Memorable Meals – Page 5

Road Trip (During Covid-19) – Harmony, Cambria, and Dinner at Madeline’s

December 8, 2020 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, French Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel, Wine Bars/Wineries

**** This is kind of a long one; so you might want to save it for when you more time to read.

We headed out from Morro Bay for Cambria where we'd be staying for two nights. But there was one stop to make. In doing my research for this trip, I'd come across a little town about 15 miles North of Morro Bay and 5 miles south of Cambria named Harmony. Population 18. Yep, you read that right, 18. At least that's what "Gladys the Town Cow" says.

Once upon a time the community was a dairy settlement; originally established by Swiss and Italian immigrants. There was a lot of competition which led to intense rivalries; which eventually resulted in a killing, you can read about it here, along with how a desire to restore peace, the town was named "Harmony". Eventually, the creameries closed down. For many years, the only business in the one street, one block town was the post office. Now, it has a winery, and is home to a small group of artisans who produce pottery and blown glass. It has a fun, funky feel to it. Along with the Gladys the cow; there's the "Holy Cow" to the right which celebrates the history of the town.

We spent about an hour in the town visiting the two businesses; the pottery shop and the glass works, purchasing a couple of gifts along the way.

There's also a Creamery and Dairy shop; basically an ice cream shop which was closed during our visit.

There's also a charming and plain adorable Chapel. After all; like the tag line goes for the Chapel's website goes: "Shouldn't every wedding begin in Harmony?"

You can read more about the venue here.

The little town was such a pleasant and fun surprise, we're glad we stopped by and will probably do it again in the future.

Harmony Pottery Works
2191 Old Creamery Rd.
Harmony, CA 93435
Hours:
Daily 10am – 5pm

Harmony Glassworks
2180 Old Creamery Rd.
Harmony, CA 93435
Hours:
Daily 9am – 5pm

After our visit we drove the short distance to Cambria. I'm not sure why I picked the village, but it turned out to be a wonderful stay. We were staying at the El Colibri Hotel & Spa, right on the otherside of Highway 1 from the village. The actual shopping area is made up of the East Village and the West Village which is separated by about a half mile. Since we were still quite early for check-in, we headed to the charming East Village to do some shopping.

We found parking and went about our way. When doing research on Cambria two things kept coming up; Linn's, which has a restaurant, café, a boutique/bookshop, and a gourmet goods store in town. And a Farmstand about 5 miles out of town. The second thing I read about were Olallieberries, a cross between Loganberries and Youngberries developed at Oregon State in 1949. Even though it was developed in Oregon, growing it there proved difficult and it is mainly grown in Central California. And Linn's is know for their Olalliberry Pies and preserves.

We ended up buying a bunch of preserves for friends and some "hot jelly" (to have with cheese).

We walked around a bit more; then headed to our hotel. While our room wasn't quite ready, I had a plan for our afternoon anyway. The El Colibri is located right at the South end of the Moonstone Beach Boardwalk; which is why I chose the place. And so we headed off and did the approximately three mile walk along the boardwalk. It was easy and picturesque.

Of course we had some "supervision" along the way.

We enjoyed the walk.

There were very few people along the way.

One of our lasting memories of Cambria are the benches; which we first started seeing along the Boardwalk.

This one is one of my favorites….for some reason; I just fine the location somewhat romantic.

As I guess many other folks do.

It was a nice little jaunt for the afternoon.

We got back to the hotel, checked in, freshened up….I check in at work to make sure things were going ok.

After relaxing for a bit we headed out to dinner. I'd picked a restaurant named Madeline's. First off, it was in walking distance. Second of all; the wine by the glass list looked really good. During the day, along with serving lunch, Madeline's is a wine shop until 5pm. I'd made reservations for outdoor dining at 530 pm. So, with the sun setting, we headed out, crossed over Highway 1, onto Main Street, pass the Gas Station….we were a bit early and the Missus wanted to do some shopping. Unfortunately, it seems like many of the shop were closed due to Covid-19.

We did stop in at a shop named Bali Gems. The owner was so nice; we chatted for almost a half hour. He told us that the stones found on Moonstone Beach aren't really Moonstones, but a combination of different minerals like agate, jasper, and such. He asked us where we'd be having dinner and when I mentioned Madeline's, I was told that it is the "best restaurant in town", and not like other "touristy" places. He also provided a nice little map for us. The Missus really wanted to buy something, but couldn't find anything to Her taste….maybe next time….

We got to Madeline's and were seated promptly at a nice table….everything was spaced out wonderfully and the heaters worked well. Our Server was a very nice fellow whose name I believe is Oscar. He was efficient, very knowledgeable, and had the perfect combination of professionalism and friendliness. As we often like to do; we ordered a bunch of appetizers making our own tasting menu.

The bread was nothing to write home about.

The Missus picked Her wine, though I waited until our first dish arrived; the Diver Scallops ($18).

The scallops were nicely seared, still wonderfully rare in the middle. The searing added a nice crispness that held out well. The beurre blanc wasn't too heavy with some nice acidity. I went ahead and ordered a Viognier which went quite well with this. Strange, the Missus had never had a Viognier before???? She loved it and because Madeline's is a wine shop; actually ordered a bottle to take with us……which She's enjoyed here at home.

The Spanish Octopus ($18) was cooked perfectly; tender, with the slightest pleasant toothsomeness.

Nice smokiness, the citrus tones came thru nicely to cut the saffron. By this time; I just trusted Oscar to pick a wine to match. He was awesome; he ended up picking wine that weren't on the "by the glass list"; but rather had been part of tastings that afternoon.

The only dish we didn't enjoy much was the Stuffed Quail ($16).

The lemon beurre blanc overwhelmed everything on the plate and while the wild mushroom stuffing had very nice earthy-nutty-mildly sweet tones; the quail was really dry and tough. Oh, but the wine chosen for us…..by this point, the Missus and I were just sharing a single glass that was picked for us.

Sorry to say I never got a shot at the acorn squash in the Fall Salad ($11), but the Missus assured me that it was quite good.

I really enjoyed the mild bitterness of the baby arugula, combined with the mild, almost spicy flavor of the Gorgonzola, and the balanced tartness of the pomegranate vinaigrette.

The Missus enjoyed Her Chocolate Truffle Mousse Cake ($11).

While I had a nice digestif to finish things off.

This was a nice meal. But, as is often the case, it's the staff and service that elevated the meal, into something memorable. We'll be back!

Madeline's Restaurant & Wine Tasting Room
788 Main St.
Cambria, CA 93428

Munich – A Quick Visit to the Viktualienmarkt and Dinner at Werneckhof by Geisel

June 24, 2020 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Fine Dining, German Restaurants and Food, Germany, Markets & Grocers, Memorable Meals, Munich, Travel

When planning our trip last year that started in Budapest and ended in the Missus's favorite city….yep, Paris, I needed to find stops in between. While the Missus does humor my desire to travel by train; She requested that no trip be longer than three hours or so. So, when planning our exit from Salzburg, I had to keep that parameter in mind. After providing a few options; the Missus agreed on Munich. It seemed an interesting city, we'd never been to Germany….and frankly, I'd always wanted to check out an honest to goodness Beer Garden.

Once, I started to do a bit of research, I got a bit excited when I read about Werneckhof by Geisel, lead by a German-Japanese Chef; Tohru Nakamura. I managed to snag reservations quite easily, considering the place has 2 Michelin Stars.

We arrived at the huge sprawling Munich Central Train Station after a uneventful two hour ride from Salzburg. I had made arrangements to stay at an Airbnb on Schillerstrasse a quick stroll from the train station. The rather "International" and slightly seed feel to the neighborhood bothered the Missus at first. But, in the end, She took to the area.

Of course, after settling in, the Missus wanted to head out right away….some things never change. I had wanted to check out the Viktualienmarkt, Munich's popular and very well known open air market. So, we headed on over. The Market has a long history, dating back to the 15th century….though it became a market by official decree in 1807.

Considering that the market is centrally located in Munich; it's amazing to consider that it covers an area of five-and-a-half acres!

Wanting just to quickly check things out; we started at the Maypole, which along with a bit of history, also lists out, like a typical traditional one, the various specialties of the region.

Among the many traditions that surround the Maypole is the mischievous one where rival villages try to steal their neighbor's Maypole. Here's a funny story of a group from the tiny village of Neufinsing (population 4300) who managed to pull off a heist of the Munich Maypole! When the terms of ransom was settled; the thieves managed to get two meals and beer out of it! You gotta love it!

We found folks in Munich and Stuttgart to be very well mannered and yet friendly in a reserved kind of way.

And also very social.

We'd return to the Viktualienmarkt and actually have a meal and spend a bit more time shopping later on during our stay.

We decided to take a quick walk to the Marienplatz ("Mary's Square"), considered to be the hustling-bustling heart of Munich. The massive New Town Hall ("Neues Rathaus") with its famous Glockenspiel takes up one entire side of the square.

We'd return here several times during our stay as well.

For now; it was time to head back to the apartment to take a short rest before heading out to dinner. Dinner was in the North Eastern part of Munich. We ended up taking the U-Banh from the Goetheplatz station and got out at Giselastrasse. From there, Google Maps was my friend and we found Werneckhof by Geisel.

The exterior is very low keyed; we were greeted immediately after entering the restaurant, shown our table, and then taken to meet the chef. We were the first customers this evening; so it was nice chatting with Chef Nakamura; whose father is Japanese and Mother German. The Chef was also interested in why we chose to dine at Werneckhof by Geisel. We mentioned our affinity for Franco-Japanese cuisine, we loved how well the flavors melded together, the precise cooking and presentation, how some places edged more on European and others more Asian. We then rattled off some of the places we'd been to; Sola, Takao Takano, Alliance, and the Chef smiled and mentioned cooking with these Chefs during events and having actually worked in the same kitchen as well.

Dinner started with nice aperitifs, then the appetizer course. We were thrilled that the appetizers revolved around white asparagus which was in season. Each using white asparagus in different preparations.

The pickled asparagus was a sight to behold, wonderfully presented, the tofu and sorrel vinaigrette amazingly smooth. The raw asparagus was amazingly sweet and was balanced out with rocket and camelina. The grilled version was probably the most mundane of the trio; though you really couldn't complain about the quality of the product. The preparations was a nice way to enjoy and appreciate how delicious white asparagus is.

The Missus and I each took one of the tasting menus so, even though there was some overlap we'd be able to get a nice, full range of dishes.

Up next for me was the "Hamachi". Basically a Yellowtail Tatare and some sliced like sashimi.

This was a wonderful range of textures; the firm, yet buttery Hamachi, the thick, rich parsley sauce, and in an interesting touch, the marinade in buttermilk, which added a pleasant milky-acidity to the dish.

First up for the Missus was the Langoustine in Shiitake Aspic, with Oyster and Anchovies.

I wasn't sure how all these really strong flavors would work together; but there was a good amount of balance in the earthy versus the oceany-savory…..and that langoustine basically melted in your mouth!

We both had the Bavarian Salmon Trout (Steelhead) as our next dish.

The sesame and kombu beurre blanc was quite interesting adding a mixture of nutty-slightly briny flavors to the very tender fish. Yuzu added a nice acidity that helped to cut the richness. In a fairly humorous moment, the Maître'd Markus, a very mellow and friendly young man, ambled on over and started explaining what Yuzu and Kombu was……I started laughing and told him "I'm Japanese" and he cracked up saying that most of the customers, especially the German customers have no idea what these ingredients are and for many, the flavors are still mysterious and exotic. I really enjoyed chatting with Markus and his twin brother, who is the Sommelier, Tobias.

Next dish up, the Gilthead Seabream, another overlap in our tasting menu.

The rice was a bit underdone; but the pressed octopus and especially the fish based sauce was an amazing umami bomb. The fish was perfectly tender; I'm thinking it might have been sous vide.

At this point, we were asked to stretch out legs and led downstairs.

And we were taken to….."Shibuya"!

In the restaurant's wine cellar, a little bar was set-up along with the fixins for some Kushi Shabu. And some great entertainment from the "Mad Professor"…..

We got sake or shochu, and a couple of skewers……

We were regaled with stories of the chef and other staff, various jokes, and of course everything ended with the perfect photo-op as well!

We returned to our table for the "main courses". By now the dining room was starting to fill up.

Next up for me was a super tender, rich, and delicious Luma (a company from Switzerland which specializes in Aged Pork) Pork Belly topped with wonderfully earthy morel mushrooms.

The Missus had nice, though rather forgettable (compared to the pork belly) BBQ Eel.

And the meal's crescendo for me was the Ozaki Wagyu……whoa man.

And that truffle sauce….with a nice savory-spicy touch of Gochujang…….

The Missus's Koji Brined Grilled Saddle of Venison was also a big winner.

The lovely, flavor of the pasture, perfectly cooked, fork tender, the jus amazing….a touch of wasabi…good lord; an amazing dish!

And as a palate cleanser…the Missus absolutely loved Erna….the name of the Kombucha's Scoby…..

Dessert here were no joke……the Missus was in heaven.

Shiso, Medlar, Elderflower, and Yogurt.

Mara de Bois Strawberries, Tahitian Vanilla, Tonka Bean, and Sansho.

Hojicha, Raspberry and Lemon Balm.

I thought the snacks that were brought out with the check were presented wonderfully, on a map of Munich where these confections were created.

And I really enjoyed the fortune cookies.

We really enjoyed our meal at Werneckhof by Geisel. And much like our meal at Takao Takano a mere six months before; it was definitely one of the best meals we've had. We loved the effcient yet relaxed service and vibe; not stuffy in the least, a nice playfulness, but with seriously executed food. Markus and Tobias were amazing…….I still remember their names. And that's a photo of Chef Nakamura stirring the pot as a child to the right……he's been cooking for a long time!

I seriously think we'll try to return.

Werneckhof by Geisel
Werneckstrasse 11
80802 München, Germany

We caught a taxi back to the apartment….there were some road closures, so we had the very friendly cabbie drop us off a couple of blocks from our residence. The short walk back actually did us good. We'd get a great night's sleep and wake ready for another busy day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Mexico City – Pujol

February 19, 2020 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, Memorable Meals, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Travel

Yes, we were back in Mexico City. We had enjoyed our last trip so much; that we decided to head on back during the President's Day weekend. And while this trip was not without some hiccups….more on that later; the linchpin of this trip was reservations at Pujol; considered by many to be the best restaurant in Mexico City; if not Latin America. so, we headed back on the Thursday before the long weekend. The drill was the same as before; though leaving before the long weekend was a blessing as CBX was a breeze. what wasn't a breeze was having had AeroMexico mess up our flight reservations. We made it across the bridge; only to be told that we had to go to the AeroMexico ticket counter because we had multiple reservations for the same flight. How that happened; I'll never know, but we'd lost our Business Class seats on flights going to, and returning from Mexico City. So, we ended up having to spend an extra hour at the AeroMexico ticket counter at the airport. I will say that dealing with the counter staff was amazing as they worked hard to straighten things out. and in the end, all was well, we had our seats going, and a flight change on the return flight.

Like on our previous trip; we got out of the plane, through all the gates, to our hotel transfer….and then had the six mile; forty minute drive to our hotel. We decided to stay at the same hotel as on our previous visit. We really enjoyed staying in the La Condesa neighborhood….and much like Paris, returning here felt much like coming "home".

The Missus decided that we'd walk from La Condesa to Pujol, which is located in upscale Polanco, which was about three miles and change, so about an hour-and-a-half before our dinner reservation we headed out. We'd never really been into Polanco before, so it was an interesting walk; many bars and restaurants; but the area seemed to lack the character of the Condesa and Roma neighborhoods.

We headed down one of the main streets that goes thru Polanco; Avenida Presidente Masaryk, which had me wondering why such a main thoroughfare in the area known as "Mexico City's Beverly Hills", would be named after the first President of Czechoslovakia. Here's a statue of him in one of the roundabouts on the avenue.

This statue was given to CDMX as a gift from Prague in 1999. As for the background on the naming of the street, you can find an interesting article here.

About five block further down the street, you take a turn on Tennyson and end up at the rather discreet entrance to Pujol. We had arrived about 30 minutes early for our reservation, which was no problem since our table was ready. We had a wonderful, discreet corner table, which we loved.

Service during our meal was excellent, very attentive, but not over-bearing. The pacing was a bit off, with some rather long waits between dishes near the end of the meal. But great service overall.

I started with a Mezcal Negroni which I really enjoyed; the Mezcal really tempered the sometimes overwhelming flavor of the Campari. The Missus who really doesn't care for Negroni, even in Florence, actually enjoyed this.

The Missus ordered something interesting from the drinks menu; a Junmai Gingo from Nami, the first Sake producer in Mexico. The sake had a light fruity nose, very clean finish, definitely not a Daigingo Junmai, but I thought this would go really well with our dinner. The only problem was it as served at almost room temperature. We both ended up ordering a second round and asked that the sake be put on ice, which fixed things up nicely.

So here's the part in the post where I need to apologize for the quality of photos. We loved our cozy corner table, but the lighting gave me fits….and sorry, but I'm not one of those folks who fiddles around waaaay to much before taking a photo with a gigantic DSLR. I prefer not to draw attention to myself. My point-and-shoot usually has excellent low light capabilities, but this was not one of those days.

There were two tasting menus available and we decided to get one of each, after all we share tastes. The Missus got the "Maiz" (corn) and I chose the "Mar" (sea).

Things started off with two lovely "Street Snacks". First, a wonderful, mini-sope topped with a lovely, mildly sweet butternut squash….great corn flavors shone thru.

Next, a smoking gourd arrived at the table.

This contained one of Pujol's signature dishes; a baby corn version of the ubiquitous street corn dish Elote. I can see why folks rave about this item. The baby corn has the wonderful, slightly sweet, maiz flavor, the slightly fruity, rich, costeno chile aioli, with nutty crunch provided by Chicatanas (flying ants). A wonderful, complex combination of flavors. Definitely delici-yoso!

The Missus's first item; a Tlayuda, topped with black beans, tomato, wonderfully mildly peppery-citrusy-bitter baby papalo leaf, and crunchy chapulines (grasshopper).

A wonderfully bold, but balanced dish….maiz-good acidity-slightly sweet, nutty……amazing.

Which over shadowed my well made Chayote and Scallop Pico, making it seem ordinary.

There was a bit too much acidity for me from the pico de piñata. The pickled chayote was amazing, but the scallops were sorely overshadowed by all the assertive flavors.

The Missus's favorite dish of the night included two of Her favorite items; Huitlacoche with Black Truffle.

Served with blue corn tortillas; this was fungi heaven; the earthy, but almost sweet flavor of huitlacoche, combined with fragrant black truffle….not much I can say about this other than….wow….

Our sake, nicely placed on ice arrived at this time. A really nice gentleman, I believe one of the dining room managers arrived and asked us about our serving preference and we explained that for us, this type of sake is best served between 6 to 8 degrees Celsius to really bring out the flavors and clean finish….really nice guy…he even took out a book and wrote down some notes.

My dish was the Kanpachi Ceviche.

The texture of the Kanpachi was perfect, just a slight toothsomeness. The cacahuazintle (nixtamalized corn) juice, celery, and yuzu made up the ceviche sauce. The hoja santa leaves added a bit of a herbaceous; slight anise-minty-peppery touch to the dish. The only downside was that this was a bit too salty.

The Missus Earthy-Smokey Eggplant "Tamal" with Swiss Chard was a simple, yet perfect combination of flavors. It was quite wonderful.

I loved the texture of the pulpo in the Octopus Chintextle with Pickled Carrot.

The pulpo was beyond fork tender…..just perfect. The various Oaxacan Herbs added a different touch to each bite. The Chintextle; a Oaxacan chili paste was kind of strange to my palate as it had an almost bitter, turmeric flavor….the paste almost came across as a pseudo-curry. The Missus loved the octopus, but hated the sauce.

The Missus loved Her Wild Herb Open Papadzul.

So many amazing flavors; the chiltomate salsa had a wonderful tangy-mild sweetness, with a hint of heat from habaneros. The quail eggs were amazing; the texture, they must be sous vide…it was like eating butter. This was simply amazing.

The skin on my Striped Bass was so wonderfully crisp. It was a tad overcooked and a tad too salty though.

The fried fava beans were absolutely delicious, as was the mole verde.

The last main was the signature "Mole Madre" and "Mole Nuevo", an amazing dish with regards to contrasts in textures and flavor.

Chef Enrique Olvera's Mole Madre is aged like a mother sauce and fed when the quantity falls below 10 liters. At the time of our meal it had been aged 2,779 days….yes, that's over 7 1/2 years! Needless to say, there's a lot going on here; it's not spicy, but quite thick, slightly sweet, with a pleasant bitterness…..I've mentioned the Chinese suan-tian-ku-la-xian (sour-sweet-bitter-spicy-salty) metaphor for a flavorful, yet balanced dish the Chinese use. This was it. The Mole Nuevo, was more in your face, in terms of sweetness, spice, like a typical mole. what a wonderful, interesting dish.

Then we were provided with something to refresh our palates.

Before dessert……

Which is usually the Missus's department. Though I have to say; I loved the churros, light crunch, then melting away in your mouth. Not overly sweet, slight salt tones…..

In the end, this was an absolutely fabulous meal, perhaps one of our all time favorites. We loved the flavors, how the dishes were composed; it just suited us. In our Uber on the way back to our room, the Missus and I discussed our dinner. I think we've dined at some fairly notable places over the years. And in looking at one of those rankings things; I quickly noticed that we indeed preferred Pujol over that dinner at a place that has been ostensibly the best restaurant in the world and the place named the best restaurant in Latin America. Pujol, like our favorite restaurant just suits us.

And I'm sure we'll be returning……

Pujol
Calle Tennyson 133 Polanco
Mexico City 11560 Mexico

Thanks for dropping by and putting up with my lousy photos!

Lyon – Fourviere Hill and Dinner at Takao Takano

November 6, 2019 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, France, French Restaurants, Lyon, France, Memorable Meals, Travel

After exploring Vieux Lyon we headed up Fourviere Hill, there are two funiculars up the hill; but you know the Missus, right? We walked up the hills…….

Even with the haze and mistiness, the views were amazing…..

It was on this hill that Lugdunum was established by the Gauls in 43BC.

There are two main sites on the hill; the first being The Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière (Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière).

While completed in 1894; it is said that the actual planning of the church was made centuries before.

A plague ravaged Lyon in 1643, the city council promised to do a pilgrimage to the top of Fourviere every year if the plague stopped. It is said that the Virgin Mary saved Lyon from the scourge and the Basilica is dedicated to her. Mary is also said to have saved Lyon from the Cholera Epidemic of 1832 and prevented the Prussian invasion during the Franco-Prussian War. So of course, Mary deserves her due.

When you enter the Basilica, your eyes are drawn to the six grand mosaics that line the walls. All featuring the Virgin Mary in their story.

The Christian Council of Ephesus in 431, declares Mary to be Theotokos ("God-bearer").

The Battle of Lepanto; where Mary is credited with the victory.

Three scenes of Joan of Arc. In the first scene; on the right she hears messages from Mary…..

Louis the 13th dedicating France to the Virgin Mary.

The Lower Church (crypt) is dedicated to Joseph.

And here you'll find naves with statues of Mary from around the world.

Our Lady of "La Naval" – Phillipines.

Our Lady of China.

Our Lady of Fatima (Portugal).

Are among those we passed.

If you're ever in Lyon the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière is well worth visiting.

Since this was a Monday; the Gallo-Roman Museum was closed, but it had been a busy morning, so we just enjoyed walking through the two Roman Theatres.

The larger theatre was built during the reign of Augustus the smaller during the reign of Hadrian.

From here we headed down back down to Vieux Lyon and ended up grabbing a quick croissant (sorry photos didn't turn out) from a Boulangerie.

And did some window shopping.

We were overdue for a break and so we headed back to the apartment. After a short nap, I woke and with the Missus relaxing, decided to head on out for a walk.

Just a few blocks down the street from our apartment was the vast Place Bellecour, the third largest square in France. Funny thing is; we've been to the other two, Esplanade Quinconces in Bordeaux and Place de la Concorde in Paris.

From here, I walked along the banks of the Saône. That's the Passerelle du Palais de Justice below.

I was ready to head back to the apartment when I saw the sign to my right. It's just a sign for the chain of wine/champagne shops, Nicolas, not a big thing really. Except……we were arriving right after the release of the Beaujolais Nouveau for 2018. It's a big deal….on the third Thursday of November, festivities start at 1201 am. Barrels of Beaujolais Nouveau are rolled down the streets of Lyon. Races are held to deliver the first new bottles to destinations throughout the country.

So, I went into Nicolas to purchase a bottle. The gentleman working was really friendly and spoke great English. In the end, he convinced me to buy the second cheapest bottle, telling me, "you try this one…it is c'est bon….if you like, then come back for more"!

Returning to the apartment, we needed to get ready for dinner. I had booked this meal way in advance; at a place named Takao Takano, yet another Japanese Chef heading a French restaurant with Japanese touches to the dishes. I had booked as soon as I knew we'd be going to Lyon. And wouldn't you know it; two weeks after booking dinner at Takao Takano; they got their second Michelin Star!

The night was lovely as we crossed the Passerelle du Collège and made our way to the restaurant.

Then something quite amazing happened. We chatted with our taxi driver on the way to the apartment from the train station…it was pretty chilly and I mentioned snow. He laughed and said it was too early to know in Lyon and it rarely ever happens (apparently he's correct) and almost never in November. So guess what? As we walked up Place Maréchal Lyautey, we felt tiny flakes hit our head and noses….it was snowing! Nothing major, just a light flurry….but we felt happy as schoolkids!

We arrived at the rather discreet location for Takao Takano, on a rather generic mixed use street.

We arrived and was greeted by the hostess, a wonderful young lady, who sat us at one of the tables (there are about nine in the restaurant) near the window. Where we watched the last of the light flurry hit the ground and quickly evaporate. Would that be an omen?

The simple interior of the restaurant quickly filled up. The Missus had a glass of wine; I got some Japanese Whiskey as an aperitif.

We got the 120 Euro tasting menu….and shared a wine pairing. Believe me when I say; this meal was worth every penny!

Things started off with a good sized amuse; a Egg Custard, Smoked Mackerel, and Mushroom Consomme. Think of this as an amazing chawan mushi with amazingly earthy shiitake flavors, and a superb, smokey, rich saba.

The first entrée was an poached Oyster from Maison Gillardeau, considered the "Rolls Royce" of Oysters. amazingly clean flavors, mildly briney, with a sweet, almost nutty finish.

The black tea consommé and dashi added an amazing finish, really enhancing the sweet-brininess of the oyster. Amazing!

An unmistakable fragrance wafted our way even before our next dish hit the table. It was the familiar fragrance of white truffle.

Served with a wonderfully tender, meaty, sweet and savory crawfish tail and truffle gnocchi, in a luxurious seafood sauce…..'nuff said, right?

The John Dory ("Saint Pierre") in a mushroom foame with, "surprise" Percebes was solid if not outstanding.

The fish was very tender, mild in flavor, an interesting foil for the strong earthy and briny flavors presented.

The Perdreau Rouge; young red-legged partridge was quite tender.

I thought the idea of a date and clementine sauce and sumac seemed a strange combination; but the fairly tart sumac combined with the sweetness of the fruits did fairly well with this wonderfully cooked and mild flavored partridge. A solid dish.

The Missus loved the cheese course:

I actually really enjoyed this "pre-dessert" item.

A wonderful Citrus Mousse, so amazingly light, filled with wonderful lemony – nutty flavors.

And of course the Missus enjoyed the Chocolate Tart; we requested only one, since I was stuffed.

And, as is the norm with many of these places; a nice parting gift for later.

We loved Takao Takano; easily one of the best meals we've ever had. From the perfect, professional, efficient, genial, well paced service. To a couple of amazing dishes….what a dinner!

I have a feeling we'll return one day. I guess that little flurry of snow was a good sign!

Takao Takano
33 rue Malesherbes
69006 Lyon, France

We walked back to the apartment' quite satisfied.

Perhaps Lyon is the center of the gastronomic world. Well, at least it was for us on this evening!

Thanks for stopping by!

Mi Pana – Makes Me Say Dame Más (Give me more!). Venezuelan Comfort Food in National City.

October 8, 2019 mmm-yoso Colombian Food and Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Venezuelan Food and Restaurants

**** Sadly, Mi Pana has closed

Sometimes I get really lucky. Recently, I was searching for some Colombian food options when I came across a place that just opened in National City named Mi Pana. Even though there were Colombian dishes (and Mexican) on the menu; I quickly noticed the Venezuelan dishes….arepas of course; but other items I hadn't heard of. I quickly contacted Frankie's Auntie "Alle" who is part Venezuelan and has spent a good amount of time living in Venezuela. Looking over the menu; she got even more excited than I did!

So of course I had to head on down ASAP to check the place out. The restaurant is located in a little strip mall on Highland Avenue.

It's a tidy little shop, with the Venezuelan flag in the logo; so any thoughts of ordering Colombian dishes went out the window.

The very sweet young lady working was so nice and friendly….having very little experience with Venezuelan cuisine (other than arepas), I knew I was out of my depth, so I asked for a recommendation. Something other than arepas. She asked me if I liked plantains, which I answered with a very enthusiastic "yes". So she recommended I try the Patacon, the fried plantain sandwich. So I selected the Carne Mechada, shredded beef version.

Several salsas were provided for me. The nice young lady seemed to really enjoy explaining things to me. She pointed to the bottle on the left and told me "that's wasakaka, it's really traditional Venezuelan, and my favorite!"

I tasted the wasakaka, which was like a garlicky, creamy, slightly citrusy sauce, I was sold. The cilantro based sauce; that was like a nice chimichurri was also quite good.

And then my Patacon arrived.

Man, that fried plantain was delici-yoso; slightly sweet, crisp edges, the interior was soft, almost bread like. The shredded beef was nicely seasoned, with a pleasant toothsomeness. The cheese was mild and milky; much like mozzarella. As you can tell; it was a messy sandwich, which dictated eating it with a fork and knife. It perhaps had a bit too much greens and mayo; but overall a very satisfying sandwich. Especially if you enjoy sweet and savory together.

By the next time I'd seen Alle; she had been to Mi Pana. During one of the days the Missus had to work, we decided to meet up and have breakfast…and what a breakfast it was. She already had her favorites and other items she wanted to try, so I let her start the ordering.

Alle loves Cachapa, panckaes made of sweet corn, so we started with that. She ordered the "classic version" stuffed with cheese.

She loved this, but it was bit too sweet for me. I did enjoy the cheese though; which had a slight salty-milkiness.

Next up the Mandoca con Queso, a sweet cornmeal cake with cheese and Tequenos, think of a white cheese, soft and a tad saltier than mozzarella, wrapped with pastry……oh man, did I love the salty-yeasty-mild sweetness.

Man were those Tequenos good!

Our arepas were still being made as we finished up our…ahem, starters, so the really nice woman delivered some Pan Andino with Coffee to us….on the house!

The Pan Andino is fairly dense and sweet. It's great with coffee or tea….as a light dessert. It was nice gesture as well.

Apparently they make their own bread. On my previous visit; I saw a guy buy five loaves of this bread!

If you've never had an arepa; think of an unleavened "bread" that looks like an English Muffin……but if made well (and they do it well here) that's where the resemblance ends. These arepas taste oh so "corny" and I believe a nice amount of fat is used, which makes these arepas more moist than their Colombian counterparts which I've had.

Alle had ordered her favorite breakfast Arepa; the Reina Pepiada; an arepa stuffed with shredded chicken mixed with mayo and avocado. Think of it as a wonderful chicken salad. Also, Alle recommended getting the arepas griddled (asada) instead of fried; which really created a firm, but moist and bready texture. The corn flavors came through quite well.

Alle wanted me to have a taste of her arepa, so I grabbed the knife and fork; but she told me to put those away saying: "you're mi pana, so grab it with your hands and have a bite….no; two bites." I came to find out that "Mi Pana" means "My Friend" or "My Buddy" in Venezuelan slang. Loved the flavors; perhaps a bit on the rich side, but not overly salty, slightly milky from the cheese; the flavor from the arepa really stood out.

I decided to get what I was told was a breakfast classic….because well, I'm classic (old) and all that. The Perico.

Perico are scrambled eggs which are spiced up and mixed with onions, tomatoes, and peppers. With the pile of cheese, this was a pretty hefty breakfast. This was good; though not as wonderfully satisfying as the Reina Pepiada.

Man, what a breakfast. I asked the woman working if they could wheel me to the car. She said, "I think we can find a wheelbarrow somewhere around here!" I love these folks. Meanwhile, Alle had a nice discussion with the cook talking about where her family lived in Venezuela and all that.

And so; I thought I had enough for a post. But I guess my stomach thought otherwise. I was really craving the Tequenos and really wanted to try the Arepa Pabellon. The young lady who was working on my first visit was here and was so happy to see me….I really like these folks.

And those Tequenos were even better!

More crisp, more yeasty….man, bread wrapped cheese…….

I decided to get my arepas "frita", fried this time around, which entirely changed things. Just like the difference a frame can make around a painting; this crisp and crunchy arepa added a crunchy texture. The shredded beef was delicious and the black beans really upped the ante with regards to overall flavor. The slices of plantain really added a pleasant creamy, light sweetness and the cheese on this arepa, which was like a crumbled cotija was a bit more salty and stood up well to all the other flavors. I'll definitely get this again.

On this visit; I noticed this sign near the menus.

Which reminded me of what Alle said while we were having breakfast; "Venezuelans love sweet with their salty; it creates a balance."

Well, if Mi Pana keeps making sweet and salty dishes like this….I'll definitely keep coming.

Mi Pana
2241 Highland Ave.
National City, CA 91950
Hours:
Mon – Fri 10am – 8pm
Sat – Sun 9am – 8pm

It's always great trying new cuisines and dishes I've never had. And even better when the food is good, I have a great guide like Alle, and the folks making and serving the food are gracious and nice like at Mi Pana.

Honolulu – Dinner at Senia

September 15, 2019 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Fine Dining, Honolulu, Memorable Meals, Oahu, Travel

Among all the favorites we were hitting on our visit "home"; there was one newer place I really wanted to check out; Senia. Located on North King Street, downtown, next to Pig and the Lady, Senia has been on my "list" since they opened. From all the reviews and photos; it seemed that two Per Se alums, Chris Kajioka and Anthony Rush were taking Hawaii Regional Cuisine and bringing it to the next level.

So, I quite excited to have dinner at Senia. We didn't do the tasting menu; rather we just decided to have dinner and try out a bunch of dishes.

The Missus started with a non-alcohol "mocktail", the Yuzu Sour. I opted for the "Freddie" and was happy to note that it wasn't overly sweet and had some nice smoky tones.

The place was hopping; quite busy, and the staff tried their best, but seemed a bit out of sorts at times, and the pacing of our meal was somewhat uneven. Yet, as is the case in Hawaii, all worked out fine in the end.

As is our M.O. we ordered more smaller plates, stuff to share as we've found that some of the most delicious and creative dishes we've had have been appetizers and smaller shared plates; it seems that chefs will often take a few more chances on those.

Like the Kalua Pork Croquettes ($7); which had me thinking why aren't more places serving this?

The kalua pork was creamy, but still had "body", and you knew you were eating pork. The minced greens and the crisp exterior gave it a wonderful textural contrast. Mild smokiness came through; the "chili pepper water" added mild heat and acidity, which cut the richness.

We also ordered the Ahi Brioche ($5/piece).

Wonderfully meaty and thick slices of Ahi were torched; aburi style, and brushed with a light tare of sorts. It was placed on a smoked brioche which, in addition to the slightly sweet tones, also had a savory aspect to it. Think of it as Ahi Brioche Nigiri if you will. This was delici-yoso!

Our least favorite item of the night were the Chicken Liver Eclairs ($10).

Chicken liver mousse in pastry, topped with persimmon flavored spheres. This was just too sweet for us. Even the in-laws didn't care for it.

You know I'm always tempted by Tartare. and seeing Venison Tartare ($24) on the menu; I just had to order it.

This was also a wonderful dish. The venison had been chopped perfectly, was almost buttery in texture, no metallic flavors, there was a very mild sweetness to the meat. There was a hint of truffle in this and the pickled onions and the blackberry compote really enhanced the flavors. Every bite was wonderful. My FIL loved this……the Missus was shocked. I told Her; "he's loving this dish….please don't tell him it's raw deer……."

The Foie Gras Bonbons ($25) were wonderful as well.

Coated with pistachio, there was so much going on here. Earthy-sweet-tangy (green apple gelee); just an amazing array of flavors. And yet, there's a wonderful harmony of flavors, a unique balance; or perhaps a tasty détente of sorts, where all conflicts have eased and the best in each is displayed.

And yet, the dish that I enjoyed the most….I'd read about it several times and was really not sure how Charred Cabbage ($18) was going to impress me. Well, it did. Apparently, the heart and soul of this wonderful dish is the cone shaped Caraflex Cabbage. It is charred, then dressed with what tasted like dashi, and topped with Moringa Leaf.

It is served with dots of a nicely acidic buttermilk gelee and of all things, sort of a Green Goddess dressing. There was so much going on here; yet all the pieces seemed to fit together so well. The moringa leaf added a pleasant herbaceous bitterness. The dashi dressing added deep savory tones. The cabbage itself is fairly sweet and the charring really brought that out. This was so good.

For our last dish, we got the Duck Confit ($26).

Which was fine; it was served on top of a vegetable and bean mixture that looked a bit like a deconstructed cassoulet. After all of the wonderful flavors; this seemed really tame and underseasoned. The duck was fine and the dish was okay. The In-laws asked the Missus why She was less than satisfied with this and She explained that She gets Duck Confit made at home, along with Cassoulet that's made to Her taste. Hmmm…..

The Missus and In-laws finished with dessert and a very good Mamaki Tea. I got another Freddie for dessert.

This was a wonderful and memorable meal. While the vibe is relaxed and casual; the food just takes things up to another level. We can't wait to return.

Senia
75 North King St.
Honolulu, HI 96817
Hours:
Monday 530pm – 10pm
Tues – Fri 11am – 2pm, 530pm – 10pm
Saturday 530pm – 10pm
Closed on Sundays

Modena – Osteria Francescana

January 15, 2019 mmm-yoso Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Fine Dining, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Memorable Meals, Travel

You could say that even though I as surrounded by great works of art at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam I was distracted. You see, while we had planned on visiting Florence, I had really wanted to check out Emilia-Romagna. And so we made plans; but one of the key elements to this was trying to get reservations to the restaurant proclaimed to be "the Best Restaurant in the World", Osteria Francescana, which in fact has now won that title more than once. So there I was, on my smartphone, surrounded by the works of Van Gogh, on the first day on the month at 10am trying to get reservations. I managed to get us dinner reservations; not on the exact day I desired, but a day later. It kind of messed up my planning a bit, which turned out to be a blessing since I tweaked my plans to include Ferrara for a night which we really enjoyed.

And so, after having already had an enjoyable time in Modena, we headed off to dinner at Osteria Francescana.

Things start off when you walk up to the colorful, but discreet doorway to the restaurant….and ring the doorbell?

And are greeted by….a Security Guard? Actually a fake security guard, a life-sized, and quite real looking statue.

Let me just say; the service was flawless, just the right balance of professional, yet amiable, there's nothing stuffy about the place. Dishes were brought out perfectly timed, yet you felt relaxed. The wine pairing we had with our tasting menu was excellent according to the Missus; yet only one of them was from Italy.

There's also something I like about the austere, yet tasteful dining room; well spaced, lighting sets a good mood. Yes, you can tell, Osteria Francescana has three Michelin Stars.

The bread was interesting as it had a really nice texture, but was quite plain in flavor.

Ah, this was really traditional bread, no salt added, which went nicely with the olive oil.

Soon after; the dishes started arriving.

Starting with the Aula in carpione, "re-imagined fish and chips" (above). A crisp enrobes a small fish topped with a fish flavored ice cream. Nice umami tones; for some reason this really reminded me of the flavor of various Japanese snacks…..so perhaps that's why we weren't really blown away by the flavors.

Next up were the Cuttlefish and Caper puff topped with a very tasty tomato powder.

The macarons were really mild in flavor and seemed to be a case of perhaps getting a bit too out there. The parmesan crisp added a much needed milky-saltiness to things.

Talking about reminding me of Japanese drinking snacks; the "Sardine that is not a Sardine", eel cream inside a fish skin bread, really tasted like Japanese fried fish skin snacks.

Which kind of made us crack up.

The "Tribute to Normandy" was an interesting play on a place and a theme. There's an interesting, yet clean and refreshing flavor to this "oyster" which is topped with a nice apple granita. The texture is interesting as well. According to the story, Massimo Bottura first had an oyster when he was a teenager in Normandy. Along with the oysters, he had lamb and cider. So this is a dish that celebrates that time; the granita is apple (cider), the foam, which was a bit too salty, is oyster water, and the oyster…is not an oyster, but lamb tartare.

Next up was an interesting dish….I mean literally, the plate looked charred as did the "paper" that topped the sole prepared three ways.

The edible "paper" was made out of dehydrated sea water, then scortched…it made for a dramatic affect and the fish was perfectly cooked, but the dish proved to be much too salty for us.

One of Massimo's signature dishes; "An Eel Swimming up the River Po".

I can sum up the flavor of the Eel in one word; "anago"….it tasted totally like anago. I did enjoy the polenta cream flavored with onion, but the apple jam really clashed with the sweetness of the eel.

"Green over Brown, over Black: camouflage rice". Basically three risottos in one, a porcini (brown), vegetable (green), and oyster (black).

We fond the risotto to be too hard for us and though on occasion you'd get a nice bite of all three working in harmony, it was just a bit too much going on.

"From Cervia to Modena – Leeks, Shallots, and Black Truffle".

Wonderful combination of pungent-sweet and earthy flavors. Great "nose" on this dish as well.

The "Crunchy Part of the Lasagne".

Think of it as a fried noodle cracker on top of Ragu Bolognese, which nice a velvety.

"Suckling Pig, Tender and Crunchy".

Like the sauce stenciled piggies? The pork was fabulous; skin perfect, meat tender, nicely seasoned. The sauces ruined the wonderful pure taste of the swine. Bad thing was; you get three pieces, so don't make too many mistakes with sauces!

About this time, the Chef came out to chat and take a zillion selfies with customers. He is quite energetic, friendly, and really knows how to work the house.

Much like our experience at Azurmendi, we were kind of at a loss when the chef came to our table…….so we chatted about, well, what else…food! I mentioned how amazed we were at the Emilia-Romagna's bounty, it was more then we expected. When Massimo asked me what I was most impressed with….I'm sure he expected something like Balsamico, Prosciutto, or Parmesano-Reggiano. So when I said that culatello had been a revelation to me; he smiled widely, patted me on the shoulder, and said something to one of the Servers. He walked into the kitchen and brought this out to the table himself.

"It is our own Culatello…aged 46 months" he said. He smiled tapped me on the shoulder and said, "enjoy"…… Man, it looked really lean, but it had such a deep, cheesy-porky flavor, and just melted in my mouth that I almost uttered a profanity. So, I now have a story…… the cranky old man can now say, "did you hear the one about when Massimo Bottura served me salumi?"

I have an even better one. "Did I tell you about the time we spent a grand for dinner and the best bite I had was a salad?" Yes indeedy. This is called the "Caesar Salad in Bloom". It is amazing layer of various crunchy textures, flavored powders, various herbs and edible flowers, mounted on a leaf of lettuce.

It is to be eaten in two wonderful bites….I have a thing about textures; this was a symphony of varying degrees of crunchiness, along with bitter-sweet-sour-pungent…. We were amazed at the complex mélange of tastes on a singe leaf of lettuce. By far our favorite item of the evening. (of course for me it was the culatello….but that wasn't on the menu).

Did I mention that Osteria Francescana serves "popcorn" for dessert?

And of course more dessert for the Missus.

So, was it worth almost a thousand bucks for dinner? I often say that at this level it can sometimes be more about the experience. The presentation are like works of art; there is playfulness, transformation, and creativity. Whether that makes for an amazing meal is truly a personal opinion. The service was among the best we've had. The personal touch was amazing. So, while I don't think we'd do this again; I'm glad we did.

Do you really need the address of Osteria Francescana? Ok, here it is….. And no; I haven't seen "A Chef's Table"….

Osteria Francescana
Via Stella 22
41121, Modena, Italy

And yes; Modena is stunning at night……

Paris – Restaurant Alliance

October 1, 2018 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, France, French Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Paris, France, Travel

We got back into Paris at around 330pm. The Paris metro system is fairly easy to navigate and we got to what I consider to be one of my favorite hotels; the Hotel Monge in the Latin Quarter by 4pm. Check-in, as always with the folks here is a breeze. Hotel rooms are fairly small in Paris and I've learned to get the Deluxe Double Room. Which at first worried me because it over-looked the street, but the windows do a good job of muffling out the noise.

We aim for one blow-out meal when visiting Paris; the first time around it was David Toutain, the last time at Sola. Because the Missus loved Sola, I tried to make reservations for a revisit; but they were closed during this time. There was something about French cuisine with Japanese touches and sensibilities that really got to us. And I think many other folks as well as there seems to be a revolution going on where Japanese Chefs are running Michelin Star level restaurants in France. After doing a bit of research; I settled on Restaurant Alliance which is located a short walk from where we were staying.

We took in the holiday season sights at Notre-Dame de Paris, before crossing back to the very discreet location of Restaurant Alliance on Rue de Poissy.

There are only 9 tables in this discreet restaurant; only one of which was filled when we arrived.

The simple décor belies the nice spacing; comfortable seating, the sound dimming qualities of the place. As for the staff; they were amazing, not obtrusive, very genial, professional, and most of all they really knew their stuff. They Missus and I got the tasting menu, with one tasting, and the Sommolier, Shawn Joyuex, one of the partners, really made the Missus happy with our pairings.

We loved the pacing on the dishes; each looking pristine, not overly done, and to the point.

Starting with the Anchovy and Tomato. This amuse was wonderful; the savory-salty anchovy perfectly balanced with the sweet-tangy-acidic tomato paste.

The Brioche with Fennel Cream doesn't sound like something I'd enjoy; but the light, mildly sweet, buttery brioche found a wonderful dancing partner, one with a rich little anise kick to keep things moving along.

One of my favorite items of the meal was the Beignet Seafood. This was basically a Karaage, a pristine, perfectly fried, perfectly seasoned, karaage, the lieks of which I'd never had before.

A lovely crunch, nice seasoning, savory-sweet, with a very mild smokey spice, and I believe there was a light touch of shio koji or something similar going on. This was just amazing.

Caviar with Champagne was fine. A bit austere, but perhaps with something like this, simpler is easier.

Uni with Kampari Foam and Sea Asparagus was another amazing dish with flavors I would have never though would have gone together well.

I'm not the biggest fan of foams; but this light, tangy-acidic-fruity foam did so well with the rich, oceany uni. Really creative combination.

The Beets with Dulse was a good dish to bring us back to earth after the uni.

The almost salty "bacon of the sea" flavor of dulse was nice in really balancing out the earthy sweetness of the beets.

When we were seated; one of the Servers came around with a glass container….as soon as he opened it the entire room was filled with the fragrance of white truffle. So, being on vacation, how could we not order it? The container would make it to every table and we'd be assaulted with the intoxicating aroma of truffle. There was a table of four across the room, one of the young men seemed to be a regular. Everyone knew him and chatted with him. When the glass container started making its way to his table; he raised both hands in surrender and said "c'est bonne…c'est bonne"!

Not the biggest fan of the pasta per se; but you could have given me shoe leather and I'd have gladly consumed it with the truffle and that perfect funghi based sauce.

The Scallops, kaffir lime, and coconut milk was a symphony of familiar flavors that worked well together.

The scallops were as to be expected in a place like Alliance. Perfectly seared, perfectly rare, perfectly sweet and mildly briny.

The wonderful buttery texture and mild sweetness of the lobster was the star of the Lobster, kumquat, and spinach, in red wine sauce.

The dish could have used a bit more tannic-bitter flavors as it approached being perhaps a bit too sweet.

The desserts? Well, that's the Missus's department. I will say that I really enjoyed the Vanilla Mousses that was served with black olives, where the saltiness of the olives just balanced out the sweetness off the vanilla. The Missus loved the chocolates with jellies in the center.

This was a wonderful meal; perhaps the best we've had in Paris thus far. The Missus is still talking about this meal; not just in terms of single dishes; but mentioning the pace, the staff, and of course, the wine!

It's going to be hard to top this one!

Alliance
5 rue de Poissy
75005 Paris, France

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!

Kyoto – Gion Yuki

June 17, 2018 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Kyoto, Memorable Meals, Travel

While it seems that the Missus used this trip to chase Sakura, I had noticed something quite interesting. She had developed a fondness for Izakayas. As such, She really wanted to check out an Izakaya on our last evening in Kyoto. Looking through various sources; She decided that we should go to Yuki for dinner. Staying in Higashiyama meant a nice little walk to the Gion, We were shocked to that there was a line twenty minutes before opening. I sent the Missus away to explore while I stood in line and checked my email and such.

The Missus returned right before opening and we were slowly ushered in. The place is rather tiny, rustic, and the folks quite friendly. The crowd was all Japanese and we kind of had them fooled until they started talking to us!

We were immediately handed an English menu; though the Missus could read much of the items in Kanji.

Gion Yuki is owned by Okamura Honke Brewery, located in neighboring Shiga Prefecture. So what to drink? Well, sake of course! We started with a nice, dry Junmai Daiginjyo, moving to sweeter lighter Junmai, even trying the Shin Syu.

Food was an interesting matter. Looking at the English menu; I knew it was incomplete. Looking at the Pinterest/Instagram photos on the Missus's phone, I quickly picked out something the Missus and I love. Shirako!

We ordered both versions of Shirako.

The Shirako Ponzu might have been our favorite dish of the trip. Creamy, with a slight oceany- sweetness, the milt (a nice way of saying cod sperm sack), was fantastic. It went so well with the tangy, sour, and slightly salty ponzu sauce. The green onions were surprisingly pungent; but it was the intense flowery-anise tones of the shiso blossoms that really got our attention. Wonderful textures – fantastic taste.

The grilled version, just couldn't keep up in terms of flavor as it was slightly fishy and fairly bland. It really needed that salt and lime.

The Kamo – duck breast was nicely done. The skin was slightly crisp; the rubbery subcutaneous fat had been rendered off, leaving a nice layer of fat, and the meat had a nice, slightly chewy texture.

The flavor of the duck was fairly intense in terms of gaminess, which is how we enjoy it anyway.

We had noticed that most of the folks eating here were having fried stuffs. So we ordered the Onion Kakiage.

Crisp, light, the frying had brought out the sweetness of the onions. I can see why folks love the fried food here.

The eggplant dengaku; we tried two versions. The darker, richer version was our favorite.

The flavors were quite complex and the scallions gave the dish an overall "zip".

We finished (well almost as we ordered more shirako) was razor clams in broth.

The dashi based broth was light but tasty; the razor clams were surprisingly tender and sweet.

And here's where the fun begins. A group of 4 men and 1 woman gets seated. Seems like several of the group and the woman are German, as we overheard the woman telling one of the gentlemen that she would come here when visiting Kyoto while working for the German Consulate in Osaka.

It was fun watching the salarymen, now quite friendly and helpful after a couple of rounds of sake, try and help these folks order and make suggestions.

Even more funny as none of the salarymen spoke any English! An array of pantomimes, hand gestures….you name it.

Meanwhile, one of the men, the super tall one was walking around the bar checking out what folks were eating. He had heard the Missus and I speak English. We were eating our second bowl of Shirako Ponzu. He smiled and asked, "sir….what are you eating" while pointing to the quivering white masses in our bowl. Passing him the bowl with two hands I told him; "I will tell you, after you try it." He had a taste and his face lit up. "It is good". I said "this is cod sperm sacks". He stood up his full six feet plus, raised his hand, and asked one of the guys behind the counter, "sir….sir…may we have TWO BOWLS of SPERM please?" No one else except his party and the two of us understood what he was saying…..but man, we were rolling.

I now have a new wrinkle for my "a guy walks into a bar….." joke.

Gion Yuki
111-1 Tominagacho, Higashi-ku, Okamura Bldg.1F
Kyoto 605-0078, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

There was still a line of folks waiting outside as we left.

We took the long way back to the apartment, just taking in the city.

Kyoto is beautiful anytime of the day. No wonder it's one of the Missus's favorite cities to visit.