tickets available….so please, if you're interested we'll be happy to have you…." Such nice folks!

It was pretty chilly as we walked back to the hotel.

And yet Oslo was so relaxed…..it definitely had an affect on you.

We headed back and got to sleep early. Tomorrow, we'd be flying to a city 250 miles above the Artic Circle. It was going to be an interesting day for a kid from Hawaii…..

Thanks for reading!

Copenhagen – The Little Mermaid and a Memory Card Fail at Bror

December 23, 2017 mmm-yoso Denmark, Fine Dining, Nordic/Scandanvian Food and Restaurants, Travel

After a nice break for lunch at Almanak, we headed back out. The Missus had seeing the statue of the Little Mermaid on her agenda.

We walked past the very Amsterdam looking Nyhavn Canal. There was a Christmas Market there as well. We'd walk though it on our return visit to the city.

Past the distinctive Opera House.

Until we got to the area known as Langelinie. Walking alongside the water you'll see a crowd of people. Of course, it has to be the Little Mermaid.

Shades of Mannekin Pis is pretty much all I have to say.

Watching the crowd is actually more interesting. As they try and get selfies and sometimes as close as possible to this rather small statue.

A study in human nature…..

As we walked back in the direction of our hotel, we did pass a couple of interesting sights in the area. This is the Ivar Huitfeldt Column which commemorates a battle during the Great Northern War.

And this striking fountain.

This is the Gefion Fountain. The dramatic scene depicts the Goddess Gefion driving four bulls. It is Copenhagen's creation story if you will.

According to the legend, the Swedish King promised to give Gefion all the land she could plough in one night. Gefion turned her four sons into oxen and carved out what is now known as Zealand, the island on which Copenhagen resides.

We also found the church in back of the statue; Saint Alban's (also known as the English Church) to be quite striking as well.

We headed back to the hotel, down the street known as Bredgade. It had started to drizzle a bit, so we looked around for a place to have a short respite. We noticed a church with an impressive copper dome, so we decided to take a look.

This is Frederiks Kirke (Frederik's Church), a Lutheran Church and has quite a story. The church was designed in 1740 and work started in 1749. But due to literally death and taxes, the site stood in ruin for over a hundred years. In what at the time was a highly controversial move, the land was sold to Industrialist Carl Frederik Tietgen on the condition that a church be built along the lines of the original plans and that it be donated to Denmark when completed? So what did Tietgen get out of it? Well, in turn he acquired land rights in the area.

There's a word you'll hear quite often in Denmark; Hygge. To me, it seems more of a concept than a word; that feeling one gets, I believe you can be alone or among friends. A coziness, that content feeling, secure, trusting, comfort…… Our hotel had "hygge hour", basically happy hour in the lobby. The Missus had a glass of wine, I had a pilsner. It was nice and relaxing.

We then headed off to dinner. I had a list of places to try but had to cross off a bunch of them because I couldn't get reservations. Amass comes to mind. Bummer, because the chef and owner, Matt Orlando is form San Diego. I had heard so much about "New Nordic (Danish) Cuisine". I went ahead and got reservations at Restaurant Bror; opened by two former sous-chefs at Noma.

Anyway, here's what happened. During the meal, my memory card failed. I have a couple of SD cards that are getting fairly old. Since, unlike the two Asian Young Ladies who we saw taking copious notes during their meal at Bror, I don't take notes….it's my memory and the photos that cue up many of my recollections of my meal. Guess my gear is getting old. This is the second card to go over the last 3-4 months. Sorry to say you won't be getting a post on our wonderful meal at Sushi Noguchi…..or I may just do a COMC with the photos that made it.

So, the deal with Bror is that you get either a four or five course set menu. You can also order a selection of snacks. Things like Bull Balls….yes, literally bull balls and such. The menu features some interesting ingredients, which we found in most cases to be too salty, put together in combinations where nothing really stood out. Several times; we ate each of the ingredients from the composed dishes and found them to be quite good separately, but together it was just a mish-mash.

For some reason, the Missus really didn't care for the bone marrow butter. I found the bone marrow and pickled pumpkin crispbread to have a rather unpleasant clash of flavors and textures….think pickled lard.

And so it went. The service was excellent and the wine tasting was fabulous.

But overall, this just didn't do it for us.

The dishes seemed to lack focus and direction. The cod head was supposed to have horseradish sauce; which tasted just like plain mayonnaise.

The best item we had was the cod – pesto lettuce cup. Though you really could have been eating any type of fish since all the clashing flavors cancelled each other out.

Sad, because I was really looking forward to these meals. This also kind of turned the Missus off on set menus….though it was kind of too late for Her because I had reservations at places in Amsterdam and Paris that had multi-course set menus. Luckily, we enjoyed those meals much more, especially Alliance in Paris.

So perhaps it's better that I just leave it at that.

Restaurant Bror
Skt. Peders Stræde 24 A
Copenhagen, Denmark

I still had an open evening during our return trip to Denmark. I was going to make reservations for a late lunch at a Copenhagen main stay that has been around since the 19th century or a set menu dinner at another restaurant. Guess what won out?

Reykjavik – Grillmarkadurinn (The Grill Market)

November 20, 2017 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, Iceland, Iceland Food and Restaurants, Seafood, Travel

The Missus had enjoyed our dinner at Fiskmarkadurinn so much, She had me make reservations at their sister restaurant, named Grillmarkadurinn (The Grill Market). I was lucky enough to get reservations and it would end being a nice finish to our trip to Iceland.

The restaurant was fairly close to where we were staying. It is rather discreetly located down a passage and is easy to miss if you don't see the signs.

The place was packed and like other restaurants, you hang your coat on the rack near the doorway. We found a strategic and easy to remember location on the rack…..we saw several folks digging around having not remembered where they hung their coats.

The service here was very good; relaxed but professional. Like the Fish Market, many items had Asian touches. Some sounded a bit odd, but we actually enjoyed this meal more than what we had the previous night.

Man, do we love the bread and the whey butter in Iceland…..

The Missus really enjoyed the Minke Whale the previous night, so we started with the Minke Whale Steak (2890kr – about $27.75 US).

Fashionably dressed with chili threads and served with a ponzu sauce, we both really enjoyed this version of Minke Whale. I really didn't care for the robata version I had the night before, finding it too livery. I thought this was very tender; the crisp oyster mushrooms added an almost sweet earthiness to the tender and mildly offaly whale.

Next up; a dish whose name was so long that I actually wrote it down – Angelica Lamb from Halla at Ytri Fagridalur (2190kr – $21 US).

So, what's in a name? Ytri Fagridalur is the name of the farm where Halla Sigríður Steinólfsdóttir and her husband raise certified organic lamb. During the summer months the lamb are fed Angelica, which is supposed to change the flavor of the lamb. We both enjoyed the lamb, it was quite mild in flavor and surprisingly tender. We thought the Sichuan Peppercorn based seasoning was a bit over-powering.

So, Minke Whale and Angelica Fed Lamb….a bit too much for you? How about some sliders?

Of course these weren't just ordinary sliders. This was Whale, Puffin, and Langoustine "Mini-Burgers" (3790kr – $36.50 US). Not cheap, but quite interesting.

The Langoustine version was very tender and sweet, though the addition of chorizo kind of killed things for us.

The whale was by far our favorite as it went strangely well with the pesto and was very meaty, with a flavor that edged toward grass-fed beef. The puffin had a rather strange livery-fishy flavor; kind of predictable, since it's main diet is small fish. While I won't be searching it out in the future, I was glad to have tried it.

We shared one "main"; the "Fish Gourmet" (5490kr – $53 US).

A trilogy of fish; salmon, cod and redfish served with garlic potatoes and vegetables. The most memorable of the bunch was the cod which was so tender and buttery, unlike the cod I'm used to eating here in the states.

Some of the flavors and presentation (and prices!!!) was a bit over-the-top.

But the ingredients were without a doubt top-notch.

So, if you're doing the math; dinner topped out at about $175; not cheap, but we went mostly with starters and one rather large sized main course. The steaks can go for $70-$100.

Iceland turned out to be quite an interesting eating destination for us. A big plus is that folks here are very friendly and nice.

If I had a choice between the Fish Market and the Grill Market; we'd go with Grillmarkaðurinn.

Grillmarkaðurinn
Lækjargata 2a
101 Reykjavík, Iceland

I ended my last evening as I often do; with a "cold one" and reflected on all we'd done and the places we had been. Starting in Seattle for an overnight stay. From there it was off to Paris, the city captivated the Missus, and made my credit card scream for mercy. From there it was off to Burgundy where we were entranced by the countryside, the Saturday Market in Beaune, and the food. It was back to Paris and one of the finest meals we've ever had. Being able to visit Iceland was icing on the cake. We had no complaints; even the $70 for three-quarters of a tank of gas didn't phase us. We are lucky to be able to travel like this…….

Thanks for reading!

Reykjavik – Dinner at Fiskmarkadurinn (The Fish Market)

October 30, 2017 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, Iceland, Iceland Food and Restaurants, Seafood, Travel

Iceland sure was photogenic; even during the "off-season", though I've read that Iceland is now facing the mixed blessing of too many tourists, which of course has its own share of problems (ask the guy who grew up in Hawaii about this). We didn't find things (other than our last two dinner restaurants) too crowded, people were very friendly, and the country is ruggedly beautiful.

We stopped the car a few times on the way back from Gullfoss……………. look at the views!

We arrived back in Reykjavik, dropped by a little grocery store (Bonus), then headed back to the apartment. Relaxed a bit, showered, napped, got up, relaxed, showered, you get it, right?

From this point on, we'd basically be hoofing it around Reykjavik, and we walked to our dinner destination, Fiskmarkadurinn (The Fish Market).

I'd made reservations online and was glad I did as the place was really busy. In fact, we had a nice seat in lounge for about 20 minutes or so until a table opened up. One interesting thing about Iceland. There are coat racks….I mean pretty massive racks where everyone hangs their coats. It's really easy to forget where your coat is on the rack, so I made sure to put our coats in specific places.

In the comments of my first Iceland post, "KenB" asked about food and drink prices. Yes, things are fairly pricy. I'm list the prices for this meal, since it's one that I recall.

While waiting in the lounge we decided to have a few local beers. I noticed beer from Borg Brugghús on the list, so we decided to try two of them.

The Bríó Lager was quite nice, somewhat floral, clean tasting, somewhat creamy, and also 1.490 kr – $14.

I opted for the Hans Rauchbier, which had a nice smokiness to it, lightly hoppy, really good! 1.790 kr – $17.

After this we decided to lay off the drinks.

We finally got a table. Sitting we noticed folks were either getting sushi or the tasting menu. There's a bit of an Asian influences on some of the dishes here. We weren't super hungry and decided on ordering a la carte. As is the norm for us, we went with several starters and one main. Of course, things started with a fantastic moist rye bread and the amazing butter they have here in Iceland.

And a nice amuse.

The Fishmarket Lobster Soup (2,900 kr – $27.50)

The soup was prepared using coconut milk, so we had our doubts, but this was really good. The coconut milk gave the dish some rich-smoothness, the langoustine tail was perfectly cooked, so very tender and slightly sweet. Not a big fan of the mandarin oranges in this dish.

Next up was the Bitter Lemon Glazed Arctic Char (3,200 kr – $30).

I love the way they pickle items in Iceland; very crisp, very nice flavors. The artic char was moist and slightly buttery, the rye bread outstanding, the edamame puree interesting but not really adding to the dish.

Of course we had to try the Robata Grilled Minke Whale (2,800 kr – $26.50).

According to the Marine Institute of Iceland, there is a sustainable yearly catch number for Minke Whales. So I thought we should try this. Even though there was a good amount of horseradish grated on the soy and ginger glazed whale meat; I thought it was much too "livery" in flavor for me. The Missus, who loves liver really enjoyed this.

We noticed the main courses looked fairly large, so we decided to only order one; the Grilled Blue Ling (5,300 kr – $50).

We though the Hollandaise sauce actually detracted from the mild flavor of the perfectly grilled fish. There was a touch of smokiness, the fish was nicely seasoned and melted in your mouth. The bit of foie gras was a nice touch as it added a good deal of richness; though it over-powered the fish when eaten together. The smoked cheek of catfish was nice and crisp and added a nice textural counter-point.

This was a nice meal. The Missus enjoyed Herself so much; especially that Minke Whale, that She had me make reservations at the sister (brother) restaurant of the Fishmarket for the next night. In terms of prices, starters go for around $27-$35 and mains $50-$85, the tasting menu is about $115 per person without drinks. Service was very nice though the tables were quite close together.

Fiskmarkadurinn (The Fish Market)
Adalstraeti 12
Reykjavik 101, Iceland

Paris – The Louvre and Dinner at Sola

October 20, 2017 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Fine Dining, France, French Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

Our time in Paris was nearing end. But we had one last busy afternoon and evening set. First up, a late afternoon visit to the largest art museum in the world; The Louvre. If you've never visited Paris; do yourself a favor, get yourself Rick Steve's Paris Guidebook. While I'm not a big fan of the restaurant choices in his books; he has a whopping 20+ pages on the Louvre….more than I'll ever need to know. In order to really enjoy and not burn out during our trips, we always act like we'll return one day. In other words, we have the places and things we "need to see" and the rest, well, if we get there, it's gravy. Anyway, if you plan on visiting the Louvre, get your tickets online, strategize on beating the crowds, unless you enjoy the crowds. We used the Carrousel du Louvre, the underground shopping mall entrance and getting in was a breeze.

Once in, there are still crowds of course…..some folks seem to have a look of desperation on their faces.

We had kind of planned things out, the best we could, just as we did when we visited the Vatican.

We headed straight for the one thing the Missus wanted to see……you know, right?

Well, the view is actually more like this…..

And if you don't already know, the dimensions of the Mona Lisa is 2′ 6″ x 1′ 9″.

And then we were off; sort of as we took time to enjoy some of the many, many masterpieces in the museum.

Like La Liberté guidant le people (Liberty Leading the People) painted by Delacroix.

Hmmm….where was Venus de Milo? Looks like Bacchus is pointing the way.

Well, there she is!

Such beautiful balance, eternally standing in "contrapposto"

Passing thru the museum, you could peer out the windows and see folks trying to capture their "forever moments".

We enjoyed spending a few hours at the Louvre.

And then taking some time to people (and canine) watch outside.

The Seine makes quite a, well, scene at dusk.

And night seemed to fall very quickly.

We returned to our room and freshened up. We still gad some time to kill before dinner. What to do? Well, hit a café of course. The Missus and I had a nice cup of coffee and relaxed before dinner. When I went downstairs to the restroom, this sign cracked me up.

Our dinner destination was just a few blocks away. The second reservation I made for this trip was at a one Michelin Starred restaurant named Sola. I was especially intrigued by the "Franco – Japanese" cuisine put out by Chef Hiroki Yoshitake. The restaurant is quite discreet.

Only a tasting menu is offered, for a very reasonable 95 Euros. Funny, we both took the drink pairing, which ended up being way too much for us…..which also cost 95 Euros!

Half the customers were actually Japanese and many of the Servers were also Japanese. It was an interesting crowd.

The Amuse was a wonderful, savory-mildly sweet crab in dashi aspic over a thin, light, chawan mushi like egg custard.

Along with an amazing Foie Gras and Miso filled Wafer, touched with the light sweetness of Sake and Maple Syrup.

The Missus really loved the Sparkling Sake that was served with the foie gras.

There was olive oil and bread…..but I really don't remember much about it.

I totally failed on the next dish, as I forgot to take a photo of the Beef Tartare, Beet, and Stratatelli cheese. An amazing range of bright flavors. There was a hint of wasabi detected.

The next item might have been our favorite. Amazingly tender sea beam, topped with thinly sliced, slight pungent and sweet onion, on thin slices of daikon and smoky eggplant.

Let's not disregard the light drizzle of buttery-grassy olive oil. Such a wonderful dish.

The squid in the next dish was so amazingly tender and the baby leek was almost sweet.

I was told that the slightly tangy and eggy sauce was based on kimizu, the Japanese egg and rice vinegar dressing, which did well in this dish.

For me; the star of the Parmesan Crusted Shrimp dish was the Chanterelle Risotto, which was just perfect. The earthy flavors went amazingly well with the shrimp emulsion.

By now we'd had Sparkling Sake, Champagne, and two different sake served in wine glasses. The second of which was matched with shrimp.

Next up was a Chardonnay from Muersault paired with Sea bass and scallop with cabbage and cabbage cream with shiso-celery cream.

Complex, but very clear flavors all around.

We were brought a granite to clear our palates.

We could tell that the last main course was something a bit more robust as a red from Beaune was poured.

This was matched with Wild duck breast with jus and sansho pepper sauce and endive and carrot.

Amazing. That duck was cooked perfectly and was so very tender! The bitterness of the endive helped to balance out the flavors.

And then the desserts which the Missus loved.

There was a sensibility and a certain combination of flavors that just hit all the right buttons for us. A combination of Japanese and French technique and flavors just seemed to work in harmony.

This is a place we'll return to; though we'll share a single beverage tasting the next time.

Sola is currently closed because of a fire, but we're hoping they reopen soon.

Sola
12 Rue de l'Hôtel Colbert
75005 Paris, France

After such a meal (and all the drinks) , we slept soundly thru the night. We awoke for breakfast and then our transfer to Orly. We were flying Business, so we were able to relax in the rather uncrowded lounge.

Soon enough, we heard the call for our flight.

Next stop; Reykjavik!

Thanks for reading!