Travel – Page 60

Nagoya – Nagoya Castle and Lunch at Yabaton

June 22, 2017 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Nagoya, Travel

After crossing the Gojo Bridge we walked past the Nagoya Noh Theatre….where the Missus was smitten with this Cherry Blossom tree.

I had gotten a good dose of the Missus's love….obsession with sakura a bit earlier on the trip so I just ket Her carry on; while I took a look around.

That's a statue of Daimyo Kato Kiyomasa who was known as the premier castle builder of his day. Under orders of Ieyasu Tokugawa, several Daimyo's including Kiyomasa were tasked with rebuilding Nagoya castle which had been abandoned.

Once the Missus was done taking Her photos and admiring the sakura, we headed across the street to the entrance of Nagoya Castle.

We paid our entrance fee and stopped by the tourist office where the very friendly young lady pointed out several places of note.

Apparently, there was some kind of festival going on………not quite sure what it was about, but seeing folks in….ummm….costumes kept us smiling.

And some browsing time as well…..

All in the shadow of the Castle's Turrets.

Here's another statue of Kato Kiyomasa. Apparently, it was from this stone that he would command the building of the castle.

We headed to the other end of the castle grounds, to the East Garden.

Where we found a Tea House and decided to take a break. The Missus loves Macha….if you only knew how much She spends ordering stuff from Ippodo, Lupicia, and other places….

The Missus wanted some extra "bling" in Her tea…..

We walked back to the area of Hommaru Palace, part of which is being restored. We could actually enter and view the restoration taking place and were provided hard hats…..which made for a couple of silly hard hat photos (of course).

It was really neat to be able to check out all the elaborate construction being done.

Genkan, the entrance hall and Omote Shoin, the main hall have been restored and are open to the public. We got a chance to see the wonderful wall and partition paintings.

We had, of course, saved the Main Donjon (Tower) for last.

On the way there we passed the "Kiyomasa Stone", the largest stone in the wall said to have been put there by Kato Kiyomasa himself; though it is said that Kuroda Nagamasa was actually in charge of building this part of the wall.

We loved watching the kids take photos with the "Samurai"….in fact, we ended up taking photos with him as well (ssshhh, don't tell).

There was an interesting reproduction of the castle town along with what some of the meals looked like.

There's a replica of the Golden Kinshachi, two of which adorn the roof of the Dojon, and are symbols of Nagoya.

And a nice view from the 7th Floor as well.

After this we decided to head on out……there was some shopping that we needed to do.

But first, we just had to stop and watch the children's dance performances.

The littlest one's were really adorable.

Done with Nagoya Castle; we headed down Honmachi Dori and somehow managed to find the Nadya Park Shopping Complex. We went to the Montbell Store and bought some ultra-light Plasma 1000 down jackets.

That done, it was getting kinda late, so we headed back toward Nagoya Station. We decided to take our chances at the Yabaton in the underground ESCA shopping center. Indeed, there was a line when we arrived….but, things moved quickly and they actually took your order while you waited in line.

So by the time we got to our table; things were just about waiting for us.

Misokatsu is one of the classic Nagoya food items….ask Taka-san at Taisho about it and he practically smacks his lips. Yabaton is probably the most well known chain of misokatsu restuarants.

I went with what Taka-san told me to order; the Teppan Misokatsu.

I shared my rice with the Missus. The miso soup was really good as well. In the teppan version of misokatsu; the tonkatsu is delivered on a hot plate lying on a bed of cabbage sizzling away. The miso sauce is then brought to the table and you can tell them how much you want.

The miso isn't overly salty; nice beany flavor, the breading on the cutlet is nice and stays crisp for a while. The pork is surprisingly tender….but man, this was a lot of pork.

The Missus got some small dishes which She enjoyed.

While everything was prepared well; this was perhaps too much of the same flavor and it was rather fatiguing after a while.

Nice meal; though I'll probably stick with some kushikatsu next time.

Misokatsu Yabaton (ESCA Shop)
ESCA Underground Shopping Center
Tsubakimachi 6 No. 9 Gosaki Esca
Tsubakicho, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya-shi, 453-0015
Hours:
11am – 10pm Daily

Montreal – Bouillon Bilk

June 18, 2017 mmm-yoso Canada, Canada Food and Restaurants, Fine Dining, Montreal, Travel

The weather had turned rather gloomy and rainy when I awoke from my nap. I needed to run a few errands; get some cash, pick-up a few items from the drug store, so I decided to let the Missus nap while I headed out.

The rain wasn't too bad; mostly annoying drizzles and occasional gust of wind. I'm fairly certain that the locals would scoff at folks who grumbled about this weather after all; it ain't nothing compared to typical winters here.

I managed to get my stuff done….a quick trip to Calforex on Peel; even better than my bank's ATM foreign exchange rate. And a quick stop at Jean Coutu for some toothpaste…and a few snack of course.

I got to walk down the very commercial St Catherine Street with all the usual suspects….H&M, Puma, Guess, Zara…..

Though there always seems to be a church around the corner. I suddenly recalled a well known quote about Montreal by Mark Twain: "This is the first time I was ever in a city where you couldn't throw a brick without breaking a church window."

The Missus was starting to wake when I got back to the room. We just relaxed for a while; our dinner reservations weren't until 8pm, then headed out to dinner….the rain had paused for us it seemed. I'd made reservations at the rather trendy and hip Bouillon Bilk……the idea of sharing plates, with seasonal fare was just up the Missus's alley.

The restaurant, located in an old Electronic Repair and Retail Shop…indeed, the restaurant still has no "real" sign as it still says "Multi-Systems Electronique" on the banner. I guess when you're this popular, you really don't need a sign, right? We'd kinda enjoyed the "old" Izakaya Sakura before the sign went up in 2015.

We really enjoyed the service; efficient, not overly hovering, appropriate in the very "Canadian" way. When we mentioned how tables were moving, on a Monday no less, he mentioned that there were three distinct crowds…pre-theatre, the 730-8pm, and post theatre…and this was actually pretty nicely paced.

Bouillon Bilk offers a nice looking tasting menu; but we decided to order a la carte. We started with some cocktails; an Old Fashioned for the Missus, a Martini for me.

The bread arrived. Something both the Missus and I noticed; it seemed like serving cold bread (usually with fabulous butter) is the norm in these parts.

We started with the "Strawberries"; basically a strawberry salad.

As I mentioned in other posts; it seemed that the flavors of the fruit and vegetables practically shined. This was no exception; the sweet-tart of the strawberries; along with the crunch of the squash blossoms; the slight green-bitter of the greens, the nuttiness of the millet, you could taste it all. The romesco was a nice savory touch and the dab of crème fraiche would add another dimension when used for the berries. An excellent dish.

For us, the Hamachi was a total opposite.

Fennel and Yuzu Kosho really don't go together really well and the flavors in this dish really clashed. The excellent quality Hamachi was totally lost in a miasma of grapefruit, fennel, and yuzu kosho.

By far, the Missus's favorite dish of the night was the "Lobster". The Missus isn't a big fan of lobster….She thinks it's rather bland. But man, this was delici-yoso!!!

The lobster was nice and sweet, slightly briny, the texture tender, just perfect. The cucumber yogurt sauce was just enough in terms of the clean cucumber tones and slight, milky acidy. We could have just eaten those radishes by themselves; it was so crisp, slightly sweet, with a touch of pungency.

The Asparagus was the star of the Veal dish.

Man, the flavor of the asparagus which went so well with the bitterness of the greens……everything else just was in the background.

And of course; we had to get the "Duck".

We really, really, loved the Parsnip Puree; which went so well with the foie gras; the coffee flavors paired nicely with the duck breast. Kind of two dishes in one.

Out last was the Lamb and Pappardelle. This one didn't live up to its potential.

The pasta was undercooked and the braised lamb was very salty. So salty you really couldn't taste much else.

The Missus went with a dessert She saw everyone getting and loved it.

I went with a very nice Vermouth. A wonderful way to end a meal.

Bouillon Bilk is one of those places that seems to take chances……and when things work out they are really memorable in the delicious kind of way. When things don't seem to work out; it's just the opposite. At least none of the dishes were boring. The prices weren't too bad considering the exchange rate; coming out to something like about $120 U.S. without tip. In terms of quality of ingredients totally worth it. Though I think the Missus would select BB's sister restaurant Cadet if/when we return.

Bouillon Bilk
1595 Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Montreal, Canada

Montreal – Notre-Dame Basilica, Vieux – Montreal, Maison Christian Faure, and Atwater Market

June 17, 2017 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Canada, Cheese, Croissants, Markets & Grocers, Montreal, Travel

After arriving and getting into Montreal rather late the previous evening. Both the Missus and I had a long (for us) and deep sleep. After waking and taking care of a few things we were ready to go. There was rain in the forecast, so we decided to head on out. Our location was very convenient for checking out Old Montreal.

There's an interesting vibe to Montreal, artsy and trendy, yet down to earth, international and diverse, it does indeed feel like "somewhere else", but the people are friendly and not stuffy.

And just after our first evening! Things that were going through my head as we strolled past Place Jean-Paul Riopelle, which is named after the Artist. The fountain is one of his works named "La Joute" (The Joust), which was once located at Olympic Park, but was moved here when this park was created. It actually runs over Autoroute 720.

There was really only one place that I really needed to see in Montreal; everything else on my list was food. I'd made dinner reservations for five of the six nights we were in Quebec.

I just wanted to see this:

The interior of the Basilique Notre-Dame de Montreal ("Notre-Dame Basilica"). It is indeed as beautiful as the photos I've seen. At this time of the day not too crowded either. From the intricate wood carving to the 24 carat gold stars in the ceiling it is quite a site. You can find a nice concise history here.

Of course many famous events have taken place here; from the funeral of Pierre Trudeau to the wedding of Celine Dion. Here's one interesting fact I got from one of my favorite Websites (and books) Atlas Obscura. There's only one person buried in the crypt under the basilica. It's the American who designed this version of the church; James O'Donnell. According to Atlas Obscura, O'Donnell wished to be buried in his most renowned work. The problem being, well, he was not Catholic. On his deathbed, he converted, and thus, became the only soul buried in the crypt….which he designed.

The square in front of the Basilica is Place d'Armes; surrounded by some pretty impressive structures like the Banque de Montreal Building.

At two corners of the building at 500 Place d'Armes are two interesting statues. Each is facing away from one another, but the pooches in their arms know better.

We then headed down Notre Dame Street passing the Palais de Justice and the Vieux (Old) Palais de Justice, now the Service des Finances building, then the Hotel de Ville (City Hall).

Things didn't seem very busy on this morning; perhaps because it was quite overcast and it was supposed to rain. We headed further down the street and took a right on Rue Bonsecours. Right down the street is pretty looking church; the Chapelle de Notre Dame de Bonsecours. This is known as the "Sailor's Church" because this is where seamen came to give thanks for being saved at sea. It was still rather early in the day and the church wasn't open yet.

Taking a right at the church, you run into a building you can't miss; the dome of the Marche Bonsecours. Opened in 1847; this was home to the Parliament of Canada in 1849, it was the Montreal City Hall from 1852 – 1878. It also served as the city's main market for over a century. It closed as market in 1963 and I read that it was scheduled to be demolished. But, as you can clearly see, that, thankfully didn't happen.

The iconic structure now houses various shops and restaurants. Again, we passed before the place opened, but it was nice a quiet. More on the history of the Marché Bonsecours here. Walking pass, you enter the popular cobblestone streets of Old Montreal.

We decided to stop for a caffeine fix and something small to eat at the highly recommended Maison Christian Faure.

Christian Faure is the recipient of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France in Baking a very prestigious title. This shop was right of Place Royale and seemed perfect for a short stop.

The place however, in spite of the best intentions of the staff was a hot mess….I watched customers sitting around waiting for espresso…we were seated and left stranded without menus for 10 minutes….after flagging down the harried young man and placing our order, we then waited 30 minutes for a croissant, espresso, and iced espresso. Customers were just getting up and asking for their checks. The poor Server apologized telling us it was his first day….but where was his support?

The croissant was not my our liking; as it was too chewy, lacking in the flakiness or the light buttery flavor we look for. It was also a bit dry as well.

The espresso were fine.

We felt bad for the staff….and the customers.

Maison Christian Faure
355 Place Royale
Montreal, Canada

Upon leaving, the weather seemed to be holding out. The Missus decided that She wanted to visit Atwater Market….and She wanted to walk there! So we did.

So we headed down Rue Notre Dame….I got to show Her other places I had on my "list" that we wouldn't have time to check out like Joe Beef and Liverpool House. We took a turn at Atwater Avenue and……

The place wasn't very busy on this morning and it was too early for the food stands.

There were the usual suspects….a location of Premiere Moisson, etc. But nothing caught the Missus's attention.

As we turned and made our way out, we decided to check out this cheese shop.

The shop carried all types of produce, the Missus got some Kombucha, and then we headed to the cheese counter where we met the nicest, friendliest gentleman who chatted with us about our preferences in cheese. We monetuioned enjoying strong and pungent washed rind cheese and he explained that Quebec really doesn't specialize in that type of cheese, but made a recommendation; a L'Origine de Charlevoix from Laiterie Charlevoix and one he gave us a sample of, which was fantastic; a Tomme de Grosse Île from Fromagerie Île-aux-Grues.

That Tomme de Grosse Île was really good; semi-soft, mildly grassy and sweet, slight acidity and butteriness, with mild salt. Very complex flavors, none of which over-powered the other.

Even better than the cheese was how gracious the gentleman at La Fromagerie Atwater was. We'd gladly return.

La Fromagerie Atwater
134 Avenue Atwater
Montreal, Canada

As we left Atwater Market, it began to drizzle. We ducked into the Lionel-Groulx station and still having that 24 hours metro pass, caught the Green Line back to Place-des-Arts which was two blocks from our hotel.

It was time to relax, enjoy some cheese, and take a nice nap.

Thanks for reading!

Beaune – Bistrot du Coin and Restaurant le Conty

June 16, 2017 mmm-yoso Burgundy, France, French Restaurants, Travel

We did learn something our first night in Beaune. We needed reservations at all the places I had on my "list". At most places (not all) it seemed that you could make reservations the day before or even during lunch service, but it seems that walk-ins were really hard. So we decided to get our reservations for the following two nights taken care of.

On the bright side….well, it was a beautiful night to be walking around the town.

Beaune was totally different at night; quiet, even more relaxed. After finding two places that would take reservations for the upcoming two nights, we decided to chill and decided where to grab dinner.

One block from our apartment was this little wine bar named Bistrot du Coin.

It looked like just the place for us.

They were doing some pretty good business and the bartender was very efficient, friendly, and charming, in spite of the packed bar area.

After having that amazing white at David Toutain, the Missus as obsessed with wine from Saint-Roman and ordered a glass of it from the board.

Service was totally by the book…..

And they have quite a bottle list as well.

The lower level looks like it's set-up for groups and tastings….or perhaps if you bought one of those 100 Euro bottles, you could enjoy it here.

Nice place to grab a glass and relax.

Le Bistrot du Coin
2 Place Ziem
Beaune, France

After finishing up our wine, we decided to just walk around and see what was open….this place was close by.

We headed down the stairs.

The place looked charming….set in this little cellar and they had a couple of tables open.

The folks were very friendly and guided us to a table. We weren't too hungry, after having quite a bit to eat earlier in the day, so I thought two appetizers, and a nice bottle of wine would suit us just fine.

Of course the Missus found something from Saint-Romain, which She enjoyed.

Since the Missus had discovered that She actually loves Escagot, I ordered that and the Lentil Terrine with Duck Breast and Foie Gras (of course).

The Terrine (19€) arrived first and looked quite pretty, though the presentation seemed a bit dated.

We loved the salad; fresh, crisp, refreshing. The terrine was way too cold and very salty, which reduced how much we enjoyed it. Sad, duck breast and foie gras, two of my favorite things….but this just didn't do it for me.

The snails (16€) were next.

These were the least favorite version we had on this trip…..lacking enough garlic, not enough richness, and too much salt.

Nice service though. Good wine. Fairly pricy.

Restaurant Le Conty
5 rue Ziem
Beaune, France

I was hoping our upcoming dinners would be better.

Vancouver/Richmond – Kirin Seafood Restaurant (City Square), Parker Place Meat & BBQ, and HK BBQ Master

June 8, 2017 mmm-yoso Canada, Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants, Dim Sum, Travel, Vancouver, Canada

The Missus and I really wanted to try out some Dim Sum while in Vancouver. We'd heard so much about the quality of Dim Sum in Richmond/Vancouver. The one little thing; we weren't quite sure when we'd return from visiting the Capilano Suspension Bridge, so I didn't want to make reservations. Instead, after checking out the fun at Anime Revolution, we got on the SkyTrain and got off at the Broadway-City Hall stop and walked over to City Square Mall. We'd take our chances at Kirin Seafood Restaurant.

Of course, when we arrived, the first thing they asked us was if we had reservations. Though we had no problem getting a table as the place wasn't totally full.

We weren't super hungry and we had plans after lunch, so we ordered five items from the menu.

Starting with the tendon and tripe.

This was a nice and hearty dish, though pretty mild in flavor. The tendon had a slight chew to it; the tripe slightly crunchy with no off flavors. The Missus actually enjoyed the daikon more than anything else in this dish.

The Scallop Dumplings were a disappointment as the scallops were tough and overcooked.

The wrappers were very sticky and tore quite easily.

Our favorite dish of the meal was the rustic looking stuffed wintermelon.

The wintermelon still had a nice texture; providing just enough resistance. It had also absorbed the flavors of the pork and the broth nicely. The enoki mushrooms provided a nice, earthy taste and the pork was tender and just about perfect.

The Deep Fried Shrimp Dumpling with Consomme was interesting.

The fried dumplings were excellent; the wrappers light, yet crunchy, the shrimp filling tender and flavorful. We both felt the consommé was rather bland and flat…….it was like watered down chicken broth in flavor and brought nothing to the dish.

After that rather bland consommé; we were a bit concerned about the Scallop and Bamboo Pith Fungus Dumpling in Supreme Soup, but this ended up being quite good.

Great flavors all around and the soup; while rather light had a nice balance in terms of seasoning to flavor.

Overall, while pretty good, based on all the great things we heard about the Dim Sum in Vancouver, we both thought Sea Harbour in the SGV was every bit as good if not better. I'll make sure to make reservations at Chef Tony or another place for Dim Sum the next time we're in Vancouver.

Kirin Seafood Restaurant
555 W 12th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V5Z 3X7
Canada

After lunch we got back on the SkyTrain and headed on over to Richmond, getting off at the Aberdeen stop, and walking on over to Parker Place Mall and Parker Place Meat & BBQ. Yes, this place is located in a shopping mall.

The line here grows rapidly and moves quickly….it's to your benefit to have your act together and know what you want……when its your turn you need to be quick about it.

The Missus was really looking forward to some Roast Duck….so I got the Roast Duck on rice to go.

Parker Place Meat & B.B.Q (In Parker Place Mall)
4380 No 3 Rd
Richmond, BC V6X 4E8
Canada

Having gotten out unscathed; we headed to our next stop. If you thought Chinese BBQ in a shopping mall was interesting….try going to a parking garage.

For some Chinese BBQ……

This is where HK BBQ Master is located; just down the street from Parker Place BBQ. Again, a fast moving line for take-out….here there are a couple of tables as well. Some deal; roast duck on rice.

HK BBQ Master (In the parking garage of Real Canadian Superstore)
4651 No 3 Road
Richmond, BC V6X 2C4
Canada

Since we had restrained ourselves somewhat during lunch; we'd have this for an early dinner at the apartment.

Walking down No 3 Road reminded me of the SGV………without the crazy traffic…..

Choices abound…..

And guess who we ran into on the SkyTrain back to the apartment?

Yep….good 'ol DV himself.

This woman couldn't stop giggling and taking photos of DV.

Being the ever so friendly Canadian version of DV; he waved the woman over and they proceeded to take a bunch of selfies! You gotta love it.

As for the duck? Well, in spite of saying we'd be having it for dinner, we did have a couple of pieces while it was still warm…..just for comparative purposes of course!

Here's Parker Place.

Here's HK BBQ Master.

While HK BBQ Master's duck looks a lot darker; Parker Place's duck won hands down; being more moist, with a nice amount of anise-beany-duckiness. The skin HK BBQ Master's version was rubbery, the meat dry, and while it had a decent duck taste, it wasn't balanced out with anything else. Of course, both of these are vastly superior to any roast duck in San Diego. I was told that HK BBQ Master makes great roast pork, but the Missus was after duck.

It was time for a nap…..then we'd be off to our next stop(s)!

Montreal – (Finally) Getting There and a Late Night Dinner at Cadet

June 5, 2017 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Canada, Canada Food and Restaurants, Montreal, Travel

I had taken a couple days off during the Memorial Day week. We'd planned a couple of trips in fits and starts. One of the basic limiting factors for us was that we both had $200 credit that we needed to use from the Great Delta Debacle of 2016 that left us stranded in Seattle overnight. In the end, the Missus's only request was; "I want to feel like I'm on a real vacation…..I don't want it to be like I'm in the US". So, in the end, Montreal and Quebec City sounded like the place.

Getting there, on the other hand was interesting. We used our credit to upgrade to Delta One, which came with lounge access…..in regards to bells and whistles, Delta's lounges aren't great, but they allow you space (most of the time) and a rather low stress environment….a decent place to grab some coffee and sparkling water.

Our flight left at 640am, pretty early in the morning. Breakfast was served on the flight….which was pretty good for airline food…maybe the best airline breakfast we've ever had.

We originally had a two hour lay over in Minneapolis; but by the time we disembarked, I received a message from Delta telling me there was a delay of an hour. Luckily, we had access to the lounge; which was rather dated, but comfortable.

By the time we got settled in, another message from Delta, this time an additional 30minute delay. I'd end up getting two more emails; for a total of a two-hours-and-change in delays. And while the food in this lounge isn't great; some soup, quinoa salad, and some cheese keeps those hunger pangs at bay.

To add insult to injury, the window over-looked our flight's gate. So, it was easy enough to see when the plane was(n't) arriving. Finally, we saw an actual aircraft rolling to the gate.

So, with evidence that there actually was an aircraft for our flight, we headed off to the gate. Meanwhile, I modified our 945pm dinner reservations; first to 1030, then to 1045….then I just gave up because I really didn't know if we'd actually make it. Back at the gate, we were delayed even longer, another 45 minutes because the flight crew and the gate staff could not agree on the correct security protocol……like they don't actually fly this route daily? And then of course, there's the D-Bag passenger….who kept asking for delay compensation, making sarcastic comments….he kept taking photos of the gate crew as they worked to get us out. He kept telling the gate staff out loud about the "Tweets" he was sending out…sheeesh…really? When we got into the queue, he boarded with Premier and First Class, saying out loud "I don't give a f@(k what seat I'm in, I'm boarding now!" Of course, when they handed out the snack boxes he took two. We had dinner plans; so we weren't going to be wasting calories. Oh, and he made the bad move of standing behind the Missus and kept pushing her with his bag, until She turned around and told him to "back off"! I turned around expecting some lip, but he just kind of shrunk away.

In the end we did make it to Montreal. The 747 Express Bus from the airport is a breeze. Get the ticket from the machine; it's a $10, 24 hour pass which allows you free access to buses and the metro as well. I had planned on staying close to the stop on our initial stay; at the Courtyard which less than a block from the Jeanne-Mance stop. I had left over CA$, enough to cover dinner in case we had problems with credit cards, so I didn't need to hit the ATM or currency exchange.

And after checking in, it was a short walk to this little restaurant, cum wine bar, like it's sister restaurant Bouillon Bilk (which would be tomorrow night's dinner) the place had no signage. This is Cadet.

We'd arrived just 5 minutes late; the Hostess was super nice and we ended up requesting to sit at the bar. Being a Sunday night, the place was fairly quiet. We loved our bartender, a sweet and very nice young lady. The Missus started with….well, I forgot what cocktail. I got an Old Fashioned.

It took thirteen hours; but we had made it……. We started to relax and let the whole day fade away.

We loved the set-up, under-stated, yet fairly sleek, and the menu; made up of small plates to share, with modern, fresh ingredients. The Missus was in Her element as there seemed to be a good selection of vegetable based dishes.

We started with the "Watercress". Basically a watercress salad, which was perfectly dressed with a nice, not too salty, blue cheese based dressing.

This was excellent. The watercress crisp and almost refreshing, the usual bitterness toned down, allowing for a mild sweetness to come through. What seemed to be preserved lemon and rind and delicious endives made up the rest of the salad. The watercress though, was the star.

The Veal Terrine was very nice.

The terrine was matched nicely with the not too sweet compote, which took the edge off. The texture was surprisingly creamy and the pickled vegetables added the acid and crunch, providing a nice contrast to things.

I actual chose Cadet because of a photo of a single dish I saw……it turned out to be the Missus's favorite dish of the night. An interesting combination of Broccoli, Labneh, and Spaetzle.

What sounds like a strange combination went so well together; the creamy, slightly salty labneh; the wonderfully toothsome sautéed spaetzle, broccoli, the crunchy sunchokes. Fanastic textures and you could taste every item in the dish….no ingredient overwhelmed the other.

The Oyster Mushrooms were decent, if not great.

I actually enjoyed the arugula the most; the flavors of vegetables here seems to "pop". The Caciotta, a mild, I believe Tuscan style cheese, went well with the greens, though I didn't care for it combined with the earthy flavors of the very meaty mushrooms.

The dish the Missus and I enjoyed the least was the Veal Skirt Steak.

We both loved the chorizo and the sauce, while on the mild side, had a decent tangy-bright flavor to it; the veal skirt was pretty tough and brought nothing to this dish. Strangely, both the Missus and I thought the cilantro tasted really good……as in the citrusy-anise flavors seemed amplified…perhaps the flight did something to our tastebuds?

The Missus had Her dessert.

I had a 12 year old Calvados as a disgestif.

This was a wonderful way to start this trip. We enjoyed the service, the price for everything was under $100 CA – think about $74-75 US! A bargain to us. We'd gladly return.

Cadet
1431 Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Montreal, Canada
Hours
Mon – Fri 1130am – 230pm, 430pm – 1am
Sat – Sun 430pm – 1am

We'd finally made it to Montreal. In spite of the upcoming forecasts of rain, I was sure we'd make the best of it.

Nagoya – Morning Service, Yanagibashi Market, and Shikemichi Historic District

May 22, 2017 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Japan, Markets & Grocers, Nagoya, Travel

After hiking part of the Nakasendo Trail from Magome to Tsumago the day before; I was kinda bushed. The Missus though; was ready to go. She decided that we needed to check out Nagoya Castle. And we'd be walking there. As we crossed thru Nagoya Station, we noticed that even at around 730 on a Saturday morning, folks were milling around the "Golden Clock" right across from Takashimaya. This is the most popular meeting spot in Nagoya Station.

As we crossed the street and headed down Sakura-Dori; I spied this place on the lower level of one of the buildings.

The sign said "Morning Set – 390"; that's 390 Yes; about $3.50 for coffee and a small breakfast; something known as "Morning Service" and was created in Nagoya. We had first enjoyed at Komeda Coffee in Kamakura. Heck, we even splurged and got some "green juice" with our meal.

Which was just 100 Yen more. It was a satisfying start to the day.

Pronto Caffe & Bar
4-6-17 Meieki
Nakamura-ku, Nagoya

On one of the corners, the Missus pointed out a bit of hustle and bustle down a side street. It looked to be a market. I then remembered that Taka-san from Taisho had written down Yanagibashi Market as being a place we should check out in Nagoya.

It was indeed Yanagibashi Market; though things looked fairly calm when we arrived. Except for the 24 hour ramen stand…….

Since we weren't in any rush we spent some time wandering around the market.

I love checking out markets when we travel…….

The Missus ended up spending a couple of hundred bucks on tea during this trip. When the really nice guy running this tea shop waved us in….he knew what he was doing as he plied us with samples.

And the Missus ended up buying a couple of bags of tea from him.

Yanagibashi Central Market
4-11-3 Meieki
Nakamura-ku, Nagoya

For some reason, we took a left before the river. I was told to cross the Gojo Bridge on my way to Nagoya Castle, so we went down a street before the river.

A few blocks in we came across this shrine.

This is the Fuji Sengen Shrine.

We had noticed that the structures and the character of the street had completely changed.

According to the sign, this is Shikemichi Historic District.

When Nagoya Castle was being rebuilt in 1610; Tokugawa Ieyasu commanded that all the inhabitants of the previous seat of the Owari Clan, the city of Kiyosu move to Nagoya. So from I read all Sixty Thousand plus people moved to Nagoya. Moving houses, shrines, temples….everything.

This district is where the merchants used to live.

Several of the large buildings look interesting.

As do the windows. The street is also wider than in most historic districts.

In 1700, there was a huge fire which they called Genroku-no-Taika destroyed over 1600 structures and 15 temples and shrines. When planning the rebuilding of the city; Tokugawa Yoshimichi decided to widen the streets to a width of Four Ken, which depending on which source of conversion you use is about 23 feet wide as a firebreak.

So; "michi" means street; "shi" is four…..you get Shikemichi.

There are some nice little shops and cafes on the street; though most were still closed when we walked through

I'm not sure why we took the turns that we did. But I'm glad we did as we ran into things like this interesting looking shrine sitting on the roof of this building. According to the sign; these Shinto Rooftop Shrines are called "Yanegami" whose purpose is to ward off disease and disasters.

I hadn't really read much about historical Nagoya and folks I asked about the city really didn't tell me much in terms of history. So running into places like Shikemichi just adds that much more to things.

Soon enough we came to an intersection with modern buildings all around. To the left was the place we were looking for; the Gojo Bridge whose history dates back to 1610. The current structure was built in 1938.

We headed across the bridge; then left in the direction of Nagoya Castle. But who knows what would happen when we took a left after crossing the bridge? After all; we took a random left turn and ended up in Shikemichi!

Thanks for reading!

Burgundy – From Dijon to Beaune, with Visits to Les Halles, Gallet Traiteur, and Fromager Alain Hess

May 20, 2017 mmm-yoso Burgundy, Cheese, France, French Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Travel

Our train for Beaune would not be leaving until noon, so we decided to wander around Les Halles, Dijon's market hall. On this morning; things were very quiet.

We picked up a slice of Jambon En Croute and a really good baguette at one of the bakeries north of the market.

While walking near Chez Leon we came across this little shop. The friendly young ladies were basically "waving us in".

A Traiteur is basically a take-out/catering company. We kind of got the feeling that this shop was celebrating its grand opening. Quite a few people entered after we walked in.

We were tempted by the Foie Gras items; but went with a few "salads".

Gallet Traiteur
10, rue des Godrans
21000 Dijon, France

The train ride from Dijon to Beaune takes less than 20 minutes. We managed to polish off half the baguette and some of the Jambon en Croute while waiting for the train.

We arrived at the quaint train station in Beaune; went and made arrangements for a rental car to picked up later in the day, and walked down the street and to our apartment inside the city walls of the "old town". I was instantly smitten by the town. It helps that we loved our accommodations. The unit's owner was a lovely, cheerful, and friendly woman. And the place had everything we could have needed or wanted….even an "honor system" wine cellar.

It was a bit too cold to eat outside; but man, we would have loved eating outside if the weather was warmer.

The location was fantastic as while it wasn't in the middle of everything, it was a mere block away or so. The place was peaceful and quiet, yet close to things. The perfect combination.

Speaking of close to things; once we dropped off our bags, the Missus was ready to go. The old town is fairly compact, the main business here is wine, in fact Beaune is considered Burgundy's "Capital of Wine" as many of the wine producers actually store their wine in Beaune. The big event in this town is the is the annual Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction, which takes place in November.

We walked almost diagonally across the old town.

Passing thru the ramparts on other side and across the "ring road" and over a stream.

To a beautiful park that looked like something out of a painting.

This is Parc de la Bouzaise.

That seems to be a favorite of both our two legged and four legged friends.

It seemed like the duck knew that this was their property as they displayed little fear of humans and dogs.

Near the edge of the park you see a fence.

Walk through the opening in the fencing and you'll be rewarded with this beautiful sight.

Yes, this is wine country indeed…the Cote de Beaune. Walk to your left a bit and you are ground zero of Beaune Les Teurons.

The map shows how the land is divided up; many of the "clos" (plots) have belonged to the same family since medieval times.

You can walk along the vineyards and feel like you are viewing a real life Impressionist painting.

As we walked up the hill above Beaune, folks in the vehicles actually smiled and waved to us…..as if to say "welcome"…..

Walking back into town, we stopped near the central square.

When we were in Dijon; I noticed a truck delivering cheese to several businesses….with the name Alain Hess printed on the side. After a quick "Google check"; Fromagerie Hess became a "must stop" on my list. Right off the main square (Place Carnot) is the shop.

It is a very busy shop….with cheese, charcuterie, and other products on the ground floor.

And wine and cheese tastings in the basement.

We bought cheese, foie gras, and a nice bottle of wine for a late lunch.

Fromagerie Hess
7 Place Carnot
21200 Beaune, France

Back at the apartment, we had a late lunch.

Which featured the bounty of what we had collected during the day. The champignons from Gallet Traiteur was quite good, though the puy lentils were much too salty and hard. The foie gras terrine from Alain Hess was amazing; great smooth liver flavors, yet rich, it was very good. And a nice crisp, but not too buttery white.

This was a nice meal.

Which kind of displayed how good the food can be, even when self-catering in France.

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!