Memorable Meals – Page 6

Florence – Basilica de Santa Croce, Piazzale Michelangelo, and Dinner at Il Magazzino (“The Warehouse”)

April 23, 2018 mmm-yoso Florence and Tuscany, Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Memorable Meals, Travel

After a morning of visiting Uffizi Gallery, the Bargello Museum, not too mention a wonderful lunch at Sergio Gozzi, we had a nice nap. Upon wakening, the Missus was ready to go. Her destination, the view from Piazzale Michelangelo. We decided to not even look at the map and just headed off in the direction of the Arno River. We walked past a hospital, down some side streets, then crossed busy Via Verdi and ended up in front of this wonderful looking church.

At which time I took out the map. This was Piazza Santa Croce.

And the church? It was the Basilica di Santa Croce. Since it was covered by the Firenze Card, we decided to visit, and we were really glad we did.

The largest Franciscan Church in the world, it houses and impressive crucifix, of which there's a story. In 1966 Florence suffered a devastating flood, the Arno overflowed and in the Santa Croce area, the high water mark reached 22 feet! The Crucifix, built by Giovanni Cimabue in 1287 was damaged. you can read more about that here. We'd see that crucifix later on.

Another interesting set of stories is of who is….and isn't buried in the church.

There are many notable people buried here; Galileo, Rossini, Ghiberti, and Michelangelo. The photo I took of his tomb is to the right. In 1564 Michelangelo died in Rome. Pope Pius IV gave instructions that the great artist, architect, and poet was to be buried in Rome. Lionardo Buanarroti, Michelangelo's nephew, under the guise of taking care of his uncle's estate and belongings, coordinated getting Michelangelo's body smuggled out of Rome by merchants. There are more stories here. As for who isn't buried in Santa Croce, but have what I guess we can call "monuments" is Dante, who was exiled to Ravenna. When Florence demanded his remains, Ravenna refused. And so, he has a place waiting here I guess. We'd see Dante's tomb later on during the trip.

In the sacristy, you'll find the original crucifix that has been restored as much as possible.

It was approaching 5pm so we decided to head on out.

As we approached the Arno River, we could see our destination.

That's the Torre San Niccolo, once a gate to the city walls. Piazzale Michelangelo is visible on the hill above.

We crossed the river on Ponte alle Grazie and headed up the hill.

From the stairway, you can actually see parts of the old city wall.

Needless to say, the view from Piazzale Michelangelo is wonderful.

And lots of folks walk, cab, and drive it up here. Many, to take in the view, and then have some nice refreshment.

After walking down, we decided to stay on the south side of the river. I had a restaurant in mind which was located in the Oltrarno neighborhood.

A few blocks off of busy Via de Guicciardini is a quaint little square.

Sadly, our destination wasn't open yet. Nor were the doors unlocked so I could ask for reservations. On the other side of the Piazza della Passera was a café, by the name of Caffè degli Artigiani. This was one of those places…..that I wish we had here; serving everything from espresso, to beer, to wine, to cocktails, to Spritz. Feeling a bit hungry? Well, for one euro, you can fill up your plate with Apertivo, basically snacks. I'm not sure if it's all you can eat, but we saw one guy come in a fill up his plate three times!

I'd been waiting to finally get my hands on a Negroni, which was created in Florence. I've done a couple of posts on meals I've had with a Negroni or two.

This was not bad……but most of the fun was just sitting and watching all the folks come in; grab a spritz, stand at the bar or hang around the square and come back to drop off the glass when done.

Caffè degli Artigiani
Via dello Sprone 16/r
Firenze, Italy

By this time, the restaurant, named "Il Magazzino", aka "the Warehouse" was open.

Sadly, we were told they had "no tables….all reserved". The Missus asked about the outside tables and the really nice guy said, "oh no…too cold". I was a bit bummed, but that's the way it goes. As we thanked him…..he looked at us and said, "ok, you want outside….is ok…..is ok." That's how we got our dinner at Osteria Tripperia Il Magazzino.

We started with a very beefy, really nice beef tongue carpaccio.

The cheese added just the right amount of milky-saltiness to the tongue. The greens were very bitter, which I kind of enjoyed, but the Missus did not.

The Missus's favorite dish of the evening? The Ravioli di Lampredotto con Cipolla di Tropea.

I gotta say; this was super delici-yoso! The tomato sauce was just tangy enough, it tasted like sunshine! The sauce was thick and the flavor condensed which helped to balance out the strong flavor of our friend, the "fourth stomach" of the cow, which was almost buttery when minced. There was a small amount of red onion "Cipolla di Tropea" which added a bit of texture to the ravioli. The Missus is still talking about this dish.

Of course I had to try the Trippa alla Fiorentina here.

The tripe was oh so tender, and I really like the tomato sauce here. This was really good.

The Missus, still fascinated by Lampredotto ordered the Lampredotto Salcicca e Fagioli.

A nice, slightly smoky, almost Spanish style sausage, with those oh-so tasty local beans, and mildly offal-ly – beefy lampredotto.

A couple of glasses of wine; the very warm and amiable service.

Being able to watch the happenings on the local square.

The big, jolly guy working here wasn't so jolly when a guy sitting on one of the benches threw some litter on the ground. He saw it….went to the guy and made him pick it up and throw it in the trash can. We loved it!

This was our favorite meal in Florence. It was just the kind of place we like.

Osteria Tripperia Il Magazzino
Piazza della Passera
Firenze, Italy

As we took our leave, Caffè degli Artigiani was still doing good business.

I'd eaten quite a bit on this day; but one look at my phone and I knew why.

Meanwhile, the Missus was on the look-out for some Gelato!

Thanks for reading!

Montreal – Jean-Talon Market and Schwartz’s Deli

March 15, 2018 mmm-yoso Canada, Canada Food and Restaurants, Diner, Markets & Grocers, Memorable Meals, Montreal, Sandwiches, Travel

I knew we needed some exercise after our zillion calorie meal at Au Pied de Cochon. So I had planned on hoofing it up to Jean Talon Market but it was drizzling so we decided to catch the metro instead. When we arrived the place was pretty much deserted.

It was pretty quiet and we weren't going to be doing any self-catering during our last evening in Montreal, so we just kind of wandered around.

Nothing caught our fancy, so we decided to head on back to Mount Royal area.

Jean-Talon Market
7070 Henri Julien Ave.
Montreal, QC H2S 3S3, Canada

It was a pretty good walk.

There are some pretty interesting buildings in the area, like this one.

I couldn't figure out what it was, so when we returned I looked up the address and it's named Musée des pompiers de Montréal. It's the firefighters museum; which is only open on Sundays from 130pm to 4pm.

It was still a bit early for our lunch destination, so we decided to grab a cup of coffee and relax. We found this very modern-hipsterish looking shop named Dispatch Coffee.

I got some espresso and they served it up right….with sparkling water.

Dispatch Coffee
4021 Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Montreal, QC H2W 1Y4, Canada

By this time our early lunch destination was ready for business.

I'd heard countless times that you "need" to go to Schwartz's when in Montreal. It's an iconic purveyor of Montreal smoked meat….don't be calling it pastrami in MTL. While similar in in terms of being seasoned, cured, and smoked, classic pastrami is made with beef navel, the front or "ventral" part of the beef plate. Montreal smoked meat like corned beef is made with the brisket. You can read more about the differences at a load of sites; some of them humorously opinionated. I was here to eat.

One quick thing about Schwartz's. You'll see the opening hours listed as 8am; you can get stuff next door to go at that time. But if you want "hot meat", you'll have to wait until 1030.

We got in right at 1030 and sat at the counter. The young man who served us was great; friendly, helpful, in that truly Canadian way.

The place filled up pretty quickly.

The young man pointed out that the "classic" Schwartz's combo was a Smoked Meat Medium Fat, Fries, Dill Pickle, and a Cherry Soda……we got fifty percent of that, the dill pickled, crisp, nicely balanced in flavor and the Smoked Meat Sandwich Medium Fat (9.75 CAD – about $7.40/US !!!). We watched with anxious anticipation as the meat for our sandwich was hand cut.

Man, this was good!

It's not very often that a place delivers on all the hype and expectations. Schwatrz's did this and more. From the surprisingly tender and moist texture, to the balanced seasoning, not too salty, but with more "umph" than most pastrami sandwiches I've had, the wonderful savory tones really shone. The bread was soft, but stood up well to the pastrami with the flavor of caraway, that malty-nutty-spiciness, bringing things together. The mustard added just enough acidic-pungency to cut any richness.

The Missus is still talking about this sandwich.

There was a line forming outside the deli as we left. I can see why…..

Schwartz’s Deli
3895 Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Montreal, QC H2W 1X9, Canada

A while not everyone would agree, I'd say Schwartz's really delivered. We left, satisfied and not stuffed, just perfectly happy.

Santa Barbara Roadtrip – Dinner at Yoichi’s, Mission Santa Barbara, and Staying at the “Secret Garden”

October 17, 2017 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, Japanese Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Road Trip, Santa Barbara County

Things have been really busy for both the Missus and I. Before my next "big push", I felt we both needed a break, just a long weekend kind of thing. So when the Missus needed to go to our old neighborhood for an appointment, I saw the perfect chance. The Missus suggested Santa Barbara. I've passed through many times and had been to places like Solvang; I'd never stopped in Santa Barbara so I was up for it. A alsos knew we'd both be spending a good deal of time sleeping when we weren't eating or walking about.

I'm doing this post a bit out of chronological order, I hope you don't mind.

We got into Santa Barbara a bit early after leaving Hacienda Heights fairly early in the morning, along with stops in Solvang and Los Olivos (a future post). We couldn't check in yet and were staying fairly close to the 101 near East Mission Street, so we decided to check out the Mission Santa Barbara to kill some time.

It was a bright, albeit pretty darn warm day.

Founded by the Franciscan order in 1786, Sunday mass is still held in the very distinctive chapel to this day.

And on this very sunny Saturday, there was a wedding ceremony taking place in the main chapel.

We peeked in and were going to turn around and head out; but one of the really nice Filipino Women manning the doors waved us in.

After spending a short while in the chapel we headed out and down the block.

Across the street is Mission Historical Park; where another wedding, albeit a much more casual affair (check out the dog….looks like part of the wedding party), was taking place.

There's a very pretty rose garden here as well.

By now, enough time had passed and we could check-in. We wanted a bit of peace and quiet, time to relax, and decided on the Secret Garden Inn & Cottages; located on Bath Street. While a pretty good walk from much of SB, we both enjoyed the prospect of staying in a cottage.

We were greeted by Cat of the House, who roamed the yard during the day and hung out inside at night.

Our cottage was named the Wood Thrush and even had a Jacuzzi; though it was much too hot for that during our stay.

It was very cozy and comfortable, even though we made that A/C unit work overtime.

There was breakfast every morning, during the evening, after 7pm, there was hot cider and brownies, which the Missus enjoyed. On Friday and Saturday evenings, cheese and wine.

Chilled filtered water was provided, you had the combination to get into the main house where there were an additional two rooms and grab some water, tea, hot water.

You could eat breakfast or have evening tea at one of the tables…..

For us, the main attraction was the peace and quiet in this more residential neighborhood. I must've slept sixteen hours during our only full day in Santa Barbara.

The owner, Dominique, who is from France is a hoot, quite funny, and very thoughtful as well. Not cheap, but worth it if you want to get away…..

I'd made reservations for dinner on both of the nights we'd be in Santa Barbara. On this night, we had reservations at a Yoichi's. The restaurant had gotten my attention because it did Kaiseki, something that seemed so out of place in Santa Barbara.

The rather discreet restaurant resides a few blocks east of State Street, on East Victoria. There are but a dozen or so tables in the Spartan interior. The woman running the front of house, who I believe is the Chef's wife was amazing, so gracious, the timing of the dishes were perfect.

On weekends, the only option is the $100 per head Kaiseki, which seemed like a bargain to us. This version, unlike the traditional Kaiseki at places like, say, Suzunari in Tokyo, is shorter, makes some modifications, but also gives the customer choices for several of the courses.

There was of course, the issue of what to drink. There was a tight list of sake, wine (several from Japan), and beer. After explaining our preference to our Server, she selected the Mizubasho Daiginjo Junmai. The bright and clean flavor, with the slightly fruity nose, was just perfect for our meal.

Things started with the Zensai course.

This just set the stage for our meal and as a wonderful start; from the refreshing, slightly slimy Jyunsai (Water Shield), which really got our palates refreshed and ready for our meal. It was the perfect start for us.

Next up was the perfectly tender satoimo and even more important, something I'd worried about the Missus enjoying; Ayu (Sweetfish).

But I should have known better since She really enjoyed all the variations of preserved fish in Kanazawa earlier in the year. This version was just perfect, slight sweetness, nice soy sauce flavor, crunchy eggs, quite firm, with a great mouthfeel. A slight fruitiness combined with a mildly bitter finish.

The Sunomono was very interesting, as the tako and the abalone were good, though routine.

The items that really got our attention was the Kyuri Asa-zuke, which was perfectly pickled, not too sour, not too salty, with a perfect crunch; the daikon still had a nice bit of pungency to balance out the sour and the slight sweetness, and a lovely piece of jellyfish, so perfectly prepared. Our least favorite item was the Hokkaido Scallop. The miso really overpowered the flavor of the scallop.

Two items were offered for the "Owan", the soup course.

The Missus chose the version with Unagi.

First off, the dashi was perfectly balanced, very clean tasting, and for us, the star of the soup course. The unagi melted in your mouth.

I selected the version with the clam fishcake.

The fishcake had just the perfect texture, soft and not rubbery in the least. The "hamaguri", simple saltwater clam, in the center of the fishcake was nicely prepared and very tender. And the masutake mushroom added a nice earthiness to the soup.

The sashimi course, the Mukōzuke was next; three different fishes; two cuts of each.

The Hirame (halibut) was excellent, nice firmness, with a hint of sweetness, that piece of engawa (dorsal fin muscle) was so very nice. The Missus didn't care for the Katsuo; but I found the lean firmness very pleasant. We were told that the Bluefin Tuna came from Spain; we found the maguro loin to have a slight metallicness that wasn't too pleasant. That slice of toro though….just melted in your mouth.

Grilled dishes (yakimono) were next. The Missus, well, of course She got the Gindara (Black Cod)

Buttery, it was quite good, perhaps not the best we've ever had, but very tender, not overly salty, perfectly cooked.

The only clunker of the night was the Kamo (Duck) Yuanyaki. Sound familiar? Yes, it's something I make at home, so expectations were high. Unfortunately, this wasn't up to par in our minds.

The duck was overcooked and tough, it was also very salty. Love the pink peppercorns and all, but this was our least favorite dish of the night.

Next up were the steamed dishes and the Missus just loved Her, ahem "Kinki" (Rock Fish). She's been wanting this since we last had it at Suzunari this past spring (I know, I'm behind on posts). And this version served using the classic nitsuke (sweet soy) preparation was fantastic.

The fish was so buttery, the fat just under the skin was amazing. The flavors reminded the Missus of Chinese preparations and She really, really, wanted some rice. I'm thinking this fish hasn't taken off because of the amount of bones; a bit of work, but man is it worth it! When the dish was brought over, the nice woman asked the Missus if She could manage the bones in the dish. When the Missus said "yes", she smiled and said, "yes, most Asians know how to eat fish with bones….." Fantastic dish.

I got the buta no kakuni.

I loved the texture of the pork, not falling to pieces, but still very tender. The broth was very good; light, very balanced, I detected a hint of miso; neither too salty, nor too sweet, I actually drank it all. And like the Missus, I wanted some rice with this!

Well, we got our rice with the second to last course….instead of the usual "Gohan" (Rice) dish, Yoichi's does nigiri. Tonight, two of the three pieces were predetermined; amaebi (sweet shrimp), and salmon belly. The wildcard offerings were Santa Barbara Uni and Negi Toro, so we got one of each.

Considering that the Chef; Yoichi Kawabata once worked at Nobu Tokyo, we expected well made nigiri, which is what we got. The shari was very neutral in flavor and not to tight. The amaebi was sweet with a nice texture; the salmon belly was bright and fresh, though not as rich and tender as I enjoy. Santa Barbara Uni has it's own specific flavor, creamy and sweet, not as oceany as Hokkaido Uni or meaty as San Diego Uni. This was a perfect specimen. The negi toro, was mostly toro and we weren't complaining.

Dessert in these type of restaurants is usually anti-climatic and it is no different here.

Overall, this was a wonderful meal. In fact, we enjoyed it much more than Wakuriya which has a Michelin Star. We loved the pacing, the gracious and warm service. In fact, near the end of our meal, a couple walked in, obviously back packers, shorts, sneakers, backpacks…….apparently, they were looking for some "Japanese food and sushi" and read about this place on that four-lettered site. The Server kindly went over the menu and type of food served here with them. When they looked confused she asked them what they wanted…….rolls and such. She very kindly gave them the names a few places down State Street that would fill the bill.

In the end, Yoichi's had us missing Japan, which, in this case was a good thing. I think we'll be back…maybe just for a quick overnight stay just to eat here again.

Sometimes you find a place that just fits your temperament. I think Yoichi's might be that place for us.

Yoichi’s
230 E Victoria St
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Hours:
Tues – Sun 5pm – 9pm

Quebec City – Lunch at Le Saint-Armour

August 31, 2017 mmm-yoso Canada, Canada Food and Restaurants, Fine Dining, French Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Quebec City, Travel

We decided to cap off a fun morning in QC, with a nice lunch. During our walk around QC the previous day, we wandered away from Rue Saint-Jean and came across one of the restaurants I had on my list; Le Saint-Armour. The lunch menu, while not cheap, looked interesting. One of the Servers came out and chatted with us. Since the restaurant was a short detour from the way back to the hotel; we decided to stop and have lunch.

We were led to our table by the nice gentleman who chatted with us yesterday. He even remembered us.

The elegant, though simple exterior of the restaurant belies the charming, classy, and quite elegant dining area. A garden like ambiance, what seems to be a former courtyard is topped with a glass ceiling….the natural light and colors just give the place so much character. Quite romantic…..

It was easy to pick our choices from the lunch menu…I think we're getting a bit predictable these days….

The baguette was lovely and warm; which doesn't seem to be the norm in QC.

And of course, I started with the Foie Gras.

The foie gras was very refined; super smooth, perhaps too much for my tastes these days; which is now evolving to enjoy more earthy flavors. The purees were interesting; Sea Buckthorn Jelly, slightly bitter with a touch of tanginess and sweetness, and "Apple Spruce", which tasted like a basic apple based sauce.

The Missus's choice was more interesting, called "Asparagus Elegance".

The asparagus had such a nice, pronounced flavor, it seems that vegetables really shine in this part of the world. The parma ham was tender and added a nice salty component to the dish as did the cheese; a washed rind cheese from Charlevoix (in Canada), which added a fairly mild, milky-acidity to the dish. Of course there was that perfectly poached quail egg.

The Missus got the Pork Cheek for Her main, which She loved.

The mushrooms and sunchokes really added nice earthy tones to the dish. The pork cheek was perfectly braised…spoon tender; though the sauce was a bit too strong for my taste.

I got the "Red Deer"….possibly the most tender venison I've ever had.

I could cut that venison with my fork! The jus was seasoned perfectly and added a velvety, earthy elegance. The Missus loved the cauliflower and sweet potato purees. And that one lovely piece of mushroom in the corner had me wishing for a whole plate of it.

Dessert, is of course the Missus's department and She enjoyed both.

I thought the chocolate cake was very nice….not too sweet.

And then there was my shining moment. While waiting for coffee service, I walked over to the restroom. As I was returning, a party of four middle aged Asian women walked up and told the hostess, "we have reservations for xxxxxx". They were Japanese! They sat at the table right in front of us. The Missus was quick to point out the 20k Hermes bag one of the women had. They spoke very little English and the good natured Server was trying his best to explain items on the menu to them. In the end he smiled and said; "Madam, I can explain the menu in five languages….unfortunately, Japanese is not one of them…." I decided to seize the moment, walked up to the table, bowed slightly, and said "sumimasen", one of the few words I know in Japanese. Luckily, when it comes to food…perhaps it wasn't perfect, but I was able to go down the menu and say…."hotate……buta tontoro (while pointing to my cheek)…rokuniku….bīfu-sutoroganofu……." all the four women made that Japanese game show sound "aaaah"! They then asked me if I am Japanese and I mentioned that I'm sansei….so speak very little Japanese. They all thanked me and went ahead and ordered. I walked back to the table head held up high! As the Missus smirked, shook Her head, and said; "you're such a show off!" But even She couldn't bring me down. Heck, I milked what little Japanese I knew!

And heck, Le Saint-Armour was probably the best meal we had during this trip. Great food, superb service…..

Le Saint-Amour
48 Rue Sainte-Ursule
Quebec City, Quebec

We did some shopping at Place Royale on the way back to the room. Picking up a few gifts.

The Missus looked at this shop and laughed…..

Nope it's not "Prada"….it's Frada!

We were having a great time in Quebec City!

Seville – La Azotea (Zaragoza)

July 12, 2016 mmm-yoso Memorable Meals, Seville, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

When I started to do some research on Seville, I came to the conclusion that we'd eat really well here. And we weren't let down. God bless Basque Country, but man, Seville held it's own in the food department.

After a fairly hectic day, we relaxed until the sun was on it's way down and headed back out to Barrio Santa Cruz, the city's former Jewish Quarter. We decided to pick up on where we left off earlier in the day. Of course we got lost within the winding, meandering streets and alleyways. Many buildings in this neighborhood have been built closely together, creating narrow alleyways called "Kissing Lanes". In some of these, two people can barely pass each other!

We came out upon a pretty little square named Plaza de Dona Elvira.

The lighting on the square was so bright and clean that it seemed like daylight! Orange trees added a nice touch to the pretty tile benches.

Down a twisting street we ended up at a large plaza and eventually at the largest Gothic Cathedral in the World, Seville Cathedral which looked stunning at night.

From the cathedral, we somehow made it to Plaza Nueva and then Calle Zaragoza. There we found one of the three locations of La Azotea. They weren't open yet (it was "only" 815) and the Missus felt strange waiting outside so we explored a bit. When we returned there were already two parties waiting in front of the place! Luckily, these folks wanted tables. After reading about La Azotea on wonderful food blogs like Seville Tapas and Spanish Sabores, I figured out that if you want tapas here, you need to sit at the bar. Otherwise it's raciones.

You get a nice menu, there's seafood listed by the end of the bar; wines, vermouth, cavas, and "Jerez" (Spanish sherry). The bartender was a very nice, efficient, quiet young man named Pablo. He was awesome.

I saw Navajas on the seafood menu and I just had to order it; a media racione (half portion – 8€). Good lord, this was so delici-yoso!!!

This was the most tender, sweetest, clean tasting razor clams I've ever had. The Missus loves Her beans baby beans even more. Loved the olive oil, which, typical of Spanish olive oil was wonderfully peppery and grassy.

Foie Gras? Of course. This is the Foie Gras Casero (5,75€).

Nice, almost buttery in texture, but the marmalade was a bit too sweet for my taste.

The huevo a baja temperature (6,5€) was also a symphony of textures.

Lovely oozy egg, nice flavors and textures from the bread crumb base with earthy flavors from mushrooms. I guess 60 degree egg is a standard thing these days; something we first had as a tapa in San Sebastian.

The Foie Gras ala Plancha (5,75€) was outstanding.

Seared perfectly, still molten and quivering inside…..my goodness, there are few things I love more. This makes me want to get back on a plane! The baked apples added a nice, slightly tart sweetness that just balanced things out perfectly.

The Carrillada Iberica (Braised Pork Cheek – 5€) was fork tender, the red wine sauce was by the book.

Rich, but not over the top, this was a perfect portion size. The goat cheese gratin added a nice acid-milkiness to the dish. Porky goodness.

The only dish we didn't enjoy was the Alcachofas – Artichokes (3,5€).

The confit artichokes were really bland and I didn't care for the texture. The iberico cream sauce seemed a bit disjointed clashing with the sweet caramelized onions.

Remember how much the Missus loved the Tio Pepe sign in Madrid? Well, She finally wanted to try a glass here…..

I guess She was expecting a fortified sherry and wasn't ready for the super dry taste. I didn't mind this at all, but I don't think the Missus will be ordering this again.

Three glasses of wine each, plus the Tio Pepe and all the tapas. The damage? Less than 60 Euros! To us, a bargain. In fact, the Missus loved La Azotea so much, we returned during our last evening in Seville. I'd get another shot at that Foie Gras and Pablo greeted us with a smile. By far our favorite place to grab a bite in Seville.

La Azotea – Zaragoza
Calle Zaragoza 5c
Sevilla, Spain
Open Daily:
130pm – 430pm, 830pm – Midnight

It had been a fantastic meal, and we savored our walk back to our accommodations.

You can't really see it, but the Plaza del Salvador was packed with what looked like hundreds of college students having drinks…on a week night! It looked like things were just starting up. We, on the other hand were bushed and quickly headed back.

I took a quick look out the window of the stairway up to our apartment.

And even here there was something dramatic to be seen!

A Revisit to My Favorite Restaurant – Suzunari (Tokyo)

June 14, 2016 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

I have a few acquaintances who love the Michelin Star/Best Restaurants in the World kind of thing. And earlier today, one of them sent me this link, telling to look at #13….it was Maido, where we had just eaten last month. What I thought was a bit strange was that Maido was several notches above Azurmendi. Just goes to show you the fickle "sport" of ranking restaurants and also why, while I take all those things into consideration, in the end, I try to figure out the food, how the place suits us, both in cuisine and service (those restaurants where staff is constantly hovering is not for us), before making a decision. A few hours later, "SomTommy" who sometimes comments, sent me an email mentioning the same thing. I replied that I thought this was both interesting and surprising. He then asked me what my favorite restaurant in the world was. What really surprised me was how easy it was typing out my reply; it was Suzunari which we visited during our first trip to Tokyo. The place just suited us; Kaiseki, perfectly prepared, elegant, but not fussy, without pretense, in a casual atmosphere, the customers were all Japanese. Oh, and while it was basically a husband and wife team, with one assistant, this tiny shop had acquired one of those "star" thingies.

Funny thing was, we enjoyed our previous experience so much we returned the last time we were in Tokyo. So I thought I'd do a quick photo post, out of chronological order, but it seemed somewhat timely. We had our good friend Reiko make reservations for us before our last visit; we also insisted that she come along. Even though we knew the pacing of the meal, pretty much in line with traditional Kaiseki, it was still fabulous.

From the steady silent interactions of the chef, his wife, and the assistant. To the sincere service, we loved sitting at the bar, and watching the flawless execution.

The Hassun, just fantastic.

Reiko, a Tokyo native told us that this was the best meal she's ever had and we were so glad to have been able to share it with her.

I'll always remember overhearing some advice from a Japanese National who advised the young couple that if they really wanted a "true" experience, to bypass the multiple Michelin Star Kaiseki places and work a bit harder to find the places that Japanese would go to when they had a nice meal. This lead me to researching a bit and finding Suzunari. My favorite restaurant.

Suzunari
7-9 Arakicho, Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo

Later during the morning I sent an email to Ed from Yuma and Cathy regarding the list. Ed's response was priceless: "Rereading the post you did, it is amazing that the place had so many little shortcomings. But you are picky." I really don't think I'm picky, but I do know what I like, and after all these years, I think I'm pretty good at mentioning those things I don't care for. Funny thing about places like Maido. These places take chances, are innovative, they have a vision, and move toward that vision. There might be items that aren't your cup of tea, but, at least for us, the highs are amazingly high.

I'm still of the opinion that the Egg from our Hens, Cooked Inside Out and Truffled from Azurmendi, might be the best single bite I've ever had.

Still, while this was a genuinely great experience, "experience" being the key term; like Disfrutar, I'm not sure we'll ever go back.

Urasawa? Not really sure……

Maido, or even Etxanobe perhaps. Suzunari? I'm pretty sure we'll be back.

But it's a big world and we've only been to 23 countries. The Missus has told me that the US can mostly wait until I'm old and decrepit. Which might be anytime now. And while all these places are great….even the occasional banquet or two…..

Or something super delicious and different, that I wish they served here…..

Or maybe a bit more challenging?

Or maybe not…..

I think I'll settle for a nice bowl of soup.

After all, it's sometimes these simplest things that we love.

Thanks for reading!

Lima: The “Nikkei Experience” at Maido

June 2, 2016 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Fine Dining, Japanese Restaurants, Lima, Memorable Meals, Peru, Peruvian Restaurants, Travel

We always try to plan at least one "special" meal during our trips. Lima, being one of my favorite food cities has some difficult choices, but Maido, without a doubt was the one place I just wanted to experience. The chef Maido Mitsuharu puts forward a "Nikkei" menu….inspired by Peruvian and Japanese cuisine. Mitsuharu has a pretty good resume, having attended Johnson & Wales and even trained for almost three years in a sushi restaurant in Osaka. You can read his bio here. Being a Sansei from Hawaii, where we have our own spin on Japanese cuisine, much of it based on the lack of many traditional Japanese ingredients, I've always been fascinated by Nikkei Cuisine. And was really excited about our dinner reservations at Maido.

Located on the corner of Calle Colon and Calle San Martin, Maido was quite easy to find. The building itself is quite distinctive. It was 10 minutes before opening and there were folks lining up. Considering all these folks had reservations, it seems that I wasn't the only one excited about eating here.

The interior of the restaurant is somewhat austere, with a sushi bar area and tables. The one really interesting feature are the ropes hanging from the ceiling…..kind of cool and yet kind of strange. I believe it also helps to absorb noise since most of the areas are quite hard.

We had ordered the "Nikkei Experience" when making reservations. This is a 15 course menu of dishes, none of which are revealed until you receive them. You don't even get a listing of the dishes until your meal is complete.

But first, some cocktails. The Missus, in a genius move, ordered the Pisco and Tonic, a wonderful balanced, grown up drink. It was my favorite cocktail of the trip. In fact, I ended up ordering another later on in the meal! At a loss for what to order, I went for the Sakura; a Pisco, Sake, Strawberry, and Camu Camu juice. It was light, clean, refreshing….but was more of a "chick drink".

Lucky for me, the Missus really liked this and we traded. She was especially taken with the flowers in the ice cubes.

Soon enough, dishes started arriving. Things were really paced well, our Server described the basic dish, and seemed pleased when I recognized tastes, flavors, and even knew some of the ingredients in the dish. Service was very professional with nice, friendly touches….."un-stuffy" and perfectly suited to our taste.

Things started off with an interesting "snack". The stuff in the cone was delicious pressed and fried chicken skin dusted with shichimi togarashi. It was so very nice and crisp, with that wonderful "unfowl" flavor of chicken skin.

The other part of the dish were sausages, which seemed like a cross between a bratwurst and chorizo, layered on plantain, senbei (no kidding – senbei) with a sachatomate (tamarillo) emulsion. Nice, but nothing to really get excited about.

What really got our attention was that sauce at the bottom of the photo above. We put some on the chicken skin and cracked up! Pachikay Sauce……it's scallion, ginger, soy…..this tasted like the dipping sauce for for Kwai Fei Chicken! Basically, the sauce for what we call "Cold Ginger Chicken" back home. This had a more complex flavor, the ginger seemed to have been blanched or cooked taking the edge off the flavor, some smokiness, it was also a bit on the salty side as well. Still, we really enjoyed the chicken skin.

The next dish was simply called "Churos"….no not churros, but churos, an Amazonian land snail. The snail had been simmered in a soy based broth, with perhaps some sake and mirin. It was enrobed with a very tasty foam made of dale dale root, which I believe is a type of arrowroot and garnished with "chalaca", a basic topping made of corn, tomato, and onion.

The snail was so tender and full of flavor and the foam really tempered any strong flavors and refreshed the palate.

Next up, one of my favorite items of the evening; simply called Lapas Cebiche. Lapas are "limpets". So, the folks from Hawaii will understand; this is opihi! Really good opihi, served on what was described to me as aji-cilantro-lime juice frozen by liquid nitrogen.

Good lord, this was leche de tigre sorbet! I love leche de tigre…..when our Server heard me exclaim that, he came over, smiled, and said, "yes, it is frozen leche de tigre". Amazing flavors and textures.

Next up was the Paiche Sandwich. Paiche is the legendary Arapaima from the Amazon. It has a nice texture, delicate, yet slightly firm.

The bun, like a mantou was hard, crumbly, and not up to the task. The lulo criolla, strangely didn't register much flavor.

My friends know how much I love cuy (guinea pig)…but cuy gyoza? Well, that's a new one. The wrapper was decent, crisp, not gummy. The filling was interesting, like the filling for a croquette, very soft and mushy….give me this and tell me it's pork and I'd believe you. The sauce was delish…..soy sauce, probably rice vinegar…combined with the onions and chilies, this really tasted Chinese…..as did the Pachikay Sauce. It seems the strong Chinese influence on Peruvian cuisine was in play as well.

Next up, well Sushi de Mar……An ika and hotate nigiri. Now, of course I'd never expect anything say…the level of Sushi Iwa or Urasawa….

But for me, the rice did this dish in. The gohan was hard, dry, and very cold. It really detracted from any enjoyment of the very nicely prepared seafood.

While the color of the dish screamed "bland" the "Amazonic Cebiche" was much better.

I loved the "Nikkei leche de tigre", which had some soy sauce in it. It tasted like revved up ponzu. I'm also a big fan of the shaved hearts of palm, which looked like noodles in this dish. That topping, which I was told was made of yucca flour was delish. I believe there was some garlic in here somewhere. There was also some very mild heat from aji charapita.

The next dish was also very good; Cancho con Yuca. This looked like compressed cubes of pork belly and yucca, wrapped up in some kind of dough based wrapper and topped with fried pork skin.

It was served with a "ramen reduction" which was quite salty.

Next up was another dish which just blew me away; Sacha Soba.

The noodles were made from sachapapa an Amazonian tuber. Flavor and color was added via the use of various chilies, and no, this wasn't spicy. But the texture of the soba was perfect; nice pull, that slight smokiness and mild spice from the chilies, balanced by the sweetness of the crab. My goodness, this was so delici-yoso!!!

We just had to have some drinks to celebrate! I got another Pisco and Tonic and the Missus gave in and had a Pisco Sour, which I thought was the most balanced, in terms of booze to sweetness to sour of what I had during the entire trip.

Next up were the Sushi Tierra (Earth). These fared much better than the seafood; possibly because the fat tempered the textures for me.

The A lo Pobre, a wonderfully beefy piece of meat torched, then topped with a quail egg. As a bonus, the quail egg had been injected with ponzu sauce, which added the nice salty-acid component which meant all the difference to this piece of nigiri. The mollejas (beef sweetbread) was nice and fatty which aided the texture, but this was a bit too tame in flavor compared to other piece.

The Missus really enjoyed the "Regional Beans", which had some nice flavor components, the quinoa crisps were very nutty and the Missus, who loves beans, also enjoyed them when mixed with the avocado cream.

So, the Missus has always preferred my misoyaki to everything She's ever had….even to pointing out the failings of what was served at Nobu's and Matsuhisa (!). Until tonight. On this evening, She proclaimed the Gindara to be the best She's ever had. Now I take a back seat.

I have to say, the flavor of the miso sauce/glaze was perfectly balanced; not too strong. the nuts; which I believe were cashews and bahuaja (Brazil nuts if I recall) just placed another layer of texture and flavor. I thought the potato cream was much too salty to enjoy.

The flavor and texture of the Wagyu Shortrib, which they said was cooked for 50 hours…..I'm pretty sure via sousvide, was amazingly tender and the flavor was a nice balance of salty to sweet…..and the egg yolk just added more richness (as if it were needed) to the dish. We both found the Cecina (cured pork) fried rice wrapped up like a spring roll to be kind of odd as it was on the mild side in regards to flavor.

The Missus really enjoyed both desserts. The Cacao; 70% pure, with yuzu and all the nuts…..

And I even enjoyed the "Maduro", which had the odd combination of an ice cream made with plantain and shoyu!

All that really nice tapioca balls, water jelly, and rice milk…..along with some Amazonian fruits like camu camu really made for a nice way to end the meal.

We really enjoyed our meal at Maido. In fact, the Missus told me that this is easily one of the most enjoyable meals of Her life. Me? Well, I can easily say that my favorite dining experience is Suzunari, which we actually returned to on our last visit to Tokyo (I know…I'm really behind). But this was an amazing experience in terms of food and flavors. And while certainly not on the level of Azurmendi, there was one thing they had in common. While not every dish worked to our enjoyment, the "highs" were extremely high. We could relate to the flavors….the combinations of which weren't frivolous…..the cuisine and thus the customer was respected….you could detect the "soul" of the cuisine here, it wasn't some meaningless mash-up. And while I wasn't able to wrangle a reservation at Central; we were both very happy to have the chance to dine at Maido.

Maido
399 Calle San Martin
Lima, Peru

This was a wonderful meal. We'd have to get up at 430 the next morning and get our ride to the airport. Next up….Santiago, Chile…even if it was just for a single night we were looking forward to it!

Bilbao: Dinner at Azurmendi Part 2

July 22, 2015 mmm-yoso Basque Country - Spain and France, Bilbao, Spain, Fine Dining, Memorable Meals, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

I had just finished what could perhaps be the best single bite I'd ever had. So how would the rest of our dinner at Azurmendi line up?

We were given several different bread courses during our meal. Our favorite was by far were the "steamed rolls"; yeasty, puffy, light as air. The olive oil was delicious, very grassy-peppery. Though the thing that the Missus loved the most was the stylish cruet. She would hunt for these in various shops, finally finding them in San Sebastian, only to shy away at the 60 Euro price tag. I think she'll be getting it next time.

The dish we unanimously enjoyed the least was the Oyster, Tartar, and Gelee. The seaweed tempura was very nice, but for some reason the raw oyster tasted a bit off and it was a bunch of mushy-gummy textures, with too much brine flavors going on.

The Spider Crab and Sea Urchin was a beautifully composed dish.

I'd been wanting a taste of Txangurro, the region's Spider Crab. Here it was sweet, with nice texture, but the Missus wasn't impressed as She declared the crab She grew up eating in Qingdao was much sweeter. The sea urchin is actually infused in a tomato "jus" and it works rather well, adding a nice briney flavor (think of it as the celery in a Bloody Mary). The two items did not go well combined as the crab flavor was totally cancelled out.

So this next item was simply called "Tomato and Eel"….three words….

Take a look at this dish! The pieces of smoked eel were just fantastic; they melted in your mouth with a very clean smoke flavor coming through. The "tomato" was quite a bite! I'm glad I ate it after the eel as it basically exploded, a huge burst of sour and tart flavor.

This one is called "Roasted Lobster Out of the Shell on Oil Herbs and Sweet Chives".

Let me just say; every single piece of seafood here was cooked to perfection. The lobster was just perfect….perfect. It was so perfect that it really didn't need all the pureed herb spheres…or anything else for that matter.

"Stewed Wheat with Farmhouse Milk Emulsion and Oxtail"…….figure out what this would look like?

Basically wheat berries in a beef reduction, the milk emulsion tasted like a farmer's cheese, not sold on how it went with the dish. The most interesting thing was the little "bites" of oxtail wrapped in a layer of crisp bread…..sort of Azurmendi's Beef Wellington. The wheat berries seemed to play havoc with the Missus's stomach a bit. A bit too salty overall.

"Pigeon, artichokes, and fried egg".

Really nice, great textures, the flavors went really well together. Now think about this……this was basically the second egg we'd had during this meal so far……along with all the other dishes.

"Hake, Red Pepper Infusion, Idiazabal Bon Bons".

Oh my; that fish, the red pepper sauce, the sauce….even the milky Idiazabal cheese……all working together.

We were given a nice intermezzo to help us recover……

Along with some almond scented "fragrance"…….which sounds cheesy, but aromatherapy, what fun!

Such drama on the table!

It was all to refresh and set-up the Foie Gras dish……

This was such a beautiful piece of seared foie gras….not a mousse, but actual foie. It was also quite large considering what we had already put away……..this would have been enough for the both of us as part of a 3-4 course meal! I could tell that fatigue was setting in for the Missus.

I hoped that She would recover for the (4) dessert courses. The first being the Apple, Caramel, and Yogurt.

At this point, I knew the Missus wouldn't make it, so I called it. After two bottles of wine and all those courses….we'd had a fantastic experience and it was time.

This was also when Chef Eneko Atxa started coming around to each table.

He seemed such a rather soft spoken, humble, and amazingly youthful looking guy. When the Missus thanked him for all the hard work that went into our meal, he replied; "oh no……it is not work….it is a passion…from here" while touching his heart. I mentioned how much I enjoyed this:

And he went into detail, with times and temps of how it is made……….

Waiting for our cab back to Bilbao, I had a few moments to contemplate our meal at Azurmendi. Disfrutar gave me insight into molecular gastronomy with soul and how fantastically well service can be, skillfully paced, without being stuffy. Etxanobe displayed how a chef driven restaurant can use various traditional flavors and modern techniques together. It also displayed how a Chef's personality and presence can drive an experience. At Azurmendi, I got to understand, how a mission, combined with technique that does not disregard the heart and soul of the product would mean the "sky's the limit". While our meal here was by no means totally suited to our tastes, there were some items that we didn't enjoy, the "highs" were much higher than everywhere else. I believe that Azurmendi takes risks……not everything works for us….but those items that do…oh my, the reward.

I would easily say; this has been the best eating experience I've ever had. And that's what came into play when deciding between the 1-2 Michelin star places and a 3 star place….the experience. Azurmendi will give you that…..

Azurmendi Gastronomico
Corredor del Txorierri Salida 25
Larrabetzu, Spain

Our cab driver was a rather serious looking chap. But as we entered the city he asked me, "how do you like?" I told him; "Euskadi is great and Bilbao is wonderful……" Which brought a big smile to his face. And I wasn't lying……

As we left Azurmendi, I was handed something……..

It's the tasting menu for our meal. I took this photo right before starting this post. I still haven't opened it yet. Maybe someday I will……..

Thanks for reading!

Bilbao: Dinner at Azurmendi Part 1

July 21, 2015 mmm-yoso Basque Country - Spain and France, Bilbao, Spain, Fine Dining, Memorable Meals, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

For the crown jewel of our "trifecta" of planned dinners in Spain, I chose Azurmendi. Not because of the three Michelin Stars, but because of the set-up of the restaurant. The location is actually in Larrabetzu, about a 20 minute cab ride from Bilbao. The all glass building, designed by architect Naia Eguino sits on top of a hill via a single lane winding road, with wonderful views.

On the grounds sits a winery, greenhouse (more on that in a few), and the pret-a-porter, which is more of a bistro.

And it's not just the looks. The restaurant itself is totally sustainable; waste is recycled, rainfall is collected; I think the term is "harvested" and recycled, heating, cooling, and other energy needs is done using geo-thermal energy. It's own little eco-system.

For our blow-out meal; I wanted something special….heck, the Missus bought Valentino Flats and backpacked them for the whole trip just for this dinner! The Missus birthday had just passed a few days previous and I'd promised the Missus years ago that She'd never spend it sitting at home and it's a promise I aim to keep for as long as I am able…….we didn't want to be just sitting in a stuffy restaurant behind a white tablecloth; we wanted an experience. And that's just what we got at Azurmendi.

Arriving at the reception area, we were greeted and asked to wait for just a moment. A few minutes later, a young lady in Chef's whites greeted us with a smile. She explained that before dinner she would like to take us on a tour of the greenhouse area and also "forage" for some snacks….forage is used in the loosest of all terms.

The garden is so orderly that it puts our scraggly back yard pot and dirt collection to shame.

We entered the greenhouse and were given the first aperitif.

This is where the fun starts as not everything is as it seems. Beyond that, it is an impressive set-up. Like the rest of the place; very sleek, very clean, looking deceptively simple.

It is obviously not…..

The very nice young lady, a pastry chef, is from Italy. I asked her why she was here. Her answer, "I want to be and work with the best!" She had a great sense of humor as well. When I mentioned how good her English was, she was quick to tell me, "oh, but my Spanish is sooooo bad!"

She guided us around the greenhouse pointing out the various plants…often pointing out the little basket hanging; say, on a branch, loaded with what looked like tree bark. It would turn out to Jerusalem Artichoke made to look like tree bark with a citrus gel……..a bit too strong and somewhat bitter for us.

So was the "peanut" made from peanut butter and cocoa with a pulverized dried mushroom coating. It struck me as somewhat odd in flavor and was quite salty.

And so we explored………with stops for cotton candy and such…..

The best of the lot was the Pumpkin and Sheep Cheese biscuit, which was also kind of salty, but had a really nice flavor.

And this….the avocado pit, which was a delicious chocolate and liquid avocado (think guacamole) bonbon.

It can be quite overwhelming. Like when we returned to the reception area and were asked for a moments pause while our table was readied for us. And out came a picnic basket….it was time for a picnic!

It was Anchovy Mille-feuille….think of it as a anchovy flavored 'nilla wafer. Too much for the Missus, good for me! The roe and dill positioned on a cracker was again a bit high on the sodium scale for me. The most amazing thing was the "CalpiriTxa". We'd heard about Txacoli, the acidic sparkling wine of the region (we'd have our share in San Sebastian) and this was our first encounter. Azurmendi produces its own Txacoli and that is encased in cordial. It had that wonderful sweet citrus punch of a caparinha and was an amazing bite! Simply fantastic, perking up your tastebuds, leaving you wanting more……

Soon a small glass of an hibiscus infusion, tart and palate cleansing arrived.

Followed by a box of leaves? Leaves?

That's right, this is Azurmendi…..

The two "leaves" on the edges were made from walnut and mushroom, two disparate "earthy" flavors that worked really well in crisp form.

After finishing up, we were taken to the kitchen en route to our table.

The Chefs were hard at work….and they scared the crap out of me when they all suddenly turned and greeted us!

The décor of the room is simple, pleasant, and unpretentious, perfect for our needs. The service was excellent, timing perhaps not quite as good as, though more formal than Disfrutar…but all the basics were well taken care of. The Maitre'd; I believe his name is Jon was a joy. As was the view from our table.

Would you believe our table service hadn't even started yet? We chose a bottle of wine from Azurmendi's winery and things got off to a nice start with the Frozen Olive and Vermouth.

Spherification. We'd had the Disfruta de la Aceituna at Disfrutar, but this was even a larger explosion of flavor. The grassy, peppery olive flavors offset by the sweet vermouth….I'm thinking it would have even more intense if this wasn't still partially frozen.

That was followed by possibly the best bite I've ever had in my life….truly. They call this Egg from our Hens, Cooked Inside Out and Truffled.

I love the flavor of eggs, I love onsen tamago, truffle? C'mon, the earthy and savory flavors are among my favorites. Basically an egg yolk that has been infused with warm truffle broth, causing it to cook from the inside out. Oh my………such wonderful flavors and textures, richness, savory-earthiness, all the best of both eggs and truffles. At the end of our meal, the Chef came around and visited each table. When I mentioned how amazing this one bite was, he told me how it was made in detail…..I don't remember it all, but I will never forget this. Never.

I'm thinking this is getting mighty long. I'll stop here and pick it up in another post.

So stay tuned. Thanks for reading!

Bilbao: Dinner at Etxanobe

July 16, 2015 mmm-yoso Bilbao, Spain, Fine Dining, Memorable Meals, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

Waking refreshed after a short nap, we relaxed for a bit, then got dressed and headed off to dinner. While we were told that the best way to get to our destination; located on the top floor of the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall was to catch the tram. The Missus decided (of course) that we should walk. And in all honesty, it was a nice walk.

And of course we just had to stop and take yet another photo of the topiary canine, I nicknamed "Fred".

And while finding our way around downtown Bilbao was kind of confusing to us, this walk was a breeze. We walked through Parque de Doña Casilda de Iturrizar, a very nice green space.

I read that Bilbao was once a rather gritty industrial port city and this park was once the only green space in the city.

And while we were just passing through, we had a great time watching Bilbao's four-legged citizens cutting loose.

I wish I took a photo of an amazing border collie. The owner was sitting on a bench and would whistle and the dog would come running and eagerly vault over the bench! We saw the dog do this, with great joy I might add, several times!

The Conference Center is located across the street from the west end of the park. Built on the former site of the Euskalduna Shipyards, it looks quite nice. Off to the right side are some rather discreet elevators.

Getting off the elevators, we realized, having left with a nice time "buffer"(the really nice folks at the hotel told us it would take 30 minutes – but it took us about 15), we had arrived for our already ungodly early dinner reservations (830), a bit too soon. So we just took in the view…….

We walked in right at 830 pm….the place was totally empty! Yikes…. A very nice gentleman in chef's whites greeted us, "hello…welcome…..my name is Fernando." And he led us to our table while the Maître D' was elsewhere.

The restaurant looks quite formal, but the atmosphere is far from that. We were given a nice table with a view and the really nice gentleman started up a short conversation…whereupon I put two and two together. "Fernando" is Fernando Canales Etxanobe, the Chef/Owner of Michelin starred Etxanobe. He was quite amiable and talked about the culinary "gifts" of the Basque region.

We had ordered the Chef's tasting menu and soon enough the first amuse arrived…delivered by who else, the chef of course.

I really didn't do much research on Etxanobe. In fact, I made reservations at pretty much the last minute; a week before leaving on our trip. I had gotten the feeling that it would be a nice addition to the two other Michelin worthy meals on the trip having a more traditional Basque influence. So imagine my amazement when these tubes of "lipstick" arrived….Sardine Lipstick actually. Very tasty sardine mousse, just enough oil and fish flavor, and quite delicious….so delicious that I don't even remember the other amuse!

And then things really got going……

Ajo Blanco is a traditional cold almond and garlic soup….this version had the amazing flavor of truffles as well.

The flavor of the almonds came through clearly, the truffle flavor was balanced and not over-powering. The garlic flavor was restrained and that olive oil-pesto like drizzle was delicious.

We let the Sommolier pick our wine, a very pleasant and drinkable three grape blend.

Next up was what they called a "Txangurro of prawns and gel".

More of a very shrimp-y croquette than what I understand traditional Txangurro is supposed to be, if you like the true taste of shrimp/prawns/langoustine you'll like this. Even the condensed flavor of the aspic.

One of the strangest sounding items on the menu turned out to be perhaps the best – "Anchovy Lasagna with Tomato Soup".

The tomato soup was basically a very elegant salmorejo, and in spite of the Missus dislike of anchovies; these were very nice, great oil, not too fishy…nice texture. Topped with a nice slightly smokey and sweet red pepper sauce which added to the dish. And then there was that really al dente, just pillowy enough noodle in the bottom which the Missus really took to. Without a doubt, Her favorite dish.

The "Grilled Scallops with Ragout" was nice….the scallops quite sweet and perfectly prepared.

The sauces were curious as I didn't think they added to the dish. Perhaps the cauliflower was the most interesting. Still, just the scallops with nice sea salt alone tasted the best.

The Scampi with Sautéed Vegetables and Fresh Pasta was a nice dish.

The scampi was very moist; the pasta nice and tender, good overall.

By this time, we were done with our bottle; I still wanted something to pair with the last couple of dishes. The sommelier told me the dishes would be a bit more flavor forward and suggested a half bottle of the Vina Ardanza 2004, a nice wine, with a nice acidity and dried cherry notes.

Though it did not pair well with the Hake in Mussel Juice.

While the gravy-like reduced shellfish juice was full of flavor; I thought the mild sweetness of the hake still came through. As expected; the fish was cooked to tender perfection.

When the Tuna with Sumac arrived, I wasn't particularly thrilled as it looked grey and "dead"……

I think they did a sous-vide job on this as it was so moist, literally melting in your mouth….the sumac really added a bit of punch to the dish. The spinach-mustard puree was fine; but this was all about the tuna.

The last non-dessert item was the Suckling Lamb with Sweetbreads.

For me; the most interesting thing was that thin and transparent potato galette, light, with the texture of fried pork skin. The lamb was very moist and tender and the demi glace quite tasty, but it really didn't have the "flavor of the pasture" we both enjoy.

I'm not much of a dessert guy; but I really enjoyed what we had here. The Caprice of Fennel, Strawberry, and Tomato added the right amounts of sweet, savory, and acid to balance things out for me.

If the thought of anise ice cream scares you; in this case it should not as the ice cream had those licorice tones (not my favorite flavor) but nicely balanced with the milkiness and sweet. The strawberry galette and the tomato crumbles really balanced things out.

By this time, the place was packed….every table and seat filled (there's actually a funny story about the folks on the table next to us which I'll reveal in a later post).

But then, Chef reappeared from the kitchen.

Apparently, if you ordered the Chef's Tasting Menu, the finale was prepared by the Chef tableside.

Orange Cream with Liquid Nitrogen………..I was in food geek heaven.

A dollop of orange flavored heavy cream placed in liquid nitrogen…….yielding flavors that took me back to "small kid time"……

Think of it as the best creamsicle bite you ever had………..

In the end, making comparisons with the other fine dining options we had meals at was like choosing your favorite child. While we thought the pacing and service at Disfrutar was better; the food here spoke to us in a different way. And while the highs weren't quite as high as what we had at a three Michelin Star Restaurant the next night; the lows weren't as low. This place really fits that gap…..not too crazy in terms of technology and familiar flavors. Plus, we really enjoyed the intangible….the chef. We asked for a copy of our menu to remember our meal. Our Server smiled and said he would get it for us. What we ended up with was a copy of the menu with a nice note from the Chef. A nice touch. When I got home I did a search on Fernando Canales and was quite surprised. He's a quite the television/celebrity chef in Spain with his own television show and such. So think about it this way; when was the last time you had Emeril or Mario Batali walk you to your table and talk about what they're serving……did they make your dessert table-side? What's up with these really cool Michelin Star Chefs? I got one flashing the peace sign and another seating us at our table……. In terms of price, it was about 220€

Etxanobe
Avenida de Abandoibarra 4
Bilbao, Spain

We had a nice relaxing stroll back to the hotel taking the path along the Nervión River.

The "Nana's" were still dancing outside the Guggenheim.

The Arcos Rojos (Red Arches) really catches your eye at night. Bilbao seems to be filled with public art. If you'd like to read the story about this, here's a link

The Maman Spider looks really creepy at night. In a really cool way.

Bilbao was quite a fascinating city. If you'd like to read about how it evolved from industrial city to now (named the Bilbao Effect); here's a nice article.

For us, it was off to bed. We had a day trip planned for the next day.

Thanks for reading!