Travel – Page 11

Milan – Osteria Da Fortunata and a Stroll Around All Those Familiar Places

December 29, 2024 mmm-yoso Italian Restaurants, Italy, Milan, Travel

After our lovely Aperotivo, we walked around the corner to a place we'd passed on every evening. There was always a line. In the morning, when I would take a walk, I'd see the hard working Sfoglina making pasta by hand.

So, this is where we decided to have dinner. We went a bit early and there was still a short line but we got in after a ten minute wait.

Now, when I had done a bit of research, I found that Osteria Da Fortunata is based in Rome. So, I went with one of my favorite pastas; Strozzapreti, in a typical Roman style, that would Carbonara. The Missus ordered the Tagliolini Pomodoro Fresco.

The service was very friendly and warm; totally NOT like Rome at all.
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The pasta was a bit more doughy than I prefer; though the strozzapreti did a wonderful job of "holding on to" all the creamy-cheesy-savory sauce. I was surprised at the amount of pepper on this, but it really heightened the dish.

The texture of the Tagliolini all 'Ouvo (egg noodles) was just perfect. While a bit rustic looking, it had a wonderful stretch.

The sauce had a nice fruity-acidity.

While not a fancy meal, this was a nice, fairly inexpensive dinner, right in the heart of Brera, which the Missus enjoyed so much that She had me cancel reservations we had at Ratana on this evening. And like I said, we really liked the service.

Osteria Da Fortunata – Brera
Via Fiori Chiari 13
Milan, Italy

After dinner, we headed on out for a stroll, it was drizzling, but we enjoyed seeing all those now familiar places.

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The Duomo sure is lovely at night!

And the Missus enjoyed the lively, but not crazy streets of Brera.

It was interesting to walk those same streets in the morning. Such a contrast.

It was so peaceful and mellow…..

We had a light breakfast, then caught the metro to the huge Milano Centrale Train Station.

Next stop? Liguria…..

Milan – The Last Supper, Museo Pietà Rondanini, and Aperitivo at Cinq

December 28, 2024 mmm-yoso Cocktails, Italy, Milan, Travel

**** No food in this one; just a Masterpiece by Leonardo, an unfinished work by Michelangelo….oh, and a nice aperitivo….

We'd had a pretty busy morning exploring the Duomo di Milano. But, our afternoon was going to be pretty amazing as well. After having a nice self catering lunch at our apartment in Brera, we headed on out. Our next stop was about a 20 minute walk away.

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We arrived at Piazza di Santa Maria delle Grazie about 45 minutes before our assigned time and I went into the ticket office to exchange my voucher. There were actually folks trying to get tickets but they were told that everything is sold out for the three months and that it was better to buy it online!

So, what was so in demand as to be sold out for months? Well, it's to be found in what used to be the dining hall of this church.

To minimize exposure to humidity only 30 visitors are allowed in at a time for exactly 15 minutes.

Yes, it's the The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci.

The renowned work which depicts the final meal that Jesus shared with his apostles, at the moment when Jesus said “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”

You can see the shock, the confusion, the disbelief on the faces of the Apostles.

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Leonardo has Philip asking Jesus, “Lord, is it I?”

And then there is Judas, thirty pieces of silver in hand…..

The composition, the expression, the detail….the story being told in front of us.

It was just amazing to see this in person!

Not to be outdone, on the opposite wall is the Crucifixion by Giovanni Donato da Montorfano.

Pretty dramatic in it's own right. While the Last Supper took three years, this took three months.

On an interesting note, there are two images at the sides of the fresco that Leonardo added.

Our fifteen minutes was up in the blink of an eye.

We did take some time to check out the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

Which was built in the 15th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage Sight.

It is said that Donato Bramante designed the dome of the Church – Convent.

An interesting side note about the church. It is said that Milan was the most bombed city in Italy during World War II. On August 15, 1943 a bomb hit the church. To quote Monuments Man Deane Keller, "Leonardo's Last Supper may be in ruins." But the Last Supper would not be destroyed this way as a few months later the iconic masterpiece was found intact!

Once done, we headed back in the direction of our apartment, past busy Cardona Station.

As we passed the distinctive Sforza Castle.

Francesco Sforza, the Duke of Milan, built this castle in the 15th on the ruins of a fortress that dates back to the 14th century.

The distinctive tower was reconstructed in 1905. There was one museum I wanted to check out; the Museo Pietà Rondanini. In this relatively quiet space that dates back to the 16th century resides Michelangelo's last work. An unfinished "Pietà", the Rondanini Pietà, which Michelangelo was working on at the time of his death.

It's quite interesting to see as it provides an example of how Michelangelo created his sculptures.

Also on display is one of two busts of Michelangelo, based on his death commissioned by his nephew from Daniele da Volterra.

And also the funerary altar upon which the Pietà was placed until 2015.

Quite an interesting place to visit.

We then headed back to the apartment and took a break.

After our first evening in Brera, the Missus had me cancel the dinner reservations I had made for our last evening before heading to Liguria. She really enjoyed the area and just wanted to enjoy the neighborhood. We'd be passing thru Milan on our way back, but were staying only a single night in a total different area.

Another things we had taken to was Aperotivo time. So, before having dinner, we decided to do what so many Milanese do…it was time for an Aperotivo. During our dinner and Aperotivo the following evening at Rosso Brera, we had notice a steady flow of folks at the place next door named Cinc. So, we decided to try the place out.

We really enjoyed the folks here; they were quite friendly. My Negroni was very good, fairly stiff, great herbal-fruitiness.

A nice prep for our dinner!

Cinc
Via Marco Formentini 5
Milan, Italy

Of course, the question remained, where were we headed for dinner?

Stay tuned!

Milan – Duomo di Milano Rooftop, Lunch from Rossi & Grassi Srl, and Starbucks Reserve Roastery Milano

December 14, 2024 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Italy, Markets & Grocers, Milan, Travel

The day before we headed to Liguria was going to be our busiest in Milan. We had activities scheduled for both the morning and afternoon. Like basically two of the major sites.

We headed out to the first. I had gotten Fast Track Tickets for the Duomo di Milano, which included access to the Terrace, i.e. the rooftop of the Cathedral. I really wanted to check that out after seeing it on an episode Stanley Tucci's Searching for Italy where he visits Lombardy (I hope his new upcoming shows do well). I thought both the architecture and the view was fantastic.

Our assigned time was 10am, so we headed out a bit early. We were way ahead of schedule when we reached bustling Piazza Cordusio. Among all the financial businesses and high end shops we noticed a location of Starbucks Reserve Roastery. Though we're not big fans of Starbucks, we had been to Seattle location of the Reserve Roastery, so we were interested in taking a look.

As one would assume for Milan….this location was pretty fancy.

The line for coffee was crazy; so the Missus got some tea which She rather enjoyed and I had some sparkling water.

It was an interesting place to visit. There are currently six Starbucks Reserve Roasteries around the world. If you'd like to see what the Tokyo location looks like, you can check out Kat's post here.

Starbucks Reserve Roastery
Piazza Cordusio 3
20123 Milan, Italy

It had started drizzling and things seemed a bit "wet" when we got to Piazza del Duomo.

But heck, we weren't going to let a little drizzle stop us. We were zipped up by the elevators to the "terraces". To a world of spires, statues, and gargoyles.

We were told that many of the statues were carved as a gift to God and were only seen by the workers who climbed the stairs for hundreds of years. Now an elevator can whisk you up in minutes.

It's as if you've entered another world. The amount of work is stunning. No wonder it took almost six centuries to complete.

The view, even on a drizzly day was wonderful as well.

If you ever have the chance to visit the Duomo, we highly recommend doing the rooftop!

Once back down on earth, we entered the cathedral. There's so much to see….I'm just going to post on a couple of tihngs that really caught our attention.

The nave of the Cathedral is impressive, at a height of over 200 feet and stretching over 500 feet long!

There was an "interesting" statue of Saint Bartolomeo, one of the 12 apostles. Check it out.

Bartholomew was famously martyred; skinned alive and beheaded by the Romans.

We also went to the basement of the Duomo, which was quite interesting. The highlight were the ruins of the Baptistery of San Giovanni alle Fonti.

The Baptistry was constructed in 378 AD and is where Saint Ambrose (who became the Bishop at the Duomo) was baptized.

There are different foundations of churches that stood here before the Duomo. Many artifacts, even some tombs.

Yes, there's much to see here. Especially if you go from "top to bottom".

I had thought 2 to 2 1/2 hours would be enough, but it wasn't. We needed to get some lunch and a take a break before heading to our afternoon "appointment". So, we took our leave. We'll be sure to return someday.

As for lunch. Well, we headed back to the apartment. Because we had a nice sized kitchen we were using it for breakfasts and such. We passed this shop on Via Ponte Vetero and walked on in.

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The place had a good selection of prepared foods, salumi, and stuff. Though it was kind of pricy. Still, I couldn't resist the Porcini mushrooms, which heated up well!

Earthy, nutty, slightly sweet, in need of salt, but there was some in the cabinet.

I also wanted to try the Cima alla Genovese; which had everything from offal to boiled eggs to pistachios in it.

It's basically stuffed veal belly. Boy, this was potent! But quite filling!

Luckily we had some bread leftover from breakfast.

Yes, this place was quite expensive for a deli; in fact, this cost more than the dinner we had in a restaurant on this day! Still, it was great to be able to try this!

Rossi & Grassi Srl
Via Ponte Vetero 4
Milan, Italy

It was time for a nap; then we needed to head on out to our next "tour"!

Stay tuned!

Milan – Dinner at Hekfan

December 8, 2024 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Dim Sum, Italy, Milan, Travel

After our nice Aperitvo, we walked basically 50 meters to our dinner destination. Another recommendation from "FOY" Candice. A Hong Kong style restaurant named Hekfan, which also served Dim Sum for dinner.

It was a tiny, cute little restaurant.

But the menu belied the rather quaint surroundings, with items like Foie Gras Siu Mai and Crystal Dumplings of Mushroom and Truffle! The Missus also appreciated the tea selection as well. Ordering was a breeze and the folks actually spoke Mandarin and English as well!

We placed our order, not a huge amount of food; but some pretty rich stuff.

First to arrive were the Crystal Dumpling, basically Har Gow with a trio of mushroom and truffle.

We really didn't care for the har gow wrappers which were very glutinous; but the earthy-savory-sweet mushroom and the very fragrant truffle was very good. The addition of a tobiko garnish gave the dumpling a nice salty-briney touch.

A trio of Dim Sum followed.

IMG_2399a The weakest item were the Xiao Long Bao. The wrapper was decent if a bit too doughy; but there was barely any "soup" in the dumpling which was quite bland.

While we were still not big fans of the Har Gow wrapper; the Roasted Duck Har Gow was quite good. Great flavors, not overly sweet.

Mild anise-sweetness-savory tones. I had reservations about the skin being included but it actually added a nice texture.

In what seemed to be a recurring theme; the wrapper of the siu mai wasn't very good, kind of mushy; but man, the flavors of the Foie Gras, Shrimp, and Mushroom Siu Mai were really good.

Never thought the earthy flavor of foie gras would work here; but it added a nice earthy-creamy touch to the very sweet-oceany shrimp. The filling was so tender and moist, yet it held firm.

The Missus really loved the smokey-savoriness of the Pork on Smoked Boiled Eggs.

This arrived on a wooden plate covered by glass fed by one of those smoker-infuser guns. I might have to get one of those. The pork added porcine flavors and the five-spice based seasoning really made the dish.

Soon enough, the final item we ordered appeared. Arriving on a covered plate, which was soon set ablaze.

Quite a show for the Dong Po Rou.

Which was super rich and fatty, decently sweet, good sweet-soy flavors. Quite fragrant, served in tandem with some fancy "buns".

All in all, an enjoyable meal. While the wrappers weren't the best; I'm thinking that sourcing the right ingredients might be a challenge, the flavors were quite good.

Who knew; decent Hong Kong style Chinese in Brera…Milan!

Hekfan
Via Marco Formentini 2
20121 Milan, Italy

Please note that my sources have informed me that Hekfan is moving to a larger space.

And guess what? We'd have even better Dim Sum in Milan later on the trip.

Thanks as always for the recommendations Candice!

Milan – L.O.V.E., Panetteria Mercato, Santa Maria del Carmine Church, Aperitivo Time at Rosso Brera, and More Exploring

December 7, 2024 mmm-yoso Bakery, Desserts, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Milan, Travel

I got up rather early on our first morning in Milan. We had done a bit of shopping before heading to dinner the night before, so we had breakfast and lunch covered. After a light breakfast, I was ready to head on out. The Missus just wanted to relax, so I went in search of something I'd read about before our trip. This walk had me going down Via Mercato, which we'd walk pass several times a day during our stay; with bakeries and such, it was a fun street to shop and eat. The street eventually turned into Via Broletto and there's a lot to see here as well. Like the Neoclassical designed Church of San Tomaso in Terramara.

Via Broletto ends at the very busy and picturesque Piazza Cordusio.

From here, there was an interesting public art piece I was looking for. A bit further west lies Piazza Affari where the Milan Stock Exchange is located. It is quite busy.

As for me, I was more interested in the sculpture right across the way; which seems to send a message to the bankers and financiers of Milan, considered to be the "economic" capital of Italy.

Yep, for real. You gotta love it! The name of this sculpture is L.O.V.E, which stands for Liberta, Odio, Vendetta, Eternita (Freedom, Hate, Vengeance, Eternity).

Could you imagine something like this standing outside the stock exchange in the states?

From here I took a now familiar route back to the apartment. I noticed that the Instagrammers were out in full force in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

On the way back, I stopped at this bakery.

And got the Missus some cannoli to have with lunch.

She especially enjoyed the pistachio version; saying that it was not overly sweet.

Panetteria Mercato
Via Mercato 24
20121 Milan, Italy

After lunch we headed on out. To do a some exploring and shopping. As we passed this church for the fourth time, seeing that it was open, we decided to check it out.

This is the Chiesa del Carmine (Santa Maria del Carmine Church).

The church dates back to 15th century. And the chapel, which dates back to the Baroque period is considered a masterpiece.

And if to really display the contrasts between the ancient and modern; right in front of the church is this sculpture.

Named the "Great Toscano" by Polish artist Igor Mitoraj.

As we strolled down Via Broletto, the Missus stopped at this sneaker/shoe shop. The brand was Golden Goose?

Looking at the prices, I jokingly told the Missus that She was limited to one pair. Her response; "no, I already have the one's I want at home." !!!!!!

We enjoyed wandering the streets of Milan.

Walking thru places that now seemed quite familiar to us.

As we headed a bit further afield and headed past the Duomo.

That's the Chiesa di Santa Maria presso San Satiro, a church that dates back to the 15th century!

That's San Giovanni in Conca above. The remnants of a church which dates back to the 4th century. What remains of the church is the crypt! I've always thought of Milan as being so modern, so hip, but what I saw really gave me a better appreciation of the city!

And yet, there were places we walked past that just brought on a smile….

Heading back to the apartment, we strolled thru Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II once again.

No matter how many times we walked thru the shopping center; there always seemed to be something we'd notice that we hadn't paid attention to before.

On the way back to the apartment, we stopped at this shop.

Where the Missus found a small purse She loved. Heck, this was Milan, you want a purse….well go for it, right?

We got back to apartment and took a break. I had dinner reservations nearby. But first, we decided to do the Milanese thing…. Yes, it was Aperitivo time! There was a Chinese restaurant that was recommended to us that we decided to try. It was located close by; in fact less than a block from where we'd had dinner the night before. So, we decided what the heck and went to Rosso Brera for Aperitivo. It was really funny; the same young man who waited on us the night before came on out. He smiled and I told him we were here for Aperitvo. He cracked up and we were served with a smile! So yes, a Negroni for me; Prosecco for the Missus, and some typical snacks.

Before heading off to dinner.

Rosso Brera
Via Marco Formentini 7
20121 Milan, Italy

We were really enjoying the Milanese lifestyle. You could say that we were falling in L.O.V.E. with Milan!

Milan – Our Arrival and Dinner at Rosso Brera

December 6, 2024 mmm-yoso Italian Restaurants, Italy, Milan, Travel

After London, our next stop was Milan, where we'd be spending three nights before heading to the Cinque Terre, which is was one of those "bucket list" places for the Missus. Now, I had mainly wanted to visit Milan for one reason. But we'd end up really enjoying the city. We loved the walks, the Missus enjoyed the shopping…heck, Milan is considered the fashion capital of Italy! We both took to Aperitivo Culture. And we especially enjoyed where we stayed. Our good friend Candice recommended staying in the Brera District. The lovely cobblestone streets, artsy-bohemian-hipster vibe, and location, still within walking distance of the main sites really won us over.

And we loved our AirBnB which was located right off the fun and bustling Via Fiori Chiari, yet with a small courtyard the place was quiet and comfortable. It made me feel like we were staying right off Rue Montorgueil in Paris.

Of course we had to go wandering around immediately!

We headed down Via Brera and took a short stop at the Pinacoteca di Brera, a well known art gallery.

There's an interesting statue in the courtyard.

It's a statue of Napoleon, nothing overly strange about that, right? Well, in this statue, Napoleon is cast as Mars the Peacemaker.

Other than some of the basic sights, I really hadn't done much research, so coming across various statues and such was fun. Like this statue of Francesco Hayez, the Italian painter.

Soon enough, the streets started getting much busier.

And then we came upon this iconic entrance.

Yes, it's the oldest and probably the most well known (and expensive) shopping center in Italy, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. We'd be returning to these places, so I'll go into more detail later. For now, I thought I'd just post some photos.

And right across the way is the Duomo, Milan Cathedral.

Busy, huh? Did you know that Milan Cathedral is the largest church in all of Italy? It's even larger than Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican!

We veered off and walked into Piazza Mercanti. Compared to the surroundings it was quite sedate and peaceful. Hard to believe it was once the ruling center of the city.

The piazza is also home to an interesting acoustic phenomenon. We tried it out and it actually works!

We headed back taking different streets.

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And ended at Castello Sforzesco.

Like I said, we'd be visiting these places later on during our stay.

We strolled a few blocks east and voila, we were back at the apartment. We had a nice break and then decided to head on out for dinner. I hadn't made any dinner reservations for our first night. I thought that with all the dining options in the area, we'd easily find a place. And, right across Fiori Chiari, in one of the courtyards, we came across a restaurant named Rosso Brera, which had outdoor seating.

The menu looked interesting, it had some dishes I was interested in. The service was initially very perfunctory, but hey, it wasn't even close to being like Rome! Of course, I got things off on the right foot by ordering an Aperol.

And once I placed my order, our Server warmed up to us. There seemed to be quite a few locals; perhaps he had us pegged as obnoxious tourists?

Anyway, first up was the Crostone Toscano; which featured raw Tuscan Pork Sausage.

Nice seasonings, quite refreshing, excellent salt, there seemed to be a hint of anise flavor. Nice with my Aperol Spritz.

Of course I had to get the Tartare di Manzo; beef tartare.

A bit too mushy for my taste. There was a tinge of metallic going on as well. The raw pork sausage was much better.

The Missus wanted a simple pasta; so I ordered the Garganelli.

Perfectly cooked house made pasta. The ribs in the pasta did a great job of "picking up" the simple tomato sauce, light basil tones, milky cheese. Sometimes, simple is best.

One of the dishes I really wanted to try in Milan was the Risotto a la Milanese. And since it was on the menu…..

The arborio rice was perfectly cooked, great texture. The earthy tones of saffron came thru quite strongly perhaps edging on almost bitter. The Missus, who is not a fan of saffron tried a taste and was done. I was glad to have finally tried this.

Service ended up being quite friendly and warm after an interesting start and we'd end up returning for Aperotivo time the following night.. It was a nice way to start our stay in Milan.

Rosso Brera
Via Marco Formentini 7
20121 Milan, Italy

We went and took a nice walk after dinner.

Under the central dome of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II you'll find four mosaics which depict the coat of arms for Rome, Florence, Milan, and Turin. Turin (Torino) is represented by the bull. Looking at the mosaic you'll quickly notice a dip right where the bull's…well, private parts are. Well, supposedly, placing your heel right on the family jewels of the bull, then spinning clockwise three times will bring you good luck. Folks were lining up to do this when we visited later on.

We were really enjoying Milan! And that's no bull!

Oahu – Revisiting The Alley Restaurant at Aiea Bowl Five Years Later

November 30, 2024 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Hawaiian Food, Oahu, Travel

After spending a nice couple of nights in town, we were back in Ewa Beach. The Missus wanted to do Her morning swim, so we decided to head on out to Ko Olina. We hadn't been in years. It was a Sunday morning so we went pretty early. We easily found parking near Lagoon 4. The Missus did Her swim while I went and strolled the four lagoons.

You know, I don't think I've been here since the Aulani opened? Geez, all the huge resorts.

For some reason, I got major Mission Bay vibes Kohola Lagoon, except the water looked beautiful and didn't smell like kukae!

Heading back to the car we noticed that the parking lot had filled up! Good things we got here early!

After freshening up back in Ewa, the Missus was craving some Oxtail Soup. The Alley, in Aiea Bowl opens at 10 on weekends and the Missus really enjoy our last visit there back in 2019. So we headed on over.

Man, the place sure has expanded the eating area since we last visited. And now, get so many signs and instructions…..

The young folks working were so nice and friendly. And we were seated behind the lanes.

We ordered our "usual" here, the Oxtail Soup (of course) and the Tasty Chicken.

The Tasty Chicken arrived quite quickly.

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We really like the way they do brown rice here; nice texture, nutty flavor. As for the chicken, well, it was different from what we'd had here on previous visits. The batter was hard and crunchy, not light and crisp like we'd had before. The glaze was much sweeter; much like the overly sweet K(orean) F(ried) C(hicken), which I can get anywhere in San Diego. While not bad, it was not what we'd enjoyed before.

We were happy to see the "tower" arrive soon after.

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As we deconstructed the "tower" we knew something was amiss as the usual beefy-anise fragrance was missing. In fact, looking at the broth, we noticed that it looked quite "thin".

My goodness, this was pretty bad; the soup lacked richness, it tasted like salty "shoyu-water". The thin broth was terrible.

The Oxtail had a nice texture, very tender, but it also seemed to have all the flavor cooked out of it, like it had been boiled in water for ages. This was so bland! What the heck is going on here?

This was quite a disappointing meal, which was too bad. After all, this had been our favorite Oxtail Soup spot on Oahu. It was sad, since we'd had decent grindz at old favorites like 8 Fat Fat 8 and Kim Chee II during this trip.

The Alley Restaurant at Aiea Bowl
99-115 Aiea Heights Dr, Ste 310
Aiea, HI 96701

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What a bummer…..

London – Tamarind (Mayfair)

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

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

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

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

Still, we really enjoyed the service

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

Things started with a very good Churi Chaat.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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And some fragrant and tender Basmati Rice.

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

The Prawn Curry was the better of the two dishes.

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

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

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

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

Which She thoroughly enjoyed.

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

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

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

London – Early Access Tour of Tower of London, Lunch from Fortnum & Mason, and Twinings – The Strand

November 23, 2024 mmm-yoso London, Markets & Grocers, Travel

**** Not much food in this one. So unless you'd like to see photos of His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, you can turn back now and return tomorrow!

Looking back, it did seem like we were making up for lost time in London. Trying to get in all the places we should have visited long ago. One of those places is the Tower of London, originally started in 1066 by William the Conquerer as a symbol of power, to instill fear and awe in the Londoners he had conquered. Talk about a "royal flex". Being the center of power and having many roles; prison being one of the foremost of them.

We really didn't want to do the very popular Ceremony of the Keys….by 9pm we'd want to be settling in. We would be flying to Milan the next morning and while it wasn't a very early flight, I just wanted to be well rested. Instead, after doing a bit of research, I found an Early Access to Tower of London Tour and decided on that.

So, we took the Tube from Piccadilly to Tower Hill. Arriving early, we grabbed our caffeine fix, before finding the meeting spot. The group consisted of about 15 people on this morning.

The view of the Tower Bridge from here is quite outstanding.

We entered and the first stop was watching the Opening of the Tower Gates. The Tower is still considered a palace, so of course there's a process and ceremony. Handled by the Beefeaters, the official guards of the Tower.

The Yeoman in charge this morning was really funny as he explained the process that has been in place since the 15th Century. He cracked a lot of jokes at the expense of the officer walking over the keys.

They keys were exchanged….various funny comments made and the guards moved about to open up the Tower.

One of the benefits to having this tour is that we are the first folks to see the Crown Jewels.

No photos allowed; but let me say, it's quite impressive. It was great getting early entry as we could take our time; our guide waited outside until everyone was finished. As we moved on to our next stop there was a huge line, like of over a hundred people it seemed!

The tour was fun, along with going over the history of "The Bloody Tower", there was a lot of other info provided. Like about the The Royal Menagerie. For over 600 years the Tower housed a collection of animals "gifted" to the Royal Family. Thus, you'll find sculptures that commemorate those animals that were created in 2010.

Those Baboons looked quite lifelike from a distance. If interested, you can read more about that here.

The views from the walls are also quite nice.

This is the Tower Green. A site that supposedly marked where scaffolds were located. The location is much disputed.

I had recently read Ravenmaster by Christopher Skaife, so of course I had questions about the Ravens at the Tower.

The Ravens of the Tower are believed to be the protectors of the Tower and the Royalty. The legend states: "If the ravens leave the Tower, the kingdom will fall.

We really weren't aware that other country's celebrated Halloween and really enjoyed seeing how they did!

And of course, the last place was the actual White Tower.

Which was an interesting place to visit as you're introduced to life at different statuses medieval London and then the bloody history of the Tower is exposed.

The Royal Armory has displays of arms over the centuries……

And then you'll find something that seems out of place; like this chair.

It turns out that this chair was used in the last execution at the Tower of London. Of an German spy named Josef Jakobs on August 15th, 1941.

All in all, having access to the Tower before opening and the Crown Jewels before the Masses made this a worthwhile tour.

The tour had taken about 3 hours. We decided to walk back to our hotel in Piccadilly. As for lunch; well, remember I mentioned the lower level food hall at Fortnum & Mason? We decided to stop by and just got some freshly made pasta.

As well as some broccolini.

The pasta was a nice al dente, but the Carbonara like sauce was bland and too thick. The broccolini was overcooked and under seasoned. Still, not terrible.

We took a break and had a nice nap. Upon awakening the Missus, who loves Her tea wanted to visit the flagship Twinings shop in the Strand, so we decided to walk on over. The Strand looked like a major theatre district with some interesting structures.

The location of Twinings in the strand dates back to 1706! It's a nicely lit small shop. The Missus enjoyed shopping here and just had to get the special King's Coronation Blend.

The Missus did enjoy the Darjeeling Blend and the young lady working was very nice.

At this point we headed back to the hotel. We had put in a decent amount of steps on this day and a nice nap sounded perfect!

Thanks for stopping by!

London – Jack the Ripper Tour and The Hoop and Grapes

November 22, 2024 mmm-yoso British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, London, Pubs and Pub Grub, Travel

Yes, I know, it was the first time we were really spending time in London. So why not "do" all those touristy things? Like a Jack the Ripper Tour? After doing a bit of research, it seemed like this one would be a good match. And since we were pretty full after having Afternoon Tea, we could just try to find a nice, maybe historical pub afterwards for a late bite and drink.

After all, what would be more fun than to walk the streets of London's East End? And of course everyone has heard of Jack the Ripper, a name that will forever be associated with the East end, who murdered at least (it depends whom you ask) 5 women for a period of about 5 months (again, depends on whom you ask) in 1888. There are innumerable books, websites, and various articles to read. I'm not going to go into too much detail here; I'm sure you can find all you want on the web, library, etc.

We caught the Tube and met at the Aldgate East Tube Station. The group was relatively small, less than 12 people. Our guide Angie was a hoot; totally in character, amazing stories, had historic photos of the area; once strewn with small streets.

We stopped at various sights; like one of the places we had on our lists to have dinner and a drink following our tour; the Ten Bells.

Where at least two of the Ripper's victims were known to visit. In fact, it is said, that Mary Jane Kelly, the supposed last victim of the Ripper was last seen at the Ten Bells. The pub is also supposedly haunted.

We made over a dozen stops; including the corner of this square.

This is the southern corner of Mitre Square; where at 145am in the morning of September 30th, 1888, the body of Catherine Eddowes, the fourth vitim of the Ripper was found. The interesting thing about this is that this is the western most location of the Whitechapel Murders and actually in the City of London!

It was an entertaining evening. Before we headed off, we asked Angie about getting a bite to eat and a drink nearby. She told us the Ten Bells was noisy and full of tourists and recommended another historic pub named the Hoop and Grapes.

This place seemed a bit more local; the folks working quite friendly.

I got a Nicholson Pale Ale.

Hilarity ensued when I ordered the Missus's Gin and Tonic. The bartender asked me what kind of tonic…..something I don't think I'd been asked before. When I appeared stumped he told me "we have over 30 different tonics!" Ok, lesson learned! I just got a Hendricks with the basic Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic.

Since we were in London; the Missus decided on some Fish and Chips, which was made with Haddock.

We had to send this back once because the fish was still frozen. They apologized and actually got a brand new plate; the shape of the fish was totally different. The batter was crisp and light, but the fish was on the dry side. The chips were dry and we actually needed to request malt vinegar; which was provided in packets.

I decided on the "award winning" Steak & Nicholson's Pale Ale Pie…..well since I was having a Nicholson's Pale Ale anyway.

The crust of the pie was decent; crisp and flaky, the "steak" was quite chewy, though the sauce and gravy helped even things out. Overall, a bit on the bland side. I actually had to request some salt; something I almost never do in a restaurant. The peas, green beans and cabbage were pretty much tasteless. Though the mashed potatoes were very creamy it was also on the bland side as well.

Well, we weren't expecting haute cuisine, so this was perfectly fine for us. Some drinks in a relaxed pub with very friendly folks suited us just fine on this evening.

The Hoop and Grapes
47 Aldgate High St.
London EC3N 1AL, UK