Travel – Page 86

Honolulu: Keeaumoku Seafood

August 15, 2013 mmm-yoso Hawaiian Food, Honolulu, Oahu, Poke, Travel

Man, I didn't even notice I hadn't done this post….time to catch up!

After returning from the Big Island, we had maybe a full day to get our grinds in….the Missus wanted to make the most of it and I had wanted to check out Keeaumoku Seafood, and tiny shop just mauka of Beretania Street. Oh….yes, in case you didn't know, we never used East-West-North-South while I was growing up, in fact, I was kind of confused with those directions when I first started working, then living on the mainland. Back "home" we use "mauka", toward the mountains, or "makai" towards the ocean.

Anyway, the shop it a tiny one with barely a handful of parking spaces right in front of it. Funny, I still remember when Nippon Theatre was across the street from here….man am I getting old!

Anyway…we wen' score one of the spaces right in front of the place.

From the cold case, it seems that this place makes poke in small batches, which is not a bad thing. The poke did look a bit dried out as well, but we weren't here for poke. There was a rather stern mannered Korean woman working and a very sweet young lady who was Filipino. She really did a nice job putting together our plate.

I'd really come here for one thing…….this:

No…it's not the brown rice, ok? The Missus did insist on that to counter-act the rich and wonderful fried Ahi Belly. Man was this good! A slight resistance before melting away in your mouth. This being Ahi, not Aku, the flavor wasn't too strong for the Missus.

You also get an order of poke with the Ahi Belly. I chose the sesame oil poke, which was coated with masago. sadly, it wasn't very good. The fish was tough and this was strangely lacking in flavor.

The Missus really wanted to balance out the scales and we ended up going to Whole Foods in Kahala, where She built a massive salad. We had our meal at one of the tables right outside the market.

Man, we're still talking about that Ahi Belly…….

Keeaumoku Seafood
1223 Keeaumoku St
Honolulu, HI 96814

Rhodes Town (Greece): Palace of the Grand Masters and a cup of espresso

August 4, 2013 mmm-yoso Greece, Greek Food, Rhodes, Seafood, Travel

*** Nothing but a cup of coffee in this one. We'll have a new post with more food tomorrow.

Compared to the busy and buzzing late mornings and afternoons, the walled Old Town of Rhodes seemed quite tranquil and relaxed in the morning. The Mediterranean sun shone brightly on the streets even at 7 am! Busy Ippokratous Square seemed downright tranquil.

The Kastellania Fountain is one of the Old Town's landmark as is the usually packed Kastellania Stairs, which date back to 1507, which used to lead up to, duh, Kastellania Palace.

Walking around Rhodes Town during this time of day you're able to see the usual tourist filled town in a new light (no pun intended).

Walking within the rather formidable walls of the old town, you start understanding the history and importance of this medieval city, once the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The commercial and strategic location of Rhodes means a long and colorful history as well as the island was in turn ruled by the Greeks, Roman, Isaurians, Arabs, Genoese, Ottoman, Italians, finally back to the Greeks. None of these captured my imagination more than the Knights of St John and no walk created more drama for me than an early morning wander up the Street of the Knights. This was where the Knights lived, you can find the "Inn of France", the "Inn of Italy" and so on. The Knights were divided into eight "tongues" – Aragon, Auvergne, Castile, England, France, Germany, Italy, and Provence. Each had their role and a "gate" of the city for which they held responsibility.

The road originally led up from the harbour to the Palace of the Grand Masters, an impressive structure. You can almost imagine knights on horseback galloping out the gates.

It is so large that I had a hard time trying to fit it in a single photo. This castle like structure was built in the 14th century on the site of an ancient temple to the god Helios. This was where the Grand Master of the order of the Knight Hospitaller lived. When the Ottomans defeated the Knights it became a prison and storage for ammunition. This lead to the event called the "Great Gunpowder Explosion of 1856", when lightning triggered an explosion which basically demolished the structure. When the Italians took over Rhodes, they rebuilt the palace, which became a vacation residence for Mussolini. There's actually a plaque near the entrance with Mussolini on it….sort of "Mussolini slept here" I guess. I took a photo but it didn't come out.

The photo that did come out was of the rather grand stairway in the palace.

I was told that most of what is located in the "museum" does not reflect the "Knights", rather the mosaics and art were taken from Kos and were brought here by the Italians as was the antique furniture.

Still, the place is quite an impressive site.

So what happened to the Knight of St John after their defeat at the hands of the Ottoman Turks? Well, the Knights, badly outnumbered made a spirited defense, so it is thought that Suleiman the Magnificent, allowed them to ransom themselves and leave Rhodes. Where did they go? Well, take a look to the right and I'm sure you'll figure it out. This simple display also served as inspiration for one of the stops in our most recent vacation.

We left the palace and just a short walk down the street you can see one of the remnants of the Ottoman occupation.

The Suleyman Mosque. This was also where we first saw this rather eccentric tourist. She was a very thin Taiwanese woman, who looked to be in her mid forties. She carried this really dinky looking mini-tripod with a camera attached. Every few steps she'd place the tripod on the ground and click a button and run up the steps do a "pose" just before the camera and flash went off. A couple yards later….she'd do the same thing. The Missus and I walked past her just cracking up. We just had to get out of there, so we ducked out St George's gate. As we exited the Old Town we walked over the area that must have been the former moat. It had been replaced by a nice green area.

We wandered around the "New Town" a bit. Through some of the shops and markets, just getting a feel for the area. Man, I was running low on gas, so the Missus suggested we get a cup of espresso.

Not as good as Tunisia, but it did the trick. I was ready to head on back out in the sun drenched streets of Rhodes Town.

Thanks for reading!

Lisbon Day 3: Dinner at Santo Antonio de Alfama

August 2, 2013 mmm-yoso Lisbon, Portugal, Portuguese Food, Travel

It seemed that I had planned well. This was our third evening in Lisbon and we had pretty much seen and done all we wanted to do. We were itching to move on. We loved Lisbon's vibe, relaxed, yet a large city. we adored the history, the colors, the great mass transit system, but it was definitely time.

Our last evening was a Sunday and from what I had read, it can be rather slim pickins' on Sunday in the very Catholic city. So I had planned ahead. Hearing good things about a restaurant located in the tangled maze of streets that is historic Alfama, I made reservation for dinner at Santo Antonio de Alfama.

We'd already wandered through the winding, tangled streets of Alfama the day before, so we decided to leave early, just in case we unable to find our restaurant. Amazingly, I followed the graffiti and we found the place….waaaay too early. So we circled back and took the opportunity to visit the Sé, or Cathedral of Lisbon, which is a rather imposing structure originally built in 1150 on the site of a former Mosque. We arrived to late to visit the Gothic Cloister which lead to current excavations of Roman ruins. So we just walked around the large interior. I was really taken by the rose window on the west side of the cathedral.

After a short visit we decided to walk on back to the restaurant and just wait. The streets can indeed be confusing. The restaurant we had reservations at, Santo Antonio de Alfama is located at number 7 Beco de Sao Miguel. It's easy enough to confuse that with Restaurant San Miguel d'Alfama, which is also located at number 7 Rua de Sao Miguel. Yikes!

The restaurant is located right across from São Miguel Church, which was under going some construction at the time of our visit. We sat on the stairs leading down to the church and watched kids playing soccer in the streets. It was a nice relaxing moment in time.

The restaurant itself features a small and charming courtyard, though it was still a bit too cold to be eating outside.

At just before the opening time of 730pm….yes, this is Portugal, dinner starts at 730 or 8, we walked over and took a look at the menu and started to make a gameplan.

When the doors opened we entered. The interior is dark and warm, with pictures of actors, actresses, and other celebrities lining the walls. We were given an excellent table….well, for us it was perfect as it faced the window of the courtyard.

We were glad to have made reservations. Every table in view was reserved. We'd watch as folks walked up to the menu in the courtyard, then enter and try to get a table and were turned away. Even though the place was still half empty when we left, we found this typical of Portugal and even Rome. Folks are never rushed. Dinner is something to be enjoyed and savored.

As mentioned before, there's the selection of "appetizers" delivered. If you eat, you pay….and this being our last evening in Lisbon, we ate.

I'm not sure if you've noticed in my cooking posts, but the Missus minimizes gluten intake….I think it actually makes Her even more sensitive to it when She does have it, but whatever. On this evening She did enjoy the bread. Personally, I loved the fried potato skins. I'm not sure what they use as fertilizer for their spuds, and maybe I don't want to know, but these were really delicious…..yes, basically fried thick potato peels. A crunch on the exterior, meeting a moist potato interior, with just the right amount of salt. Sadly, this was second best item of the entire evening.

The best were the wimple roasted Padron Peppers.

Sweet, thin skinned, tender to the point of nearly melting in your mouth, with just the right amount of salt, this was very nice.

The Fried Runner Beans on the other hand were not so well prepared.

Greasy with mushy batter ruined the dish for us. This also lacked a proper amount of seasoning for our tastes.

The Missus did enjoy the Red and Yellow Pepper Soup with Prawn.

Which She said was lovely. The flavor of the yellow pepper puree and the red pepper puree were completely different, thus really keeper Her interest in the dish.

What didn't keep Her interest was the Pork Black Sausage with Sauteed Turnip Tops and Potatoes.

To me, the blood sausage was on the mushy side and veyr mild in terms of seasoning. It was also quite large, making for monotonous eating after a few bites. The turnip tops were ok, but really tasted like something I'd make at home. The potatoes were deep fried before being added to the greens and were delish.

I went with the Roasted Salt Cod with Roasted Potatoes and Sauteed Turnip Tops.

So, if you're keeping score, it's been four bacalhau dishes in three days, pretty good I think. The bacalhau was a bit too salty for me, the garlic almost burnt and bitter. The potatoes were good, though it could have done with a bit more olive oil and salt. The turnip tops were the same as the Missus.

The service was good, hitting a nice balance of being there at our table and leaving us alone to have a nice dinner. Figuring that dinner, with wine was over 70 Euros, I'm not sure this was really worth it. Still, it was Lisbon on a Sunday night.

Santo Antonio de Alfama
Beco de Sao Miguel 7
Lisbon, Portugal

Funny, as we walked back….yes, now tram for us, we walked to and from Alfama. The Missus and I talked about how much we really enjoyed Lisbon the city, but maybe not the food. By far, my favorite two meals was a simple Bifana and a beer for breakfast and roasted suckling pig and a beer, also for breakfast. All our other meals were decent to good, but nothing really great. Our eating fortunes would soon change as we were headed to Evora in the morning!

Thanks for reading!

Lisbon Day 3: Belem – Monument to the Discoveries(Padrão dos Descobrimentos) and lunch at Restaurante Rosa dos Mares

July 20, 2013 mmm-yoso Lisbon, Portugal, Portuguese Food, Seafood, Travel

Right across the street from the Monastery de Jeronimos is Praca do Imperio, a large well manicured public square that features a beautiful fountain and a nice view of the monastery.

Heading toward the water and crossing under Avenida de Brasilia, you get to the waterfront. You really can't miss Padrão dos Descobrimentos, the Monument to the Discoveries, which celebrates Portugal's glory during the Age of Discovery. This was where all those great sailing ships left from.

Originally, a temporary structure was built on this spot for the 1940 World's Fair. That structure was demolished in 1943. In 1958, a permanent structure was planned and in 1960, marking the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator, the structure was completed.

By the way, that's Henry the Navigator leading the way at the point of the structure.

There are 33 figures total on the structure's West and East sides, which include Vasco da Gama, Alfonso the V, and Ferdinand Magellan. Sad, but true story of a recent conversation with a rather young, but highly educated young man. Chatting about our vacation, I mentioned the Age of Discovery; total blank look. I finally said, "you know Magellan, right?" "Of course, he's the person who invented the GPS, right?" Sigh…….

Anyway, Henry the Navigator is holding a sailing ship in his hands…….

It costs a couple of Euros to catch the elevator almost all the way to the top. You walk a couple of flights from there. It's a tight squeeze, but the view is wonderful. The photo of Jerónimos Monastery in my previous post was taken from there.

Here's another panoramic shot of Lisbon and the "25th of April" Bridge in the background (click to enlarge).

We had planned on taking the short ferry ride across the river to Porto Brandao, but having just missed the boat, we decided to just catch the trolley back to Central Lisbon to get something to eat. While walking to the trolley stop we noticed a promising looking restaurant called Restaurante Rosa dos Mares.

The server was very friendly and nice and there was a mix of tourists and locals in the shop. It was interesting, the locals ate in the back of the place while the tourists ate in the front.

The prices really weren't bad and of course the Missus wanted more sardines.

The Missus started with, duh, Caldo Verde (E 1.25), which She enjoyed….though I don't think She's ever met a bowl of Caldo Verde She didn't like!

For some reason, She really took to this simple potato thickened soup with greens.

Of course no real meal is complete without some Vinho Verde, right?

She also got here Sardinas Assadas, grilled sardines (E 6).

These were nicely done, better than what we had at Super Mario's. Moist, nice oil, rich, but not too fishy, good grilled flavor. There's something about the potatoes in Portugal…..it seemed like they had a more intense flavor. Maybe it was just being on vacation.

I got something called Bacalhao Rosa dos Mares (E 12).

Like they say, there's a recipe for Bacalhau for every meal of every day of the week. This was another one for the books. Basically nicely fried bacalhau topped withonions and peppers caramelized in vinegar. A tad too sweet for me, but the texture of the fish was nice and it wasn't too salty. The service was friendly, the Server helpful, and the food not bad.

Restaurante Rosa dos Mares
Rua de Belem 2-4
Lisbon, Portugal

After lunch we headed back to central Lisbon, getting off at Praca do Comerico and taking a walk back to our room/apartment.

As with all trips to large cities, Lisbon had seemed so large upon our arrival, but was shrinking as every day passed. Still, we weren't too sure we'd be able to to find the restaurant where we'd be having dinner, which was located in the tiny, winding, streets of Alfama. One last meal in Lisbon before heading on to our next stop.

Lisbon Day 3: Belem – Casa Pasties de Belem and the Monastery of Jeronimos

July 19, 2013 mmm-yoso Desserts, Lisbon, Portugal, Portuguese Food, Travel

On our third day in Lisbon we took a little trip to Bethlehem, no not that Bethlehem, or even that Bethlehem…… Santa Maria de Belem, or just Belem is a district of Lisbon. Belem is translated as Bethlehem in Portuguese, but don't let the name fool you, it's not some quaint Biblical village. Rather , this is where the great explorers during the Age of Discovery, Ferdinand Magellan and Vasco de Gama set sail. Belem district is beset by museums, a large garden, and monuments galore. It is about three miles from downtown Lisbon, so hoofing it would be a bit far; even for the Missus. The Missus unable to resist a "good deal", decided that Sunday would be the day to go since admission to the museums are free on that day. I'm usually a bit wary of large crowds, but didn't want to miss stuff like this:

Or this (click on them to enlarge):

So we made sure to get to the #15B trolley stop at Praca de Figueira rather early, in relative terms since Jeronimos Monastery doesn't open until 10. We're glad that we caught the trolley from Praca de Figueria. By the time the trolley made it to Praca do Comercio it was packed solid and just skipped the stop with a crowd of unhappy people waiting.

Getting off the trolley in front of the Monastery de Jeronimos, we didn't enter right away, instead we walked over a block to the place I really wanted to visit, the legendary Casa Pastéis de Belém. If you're after the "original" Pastel de Nata, which you should call Pasties de Belem here, or be lynched, you need to visit Casa Pastéis de Belém. According to the story, the original pasties de Belem recipe was created by two nuns in Mosteiro dos Jeronimos (Monastery of Jeronimos) and only served in the monastery until 1837 when this shop was established several priests. Since Belem was a central port, the fame of these egg tarts spread to all the Portuguese colonies across the world. If you know my twisted priorities, you'd understand how important it was to check this place out.

Since it was still before the 10 o'clock hour, when all the tourists and visitors would be hitting the area for free admission day, the place was buzzing but not crazy. We decided to do the "local thing" for a quick bite; order at the counter, then move over and eat at the counter standing up, which we'd grown fond of.

While waiting for our espresso and pasteis de Belem I took a walk around the rather maze0like interior of the shop.

Returning to the Missus we had a funny moment; the gentleman to the right in in the photo above was having some pasties with his wife. His wife grabbed the shaker of cinnamon and shook out a mushroom cloud of it on her pastry, causing the gentleman to cough and give her a rather dirty look. The woman could only laugh in amusement. He looked at me, I could only laugh and make the sound "poof", making the motion like a bomb exploding….he shook his head and laughed.

So how were these? Without a doubt the best we had on the entire trip! The pastry was served warm. Even though I read that it should be served cold; I disagree, these were wonderful warm. The crust was light and crisp, the custard wasn't too sweet and was relatively light….it seemed just perfect with a sprinkle (not a mushroom cloud) of cinnamon on it.

There's a reason this place goes through 10,000 a day and locals and tourists alike stand in line for these….they are delici-yoso!

Like most "legendary/cult" favorites there are stories about the the recipe. Supposedly this recipe is a closely held secret, known by only three people. According to Leite's Culinaria, the custard is made in a locked room! Unlike other places we've tried with "secret kitchens/recipes" (i.e. Crustacean) this place delivered. Business was really picking up when we left.

Casa Pastéis de Belém
Rua de Belem 84
Lisbon, Portugal

After this, I was ready to get on that trolley and head back to Lisbon proper….but of course, we weren't leaving without seeing the Jerónimos Monastery.

If you're a fan of ornate and elaborate Manueline Architecture, there's no better example than Jerónimos Monastery.

I recall walking the arched walkways in awe. Eventually, it just seemed like so much excess, just over-the-top……then the Missus looked at me and said, "somebody had to pay for this….." Which was true, the monastery was funded with a 5% tax on commerce from Asia and the Orient.

I will say that the place is one big photo opportunity.

I did want to see the main chapel for one main reason. It was Sunday so services were being held. They did a nice job of handling things. We stood in line and some really nice attendants let us in a few at a time.

The interior of the main chapel is quite ornate. There was one thing I wanted to see. The great explorer, Vasco da Gama is buried here. His tomb is located in the lower choir area.

I remember writing a paper on Vasco da Gama when in elementary school, so this was one of those "meeting history" moments for me.

There's a bunch of museums in the area, but this was all we came to see. We had made some additional plans though…..

Stay tuned.

Saturday Stuffs: What going on with the old Zion Marketplace (U Mart?), where Voltero’s is moving to. Blue Korea House? I hadn’t even noticed. how I pack for 3 weeks of travel and a Xiang Chun Ya update.

July 13, 2013 mmm-yoso Cooking, Korean Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Pizza, Travel

Here's a far ranging edition of Saturday Stuffs for you.

U Mart? What's U Mart?:

I had been wondering what was happening with the old Zion Marketplace site. I don't recall seeing some of the old food court shops in the new Zion and thought perhaps they were hold-outs? So imagine my surprise when I drove past that location and saw this:

No, there weren't any businesses in the empty shell of a location, but what was U Mart? After calling around a bit, the best info I could find was that the folks behind First Korean Market will be running this place. Not sure why "U Mart" for a Korean Market….but I guess "K Mart" is already taken, right?

4611 Mercury St
San Diego, CA 92111
Between Engineer Rd and Dagget St

Where Voltero's is popping up:

Not sure if you folks have noticed, but that strip mall on Balboa where Einstein Bagels used to be is going to become a Chipotle and a Five Guys. I was wondering what happened to Voltero's? I did a post on the cheeseseals there, during my cheesesteak round-up that started in 2010. Voltero's is pretty much your generic neighborhood pizza joint, nothing amazing, but they had a pretty loyal following, and if I recall were owned by local folks.

So I was fairly pleased to see this sign when I ate at Szechuan Chef.

4344 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

It's now Blue Korea House:

Did you even notice?

Haven't been here in over a decade, as I didn't care for the food. An acquaintance of mine used to call this "Baegin-gyp", 'nuff said.

Anyone eat here since the change?

4620 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

What I wear for three weeks of travel:

"David" emailed me about my comment on only taking about 6-7 kilos in a carry-on for over three weeks of travel. He asked how much did I really pack….well, other than what I wore, that was it. If we didn't have a couple of more formal dinners, I'd have lost the two dress shirts. I was actually going to take a jacket, but didn't in the end. I use Eagle Creek packing cubes and a packing folder. I went for it and actually used a $30 Campmor Essential Carry-On, which weighs about half a pound. The packing folder gave the rather floppy bag structure and I had no problems with the bag, nor laundry either. What about wrinkles? A spritz from a spray bottle, a good shake, and a steamy bathroom does wonders…irons are perfectly fine as well of course. I did end up buying a "hoodie" from H&M, which are everywhere in Europe for about 10 Euros.

I'm now sold on One Bag Travel….until I have to go home or visit relatives…you know, the "gifts" thing, right?

The Missus favorite new "pet" – Xiang Chun Ya:

One of the dishes the missed most by the Missus is eggs with shoots from the Xiang Chun Ya, the Chinese Toon tree. This was one of Her favorites growing up and was one of the first things She wanted to eat when we visited QingDao.

We finally got a plant this year….thank "SL"! Sadly, SH left the tree in her hot car that day and it looked dead. But, after transplanting and some TLC, shoots are coming out which has the Missus going nuts…..you see, it's the tender shoots of this plant which are used for scrambled eggs:

The Missus has told me that She's going to pick these shoots already and buy some eggs…I said, "based on the size of these, it better be quail eggs….."

I also told Da Boyz that they aren't Her favorites anymore….they've been replaced by a tree!

Seriously, it's about time we actually used the space in the backyard to grow some stuff.

Anyway, I hope everyone's having a great weekend!

Lisbon Day 2: Using the “Lisbon Rule” at Pastelaria 1800 and dinner at Assinatura

July 12, 2013 mmm-yoso Desserts, Fine Dining, Lisbon, Portugal, Portuguese Food, Travel

It seems that in recent years we're always travelling on the Missus's birthday, which She says is the "second" best gift She could get (the first being a Chanel something or other…). This year, I wanted to have a nice, a more fine dining type of dinner, something special. So I made reservations several months in advance at Assinatura, which seemed to be a rising star of a restaurant in Lisbon, supposedly elevating traditional Portuguese cuisine. This seemed like the perfect spot for us.

One could easily question our sanity having started the day with a "pork-fest (and beer) for breakfast sandwiched between pastel de natas, then having some Frango Assado for lunch. Still, this was way more walking than I'm used to, which left me with a good appetite.

Getting there was easy, perhaps too easy, just a straight shot on the Blue line getting off at Marques de Pombal. Up the street and a few blocks later we passed the street Assinatura was located on. Over an hour early. It was breezy and there was a chill in the air, and we had time to kill, so now what? Well, it seemed to be the perfect time to initiate the "Lisbon Rule", whenever you start getting a bit confused and frustrated, it's time for some espresso and a Pastel de Nata. We walked up the street for a bit and found this shop near the Rato stop on the Yellow line.

It was warm and full of local color. This was a place to chat and take in the folks having a snack here. There were the three older women, dressed so primly, who sat by the front window, and were obviously locals who did this quite often, having quite the conversation. A gentleman and his daughter, stopping for a snack, talking in that animated, conspiratory tone that only fathers and daughters have, lively, tinged with laughter and teasing. After walking out of the shop, he hoisted her on his shoulder. And the quiet gentleman, beret tilted slightly on his head, who periodically opened the portfolio placed precisely aligned to the corner of the table, occasionally removing a pamphlet or a letter which he would open and read with what seemed like scrupulous detail.

We found this so refreshing….there was no texting, no iPads, no cellphones going off, no hipster, machiatic-soy latte-grande on my acai-kale drink thing going on. It seemed so organic and real that it felt like we had been beamed back to another time.

I don't remember much about the espresso, nor the pastries. What I do remember is really taking in the atmosphere which was priceless. Just the perfect break we needed at the right time.

Pastelaria 1800
Largo do Rato 7
Lisbon, Portugal

Fortified, we headed back to Assinatura arriving at about 720. There was already a line in place, of folks who had reservations! It seems that a good number of folks were with a large party who were seated downstairs near the kitchen at the Chef's table.

The dining room at Assinatura was just our speed; nice, but understated. The service during our meal was good, our Server, a very professional young lady really knew her stuff and managed her staff well. The timing was perfect, no extended delays. Just what you'd expect out of a restaurant of this caliber.

Assinatura has a regular menu and several tasting menus, three of which are "tasting menus", where you put yourself in the hands of the chef, which was fine with us. You can't mix and match, so we both had the same menu, the seven course (61 E), with one set of wine (35 E).

I have to say that things started out rather inauspiciously for us as the bread was cold and not particularly remarkable, though the olive oil from Alentejo was marvelously grassy and full bodied.

The amuse, which we were told was not "an amuse" since that is French, was a very nice pastry stuffed with wonderfully creamy and rich bacalhau. The salt cod really stood up well to this rich preparation.

Next up was an Octopus Terrine with Peanut Sauce.

There was also pineapple in this dish, which to our tastes was rather disjointed. The peanut sauce, was pretty much peanut butter and the octopus kind of had a chewy texture (we've had more tender octopus) which made for a kind of weird mouthfeel for us. The pineapple was too sweet without enough acid to cut through all of this and nothing stood out in terms of flavor.

Even worse was the Sardine…..

Which was so fishy, even the tomato couldn't cut it. Sadly, it was sardine season and this was probably the worst sardine we had during our entire trip.

Next up was a White Gazpacho of sorts with Bacalhau.

Unfortunately, nothing really stood out here. The salt cod was very mild, which I guess might be a good thing. The"gazpacho" was quite weak and didn't bring anything bold or acidic to the table.

The next dish was my favorite of the evening. It was swordfish with pea puree…which really doesn't sound that great……but it was possibly the best piece of swordfish, something I'm not fond of, that I've ever had.

The fish was so very tender and moist, meaty and perfectly flaky. The caramelized onions brought a perfect sweet-acidity. The prawns added an umami touch. But the one item on the plate that really surprised me in this combination of flavors was how the sweet and earthy pea puree just grounded the dish. Man, this was good!

Next up was another well done dish; what seemed like a homage to the Francesinha.

The crisp bread. the milky cheese, and that wonderful pork flavor that I associate with a good Bifana. This was a lovely dish.

After having a good share of tasting menus, I've found that dessert doesn't often live up to the savory dishes offered. This was an exception as the Missus totally loved it.

Along with dessert we were served a very, very good selection of three cheeses. Now if I was really on top of things I'd tell you what cheeses they were. All I can say is that they were really good with the aged Port I had!

All in all a good, but not great meal. I kind of think that if you're spending over two hundred bucks you'd expect a bit more, but perhaps that's just us.

Assinatura
Rua Vale do Pereiro 19 A
Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon Day 2: Frango Assado at Bonjardim and the Church of São Domingos

July 6, 2013 mmm-yoso Lisbon, Portugal, Portuguese Food, Travel

Close to Rossio Station is a street full of somewhat touristy restaurants, with mildly pushy touts attempting to get you into their restaurants. This is Rua das Portas de Santo Antao. In one of the small side streets leading back to Praca dos Restauradores is one of the most well known and highly recommended restaurants in Lisbon, Bonjardim. There are actually two Bonjardim restaurants across the alleyway from each other….kind of strange. I read that the food at both places are the same so we just picked the newer looking one, sitting outside with a nice view of the graffiti.

Like most places in Portugal, there will be bread and other items placed at your table, if you touch, you pay. There was one item that looked especially good.

I just couldn't resist these Pastéis de Bacalhau, which were piping hot. Loved the flavor, not too salty, but wonderfully savory, light, moist, and tender, without too much filler. Very nice croquettes (4.8 E)

The Missus and I were still not super hungry after our morning pork-fest so we just kept to the point. Plus, we had dinner reservations at Assinatura. Bonjardim is renowned for their Frango Assado, roasted chicken, which borders on legendary. So how could I resist…..call it pollo ala brassa, kai yang, or whatever, I'm fascinated by different takes on spit roasted chicken. I ordered a third of a chicken, which wasn't very hot when it arrived.

The skin was rubbery, the flavor quite salty, but not bad. The meat was very dry, not quite what I was expecting. I loved the piri-piri sauce which I could probably drink. It was decently spicy with a nice kick to it.

The Missus had the chicken soup, which She said was delicious.

Overall, my most disappointing meal in Lisbon. I'd read about rather surly service, but our Server was decent if somewhat detached. Perhaps this was just a bad day/time…..

Bonjardim
Travessa de S. Antao 11
Lisbon, Portugal

After lunch we headed back to Largo de São Domingos and decided to take some time to visit the church there.

This location has a tragic past which is reflected in it's somewhat spooky and haunting interior. Before the church was built, a convent as located here. This was also the site from where sentences were read out during the Inquisition. Even before then, an event called the Lisbon Massacre, where hundreds of Jews were tortured and killed. The site is marked by this memorial.

The church was rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake with material left from the ruins. Part of the church was destroyed in a fire in 1950 and you can still see the scorch marks from the fire on some of the pillars.

All of this adds up to give the church a somewhat eerie vibe.

The church also has as one of it's relics part of the handkerchief used by Lucia Santos during the Fatima Miracle.

Looking toward our left we noted the figure of two children in rather modern looking attire. This chapel had the most candles. We came to find out that this was a chapel to Our Lady of Fatima. The two children represent Jacinta and Francisco Marto, two of the three children, along with Lucia santos who witnessed the three apparitions at Fatima. Both children were victims of the 1918 Influenza epidemic. There are only two children because Lucia Santos was still alive when this chapel was constructed. She died in 2005 at 98.

The square itself is the gathering place for Lisbon's African immigrant community.

We spent a good amount of time in the church. Soon it felt like a good time for a nap.

As we walked back to our room, the Missus mentioned that the sky just seemed so much more blue in Portugal……..

Rhodes Town (Greece): Hotel Saint Michel, dinner at Laganis, and other stuff

June 29, 2013 mmm-yoso Greece, Greek Food, Rhodes, Travel

Trying to catch up on our travel posts. This one is from back in 2012.

I'm not sure why we…..though I think it was I, chose the island of Rhodes. When doing some research, I probably got caught up in Medieval, knights, Grand Masters, a walled city! A young boy's dream. It also seemed like a nice change of pace after Tunisia and Istanbul. All that history was a plus as well. Plus, the Missus loves the Greek Islands.

So we arrived on our flight from Istanbul, through Athens. We'd decided to catch the bus from the airport to Rhodes Town. However, one of the cab drivers…you gotta love Greek cab drivers, they are nuts, offered us a deal to split the fair with another couple. So we ended up catching the taxi. The couple got out at a resort south of Rhodes Town and the driver picked up a passenger outside the Old Town. From there we ended up at the cruise terminal dock, all the while listening to an animated conversation between the driver and the passenger in a language we didn't understand! As the driver dropped the guy off he glanced back and gave us a surprised look. He's been so engrossed in conversation that he forgot all about us! He laughed, shrugged, and told us, "sorry, politics you know…." He ended up taking us back up the road and dropping us off near Saint Catherine's Gate…..he pointed through the gate and said, "that way….." Well, it wasn't quite "that way…." Luckily, we had a map and it wasn't that long a walk as headed past the main square and tourist stops down the charming cobblestone back streets of the Old Town.

If your idea of the Greek Islands are those charming bright white with blue trimmed structures, Rhodes will be a surprise. Here it's brick and stone, a fortress, a moat…..

Eventually we ended up at a small square area and gingerly stepped over the snoring dogs…..

We really wanted to stay in the Old Town, within the walls of the medieval city, and the Hotel Saint Michel seemed to fit the bill. The building is over 700 years old, cozy, and while the rooms are nothing fancy, the place has character to spare.

Also, Chris and Vasso were so accommodating, really making us feel comfortable and at home.

We were lucky enough to get the room we call the "penthouse". It is located at the top of the steep stairs on the roof. While the room was rather small and the wifi really didn't work up here, the place was private, cozy, and had one really big bonus……

We had the entire upper deck area to ourselves. Both the door to the room and the door to the deck had locks…

We were to make great use of the deck over our stay……

We really enjoyed the location of the hotel, it was close to everything, but away from the tourist hustle and bustle.

Settled in, we headed out for dinner. Usually, we're really tired after arriving at a city for the first time. Rhodes really didn't tax us much. Still, we thought we'd take it easy and head to a restaurant I'd read about fairly close by, away from the tourist rush called Laganis.

The Missus loves the tin cups that house wine is served in, so we got the house red which was passable.

She also loves horta, the wild "mountain greens", often a type of chicory, so we ordered that as well.

This version wasn't cooked to death as we're used too. It also needed a good deal more seasoning, but was not bad overall. Sadly, this was the best dish of the meal.

Things went quickly downhill with the Fava Skordalia.

This lacked flavor as well, but even worse, the dip had an unpleasant gritty texture as well.

The beets were nice and sweet but on the hard side.

After having wonderful grilled cuttlefish twice at Le Golfe in La Marsa, the Missus wanted to try the cuttlefish.

This had the texture of old tires.

The grilled octopus didn't fare any better……

We were only comforted by the fact that we tend to not choose real well for our initial meal in new cities we visit. I was sure that tomorrow we'd fare much better.

After the meal, we decided to take a walk down the streets of this quieter part of Rhodes Town.

We eventually ended up at Ippokratous Square and the Castellania fountain which is the busiest tourist area of the Old Town, surrounded by shops and restaurants…and tourists of course. Since it was almost evening, most of the day-trippers had left or were in the process of leaving.

Soon, the folks from the cruise ships would be heading back and the place would become pretty quiet. After all the folks in resorts leave it looks like this.

Quite a contrast……

We headed back up the cobble stoned alleyway to the hotel, stopping at the little shop next door. Christos was more then happy to open our bottle of wine and provide some glasses for us. We sat on the patio and heard the horns of the two cruise ships heading out. Soon we toasted as the sun went down in the horizon.

It was a nice sunset, but a few days later we'd see what I can only call an amazing sunset on Rhodes. Things were sure to get better……

Lisbon Day 2: Morning, Mercado da Ribeira, Alfama, the “Lisbon Rule”, the “Thieves Market” and yet more Pork!

June 21, 2013 mmm-yoso Lisbon, Portugal, Portuguese Food, Travel

Man, is Lisbon quiet in the morning, at least on weekend mornings.

We were staying on Rua de Sapateiros, which I believe means Shoemaker Street. The skinny street ends at a gate. That's what it looks like from Rossio Square, which was dead quiet on this morning. Even the fountain hadn't been turned on yet.

It amazing what you see during quiet morning walks. We often miss things while walking in the hustle and bustle of streets like the usually busy with tourists Rua Augusta, a pedestrian only street crawling with restaurants trying to pull in tourists and folks trying to sell cheap sunglasses. This caught our eye on this morning's stroll.

One of our favorite things to do during early mornings is to visit the local market. I'd read about the Mercado de Ribeira (River Market) and thought it might be worth a visit. The front desk person had never heard of it and had to Google it. He gave us instructions on the kilometer or so walk to the market which was located almost across the street from the Cais do Sodre Station.

The area around the market was a bit gritty, there were many bars, and a couple of rough looking types, but it was daylight, and this was Lisbon, which seems very safe.

The market is located in a building with a distinctive Moorish style dome and has been in existence since 1882.

Having been to markets across the globe, I expected a hustling and bustling scene….but I guess for once, we were too early for everyone. Like I said, Lisbon is a late waking city.

Well, that was that….kind of disappointing, but still a bit interesting.

From here, we decided to catch the #28 tram to Alfama, the oldest existing and maybe the most picturesque of Lisbon's neighborhoods. We spent a bit of time trying to find the stop, so we went to the "Lisbon Rule". Whenever you start getting a bit confused and frustrated, it's time for some espresso and a Pastel de Nata. We found a little shop….there must be literally a thousand of these and had a very nice cup of espresso and a passable Pastel de Nata.

By this time I'd developed an espresso routine. Taste, then add preferably raw sugar until you get that balance of bitter and sweet. I actually preferred the espresso in Portugal more than what we had in Rome. I ended up mostly ordering Macchiatos there.

Anyway, one of the guys working here spoke excellent English and gave us directions up the hill to the tram stop. Like I said, the Lisbon rule, when starting to get frustrated, head for the nearest Pastelaria, it worked everytime.

We caught the tram, before all the tourists…though at this hour there weren't any and watched as it ambled up and down the hills.It's a neat ride.

We got off at the stop near the Church of Santa Luzia.

There's some really nice tilework to be found on the church. All done in the 18th century. This was really the first time we had a look at Azulejo, the famous Portuguese tilework up close.

Right on the other side of the church is the small square (Largo) of Santa Luzia. The views of the Tejo and Alfama are breathtaking.

Even with the morning sun blazing in your eyes. For some reason, the sky just seemed brighter in Portugal, Rome, and Malta.

It's really hard not to take a great photo here…….

You just have to follow the signs to really get around.

Alfama itself is a maze of interconnected streets which reminded me of the Medinas of North Africa. This area has been occupied since the days of the Visigoths. I was told that if "you really want to see "how Lisbon was, go here". And I'm talking about really old Lisbon. You see, on All Saints Day (November 1st) 1755, a huge earthquake, actually three earthquakes occurred while most of Lisbon was at Mass, followed by a tsunami. Alfama was one of the few areas spared. Lisbon was rebuilt, in a logical grid pattern. In Alfama, you get a feel of the rabbit's warren of streets, a practical defense against your enemies, the shade from the buildings built close to one another and the breezes directed from the streets kept things cool during hot weather.

The Castle of Sao Jorge – Saint George, you remember him, right? He's the guy who slayed the dragon is right through the gates. The story I read was that John I married an English Princess and since Saint George was a popular figure in both countries, he named this castle after him. Meanwhile, the other story goes that the Alfonso I enlisted the help of the Knights of the Second Crusade to aid in defeating the Moors. The knights prayed to Saint George who inspired them to victory. Nothing was opened at this time, and truthfully, we were just enjoying the vibe and colors too much to even entertain a museum or such.

There's a ton of graffiti in Europe. We kind of enjoyed the signs and graffiti in Alfama……

WE then decided to follow the tram tracks uphill and ended up in Graca District, which seemed more local and residential than Alfama. We followed a sign that said "miradouro" (of course) and ended up at a beautiful viewpoint.

You could tell how far we had walked from Sao Jorge Castle as we had a nice view……

THe Missus had seen "s church" earlier and wanted to find it. This turned out to be the São Vicente da Fora monastery. Which we eventually found……

Now this was Saturday and when I saw stands set-up right past the gate to the right of the monastery I knew we had found the Feira da Ladra, the "Thieves Market". No, it's not quite as romantic as it sounds. This was basically one gigantic flea market.

With everything from Aprons to Zippers……

You can see the Church of Santa Engrácia in this photo. It gives you some idea of how big this market is.

Reaching the end of the market we decided that finding the restaurant in Alfama that we had reservations for the next night might be a good idea. The twisting and turning streets seemed a bit confusing.

So we headed down those very streets, looking at various maps and a print out of the restaurant location. We started getting a bit frustrated.

So you know what time it was, right? It was time to enforce the "Lisbon Rule". We immediately stopped at a pastelaria…

And had a decent espresso and a Pastel de Nata. The really nice woman here sprinkled cinnamon on it, which I kinda liked.

And from here we got our bearings…..

We went from the obedient pooch…..

Past the raincoat mutt….actually, we saw several dogs dressed in jacket and raincoats….

And against all odds actually found the place. We then headed off in the direction we thought was correct and somehow ended up at the fortress like Sé (Cathedral) of Lisbon. Not quite sure how we made it here……

But we had.

It was then just a few blocks to Rua da Prata, a street we were familiar with, parallel to Rua Augusta and Rua de Sapateiros.

By this time I was getting a bit hungry. We had walked past a small restaurant with all type of pork parts displayed for the world to see in its window the previous day. This time, we decided to stop in.

The Missus, in Her typical way, took charge….She started asking the really nice guy manning the counter questions about the pork ear and other stuff.

In the end, the choice for Her was easy. After getting a taste of this She was sold.

And so it passed that I had suckling pig for breakfast……

The skin was crisp and not too hard nor think. Perhaps the meat was on the salty side, but it was moist, with a nice swine flavor. And it all screamed out for a "breakfast Sagres"……..

But man does not live on roasted suckling pig alone….. there's also Chouriço, smoked pork sausage…in this case a whole deep fried version. Which was delicious as well.

You know, the Missus and I have been married for almost 15 years. After all that time affection and love are represented in sometimes different and subtle ways. Like when the Missus saved this for me……

This would have probably made for a nice "Breakfast of Champions" post if it weren't so long. Funny thing is, we realized later on, that the front of the shop didn't have a sign……

Oh well…..if you're on Rua de Prata, just look for the place with all the pig parts in the window!