Travel – Page 62

Seville – Mercadillo de la Alameda and Basilica de la Macarena

December 8, 2016 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Seville, Spain, Travel

On our last full day in Seville we got a bit of a late start. But it was Sunday after all. As we stumbled out of our apartment over to the Plaza del Salvador we could hear the crowd before we actually saw it.

Good lord, all these young people, many having beers, at 830 in the morning! On a Sunday! I guess Saturday night just wasn't enough.

We decided on something a bit more suitable for breakfast. I mentioned my growing fondness for the simple tostada de aciete (toast with olive oil) in a previous post.

We just stopped at a corner shop and got our tostadas and espresso and were ready to go.

As we passed the very humble exterior Capilla de San José (Chapel of San José), which was open as we passed. The interior however, was a whole 'nother story. As you can see by the elaborate Baroque altarpiece.

My goodness!

From here we headed back in the direction of La Alameda where we had passed the night before.

This park was originally built in 1574 and was once the oldest public garden in Europe. I really like the Roman Columns. Hercules stands on the left and Julius Caesar on the right.

We saw tents set-up. Apparently there's a Sunday Market in the Plaza. So we decided to check things out.

It was a charming little "Mercadillo", full of locals…….

We even bought a very nice bottle of olive oil from one of the vendors. Then had a seat at one of the cafes to enjoy some espresso and watch the world pass for a while We even saw a character from the previous night; the "Smug Pug" making his way around; as smug and oblivious to all who gave attention as the night before. As we strutted from tree to tree, I again automatically started Overture to the Barber of Seville. I should have taken a photo, but we were just having too much fun.

Hard to believe that in the late 80's and 90's this area was a drug infested neighborhood that was once home to 35 brothels. Yes, gentrification, now it's one of the most trendy neighborhoods in Seville.

We headed North to the Macarena District.

The main reason for walking up here was to visit the Basilica de la Macarena.

It's quite a beautiful church.

But there was one thing we both wanted to see. During Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Seville, there are processions of floats (pasos). On Good Friday, the most popular and beloved is La Macarena – the Virgin of Hope of Macarena.

The "Weeping Virgin" has tears made of crystal, real human hair, looks down upon you with a handkerchief in her right hand and a rosary in her left. She wears five emerald brooches donated by The famous Bullfighter "El Gallo". In fact, I read that after Joselito El Gallo was gored to death, La Macarena was dressed in black for the only time in history.

And she moves many. I saw a couple of women start weeping at the sight of her. We saw women give up their babies to the staff to be brought in front of the statue.

You can actually walk in back of the statue as well. I gotta say; for some reason I really felt kind of spooked.

Still, this is pretty impressive. So impressive that many babies in Seville are named Macarena. Which does of course have ties to this song.

So yes, we've come from the Virgin Mary and Semana Santa to Human Hair to El Gallo the Bullfighter to Los del Río in a few sentences.

Seville does that to you.

Tokyo – Breakfast at Yaesu Hatsufuji

November 29, 2016 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

The previous day had been wonderful; breakfast for 325 yen at Mugimaru and a visit to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, lunch at Otakou Honten and a couple of beers at the Hitachino Brewing Lab, and then dinner with our good friend Reiko at Suzunari. So what would we do next? Well, the Missus decided that She hadn't had enough of Kamakura and wanted to return. So we woke rather early and walked down the street to Tokyo Station. We entered into the Tokyo Station underground…"B1" thru the Yaesu exit/entrance and came across this place.

Curious, I walked over. There was a ticket machine and it looked like they served Japanese breakfast. If you've read our blog long enough; you know that I hold a special place in my heart for Japanese breakfast. And while in Sapporo, the Missus developed a fondness forthis as well. So, it was off to the ticket machine.

The Missus beat me to the Natto Combination….so I got the Nikudōfu (simmered beef and tofu) combo. Both were an inexpensive 570 yen! The seating was interesting; salarymen were seated together, sometimes sharing tables. But because I was with the Missus we were seated in a booth.

The Server took our tickets and soon enough our food arrived.

Think of this the next time you grab something from Mickey D's or the like for breakfast. For about $5.50, the Missus got tofu, natto, and even some sashimi with Her combo. Which, BTW, She really enjoyed.

What I got wasn't exactly slim pickins' either.

The beef and tofu; while not amazing were both nicely flavored; not too salty, not too sweet. When did I start enjoying mentaiko for breakfast? I'm not sure, but I really like the saltiness…and perfectly cooked rice.

Don't need much more than that.

Hatsufuji was an interesting place. We passed by several times during our stay. After breakfast, the ticket machine is rolled to the side and you'll notice a collection of set lunches, displayed in full plastic glory in the window.

During the evening, the place becomes an Izakaya. I find it fascinating and I'm hoping we'll be back in Japan more sooner than later. And if we're around the Yaesu exit of Tokyo Station Underground you can be sure we'll be back at Hatsufuji.

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

Tokyo – Otakou Honten and a Visit to the Hitachino Brewing Lab

November 25, 2016 mmm-yoso Beer, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Pubs and Pub Grub, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

It was getting close to lunch hour by the time we finished our nice walk around the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace and we were ready for something to eat. It was drizzly and a bit chilly. I'd heard about a Oden place with a fairly long history (opened in 1923). So after a bit of searching we found Otakou Honten. We'd actually walked pass here on our first night, but the line was so long that ended up having ramen instead.

There wasn't a line when we arrived and we were lead upstairs, where things did look rather busy. We got the last booth in the place and placed our orders.

It's quite simple; there were two Oden sets available for lunch, each about 680 yen and we ordered one of each.

Boy did this hit the spot.

That simmered daikon had really absorbed the flavor of the broth and was perfectly tender; not falling apart, but so easily cut with a chopstick. Our favorite item was the Toumeshi; indeed this is called the toumeshi set and I can see why. That tofu had absorbed the savory-sweet-dashi based flavor so well and rice was also a great vehicle for passing all of that. Simple, but just wonderful.

The Missus ordered the other Oden set which was quite good as well.

This was just the perfect thing for day like this. Then a kind of interesting thing happened….I'm guessing it's fairly common given the crowded nature of Tokyo.

The Missus and I were sitting across from each other in the booth. Two salarymen came in and sat down right next to us in the booth!

So now we were kinda trapped! The Missus and I looked at each other and cracked up. And we couldn't help but text each other our observations; especially when a couple of pieces of rice got stuck on one of the men's face….it kept moving around while he ate, but wouldn't fall off, and was quite mesmerizing!

Actually they were quite nice. When they noticed we were finished, they both stood up and waved us through. So, I guess this is fairly standard eating in Tokyo!

There was a line of people waiting outside in the rain as we left. I walked across the street to take a photo, and wouldn't you know; that line extended across the street!

It's easy to understand why folks would wait in the rain for this place. Good, comforting food at an inexpensive price. And it sure did hit the spot on a day like this.

Otakou Honten
2-2-3 Nihonbashi
Chuo, Tokyo

Feeling nice and warm, our bellies full, we headed off in the drizzle to our next destination. I really enjoy the beer that Hitachino produces and had read that they had opened a beer bar in the Akihabara. I recommended going on the Yamanote Line from Tokyo Station, it's like a 4-5 minute ride. But of course this is the Missus; so we walked.

It turned out to be about a 30 minute walk. The Brewing Lab is located right on the Kanda River.

It's a nice cozy little place and very quiet during this time of the day as there was only one customer the whole time we were there.

There were 8 pulls on this day and we ended up getting 4 beers; even Session IPA. We ended up with the Masters Selection, Nipponia, Weizen and the Nest Lager.

The Lager was my favorite; while the Missus enjoyed the Weizen. Man, Hitachino makes some really good stuff. If you're in the area; this might be a good stop.

Hitachino Brewing Lab
1-25-4 Kandasudacho
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Soon enough, it was time to go. And this time the Missus relented and we caught the train back to Nihonbashi. We had some time to do a little shopping; then head back to the apartment for a short nap before meeting Reiko for dinner.

Paris – Les Cocottes and of course…….

November 15, 2016 mmm-yoso France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

Paris had been "on the list" for quite a while. The Missus had been wanting to see Paris and one of Her bucket list items was seeing the Eiffel Tower at night. I'd been kind of putting things off. You see, during my younger days, I knew folks who visited Paris and had a terrible time…..somewhat clichéd, but the stories were similar. This dampened my motivation to visit Paris and kind of stuck with me. However, in recent years, folks whom I knew enjoyed their visits….I think things have changed. Plus, this just seemed like a bucket list year for the Missus….perhaps She's thinking I'll be "kicking it" soon?

We flew from Seattle, with a mere one hour layover at Keflavik Airport. It turned out to be more than enough time to exit our plane (in the freezing rain on the tarmac), get through immigration (Iceland is part of the Schengen Area) amazingly efficient and quick, and then to our gate (sort of a cattle call type situation) in less than 30 minutes. Our flight from Keflavik was to Orly Airport, not Charles de Gaulle. We exited our plane and found the Le Bus Direct stop; paid our Euros and headed off. We were to exit at Rue Jean Rey, near the Tour Eiffel…the Missus was thrilled. When got off the bus at the stop and it looked like an ordinary city stop. The Missus was a bit disappointed, "there's really nothing here…." Until we turned the corner and there it was……

I gotta say; I was ready to be disappointed, but even on an overcast day; the Eiffel Tower is pretty darn impressive.

Having just smaller carry-on, Tom Bihn bags, made the walk to our hotel; the Hotel la Bourdonnais a snap. Located near the Ecole Militaire, this turned out to be a great location for the Missus, who just wanted to stare at that tower.

Our room was small; but comfortable, we could enjoy the street scene below and at night you could even see the Eiffel Tower peeking through the trees. We rested a bit…..took a short nap which we badly needed, then walked around. I, scoping out potential stops like Fromager Marie-Anne Cantin (amazing cheese) and Les Gourmandises d'Eiffel (baguettes). Unfortunately, we had an amazing time and sadly never partook of their products. Next time…..

After spending so much time in airports and on planes we really weren't in the mood for anything heavy, so with my trusty list and my Google Map (God bless pocket wifi…or weefee as they say here) we ended up on charming Rue Saint Dominique. The Missus loved all the little shops in this area. Near Le Fountaine de Mars……

**** Christian Constant, the original owner for Les Cocottes has retired. You can find an updated post on Les Cocottes here.

Is Les Cocottes de Christian Constant. I'd read about the place taking no reservations and photos of the dishes looked like just what we'd want after a long flight. The place was quite empty when we arrived.

It was just before 6pm……the sun had already set; but the place was devoid of customers. I asked the nice young man who seated us if we were eating early by French standards. He smiled and said, in what we'd find is a typical French understated manner, "oh, just a bit". The young woman who waited upon us was a total joy….cheerful, ever so pleasant…….English so perfect it made us nervous that we were in the wrong place. She had a great sense of humor and I even tried out my very, very poor French. Though even I knew when to stop; unlike the Korean family who came in a few minutes later. The middle aged gentleman insisted on trying to speak French, even though no one could ever understand him. I gotta give him credit though….

We started with the very rustic and very delicious Country Style Pate.

We both loved this; a nice balance of earthy flavors with nice texture…..there's quite a bit of filler, but it's not wasted. I love dishes like this; it shows that one could really make an great version of a humble pate, one that doesn't use expensive ingredients, but rather sticks to its peasant roots.

The Missus enjoyed the Foie Gras.

After the pate; this was rather nondescript….something like I've had many times. Weird, I know, but it really didn't stand out. Still, it is foie gras, but it really didn't have enough of that earthy, slightly offal flavor that I enjoy. Strange because I'm not a big fan of liver; but I do like a touch of it, minus the metallic flavors in my foie gras. The Missus enjoyed this.

A cocotte is a traditional small cast iron pot. And our favorite item of the night, while nothing braised or stewed came in one. We really enjoyed the Poached Egg with Bacon and Rocket Salad.

There was of course, the very nice poached egg, of which the Missus approved. We also really loved the lardons; the bacon had a slight crunch then a nice silky finish, it was coated in a sweet and slightly salted dressing. The crisp, crunchy, peppery arugula was perfect with the runny egg and bacon. We both loved that the salad was simply dressed, letting the flavors of all the parts speak for themselves.

We also quickly noticed that nothing was particularly salty and the flavors were nicely balanced, something we'd find at almost all the places we ate at.

Of course we had to order the Potatoes Stuffed with Pig's Feet.

Strangely, we thought this dish was all about the potatoes, which was nicely caramelized and had also absorbed the better part of the pork flavor. Actually, we both didn't enjoy the texture of the pork too much; finding it mushy with a greasy feel. And yes; these are basically fancy potato skins, right? As with the other dishes; we loved the greens.

So here's where it gets kind of odd….we noticed that about 80 percent of the customers in the place were Korean. So I basically asked our Server, "why all the Korean customers?" She just cracked up and in a slight whisper told me; "it's the next wave……three years ago; it was so many Japanese….now…it's the Koreans!" I figured the place must be on some Korean food show or something. So while doing my search; I came to find out that Anthony Bourdain ate here on one of his shows….now how the heck did I miss that?

Regardless; we loved the service, the food was just what we needed after a long trip over, and the prices were not too bad. I know, not the traditional bistro meal….we'd kind of avoid that in Paris and save it for Burgundy. Not haute cuisine, but just what we wanted.

Les Cocottes de Christian Constant
135 rue Saint-Dominique
Paris, 75007

After dinner we strolled around Rue Cler, then Champ de Mars…..the Missus was soaking it all in; we were indeed in Paris.

That's the Monument des Droits de l'Homme, a human rights monument finished in 1989, but it looks much older. It is said to have been designed to resemble an Egyptian Temple, but with many Masonic features.

And then of course; there was this, which needs no introduction.

Cross another one off the Missus's bucket list…….

Which quickly answered the question with a question of why we came here……"Why not Paris?"

There was a small grocery right next to our hotel. While walking through the place, I noticed a rather odd looking beer and decided to buy a can.

Man, this was pretty bad….."Rum Flavoured Beer", what was I thinking? Man, this was really sweet and artificial tasting! Luckily, this was probably the one bad move I made during our time in Paris.

We both crashed early. Tomorrow was going to be a shopping day for the Missus and I needed to rest up my credit card for the beating it would take!

Thanks for reading!

Seattle – Walks, breakfast, some familiar places, and Icelandair

November 12, 2016 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Breakfast/Brunch, Markets & Grocers, Seattle, Washington, Travel

So you might be wondering; what’s up with Seattle again? I mean the last over night visit was an involuntary overnight stay.

Well, here’s the abridged version. One of my projects….a really huge project, was delayed. All trips had been put on hold. As soon as I got official word of the dates being pushed back, I pinged the Missus and went to work, first requesting time off, then doing the logistics. It came together in an instant. You see, a few months earlier, one of the folks I occasionally work with mentioned the Icelandair free stopover program. Basically, you fly out of one of the airlines hub and you get up to a 7 night stopover in Iceland at no extra charge (there’s even a “Stopover Buddy” program that’s offered on occasion). I started quickly checking prices and found that Business Class from SEA to ORY was really affordable and we could easily fit in a 3 night stopover on the way back.

Sold!

This meant we’d have 1 night in Seattle on our way to and from Paris.

We’ve been here so many times, way back to pre-blogging days, and I used to visit regularly while living in HNL….in fact, before I met the Missus, I was considering a move here.

But that’s ancient history now and here we were….staring at this!

I had just been mentioning what a clear night it was when we came upon Fernando Botero’s “Adam”. (Click the link – It’s a great article). So perhaps the night was a bit too clear for us?

We had a perfect night of rest and since breakfast was included in our room rate, we ended up having a satisfying breakfast at the Renaissance.

Pretty standard stuff. What made this for us was the awesome service. Friendly, efficient, just really perfect. Before we left one of the Servers brought us more coffee….in take out cups….a “little something for the morning”. The Missus whispered to me, “increase your tip”. Now that’s a new one! I know it doesn’t cost the Servers anything to do these little things, but they make all the difference to us; the customers.

So while we hadn’t stayed at the Renaissance in ages, I think this is where we’ll be when we return.

Renaissance Seattle Hotel
515 Madison St
Seattle, WA 98104

Plus, check out time isn’t until noon, so we took another nice little walk.

It had drizzled in the morning, but things had cleared up……but not everyone was enjoying their walk…..

Though by the time we headed down the Waterfront Steps, things were under control.

We headed up Post Alley to another “landmark”, the Seattle Gum Wall, which is kinda neat or pretty gross, depending on your point of view.

Regardless, it seems to be here to stay. You can watch video of a ton of gum being washed off the wall in 2015….and a year later…well…IT’S baaaack!

I’ve done posts on Pike Place Market a couple of times over the years and honestly, I still love the place. There’s always something new….like what part of Rachel, the Pike Place Pig are these kids checking out?

Much of it is so familiar….which is part of the charm.

The Missus loves watching the tanks at Beecher’s……

**** Pear Delicatessen & Shoppe has closed

Stopped and had some refreshment at Pear Delicatessen.

Pear Delicatessen & Shoppe
1926 Pike Pl
Seattle, WA 98101

And were shocked at the line at Piroshky Piroshky

Which was once a favorite of ours, but during our last visit things seemed to have gone downhill a bit. Still, it seems more popular than ever.

Still, there’s always something interesting to see or experience at Pike Place.

Our flight wasn’t until almost 5 pm; as I mentioned earlier check-out time at the Renaissance is at noon, I’m sure I could have requested a late check-out, but we decided to just catch the Link out to Sea-Tac. Icelandair flies out of the ‘S’ terminal at Sea-Tac, which is our least favorite, but since we were flying Business we got to use the “Club at SEA”…….even though there wasn’t anything special in terms of food or drink, the comfort and low stress vibe is a welcome change from the usual cattle call.

Flying Business Class on Icelandair was a mixed bag. The seating is like domestic first, which means nothing lies flat….the movie selection is dated…..however, the service is fantastic, and in all honesty, the food was not bad.

All of which made our flight that much easier….

Thanks for reading!

Seattle – Terra Plata

November 11, 2016 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Seattle, Washington, Travel

During our most recent stay in Seattle; having dinner at Sitka & Spruce would seem to be the obvious choice. But after our last meal there, we decided that maybe a change was in order. We'd arrived for an overnight stay on our way to our final destination.

On our previous visit, we passed what seemed to be a very popular place named Terra Plata; literally "Land to Plate". Reading a bit more, it seems that the focus was on local growers and artisans, which seemed like the perfect meal for us.

We arrived at the Renaissance without incident. I used to stay here all the time, but for some reason hadn't during our last few visits. They seemed to have done some nice upgrading of the rooms and the corner room we had was very comfortable.

It was a pleasant walk to the restaurant, heck, it's basically next to S&S, and we've been to Seattle so many times. The dining room is nice and warm, though seating is pretty cramped; fitting as many bodies in as little space seems the trend these days. The place was half full when we arrived at 6pm and quickly filled up. The menu, as is also the norm these days was a simple single sheet, fairly vegetable heavy and meant for sharing which suits our preferences,

We started with a couple of cocktails; the Missus a "Seattle Raindrop" ($12) and I a "Will I Tell" ($13)….both were a bit too sweets for our tastes.

After looking over the menu; we decided to forgo the meat options. We've been finding that vegetable and starters are more interesting items these days. It seems that in the case of mains; the kitchen has to keep it kind of close to the vest while the other courses seem more fascinating.

We did need a bit of "protein" so we started with the Charcuterie Plate ($20) which was on the pricy side, but we loved the presentation.

The real winner on this plate was the chicken liver terrine, which had the perfect amount of liver flavor combined with a pleasant texture, and just a hint of winey-sweetness. The pate champagne was also quite good; not too salty, great texture. The Missus loved the mustards and pickles; especially the pickled capers and cornichons. The lomo iberico was too salty, cut too thick, making it hard, and the Duck Rillette was really bland and hardly had any of the nice assertive flavor we enjoy.

I should have skipped on the Risotto ($20). I've mentioned the issues I have with typical restaurant par cooked prep for risotto. This just didn't do it, the core of the risotto was hard and crunchy. This version also had too much marscapone for my taste and not enough salty components.

Loved the chanterelles, so earthy, and the addition of brown butter was nice, though it clashed with the marscapone in my mind.

The Missus, who loves lentils and broccoli, really enjoyed the having both of them in the Broccoli with Moroccan Spiced Lentils ($14).

This basically looked like a stir fry; the flavor was nice and savory, though I think it could have used a bit more balsamic. I think they are also using Worcestershire or something similar to give this a flavor close to soy sauce. A nice dish.

We both really enjoyed the Beets with Walnut Romesco and Feta ($14).

The various greens added a nice combination of bitter-herbaceous flavor to the "just crisp enough" and sweet beets. The Romesco Sauce had the perfect amount of garlic and slightly smoky-sweet flavors which went nicely with the milky-salty feta. This was just a wonderful dish.

So nice, that I decided to finish things off with an Old Fashioned ($11).

The service was friendly and warm, the room got really loud, and like I mentioned before; the tables are really close together….the server kept bumping into me and the person seated in back of me when passing. The price; well, the Missus actually was kind of shocked….over $100 for mostly vegetables…but of course we had the three cocktails and such.

So, Sitka & Spruce or Terra Plata……I think the Missus enjoyed the execution at Terra Plata more….perhaps the next time we're in Seattle we'll do one after the other. Or who knows, maybe there will be another great option?

Terra Plata
1501 Melrose Ave
Seattle, WA 98122

Where in the world are we part deux

November 4, 2016 mmm-yoso France, Hot Dogs, Iceland, Iceland Food and Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

We finished up our time in Paris visiting…..well, those must see locales.

And capped things off with what might be one of the best meals we've ever had.

We then headed off to our current location. A place where you can experience the power and wonder of nature. Now a very popular destination during the summer. It is still impressive during the slow season.

In a single word……breathtaking.

And the cold and rain hasn't dampened our spirits as we've gotten to see some amazing things.

The food here is distinctive. With items like minke whale…..

Trout smoked over sheep dung.

Cod head……

Fermented shark.

Mashed fish……they make fabulous rye bread here too.

They also claim to make one of the best hot dogs in the world too.

The sun is setting on our final day here.

Tomorrow we head to an interim destination then home. It's been an unforgettable trip.

We haven't had a bad meal yet. I hope this last one will not end the streak

Thanks as always for reading!

Where in the world are we?

October 30, 2016 mmm-yoso Burgundy, France, Paris, France, Seattle, Washington, Travel

It's been a really busy couple of months. Work has been crazy and we needed a break. So with Cathy and Ed from Yuma always willing to help keep the blog going, the Missus and I are taking a nice break.

To where you may ask? Well, I think you can figure things out in 4 photos. So here goes.

This is where we started.

Then we ended up here.

And we are enjoying our last evening in this region.

As expected, the meals have been great. What's even more surprising is that we haven't had a bad meal yet. Rubbing this little guy's head is supposed to be good luck. Maybe it worked.

Because the eats sure have been good.

And we've been having a blast as well. Beautiful countryside…..

And cute little villages.

So hopefully things will work out and I'll get another post in sometime. You know, to give you something to chew on.

Until then, thanks or stopping by.

Sunday Sandwiches, the Lima Edition – Sanguches de Chicharron at Dona Paulina

October 9, 2016 mmm-yoso Lima, Peru, Peruvian Restaurants, Sandwiches, Travel

Sunday morning in Miraflores is a far cry from the hustle and bustle of the night before. It is rather sedate, calm….there's not much going on streetwise.

At this point in our lives; the Missus and I are far removed from "the party". You know; Mom sued to say "nothing good happens after midnight. At a certain point in your life you figure out that "nothing good happens after 10 pm." That's kind of where we're at in life. Though when it comes to Madrid and Spain as a whole; the clock is thrown out the window.

Still, it wasn't that early for us as we left our hotel; 830 am is kind of a late start when we're travelling.

Still, the streets are pretty quiet on a Sunday morning.

We headed off to our breakfast destination. We had some great discussions with our wonderful driver, Benjamin during our trip to see the Nazca Lines. One of the questions I asked was about a typical breakfast in Lima…..I was told that we must get a Sanguche de Chicharron, a pork sandwich for Sunday breakfast, it's a Lima tradition. I'd heard about the iconic pork sandwich; I knew about La Lucha which is quite well known, but Benjamin told me that Dona Paulina is where he takes his family for Sanguches de Chicharron. Which we happened to see the previous evening when we had dinner at Punto Azul.

The place looks like a typical neighborhood Coffee Shop…..

One that sells pork and lomo saltado sandwiches……anyone want a tamal for breakfast?

In spite of the street being fairly empty; Dona Paulina was doing some good business on this morning.

The Missus got an espresso; I an Americano……

And we decided to split an Sanguches de Chicharron….JR….as in a smaller sized sandwich. I'm glad we did.

The sandwich is served using what they call a "French Roll" here. It is yeasty and relatively light. The sandwich is served with a nice salsa criolla which I sometimes make at home. The acid and pungency from the onions helps to cut all the richness of the pork.

There were three different slices of pork in the sandwich; one had a bit of skin and fat which added a nice richness; there's one rather meaty cut, looks like shoulder which, while adding bulk was on the dry side. The fat and moisture from the other slices and the salsa ciolla evened things out.

Of course the Missus loved the slices of camote; sweet potato in the sandwich.

Dona Paulina
Calle Alcanfores 715
Lima, Peru

It was a good thing that we shared this sandwich as we planned to have an early lunch.

Lima – Punto Azul

October 7, 2016 mmm-yoso Lima, Peru, Peruvian Restaurants, Travel

How do you follow-up a day of flying over the Nazca Lines and a pretty hefty lunch? Well, with a nap of course. After a short respite we decided to head on back out….it was Saturday night after all. We weren't very hungry, but knew we had to have something to eat, but we weren't sure what. That question was soon answered as we passed Punto Azul.

Punto Azul had been on our list the last time we were in Miraflores. Unfortunately, the place was always packed so we never got in. So now, nearly ten years later we were back in front of Punto Azul and the place was only 2/3 full. So why not?

We were quickly seated. Our timing was "on" this evening as the place quickly filled up soon after, with folks waiting for tables.

The crowd seemed split about 50-50; half obvious tourists, the rest seemed to be Peruvian. So we weren't really sure how this meal was going to turn out.

The Missus started with a Pisco Sour, I had some drink with Prickly Pear that sounded pretty good, but ended up being more of a "chick drink".

We were quickly served plantain chips and passable Canchita; toasted corn.

Of course the Missus got the Ceviche Punto Azul; basically a classic cebiche. She also scarfed the camote (sweet potato), which She said needed more flavor and the choclo (the large kernel corn), which of course; She loves.

The fish in the ceviche was on the fibrous and chewy side, though it had been marinated for the perfect amount of time. The leche de tigre was on the mild side and we livened it up with some aji limo (minced red chili pepper).

I, of course, ordered the Tiradito; in this case named Tiraditos al Punto.

This was three classic versions of tiradito; classic, rocoto, and amarilla, and one rather odd version…..olive flavored. I thought this was a pretty good rendition of tiradito; nice creamy sauces, the fish, sliced well and while on the chewy side, was still decent. The Aji Rocoto sauce wasn't very hot, but was quite enjoyable. But it was that odd olive mayo sauce that I thought I wouldn't like….it turned out to be quite an addition. The flavoring wasn't too heavy handed, a nice mild olive flavor, it didn't seem overly rich from the mayo, and there was a touch of acid to help things alone. Well, here was another new one for me…..

The service was friendly, even though things got really busy. This was a nice, if not outstanding meal, and just enough for dinner.

Punto Azul
Calle San Martin 595
Lima, Peru

We took our getting back to the room. It was Saturday night in Miraflores and parts of the neighborhood was packed. We avoided the crowds, stopped by the convenience store across the hotel for some water and I even bought me a nightcap.

There's something great about travelling….every day, or evening is new and different. I wish I could do it more.