Travel – Page 59

Vancouver – The Capilano Suspension Bridge, Anime Revolution, and Other “Stuffs”

May 13, 2017 mmm-yoso Beer, Caffeine Fix, Canada, Travel, Vancouver, Canada

Night seemed to fall rather suddenly as we walked back to our AirBnB after dinner at Miku. We decided to stroll around a bit and since we had just arrived that afternoon, familiarize ourselves with the surrounding area.

One thing we found interesting was that there was an H Mart on the corner of the block we were staying on. In the middle of downtown!

Something I'd imagine in, say Seoul, but not here.

I decided to relax by having a beer and there was a liquor store a block or so down the street. We decided to stop and see what they had to offer.

And this is where we really started noticing we were "in Canada". One of my coworkers loves to make Canadian jokes…..not joking about lack of cognitive ability, but joking about how nice Canadians are. As I noted in my first Vancouver post, my good friend married a Canadian, and my first trip outside of the state of Hawaii was to Canada for his wedding. I've seen the good natured "niceness" first hand. As much as it seems to be a stereotype, I'd say it's true. So what does that have to do with this liquor store? Well…..let me tell you:

So we're looking over the local beer selection and I pick something out. I walk to the register and the guy behind the counter waves at one of the "customers" in the store and tells him; "sir….sir, please leave. You always steal from us, so please leave." The guy, replied in a rather high pitched irate voice while lifting his shirt, "no….no…..I never steal from you…..how dare you!" And continues mumbling as he exits the shop. The guy then sighs and tells me, "I don't know how many times we've caught him stealing from us." I pay for my beer and get handed my change when a guy walks in with a bottle of wine in his hand, passes it to the cashier and says, "I saw a gentleman walk out of your store and pull this out of his pants, so I made him give me the bottle." The Missus and I couldn't stop laughing. How do you think the first part of this would play out in San Diego? "Please leave?"

Anyway, the Strange Fellows (I thought it strangely appropriate on this evening) Jongleur Belgian Wit, was light, citrusy, perhaps a bit too sweet, but we both enjoyed it as a nightcap. And I'd be stopping by Viti's Wine and Lager again.

Viti Wine and Lager Liquor Store
900 Seymour St
Vancouver, Canada

The next morning we got up bright and early. The Missus wanted to check out the Capilano Suspension Bridge. and even though there's a free bus from downtown Vancouver, we decided to take the SeaBus to North Vancouver, then take Bus #236.

But first, some coffee.

We decided to stop at this little shop as we headed to the Waterfront Station.

The guy working here was super friendly and chatty.

As we were waiting for our my Americano, he shouted out, "look….look…..all the crazy people are coming out!" We turned and saw folks dressed like Star Trek characters walking down the street. We get Comic-con down here, so the Missus and I shrugged.

Nice place, though all the coffee comes in take-out cups I guess.

Mario’s Coffee Express
595 Howe St
Vancouver, Canada

We got to the Waterfront Station, we had already bought a Daypass, which made all the ferries, trains, buses a breeze.

I enjoy travelling by ferry whenever we can, it gives us a different view of the cities we're staying in.

This one was a very short 15 minute ride.

From there; finding the bus and getting to the bridge was a snap. It was a bright and sunny day; so we knew we'd be enjoying ourselves. Admission ain't cheap; if I recall about $40 per person. But heck, we're on vacation. I bought the tickets ahead of time online.

The bridge itself was originally a hemp rope and cedar planked footbridge built in 1889 by George Grant Mackay. It has since been reconstructed several times; the last I could find was in 1956.

The place was already getting busy when we arrived.

The bridge does give you a slight thrill as it will sway back and forth and the views….well, at least for us, they were great.

There are different "attractions", like the "Treetop Adventure" which takes you above the forest floor.

And the Cliffwalk, a walkway attached to the face of, well, a cliff…..

Beyond all of that; it was just nice to get out and enjoy the sights and sounds……

We enjoyed exploring, but soon enough, it started getting crowded. The speakers over the bridge started blaring messages to not rock the bridge and so forth. It was time to head back.

So we exited and headed out and over to the bus stop. When, in typical Canadian style, one of the young ladies waved us over. She told us that the free shuttle back to the Waterfront was leaving in just a minute, so why not catch that instead of the bus and ferry? You gotta love it!

Back at the Waterfront, the Missus wasn't very hungry yet, so we decided to enjoy the sights……well, these "sights"!

Well….why not?

These folks sure seemed to be in their "element" and having a blast.

I always wonder what their coworkers think? Reminds of once going to a Kiss concert and a woman tapped me on the back as I left. I didn't recognize her until she spoke because of all the gear and make-up. I was shocked, she was one of the toughest, hard-a$$ managers I had to work with…and part of the Kiss Army! You know; I never looked at her the same again……

By now, it was getting kind of warm and the Missus was getting hungry. It was time to grab some lunch.

Thanks for reading!

Dijon – Back to Église Notre-Dame de Dijon and Dinner at Chez Leon

May 6, 2017 mmm-yoso Burgundy, France, French Restaurants, Travel

Remember that I made wish when rubbing the "Owl of Dijon"? Well, it wasn't an outlandish wish….nothing like world peace and goodwill to men….not even monetary wealth. I made a humble little ask….for dinner of course! You see, one of my objectives for our time in Burgundy, was to try the regional specialties, especially items that the Missus had never been particularly fond of. I had a place named Chez Leon in mind, but had not been able to get thru and make reservations. My thought was to drop by during lunch service and make reservations then. But, by the time we arrived, they were closed.

Bummer…..but then, I think "The Owl" came through. A young lady walked out to update the chalkboard….and guess what? We had reservations. The Missus thinks "the owl" thing is just silliness. Me, well, I dunno…….

We got back to the hotel, checked into our room, and took a short nap. We awoke refreshed and the Missus just wanted to get going. Our reservations were for 7pm (when they open) and we still had some time to kill. so we decided to explore Dijon a bit more.

The was in the process of setting when we arrived in front of the Église Notre-Dame.

We found that the doors were wide open, welcoming us to enter.

The one item to see here is the Statue of Notre-Dame de Bon-Espoir (Our Lady of Good Hope). It is thought that this wooden statue dates back to the Eleventh or Twelfth Century.

There are several miracles attributed to this statue. You an read about them on the French Wikipedia site for Église Notre-Dame de Dijon.

Walking around during the evening seems to add an air of mystery…….like something is going to happen around every corner.

The architecture sure adds to the atmosphere.

As do the citizens….both the two legged and four legged ones.

We arrived at Chez Leon right as the doors open. The two women working here were really friendly and nice. The atmosphere, simple and welcoming.

It was a good thing we made reservations; the place filled up rather quickly, and folks without reservations were turned away…..even some rather unhappy locals who seemed like friends of the owner! The menu is simple….and only available in French.

The Missus selected the wine and dessert and left the rest to me.

I had always wanted to try Oeufs en Meurette; a classic Burgundian preparation of poached eggs in a red wine sauce. It looks kind of messy, but man, this was good.

You know the Missus loves Her eggs, right? This was very nice; a little tanginess from the Pinot Noir sauce, nice richness, great with bread.

The Missus had never been a fan of escargot. And in fact, didn't want me to order it. But since this is one of the specialties of Burgundy…well, we had to try it right? Oh, and this converted the Missus into an escargot lover.

Though the Missus ended up ordering escargot at almost every meal in Burgundy; I thought, in terms of the snails, this was the best. They were plump, mild in flavor, and pretty tender. For the Missus, I found that it was the garlicky parsley butter that makes the dish for Her.

The Missus ordered the Souris d'Agneau; lamb shanks. This one with a very nice risotto and a wonderful jus, with just enough rosemary.

The lamb was wonderfully gamey and fork tender….as in, not falling to pieces, but tender enough to cut with a fork.

Of course I got the boeuf bourguignon. After all….we were in Burgundy!

The sauce was a nice beefy-wine sauce with hints of onions. The beef was very tender and bursting with beefy flavors….nothing fancy mind you; but good, solid, comfort food.

The Missus enjoyed the dessert; especially that sorbet.

The service was friendly, the atmosphere relaxed and unpretentious, the food solid, the prices quite reasonable…….what's not to like?

Plus, we were in Burgundy, feasting on Escargot and Boeuf Bourguignon.

This was a nice way of getting ourselves familiarized with the flavors and food of Burgundy.

Chez Leon
20 rue des Godrans
21000, Dijon, France

And we just knew we'd be having a great time!

Thanks for reading!

Burgundy – Doing the “Parcours de la Chouette” (The Owl’s Trail) in Dijon

May 4, 2017 mmm-yoso Burgundy, Desserts, France, Travel

The Missus was rather reluctant to leave Paris behind, but we had plans to visit Burgundy on this trip. Taking the TGV to Dijon from Paris-Gare de Lyon Station was a snap, though in the typical way, there's basically a cattle call….everyone watches the schedule to figure out what track your train will be leaving from. When they finally list your track…everyone heads off.

Our hotel; the Hostellerie Du Chapeau Rouge was just a short walk from the train station. The staff was wonderful and the room while small, was comfortable enough for a one night stay. There's actually a Michelin Two Star restaurant in the hotel; but I had other things in mind for our short stay. Like dropping off our bags and heading on a nice little walk. The Owl ("Chouette") is the city's symbol and I'd read about a nice little walk known as the Owl's Trail. So we basically headed off found the brass Owl signs on the sidewalk and headed off.

The walk takes you past and thorugh most of the major sights in Dijon, like Place de la Libération…

Place François-Rude, also known as Place du Bareuzai for the statue of the basically nude winemaker treading the grapes, is considered the heart of the pedestrian zone in Dijon.

There a quite a few structures with what is called "Toits Bourguignons", the Burgundian polychrome roofs in the area.

We decided to take a break….the Missus wanted a snack and some coffee, so we stopped in this very colorful shop.

Where we got our caffeine fix and the Missus sampled some macarons.

Which the Missus really enjoyed.

Fortified, we headed off down Rue de Forges, a pedestrian "historical" street full of wonderfully kept and restored structures. You'd head through a doorway and down the dark entrance and find yourself staring at an interesting courtyard. This one is at number 38 Rue de Forges; the former residence of the Jean Maillard, the Mayor of Dijon, originally constructed in 1560.

Finally ending up at Église Notre-Dame de Dijon a good example of Gothic design.

The church is well known for several features; the Gargoyles; 51 of them on the Western side of the church.

There is also the clock, with its Jacquemart is also well known. You'll notice that along with the Bell-Striker, there are several other "automatons". According to the story, the Jacquemart was placed there around 1500. It soon became a favorite of the citizens of the city. To the point that they started worrying about its mental health……thinking that loneliness and extended celibacy might be weighing heavily upon the poor guy. So around 1650 or so; he was blessed with a wife; they called her Jacqueline and the shared duties striking the bell. In 1714 poet Aimé Piron asked that this poor chaste couple be given a child and so a son, Jacquelinet was "born". Needing someone to share the duties of striking the bell on the quarter hours led to Jacquelinette, a "daughter" being added in 1884.

There was one thing I really wanted to see….or actually rub. Around the corner, on Rue de la Chouette (Owl Street), you'll see a rather worn carving in the side of the church.

This is the "Magic Owl of Dijon". Rubbing the sculpture with your left hand while making a wish, will make it come true and I think it worked; more on that in a later post.

After rubbing the owl…..for some reason that sounds somewhat profane, we decided to slow down and relax a bit. So we headed back, stopping at a couple of…..well, this is Dijon, right? Mustard shops to sample the nasal clearing condiments.

As we headed back to check into our room.

So what was it I wished for?

Stay tuned!

Nagoya – Kaburaya (Main Store) and Kinshachi Nagoya Akamiso Beer

May 1, 2017 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Nagoya, Pubs and Pub Grub, Travel

We were feeling a bit tired after having a full day. So we decided to stay close to the apartment. With ESCA and whole bunch of other shopping centers the choice for dinner was endless. The Missus was fascinated with a place just a block away. Upon entering this place looked basically like an Izakaya……the day was finishing up for folks here in Nagoya. And folks were enjoying a beer (or two) and a bite (or more) to eat.

Looking at the menu cracked me up….along with a bunch of "obanzai" style dishes, there seemed to be every Nagoya specialty on the menu….from Nagoya Teba, to Miso Katsu, to Hitsumabushi, to Kishimen! And some of the menu translations were quite humorous as well…….

We ordered a random collection of dishes and were quite surprised at how good some of them was.

The Missus isn't a fan of Kushi Katsu; but She went for it ordering two Miso Kushi Katsu.

The miso here isn't overly salty, a tad sweet, a thick, hearty texture, the panko was still crisp, the pork surprisingly tender.

The Missus was totally in love with offal in Japan, so the "Gacchan"; pork stomach stew was a natural choice.

Again, with miso, this was very nicely sweet – miso umami, comforting, the pork stomach had a nice chew…….again, surprisingly not very salty.

Out of curiosity, I ordered the kishimen, Nagoya's signature noodle soup. Not expecting much, we, especially the Missus, was pleasantly surprised.

The broth had a nice, almost a condensed, dashi flavor, deep umami. The flat, udon like noodles, had a good stretch to them and the texture stood up for the entire bowl. The Missus enjoyed this so much, she asked me to find one other shop for this before we left…….that was going to be a bit of a challenge, but I did find a shop (stay tuned) in an interesting location.

We were really enjoying ourselves and decided to try some other items….including this.

Yep, local beer….made with red miso? Ohhhh-kay.

Interesting flavor; slightly sweet salty-caramel, mildly malty. Not something I'd crave….but nice to try once.

I just couldn't "not" order the Unagi Honsenbei…..but man, this was way too large a portion.

Crisp, crunchy, nicely salted……. the Missus got tired of this fairly quickly.

We decided to end with the Tori Nanban….it's usually chicken karaage, topped with vinegar and tartar sauce. What we got was a bit too over-the-top for us.

The flavor of the karaage itself was fairly neutral; decently fried, a bit of soy and some nice savory tones. That sauce was a bit too much……like a crazy thousand island dressing; mayo-ketchup, with green onions, celery……carrots! Overpowering the chicken. We'd obviously hit the wall after this one……..

Kaburaya was a pleasant surprise and the Missus really enjoyed Herself. In fact, She'd want another Izakaya during this trip.

The service here was quite friendly. We loved the young lady who Served us, "my English is pretty good, yes?" Yes, it was.

Kaburaya Main Store
15-8 Tsubakicho Nakamura-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi, 453-0015
Chitose GL building B2 – 1F
Open Daily 11am – 1130pm

The Nakasendo Trail – Onward to Tsumago

April 29, 2017 mmm-yoso Hida-Takayama and Gifu Prefecture, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Travel

After heading uphill at Magome; the well marked trail meanders off; up and downhill, across roads and sometimes for short spans alongside the highway.

Occasionally, you'd hear the ringing of the "Bear Bell" off in the distance. So, we started doing the same as well when coming across those bells.

You'd sometimes come across a small village…..

Some of which look like the real life rendition of a painting.

There are a couple of restrooms along the way and a few rest stops. The mild drizzle, wasn't much more than a mild nuisance. After heading down from the summit of the Magome is this place; the Tateba Tea House (Ichikoku Tochi Tateba Chaya), a nice rest stop.

Volunteers from the local preservation association runs this quaint, rustic tea house, and it gives you insight into life during the days before electricity and other conveniences.

A "kagizuru", the traditional Japanese hearth is central heating; though there was also a wood burning cast iron stove onto one side. We learned that the smoke keeps insects and pests out and helps to harden and treat the wood.

There was a tour group of German and French who were just getting ready to leave when we arrived. The guide greeted us in Japanese and I answered. When I thanked her for the nice history of the building she looked shocked, then laughed. I guess we really can pass for Japanese here! You get a nice pot of tea and some snacks gratis. Just don't forget to leave a small donation so this place can keep on doing their thing.

It seems that everything has a story here. Like this union of two cypress trees that have been joined as one.

A "Husband and Wife" tree.

The forest near the halfway point between Magome and Tsumago is quite beautiful. Tall, straight trees reach to the skies…..

The crystal clear water in streams roll pass…..

Much like when we hiked the Samaria Gorge; we found some fallen branches and ended up using them as walking sticks.

Leaning them against a wall at the outskirts of Tsumago, thinking they may be of help to folks walking in the opposite direction one day.

Eventually, you get to the hill that overlooks a couple of villages with Tsumago in the distance.

And you follow the signs as the trail leads to Tsumago.

Tsumago itself is quite atmospheric; you feel like you've stepped into the past.

And the overcast skies and occasional drizzle seemed to add to things…….

We came across this display in one of the buildings.

Man, it was quite an impressive Hinamatsuri (Girl's Day) display. According to the sign; this region celebrates Hinamatsuri one month later than other areas.

If you'd like to see the panoramic photo below; I'd click on it to enlarge.

The Missus was just struck by the harmonic beauty…but I was getting hungry.

Since the Missus can read Kanji; She pointed out this Soba Shop.

So we decided to grab some lunch…..

Hot Soba sounded quite nice on this damp day.

The Missus went with this version of Sansai Soba.

I went with the Tororo (grated yam) version.

Nothing fancy, but nice a soothing on this day. The noodles were not quite the texture I enjoy, but the broth was quite nice.

Turns out this place is pretty well known in the guide books and such.

Yoshimuraya
860-1, Azuma, Nagiso,
Kiso,399-5302

Bellies full, we headed off to the "bus station"…….

For the bus to Nagiso.

Our train from Nagiso back to Nagoya, wouldn't be leaving until nearly 4pm, so we stopped by a shop and got some tea and wagashi.

We arrived back in Nagoya a few minutes after 5pm. It had been a wonderful day.

Thanks for reading!

And if you want a bit more; check this out

Doing Part of the Nakasendo Trail – Starting Off in Magome

April 28, 2017 mmm-yoso Hida-Takayama and Gifu Prefecture, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Travel

As I've mentioned before; during our trips we like to take a detour; whether flying over the Nazca Lines, spending a night in a tent in the Grand Erg Oriental (albeit, quite a luxurious tent), hiking from Matra to Taphin, the Samaria Gorge, or the Great Wall from one province to another (sounds more impressive of an effort than it is), I try to plan something that's "fun" for the Missus. Which usually means I'll be huffing and puffing along while the Missus has a blast. While planning this trip; I'd read about the Nakasendo Trail, one of the "Five Routes", the administrative routes created during the Edo Period, which connected Edo (now Tokyo), to the outer provinces of Japan. Because of where I had projected our "path" on this trip, taking in that Kyoto was a "must" and trying to make it as fun and interesting for us as possible; I picked Nagoya as our hub for a whopping three nights….remember, the Missus doesn't like staying anywhere too long. So when I read about the most frequented (and easiest) portion of the Nakasendo trail, from Magome to Tsumago being within easy reach….I thought it would be a great day trip.

And so, there we were waiting for the Shinano 1 on track 10 at the JR Nagoya Station. We were bushed and it seemed the Ekiben pickins' were a bit slim (there was something we wanted to try, but it was too early), so we did the obvious and headed to…..the vending machines…..

And a few yen later, we had some nice hot black coffee (there's a brand I like, but for some reason I can't remember it right now) and some red bean soup and some corn soup (I've loved the stuff since I had it on Sapporo). Though we didn't do nearly as well as the older gentleman who was hitting the Kirin at 7am! For those who watch Gourmet Samurai and saw episode 1 (FWIW, while I enjoy GS, I really enjoy Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories) and saw the inner turmoil of deciding whether to have a beer with lunch or not…..that dude had no qualms! You gotta admire such decisiveness, right?

The train took us to Nakatsugawa. Of course, due to my not quite understanding the bus schedule from Nakatsugawa to Magome; we arrived a bit early.

Though when you're on vacation, those things seem minor….so we set about to grab a cup of coffee and maybe a snack and headed off from the train station.

And found there wasn't much going on at 745am in Nakatsugawa….at least close to where we were at…..

I did mention that the visitor center/TI opened at 8am, so we headed there…..

Where there is the inevitable "local products" shop….something we love so much. The Missus bought some local tea and I grabbed one wagashi……the Missus loves persimmon, so I got what I basically believe is suikanshuku, thinking I'd grab some tea from the vending machine. But, after paying for our stuff, the really nice gentleman working, insisted that we have two cups of the local green tea.

Which is why we both love Japan so much. Anyway, along with some water….and those two cups of tea…..well, the Missus really loved the little treat.

Soon enough, the bus was leaving…….it was about a 25 minute bus ride….and to think the Missus wanted me to walk to Magome!

We finally made it to the stop, at the bottom of the street from Magome.

The air was so crisp, the view beautiful…..and so quiet. No cars are allowed on the main street in Magome.

So we headed up from the main road.

It's a beautiful walk up the winding streets that takes you to a different time.

The Missus and I decided to wait and let the other pass and head off. No offense, but there's a kind of amazing lack of chatter in Japan that makes us want to hear something other than the sound of voices…..

So we took our time…….look at the specials of the day served here!

We saw a stand selling steamed buns and decided to stop there and have our breakfast.

It was what seemed to be an intentionally rustic little stand, to fit in……with all the charm that is Japan. The service was gracious and kind and the steamed buns were decent….I actually enjoyed the preserved vegetable more than the eggplant, for that wonderful spinach-chy, slightly salty, chlorophyllic flavor I enjoy.

We then headed up the hill………

And then down, to come across something interesting…….

So every 200 meters or so are these bells….and from what I heard, you can go to the TI and get your own, handy-dandy, anti-black bear bell…….so you ring the bells to scare away the bears. But being the somewhat cynical person I am, I wondered two things; heck if I were a black bear, this wouldn't scare me away….this would be the "dinner bell", though secondly, we saw some interesting four paw tracks along the way….which freaked me out a bit……and I forgot to take photos….my bad. Still, it was fun to hear the bells "ringing" along the way….take no chances and all that, right?

The trail itself went up and down hills and even across current roads/highways……

But you'd always come across something interesting….like the replication of the traditional town notice board.

These Kosatsuba laid down the law for all who passed.

The Missus really enjoyed this hike. Along with the seasonal beauty……

Was a bit of history. Which made things a lot easier…..at least for me.

Thanks for reading!

Tokyo to Nagoya and Dinner at Hitsumabushi Bincho

April 21, 2017 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Nagoya, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

Each of our three trips to Japan started and ended in Tokyo….naturally in Tokyo Station (actually Narita Airport, but you get the point). By now, we kind of had a habit when catching the Shinkansen to whatever our destination was. One of the items on that list….hit up an Ekiben stand.

This one was a special, to celebrate the one year anniversary of the Shinkansen line to Hokkaido. It was about ten bucks and yes, that's real crab. The oysters were decent; but it was the ikura that made this delicious. It's always fun to watch the Shinkansen go by and count how many people you see eating a bento. Well, when in Japan we're one of those.

Like any large city, it's also fun to people watch. We like to sit for a while in the seats across from the Shinkansen ticket machines. and while I missed taking a photo of the portly man wearing pink "Hello Kitty" sweats….I was basically in shock. I found this guy interesting as he carefully documented all his omiyage.

For some reason, I really noticed a lot of the signs, especially on trains and in train stations on this trip. I found them interesting and sometimes a bit humorous. Like this one titled "How to use a toilet"…..just in case you've forgotten. Step 1 is the most important….. I'm always wondering, how many cases of what behavior inspired these posters.

While planning out this trip, I found that Nagoya fit perfectly in our plans. So while we'd made a quick dinner visit in the past, this time we'd be staying. Since we travel very light; we need to have facilities with a washer a few times during our visit. In Nagoya, this meant finding an AirBnB, which was super conveniently located, literally within two blocks from JR Nagoya Station. Though the downside was it being spartanly furnished (my original reservation for what looked like a larger, nicer unit was cancelled) and that it was literally next to the train tracks.

I was relieved that the noise at night didn't bother the Missus too much. And we were gone for most of the days in Nagoya.

One of the great thing about Japan is that every town or city seems to have its specialty….at least in the snack department. Nagoya has several special dishes that I wanted to try. Taka-san at Taisho said I really needed to have Hitsumabushi; Nagoya's version of Unadon. After doing quite a bit of walking already, we decided to stay close by for dinner. Right at the exit of the JR Nagoya Station are escalators leading down to ESCA Underground Shopping Center. Much like Tokyo Station "City", there's a couple of interconnected malls under Nagoya Station. In ESCA, I had mapped out Hitsumabushi Bincho, a Nagoya based chain well known for their Nagoya style Unagi bowl.

Here unagi is grilled over what is regarded as high quality binchotan. The place was pretty quiet when we arrived at about 5pm.

We decided to order the 1 1/2 order of Hitsumabushi to share and a couple of other dishes. And of course "nama biru"……

I was quite happy to see Unagi Hone-senbei on the menu.

I really enjoy fried fish bones….potato chips of the sea. Savory, lightly salted, fairly light and very crisp. Nice savory flavors…and heck, I get my calcium too! Did I mention that it goes great with beer?

We would find other versions that were much cheaper than this, but it was a nice start for me.

The Missus, curious about some of the dishes ordered the Grilled Eel Liver (kimoyaki).

I've had this before and warned the Missus about how bitter it can be. Actually, the tare used on this was just sweet enough to ward off some of the bitterness, though it still caught the Missus a bit off guard. The aroma of the caramelized tare was fantastic. Maybe the best version I've had of this dish.

She also ordered a version of Itawasa. This one was interesting.

The "kamaboko" was very nice, great balanced salty-savory flavors…..all I can say is "good surimi", something I'm not really used to here in the states. The wasabi dip was interesting. There was some minced vegetable in it; a mild bitter-pungent, and a strong fermented flavor; which is probably miso, but the texture was interesting, like perhaps fermented fish? It was quite lovely and a great pairing; the sweet-pungency of the wasabi based dip with the fish cake. I know, I've just written almost a hundred words about eating kamaboko.

And then the main dish….which was accompanied by an instruction card. This one in both Japanese and English.

Apparently, eating this dish the "Nagoya way" is serious business. According to the documentation, this is a three step process. Which we, of course followed.

The Eel itself is wonderfully textured. In the states, the skin is often chewy, here it isn't. The tare is quite complex, mild sweetness, deep interesting flavors. The flesh of the eel basically melts in your mouth, the fat content quite good.

The rice, in comparison to other places in Japan is ok, a bit too hard by my standards. The best combination is number 2, with wasabi; the floral-sweet-pungent tones and the green onion really brought out the best in the eel and added texture. The Chazuke just seemed to water down the flavors for us.

This was a nice and quite filling first meal in Nagoya for us. The service was very friendly and as with most places in Japan quite accommodating.

Hitsumabushi Bincho (ESCA Shop)
ESCA Underground Shopping Center (#45 on the directory)
Tsubakimachi 6 No. 9 Gosaki Esca
Tsubakicho, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya-shi, 453-0015
Hours:
Open Daily 11am – 330pm and 5pm – 10pm

We took a walk around the area, stopped at the 7-11 to pick up a couple of beers, went back to the apartment to relax and celebrate the fact that we were back in Japan. Tomorrow, we'd be "hiking" (again, remember, I'm here with the Missus) part of the Nakasendō trail. I needed to rest up.

Thanks for reading!

Tokyo – Breakfast at Yaesu Hatsufuji (again), Ueno Park, and Kitanomaru Park

April 20, 2017 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

After having a nice dinner in Tokyo the night before; we awoke nice and refreshed. We wouldn't be leaving for Nagoya until 130pm, so the Missus was really interested in checking things out. She was really excited about getting to see the Sakura. I'd been monitoring the Cherry Blossom Forecast and told the Missus we'd probably be missing things in Tokyo (until we returned) and Nagoya, but looked like we were on schedule for Kyoto. Still, I decided we should go to Ueno Park.

But first, breakfast. The Missus really enjoyed breakfast at Yaesu Hatsufuji on our last trip and wanted to eat the simple, but satisfying Japanese breakfast here again. We found a convenient locker, near the JR office, stowed our bags, and found the restaurant soon after.

It was still early, so we strolled around a bit. When we got back to the restaurant, there was already a line!

As the place opened, the line to the ticket machine moved quickly. We made our choices, paid, got our tickets…walked into the place, gave the woman our tickets and were guided to a table.

The Missus enjoys the tea that is provided. She went with the Natto Set (620¥) again; which She loves.

What really surprised me this time around was how good the sashimi was!

I got the Tonjiro Set (520¥), with the exchange rate a bargain at about $4.75!

The miso and pork based soup/stew was quite comforting, not too salty….in spite of being the end of March, there was still a bit of a chill in the air in the morning and this did the trick. Man, that rice was really good too……something that I notice about the Japan.

This place is a favorite of ours. I've posted on it before, so I'll leave it at that.

Yaesu Hatsufuji
Yaesu underground shopping center North 1, 2-1, Yaesu, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0028

So, this is Japan. You eat and get the heck out of dodge….breakfast was less than 20 minutes long so it was not long before we caught the JR Yamanote Line, getting off in Ueno in less than ten minutes.

Ueno Park is pretty large, with a number of Museums and a Zoo on its property. But, we were here for the cherry blossoms. The thing that stuck with us the most about our visit here is learning about the phenomenon of the Hanami Party.

So Hanami basically means "flower viewing" and it's obvious that in this case it means Cherry Blossom viewing. But there's this kind of interesting, for us, a bit goofy, thing called a Hanami Party. Here it seems like folks reserve a spot….setting our plastic tarps to celebrate. It looks like someone needs to keep on the reserved bit of real estate until the party. Man, it was still pretty darn cold at night here…..that's kind of nuts. It does seem like the "spring renewal" has an effect on people….there's this infectious, well, goofiness that is all around. Hope springs eternal.

And for all the partiers, there're the folks who can't walk past a tree without taking a photo…..two interesting groups…..

And while things weren't quite perfect yet….those folks will probably be spending a few more cold nights sleeping on tarps in the park, the transposition of colors is still quite stunning.

I saw a small folded tarp with one guy lying on it….just enough space for him…..which is when I asked the Missus; "is there such a thing as a hanami party for one?"

Just ask the statue of Prince Komatsu Akihito.

It seems that it was all "Hanami" for us right now…….which distracted me from all else that Ueno Park has to offer.

Though I did take some time to check out a couple of things. Like the Hair Pagoda for Priest Tenkai……check out the link. It's an interesting story…plus, he lived to be 108!

And on Kiyomizu Kannon-do; the recreation of the Pine Tree of the Moon. Though I spy some food stalls on the path to Benten-do.

And based on all the food (and drink) booths around; this must be some kind of party at night……..

By this time, the Missus was ready to head back to Tokyo Station….though it was still early. So I thought we'd head out of the station.

And around the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace.

And over to Kitanomaru Park. Where we strolled around and saw two young ladies pushing carts with very young kids in it…..

It was fun watching the little ones having their day at the park……

We enjoyed walking the trails…..

Soon enough, it was time to head back to Tokyo Station. We decided to walk through the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. This is the Tōkagakudō, the music hall…..

I think there were places open on this visit that were closed off the last time we were here. Of course, folks were enjoying the Cherry Blossoms here as well.

We got back to the Marunouchi side of Tokyo Station and the Missus decided She wanted to try one of the "sakura" drinks at Tully's Coffee.

Which She enjoyed.

I guess that's the deal with spring here. Everything is born anew….hope is in the air….life begins…..and you have no choice but to enjoy it.

Thanks for reading!

Lima – Revisiting El Veridico de Fidel and Heading Home

April 15, 2017 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Lima, Peru, Peruvian Restaurants, Seafood, Travel

I'm not sure why I take so long doing "last" posts on places we visit. Perhaps it's because I really didn't want our trip to end….or maybe I'm just too darn lazy? Go figure. Anyway, since I just posted on our last meal in Madrid, I figure I need to get Lima done as well.

The Missus's favorite eating spot on this trip was El Veridico de Fidel. She enjoyed Her meal so much, that before we left, we made reservations for dinner on our last evening in Lima here.

In contrast to our previous visit, which was during an early lunch, the place was humming!

When we arrived; the really nice young lady….the only one who we noticed that spoke English saw us, waved, and immediately came over….dropping off our menus, canchita, and even aji limo! I guess She remembered we enjoyed things "picante"! Great service.

As I mentioned earlier; our last visit was for a pretty early lunch. This time though…..we had no qualms about getting some beer and a pisco sour of course!

The Missus requested Her Pisco easy on the sugar and She really enjoyed it.

The Missus went straight for the Cebiche Lenguado; basically sole, and She really enjoyed the bracing, yet, not too sour leche de tigre.

The fish had been marinated well; it wasn't too "cooked" by the citrus and still had a nice tender, yet toothsome texture. Nice flavors all around. The Missus enjoyed a touch of the aji limo, which added a decent amount of fragrant heat to the dish.

Much had changed since our last trip to Lima all those years ago; I hadn't remembered seeing the interesting, creamy "leche de tigre" type dishes on menus before. Like a chilled, creamy, citrusy, savory cold soup. I had enjoyed the version eaten on my previous visit. So this time went with the version with chicharron de calamari. Basically, fried calamari….something I'd usually avoid in most restaurants.

Of course the Missus poached the camote (simmered sweet potato). The fried calamari was quite tender, the crunch of the batter and the texture of the squid really set a nice contrast to the refreshing; tongue coating, slightly tangy-sour leche de tigre. It was so refreshing and satisfying.

One of the "new dishes", that is, something I don't recall seeing during our first trip to Peru back in 2007 is Tacu Tacu con Lomo Saltado. Our Driver, Benjamin, introduced this dish to us on the way back from checking out the Nazca Lines. I saw that on the menu here and just had to try it.

First off, the beef was really tender and we loved the flavor of the peppers, nicely sweet. The flavor of the tacu tacu was quite mild and not very "beany" and the sauce could have had a bit more umami and saltiness for our taste. It was very filling and we were done after this dish.

We really enjoyed El Veridico de Fidel and will definitely return if/when we're back in Peru. Hopefully, it won't take another ten years!

El Veridico de Fidel
Calle Colon 246
Lima 18, Peru

We took a very roundabout way back to our hotel. I think there was a football game going on that day; this group of folks seemed to be celebrating something.

Strangely, at least for us, our flight didn't depart Lima until 1255 am. Luckily, we were flying Business, so we were able to take advantage of the Sumaq Lounge at Jorge Chavez International Airport. Based on how crowded the lounge was at 10pm; I'm guessing there are quite a few flights that depart at that rather late time.

The spread at the lounge was ok, but good golly, after being to a couple of these, I'm amazed at the feeding frenzy. It seems that folks are so focused on getting what they assume to be their money's worth I guess? I mean, really, do you actually need to have six mini-hamburguesas? Well whatever….to each their own……

I got a fair Pisco Sour as my "goodbye to Peru" gift…..for now!

Thanks for reading!

Madrid – El Rincon Asturiano II

April 14, 2017 mmm-yoso Madrid, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Steakhouse, Travel

We arrived back in Madrid on a rather, at least the time quiet late Sunday afternoon. In spite of really enjoying Seville we were pooped….and headed home the next day. Just as on our arrival, we stayed near Atocha Station at the AC Carlton in walking distance to the train station and bus to the airport.

We decided on something close by and the front desk folks recommended a steakhouse named El Rincon Asturiano II which was close by.

We walked in….there was a grill near the doorway and was met with quizzical looks. The folks asked if we had reservations and we said no, so they whisked us down the block to another El Rincon Asturiano II??? Go figure. Though this place looked a lot more, well, local….with a bar set-up.

We were told to return in 15 minutes and a table would be made ready. So we took a stroll and returned and they indeed had a table ready.

Like I said before; El Rincon is basically a steakhouse who raise their own cattle from the region of Asturias in Northwest Spain. We decided to order a couple of items that the Missus was interested in and try out one of the "smaller" steaks.

Things started out with a gratis chorizo wrapped in pastry.

The Missus wanted the mushroom with jamon – Setas asturianas con jamon iberico.

A rather simple, but satisfying dish….the jamon added a nice saltiness to things.

Seeing it on the menu; the Missus had to get the callos.

This was a meat lover's version of Callos Madrilenos (tripe stewed in the style of Madrid ). It was quite thick, though very mild in flavor, the tripe quite tender, the morcilla – blood sausage, was fairly bland. It was nice and hearty, but the Missus still preferred the version from Posada de la Villa.

I wanted to try the beef and went with a smaller portion of Solomillo a la plancha, basically sirloin, "en su punto"; medium rare. Which it was.

Well, perhaps more "poco hecho" (rare) as it was "vivo, que muja"…..alive and still mooing! The steak had all characteristics of grass fed beef; an intense beefiness, with a chewy, toothsome texture. It was nicely salted without much else, which I enjoyed.

The chips were quite routine.

The Missus had a couple of glasses of wine; I had a couple of beers.

Quite a restrained last meal in Spain….but we wanted it that way.

El Rincon Asturiano
Calle Delicias 26
Madrid, Spain

I mentioned how much we really didn't care for the cattlepen like international gates at Madrid-Barajas Airport. So we decided to do what we usually do in Spain. Search for some Jamon Bellotta Pata Negra, bread, and olive oil to sustain us. We decided to walk up to Puerto del Sol…..

Along the way we passed a very peaceful demonstration.

And the Missus got to see what might be Her favorite landmark in Madrid; the Tio Pepe sign at night.

Unfortunately, our go to for jamon; Ferpal was closed. Luckily, we had a "plan B". The department store, El Cortes Ingles was open….just like Japan, there's a market/food area in the basement. One of the gourmet stores sells "5J" Jamon Bellotta Pata Negra and we picked up a pack of single use olive oil as well.

We wandered about the square….you never know what you'll see here. Like the guy I call the "Electric Cowboy". All lit up and shining brightly. I was a bit concerned that the drizzle was going to turn him into the "Electrocuted Cowboy", but he was safe on this evening.