mmm-yoso!!!

Honolulu - Dinner at Senia

Among all the favorites we were hitting on our visit "home"; there was one newer place I really wanted to check out; Senia. Located on North King Street, downtown, next to Pig and the Lady, Senia has been on my "list" since they opened. From all the reviews and photos; it seemed that two Per Se alums, Chris Kajioka and Anthony Rush were taking Hawaii Regional Cuisine and bringing it to the next level.

So, I quite excited to have dinner at Senia. We didn't do the tasting menu; rather we just decided to have dinner and try out a bunch of dishes.

The Missus started with a non-alcohol "mocktail", the Yuzu Sour. I opted for the "Freddie" and was happy to note that it wasn't overly sweet and had some nice smoky tones.

The place was hopping; quite busy, and the staff tried their best, but seemed a bit out of sorts at times, and the pacing of our meal was somewhat uneven. Yet, as is the case in Hawaii, all worked out fine in the end.

As is our M.O. we ordered more smaller plates, stuff to share as we've found that some of the most delicious and creative dishes we've had have been appetizers and smaller shared plates; it seems that chefs will often take a few more chances on those.

Like the Kalua Pork Croquettes ($7); which had me thinking why aren't more places serving this?

The kalua pork was creamy, but still had "body", and you knew you were eating pork. The minced greens and the crisp exterior gave it a wonderful textural contrast. Mild smokiness came through; the "chili pepper water" added mild heat and acidity, which cut the richness.

We also ordered the Ahi Brioche ($5/piece).

Wonderfully meaty and thick slices of Ahi were torched; aburi style, and brushed with a light tare of sorts. It was placed on a smoked brioche which, in addition to the slightly sweet tones, also had a savory aspect to it. Think of it as Ahi Brioche Nigiri if you will. This was delici-yoso!

Our least favorite item of the night were the Chicken Liver Eclairs ($10).

Chicken liver mousse in pastry, topped with persimmon flavored spheres. This was just too sweet for us. Even the in-laws didn't care for it.

You know I'm always tempted by Tartare. and seeing Venison Tartare ($24) on the menu; I just had to order it.

This was also a wonderful dish. The venison had been chopped perfectly, was almost buttery in texture, no metallic flavors, there was a very mild sweetness to the meat. There was a hint of truffle in this and the pickled onions and the blackberry compote really enhanced the flavors. Every bite was wonderful. My FIL loved this......the Missus was shocked. I told Her; "he's loving this dish....please don't tell him it's raw deer...…."

The Foie Gras Bonbons ($25) were wonderful as well.

Coated with pistachio, there was so much going on here. Earthy-sweet-tangy (green apple gelee); just an amazing array of flavors. And yet, there's a wonderful harmony of flavors, a unique balance; or perhaps a tasty détente of sorts, where all conflicts have eased and the best in each is displayed.

And yet, the dish that I enjoyed the most....I'd read about it several times and was really not sure how Charred Cabbage ($18) was going to impress me. Well, it did. Apparently, the heart and soul of this wonderful dish is the cone shaped Caraflex Cabbage. It is charred, then dressed with what tasted like dashi, and topped with Moringa Leaf.

It is served with dots of a nicely acidic buttermilk gelee and of all things, sort of a Green Goddess dressing. There was so much going on here; yet all the pieces seemed to fit together so well. The moringa leaf added a pleasant herbaceous bitterness. The dashi dressing added deep savory tones. The cabbage itself is fairly sweet and the charring really brought that out. This was so good.

For our last dish, we got the Duck Confit ($26).

Which was fine; it was served on top of a vegetable and bean mixture that looked a bit like a deconstructed cassoulet. After all of the wonderful flavors; this seemed really tame and underseasoned. The duck was fine and the dish was okay. The In-laws asked the Missus why She was less than satisfied with this and She explained that She gets Duck Confit made at home, along with Cassoulet that's made to Her taste. Hmmm.....

The Missus and In-laws finished with dessert and a very good Mamaki Tea. I got another Freddie for dessert.

This was a wonderful and memorable meal. While the vibe is relaxed and casual; the food just takes things up to another level. We can't wait to return.

Senia
75 North King St.
Honolulu, HI 96817
Hours:
Monday     530pm - 10pm
Tues - Fri 11am - 2pm, 530pm - 10pm
Saturday   530pm - 10pm
Closed on Sundays

 

Budapest - Dinner at Borkonyha Wine Kitchen and the View from Castle Hill at Dusk

We headed back to the hotel after having a wonderful morning and light lunch. Remember I mentioned all the statues in Budapest; well, here's another. Located on Zryinyi Utca; this one is known as the "Fat Policeman".

We got back to our room and took a short nap. Of course upon waking; I just had to enjoy the view from our room....again. I mean, this just doesn't get old.

I had made reservations for dinner on this evening at a One Michelin Star restaurant, which wasn't too far from where we were staying. We took our time getting to the restaurant, stopping at Szamos Gourmet to look over the cakes and desserts. The place is very nice and the Missus bought something small for a snack later on in the evening and some cookies as gifts.

Szamos Gourmet Haz
Váci utca 1
Budapest 1052, Hungary

We walked past all the tourist shops and places like the Hard Rock; skirted around Erzsébet Téri Park and crossed busy József Attila Utca, onto rather quiet Sas Utca and our destination; Borkonyha Wine Kitchen. I'd chosen the place because the Missus really wanted to try Hungarian wine.

The restaurant was fairly casual, comfortable, and instead of doing the tasting menu we ordered ala carte.

Things started out with a interesting trio of breads. The version with caraway was a favorite; with the cumin bread coming in a close second.

Of course we had to have the Duck Liver with Tokaji Aszú - basically a foie gras terrine.

The texture was luxuriously smooth; though the cherries and the really sweet wine was a bit too much.

I ordered the Oxtail with Soured Vegetables.

This was wonderful as the beefiness of the oxtail came through quite clearly and the "soured vegetables" helped to cut the richness of the dish. The accompanying tuile was a nice touch, adding a nice textural contrast.

We had also requested a pairing for each dish.....until the Missus tasted the Tokaji Furmint Sec; which She loved. Very floral, nice acidity, it went really well with the cod dish the Missus ordered. So, She decided that this was the wine we'd have with the rest of our meal....except for our lamb dish.

The fish was perfectly cooked; though a bit underseasoned for our taste. The skin was light and crisp and the flesh was moist, tender, and flakey, with the perfect amount of fat. The Kohlrabi puree was a nice match for the fish. A good dish.

I'd ordered the Saddle of Lamb and Tongue with Green Beans.

The lamb, like the fish was prepared well. It was toothsome, yet tender, though really mild in flavor. The tongue however, was amazing! My favorite item of the meal; super gamey, slight offal-ness, it was quite tender as well. The green beans were fresh, though slightly under-cooked for my taste.

The Missus enjoyed Her desserts.

The was a solid; if not great meal. Most everything was prepared well; the service, though a bit spotty was cordial. And the Missus loved the Tokaji Furmint Sec....She has me trying to find this in San Diego!

Borkonyha WineKitchen
Sas Utca 3
Budapest 1051, Hungary

The Missus wanted to head back to Castle Hill during sunset to watch the light of the Parliament Building come on. So we headed back in that direction.

But first; another statue. This one is known as the Bronze Newsboy.

So we headed across the Chain Bridge for the third time. And then up to Castle Hill via the Várkert Bazár, just like we had done earlier that day.

Reaching Buda Castle, we just stood, relaxed and watched.

While the sun was setting behind us; the reflections were still quite beautiful.

And at this time there was no one else around.

When we were leaving folks were just starting to arrive at Buda Castle, so we had the place to ourselves to enjoy this beautiful scene.

It was so lovely to have this little moment to ourselves.

Ok, enough "yakking"; let me just share the photos as the sun slowly set and the lights of the Parliament Building came on.

After which we headed down....but not before taking a last look.....

And headed toward the Elisabeth Bridge to cross back to the Pest side.

Remember I mentioned all of the benches in Budapest? I should have taken more photos of them......

Maybe next time!

Mexico City - Chiquitito Café and Maximo Bistrot

*** Warning - this a is a fairly long and wordy post. 

A few weeks before leaving for Budapest, I was already planning our fall/winter trip....the Missus made a request; She wanted something "in between". Waiting those 4-5 months just wasn't going to cut it for Her. So, I went ahead and made plans for two "long weekend" trips.

We'd been trying to make time for CDMX for a couple of years, but could just never find the time. The time was right to finally make that trip. The planning was quick, since it was a mere two months in advance, we weren't able to make reservations for Pujol, but with the help of one of Frankie's favorite Aunties "Alle", who has family in CDMX and usually goes every year, we got some good info.

We decided to fly out of Tijuana Airport using CBX. There were direct flights to Mexico City and business class was about half the price as flying out of San Diego or LAX. Alle, who took care of Frankie, dropped us off at the CBX facility. For some reason I wasn't able to buy the CBX tickets online in advance; though I did complete our FMM forms ahead of time, which did save us a few minutes. Purchasing the round-trip Cross Border Express tickets only took ten minutes. The rest of it....well, it took us nearly 90 minutes to get through Immigration! Crazy. Still, we'd budgeted more than enough time and easily made our flight. We had airport transfer set-up so we basically exited the plane, walked right out to the terminal, to our waiting car, and straight into Mexico City traffic. Yeeesh…..  Our guesthouse was but 8 miles from the airport, but it took 45 minutes to get there!

Alle had recommended that we stay in La Condesa, which turned out to be the perfect place after a busy day of checking out the city. The tree lined streets, restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, and relaxed vibe, along with the really warm and friendly folks made our stay wonderful. The location was excellent; close to where the Missus wanted to visit on our first day, and since we do walk a bit; an easy enough walk to the Centro Historical.....also, when we got tired; Uber in CDMX is super cheap, safe, reliable, and all the drivers we had were very friendly.

We stayed at the Casa Condesa Amatlan 84, a very discreet, comfortable, location. The service was wonderful.

We arrived at the hotel, freshened up a bit. Casa Condesa was really good about making sure you always had drinking water and the folks working there we so very helpful and friendly.

We headed out just to walk around the area. We were a bit out of sorts at first since the streets aren't quite in a grid, there are diagonals, parallel street with different names, roundabouts, and all kinds of stuff. The streetlights are often hard to see; there aren't cross signals at many intersections; so you kind of have to check the lights in the middle of the intersection; and just kinda go with the flow.

In need of a break; it was also a bit humid and warm, we found a little café named Chiquitito Café on Alfonso Reyes and decided to take a break for a couple of cold brews. Which ran us 45 Pesos; think about $2.35 US!

It was a bit on the weak side; but the guys working here ere very friendly and actually spoke English to us, and the coffee was nice and chilled. And it was a nice little break.

It was also fun watching the guy selling cell phone cases come on over and two of the guys working in the coffee shop come on out to shop!

In fact, one of the guys actually bought a case! Go figure.

While we weren't particularly impressed with the cold brew; this was a nice introduction to the friendliness of the folks in CDMX and how wonderfully social they are.

Chiquitito Café
Alfonso Reyes 232
06100 Cuauhtémoc, CDMX, Mexico

I had managed to make dinner reservations at the highly regarded Maximo Bistrot Local, considered to be one of the top restaurants in CDMX and Latin America. We had intended to walk; after all it was only a mile-and-a-quarter away, a nice easy walk, but as we were halfway down Vicente Suarez, the lightning and thunder started, then it came down in buckets. It was an amazing, and from what I got to understand from the locals, very typical summer thunder storm. Our umbrellas were not up to the task, so we sought cover and I requested an Uber which promptly cancelled when it was five minutes away. I then called the restaurant who promised to hold our table until 730; our reservations were for 7pm, and it was nearly 650 by now. Our next Uber arrived a few minutes later and we were on our way; only to get to basically a standstill about a quarter mile away from the restaurant. We'd basically gone less than a mile in 20 minutes! By now the storm had passed and the skies were clear. We thanked our driver and walked the last quarter mile. Getting to Maximo right at 730pm! Crazy....

Anyway, we were seated outside; things were really nice and pleasant after the deluge. It was time for dinner...but first, a well earned cocktail!

I went with the Mescalina de Fresca y Chile de Arbol.

This was pretty mild in the Mezcal department; but the combination of salty-heat, and orange made this quite refreshing.

The Missus got the Julep 16.

Which was also on the mild side.

While we were looking over the menus, a party of two gentlemen left. One of them, by the name of Jorge came on over, and very nicely made some recommendations! Apparently, he's a regular. He'd tell us what not to order ("this is not very good.....but don't tell the chef, ok?") and what his favorites on the menu were. We'd have folks engaging us this way during our entire trip. It just made things so much more fun!

I'll try to include prices as I remember them. To figure out the conversion to US $ at this moment in time; divide by twenty - i.e. $1.04/US = 20$ MXN.

Things started out with an Eggplant dip, smokey, perhaps a bit too salty, with an amazing bread. Perhaps among the best I've had; the crust so crusty and crunchy, the interior soft and fluffly, with just the perfect "chew".

We started with the Pacific Scallops (290 $MXN); which were served on a tostada.

We loved the herbs on this; the scallops weren't as sweet as I expected though it was texturally perfect. The sauce was apparently made with Chicatanas, flying ants, which seemed to add a bit of earthiness to the dish according to my tastebuds. The crunch of the tostada completed the dish.

Next up, the Octopus Ceviche (230 $MXN).

The octopus was  amazingly tender; I'm thinking sous vide? The liquid provided had a combination of lime and tomato and was a bit too acidic for us....and you're talking to folks who love Peruvian Cebiche! The liquid kind of over-powered all the flavors and the wonderfully smooth avocado cream was overwhelmed. The blue corn tostadas had a wonderful corn flavor and texture to them.

Things started getting from decent to great when the next item arrived. We'd ordered the Porcini Mushroom Soup (175 $ MXN). I made Porcini Mushroom Soup at least two dozen times this winter so I wanted to see how this compared to what I make.

While a bit milder in overall mushroom flavor; you couldn't beat the velvet texture of this soup, which was amazing. I also loved (and learned) the toasted breadcrumbs which added a wonderful crunchy-nutty contrast to the dish. It's something I'm going to incorporate into my soup when I start making it during the fall! Very nice.

Undoubtedly, the best dish of the night, and one of the top three of the trip, was the Roasted Quail stuffed with Veal and Foie Gras (450 $MXN).

This was definitely an OH-EM-GEE dish. The quail was perhaps the most tender and moist I've ever had. Even the usual rubbery legs were so very soft and juicy. Paired with a moist, rich, and decadent veal and foie gras pate, this was simply heaven. Mild rich sweet-liveriness just went so well with the mildly gamey quail. And that texture...….

Jorge had recommended the quail and also the Flat Iron Steak (450 $MXN), something that I'd usually not order.

The beef was fork tender, cooked a perfectly medium rare, and had that wonderful, complex, mild gamey-pasture flavor to it. The "mole de olla" sauce had a pleasant, complex, mild sweetness to it. And the spinach and cheese sauce was so delicious as well.

The pacing was a bit off; the service professional, but a bit stiff and the least friendly of all of our meals in CDMX.

We enjoyed sitting outside. After the storm passed it became a beautiful night.

I'm not sure we'd dine here again....but man; perhaps that quail will call us back?

Maximo Bistrot Local
Tonalá 133, Roma
06700 Cuauhtemoc, CDMX, Mexico

Funny thing, when I asked he Missus about dessert, She said "no, there's something else I want....."

Stay Tuned!

Los Angeles - Kinjiro and Karayama

While we were enjoying Little Tokyo, we knew exactly where we were headed for dinner. I'd been reading about Kinjiro for several years now. And knowing of the Missus's love of Izakaya's, I thought the somewhat modern elevated izakaya type dishes would please Her.

So, I made reservations about a month in advance. My emails were quickly replied to and the process was a breeze. Good thing too....this shop next to the always busy Sushi Gen in Honda Plaza is reservation only.

We were the first customers of the night and were quickly seated by the very efficient, friendly, and knowledgeable young man working the front of house.

It was pretty easy determining what we wanted to eat, starting with the Squid Ink Shiokara ($7)….to think of the days when the Missus wouldn't touch this stuff; but now with Her love of fermented foods (ah those "chinmi" foods) and our visits to Japan and especially Hokkaido, Her tune has really changed.

The wonderful salty-cheesy-funky-oceany-savory and oddly sweet flavors goes so well with sake. We tried several over the course of the evening; our favorite being the Kokuryu “Black Dragon” Junmai Ginjo, smooth, not overly sweet, and so balanced. The squid fermented in guts had the perfect amount of toothsomeness. This was quite good.

Next up was the Uni, Scallop, and Blue Crab in Ponzu Jelly ($25). This was a nice refreshing turn after the shiokara.

On this evening it was Santa Barbara Uni, decent quality, meaty, slightly sweet, mildly astringent. We both loved the tender scallop....talk about sweet and tender. There was quite a bit of tasty, moist crab meat at the bottom of the cup. Perhaps not the best quality, but still quite good. The ponzu jelly helped to create a nice balance in flavors and tie the dish together.

Next up was the Homemade Agedashi Tofu with Mushroom Ankake Sauce $16).

My least favorite dish of the evening. The typical gooey-starchy ankake sauce lacked the woodsy-earthy flavor I enjoy from mushrooms. Even with the dashi backbone it was still quite bland. The tofu was a bit more firm than I enjoy in this type of dish as well.

The Missus's least favorite dish of the night; the Bone Marrow Dengaku ($12).

Deeply beefy in flavor it was just too much for the Missus; but I loved it. The miso wasn't over-powering and paired well with the buttery-rich bone marrow.

The Missus absolutely adored the Seared Uni ($30).

Initially we thought this was going to be a mushy mess; but the uni had kept it's shape well and was very sweet. It went well with the texture of the wakame; which added some crunch and made the actual nori strips somewhat superfluous. I let the Missus have most of this as She loved it so much.

We both thoroughly enjoyed the Tendon, Tongue, Sinew, and Tripe Stew ($18).

This was wonderfully beefy and savory; with just the right amount of savory (read - miso/soy sauce), tanginess (tomato), sweetness (probably mirin/sake)….we were begging for rice! The tendon and tripe were so tender; the tongue had a wonderful beefiness......that dried pesto toast was a travesty to a dish that truly deserved rice! This was wonderful; the flavors taking me back to Nagoya for some reason.

We decided to end the meal here. It was quite nice and I'm sure we'll return. Service was excellent. Again, reservation only, as several parties were turned away.

Kinjiro
424 E 2nd St. (In Honda Plaza)
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Since we had eaten dinner early, we decided to stroll around Little Tokyo a bit more. It was nice to see that an old favorite of the Missus was still going strong.

Though I wondered how much She'd still enjoy it here all these years later?

There's always something interesting to see around here.

At the stage in Japanese Village Plaza brave souls were trying their hand at karaoke.

We hung around a bit to cheer them on!

Wandering around a bit more; I noticed a shop, Karayama a fried chicken chain from Japan had opened in the area. I suddenly had a bit more capacity. At least enough for five pieces of Karaage. So while I waited for my five pieces to go.....

The Missus waited outside checking messages and such.

Sorry to say there's not a whole lot of photos on this one.....

We destroyed the hot, crisp, moist, tasty-but-not-salty pieces of chicken before the end of the block....we'll definitely have to return here!

Karayama
136 S Central Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Open Daily - 11am - 930pm

We got back to the hotel and got ready or bed. Our shuttle to the airport would be picking us up at 5am the next morning, so we needed to get to sleep early.

Still; I couldn't help but take a peek out the window to see if there was still a line outside Daikokuya…...

Modena - Osteria Francescana

You could say that even though I as surrounded by great works of art at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam I was distracted. You see, while we had planned on visiting Florence, I had really wanted to check out Emilia-Romagna. And so we made plans; but one of the key elements to this was trying to get reservations to the restaurant proclaimed to be "the Best Restaurant in the World", Osteria Francescana, which in fact has now won that title more than once. So there I was, on my smartphone, surrounded by the works of Van Gogh, on the first day on the month at 10am trying to get reservations. I managed to get us dinner reservations; not on the exact day I desired, but a day later. It kind of messed up my planning a bit, which turned out to be a blessing since I tweaked my plans to include Ferrara for a night which we really enjoyed.

And so, after having already had an enjoyable time in Modena, we headed off to dinner at Osteria Francescana.

Things start off when you walk up to the colorful, but discreet doorway to the restaurant....and ring the doorbell?

And are greeted by....a Security Guard? Actually a fake security guard, a life-sized, and quite real looking statue.

Let me just say; the service was flawless, just the right balance of professional, yet amiable, there's nothing stuffy about the place. Dishes were brought out perfectly timed, yet you felt relaxed. The wine pairing we had with our tasting menu was excellent according to the Missus; yet only one of them was from Italy.

There's also something I like about the austere, yet tasteful dining room; well spaced, lighting sets a good mood. Yes, you can tell, Osteria Francescana has three Michelin Stars.

The bread was interesting as it had a really nice texture, but was quite plain in flavor.

Ah, this was really traditional bread, no salt added, which went nicely with the olive oil.

Soon after; the dishes started arriving.

Starting with the Aula in carpione, "re-imagined fish and chips" (above). A crisp enrobes a small fish topped with a fish flavored ice cream. Nice umami tones; for some reason this really reminded me of the flavor of various Japanese snacks.....so perhaps that's why we weren't really blown away by the flavors.

Next up were the Cuttlefish and Caper puff topped with a very tasty tomato powder.

The macarons were really mild in flavor and seemed to be a case of perhaps getting a bit too out there. The parmesan crisp added a much needed milky-saltiness to things.

Talking about reminding me of Japanese drinking snacks; the "Sardine that is not a Sardine", eel cream inside a fish skin bread, really tasted like Japanese fried fish skin snacks.

Which kind of made us crack up.

The "Tribute to Normandy" was an interesting play on a place and a theme. There's an interesting, yet clean and refreshing flavor to this "oyster" which is topped with a nice apple granita. The texture is interesting as well. According to the story, Massimo Bottura first had an oyster when he was a teenager in Normandy. Along with the oysters, he had lamb and cider. So this is a dish that celebrates that time; the granita is apple (cider), the foam, which was a bit too salty, is oyster water, and the oyster...is not an oyster, but lamb tartare.

Next up was an interesting dish....I mean literally, the plate looked charred as did the "paper" that topped the sole prepared three ways.

The edible "paper" was made out of dehydrated sea water, then scortched...it made for a dramatic affect and the fish was perfectly cooked, but the dish proved to be much too salty for us.

One of Massimo's signature dishes; "An Eel Swimming up the River Po".

I can sum up the flavor of the Eel in one word; "anago"....it tasted totally like anago. I did enjoy the polenta cream flavored with onion, but the apple jam really clashed with the sweetness of the eel.

"Green over Brown, over Black: camouflage rice". Basically three risottos in one, a porcini (brown), vegetable (green), and oyster (black).

We fond the risotto to be too hard for us and though on occasion you'd get a nice bite of all three working in harmony, it was just a bit too much going on.

"From Cervia to Modena - Leeks, Shallots, and Black Truffle".

Wonderful combination of pungent-sweet and earthy flavors. Great "nose" on this dish as well.

The "Crunchy Part of the Lasagne".

Think of it as a fried noodle cracker on top of Ragu Bolognese, which nice a velvety.

"Suckling Pig, Tender and Crunchy".

Like the sauce stenciled piggies? The pork was fabulous; skin perfect, meat tender, nicely seasoned. The sauces ruined the wonderful pure taste of the swine. Bad thing was; you get three pieces, so don't make too many mistakes with sauces!

About this time, the Chef came out to chat and take a zillion selfies with customers. He is quite energetic, friendly, and really knows how to work the house.

Much like our experience at Azurmendi, we were kind of at a loss when the chef came to our table...….so we chatted about, well, what else...food! I mentioned how amazed we were at the Emilia-Romagna's bounty, it was more then we expected. When Massimo asked me what I was most impressed with....I'm sure he expected something like Balsamico, Prosciutto, or Parmesano-Reggiano. So when I said that culatello had been a revelation to me; he smiled widely, patted me on the shoulder, and said something to one of the Servers. He walked into the kitchen and brought this out to the table himself.

"It is our own Culatello...aged 46 months" he said. He smiled tapped me on the shoulder and said, "enjoy"...… Man, it looked really lean, but it had such a deep, cheesy-porky flavor, and just melted in my mouth that I almost uttered a profanity. So, I now have a story...… the cranky old man can now say, "did you hear the one about when Massimo Bottura served me salumi?"

I have an even better one. "Did I tell you about the time we spent a grand for dinner and the best bite I had was a salad?" Yes indeedy. This is called the "Caesar Salad in Bloom". It is amazing layer of various crunchy textures, flavored powders, various herbs and edible flowers, mounted on a leaf of lettuce.

It is to be eaten in two wonderful bites....I have a thing about textures; this was a symphony of varying degrees of crunchiness, along with bitter-sweet-sour-pungent.... We were amazed at the complex mélange of tastes on a singe leaf of lettuce. By far our favorite item of the evening. (of course for me it was the culatello….but that wasn't on the menu).

Did I mention that Osteria Francescana serves "popcorn" for dessert?

And of course more dessert for the Missus.

So, was it worth almost a thousand bucks for dinner? I often say that at this level it can sometimes be more about the experience. The presentation are like works of art; there is playfulness, transformation, and creativity. Whether that makes for an amazing meal is truly a personal opinion. The service was among the best we've had. The personal touch was amazing. So, while I don't think we'd do this again; I'm glad we did.

Do you really need the address of Osteria Francescana? Ok, here it is..... And no; I haven't seen "A Chef's Table"....

Osteria Francescana
Via Stella 22
41121, Modena, Italy

And yes; Modena is stunning at night......

Paris - Tomy & Co

We had done a good bit of walking during our first day back in Paris and I was ready for a nice meal. Luckily, I had made reservations for dinner for this evening and it was less than two blocks away from the apartment where we were staying.

But first, the Missus wanted to take a walk! Yikes.....so we headed across the Seine for a pre-dinner stroll. It was a lovely evening and the "City of Lights" was indeed that.

By the time we got to Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois, I knew it was time to scurry on over to the restaurant.

After all, the place I'd made reservations at emailed me two confirmations and two reminders about dinner. They really wanted to make sure we'd keep are reservations. And with good reason; since Tomy & Co opened in the fall of 2016, it's been receiving lots of great reviews, some from food blogs I link to. Paris by Mouth ranks Tomy & Co as #1 on their list of list of favorite Modern & Creative Restaurants in Paris. The namesake of the restaurant, French-Cambodian Tomy Gousset has made quite a name for himself in Paris and now has two very popular restaurants in Paris.

I had put in the mileage on this day...…..

And was ready to eat. We arrived on time at this little eatery on Rue Surcouf, which incidentally was right up the street from a place we ate at back in the fall of 2016; Restaurant David Toutain. The place was relaxed, but very professional, and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We started with a white from Monthélie in Burgundy which the Missus enjoyed.

We decided to forgo the tasting menu and ordering dessert and instead went with 3 starters and 2 mains; which worked out perfectly.

We loved the amuse bouche; a chickpea concoction that was like the best falafel you ever had in terms of flavor, crisp, yet moist, with just enough salt.

Things started off with the Beef Tongue Tartelette with fresh Burgundy Truffle.

To be perfectly honest; the wonderfully refreshing sauce gribiche and the thin slices of turnips that made this dish for us. It was beefy so the pungent and pleasantly sour-acidic tones really balanced things out. The truffle was a bit disappointing as it wasn't very fragrant, nor did it have that wonderful earthy-savory tones we love in truffle.

The Gnocchi, Guanciale, Truffle, and Parmesan Cheese was a nice balanced dish.

The gnocchi was solidly prepared, fairly light, and not overly chewy. The truffle was again very mild, living in the shadows of the Parmesan and guanciale. The zucchini really impressed us as we could still make out the flavor with all the salty-rich flavors. Great acidity and textures.

Of course we had to have the Egg, Chestnut, Bresaola, Cauliflower Puree, and Fried Onions.

The wonderfully rich egg yolk was the prize in the center of this dish. The fried onions added sweetness as did the cauliflower puree, in a mild way. Loved the greens and the salty and almost cheesy bresaola. This was a lovely dish.

The first main was the Wild Duck "Apicius", Confit Beet Root, with Honey and Date Chutney.

Since Apicius sauce/glaze was going to be used, I expected this to be on the sweet side. But the duck had been studded with fragrant, anise like coriander seed, it was crunchy and added quite a bit of oomph to the dish, giving it almost a Middle Eastern flavor. It also really toned down the gaminess of the wild duck. I'm not sure that was a good thing as I enjoy that flavor. The duck was toothsome as expected. What was not expected was how wonderful the confit beets were....they still held a light crunch; but were wonderfully sweet.

The Stuffed Hare Confit and Foie Gras in Brioche with Fresh Burgundy Truffle was a bit too much.

First off, that sauce was too thick for my liking, as before the truffle just wasn't fragrant enough. The brioche hadn't held up well and had a cardboard like texture. We really couldn't make out foie gras other than it being a bit oily. Oh well, can't win 'em all.

As I mentioned earlier; service was very professional and yet still relaxed. The folks here smiled often and made us feel very comfortable. I can understand the allure of this place; the ingredients and flavors run the gamut, it's modern, yet uses an array of techniques with products that are interesting. The dishes are well presented. We'd gladly eat here again.

Tomy & Co
22 rue Surcouf
75007 Paris, France

We headed back to the apartment, bellies full, and quite happy......

In the "City of Lights"...…..

Paris - Restaurant Alliance

We got back into Paris at around 330pm. The Paris metro system is fairly easy to navigate and we got to what I consider to be one of my favorite hotels; the Hotel Monge in the Latin Quarter by 4pm. Check-in, as always with the folks here is a breeze. Hotel rooms are fairly small in Paris and I've learned to get the Deluxe Double Room. Which at first worried me because it over-looked the street, but the windows do a good job of muffling out the noise.

We aim for one blow-out meal when visiting Paris; the first time around it was David Toutain, the last time at Sola. Because the Missus loved Sola, I tried to make reservations for a revisit; but they were closed during this time. There was something about French cuisine with Japanese touches and sensibilities that really got to us. And I think many other folks as well as there seems to be a revolution going on where Japanese Chefs are running Michelin Star level restaurants in France. After doing a bit of research; I settled on Restaurant Alliance which is located a short walk from where we were staying.

We took in the holiday season sights at Notre-Dame de Paris, before crossing back to the very discreet location of Restaurant Alliance on Rue de Poissy.

There are only 9 tables in this discreet restaurant; only one of which was filled when we arrived.

The simple décor belies the nice spacing; comfortable seating, the sound dimming qualities of the place. As for the staff; they were amazing, not obtrusive, very genial, professional, and most of all they really knew their stuff. They Missus and I got the tasting menu, with one tasting, and the Sommolier, Shawn Joyuex, one of the partners, really made the Missus happy with our pairings.

We loved the pacing on the dishes; each looking pristine, not overly done, and to the point.

Starting with the Anchovy and Tomato. This amuse was wonderful; the savory-salty anchovy perfectly balanced with the sweet-tangy-acidic tomato paste.

The Brioche with Fennel Cream doesn't sound like something I'd enjoy; but the light, mildly sweet, buttery brioche found a wonderful dancing partner, one with a rich little anise kick to keep things moving along.

One of my favorite items of the meal was the Beignet Seafood. This was basically a Karaage, a pristine, perfectly fried, perfectly seasoned, karaage, the lieks of which I'd never had before.

A lovely crunch, nice seasoning, savory-sweet, with a very mild smokey spice, and I believe there was a light touch of shio koji or something similar going on. This was just amazing.

Caviar with Champagne was fine. A bit austere, but perhaps with something like this, simpler is easier.

Uni with Kampari Foam and Sea Asparagus was another amazing dish with flavors I would have never though would have gone together well.

I'm not the biggest fan of foams; but this light, tangy-acidic-fruity foam did so well with the rich, oceany uni. Really creative combination.

The Beets with Dulse was a good dish to bring us back to earth after the uni.

The almost salty "bacon of the sea" flavor of dulse was nice in really balancing out the earthy sweetness of the beets.

When we were seated; one of the Servers came around with a glass container....as soon as he opened it the entire room was filled with the fragrance of white truffle. So, being on vacation, how could we not order it? The container would make it to every table and we'd be assaulted with the intoxicating aroma of truffle. There was a table of four across the room, one of the young men seemed to be a regular. Everyone knew him and chatted with him. When the glass container started making its way to his table; he raised both hands in surrender and said "c'est bonne...c'est bonne"!

Not the biggest fan of the pasta per se; but you could have given me shoe leather and I'd have gladly consumed it with the truffle and that perfect funghi based sauce.

The Scallops, kaffir lime, and coconut milk was a symphony of familiar flavors that worked well together.

The scallops were as to be expected in a place like Alliance. Perfectly seared, perfectly rare, perfectly sweet and mildly briny.

The wonderful buttery texture and mild sweetness of the lobster was the star of the Lobster, kumquat, and spinach, in red wine sauce.

The dish could have used a bit more tannic-bitter flavors as it approached being perhaps a bit too sweet.

The desserts? Well, that's the Missus's department. I will say that I really enjoyed the Vanilla Mousses that was served with black olives, where the saltiness of the olives just balanced out the sweetness off the vanilla. The Missus loved the chocolates with jellies in the center.

This was a wonderful meal; perhaps the best we've had in Paris thus far. The Missus is still talking about this meal; not just in terms of single dishes; but mentioning the pace, the staff, and of course, the wine!

It's going to be hard to top this one!

Alliance
5 rue de Poissy
75005 Paris, France

San Francisco - Mourad

Much like our trip to Portland in 2015, part of reason was just to rest in air conditioned goodness....which is what we did after lunch at China Live. We awoke refreshed and decided on a short stroll before dinner. We decided to just take a stroll down Market to the Ferry Building.

It was a nice stroll, past the hustle and bustle, the street merchants were just closing up for the day.

We walked through the Ferry Building, giving the Missus a chance to check out various places as possibilities for tomorrow's lunch.

We  walked through and past various shops.....most were closed or closing for the day. And then headed out back to the Ferry Terminals and just basically sat and watched.

I guess this must seem just routine to folks who live in the Bay Area; but for us, it was just relaxing and fun.

A short time later we decided to head to our dinner destination. Our good friend Candice had recommended Mourad, a Michelin Star restaurant that serves Moroccan inspired cuisine with local ingredients and modern techniques. The location was a few blocks from our hotel on New Montgomery Street. We were a bit early for our reservation, so we had a seat at the bar. Our mixologist was quite the showman and very knowledgeable. I had, what might be the best and one of the most expensive ($24) cocktails I've had in recent memory. A magical concoction called "Legend of the Brave".

A blend of Scotch, ciociaro, jalapeno-pineapple shrub syrup, "Scotch mist", and blood orange, this had that nice combination of smokey-savory-bitter and not-too-sweet flavors I enjoy in a cocktail. The Missus had some Scotch and is now somewhat enamored with it.

Soon enough, we were notified that our table was ready. It was in the upstairs portion of the restaurant.

Mourad does have a tasting menu and what they call "la'acha" family sized meals....which based on what we saw on two other tables would be just too much for the Missus and I. We ordered a couple of dinner items and two sides, which turned out to be more than enough for us.

The first three dishes were brought out together.

Things started off with the Lamb Tartare ($18), which was topped with sliced green apple.

The tangy green apple added a nice crunch but really didn't add much to the overly salty tartare. Ditto the wheatberry. The sodium level just wiped out any flavor the tender lamb would have.

Next up; what they simply call "Eggplant" ($18) on the menu.

This dish featured a wonderful range of textures and flavors. From the tender earthy eggplant and oregano, the brightness of za'atar, the crunchy, very clean-brininess of the cucumber. On occasion you'd have the distinct, nutty, resinous of pine nuts mixed in. The bread was hot and wonderful. The puree was slightly smokey, mildly sweet, but also on the salty side. It was best used as a spread for the bread.

When the Foie Gras ($26) arrived....well, we weren't too sure about it. Wrapped with shredded and from what we could taste, pickled green papaya and topped with freeze dried strawberries (??), this was very good!

The crunch, mild sourness of the green papaya and the light sweetness of that trendy freeze dried strawberries to complement the richness of the creamy foie gras was nothing short of amazing. We could detect the slight fragrance of rose water as well. Add to that crisp, buttery, and slightly sweet brioche toast and this was easily my favorite dish of the evening.

In a display of almost flawless timing, our last dish and two sides were brought out seconds after we had finished our first three dishes and our table cleared. We both thought the service at Mourad was very professional and pleasant.

The Duck Basteeya ($25) was presented to us as Chef Lahlou's signature dish.

You really couldn't fault the presentation. The filo dough around the eggroll-chimichanga-ish basteeya was light and crisp; it had been put together perfectly. Unfortunately, while the duck confit was lovingly, we found this to be much too sweet for our taste.

I enjoyed the Heirloom Bean Shakshuka ($10); topped with a "ying-yang" of  bread crumbs and what tasted like a feta cream.

The beans had a wonderful texture; just enough of a bite and I enjoyed the blend of flavors in this one.

The Missus really loved the Kale ($10).

This was a wonderful braised kale dish; the Harissa, something I use quite often in my cooking adding some zip. It was a wonderful, hearty dish.

Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Mourad; there were some nice surprises and the meal ended with two comforting dishes. The service was excellent. And that cocktail! I think we'll be back...probably to eat at the bar.....some foie gras, eggplant, kale, and beans......and a couple of those cocktails!

Mourad Restaurant
140 New Montgomery St. #1
San Francisco, CA 94105
Hours:
Mon - Fri 1130am - 10pm
Sat - Sun 5pm - 10pm

 

Clearing Out the Memory Card - Still Our Favorite Restaurant. Suzunari (Tokyo)

While we were a bit sad to leave Kyoto, which is one of Missus's favorite cities. We were excited to be back in Tokyo.

Beyond the rather overwhelming, sensory overload of the city; we loved the various neighborhoods, the order, the streets packed with wonderful surprises at every turn. We'd gotten used to the rhythm of this city of over 13 million people.

The Missus had gotten really fond of the Yotsuya neighborhood, which is where we decided to stay on our return to Tokyo. There's something less touristy and more "real" about this neighborhood; at least to us. And while we have yet to find Hattori Hanzo's (the real one) grave or have yet to see obake in the neighborhood, we love walking the back streets and exploring.

Plus, the view from our hotel wasn't too shabby at all.

Another reason for staying in the neighborhood; is that our favorite restaurant, perhaps in the world, resides down one of the narrow streets of Arakicho. Yes, even after visiting Osteria Francescana on our recent trip to Italy; or Azurmendi, Disfrutar, David Toutain, Alliance (post coming up), or any number of other places, even from my pre-blogging days (The French Laundry/Gary Danko, etc). Suzunari remains our favorite.

Honest, seasonal, perfectly prepared Kaiseki for non-tourists......it just resonates with us. Business must be good, Chef Murata now has two assistants. And like our previous meal; our good friend Reiko joined us. Once we told her we'd be returning to Tokyo and Suzunari, she was quite excited, and rightfully so.

I'll spare you the 10,000 words here; since I've posted on this place several times before.

From the stuffed sakura leaves to the Hassun….everything tasted as good as....and even better than, it looked.

The Missus still calls the simple, broiled rockfish (kinki) we had on this evening, the most perfect fish in terms of texture She has ever had.

I loved the abalone on bamboo shoots....and the abalone liver even more!

Reiko is allergic to shellfish and some forms of seafood; so instead of the usual kamameshi; they made us a version with takenoko (bamboo shoots), and provided lovely, savory dried shrimp for the Missus and I.

There's something about this place that just resonates with us.

We gotta get back to Japan (and Suzunari) again soon.

Suzunari 
7-9 Arakicho, Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo

Returning to the room; I opened a "cold one".

And looked off into the night......

Thinking about how blessed we are to able to travel as much as we do.....and to be able to say; "yes, our favorite restaurant is in Tokyo."

Thanks for stopping by!

Arriving in Alaska, Girdwood, and Dinner at the Seven Glaciers Restaurant

It was nearing the end of May; the usual time the Missus and I head off on a trip. This year, we had only a week or so and nothing else until the end of the year. The Missus wanted to scratch something off Her bucket list, so we headed off to Alaska to see if we could get it done.

Landing in Anchorage and picking up a cup of coffee on the way out of town....well, it seemed like just another city in the states.

I was shocked to see that I could get an Ethiopian pour over for $3.50!

Not a great cup, but with the typical acidic-sweet-floral tones of African beans, pretty good. The place seemed pretty popular with hipsters and folks on their laptops and such.

Black Cup
341 E Benson Blvd
Anchorage, AK 99503

A few minutes down the road and we realized that we were definitely not down in the "Lower 48" as the locals call it, anymore.

Even though the weather was quite gloomy and there was a slight chill in the air, we couldn't help but keep stopping at places like Beluga Point along the way.

We'd often stop and other folks would start talking to us. Asking us where we were from, where we were headed, all quite friendly. It's definitely something we aren't used to here in SoCal. We also ran into a transplanted Californian, one of many we'd meet along the way. He was a very cheerful person, I ended up volunteering to take a photo of him and visiting family.....I guess I was getting into that mode as well.

At milepost 90....those green milepost signs are how you find many of the directions in the 49th state, I took a left and headed toward, then past, the town of Girdwood and up the road, finally taking a left on Arlberg Avenue and arriving at the Alyeska Resort. The Missus had recently had a birthday and I wanted to make our first night in Alaska a nice one. So I chose the Alyeska Resort because of the well regarded location, accommodations, and restaurant. Indeed, check-in was friendly, professional, and smooth. We had a Junior Suite, which was comfortable and huge, and the Missus's favorite room of the entire trip. Oh, and the really nice young man who worked the front desk was from....you guessed it, California! The view from our room wasn't too shabby either.

Of course, once we checked in, the Missus was just rarin' to go. So off we went, making the two plus change mile walk to the town of Girdwood. Even though it drizzled off and on during our walk the scenery was lovely.

The view while crossing over the river was amazing.

While Girdwood is described as a resort town......it bore no resemblance to the mental picture I had of a resort village. It looked like a charming little town with a single street with a general store on the corner.

There are a couple of restaurants/bars, a post office, what looked like a yoga place, and other services along the single street.

We stopped for a caffeine fix at a coffee shop cum curio store called The Grind.

The collection was indeed "eclectic"......I was sorely tempted to get that "Freeloader Fork"...but settled for an Americano instead.

We sat on the porch of the coffee shop and watch time slowly flow by the quiet street. On occasion someone on a bike would pass....you'd see a couple of dogs frolicking in the park; folks dropping the Post Office to pick up their mail.

The Grind
236 Hightower Rd
Girdwood, AK 99587

We headed on back to the resort and took the trail alongside Arlberg Avenue back.

And noticed a few things we had missed on the walk down.

We also took some time to walk around the grounds of the resort as well.

I'd made dinner reservations at the resorts Seven Glaciers Restaurant. We got ready and decided to head up to the restaurant. And I do mean "head up". You see, the restaurant is located at the top of Mount Alyeska.

And the only way to get there is by tram.

You can pick up your complimentary tram tickets an hour before your reservations. We went up about a half hour before. We had the entire tram to ourselves and our tram operator was from....you guessed it; California....the Bay Area to be precise. He was a friendly, chatty fellow and described the surrounding area like a tour guide. The restaurant is named for the Seven Glaciers you can view from the place. The crazy steep slopes are Black Diamond rated and the view, well, that's priceless.

Funny coincidence, the young man lived in Girdwood and had actually seen us having our coffee on the porch of The Grind earlier in the day. He was one of the fellows who rode past us on a bike.

At the top there's a shop, a bar, the restaurant, and ski runs. Even though it was mid-May, it was still snowing in Denali and had just snowed here a few days earlier.

After having a bit of fun in the snow and ice we headed into the restaurant which was quite well done. What struck us the most; other than the million dollar view was how well the tables were spaced and placed to maximize the view while dining.

While waiting for our table we both had cocktails....which were really low on the booze and way too sweet.

Just as we took the first sips of our drinks, our table was ready and we were seated. The view was fantastic.

One of the reasons I chose Seven Glaciers is that the menu; while priced on the high end, is locally focused. Our Server was great; genial, yet a total pro, and did a good job of describing each dish.

The butter, so creamy and milky was fantastic, the bread not so much, as the marbled rye was dry and crumbly and the lavash just passable.

The amuse was a "ceviche", very nice seafood, a delicious cilantro cream (I need to make this), and a very "corny" flavored "tortilla".

I'd read some good things about the Scallop Bisque ($12) so we started with that; our Server totally got the idea that we'd be dining "family style" and was awesome at setting up the dishes and setting for us.

The wonderfully mildly sweet-oceany flavor of the bisque was good, though it was on the thin side for my tastes and lacking that nice tongue coating texture I enjoy. The chive oil, while on the mild side in flavor was a nice accompaniment. But that scallop, the most amazingly sweet scallop, seared perfectly, the interior rare, just melted away on your tongue......it was fantastic.

The "Tartare of the Day" ($18) was Yak. And let me tell you, it was also delicious.

Very tender, clean tasting, not overly seasoned or gamey, this was nicely put together. The pickled onions were perfect; just sour enough, with distinct clove-herbal tones.

The Missus has never enjoyed King Crab, saying that it "lacked the deep crab flavor" and isn't a big fan of drawn butter either. I did mention that Bering Sea Red King Crab was supposedly the best so why not try it here (1/2 pound $35). I was shocked at how much crab this was.

Well, while meaty, and without an overly brined flavor, this still wasn't the Missus's cup of tea. Not sweet enough, too dry, on the bland side is how She described it. No regrets in trying it here though.

Our entrée, the special of the day is without doubt the best thing we had on the entire trip. It was something both that Missus and I are familiar with; black chicken, but served in a totally different manner; roasted. Traditionally served in a medicinal soup in Asia; I've found it to be terribly tough and while the Missus loves it, I'm not a fan...though it's mostly because of the medicinal flavor of the broth. Seeing Black Silkie Chicken on the menu ($42), we just had to try it.

Along with some very tasty fried artichokes, local asparagus, and tender fiddlehead ferns, on top of a nicely prepared barley risotto, perhaps the best version I've had, the chicken was so good. While toothsome and bony...hey this is free-range black chicken here, nothing out of the ordinary there; the deep poultry flavor was amazing. This is what chicken tasted like when I was a kid! It reminded me of the chicken that my grandparents raised. Sadly, I think folks aren't used to the flavor as the folks on the table next to us sent theirs back saying it was too "tough and gamey" for their liking. We on the other hand just loved this dish.

We also enjoyed the seasonal roasted vegetables ($8). The Missus loves broccolini and asparagus anyway.

The gig surprise was the roasted kale stems which had a nice acidic touch to it. It was surprisingly tender, something you don't associate with kale stems.

While we were rather stuffed, the Missus decided to order the restaurant's signature dessert; the Baked Alyeska, the classic browned meringue topped ice cream and cake.

I went with an Alaskan Brewery White Ale.

Man, that dessert was so rich and dense....I had one bite and went "no mas"...…..the Missus did finish it off.

Boy, this was some meal.

The service was excellent and the food quite good.

It wasn't cheap by any means, but a wonderful special occasion meal.

It was a nice way to celebrate both the Missus's Birthday and our first night in Alaska.

Seven Glaciers Restaurant
(In the Alyeska Resort - sort of. It's on top of a mountain)
1000 Arlberg Ave
Girdwood, AK 99587

We enjoyed the ride down in the tram.

On the good side; this was a great first meal and the best meal we had on our trip.

On the bad side, this was the best meal of our trip and we had 7 more nights to go.....

Thanks for stopping by!