Travel – Page 65

Easter Island – Our Arrival, Ahu Tahai, Club Sandwich, and Piroto Henua

July 22, 2016 mmm-yoso Easter Island, Easter Island Restaurants, Hot Dogs, Travel

As much as I enjoyed staying at the Lastarria Boutique Hotel, there was one little problem. The floorboards creaked quite loudly when walking on them. I was always worried about waking folks. Then the folks staying in the unit above us got back at about 2am; slamming the door and stomping about. I couldn't get back to sleep! Our shuttle came to pick us up at 5am and I was exhausted by the time our flight left at 750. In what I would consider a great stroke of luck, when I booked our flight to Hanga Roa, I noticed how cheap the business class fare was, so I just jumped on it. The prices for business class on the return was somewhat prohibitive, so that was a no-go. I was just glad to be able to sleep for a couple of hours during the 6 hour flight to Hanga Roa. LAN has fairly new 787s which are quite comfortable. There's one flight a day; to and from Hanga Roa. Five days of the week from Santiago and two from Tahiti; that's it. So it seems like quite a big deal when a flight arrives.

The place we were staying at had arranged for a shuttle from the airport. First thing you do after going down the stairs and walking off the tarmac is to go and get your tickets for Parque Nacional Rapa Nui. Most of the island, other than Hanga Roa is a National Park and you need admission for two of the sights. The tickets are good for 5 days from the first day of entrance; though you're only allowed one visit to Orongo and one visit to Rano Rarako. Also, there seemed to be random checks at various sights.

Having checked no luggage meant that we got to our shuttle quickly as the exit mob soon formed. It might look like a lot of people, but there really weren't any crowds at any of the sights we visited. Everyone else in business class on the flight (it was a Monday morning) seemed to be construction folks….I guess they've made this journey many times and have a nice stash of miles.

Funny thing; the place we were staying at; the wonderful Marae – Cabañas Premium was maybe a 15 minute walk from the airport! We could have walked over! The woman running this little compound of 3 cottages; named Vero was just fantastic. The cottages were huge! She also coordinated a vehicle for us; the Missus didn't want a tour, so we got a little Daihatsu Terios which was just perfect for our needs.

Of course, as soon as the vehicle arrived, the Missus just needed to see some Moai! So, to get adjusted to the vehicle, I drove thru the single main street of Hanga Roa, Atamu Tekena, and went to the North end of the town. I was told to look for the "cemetary". I found some parking on the street…….

Just north of these replica Moai along the rugged shoreline is the area known as Ahu Tahai.

There are three "Ahu" (shrines) here.

"Vai Ure" has five Moai of various sizes and in various states. Right to the north is Tahai. Worn and eroded; this Moai has a gaunt haunting look. Right past Tahai is Ko Te Riku, with the traditional top knot called a Pukao, which were carved from a reddish volcanic stone known as scoria. We'd actually visit the single quarry that produced the pukao later on the trip. For some reason, the eyes, which were painted based on a replica found during the 70's kind of creeped me out.

Easter Island had always been on the Missus' bucket list and She just couldn't take enough photos of the Moai……she'd take nearly 800 during our short time in Easter Island.

After the Missus had Her fill of photos, we decided to grab lunch. So we headed back to Hang Roa proper. Unfortunately, this being Monday, lunch option #1 was closed (named Casa Esquina they'd also be closed on Tuesday), as was option #2. We had parked the car along the main street on Hanga Roa.

We saw that this place was doing some pretty good business. A shop named "Club Sandwich".

The place had an interesting mix of tourists and locals. I'd come to find out that this was one of the more affordable places to eat in Hanga Roa.

So we decided to order a couple of things….I saw a couple of huge burgers being delivered to tables….it was just too much. So we ordered two empanadas and I was curious about the Hot Dog with Egg….Chileans love their hot dogs…..man, this was pretty over-the-top.

The bun was toasted, but really nothing special; nor was the hot dog. The best thing about this were the eggs……good eggs on Easter Island.

Not having really researched the empanadas, we were surprised at how large they were. The Missus got a cheese, which we ended up having for breakfast the next day.

I got the sausage version.

The good? Well, the salsa like condiment, which is basically Chilean "pebre" was really good, nice balance of spice-acid-salt. Think of this as a "pig-in-a-blanket" enrobed in an empanada shell…with cheese, lots of gooey cheese.

The meal was quite inexpensive; but not quite what the Missus thought we'd be having on Easter Island. Me? Well, this was island life…….especially walking into the markets…..it reminded me of visiting my grandparents; both in Honolua and Lana'i during the 60's and early 70's. And even growing up….Vienna sausage, Hot Dogs, Spam…….not very much in the way of "green" going on unless it was from your garden. It was all quite familiar.

Club Sandwich
Atamu Tekena
Easter Island, Chile

We did some quick shopping and headed back to our home away from home……..

We had a nice nap, then headed back to town, taking the round about way along the ocean side. It was time for dinner, but unfortunately option #1 was closed the entire time we were there….and for some reason, due to darkness, I couldn't find option #2, which was the same option #2 we looked at for lunch. By now, the Missus was frustrated and told me, let's just head back and have the cheese empanada….talk about desperate times. Along the way, we passed what we thought was a little restaurant. Turned out, this was a sports/karaoke bar……man, just like home! Named Piroto Henua. Since we were along the main road right across from the airport, I just went to the side and the Missus ran in and asked about parking….which was in the lot behind the place.

This being a Monday night, not much was going on.

But he made the Missus a Pisco Sour to Her standards (not too sweet)…..

And I got a bottle (I already had a six pack in the fridge that I hadn't touched) of the local brew; the Mahina Pale Ale.

Typical; light, nice, white head, slightly fruity, easy to drink.

Looking at the menu, I decided on what I thought would be a typical bar dish…..and decided on the Chorrillana Classico. The origin of which is subject of debate; it's either Peruvian originating from Chorrillos or classic Chilean pub grub. But at this moment, we really didn't care.

Loved the flower presentation by the way. For me, this tasted like Lomo Saltado…with much more fries, crowned with fried eggs…..so for a San Diego; think of it as thick cut carne asada fries topped with an egg. Talk about classic bar food.

I believe this was 11,000CLP; about $16.50. This wasn't bad at all, except for the papa fritas which were a bit on the cardboardish side. Still, what do you expect? We quickly found that the eggs on Easter Island tasted really good. I'd take this over TGIFriday's any day of the week.

Piroto Henua
Hotu Matua
Easter Island, Chile

Funny thing, we were now on the road in front of the airport. Our cabanas was close by. The Missus had some landmarks in mind as to where to turn….unfortunately, the landmarks were statues alongside the airport. Remember that I mentioned that the airport features one flight a day? So what happens after the flight leaves? Well, they close down the "International" Airport of course. So that side of the road was completely dark. Still, this is Hanga Roa…..I had recalled a stone wall and some shrubs and turned there. Island life remember? As in typical instructions when I was growing up…."go mauka, turn left befoa' da long stone wall….wen' you see the white wall on your left and the beeeg hedges on the right, you dea', ok"?

OK…….just like home.

Santiago: Bocanariz

July 15, 2016 mmm-yoso Cheese, Chile, Santiago, Chile, Travel

Out hotel had kindly made reservation for dinner at 8pm. This meant we had some time to kill. We were given directions to our dinner destination and just headed off. First we found our dinner destination, then we decided to explore a bit.

Apparently there's a university nearby as there seemed to be some kind of street market going on and tons of students socializing and having a nice time.

There were also all kinds of knick-knacks and "stuffs" for sale, including some "interesting" items. I used the photo on the right in an earlier post, but thought it interesting enough to post it again.

I'm wondering if the "brownie magico" helped to explain why the sausage place and the waffle shop was so busy?

It was getting close to our reservation time so we headed back. The place I chose for dinner is called Bocanariz….yes, basically, "Mouth – Nose". One of Chile's most well known exports is its wine. In spite of not being oenophiles, I thought it would be a crime not to taste a few. We were lucky enough to be rather close to Bocanariz, which has a list of over 400 Chilean wines. Our nice gentleman who provided directions told me that Wine Spectator had given the "Best Wine List" award to this lovely little wine bar.

The place was almost full when we arrived, good thing I had requested reservations a couple of weeks in advance. We were greeted with smiles and were seated in the bustling bar area.

Our Sommelier was a young lady named "Amanda" who was just amazing. We decided to go with several rounds of "tastings" and Amanda provided information regarding terroir, comparative wines, tasting notes, and some really interesting anecdotes about each wine. We were blown away, both by this young lady's knowledge, but also her efficiency, and fantastic service. She worked all the tables in the bar area and spent a good amount of time with us.

Instead of going into crazy details about everything we had; I'm just going to give you the tasting notes from the menu.

I think the "Wild Wines" were my least favorite as they really lacked depth and character.

The Missus really enjoyed the Garcia-Schwaderer Grenache, which is well regarded. I'd gotten a taste for nice blends and the Tipaume Red Blend had a nice balance.

Both the Missus and I agreed that the Kalfu Sauvignon Blanc was our favorite wine of the evening. It had just enough fruit, acid, and body to make it interesting with the usual musty fragrance in the background. when we mentioned this to Amanda she laughed and said; "yes, it's very low in the usual wet cat pee fragrance in many Sauvignon Blancs." Wet cat pee? That was a new one for me.

Still rather full from lunch we just had bread and a decent cheese plate for dinner. Fairly non-descript, but fine. It did seem some of the portion sizes we saw were quite large and I think we made the right decision to basically go with this strategy.

It was great fun tasting the diversity in wine this way. I'm glad we did this. The 50ml pours were just right; allowing us to try a nice variety.

We finished up with a small pour of the Kalfu Sauvignon Blanc before calling it a night.

There are times when everything seems to fall in place and we receive a memorable experience. Being able to sample a wide range of wine and having someone wonderful like Amanda to guide us definitely made a difference. If we're ever back in Santiago proper, we'll be sure to return here.

Bocanariz
José Victorino Lastarria 276
Santiago, Chile

Finishing up, we headed right back to our room. We'd have to wake early, our shuttle to the airport would be picking us up at 5am.

Santiago: Parque Forestal, Mercado Central, Marisqueria Yiyi, and the Lastarria Boutique Hotel

July 14, 2016 mmm-yoso Chile, Chilean Food and Restaurants, Santiago, Chile, Seafood, Travel

Our flight left Lima at 835am in the morning, and arrived in Santiago Chile at 135pm. would you believe that there's a 2 hour time change between Peru and Chile? Peru is actually in the same time zone as Easter Island, go figure. Since we had so little time in Santiago and really didn't want to deal with transportation glitches, we had our hotel, a wonderful place, named the Lastarria Boutique Hotel arrange for shuttle service. The location of the hotel is wonderful, close to everything, but still a peaceful oasis, with a wonderful, friendly, and accommodating staff. We got to the hotel at around 3; dropped everything off, and headed out. The gentleman at the front desk was very helpful and when we asked about the location of the Mercado Central, he gave us directions. One interesting thing; no less than four people during our stay emphasized how "safe" the area was. Folks seemed generally interested in making sure we knew the area was safe. We followed the sprawling Parque Forestal down to the Mercado. We loved the wonderful green space….it was a beautiful day, families were out and about….

With children of the two and four legged variety having a great time.

There were several museums, monuments, and memorials along the way including the Museum of Contemporary Art and this one, the Iquique Heroes Monument.

Which is right in front of the Mercado Central.

Things seemed so relaxed here; as folks would stop by and chat with the mounted police officers and take time to pet their horses.

In terms of seafood for sale; things were winding down in the market…..the restaurants however, were going strong. Restaurants occupy the entire center of the market.

Hawkers try and tempt you into the restaurants; it seemed so very touristy, like we've seen in cities all over the globe.

We opted to walk the perimeter, until we saw a place full of local families having a great time. Time….well, we had a limited amount of that, so we wanted something simple and local and Marisqueria Yiyi seemed to have it in spades.

The young man working here was an absolute joy…so friendly, kind, gracious, and quite mellow. Looking at the menu we ordered a dish….looking at the next table we also ordered "what he's having!"

Soon enough, some very nice bread made its way to our table, along with the classic Chilean condiment, Pebre, full of tomato, cilantro, and garlic flavors that folks from San Diego would simply call it, well, "salsa". It was nice, but quite mild, which reminded me of an acquaintance who spent time in Chile, and told me; "in spite of the name, there's not very many spicy dishes in Chile."

Sitting right outside the main dining area, we could see the women hard at work in the kitchen.

Meanwhile, the place had started to fill up.

Meanwhile our Ceviche arrived.

The last thing I want to do is to get into any contentious, nationalistic argument. But having had more than my share of Peruvian Cebiche, I found this to be quite surprising. The fish, which looked almost minced reminding me of Japanese bone scrapings were fully "cooked" in citrus. And yet, the marinating liquid seemed quite low in acid. Also, it was lemon here, not lime, adding a totally different flavor profile to things. We actually squeezed at least half a lemon trying to bring the flavor up to our tastes.

The seafood broth that accompanied this was outstanding; clear, yet full of savory, but not overly "fishy" flavors.

The "I'll have what he's having" dish was the classic Chilean Paila Marina.

Man, the shellfish and crab in this were amazingly fresh, bright, and cooked to perfection. The fish in the "stew" were a bit beyond our preferred doneness. The broth needed the help of some salt and again, to adjust for our taste, a good amount of citrus as it was very light.

I don't remember the price of our meal; but I do recall being amazed at how inexpensive it was. I was also impressed with the friendly and gracious service….I mean, everyone else in the place looked local and yet we were treated like regular customers! When we paid, I left a tip…..the young man, looking quite distressed, made sure to go over the check with me, worried that I didn't understand the currency. We really loved the people here.

Marisqueria Yiyi
Mercado Central
Santiago, Chile

We took a nice leisurely walk back to the hotel…..after all, it was a "dog day Sunday" right?

Parque Forestal was alive with activities; and yet things seemed so relaxed.

If you wanted the children's entertainment; there it was……

If you wanted a nice nap in the grass; well, you could get that too.

Our hotel has an afternoon tea/coffee. I'm thinking there weren't too many folks staying here, slow season and all. So we decided to have nice respite and some coffee. Like I said before, it was like our little, private oasis.

As we had our coffee, we had a chance to chat with the young man who served us. We mentioned how relaxed, laid back, and friendly we found Santiago. He laughed and told us, "it's because today is Sunday….there's no commute, no one is in a rush….there is no competition for space. You should be here on Monday!" I dunno….it might all be relative.

We returned to our room; relaxed and ready for a short nap before "dinner"…..which would be a tour through the various wines of Chile.

Stay Tuned!

Seville – La Azotea (Zaragoza)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And even here there was something dramatic to be seen!

Dordogne – Hitting the Road, Cadouin, and Dinner at Criquettamu’s

July 8, 2016 mmm-yoso Dordogne, France, France, French Restaurants, Travel

While researching our trip it became obvious that we’d need a car to make the most of our trips in and around the Dordogne River Valley. Since this wasn’t some crazy big city I decided to rent a car for a couple of days.

I’d made arrangements for a rental to be picked at the local Europcar office in Sarlat. The process was painless, the folks there quite friendly. As I mentioned when I drove around Crete, almost every car I’ve seen is a “stick”. So I’m glad to have learned to drive in my friend’s 70 ‘Cuda, which had probably the hardest clutch I’ve ever had to use. When on these trips, I think it best to get the smallest, easiest to hande, gas efficient, car you can get. We had a small Peugeot. I also requested a GPS, which was provided. There was one little glitch…..it was in French! So what better way to learn a few words in French, than with your GPS commanding you, “Le Gauche…..La Droite….Sortie….” It was almost like a song….”le gauche, la droite, sortie….le gauche, la droite, sortie”. Basically, to the left, to the right, exit. But of course it sounds much better in French….repeat after me; “le gauche, la droite, sortie…..”

One other thing that threw me off a bit were all the roundabouts….where you gotta know when it’s your turn and then make that quick decision of which exit (Sortie) is yours. There were a few times where we took a lap or two in a roundabout.

As a whole folks were pretty relaxed out here; there’s no freeway, so no one is blasting it down the road. Once I saw an ambulance approach from the back, lights flashing. I just crept over the right. The guys actually smiled and waved at us as they passed!

The payoff was being able to see some of the beautiful countryside. It was like being part of an ever moving painting at times.

I was just trying to get used to driving in the area, so we had no particular place in mind and ended up at this impressive, yet haunting looking church.

Looking at our map we had arrived at Cadouin Abbey, founded in 1115, the church was consecrated in 1154.

Cadouin was once an important pilgrimage destination; to quote “The Abbey became a major pilgrim destination in the Middle Ages because of a piece of cloth thought to be part of the shroud of Jesus Christ. Pilgrims visiting the shroud included Richard the Lionheart and Eleanor of Aquitaine. In the 1930s the cloth was shown to date from the 12th century and the abbey immediately lost its role as a pilgrimage destination”

The Missus, while reading the Michelin Green Guide found that in 1934 two scholars found that the embroidered bands mentioned an emir and caliph who rules Egypt in the 11th and 12th century. Man, you can’t make this kind of stuff up, can you? It kind of looks like the figure to the right has his finger in the air saying, “but wait a minute!!!!”

There was just so much to see, like this quaint little church. This town wasn’t even on our map. The GPS said it was Saint-Avit-Rivière. The Wikipedia page says the “Commune” has a population of 80.

The façade of this church was quite charming.

A few minutes later we passed through a fairy tale like forest; the trees swaying gently above us.

And ended up outside the walls of a town named Monpazier, a well known “Bastide” (fortified) town. The town was founded in 1284 by Edward I of England, basically to command and control the roads and commerce in the area. The Porte Saint Jacques was our entrance to this historic town.

We took a different route back to Sarlat; but it was no less beautiful.

The biggest challenge with the car for me wasn’t the driving, it was finding some parking once we got back to Sarlat. I finally found a spot 5 blocks away from where we were staying.

We walked on over to the restaurant the fellow in the TI recommended to us, by the name of Criquettamu’s. It was a nice place, with small out door seating along the alleyway and a decent sized dining room.

It was a good thing we had made reservations; the place filled up quickly. The menu was “interesting” as it featured some truly French styled dishes, but also some rather strange “International” dishes. The couples on the tables on both sides of us; who spoke French, both ordered “sushi”…..which looked quite bad. It really made me worried about what we had ordered. I needed some wine to calm me down.

This was quite a full bodied wine, with some tannic tones, a nice stone fruit flavor.

When our starter arrived, my doubts about this place increased a bit more. The trilogy of foie gras mi cuit was a bit of a disappointment.

All three were quite dry, almost crumbly. The version poached in red wine tasted a bit off; the best of the lot was the standard foie gras, which was still much too dry for my taste and lacking in flavor. The version stuffed with figs had a strong livery flavor. By far the most disappointing foie gras we had the entire trip.

Just as I ready to write this place off, my Duck Breast with Seared Foie Gras and Morel Mushroom Sauce arrived.

I don’t even remember the potatoes, nor the salad; but that nice, rare duck breast, and melt in your mouth, rich foie gras, topped with a sauce with the earth nutty morels, brought together with a touch of sweetness, this was very nice. The portion size was on the large size and at 24€ (about $28 at the time), this was a bargain.

The Missus’s dish was good, though not spectacular. Instead of the usual Duck Confit; She went with the Goose Confit (18€).

While I thought the skin of the goose could have been a bit more crisp; man was this rich and fatty. The texture of the meat was so velvety and rich, it basically melted in your mouth. I actually thought the flavor was milder than duck.

Overall, we thought the service, while on the slow side was quite nice. We chuckled at the presentation of the food as it looked a bit dated. We enjoyed our entrees, but that foie gras was probably the least favorite version(s) we had on our trip.

**** Criquettamu’s has closed

Criquettamu’s
5 rue Armes
Sarlat-la-Caneda, France

After dinner, we took a final lap around Sarlat-la-Caneda. Come morning we’d be moving on.

The town just seemed to have so much charm and character; we were sorry to be leaving the next morning. But we had a tight schedule to keep.

Thanks for reading!

Tokyo: Shinagawaya Yaesu

July 7, 2016 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Ramen, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

We got into Tokyo mid-afternoon, and proceeded to take the Narita Express to Tokyo Station. We decided to stay in the Nihombashi area fairly close to Tokyo Station. Our apartment was pretty small; like really small, though it had a laundry in the basement (remember the Jingisukan?). So we took care of all of that stuff; got in a short nap. By the time we woke up the sun had set and it was time for dinner. In spite of the hustle and bustle, we really liked this area, it made travel around the city quite easy. Anyway, with my trusty pocket wifi, I looked up our first option on my map; some Oden sounded great, but there was a huge line at Otako Honten. Plan B, grab some yakitori from Isehiro, but they were strangely closed down for the night. Plan C? I dunno….. I guess we'd grab some ramen from this little shop.

Boy did they like the signs and the posters….and the lamps! Even inside. The young lady working was a joy, very friendly, and patient.

Anyway, we ordered the Max #1 ramen, large size for me, a negi gohan, and onsen tamago for the Missus who'd of course share some of my ramen.

Man, that was shredded scallion allright….with some nice pieces of pork and a quail egg.

This was actually pretty tasty as they sauced the rice. Plus, the Missus loved the egg.

The ramen was different from other versions I've had.

That broth was really fatty, the texture was almost like oil. It had some definite chicken tones and some porkiness as well….but good lord it was so rich to be almost greasy. It also bordered on being quite salty. Good thing it was quite hot or we'd have some sludge on our hands. That egg was quite good, nice flavor, and nicely soft boiled. I really enjoyed the noodles which were fairly thick, a bit flat, but had been prepared to a wonderful pull and chew. I don't know why places here in San Diego have such a hard time getting it right, when this random ramen place on the corner here in Tokyo nailed it? The pork was a bit on the chewy side, but had decent flavor.

The quail egg and the spinach was an interesting touch. Walking back to the apartment, I suddenly realized we'd just had Yokohama style Iekei Ramen. I remembered reading about the shop that spawned this style of ramen, Yoshimura in Yokohama. And the thing that really made this place a legend was that the owners of Yoshimura-ya actually gave away the recipe to anyone who wanted it!

This was actually pretty good, if a bit too greasy and salty for my taste. No complaints for a random ramen shop we found.

Sorry about the address; I couldn't find a Romanized version of it.

Shinagawaya Yaesu
八重洲2-3-9
Chūō, 東京都〒103-0028, Japan

We walked back to the apartment with warm bellies. Tomorrow would be a rather early day as we were heading to Kamakura.

Thanks for reading!

Dordogne – Market Day in Sarlat-la-Caneda and Beer From Bière de Sarlat

July 2, 2016 mmm-yoso Beer, Cheese, Dordogne, France, France, Markets & Grocers, Travel

Hope you're having a great Saturday. I thought I'd share what our Saturday morning was like in Sarlat. It started with a huge breakfast at our B&B.

Man, there's no way we'd be able to have lunch after this!

We left the B&B and headed up Avenue Thiers, which, after crossing a pedestrian only stretch, became the main street of the town; Rue de la République. It was still a bit early at 8am; the vendors usually open at about 830. Still, it was a nice and relaxing stroll up the street.

Where you could glimpse of all of those food products that the Dordogne is famous for.

Though there's not just food for sale here……

The Missus actually bought a little wooden nut cracker in the shape of a mushroom. She loved the walnuts in Dordogne and would crack them one-by-one savoring each bite!

The market actually takes up the entire length of the street and then stretches into Place de la Liberte and up side streets.

I can see why this market is also popular with the local residents; you can get it all here.

By 9am, things had picked up significantly.

And the crowds kept on growing.

I took time to stop and smell the fromage!

Behind the huge doors of the former Church of Saint Marie resides another covered market and a panoramic elevator which wasn't in service yet when we arrived. Plus, there were too large a crowd here anyway.

We took our time, exploring the side streets and alleyways; which looked totally different from the previous day.

You could make out a literal buzz in the air! It was only 10am and we needed a break. So, using a technique we learned in Rome, we sought out the Cathedral of St Sacerdos also known as Sarlat Cathedral, to escape the crowds and noise.

The TI is steps away from the Cathedral, so we decided to take a look and grab a map.

This is where I really started getting an understanding of folks in, at least this area of France. We stood in line and the very pleasant young man got us a map. As we were turning to leave, I happened to ask the young man for a dinner recommendation; a place he enjoys. He smiled and opened another map and started going over his favorite spots in town, cheerfully pointing them out. I looked at the line forming behind me with some concern. He smiled at us and said; "do not worry, I take my time with you, and all our customers." I got it! We'd have this experience a couple of times more during our trip. Ask a question, and many times, the folks in France will want to give you the most perfect, complete answer. The young man actually called one of the places to make dinner reservations for us, but there was no answer. He then marked the way to the place so we could walk over at our leisure and make reservations. Coming back to the states, it seemed that we're in too much of a rush and when someone has a question we'll often give, not the best answer, but the easiest and the shortest.

By now, things were going full tilt.

Remember the bronze statue of a boy sitting named "Le Badaud", the Onlooker, that I mentioned in my previous post? I was wondering what he was looking at. Well, I'm pretty sure it's the crowds on market day (see above photo).

It was just past 11 now and we were feeling a bit peckish. We decided to grab some cheese, a baguette, and find the quiet place to eat.

There was one fromage stand that was doing great business, so I decided to get into the queue and pick up some cheese for us.

After getting our cheese and bread, we decided to walk on over to the restaurant the fellow in the TI recommended to us and make dinner reservations which was located in the tiny side streets west of Rue de la République. Things were a lot quieter here. As we left, I mentioned that there was a brewery nearby; located one street above République.

The place was quite easy to find; just follow the signs.

And you'll literally walk into; well; for lack of a better phrase, a medieval nano-brewery.

I was told that they make all of their beer on premises! No bright stainless steel kettles here.

What the heck; we bought a bottle of the Blonde. She got us a bottle without a label and charged us less…..

Bière Artisanale de Sarlat
2 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Sarlat-la-Caneda, France

We skirted the crowds by heading south, around the market areas, finding the Jardin Public, above the busy parking lots, this was a nice, quiet little oasis.

We had our baguette and cheese; one a typical, light Cabécou, the other two, aged, one of them with a fine coat of ash and mold. Both were nice a creamy; though not too pungent. Quite easy to eat.

We wrapped what we had left and saved it for later.

We took a 'roundabout way back to the room. Taking time to enjoy the architecture.

And to meet some of "the locals".

We stopped by our room, freshened up and headed back out. It was time to pick up our car rental. Now things were going to get interesting…….

Thanks for reading!

Sapporo – Breakfast and the Wonderfulness of New Chitose Airport

July 1, 2016 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Breakfast/Brunch, Hokkaido, Travel

After dinner at Hyousetsu no Mon, we decided to take our time walking back to our hotel. There was a wonderful, crisp chill in the air, and for some reason, a holiday feeling that just kind of resonated. Folks were out and about enjoying the Christmas lights and displays in Odori Park. I guess this is why we decided to visit Sapporo. It was just joyfully chill; both figuratively and literally.

Odori Park sure was lit up brightly with a number of displays. There's just something about this place that felt right.

On an interesting note; we really enjoyed the snacks in Sapporo….man, all the shops and samples really lured us in. We bought so many snacks for my MIL, that we had them shipped to her from the Post Office here in Sapporo!

We slept well and awoke the next morning refreshed; though not quite ready to leave.

The Missus had what She has deemed Her favorite breakfast buffet. No kidding…..look at what She ate!

She had always said that shiokara was one of the worst things She's ever eaten. And yet, do you see it on one of Her plates! Apparently things have changed!

I was going to miss the black bean natto, which I loved.

Man, what a breakfast.

We checked out and left a bit early for New Chitose Airport. For some reason, it's one of our favorite airports. It's not super huge, but there are a ton of shops.

With tons of food!

Just in case you needed to pick up some seafood for that person you forgot about……

I think one of the reasons we loved the airport were the easily accessible lockers and all the samples.

There's this one chocolate corn snack that I just loved……melon flavor….I know…me…mister I-don't-really-like-sweets. But man, that was so good. We'd arrived early so we could check out Hokkaido Ramen Dojo in the airport. But ended up stuffed by all the samples folks kept handing to us, that we were too full.

That will have to wait for the next time we're here.

I'm thinking it will be a matter of when; not if.

Before we knew it; we were on our flight, on JetStar Airlines.

Next stop: Tokyo!

Sapporo – The “Crab Course” Meal From Hyousetsu no Mon

June 29, 2016 mmm-yoso Hokkaido, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Seafood, Travel

Even though we had eaten and drank well in Otaru, there was one last, rather expensive, blowout meal that we had scheduled in Sapporo. In need of working up an appetite, we strolled around Sapporo for a while. Passing places like the Clock Tower (時計台, Tokeidai), which is a very Western style building. The clock was installed in 1881, by E. Howard & Company of Boston. Theclock in the tower still runs.

The Missus loves crab, I have never seen anyone destroy a pile of crab with speed and efficiency like the Missus and Her Cousins. So I decided on what I read was he oldest crab specialty restaurant in Sapporo; Hyousetsu-no-Mon. Located in the Susukino district, we had made reservations on our first evening in Sapporo. We had a rather difficult time finding the place the first time and we headed over a bit early just in case we got a bit lost. Funny story about our reservation. The restaurant is multi-level deal, you have to find the level with the front desk, which we did. The studious looking gentleman behind the front desk was very professional and serious looking. He spoke decent English and we worked out a time for our reservation. Then he took down my name…..with a big look of surprise….then a huge smile, "Aaaah, Xxxxxxxxx-san, Xxxxxxxxx-san!" He was so friendly, like a different person. He didn't think I was Japanese! He then wrote my name down in the book and showed it to me. Now, I'd never, ever seen my family name written in Japanese, so I just smiled and nodded. By this time, the Missus was cracking up!

The Missus couldn't help but laugh when we walked up to the reception desk, and the gentleman saw me and called out a greeting!

We were taken to one of the private rooms. The woman serving us was probably in her 60's, but was amazingly efficient. While walking to the restroom, I saw the youngers girls trying to keep up with her. When she slide open the door, I looked at the table and went "oh-oh". I dread having to sit on the floor, it's just an accident waiting to happen. Luckily, the floor below the table was sunken. Whew.

I had ordered the Live Hairy Crab and King Crab Course for the Missus (13,000¥ – about $125/US) and the King Crab Full Course (9,300¥ – about $90/US) for me.

Of course you needed sake; we started with something from Otokoyama, the kuniyoshi nona torizake (1,010¥ – about $10). A nice, crisp, and clean tasting sake.

While we met our guest of honor.

And the appetizer course arrived.

Man, we loved the crab roe!

The Sashimi Course was three hairy crab legs

So sweet, if a bit on the chewy side.

And a nice crab claw.

I gotta say, the King Crab Claw meat has maybe the best flavor of all the pieces I had. It was really sweet and had a very clean taste.

Then a portable stove and hot pot was delivered to our table.

We were both given King Crab Legs and some vegetables for the hot pot. This was nice, but no big deal. We just made sure not to cook the legs too much. For some reason, I thought the hot pot broth tasted quite good on its own.

The grilled king crab was nice, with rich, smoky touches, and quite delicious.

Then came what I call the Missus's course; the steamed hairy crab. I let Her have all of it; She does love Her crab.

While I ordered Chitosetsuru Junmai-Daiginjo (1,375¥ – about $14/US). Floral, on the light side.

While my steamed King Crab Legs arrived.

Rich and buttery, nice clean flavors.

Up next were the tempura courses; which both the Missus and I thought were light and crisp, but nothing especially distinctive.

The next two courses weren't our favorites. The crab in a vinegar sauce was too sour and you couldn't make out anything.

The King Crab Gratin was a bit too rich for us and you really couldn't make out any crab. It was quite filling though.

Our last sake was our favorite, simply called Maruta (935¥ – about $9/US). Considered one of the best examples of Ginpu (a sake rice grown on Hokkaido) Junmaishu.

Crisp with an interesting tongue feel.

I wasn't too sure about the Crab Nigiri, but it was quite good, served Aburi (torched) style, which helped to develop the flavors and texture.

We both enjoyed the final course, which was an egg drop porridge. It helped to finish things off and really did have that "aaah" factor.

And the serving was quite generous.

The nice palate cleansing sorbet was the dessert.

This was quite a meal. You'd think we'd be stuffed. But because of the pacing, both the Missus and I, while full, didn't feel like we were bursting at the seams. The service was excellent. While I don't think we'll be doing this again, it was a fun experience and we were glad we did it.

Hyosetsu-no-Mon
Minami 5 Jonishi
Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

We really enjoyed our time in Sapporo and were kind of sad to be leaving the next day. So we took the long way back to the hotel……

Dordogne – Our Arrival in Sarlat-la-Caneda and Dinner at Bistrot l’Adresse

June 27, 2016 mmm-yoso Dordogne, France, France, French Restaurants, Travel

At one point in time, I had thought of ending our vacation France in Bordeaux. But one item on the Missus's Bucket list was a visit to the Lascaux Cave, so I went ahead and did a bit of research, and found that the Dordogne region was full of medieval cities, beautiful vistas, and villages cut into the cliffs and crags. When I read that most important food products of the region are walnuts, truffle, duck (!), goose (!!), and foie gras….stop right there, that's enough….we were going for sure. Plus, I'd read that the Saturday Market Day was something not to be missed. And to make things even sweeter, the Missus didn't seem to keen on Lascaux II, a replica of the original cave which has been closed to the public, so I found the only site in France with polychrome cave paintings that is still open to the public!

Getting to Sarlat from Bordeaux was a snap. It was a half mile walk downhill from the train station to our accommodation, a wonderful little B&B named Chambres d'Hôtes L'Unique. The place is run by a very charming and warm couple; the wife speaks only French and Spanish, and the husband some English. I believe there are only two spacious and charming rooms. We enjoy our privacy so staying at B&B's sometimes cramps our style, but this place was wonderful. We were given a key to the front entrance and could come and go as we please.

We got a nice recommendation for dinner and the breakfast (in a future post) was amazing!

Chambres d'hôtes l'Unique
20 Avenue Thiers
Sarlat-la-Canéda, France

Another plus was that the place was a few blocks from the center of Sarlat, but still far enough from the hustle and bustle (all relative of course), which we'd appreciate the next day.

To say that Sarlat charming is an understatement; with lovely cobblestone streets, meandering alleys, the Gothic and Renaissance stylings of the buildings, there's the feeling that you're breathing in the rarefied air of a medieval market town.

One that's filled with and endless assortment of Foie Gras Shops……

Which are everywhere. Find a picturesque square; this one is Place de la Liberte, and you'll know why Sarlat has been used as the backdrop for so many movies; like Ever After; The Musketeer, Timeline, Chocolat, and the Duellists.

And without a doubt you will run into another Foie Gras shop.

Or two……

Folks, this sign is no joke.

I Googled "how many foie gras shops in Sarlat" and I guess even the Internet didn't want to hazard a guess.

Look close enough and you'll start to notice interesting pieces of public art; like this bronze statue of a boy sitting above Place de la Liberte, named "Le Badaud", the Onlooker. We'd find out just what he was looking at the next day; during the Saturday Market.

We just kind of wandered around with no objective in sight; other than to make dinner reservations at a place recommended by the owner of the B&B. That was done quickly; which left us to our own devices; roaming the quiet alleyways of Sarlat.

It was a tranquil Friday afternoon. It seems that most of the day-trippers had headed back to their accommodations, resting up for the Saturday swarm. Every so often you'll come something like this medieval courtyard; Cour des Fontaines, with, of course a fountain, a remnant of an Abbey that was located on this site in the 14th century.

Or the Lanternes des morts (Lantern of the Dead). In 1147 St Bernard blessed the bread in Sarlat, an event called the "the miracle of the healing loaves" when the ill and infirm ate the bread and were healed. Though I've heard a couple of other stories about this distinct and very interesting structure which is one of the oldest in Sarlat.

They say "water is life" and this fountain, which flowed out of a tiny grotto was built in the 12th century, and for centuries the La fontaine Sainte-Marie was the main water source for Sarlat.

You can see that the Virgin Mary is still standing guard, protecting the water.

And then there's this square.

Named "Place de Oies", yep you guessed it, "Square of the Geese". Geese are actually traded here on market days between November thru March.

We'd worked up an appetite walking around, so it was time to head to dinner. We had walked over to Bistrot l’Adresse earlier and made reservations for dinner. Lucky thing too as the place filled up quite quickly.

Our Server was very nice, even though she was slammed, always had a smile for us. We had the middle table on the porch, which we really enjoyed as it was quite a lovely day. There were two combinations of a three course prix fixe dinner menu to choose from; so we selected one of each.

As for wine, we couldn't decide on a white or a red; so we got both. The white to start out with the first course and a red to follow. Since the place was super busy and popular, even with locals it seemed, we'd just relax and have a nice leisurely dinner, something that seems to be lost here in the States.

We are of course Asian, so we basically shared everything; passing plates back and forth, and had a great time.

After seeing all those foie gras signs, you know what we had to start with right? The foie gras mi cuit of course!

Along with the date chutney, this was totally delici-yoso! I mean really good; fairly light yet rich, amazing texture. Yes, I do call it Basque Butter as it seemed like the folks in Basque country treat it as a birthright. But perhaps I need to find some other name for this…..like "Dordogne Delight"?

Loved the simple, yet refreshing Salade de Gesiers de Canard Magret Fume.

Basically, a wonderful green salad topped with amazingly tender duck gizzards (Gesiers de Canard ) and tasty cured duck breast (Magret Fume). I could eat this everyday.

Loved the Magret de Canard which was served wrapped in a crepe/filo dough. Really moist, great flavors from all the herbs.

The potatoes; Pommes Sarladaises; "Sarlat Potatoes", were quite rich and delicious. From what I've read; this classic rendition of potatoes is made with only Goose Fat, Garlic, salt, and Pepper. What more do you really need?

The Tarte de Confit de Canard; which is actually in the back of this photo was good, but it really didn't grab us like the other entrée.

As for desserts….well, I'm not much of a dessert guy…unless one of them is cheese!

A nice, local Cabécou, mild, milky, with a nice finish.

The Missus just loved the Pistachio Ice Cream as it wasn't too sweet.

The prices weren't too bad at 22 Euros per person, the Chateau de la Jaubertie was 19 Euros, while the Clos Montalbanie was 20. Overall, this might have been our favorite meal while in Dordogne.

Bistrot l’Adresse
8 Rue du 8 Mai 1945
Sarlat-la-Caneda, France

We left fat and happy and took our time walking back to our room.

As darkness fell, the city, the only one lit by gas lamps in France; seems quite romantic under the warm glow.

This is what I'd always thought France would be like.

Thanks for reading!