Recipes

May 8, 2023 Hong Kong

Godenya Hong Kong

Hong Kongers love traveling to Japan. During the pandemic when the border between Japan and Hong Kong was all but effectively closed, demand for Japanese restaurants, especially high-end ones, shot up in Hong Kong. All of a sudden, it was impossible to book any nice Japanese restaurants. In fact, during the pandemic, more Japanese restaurants opened up to meet this demand.

Godenya is one of the hardest Japanese restaurants to book in Hong Kong. For us, the only reason we were able to try it is that some kind friends of ours had made a booking early early on, and invited us to come. They also explained that they were surprised they didn’t have to wait 6 months to get a booking . . . Perhaps the border to Japan re-opening has something to do with local demand for Japanese food . . .

In any event, we were thrilled to have the chance to try Godenya in Hong Kong, a self-billed "sake pairing restaurant" for the first time this fall.

The Sake Pairing Tasting Menu

Monaka Taiyaki "Sandwich"

We began with what looked like a taiyaki, those traditional fish-shaped cakes filled with red bean.

But this one was different! This was a savory version filled with monkfish liver, persimmon, smoked pickles, and baby shiso leaves.

The fish exterior was like monaka, so light and crispy with a texture not unlike thin styrofoam. The little “sandwich” was phenomenal. I loved it.

Sake pairing: Beau Michelle (Nagano) Junmai Nama Sparkling Alc.9% 2022-23 10°C.

Kawahagi (Filefish)

The next course was truly a revelation: raw Kawahagi ( Filefish), chestnuts, boiled peanuts, arrowhead, and rice topped with Bonito flakes.

The mixture of textures and flavors was brilliant.

Sake pairing: TEDORIGAWA ( Ishikawa) Junmai Daiginjo Nama Alc. 16% 2021 22 13°C

Shirako + Yuzu

I'm not the biggest fan of shirako (fish sperm sac), though I am always willing to try it when it's part of a larger tasting. Here, shirako, zuwai-kani (snow crab), and chrysanthemum came served inside a yuzu shell with a liver sauce.

Sake pairing: SOGEN ( Ishikawa) Junmai Nama Alc. 16% 2021-22 42°C

Karasumi Soba

Next was soba with karasumi (bottarga / mullet roe) with a dried spinach leaf “chip”, boiled leaf (2-ways), and lonburi (Belvedere fruit), which is similar to "poor man's caviar".

Sake Pairing: HOKEN ( Hiroshima ) Junmai Daiginjo Alc. 16% 2021-22 15°C

Eel "Soup"

Eel soup with Syogoin-kabu (turnip), taro, carrot, and gingko.

Sake Pairing: TENON ( Shiamnne ) Kimoto Junmai Daiginjo Alc. 15% 2021-22 23°C

Baked Crab

Hot baked female snow crab with tomato sauce, lily bulb, pine nut, and rice.

Sake Pairing: HIWATA ( Miyagi ) Yamahai Junmai Daiginjo Alc. 16% 2020-21 18°C

Lotus Root + Kinki Fish

Renkon (lotus root) stuffed with Kinki-fish, Burdock, and Sweet potato in a flavorful broth.

Sake Pairing: JUJI ASAHI ( Shimane ) Junmai Ginjo Alc. 18% 2009-10 48°C

Somen

Somen noodles with duck in a light, clear broth.

Sake + Caramel Dessert

Finally, a delicious crème brulee topped with caramel ice cream and pear. The showstopper was the intensely flavored homemade aged sake ("black like soy sauce") that they poured on top. It was not too different from a dark caramel flavor, and I loved it!

General Thoughts - Godenya Hong Kong

What a special meal! Coming here feels a lot like being transported to Japan, even if just for a few hours. The dishes are designed with care, full of creativity, and superbly balanced in flavor, texture, and presentation. I can very much see why this place is in such high demand. We very much enjoyed the exposure to so many different types of sake and types of sake pairing. I especially loved the dessert - what a unique way to enjoy sake!

The sake tasting menu is HK$2300, or HK$2100 for half volume sake. Reservations are extremely hard to come by, but there are random pockets of availability if you're to look far ahead.

All in all, highly recommended!

Godenya Hong Kong
182 Wellington Street (upper G/F)
Central, HONG KONG

May 6, 2023 Hong Kong

Chung Kee - Lockhart Cooked Food Centre Wan Chai

Chung Kee Wan Chai - Lockhart Cooked Food Centre

Many people lamented when the very famous North Point Dai Pai Dong Tung Po Kitchen was forced to shut down after 30+ years of business. I'd been there once, and had enjoyed the delicious food, though I had conclude "[t]he price was on the high side for a dai pai dong, with the total bill coming in at just under $75 USD for a party of three ordering four dishes and a few bottles of beer."

That was 5 years ago when we had just moved to Hong Kong, being more like bright-eyed "tourists" than seasoned locals.

We are still not seasoned locals, but we've made a few friends. One of our friends told us about Chung Kee, a very local dai pai dong located right in the Lockhart Cooked Food Centre in Wan Chai, not too far from our house!

Chung Kee Restaurant at the Lockhart Cooked Food Centre

Our friend said, "it's like Tung Po, but not as expensive, and it's still very, very good."

We were so thankful that our friends were willing to go with us there. Turns out, the menu is COMPLETELY in Chinese, and all communication is basically done in Cantonese.

Similar to Tung Po Kitchen, the beer here is also enjoyed in ceramic bowls. The atmosphere is boisterous. Our friends tell me that this place can get very crowded, and it's quite popular with the locals.

Stir-fried clams with peppers.

This is a VERY local dish. It's called chicken knees (雞膝), and it's literally just pieces of chicken cartilage (maybe from somewhere near the "knee" equivalent portion?) that are battered and deep-fried. It's something most people may not think of eating, but it's actually pretty tasty. It's a bit crunchy, spicy, and quite flavorful.

Pickled vegetable fish 酸菜魚 was alright, though not very spicy (I guess it's Cantonese style, which usually means very, very mild).

Fresh from the From the Oven

Baked oysters with cheese.

I've seen this style of cooking at French restaurants (more often with paper, but similar), so I was surprised to see it at such a local Cantonese restaurant. Oyster mushrooms are teamed with butter and other flavors in a sealed up foil pocket.

This garlic smothered eggplant was steaming hot when it arriver and was delicious!

Fried Musk Melon Milk Custard

The restaurant rotates through various "specials". I'm not sure if they are new dishes they are trying, or if they are just rotating on a regular basis. This one was honeydew melon and deep fried "milk" 蜜瓜炸脆奶, which was definitely an interesting dessert. The inside was piping hot and soft and custardy. Really, really fun to try! (see below video of me trying it for the first time)

*update* another friend tells me that musk melon fried milk was "all the rage" in the 80's, but not that many places make it anymore.

Our friends were way too generous and ordered so much food for only four people. The prices here seem much more reasonable compared to Tung Po Kitchen, though my guess is that it's not as catered towards tourists, so it may be more difficult to navigate if you don't know the language.

It was certainly a local experience, and we loved it. It's been so fun getting to know these friends, who absolutely love good food but don't like overpaying for it. We've been able to discover so many great local places with them. Now if only I could improve my Cantonese!

Chung Kee Lockhart Cooked Food Centre
中記精美小菜大排檔
225 Hennessy Rd, Wan Chai

May 3, 2023 Hong Kong

Fiata Pizza Hong Kong

You might be surprised to hear that the best pizza I'd ever had in the world was actually in Hong Kong. That was more than three years ago (pre-Covid), when Kytaly (from Switzerland) opened in Hong Kong for a few years before an internal dispute caused the original chef to close and move back to Switzerland.

I still mourn the loss of those simply astounding pizzas to this day. However, it's true that the space, the ovens, and the HK-based staff are still here. A few years later, Fiata opened in the exact same spot. The head pizzaiolo is Salvatore Fiata, an Italian chef who formerly worked at Kytaly and comes from 3 generation of pizza makers.

We were definitely curious to try this pizza and see how it compared!

We did try one starter, a simple mozzarella di bufala Campana DOP, cherry tomatoes, and basil. It was OK. The mozzarella was good, but the tomatoes were pretty average. I've always found it difficult to find good tomatoes in Hong Kong except at the highest end restaurants (who are probably paying an arm and a leg for those tomatoes!).

The pizzas at Fiata Pizza are pretty small, almost like personal-sized pizzas. Chef Fiata is very exact about his dough proportions and the amount of time each pizza spends in the oven. His tagline is “75% moisture, 510 degrees celsius, 90 seconds and 100% passion.”

The crust is very flavorful, light and chewy, and nicely charred on the bottom. We both agreed the pizza was very, very good, probably the best in Hong Kong at the moment. At the same time, we both still thought Kytaly had an edge to this place.

Still, these pizzas are excellent, and we would certainly come back again.

Many others agree. Last August (2022) Fiata ranked 8th place in a listing of the 50 Top Pizzas in Asia Pacific by an Italian-originated ranking organized by Vittoria Dell'Anna marketing firm. It was the highest ranked pizza restaurant in Hong Kong.

So even though Kytaly is no longer here, I think we still have really, really good pizza in Hong Kong, and I'm quite thankful for that!

Fiata Pizza Hong Kong
2 Staunton Street, Soho
Central, HONG KONG

May 1, 2023 Europe

48 Hours in Warsaw Poland - Trip Report

I've shared about my old goal of traveling to one new country per year. After visiting Ireland for the first time in the summer of 2022, I visited my second new country in the fall of 2022, Warsaw Poland.

It was a very short trip, less than 48 hours, but I still took as much of an opportunity as I could to explore the beautiful buildings in the city center, try some local food, and just get a feel of the city.

I walked. A LOT. I really don't feel like I've truly experienced a city until I walk its streets and eat is food.

Sadly, Warsaw was mostly destroyed in 1944 by Nazi Germany after the Warsaw Uprising.

More than 85% of the city was destroyed. The Polish rebuilt the city between 1950 - 1970 based on old drawings, photos, etc., painstakingly trying to rebuild to restore the former beauty and glory of the city.

The Old Town is completely restored and is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was really, really beautiful.

I saw the Old Town in two different lights. I spent a whole afternoon in daylight, walking through various parts of the Old Town.

We also did a nighttime walking tour with a local friend who took us around.

He grew up in Warsaw and had many stories to tell about the city and what it was like to grow up there. He also shared current stories, such as how the past several months have been crazy, with so many Ukrainian refugees streaming into Poland. Even his own family was lending a hand, taking in certain refugees for the night. It was heartbreaking to hear from someone who was seeing this crisis unfolding firsthand in his own country.

We visited famous statues and sites, such as a statue of astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus and a giant papal cross (9 meters!) that marks the spot where Pope John Paul II visited Poland for the first time after he became pope.

Tomb of the unknown soldier.

A view of Warsaw's Vistula River.

It was close to Christmas, and thus decorations lined the pretty streets.

Pierogies + More

For dinner we went to a cozy, traditional Polish restaurant in the Old Town called Gospoda Kwiaty Polskie.

Of course we had to try pierogies, and we sampled several different fillings. We were tickled to learn that they call Chinese dumplings "Chinese pierogies". I guess each culture must use words they know to describe similar-looking foods from other cultures.

It was fun to try the Polish staple (though I still prefer the Chinese version!).

I ordered a soup, and they strongly recommended that I get the version that's a bread bowl, since it's quite traditional. This was a nice, heartwarming meal on a cold, nippy November night.

It was quite special to have a local host us, and I very much appreciated this initial introduction to Poland. I'm not sure when I'll be back, but I'm glad I had a chance to see it and learn more about it.

April 28, 2023 Boston

A Month in Boston: our first post-Covid Trip

The pandemic was a strange, unprecedented period of 18 months where we were essentially stuck on a tiny island (heh, Hong Kong), unable to leave and come back without stringent Covid tests and quarantine measures. The first time we finally traveled was in the fall of 2021, and that was to attend a long postponed family wedding on the west coast.

As part of that extended first trip, we also visited Boston. Our first time back in Boston post-Covid was unique because we were able to stay for a much longer period than normal. In non pandemic times we would usually fly into Boston and stay for 1-2 weeks max before returning to Hong Kong. This time, we had a full precious 4 weeks in Boston.

During that time, we visited many friends (some multiple times), saw my family, and participated in a lot of cool local events. Below are a few memorable non-food memories from that trip.

Free Star-Studded Boston Symphony Orchestra Concert

The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) put on a free ”Concert for Our City” to welcome its return to performing after a long pandemic break. Bryan went online and was able to grab 2 free tickets for us. It was an amazing concert, and quite nostalgic for us. Keith Lockhart was the conductor for the pops during a large part of our time in Boston. The BSO also played a few Star Wars songs, conducted by non other than John Williams himself (!). Finally, we got to hear world famous violinist Anne Sophie Mutter. It was SUCH a treat to be able to join with other Bostonians in such a special and meaningful concert.

Hunting for Four Leaf Clovers

I told my friends I had never seen a 4-leaf clover before (save, maybe once when I was around 5 years old and a kid brought one to school). They regular hunt for 4-leaf clovers, and are quite experienced at it. They told me it’s more common than I might think. The next thing you know, we were all looking through the numerous clover patches in Cambridge Common. It only took about 10 minutes, but - as promised - they found one for me. So cool!

The Charles River

I love the Charles River. My dorm room at MIT was right on the river, and I have fond memories of jogging along it ever since college. When we got married, my hope was to find a place with views of the Charles River for our reception. Every place we’ve ever lived has been been less than a 10 minute jog to the Charles. We were able to take long walks along the Charles River multiple times during our 4-week stay in Boston.

Boston Harbor Walk

Though a big part of my heart will always be with the Charles River, I also fell in love with the Boston Harbour walk later in life. I worked in Boston’s Seaport area for about a year back in 2014. During that time I began jogging along this oceanfront path during my lunch break. This trip, we stayed in the Seaport area, which means we had many, many opportunities to jog along this path.

In all our years together, Bryan and I seldom exercised together. This was a rare time in our marriage where we actually had the opportunity and time to go running together most mornings. It was really, really nice!

Saying Hello to Old Boston Icons

I make a point to visit the ”Make Way For Duckings” duck statues in the Public Garden every time I go back. The Public Garden is one of my favorite parks in Boston, and I love visiting it especially during the fall (during foliage season!) or the spring when the flowers are all in bloom.

Those 4 weeks were indeed really special. I don’t know when in the foreseeable future we’ll be able to take such a long trip again. We cherished the time we had, not only to enjoy so many different parts of Boston, but also to spend more quality time with our many friends and family in the area.

Jen's Top Restaurants to Visit in Boston
Boston Archives
Jinny's Pizzeria Newton
Farewell Bergamot

April 25, 2023 Hong Kong

Shun Kee Typhoon Shelter Boat Dining Causeway Bay

Typhoon shelter crab is a dish that is very unique to Hong Kong and has a fascinating history. Its roots can be traced back to the typhoon shelters of Hong Kong, which were built to protect what used to be a large boat-dwelling community of fisherfolk and their families.

The boat-dwelling communities sold snacks, opened restaurants, and even offered entertainment from the boats. The typhoon shelter crab was a popular dish that arose from these restaurants.

The popular dish moved beyond the typhoon shelters and eventually made its way into Hong Kong's local restaurants. Over time, most of the boat-dwellers moved inland. The "marine population" in Hong Kong dropped from 130,000+ people in the early 1960's to just a little over a thousand by 2011. The era of dining on sampans in the typhoon shelters pretty much died out in the 1990's.

Typhoon Shelter Seafood Meal

In 2011, Chef Leung Hoi, a local chef who grew up in the typhoon shelter boat communities, successfully obtained a license to run a boat restaurant.

Shun Kee Typhoon Shelter, a floating restaurant located "off the coast" of Causeway Bay, offers dining in individual, traditional sampans docked right at the bay.

The Boat Ride from the Shore

Getting there involves first hopping into a little boat which takes you to the "dining boats". Don't be late! They'll tell you when to be at the dock to catch this little "transfer" boat.

The ride from the shore to the dining boats is short, but the views are stunning.

Each party gets its own individual boat. Our meal was about HK$500 per person (we had a party of 6 people) for the multi-course meal that you'll see in more detail below.

We asked the lady serving us how long she'd been at the restaurant, and she said "over 20 years." Chef Leung hired several former boat dwelling neighbors to join him in working at this restaurant, so it's quite possible that our server was an old time neighbor (I regret not asking at the time!).

All of the food is made at a central boat kitchen, and then "ferried" over to the individual boats by a server.

The Shun Kee Typhoon Shelter Boat Set Meal

Boiled prawns simply enjoyed for their inherent sweet flavor. These come with head and shell on, so you'll have to get your hands dirty to enjoy this dish.

Boiled sea snails, or whelk, is another simple dish. Just pluck out the bouncy, chewy meat from the shell with toothpicks.

Steamed razor clams with vermicelli and garlic is a classic Hong Kong seafood dish, and this one was delicious.

"Hand-Shredded Chicken" was a cold dish and also included chicken feet, chicken gizzards, as well as pig ears.

Typhoon Shelter soy sauce stir-fried clams was fresh and full of flavor.

The star of the show is, of course, the Typhoon Shelter Fried Crab. The crispy garlic is addictive and certainly the best part. The pairing with the crab is perfect, and it's hard not to put the garlic topping on EVERYTHING.

The token vegetable, steamed Chinese broccoli with soy sauce.

The amenities on the boat are pretty basic. There is a bathroom, but you need to use a bucket and draw water to "flush" it yourself. Other than that, overall we found the boat to be pretty comfortable.

General Thoughts: Shun Kee Typhoon Shelter Boat Dining

The food served on this boat is tasty, authentic, and no-fuss. The ingredients are fresh, and the preparation is simple. Is it the best I've had? In such a competitive environment as Hong Kong, there are plenty of excellent seafood restaurants in Sai Kung and the outerlying islands (Lamma, Peng Chau, Cheung Chau) that make arguably better versions of these seafood dishes. Same goes for typhoon shelter crab.

However, it's hard to beat the unique environment of this meal. We six gals had the whole boat to ourselves the entire evening. It felt comfortable, private, even "safe" during those Covid times (since it was outdoors). The view of Causeway Bay was stunning. The food was still very, very good.

All in all, I would not hesitate to come back here, especially if I am entertaining out-of-town friends. As an overall package, Shun Kee Typhoon Shelter offers a pretty unique Hong Kong experience in a location that's surprisingly convenient (right near Causeway Bay), yet feels like you have traveled to one of the outerlying islands.

The best part? I just walked along the harbour back home to Wan Chai. So convenient!

There are only limited number of boats, and it's not easy to book. Definitely book ahead!

Such amazing views from the Causeway Bay Dockside

Shun Kee Typhoon Shelter Boat
(+852) 81120075
Water Selling Kiosk
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong

April 23, 2023 California

Angler San Francisco - 1 Michelin Star

This is part of a larger series about our trip to California in December 2022. The posts in this series include Tony's Pizza North Beach, Angler, and Daego Kalbijjim

What kind of food do you recommend to someone who travels between Hong Kong and Europe? As you may know (if you follow my blog/instagram these past several years), I’ve traveled quite a bit between Europe and Hong Kong these past couple years.

This was the issue vexing our local friends in California, who were trying to find places to recommend for us. In the end, their recommendations largely came down to Mexican food and local California cuisine.

Angler embodies that California spirit: fresh seafood, local California produce, a slight Asian influence, and a convenient location right near the Ferry Building. The Michelin star is icing on the cake.

We decided to treat a few of our SF relatives to a meal at Angler in SF.

Dining at Angler San Francisco with Friends

The moment you enter Angler you get a sense of an upscale hunting (or fishing?) lodge with moose heads, fish statues, and more hanging up around the place.

I immediately felt the warmth and friendliness from the entire staff. The server gave us genuine honest advice about what to order. When we asked multiple servers what their favorite dishes were, they each gave us their own honest opinion (not “canned” answers vaguely saying “the most popular dish is . . . ).

Multiple servers recommended the U10 scallops, so that was an obvious “go.” It was delicious, seared perfectly (barely cooked inside) and served with a creamy, flavorful sauce.

"Stabbing" the Radicchio

The radicchio salad was presented in an unusual way, filled with a beet and radicchio dressing that would “bleed” when you cut it with a large steak knife (which they provided).

They even gave us bibs to wear during this course, since the beet red juices would splatter. The salad was refreshing and the dressing had a nice, deep rich flavor.

Seafood Starters

The raw oysters (we ordered West Coast oysters) were serviceable, but not nearly as good as the really nice fresh ones I’ve had at other places.

The tuna tartare served with tomato jelly (and seaweed rice cracker) was fantastic, and I secretly wished for a larger portion. The tomato water jelly added a lovely, refreshing note to the richer tuna tartare.

Thousand-Layer Potato

The potato is thinly sliced and deep fried as a whole potato. The resultant “potato”, when sliced, reveals seemingly thousands of layers, thus the “Mille-feiulle” potato.

The final “piece de resistance” was their roast chicken, which they said was a signature dish. Coming from Hong Kong, I have pretty high standards when it comes to roast chickens, and Hong Kong makes some of the best roast chicken in the world.

This roast chicken had a beautiful crispy skin (like those in Hong Kong), and was nice and tender. It was served with the whole legs (including feet) on, which is a bit unusual in the US (though perfectly normal in Hong Kong and even other parts of Europe). Bryan, who loves chicken feet, happily ate one of the feet.

Dessert: Ice Cream!

The soft serve ice cream dessert was perfect for the 5 of us to share, with each of us taking a large spoonful. It would be a pretty big dessert for one person (though I am confidant I could finish it, since I have no limits when it comes to ice cream).

General Thoughts - Anger San Francisco

All in all, I thought the food was very good at Angler. My favorite was the tuna tartare with tomato jelly, though I also very much enjoyed the scallop. Everything was executed at a high level, and overall I thought the restaurant was great. The staff were super friendly and totally made us feel like we were at home. We ended up staying pretty late, but never once did they pressure us to leave. it’s a wonderfully warm and cozy restaurant, and I wouldn’t hesitate to come back.

On a side note, I especially enjoyed the music, which was a flashback to the late 80’s, early 90’s music I listen to in middle school and high school.

April 21, 2023 California

Tony's Pizza North Beach San Francisco

This is part of a larger series about our trip to California in December 2022. The posts in this series include Tony's Pizza North Beach, Angler, and Daego Kalbijjim.

The North Beach neighborhood in San Francisco is the Italian district of the city. Not unlike in other cities, the North Beach neighborhood is close to Chinatown and also downtown. There are many Italian institutions that have been there for decades. Tony’s Pizza is one of them, serving many, many different types of pies, several of which have won prestigious awards.

The line to get into Tony’s can get quite long, especially on weekends or during festivals. We arrived before opening tine at around 11:45AM on a weekday and found ourselves behind a growing line of people trying to get into the first seating.

Salad

The Tony’s menu is pretty easy to navigate. There are several different styles of pizza, as well as pastas, appetizers, and more. I was personally floored at the number of pizza styles in a single restaurant, and even more impressed that multiple styles had won awards. They had, for example,Neapolitan (one of their most famous), Roman, New York, Detroit, St. Louis, and more.

We ended up going with a Neapolitan Marguerita, New York style sausage, and Detroit style tomato and basil. Oh my goodness, they were all really, really good!

The Neapolitan had a nice charred bottom, chewy crust, and flavorful toppings (hello San Marzano tomatoes!).

The New York style was nice and crispy, and the toppings were super flavorful.

Finally, the Detroit style had a lovely charred crispy Parmesan crust that was just perfect. The crust itself was soft and leavened, almost like focaccia. It was also excellent.

For starters we had a “Gigante”, which is a gigantic meatball (one is enough, it is huge!). We also got a Caesar Salad with anchovies, which was solid.

All in all, certainly come here if you want to try many different pizza styles. It’s really fun! It’s best to come with a larger group, since the pizzas are not small. We had 4 people, ordered three pizzas, and probably took at least a whole pizza home. Thankfully, they heat up beautifully and the leftovers certainly did not go to waste.

Tony's Pizza San Francisco

April 19, 2023 California

Daego Kalbijjim San Francisco

Apparently one of the hottest food trends to be sweeping through California right now is Daego Kalbijjim. Just imagine: fall-off-the-bone beef short ribs, potatoes, carrots, and rice cakes, all mixed together in a sweet-savory beefy sauce and topped with a load of mozzarella cheese. The result is a saucy, cheesy, messy but oh-so-delicious pot of goodness. The overall dish is served in a hot stone bowl and cooked for 2 hours (though they pre-cook a lot of it). They ask you to order ahead to avoid waiting, but I think so many people order the traditional Daego Kalbijjim that they probably have a lot of pots going at once. We received our food about 30 min after ordering (not 1.5 hours).

On the side they gave us some Kim chi and pickled radish (an important balance to the richness!)

The place is PACKED. We arrived before 6PM on a Saturday and had to wait close to 2 hours for a seat. Thankfully, the location we went to was right next to Japantown, so we actually really enjoyed shopping around the area during the wait time. You can follow along your place in line via the Yelp app, so it’s quite convenient. We ended up not even exploring the whole area before it was time to go back. If you plan ahead, you can put your name down before you wish to eat, and then wander around the area.

Leftovers pack well, and almost everyone left with a pretty large container full of leftovers. Our table of three ordered a small Kalbijjim with extra rice cakes and extra beef. This made for the perfect amount of leftovers to take home. My friend said the last time he came, there weren’t enough rice cakes and people were fighting for them. This time it was perfect.

I’m actually quite inspired to try making this dish at home. It seems like the perfect type of food to serve at a larger gathering.

Daego Kalbijjim

April 16, 2023 Europe

SO|LA Soho London (Sola Soho)

Cheers!

We had a fantastic dinner at SO|LA Soho, which boasts the unique honor of being the only Michelin-starred American restaurant outside the US. This Californian restaurant (with plenty of Japanese influence!) in the heart of London was a small taste of home away from home.

The restaurant opened in 2019, right before the pandemic hit. Despite such a challenging environment, Sola Soho managed to achieve a Michelin star in 2021.

Initial Bites

gougeres - melty cheese, strong cheesy flavor, fresh from the oven “Vakerone?”

We began with these lovely gougeres filled with melted Vacherin cheese, fresh from the oven.

smoked salty salmon
cucumber snow
broth
fresh, caviar adds salt YUM!

This next course was both visually stunning and also a delightful surprise to the palate.

Smoked salmon pieces layered on the bottom; cucumber snow, fresh cucumber broth, and a dollop of caviar on top.

moked salmon, wasabi mayo, sweet potato strings, nice, salmon just a tad saltier than i like

pistachio outside salty smoked salmon
cardamon? a bit odd for me

In this three-part-series on salmon, the second part showcased two rolled up cylinders of thinly sliced smoked salmon wrapped around sweet potato strings and wasabi mayo. I found the smoked salmon to be just a tad salty. A third interpretation had a piece of smoked salmon covered with pistachio and cardamon. This was my least favorite, and I found the flavors to be a bit odd (confession: I'm not a huge fan of cardamon in general).

Starters

hamachi, avocado sorbet, micro mushroom, edamame, charred leeks

Hamachi with avocado sorbet, micro mushroom, edamame, and charred leeks.

It looks like a dessert, but it's not! Asparagus cream and almond cream

Bread

And then came the brioches, served with a cherry blossom "tree"!

foie gras ice cream? berry? — Foie gras ice cream with a berry sorbet.

Deja Vu Moment

foie gras, crispy seaweed wrapped sushi rice
(Oya better)

This seared foie gras with crispy seaweed wrapped sushi rice reminded us so much of the signature dish at O Ya in Boston (which is a seared foie gras nigiri with balsamic chocolate kabayaki, raisin cocoa pulp).

We both agreed that the O Ya version was better (though this one was good too!).

SO|LA Soho has an excellent selection of American wines. We tried a pinot noir from Willamette Valley in Oregon.

A single "tortellini" served with a deep consomme.

Seafood

langoustine fired on lava rock with whiskey

The server then arrived with piece of lava rock topped with raw langoustines. "Swoosh swoosh" - he squirted whiskey onto the langoustine. All of a sudden, he lit a lighter and "whooosh", flames erupted and flickered around the langoustine. In a very short amount of time, we were able to enjoy "langoustine fired on a lava rock with whiskey".

turbot, yuzu kosho foam, caviar, beurre blanc, leeks cooked in sake

Next, we had seared turbot with a yuzu kosho foam, caviar, beurre blanc, and leeks cooked in sake.

Meat

pigeon with grilled peaches, pumpkin, jus

Pigeon with grilled peaches, pumpkin, and jus.

Desserts

pistachio ice cream
compressed melon, pistachios
vanilla + melon soup
tastes like “solara” or “twister” (creamsicle) but they “aren’t allowed to describe it like that”

Pistachio ice cream, compressed melon, and pistachios.

A vanilla + melon soup that tasted like “solara” or “twister” (aka creamsicle), but they said “we aren’t allowed to describe it like that.”

chocolate / Bryan really liked the dessert

This last chocolate dessert looked like it might be too sweet, but it was surprisingly balanced. We both really, really liked it!

marshmallow “s’more”
baba au rhum
espelette pepper mango pate fruit - quite spicy! yum!

Mignardises: marshmallow “s’more” (left), baba au rhum cake (right), and espelette pepper and mango flavored pate fruit (middle), which were quite spicy but delicious!

Railsback Frères, a very special and unique wine form Santa Maria, California, personally recommended by our server.

Sola Soho - California Japanese food in London - General Thoughts

Chef Victor Garvey is certainly very talented and I enjoyed our meal very much. His creativity and artistry show, and everything was executed at a very high level. I loved the Japanese + California influence. It was also fun to try their rare small producer US wines. The ambiance is casual and friendly, and we actually ended up chatting extensively with the people at the table next to us!

Here is a short video I made of our meal.

Sola Soho London

April 13, 2023 Europe

London Trip Report - Spring 2022

I've been to London many, many times, so in many ways, visiting is more like saying hello to an old friend than visiting a place like a tourist. I find myself doing the same favorite activities over and over, whether it be walking along Oxford Street, taking a stroll along the Thames, or checking out a new restaurant.

This trip I came twice, once by myself for just an overnight trip. Another time with Bryan for one of his work events.

Queen's Jubilee

One exciting difference this time was the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. The entire country was celebrating Queen Elizabeth's 70th year in power (no small feat!). Streets and markets were decked out with the British flag. Little did we know at that time that we would soon have to say good-by to her.

The new Elizabeth Line was open! This one was built by Hong Kong's MTR Corporation, and it showed! The style of this particular tube line was super modern, with high ceilings, deep escalators, modern trains, and the works. I had so much fun riding it!

I always love walking, and this trip was no exception. The weather was perfect in late May, and I had the opportunity to walk both along the Thames River and also within Hyde Park (which is HUGE!).

Westminster Abbey + Big Ben

In the past few trips I've been staying near St. Pancras since it's right near the train station for easy access to Brussels or Paris. This time, since Bryan had a work event at the House of Common, so we stayed right in that neighborhood, which was so much fun!

We were situated right near the London Eye! Big Ben was finally unveiled (after being covered up in constructions for a LONG time!). The new shiny clock is gorgeous and definitely stands out compared to the old one.

It had been years since we visited Westminster Abbey, so we decided to revisit this fascinating building (where many, many very famous people are buried!).

Scottish Themed Dinner at the House of Common

Though I've never been to Scotland, this Scottish event at the House of Commons sure felt quite close! We listened to a bagpipe performance, heard a reading of a Robert Burns poem, and enjoyed haggis. I can't believe it, but I actually like it!

Day Trip to Cambridge

I took the train for a short visit to Cambridge to visit a friend.

What Kind of Food

Poppies Fish & Chips

We decided to actually have some traditional British food - yes, fish & chips!

Chinatown - Wan Chai in London??

We just got a kick out of this restaurant, since we live in Wan Chai in Hong Kong.

Dishoom London

Dining solo is one way of getting into restaurants with long lines. Dishoom is a very, very popular modern Indian restaurant. The wait at the Granary Square location was about 1.5 hours. However, when I showed up solo, I didn't have to wait at all, and I got a bar seat immediately!

California Dinner in London at Sola Soho

It might seem a bit strange for us to eat at a California restaurant in London, but we had a great time at Sola Soho. I'll be dedicating a whole separate post to our meal at that restaurant.

Hope to be able to come back again soon!

April 11, 2023 Berlin

Cookies Cream Berlin

This post is part of a larger series that also includes The Berlin Trip Report.

Does this look at the entrance of a 1-Michelin star restaurant?

I guess there's something intriguing about a restaurant with a secret entrance that involved going to a back alley (see the door next to the trash cans?), entering this secret door, and walking through an empty "pre-bar" area before arriving at a normal pleasant dining room.

It must have something to do with the history of the building, housing the legendary Cookie Bar nightclub for so many years. The bar closed in 2014 and got converted into two restaurants. Crackers on the ground floor, and Cookies Cream Berlin on the upper floor.

Cookies Cream is a 1-Michelin starrred vegetarian restaurant. I have never been a huge meat eater, so I was definitely intrigued by the idea of a vegetarian tasting menu. More recently, they have even created a vegan tasting menu! Cookies Cream boasts the honors of being "best vegetarian restaurant" by the Michelin Guide in 2018.

Cookies Cream Berlin works closely with a farmer in Krielow/Brandenburg and changes dishes depending on what ingredients are in season. They make use of fermentation and preservation to continue offering summer's bounty (in different forms!) during the winter.

The Vegetarian Tasting Menu

cremoux a starting wine (“base wine”
leek butter whipped
red basil leaves, garlic flowers?

The meal began with bread, butter, and wine. A starting wine (a nice, crispy white) came with bread, leek butter whipped with red basil leaves and garlic flowers.

onsen egg + croutons + spherified seaweed “caviar”
kombucha

A sea of black dots was a trick of the eye. The large bowl was filled with little black pebbles that were not meant to be eaten. In the center, an onsen egg with croutons, topped with spherified seaweed “caviar” and kombucha.

cucumber + yuzu sphere, kohlrabi, cucumber, daikon kimchi underneath
mix it all together “season the dish)
beautiful bright flavors. tart but not too sour. pairs really well with the rhubarb chicory spinach apple juice

Next came an artfully layered stack of kohlrabi, cucumber, daikon kimchi topped with a cucumber + yuzu sphere. "Mix it all together to season the dish" we were told. I loved the beautiful bright flavors. They were tart but not too sour, and paired really well with the rhubarb, chicory, spinach, and apple juice that was served with this course.

miso asparagus strawberry tomato onion (on the house?) - lots of umami
apple cucumber
more salty than sweet
camelina oil - from Germany - a bit nutty spicy tomato water (w/ other veggies)

This may look like some sort of tartare, but it's actually tomato, onion, asparagus, and strawberry mixed with miso and camelina oil from Germany. The clear broth had a lot of umami, some nuttiness, and overall was more savory that sweet, carrying notes of tomato water, apple, and cucumber.

leek tarragon sauce
pastry with an asparagus potato middle
truffle sauce

Finally, the "main course", a pastry filled with asparagus and potato served with two different sauces: a leek tarragon sauce poured table-side and also a deep, rich truffle sauce.

Dessert

As the first pre-dessert (aka palate cleanser sorbet) came by, I leaned back in my seat (which was up against the wall), and just watched the energy of the diners all around me. In some ways it was nice to just soak in the ambiance and enjoy my nice vegetarian meal. I was thankful for the opportunity to dine at such a nice restaurant during our very short stay in Berlin.

At the same time, I distinctly could sense how I just don't love dining out alone. Perhaps it's the extroverted part of my nature that prefers to share these experiences with others. I love dining alone at home, sitting in my jammies enjoying my dinner while reading a book (or my iPad). But for some reason I just don't love dressing up and going to a fancy restaurant all by myself. Perhaps I find myself too boring of a company to be with!

The after dinner drink menu was like none I'd ever seen before. The server came over with a huge stamp and stamped the menu right on the tablecloth before my eyes.

On it, various wines by the glass, after dinner spirits, and some coffee drinks.

I passed on the after dinner drinks, but still very much enjoyed my final sweet bites.

The experience at Cookies Cream was certainly lovely, and I enjoyed the entire adventure. The tasting menu was creative, light, and overall a fun expression of the chef's multi-geographical influences.

I guess we didn't have any very traditional German food (e.g., pork knuckle, weinerschnitzel, pretzels, and the like) this time around.

Here is a short video I made of my solo meal there:

Cookies Cream

April 8, 2023 Berlin

Berlin Trip Report

We had but a few days in Berlin, just 48 hours to be exact. It was my first time in the city, so I'd have to make the most of the little time I had.

I'd been to Germany once before, visiting the capital city of Munich. Unlike my time in Munich, however, where I soaked in the German culture through centuries old beer makers, beer houses, pretzels, sausages, and beer gardens, my 48 hours in Berlin was of a completely different nature.

Berlin is obviously filled with a TON of history, with Germany's division into East and West Germany during the Cold War, the Berlin Wall, and the ultimate reunification. There's also the traumatic aspects of World War II and Hitler. How would a city showcase all this history?

Brandenburg Gate

I began my exploration of Berlin by foot, walking out from my hotel to the surrounding neighborhood. Many of the famous sites in central Berlin are within walking distance of each other, so you can cover quite a bit in a short amount of time.

The Brandenburg Gate was once a part of the Berlin Wall and was a symbol of a divided Germany during the Cold War. Once the Berlin Wall fell, it became a symbol of the country's reunification and peace.

It's one of the most famous monuments in Berlin, and you're certainly see lots of tourists taking photos in front of this historic monument.

The Berlin Wall Memorial

I very much wanted to see the Berlin Wall, and found several opportunities to do so. I visited the Berlin Wall Memorial, which includes an outdoor exhibit that explains various aspects of the history of the wall. It's eye opening to learn about the different zones (there was an inner wall and an outer wall), and the crazy stories of people who tried to escape.

A memorial is set up for all those who died trying to cross the border and escape East Germany.

US Army "Checkpoint Charlie"

The Americans controlled three checkpoints in Berlin, including Checkpoint Charlie, where a replica of the old checkpoint still stands at the original location. I had no idea West Berlin was controlled by so many different countries, and thus I found this map quite fascinating.

Nearby there are other portions of the Berlin Wall you can visit.

It's hard to believe this wall was up from 1961 to 1989. You can learn more about various aspects of the wall's history in a series of large signs displayed near this set of wall pieces.

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe [Holocaust Memorial]

A large memorial dedicated to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust was finally built in 1999 (after much debate in German's Parliament). From the street level the monument doesn't look like much, but as you walk deeper and deeper into the outdoor structure, you start to get lost and lose your sense of perspective.

At the deepest points it really is a bit disconcerting when another person suddenly appears from another corridor.

It's worth visitng the museum to learn more. I was quite moved by this display of letters that Holocaust victims wrote to their families. Virtually all of these people eventually died during the Holocaust.

Walking Around Berlin

The weather in Berlin is lovely during the month of June, and I very much enjoyed walking along both sides of the river.

Many of the city's museums also line the river, so you can visit various museums and enjoy the beautiful walk at the same time.

One more interactive (fun for kids!) museum I visited, the DDR Museum, re-created what life was like in East Germany during the time of the German Democratic Republic. There are some apartments you can visit, lots of photos and interactive displays, and even a car where you can "drive" around streets in East Germany.

Not much from East Germany's way of life remains today, though a few things have been preserved. One example is "Ampelmann", a little traffic light man who still graces all of the pedestrian traffic lights in Berlin. He has become a cultural symbol of Germany, and you can buy all sorts of fun paraphernalia.

Where to Eat

I only had two evenings, so I ended up eating at two restaurants from the same restaurant group.

Crackers is a trendy upscale restaurant located at the location of the formerly legendary Cookies nightclub (which closed in 2014). Perhaps because it used to be a club, we found the door to be surprisingly difficult to find.

A large gate with the tiny words "Crackers" was our only clue for finding the entrance.

Food was creative, with a slight Asian influence. Overall, pretty enjoyable.

Cookies Cream

Cookies Cream, by the same group as Crackers, is a 1-Michelin starrred vegetarian restaurant located upstairs of Crackers. It was even HARDER to find, with a secret entrance that involved going to a back alley (see the door next to the trash cans?), entering this secret door, and then walking through a few more rooms before arriving at the bright, pleasantly lit dining area.

I'll write a full post on Cookies Cream separately.

48 hours is not enough time

Berlin is such a rich, rich city, full of culture, history, and energy. It's a beautiful city, and I really enjoyed just walking along the river, visiting museums, and admiring the architecture. But there's also a deep history, and the city had to think hard about how to present this history to the world. I really commend Germany for the way they presented the history, including their efforts to honor and remember those who suffered and died as a result of some of the terrible parts of the country's past.

I look forward to coming back again and digging deeper into this very culturally rich city.

April 5, 2023 Europe

Epicure - Le Bristol Paris (3 Michelin Stars)

We have a foodie friend who travels 330 days of the year for business. He travels well, eats ridiculously well, and has exacting standards for food and wine. He’s our go-to source for restaurant recommendations in Paris. About a year ago he sent us his personal list of favorite places in Paris, complete with his own little “soundbites” summarizing the essence of each place. We’ve been slowly working our way through the list.

Many of these top restaurants are very, very difficult to book, especially last minute. Due to the fluidity of Bryan’s business travel schedule, we often can’t predict super far in advance when we will be in Paris.

Epicure, a 3-Michelin star restaurant in Le Bristol Hotel in Paris, is one such restaurants. Chef Eric Frechon has been head chef since 1999 (!) and the restaurant has maintained its Michelin star since 2009, not an easy feat.

It’s one of our friend’s top 3 restaurants in Paris, and it’s really hard to book. However, Bryan was able to grab a lunch reservation for the day AFTER my birthday. Hee hee, I ended up having two birthday meals in Paris this year. 🥰

The Tasting Menu at Epicure Le Bristol

We began with some amuses bouches, including a delightful pea foie gras veloute, compte cheese tart, and a delicate crisp.

The bread is often one of my favorite “courses” at a French restaurant, and here was no exception. We had two types of bread: a small focaccia plus we shared an entire loaf of their house baked sourdough (SO. GOOD.).

The fantastic French butter together with their fresh baked bread was hard to resist, especially at the beginning of the meal when we were still pretty hungry!

After almost filling up on bread (haha, only half kidding), our actual tasting lunch began.

A luxurious start: uni + caviar

We began with delicate “scrambled eggs” topped with a fluffy whipped cream of uni (sea urchin) and seaweed butter, interspersed with croutons. It came with a fancy spoon shaped perfectly for scooping out every last goodness from the uni-shaped bowl, which we certainly wanted to do because it was so insanely good.

We were first introduced to the decadent butter dominant (yet oh-so-luxuriously creamy) French style whipped” potatoes at Joel Robuchon. Epicure’s version of what they call “potato mousseline” adds a level of luxury, with a beautiful layer of caviar from Sologne on top, smoked haddock inside, a slightly tart dressing.

which we ate by dipping in a buckwheat crisp (not unlike the Japanese snack Pocky) but filled with cream inside!

Seafood + Pasta

It was like a well-timed orchestra. Two plates arrived topped with a dome-shaped glass lid. In synchrony, two servers lifted our glass lids at the same time revealing the next course. We each had a langoustine tail, lightly cooked with lemon-thyme and served with an onion-mango condiment and a refreshing, foamy broth of the langoustine claws together with yuzu and coriander.

The “candele” is the French term for their huge tubular macaroni “pasta”, filled with artichoke and duck foie gras, black truffle, a lovely black truffle sauce (“jus”), and topped with mature Parmesan cheese. The final three stuffed candele are torched. The texture of the pasta was delectably chewy, and the artichoke foie gras filling was lovely.

The restaurant's own website only calls out this one dish, stating it's an "unforgettable dish that people travel to Paris to experience."

The next course was a sous vide Scottish salmon dusted with a fine layer of tandoori powder, fennel and cucumber, and flavored with a rice vinegar and a mint oil. The texture was out of this world. It was so soft, so tender, to the point where it seemed nearly raw yet was still so soft and edible. One of my favorite courses.

Epicure Paris: Signature Dish

One of the restaurant’s signature dishes is the Bresse Farm hen poached in a bladder. Those who specifically order it as a stand-alone dish can enjoy watching the staff cut open the bladder, revealing the chicken (together with its signature golden feet) inside.

In our case, since it was just part of a larger tasting menu, we likely shared our chicken with many other tables. However, they did bring out the expanded balloon-like bladder for us to look at before they brought it back into the kitchen to prep some more.

The final dish was a piece of the bladder-poached hen breast with yellow wine, crayfish, giblets candies and button mushrooms.

We separately enjoyed the roasted chicken leg with fresh herb salad and corn in a sherry vinaigrette.

The Cheese Cart

A majestic cheese cart rolled up to our table, filled with a variety of cheese (mostly from France) that they keep in their cheese cellar. It must have had over 20 different cheeses.

We chose about 5 different ones to enjoy, and they were lovely.

Desserts

Our first dessert was refreshing light. A chocolate shell made to look like a half coconut arrived, filled with a ‘Moiito" coconut sorbet made with coconut milk infused with fresh mint, grilled coconut, and topped with lime zest.

A deeply dark experience of “CHOCOLATE FROM EQUATOR” was next, consisting of chocolate shortbread, cocoa nib praline, hot chocolate espuma, and chicory ice cream.

Happy Birthday!

An assortment of beautiful petit fours came out at the end to round out the meal.

General Thoughts: Epicure Le Bristol Paris

What can I say? Epicure is indeed a lovely restaurant and they execute everything at an extremely high level. Highlights for me include the surprisingly refreshing pea foie gras amuse veloute at the beginning, the amazing bread + butter, uni + caviar combo (perhaps I’m a sucker for caviar), and the salmon. Though the presentation of the chicken was indeed impressive, I only found it to be OK, but still not as good as chicken in Asia.

It’s very expensive, at 420€ a head.They use the highest end ingredients at every course, and the entire meal takes an insane amount of planning and execution. If you love French food, this place does it very, very well. Personally speaking, there are equally enjoyable experiences in Paris that come at a lower price point. However, Epicure is certainly top notch, and you can't go wrong here.

Below is a short video I made of our meal. Enjoy!

Epicure Paris France
Bristol Hotel

April 2, 2023 Europe

Mavrommatis Paris

I am a huge fan of Mediterranean food, even though I only had limited access to it when I was growing up. Sure, my Mom would buy tabouli salad from the market, and we occasionally tried stuffed grape leaves. However, I didn't taste my first falafel nor hummus until I visited a food truck right outside of MIT (back then, it was only $2.50 for a falafel sandwich!). My world was transformed.

Since then, Greek food is often one of the first cuisines I'll suggest when Bryan asks "what do you want to eat tonight?". This is why I was especially intrigued when I learned about Mavrommatis in Paris, an upscale 1-Michelin starred restaurant focused on Greek cuisine.

Signature Menu is 7 Courses, designed to celebrate the finest Hellenic cuisine for 145 €. There is also a 5 Courses tribute to Greek terroirs for 105 €. Wine pairing is 80 or 55, respectively.

The Signature Menu is 7 Courses, designed to celebrate the "finest Hellenic cuisine" for 145€. There is also a 5 Courses "tribute to Greek terroirs" for 105€. Wine pairing is 80€ or 55€, respectively. The chef-owner of this eponymous restaurant is Cypriotic chef Andreas Mavrommatis.

Amuses Bouches

Kalamata olive feta tart
shrimp red pepper ball
cuttlefish ink choux w/ bottarga

We began with a beautiful set of three single bites: cuttlefish ink choux topped with bottarga, pistacho dusted shrimp red pepper ball, and a kalamata olive feta tart.

Bread + "Soup"

Freshly baked focaccia with extra virgin olive oil from Peloponnesus.

Kataïfi is a Greek-style pastry made from shredded phyllo dough. Though often enjoyed as a dessert, here it is served with a savory pea veloute.

We had our choice of bread, including more focaccia if we wanted it!

Starters

We decided to get the wine pairing, which allowed us to taste a number of interesting Greek white wines together with the food.

karasumi, sea bream carpaccio, oyster, oyster leaf, w/ Cypriotic Greek white wine

Karasumi (mullet roe), sea bream carpaccio, oyster, and oyster leaf paired with a Cypriotic Greek white wine.

asparagus, citrus sorbet, olive oil on top, olive crumble w/ pine tears wine

Asparagus, citrus sorbet, olives, olive crumble, and extra virgin olive oil paired with "Tear of the Pine" wine.

grilled eggplant, basil pesto, prawns, calamari, radish, lardo di Colonnata (mild overall), artichoke

Grilled eggplant, artichoke, topped with prawns, calamari, radish, and lardo di Colonnata with dollops of basil pesto on the side.

Seafood

turbot a la plancha, capers, rhubarb, gnoccchi green w/ curcurmin

Turbot a la plancha, capers, rhubarb, turmeric, and herb gnocchi.

Meat Courses

Finally, a red wine! We tried a 2016 Gentilini Eclipse, a dry red wine made from the unique and rare "Mavrodaphne of Kefalonia" grape variety.

Beef with pistachio and white asparagus.

suckling lamb, saddle roasted with halloumi, chard "Dolmades", artichokes, carrots, olive sauce

Suckling lamb, saddle roasted with halloumi, chard "Dolmades", artichokes, carrots, and dollops of olive sauce.

Dessert

basil, strawberry, basil chantilly, thyme ?? crumble, citrus strawberry sorbet, sauce

Fresh strawberry with basil chantilly cream, thyme and citrus strawberry sorbet with crumble, basil and strawberry sauce.

Chocolate flourless cake with St. John Commandaria KEO, a fortified Greek wine.

A variety of petit fours.

Mavrommatis Paris France - General Thoughts

Mavrommatis celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021 right in the midst of the pandemic. The staying power of such a restaurant, especially through Covid, is a testament to its quality. The day we went the place was packed, full of new diners and regulars alike. We saw Chef Mavrommatis come out multiple times, greeting old friends, hugging guests, and really exuding Greek hospitality.

The food is beautifully presented, and this is certainly the most upscale version of Greek food I have ever had. The restaurant maintains the authentic flavors and techniques of Greek food. At the same time, Chef Mavrommatis certainly adds a refined and elevated twist through the stunning artistry in the food presentations, thoughtful pairings with Greek wines, and the incorporation of ingredients from other cultures.

It was refreshing to have a tasting meal in Paris punctuated with a different set of flavors. I'd certainly love to come back.

Below is a REEL video that I made of our meal. Enjoy!

Mavrommatis Paris France
47 rue Censier 75005 Paris
Tel: +33(0)1 45 35 96 50

March 30, 2023 Europe

Restaurant Korus Paris

3. homemade grissini + sumac butter — *homemade grissini + sumac butter*

Restaurant Korus is the type of gourmet neighborhood bistro that I would love to have in my neighborhood. The environment is convivial, the food is excellent, and the menu changes frequently (something I miss A LOT here in Hong Kong).

1. cheese on cracker, light — *cheese on cracker*

The founders of the restaurant have a passion for "clean agriculture", promoting biodynamics and permaculture in both their food and wine.

2. white asparagus w/ hazelnut — *white asparagus w/ hazelnut*

The name "Korus" was inspired by the word "Chorus", the moment when different instruments come together to play a score to give the piece of music its main melody.

Starters

potato, clam, espelette pepper powder, acid potato, creamy foam

After our "chorus" of amuse bouche, we moved onto our first course: potato, clam, espelette pepper powder, and a creamy foam.

artichoke, cream, garlic croutons, anise?,
goat cheese & goat milk, rich!

Our next course was quite rich! Artichoke, cream, garlic croutons, possibly anise, goat cheese and goat milk.

Bread

Freshly baked brioche!

The Pasta Mid-Course

prawn head sauce, prawn pasta, burrata cream, marigold leaf,

This pasta course consisted of prawn pasta served with a prawn head sauce, burrata cream, and marigold leaves.

Liver on toast with a tiny bit of salad.

Main Course: Pigeon + Fish

Bryan got the pigeon, which came with jus and a bit of fruit to balance out the flavors.

confit sweet potato, fish (John Dory), kumquat, cooked normal. Not sure tender but OK. Dish as a whole was really good

I got the John Dory fish, which came over confit sweet potato and kumquat. The overall flavors of the dish were quite good.

Bryan got cheese, 3 kinds, amazing “brie” we both loved, others were good, funky, nutty,

Bryan got cheese (3 kinds). There as this amazing “brie” that we both loved. The other two were also good, funky, and nutty.

Desserts

rhubarb meringue, rhubarb cream, refreshing, not too sweet at all

Rhubarb meringue and rhubarb cream was refreshing and delicious, not too sweet at all.

Chocolate truffles with a savory dollop on top, lemon curd with lemon meringue, and Maraschino cherry jelly.

lemon curd, lemon meringue, marschiano cherry jelly, chocolate truffle w/ savory bit?? (can’t remember)

A final chocolate ice cream (with cereal-like bits!).

As the Night Went On . . .

As the night went on, the bar got more and more lively. Some "industry friends" (people who work in the restaurant industry), stopped by to get a drink and say hello. It really reminded me of our old favorite neighborhood restaurant Bergamot (R.I.P.), and I got nostalgic for a moment.

General Thoughts - Restaurant Korus Paris

Restaurant Korus is a pleasant place to have an enjoyable dinner. We did the wine tasting. It's quite fun to try a wide variety of biodynamic wines. They offer two tasting menus at night (7-course menu for 70 euros and a 9-course menu for 85 euros). At lunchtime you can also try the 3-course for only 39 euros.

To get a more "live" feel of the meal, check out this REEL that I made.

Restaurant Korus Paris France

March 27, 2023 Europe

Restaurant Virtus Paris

In an area normal Ubers are not allows you drive. They will be fined. Our driver dropped us off a few blocks away, and similarly our Uber driver picked us up a few blocks away

There are few things that attract me more than "vegetables take center stage", a tasting menu considered "a steal at €75" and the idea of a chef couple (Japanese and Argentina) guided by top training at Mirazur who still personally cook in the kitchen.

This is why we were drawn to Restaurant Virtus in Paris, which was described as such in the Michelin Guide (which also gives it 1 star, "high quality cooking, worth a stop!").

Founded by chefs Chiho Kanzaki and Marcelo Martin di Giacomo, a Japanese and Argentinian couple who met and trained at Mirazur, Virtus embodies influences from both regions, as well as all over the world. Currently, chef Frédéric Lorimier and Camille Gouyer (front of the house) run the establishment.

Amuse Bouches

Our meal began with a number of small "amuse" bites, starting with this delightful and refreshing peas tart.

Fish roe on top of cracker "pillows".

Bread

Nothing beats bread in France, and these freshly baked brioche rolls were crusty and delicious.

Starters

amberjack, horseradish yuzu
rice, roasted red pepper, radish,
rice was great texture, love the soy vinaigrette

There was definitely some Japanese influence in this next course of amberjack, horseradish, yuzu rice, roasted red pepper, and radish.

The texture of the rice was excellent, and I loved the flavor of the soy vinaigrette.

artichoke, confit tomatoes, sauce is artichoke, touch of lemon, basil, cheese ;
(hard salty cheese)

The next course was a charred piece of artichoke served with confit tomatoes, a touch of lemon, basil, and a hard, salty cheese.

It came with a very flavorful artichoke sauce which was poured tableside.

Fish + Meat

fish w/ peas clam morel - perfect flavors, very well executed. Nothing novel or super creative, but just really really good. fish super tender, perfect

The first "main course" was a seared white fish served with fresh peas, clam, and morel mushrooms. The flavor combination was perfect, the fish was super tender, and overall it was very well executed. Perhaps nothing particularly novel or super creative, but just very, very good.

pigeon - classic but delicious
liver sauce - let you keep it all!

The final meat course was pigeon, a classic but served with a delicious liver sauce. They even left the container of liver sauce so we could have more of it if we wanted.

The Cheese Course

cheese!
36 month comte, goat cheese, smoked cheese, blue cheese

Cheese is always a treat in Paris. We had 36-month aged comte, a goat cheese, a smoked cheese, and a blue cheese.

Desserts

A refreshing lemony sorbet (served in its own "shell") was our palate cleanser.

Our dessert was an unusual combinatino of fresh strawberries, strawberry sorbet, and celery (!).

grapefruit cream tart — Grapefruit cream tart

chocolate trufffle
nice, OK. normal — Chocolate truffles

We ended the meal with a shot of apple calvados.

Restaurant Virtus - General Thoughts

Pleasant, excellent execution. Nothing groundbreaking in terms of flavors, but very enjoyable

Virtus is a lovely restaurant that serves well-executed food in a warm and inviting atmosphere. Excellent execution, warm service, and overall we had a very nice evening. There's nothing groundbreaking in terms of flavors, but the food is very, very good.

We pre-booked a tasting meal so we were able to enjoy the special €75 price. At the time of this article (March 2023), the lunch tasting menu starts at €50 for 3 courses, while the dinner tasting menus are €100 for 5 courses and €135 for 7 courses. I'm not sure if those special prices we had enjoyed back in 2022 will be available anymore, now that we are this "post-pandemic" (not to mention rocky financial) world right now.

One item of caution: the restaurant is located near the bustling Aligre Market (a lovely food shopping destination) in an area normal Ubers are not allowed to drive (they will be fined). Our driver dropped us off a few blocks away and we had to walk to the restaurant. Similarly, when leaving the restaurant, our Uber driver picked us up a few blocks away.

Here is a REEL video that I made of our meal, which just gives you a different perspective and feel of the meal.

Restaurant Virtus Paris
29 RUE DE COTTE 75012 PARIS
09 80 68 08 08

March 24, 2023 Europe

NE/SO Paris (Neso Paris)

Chef Guillaume Sanchez is an artist, creative spirit, and a rebel that doesn't necessary follow tradition. He began by studying pastry at a young age, and became famous competing on "Who will be the Next Big Pastry Chef" and "Top Chef".

I had so much fun at NE/SO (Neso Paris), Chef Sanchez's restaurant. Not only were the dishes refreshingly novel and creative, they were executed with the visual flair of an artist.

There's a lot of experimentation, focused on fermentation and cold extraction. I was tickled to see a real roto-evaporator (something I used to use ALL THE TIME when I worked in the chemistry lab).

Starters

We started with a beautifully layered seaweed tartine, with layer upon layer of paper thin potatoes and seaweed. This was topped with an oyster foam and gelee. The taste of the ocean was the dominant flavor. Overall the dish was visually impressive and had a nice, pleasant flavor.

beetroot, eel (unagi),
paired well w/ acidic wine (eel not pictured)

The next course was beetroot and eel (unagi). My photo for this didn't work out, so I have no photo of that dish. It did pair very well with the acidic wine.

langoustine “腸粉” w/ Parmesan sheet, langoustine sauce, avocado cream sauce
yummmmmm!!! like changfen

Next the server brought over what really looked like Chinese style rice rolls (“腸粉"). These were langoustine covered with a Parmesan blanket, served with a langoustine sauce and an avocado cream sauce. It was delicious, and really did remind me of those rice rolls!

Veggies

white asparagus, very fresh & crisp!, apricot, black radish, cured egg yolk, foam
love, excellent pairing - loved the wine

Then came white asparagus with apricot, black radish, cured egg yolk, and foam. The asparagus was very fresh & crisp. I loved it, and especially loved the pairing with the wine.

orange wine - “maceration” “kim chi ” Romain lettuce? “salad” course, watercress oil sabeyon, smoked cream on side

This next dish is actually the salad course! Fermented romaine lettuce “kim chi" is topped with a watercress oil sabeyon and smoked cream on the side. This was paired with an orange wine, which has had more maceration of the grapes.

Octopus

Octopus Bourgignone cooked with wine. It tasted like aged soy sauce to me, with tons of umami, quite salty, but still OK.

Sweets

Citrus sorbet!

This next dessert is most fun viewed on video, which you can see in this Instagram REEL that I made for our entire meal:

Suffice it to say it involves cracking open the top layer to get at what's underneath.

General Thoughts - Neso Paris

All in all we had a fantastic time at NE.SO. The dishes were unusual and creative, the flavors were from all over the world, and the wine pairings were really fun. Our server/sommelier was really nice. Once she found out we were coming back to Paris in two weeks, she wrote up a long list of restaurant recommendations. We ended up trying most of them, and they were fabulous. You'll see those posts appear on this blog soon.

The 5 course menu is 180 € and the 3-course menu is 135 €. Best to book ahead.

Highly recommended! I even want to go back myself, hopefully soon.

NE/SO (Neso Paris)
6 Rue Papillon
75009 Paris

+33148240413

March 18, 2023 Europe

Les Enfants du Marche Paris

What could be more - dare I say romantic - than sitting at the counter of a Parisian market restaurant sipping on natural wines and eating market fresh seafood and produce? Not just any market, but the oldest and one of the most charming markets in Paris.

Les Enfants Rouges is the oldest outdoor covered market in Paris, and has been around since 1635, though its current form as a gourmet food market did not begin until 2000 (after extensive campaigning by locals).

The market itself sells a beautiful array of colorful fresh fruits and vegetables. There's also seafood, meat, and a lovely cheese shop right around the corner.

Tucked inside the market is an amazing food section filled with excellent little restaurants. If you're OK with take-away, my favorite sandwich shop in Paris, chez Alain Miam Miam is located in the market.

If you want to grab a coveted seat inside the market, you'll likely have to line up.

Les Enfants du Marche is a tiny little restaurant (with at most a dozen or so seats) serving natural wines, seasonal produce, and various types of meats and seafood.

The market ambiance is decidedly casual, though the food is certainly higher end, with prices to match.

The menu is very seasonal, and changes frequently, thus the use of a blackboard.

Asparagus, peas, morels, pea shoots (34 EURO)

Fresh langoustine from Guilvinec (Brittany) France. (36 EUROS)

A beautiful piece of grilled bluefin tuna belly served with wild strawberries and side greens (market price, I think it was around 45 EUROS).

We showed up super early (like well before 12PM) to avoid the notorious long lines we had heard about. Sure enough, by the time we left around 1PM, the line was long and it was very very crowded! We're very thankful we were able to enjoy the restaurant during a less frenzied time.

Afterwards, we roamed around the market a bit (it's not very big), and just enjoyed the ambiance of the gourmet market in such a historic space.

Les Enfants du Marche and the surrounding Les Enfants Rouge market are certainly worth visiting. The air of the place just feels so Parisian. All of the food is very high quality and executed well. I will say that it's quite pricey, though the portion sizes are not small.

It's better to go early to enjoy the relaxed vibe. Otherwise, once it gets really crowded, it can get to be a bit overwhelming.

Les Enfants du Marche Restaurant

March 14, 2023 Hong Kong

Wong Kee Restaurant 旺記打冷小菜館

I’ve been studying Chinese part-time with a private tutor for several years now (started during the pandemic). Despite the fact that my Chinese has improved a lot, I’m still a bit nervous about eating at a restaurant with a menu that’s ONLY in Chinese. Not only is there the challenge of reading every word (often I can only pick out the basics), many dishes have artistic sounding names that don’t really tell you what you’re ACTUALLY eating.

Recently a new Chiu Chow restaurant opened literally right across the street from our apartment (1 minute walk from our entrance). We’ve noticed that it is ALWAYS packed. Multiple people have confirmed that it’s really good. But, alas, it’s very VERY local. The menus are only in Chinese, there are umpteen signs on the walls describing the menu, and it’s always crowded (aka hard to get in). Because of this fear, we hadn’t ventured into this very obvious excellent place.

A couple weeks ago, one of our local Hong Kong friends offered to take us there as a belated birthday meal for me. Finally! We had a chance to venture into this very local, very popular restaurant, for a taste of the favorites.

Our friend was clearly a regular.

“How often do you come here?” Bryan asked her.

“About once a month” she replied.

All of a sudden, she started waving at someone at another table. It was her close friends. This was clearly a popular hangout for the locals, so much so that they regularly ran into friends here.

“I’m excited, what shall we try?”

We looked around at the various tables around us. Almost every table had a dish consisting of stir fried chives, cashews, and dried shrimp.

“This is called “小炒王” our friend explained. It’s very good here.

Other popular dishes we could see around us included the winter lamb clay pot (which we did not get), oyster pancake, and soy sauce braised goose (signature Chiu Chow dish and also specialty of the restaurant). We also ordered deep fried shrimp (head and shell on!), fried fish cakes, and fried sea snails (!!).

The braised goose was excellent, and among the tops ones I’ve had at other Chiu Chow restaurants that cost a lot more than this “hole-in-the-wall.” (It actually kind of is a hole in the wall, since there isn’t really a door in the front . . .

The large fluffy fried oyster pancake was awesome. It’s certainly that largest, crispiest one I’ve had, and the flavor was very satisfying.

You must eat it with the fish sauce that’s provided.

The fish cake was nicely fried and enjoyable as well. It’s one of our friends’ favorites.

The sea snails are an acquired taste. I thought they were OK, but it wasn’t my favorite.

Similarly, if you are not a huge shrimp head + shell person, you may not want to deal with the whole friend shrimp (though it was quite delicious!). The shrimp is deep fried in a flavorful salted egg yolk batter, so you do need to either eat the shell or somehow spit it out while enjoying the crunchy salted egg yolk deliciousness.

If you want goose, though, come early. They only make a limited number each night, and once it's gone, it's gone for the night. The restaurant closes around midnight, but one time I arrived around 9PM and virtually all of the goose was already spoken for . . .

Service is fast, attentive, and good, though everything was done in Cantonese. I’m not sure how I would have fared if we didn’t go with our friends.

At least we’ve been initiated, and overall it was a really fun experience. The food is delicious, and the prices are very, very reasonable. I would seriously consider coming back at least for takeout of the soy braised goose, if not other dishes on the menu. My personal favorites this time were the chives + cashew stir fry, oyster omelette, and the soy braised goose.

Highly recommended! Even better if you speak Cantonese and read Chinese!

Wong Kee Restaurant 旺記打冷小菜館
G/F, 2 Triangle Street, Wan Chai

March 13, 2023 Europe

Frenchie Wine Bar (Frenchie Bar à Vins)

We have a trusted foodie friend who knows Paris like the back of his hand. A couple years ago he sent us a list of his favorite restaurants in Paris ("THE LIST"). We've been slowly working our way through it these past few years (Le Baudelaire, La Dame de Pic, Pertinence, just to name a few) . One highly recommended place on "THE LIST" is 1-Michelin starred Frenchie Restaurant.

We've tried numerous times to book this place, but it is SO HARD to get a reservation on short notice. However, we heard that its more casual cousin, Frenchie Bar à Vins (aka Frenchie Wine Bar), didn't take reservations. That means we still had a shot if we showed up really, really early.

French people eat kind of late anyway, but we didn't want to take any chances. We showed up right around 6:30PM (their opening time) and were able to grab a lovely outdoor seat.

At that time (back in May 2022), we were still a bit nervous about Covid, so we welcomed the opportunity to eat outside.

After all, the inside tables were very, very crowded (and loud).

And the food? It was excellent. The ingredients were fresh, the execution was at a very high level, and the service was good as well.

Frenchie Bar à Vins' motto is "Everything I want to Eat . . . Everything."

I pretty much agree with it.

Rustic ribbon-like pasta with meat sauce, beautiful fire-grilled vegetables, a perfectly executed piece of chicken - what's not to love??

Frenchie Bar à Vins is certainly a place I would return to over and over again, especially if I can score an outside table. [I'm still not a huge fan of loud and crowded restaurants where I have trouble talking to the person sitting across from me]

In fact, I liked it so much I did book (successfully!) Frenchie Covent Garden in London, which was great. For some reason, it was easier to get the London reservation.

Highly recommended! Show up early!

Frenchie Bar a Vin (Frenchie Wine Bar)
Open 6:30PM - 11PM 7 days a week

March 12, 2023 Europe

Dublin Ireland Trip Report

Starting maybe around 2010 I started making an internal personal goal to visit at least one new location (preferably a new country!) a year. Perhaps I noticed I was constantly just going back to the same places over and over (e.g., Japan, UK), and I wanted to try to expand beyond that.

Throughout that next decade, I kept up pretty well until I moved to Hong Kong in 2017, adding Mainland China (2010), Greece (2011), Australia and New Zealand (2012), Thailand (2013), Argentina, Uraguay, and Malaysia (2014), Piedmont and Bordeaux (2015), Denmark, Norway, and Spain (2016), and Macau (2017).

The next few years, since we were based in Hong Kong, my new travel locations were mostly new cities in Mainland China, such as Shenzhen, Xiamen, Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Xishuangbanna.

And then Covid hit . . . and nobody traveled for quite some time. (We actually got stuck in Belgium for 7 weeks, and I did manage to take a weekend trip to Amsterdam, adding one new country in 2020).

After being stuck in Hong Kong for 18 months, we finally started traveling again in late 2021. I visited my first new country "post-Covid" in the summer of 2022, where I went to Dublin (and Ireland!) for the first time.

Perhaps it's because Boston has such a large Irish population, I felt very much at home in Dublin. It reminded me so much of Boston, I actually felt a bit homesick and nostalgic while walking around the streets (especially compared with Hong Kong where I currently live!).

We spent a week in Dublin, and had a solid weekend to do some sightseeing. Here's a brief summary of places we visited, my thoughts, and (of course), some food recs.

Must-see Sites in Dublin, Ireland

It's hard to pick a favorite, but I think the most impressive thing to see is the Book of Kells inside Trinity College.

This massive library is breathtaking (and will close soon for renovations). Definitely pre-book tickets, since popular time slots may sell out.

Christchurch and St. Patrick's Cathedral are both insanely historic and both are worth seeing. If you only have time to see one, most people recommend Christchurch, which is slightly older and has a fascinating collection of items to see, including a 14th century copy of the Magna Carta. I personally enjoyed both very much.

If you have time, the Dublin Castle (current seat of the government) is also interesting (though I'd pick the two churches over the castle if you are short on time).

Places that I didn't get to visit but would be on my list if I returned include the Irish Emigration Museum (which I heard was really, really good), Guinness Storehouse, and a longer trip to see the Cliffs of Moher.

Favorite Foods from Dublin

Murphy's Ice Cream is the best ice cream in town and there's almost always a line. I went back multiple times during my very short visit. Definitely try the sea salt (one of my favorites).

The Vintage Kitchen serves large portions of well-executed Irish farm-to-table food at very reasonable prices. It's popular, so book early!

Fallon & Byrne is a lovely market and restaurant concept.

It's split into three sections: a lower level wine cellar with pasta, pizzas, and tapas; a gourmet market on the ground floor; and a restaurant on the upper floor that served larger plates, European style food.

We fell in love with the wine cellar in the lower level, and came back multiple times.

We also enjoyed Bar Italia Ristorante, a pleasant Italian restaurant right on the river in a convenient central location.

It was tough to eat Irish food every day, so we did intersperse it with plenty of Italian food, if you haven't noticed.

Even at a wine bar, of course you can get Guinness as well.

Speaking of Guinness . . .

Dublin's Most Famous Beers and Whiskeys

The two most famous alcohol makers are Guinness (Beer) and Jameson (Whiskey). We signed up for a whiskey tasting tour at Jameson, which was really fun.

Our tour guide was great, and it was fun to try several different whiskeys as well. The brewery is nicely designed and teaches you a lot about the history of the brand and the family behind it all.

Dingle Whiskey Bar is a great place to try very local whiskeys.

Darkey Kelly's is a very traditional bar with live music and lots of fun.

It is here that I learned about a whole subculture of Irish protest songs that everyone knows how to sing. I also learned the proper way to pour a Guinness, and also drink it.

Temple Bar is a well known neighborhood full of bars, pubs, and a really active night life. Our hotel was very close to this area, so we walked by in most evenings.

Day Trip: Kilkenny and Wicklow

We signed up for a bus tour with Paddywagon Tours to go to Kilkenny and Glendalough in Wicklow. Unfortunately, they oversold the tour and needed to "kick off" three extra people from that tour (which ended up including us). We were pretty unhappy with the company, who was being difficult in their unwillingness to compensate us adequately for something that was clearly their fault. The best they could offer was a shorter tour later in the afternoon that just went to the closer location. Sadly, we lost the chance to see Kilkenny.

Thankfully, Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains was beautiful. This is the site of an ancient, monastic settlement. Despite our bad experience in the morning, our tour guide was actually good. I think the tour guides are put in a tough spot when the corporation oversells tours, since it's not the tour guide's fault, but they have to deal with it.

We really enjoyed the ability to get out into the countryside of Ireland, which is just so beautiful.

All in all, I found Dublin to be a very pleasant and comfortable place to visit. Of course, the fact that they speak English helped a lot. Also, it just really felt so familiar, and at time I felt like I was walking through Cambridge or Boston.

The countryside is stunning, and I'd love to see more of it. If I ever come back, I certainly wish to spend more time exploring places like Kilkenny and the Cliffs of Moher!

March 9, 2023 Europe

Palazzo Parigi Milan, Italy

This post is part of a larger series about our trip to Italy, including 2 Days in Milan, La Cucina dei Frigoriferi Milanesi, Birthday Weekend in Florence, Day Trip to the Chianti Classico Region, and A Week in the Italian Alps.

One of my "signature dishes" that I often cook for guests is Milanese Osso Buco. I make everything from scratch, and the dish takes hours to make. Bryan loves it, and it has even become our traditional to eat that dish every Valentine's Day.

So imagine my surprise when I actually arrived in Milan itself . . . and realized that I had been making it all wrong.

OK, perhaps I am slightly exaggerating, but we visited multiple restaurants in Milan, and every place that had osso buco served the veal shank with a rich, golden sauce. No bright lemony gremolata to put on the top, no tomatoes in the sauce.

At Palazzo Parigi, a beautiful fine dining restaurant inside the hotel with the same name, the osso buco came with a crispy risotto.

But guess what? We discovered we LOVED crispy risotto (what's not to like? hehe). This Milan version was richer, but it was fantastic.

We were in Italy during white truffle season, so we certainly had to try some white truffles. Milan is not too far from Alba (when we visited Alba's famous white truffle festival we actually flew from Milan), so there's plenty of white truffles everywhere.

Pasta is a must-order in Italy, and the pasta in Milan was great.

I was surprised at the generous portion of vegetables we got!

A Great First Day

What a great way to spend our first evening in Milan! We were especially thankful to Bryan's co-worker, an enthusiastic Milan local who happens to love food and her city. She was thrilled to give us recommendations for all sorts of places to visit. If only we could have stayed in Milan for more days! We're glad we got to try Palazzo Parigi, one of her top choices.

Palazzo Parigi Milan Italy
Corso di Porta Nuova,
1 - 20121 Milano
tel: +39 02 625625
email: [email protected]

February 28, 2023 Europe

Ricard Camarena Valencia Spain

We circled the block twice, walking right by the closed gate leading to the restaurant ”grounds”, before finally finding the entrance to this spectacular restaurant by Chef Ricard Camarena, certainly one of the most well-known and beloved chefs in Valencia.

Chef Camarena runs a group of restaurants in Valencia. We fell in love with his more casual Central Bar at the Central Market (and actually went twice during our short trip).

His flagship eponymous restaurant has two Michelin Stars and also a Michelin Green star. The chef’s commitment to sustainability and not wasting any part of an ingredient is a central core belief, which can be seen and felt throughout the entire meal.

Dining at Ricard Camarena is like an adventure. The journey begins in the front ”wine library” where you sit down to enjoy a few small bites and a ”mocktail”.

snap peas & vanilla mock tail — A snap peas & vanilla mocktail.

As we sat down and admired the surrounding space, another server came by and offered us another bite: anchovy + cracker

onion butter - 1 bite — “Onion Butter: Please enjoy this in one bite.”

After enjoying our first few bites, our server walked us into a modern looking dining room with tables spread far apart. Perhaps this is because we were dining in the middle of the pandemic; perhaps they just give diners space. In any event, we enjoyed our private little space in the corner.

At the Counter

As soon as we put down our things, our server asked us to get back up so that we could visit another chef standing at a counter on the other side of the dining area.

He explained each dish, emphasizing their zero waste philosophy.

”For the zucchini, we first put some salt, sugar, and olive oil and we roast in the oven. When it is cooked, we open it and removed the inside, but we don’t throw it out. We keep it for another application.”

The zucchini outer ”shell” was stuffed with steak tartare and topped with ricotta and raspberry. "Please eat in one bite." (seems to a common theme early on in this meal)

We stayed standing at the counter. We could now see that more and more diners were coming into the dining area from the wine library.

The chef handed us a small pour of a beautiful savory consomme. We also tasted a mochi-like dumpling filled with vegetable “scraps” leftover from other dishes, such as the zucchini insides from the prior dish, onion, eggplant, and more.

Finally, he sliced for us a piece of a 3-4 month dried tuna belly, which looked almost like steak.

After our very educational (and tasty!) experience at the counter, we returned to our seats for the rest of the meal.

Appetizers

shrimp w/ perigord caviar, feta cheese, lentil caviar — Shrimp with Perigord caviar, feta cheese, and lentil caviar.

kohlrabi w/ sea bass mousse
yum! — I absolutely loved the next dish: thin kohlrabi slices layered with a sea bass mousse and topped with raw slices of seabass and toasted sunflower seeds.

“blini” pancake w/ caviar
asparagus w/ coffee cream
green asparagus green/ caviar cream and coconut cream- unusual combo, not bad but i am not used to it — This next course was eye dazzling with its copious amounts of caviar on top of blini pancakes. Another plate had baby green asparagus served with a coffee cream, an unusual combo that was not bad, but I was not used to it. Finally, sea beans ( atype of seaweed).

Bread

Seafood

Valencia oyster, cream sauce — For the next course, we enjoyed a big, meaty Valencia oyster served in a cream sauce.

preserved tomato 🍅 1-1.5 years — Next, the server explained to us about Ricard Camarena’s special preserved tomato, which are typically preserved for 1-1.5 years. The resultant flavor is intense and deep. You can buy a jar for 25 Euros if you want to take one home.

preserved tomato 🍅 1-1.5 years
sheeps milk, zata’ar — We enjoyed some of this very special preserved tomato topped with sheeps milk and a sprinkling of zata’ar.

Fish Course

Next, sweet roasted onion with tuna belly.

sweet roasted onion with tuna belly (added umami), — The tuna belly added a nice umami to the dish.

Rice

Beef Course??

beef consommé, peas,
wild strawberries, coffee oil, — One of my favorite surprises was that the ”meat course” turned out to be this beef consommé, served with fresh peas, wild strawberries, and coffee oil. So unusual, yet it worked so well.

Desserts

miso, eggplant — Our bridging course to dessert was this miso ice cream served with eggplant! It surprisingly worked well even though it was more like a dessert.

palate cleansers - zucchini peel, seeds, citrus sorbet — Finally, our refreshing palate cleansers included zucchini peel, seeds, and a citrus sorbet.

beetroot, strawberries, fennel frond ice cream — Local wild strawberries took center stage in this next course, served with beetroot, fennel frond, and a snow-like ice cream.

Their interperation of ”gingerbread cake” came with light crispy crackers, pumpkin, yogurt, and toasted crunchy buckwheat clusters.

For a more unusual after dinner drink, the server recommended a Luis Felipe tequila, a well-known tequila from Mexico that is aged for a minimum of three years in oak barrels.

Luis Felipe are popular among tequila connoisseurs and are often enjoyed as sipping tequilas due to their complex and rich flavors.

pumpkin ginger
pumpkin sweet potato mochi
brown sauce coffee cannoli (liquid center!)
almond cake , lemon sauce

For a final bite: pumpkin ginger pumpkin cookie sandwich, a sweet potato mochi dumpling, coffee cannoli (with a liquid center!), and an almond cake with lemon sauce.

General Thoughts - Ricard Camarena

This was my favorite meal in Valencia. I personally loved how light it was, and how it went against the normal flow and mold of a tasting menu. Who would ever think of serving peas (albeit, in a clear beef consomme) as the final course? I loved how fruits and vegetables took center stage, and how most of the protein came in the form of seafood. I never would have guessed it, but that small amount of steak tartare inside the zucchini that we had at the counter would be the largest piece of ”meat” that we would eat the entire meal.

Perhaps this type of meal is not for everyone, especially those people looking for hearty meat dishes. This is more of a meal that showcases Chef Camerena’s appreciation (and celebration!) of Spain’s rich produce. It showcases his creativity in how he expresses these flavors while honoring sustainability. Finally, I just had a lot of fun at the meal. The staff were super friendly. The exploration of different flavor combinations and different bites was unexpected yet delightful.

Highly recommended.

Practical Details

Booking can be done online but they do require a credit card. If you don’t show up or if you cancel in less than 12 hours, you’ll be charged a 200€ per person fee.

Give yourself plenty of time to arrive. As mentioned above, we actually walked past the front gate a few times because the entrance is unobtrustive and easy to miss.

Ricard Camerena
Av. de Burjassot, 54, 46009
València, Valencia, Spain

February 15, 2023 Europe

chez Alain Miam Miam - Best sandwich in Paris France

I love a good French baguette.

However, I’m also not a purist when it comes to sandwiches because I actually love a toasted sandwich (or pressed sandwich). I know you’re not supposed to toast bread unless if it’s stale, but I just really, really love toast.

This is why I was thrilled to discover Chez Alain Miam Miam, a sandwich shop whose most famous sandwich is full of high quality ingredients and is toasted!

I made a special trip out to this place just to try their sandwich.

The old traditional Parisian market that houses this shop, Marche des Enfants Rouge, is itself is worth a visit. It's filled with vendors selling fresh produce, beautiful cuts of meat, fresh seafood, and more. There are cheese shops around the corner, chocolate shops, and more. You're really in gourmet foodie heaven.

But don't get too distracted, since you want to arrive at the popular eateries before the lines get too long.

Buckwheat Galettes

Yes, I was supposed to be here for the sandwich but . . . when I arrived I got distracted. I realized they ALSO make another favorite dish . . . Buckwheat GALETTES!

I was so torn. I was there alone. There was no way I could eat both things (they are HUGE).

Alas, I couldn’t decide, so I did decide to get both. (!)

I started with the galettes, which was filled with Comte cheese, roasted onions, and jambon (jam). It was delicious (I think their roasted onions is one of their “secret” ingredients”), but huge and very very heavy. I could only eat about ⅕ of it.

Round 2: the famous sandwich

After enjoying my galette, I went back up to the stand and ordered a sandwich. They must have thought I was crazy, but they obliged.

I was mesmerized by the sandwich-making process. They take so much care in making the sandwiches! Each sandwich takes some time to make, which is why the lines can get really, really long. One blog post I read said lines can reach up to two hours during peak season. I showed up at 11:00AM on a weekday in the middle of November. There was no line at all.

Swipe to the right in the Instagram post to see the video of the sandwich making.

I loved the sandwich -- a perfect mixture of “all the veggies”, ham, Comte cheese, and roasted onions all toasted on their fantastic bread. The sandwich is huge, and can easily be shared between two smaller eaters. I was so, so sad that I was by myself. There was no way I could finish it. I enjoyed about half of it, and then (sadly) carried it with me for a few more hours before finally tossing it.

So sad . . . Next time I must bring Bryan with me. The sandwich is really so, so good.

Highly highly recommended! Show up early if you don’t want to wait. There isn’t really a place to sit, so you’ll have to eat the sandwich while walking down the street. Good luck. It’s a bit messy, but totally worth it.

chez Alain Miam Miam
Marche des Enfants Rouge

January 16, 2023 Europe

La Salita Valencia Spain

Out of all the restaurants we visited in Valencia, La Salita was certainly the most hyped and most famous. Chef Begoña Rodrigo is talented, creative, and known for being bold and unconventional. She was the first winner of Top Chef Spain (in 2014), and has gone on to win numerous awards and accolades, including 1 Michelin star for La Salita.

During the pandemic Chef Rodrigo did something bold. She decided to only open La Salita on weekdays. On weekends, the same space would transform into L’Hort al Nú (which serves more casual, traditional fare).

It was a different team that worked on weekdays and weekends. This model allowed people to be able to take time off, which she thought was something that was very important.

Our meal at La Salita certainly delivered on surprising us with creative bites, dramatic presentation, and a multitude of textures, flavors, and expressions of ideas.

Cocktails

Even before we got our first drink, we were distracted by what almost looked like a magic show by server pouring a cocktail for a guest. La Salita is known for its crazy cocktails. So, even though I am usually not a huge cocktail person, we both began our meal with a cocktail.

Welcoming Bites

Next came a dizzying array of small, creative bites, each with its own set of unique flavor combinations and textures.

papadum w/ chevril and pickled roe — “Papadum“ - like shell with chevril and pickled fish roe.

carrot soppresata sandwich — Carrot soppresata mini sandwich

A creative take on Caprese: tomato + basil + meringue

squid, pickled cauliflower, curry and parsley pesto — Squid + ink, pickled cauliflower, curry and parsley pesto

Tasting Menu

And then the official tasting menu begins, though it’s all really a seamless experience.

"onion" (like creme brulee) — We begin with a beautiful savory onion custard, not unlike a creme brulee.

Spanish consommé with white bean/codfish cake — A beautiful Spanish consommé made with white bean and codfish.

The Super Memorable Bread Course

One of my favorite courses was actually the phenomenal house made foccacia, topped with a generous pour of fantastic Spanish olive oil. I couldn’t get enough if it, and easily polished off my whole half of the loaf of bread (even though I knew I was going to get full way too fast . … couldn’t resist!

Signature Dish

tomato + tuna, basil oil (La Tiara) — One of their signature dishes, named “La Tiara” (the crown) is stunningly presented with edible flowers, radish, herbs, and a bright green basil oil.

spider crab, jalapeños, fennel and tomato water (jelly) spider crab, jalapeños, bechamel of its corals and winter flowers, fennel jelly?? — A piece of abstract art, the next course consisted of spider crab, jalapeños, fennel, and winter flowers embedded in a tomato water jelly.

Kombu-wrapped fish with pine nut sauce.

lobster royale with its juice, tapioca pearls and smoked lobster meat — Lobster royale with its juice, tapioca pearls and smoked lobster meat.

custard with roe — Custard topped with roe.

“Grains” or ”Pasta” courses

smoked eel “All i Pebre”
eel israeli cous cous, apples, aoli, onion in the form of a cookie — Smoked “All i Pebre” eel, Israeli cous cous, apples, aoli, and onion in the form of a cookie.

eel israeli cous cous, apples, aoli, onion in the form of a cookie

Yolk, green peas, almond, caviar — A savory meusli of sorts, complete with egg yolk, green peas, almond, and caviar.

white truffles (Jan to May) with a salsify carbonara; root and truffle — These white truffles are seasonal from January to May, so we were able to enjoy them with a salsify (root) carbonara.

“Meat + Potatoes”

The final meat course was a mini Steak Wellington.

Robuchon mashed potatoes? — This came with a small but decadent mini pot of ultra creamy ”Robuchon” mashed potatoes.

54 degrees steak "pithivier" — The meat is cooked at 54 degrees. We wished it was just a bit more rare.

Sweets

lemon cookie? gin tonic cream, lemon cookie — Palate cleanser was a lemon cookie with gin tonic cream.

wild strawberries, raspberry, and Sichuan pepper — Next up, wild picked strawberries (look how small they are!) with raspberry and Sichuan pepper!

A sweet Spanish red wine given it’s own category as a ”noble wine” because it achieves its high alcohol content naturally.

General Thoughts - La Salita Valencia Spain

I love eating in Spain, and La Salita was a very nice experience. The food was creative, beautiful, and there were several delightful surprises. The service was exceptionally friendly, and the overall experience was fun.

I especially liked how light the meal felt, with almost all seafood courses except for the last one. One of our knowledgeable foodie friends told us the vegetarian tasting menu was amazing. Maybe next time!

I wouldn’t say the food was transcendent or blew my mind, but it was all very well executed and very, very good. Definitely one of the best restaurants we visited in Valencia, though not my number one favorite (that post, coming soon!).

When we came, this place only opened on weekdays, so it may be more difficult to book since there are limited slots. It is also one of the hottest restaurants, and the one that was recommended to me the most.

Book early! If you’re coming for several days, definitely make this one of your meals. If I come back, I’ll try to vegetarian tasting menu next!

La Salita Valencia Spain
C/ Pere III El Gran, 11B
46005 Valencia.

Teléfono: 609330760

December 29, 2022 Europe

El Poblet Valencia Spain -2 Michelin Stars

El Poblet is the original name of Quique Dacosta's (now 3-Michelin star) eponymous restaurant in Dénia. Chef Luís Valls, who worked side by side with Quique Dacosta for years, is now the executive chef at this "new" El Poblet, located in Valencia, which boasts two Michelin stars.

We dined here as a party of four, including three people who were in town doing lots of business dinners. In fact, one person had just come to the same restaurant the night before. The restaurant was very accommodating and flexible, designing for him a separate tasting menu so he wouldn't have to eat the same food twice.

Original Vermouth

Vermouth original recipe - only 3 people know

We began by trying an "antica formula", the original Vermouth recipe developed by Antonio Benedetto Carpano in 1786 that has been kept secret for hundreds of years. Only three people in the world know this heavily guarded secret. Vermouth lovers praise its complex flavors. On the rocks, I personally found it way too sweet. It's almost like a syrup. Perhaps it would be quite good in certain cocktails.

Bread + Amuse Bouche

liquid filled mushroom beignet
chase it with mushroom lapchong tea

Our first bite was a liquid-filled mushroom beignet, which we "chased" with an intensely flavorful mushroom lapchong tea. Such a surprising but stunning pairing!

Delicious bread with fragrant extra virgin olive oil.

amazing crab + uni? "cappuccino" soooo good

Next was "Albufera Crabs", a delicate "sandwich" made with paper thin crackers and a crab flavored creamy sauce in the center. We also sipped on a mind-blowing savory crab + uni "cappuccino" that was ingenious and insanely delicious.

Termanthia 2012: Fantastic Spanish wine from the Toro region. Wine Spectator 95 points.

Vegetables

Our next course was white asparagus with miso noisette butter.

miso
noisette butter
white asparagus
salted 24 hours and with sea lettuce

The asparagus was salted for 24 hours with sea lettuce (shown above).

kumquat, grapefruit-like fruit, pumpkin, oyster, surprisingly tart,

Les Perles (oysters), pickled pumpkin, kumquat, grapefruit

"Les Perles" (oysters) came served with pickled pumpkin, kumquat, and grapefruit. The dish was surprisingly tart.

Kumquats graced the table as we ate our course which included kumquats.

These beautiful, ultra thin layers of potato are certainly a work of art.

Seafood: Fish + Eel + Cuttlefish

A perfectly seared piece of fish with the ultimate crispy skin.

This next course, called Reed and Mud, involved cooking eel inside clay!

The server brought over the clay covered eel, and tapped on it with a spoon, breaking open the clay shell table-side.

Reeds and Mud (eel cooked in clay and smashed open) — Wow!

Cuttlefish and Charred Bomba Rice (similar to arborio rice) was next, topped with some shaved koji (see below).

Koji is rice that has been inoculated with some sort of fermentation culture. The resultant rice has quite a bit of umami and flavor. Here, they took a whole block of koji and grated its powder on top of our dish.

Meat Course: Duck

Llimonea Blue Duck — "Llimonea" Blue Duck

Served with "crackers".

"Dessert"

Our first "dessert" was actually more savory: a pepper and sheep’s milk ice cream that was surprisingly spicy!

Our second dessert, "Carob, Coffee, Whiskey."

Pinetrees and Pine Cones (choclate, not actual pine cones!)

A super cute dessert: Pinetrees and Pine Cones (made out of chocolate, not actual pine cones!).

What a treat as a way to end. 1969 Old Pulteney single Highland scotch whiskey.

Tasting Menus

There are three types of tasting menus. We went with the Territori Tasting Menu.

Territori Tasting Menu
135 EURO (10% VAT included)
wine pairing: 75 EURO

Ciutat Vella Tasting Menu
160 EURO (10% VAT included)
The Territori plus an additional cured meats course, extra meat course, and extra dessert course
wine pairing: 95 EURO

Bespoke Menu
98 EURO (10% VAT included)
Snacks, 2 courses, dessert, petit fours
(only available Tues &Thurs Lunch + dinner; Friday lunch)

General Thoughts: El Poblet Valencia

The meal at El Poblet was excellent, and frankly, an amazing value for the price (generally true of Spain!). The service was friendly and professional. I really enjoyed the many creative expressions, and there were certainly many "wow" dishes, such as the crab + uni cappuccino and the mushroom lapchong tea + beignet combo. All in all, a wonderful meal in a quiet, relaxing space.

El Poblet Valencia
to make a reservation

December 9, 2022 Europe

MercatBar by Quique Dacosta - Valencia

Such a good deal - 6 course tasting menu for only 34,00€VAT included

This post is part of a larger series on Valencia outlined in the Valencia Trip Report.

MercatBar is one of the more casual out posts of well-known celebrity chef Quique Dacosta's restaurant empire in Valencia. The words "mercat bar" mean "market bar." MercatBar pays tribute to the traditional tapas bars you find inside Valencia food markets (sort of like Central Bar!).

The Food

MercatBar takes that concept and modernizes it a bit, adding chef Quique Dacosta's own touch to the traditional Valencia market bar.

There are many different food options on the menu. The tapas section includes traditional tapas and "tapas from around the world" which take on global influences. There are also several main dishes, such as grilled meats, paellas, and other creative entrees.

Gargoyle Menu (off season)

During off-seasons (e.g., spring, fall), they also have a Gargoyle Menu, a multi-course tasting menu (7-8 courses total), including 3 cold starters, 3 warm tapas, a main dish, and dessert. The courses are designed to be shared, and thus the whole must get it. However, at 34€ a person, it is an absolute STEAL.

On top of that, we ordered a Robert Parker RP95 Valencian wine for less than 30€ for the whole bottle, yet another STEAL.

Below is our Gargoyle dinner.

Cream cheese with eel and mackerel
like creme brûlée with savory fish, candied almonds, sweet + savory, yummmm

We began with a creamy custard made with cream cheese, eel. and mackerel topped with a caramelized topping, candied almonds, roasted tomatoes, and herbs.

It was short of like a seafood creme brûlée, both sweet + savory, perfectly balanced, and delicious.

Mercatbar oyster
so good! cashew? edemame? EVOO, such good balance, oyster is plump and sweet

The next course, the Mercatbar oyster, was fantastic! The oyster itself was plump and sweet, and the overall flavor of the bite was perfect. Various elements such as nuts, fresh herbs, pea puree, and EVOO, came together in a perfectly balanced way.

Turkish taco with kimchi sauce and beef.

Smoked aubergine wonton and red tuna “mojama” - nice, salty, crispy, nice balance of flavors

Next was a wonton chip topped with smoked aubergine (eggplant) and red tuna “mojama”. This was a nice bite, being salty, crispy, and overall having a nice balance of flavors.

“Mercatbar” croquettes each topped with a slice of Serrano ham.

Raw cuttlefish toast “sepia”

We remembered "Air Baguettes" from our meal at Tickets Tapas Bar in Barcelona, and we wanted try MercatBar's version. So, we did order one extra a la carte course that was not on the menu. MercatBar's version came wrapped with jamon Iberico and topped with jam.

The seafood rice had lovely flavor, but I missed the crunchy "socarrat" (charred crispy bits) that you get in a paella made with a traditional pan.

Thoughts - MercatBar by Quique Dacosta

All in all, we were absolutely floored at the quality of the meal, especially for the price. The service was friendly, the outdoor seating was pleasant, and the food was great. I would come back in a heartbeat, at least for one casual meal.

MercatBar by Quique Dacosta
Joaquín Costa, 27
Valencia (Spain)

Other Restaurants by Quique Dacosta

Llisa Negra Valencia
El Poblet

December 5, 2022 Europe

La Pepica Waterfront Paella - Valencia

This post is part of a larger series on Valencia outlined in the Valencia Trip Report.

Do you know where paella originates from?

Valencia.

In fact, the authentic, most local Valencian paella is made of chicken, rabbit, snails, green beans, and garrofó beans (similar to lima beans). Interestingly, there is no seafood.

Despite trying to order the traditional local version, numerous restaurants we visited kept steering us towards seafood paellas. Sure, the seafood paellas were fantastic, but Bryan was set on at least trying the local dish once before leaving Valencia.

There are few better places to enjoy this traditional dish than at the legendary La Pepica.

La Pepica Valencia - Historic Restaurant

La Pepica is a historic, treasured beach-side restaurant that has been open since 1898 (!). They boast famous past diners, such as Ernest Hemingway, Orson Welles, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain. Ernest Hemingway was a regular, and even wrote about dining at La Pepica in his memoire. They made a special vegetarian version for Queen Sofia.

We showed up early and although all of the outdoor patio seats (facing the beach) were taken, we still got pretty good indoor seats right next to the window.

Drinks

Of course, we had to get our last pitcher of agua di Valencia.

The Food

We got grilled squid as a starter. Although it was good, it wasn't as tender and amazing as the one we had our first night at Casa Ripoll.

And we finally got to try our local, authentic Valencia paella!

One pan is plenty of food for two people to share (17,50 €). The paella was very tasty, with a nice thin layer of rice and plenty of crispy socarrat (charred crust) which is always my favorite part.

The seafood versions are still my favorite, but this one was very fun to try and also delicious.

La Pepica is also famous for seafood paellas. If I come back, I would certainly love to try their seafood paella, and maybe try for a table right on the beach, overlooking the Mediterranean sea!

La Pepica Valencia
Avenida Neptuno nº 6
46011 VALENCIA

December 1, 2022 Europe

Llisa Negra Valencia Spain

This post is part of a larger series on Valencia outlined in the Valencia Trip Report.

LLisa Negra is one of the more casual outposts of the Quique Dacosta group of restaurants, serving excellent paellas, seafood, and other Valencian classics (sometimes with a fusion twist!) in a fashionable space.

Their philosophy "focuses on the product" and they work with numerous local farms to source ingredients, many of which are cooked on the large wood-fired grill. The restaurant is also located in a trendy, bustling neighborhood.

Spanish style bread service

bread service (rub tomato, garlic on bread)

We started with a classic, Spanish-style bread service, a gorgeous loaf of bread served with a raw tomato, raw garlic. We weren't exactly sure what to do, but the two guys sitting next to us were kind enough to explain to us: cut the tomato and garlic in half, rub a bit onto a slice of bread, and eat. The server also poured a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil onto the bread, which was delicious.

Salted, Cured, and Raw

Chef Quique Dacosta has a passion for salt and curing things with salt.

We tried their aged cured tuna, which was flavorful and unique.

The server highly recommended the beef tartare, which was mixed with raw eggs tableside.

It was excellent!

Wood Fired

Wood-grilled artichoke was simple but delicious. The simple preparation allowed us to really enjoy the artichoke's natural sweetness and flavor.

Paella

Interestingly, even though Valencia's local paella is made with chicken and rabbit (no seafood), it seemed like every restaurant kept recommending that we try seafood paellas instead. So, we decided to heed their advice and try the langoustine paella, topped with kimchi uni butter. It was very well executed (love that super thin layer of rice! More crispy bits!), and the langoustines were indeed extremely flavorful.

All in all, highly recommended!

LLisa Negra Valencia
Pascual y Genís 10
Valencia, 46002, Spain
link to reservations
Michelin Guide review

November 29, 2022 Europe

Central Bar by Ricard Camarena - Valencia Spain

One of the most fun things to do in Europe is to visit their traditional food markets. Many cities have a central market, and Valencia is no exception.

The Central Market in Valencia is huge and it's a joy just to walk from aisle to aisle as your eyes feast upon bountiful seafood, a dizzying array of cured meats, fresh produce and more. I highly recommend visiting!

Lunch at Central Bar by Ricard Camarena

While you're there, a great place to grab lunch is at Central Bar by Ricard Camarena (Hours: 9AM - 3PM), where you can sit at a counter and try grilled fresh seafood, Valencian classics, sandwiches, and more.

The lines can get long, but you can put your name down and wander around the market a bit while you wait.

They make a special agua de Valencia that's a tad fancier than the typical ones you see around Valencia. It's made with orange juice, cointreau, Absolut vodka, Malfy gin, and cava.

The food at Central Bar is simple but very, very fresh. Seafood is based on the fresh catch of the day. We tried some delicious gambas, which were just grilled lightly with some salt and lemon, but it was fantastic.

Deep fried oysters were fine, though a bit rich.

We were surprised to see grilled pig's ears on the menu, since we typically only eat it Asian style. This version was grilled and served with a spicy Mojo Picon sauce (9.50 EUROS). The pig ears were good, softer and "meatier" than the Asian versions I'm used to having. It was very tasty, yet quite filling!

The traditional Valencia salad includes tomato, fresh cheese, with a generous amount of olive oil.

The "Ricard Camarena" eponymous sandwich included pork loin, mustard, cheese, and onion.

Deep fried baby zucchini with zucchini flowers was lovely.

Grilled cuttlefish "a la plancha" was tasty, though just a tad bit tougher than the revelatory one I had at Casa Ripoll.

Spanish meatballs "Albóndigas" in red curry sauce was flavorful, hearty, and also quite filling!

We noticed almost every table was eating the above-pictured dish, so we asked the server about this dish, the Russian Salad. It was a creamy dipping sauce which we ate with some crackers.

Roasted miso eggplant was super soft and creamy. The sauce also had nice umami from the miso and soy sauce.

Coffee in Spain is delicious, and we love ending with a simple cortado.

Explore Central Market a bit more?

The market is fun, and it's easy to spend more than one day there. We actually ended up going there twice, and also eating at Central Bar by Ricard Camarena twice! (Haha, the above pictured dishes were eaten over two different lunches.)

You can pick up some fun food gifts to bring back home. I got some marcona almonds and cured jamon.

All in all, highly recommended!

Central Bar by Ricard Camarena

November 27, 2022 Europe

Casa Ripoll Valencia - Beachside Paella

gentleman's paella (L'arroz del Senyoret")

This post is part of a larger series on Valencia outlined in the Valencia Trip Report.

We had just landed in Valencia and didn't know the city too well. Thankfully Bryan's co-worker had done lots of homework and researched best places to eat.

He had read that one of the "must-do activities" in Valencia was to have paella on the beach. So he booked a table at a beachside restaurant for the 3 of us.

What a lovely way to start our trip!

Bryan's colleague told us we had to try "Agua de Valencia", the quintessential Valencian drink made with Valencia orange juice, vodka, gin, and cava (or champagne). We got a pitcher, and it was indeed refreshing and perfect to enjoy on the beach.

This simple grilled baby squid absolutely blew me away. It was so tender (probably really fresh), and the flavors were fantastic. Honestly speaking, I had grilled seafood (even grilled squid) at other restaurants in Valencia, but this first one turned out to be the best.

We ordered a "gentleman's paella" (L'arroz del Senyoret), called such because they shell the seafood for you, so you can eat it with a fork an knife, like a gentleman. Bryan hates getting his hands dirty, so this was totally up his alley. In fact, it was delicious, and I also appreciated not having to remove shrimp heads and such (though I'm sure some would argue that most of the flavor is in the head!).

The fried seafood was solid, but OK to skip. We were so full, we didn't even come close to finishing the fried seafood.

Another special treat was the full moon that night.

It was lovely to have a meal at Casa Ripoll Valencia. The paella was delicious, and I'll never forget the amazing grilled baby squid.

*walking for a long long time before finding a car . . .*

We did have trouble finding transportation back to our hotel. It was very difficult to call or book a cab at that hour. We eventually walked about a kilometer to another part of town before we could find a car to drive us back to our hotel. Perhaps it's best to pre-book a car?

Casa Ripoll Valencia
Calle José Ballester Gozalvo, 50
(Paseo Marítimo, modulo 7)
Playa de la Malvarosa
46011 Valencia
Telf. 608810208 - 963550022

November 23, 2022 Europe

Valencia Spain Trip Report - Itinerary

Hola Valencia!

Out of all the cities we had on our Europe itinerary this past spring, I was probably most excited about Valencia. Sure, there was the anticipation of going to a new city. But it's also because it was Spain. I have loved every single Spanish city I've ever visited.

Madrid was fascinating and full of energy. Barcelona was a food lover and artist's dream. Even side trips to places like Toledo and Montserrat were fascinating, each in its own way. We absolutely fell in love with the food mecca San Sebastian, and had been planning to go back in 2020 . . . . . .

This is all just a very long intro to explain why I was excited to finally go back to Spain. We had a fantastic time in Valencia. It's a slower-paced city on the Southern side. The weather is good, the cost of living is a bit lower, and the quality of life is excellent.

Below is a trip report, which serves as great inspiration for a potential Valencia itinerary. I've also summarized classic must-eat foods, Valencian specialties, and some of our favorites.

Food - What to Eat?

The first day we arrived we went straight to enjoy one of the most classic Valencia experiences - enjoy paella on the beach.

Bryan's colleague had booked an excellent place called Casa Ripoll. The simple grilled baby squid was the best seafood I had the entire trip. It was so fresh, perfectly tender texture, and maybe there was something about sitting on that beach.

That was my first time trying Agua de Valencia, the quintessential Valencian drink. It's sort of like a mimosa, but made with Valencia orange juice, vodka, gin, and cava (or champagne). It's very refreshing, and goes down very easily.

Although almost all restaurants will recommend their seafood paella as being the best, the traditional Valencian paella actually does not have seafood! We tried the traditional version at La Pepica, yet another very famous and delicious paella restaurant also on the beach.

It's hard to be in Spain and not try some of their local (globally famous) ham - jamon iberico. It's cheaper in Spain than anywhere else in the world. I had a plate for dinner one night dining in the outdoor patio of the Westin Valencia (my hotel).

There are several very well-known chefs in the region, and they each have their own little restaurant empire in Valencia.

Ricard Camarena

Chef Ricard Camarena’s namesake restaurant boasts 2 Michelin stars and was probably my favorite high-end meal in Valencia. I loved how he focused on bringing out the flavors of ingredients, especially vegetables.

He also has a much more casual outpost in the Central Market called ”Central Bar by Ricard Camarena.” Come early, otherwise be prepared to line up. It’s fun to try their signature (fancier) aqua de Valencia, as well as sample a bunch of different small bites. Many people around us were getting grilled seafood, Russian salad, fried zucchini flowers, tripe, and other tapas.

Quique Dacosta

Quique Dacosta is another name in town. His flagship eponymous restaurant in Denia, Spain has 3 Michelin stars and has won numerous awards. He's built an impressive number of other restaurants, and we ate at several of them.

2-Michelin star El Poblet was elegant, refined, and a nice place to enjoy a quiet, relaxing meal. Each course came with a story woven with flavors. We liked how they had different length tasting menus. We went with the medium one (6ish courses), which was perfect.

Llisa Negra is a more casual outpost serving excellent paellas, seafood, and other Valencian classics (sometimes with a fusion twist!) in a fashionable space.

The craziest deal of all was our excellent tapas tasting at MercatBar by Quique Dacosta. For only a mere 34 euros per person, we enjoyed a fantastic 6-course tasting of beautiful bites. A Robert Parker RP95 Valencian wine was only an additional 30 Euros for the bottle (!). We were blown away by the prices, though to be fair, it was an off-season price, and would disappear once the high season (summer) began.

La Salita

La Salita was probably one of the hottest restaurants that we tried. The food is creative. Chef Begoña Rodrigo experiments with flavors around the globe, and focuses a lot on vegetables (which I love). Cocktails are also wild, and the presentation of some of them is quite a show involving smoke, pouring from high places, and more.

What to See

The City of Arts & Sciences and the surrounding area is beautiful and certainly a must-visit. I jogged in the area when I could, and just took in the beautiful surroundings. It's a pretty big area, filled with several large museums and other buildings.

The old Turia River was filled in back in 1957 after a horrible flood decimated the city. It turned into a long winding park (Turia River Gardens) following the river path and separates the city into two. All the old bridges are still there! It's a joy to jog "inside" the river along this long green path. It's fun to people watch, run by orange trees, and just enjoy the vast amount of green all around.

I was so thankful to have a balcony, and I took full advantage of it, working remotely from there every morning, moving my seat around to avoid the direct sunlight throughout the day.

One of the most famous sites is the Valencia Cathedral, which supposedly holds the holy chalice/grail that Jesus used during the Last Supper. The chalice is very, very protected behind many layers of glass, but you can still visit and look at it from afar.

Opening hours: 10:30AM to 5:30PM (last entry 4:30PM)

Sometimes billed as the “Sistine Chapel” of Valencia, Parroquia de San Nicolás de Bari y San Pedro Mártir is a stunning church to visit. The ceiling is impressive, and there's so much to explore.

Markets!

Spanish old style food markets are fascinating to visit. You can see so much phenomenal food all around, from cured jamon, cheese, and fresh fish to all sorts of produce. A highlight is dining at Central Bar by Ricard Camarena(Hours: 9AM - 3PM), where you can sit at a counter and try grilled fresh seafood, Valencian classics, sandwiches, and more.

Another cool building is La Llotja de la Seda, or the Silk Trading Room. It's worth it to get the audio guide to learn more about the history of the building.

Torres de Serranos is one of the 12 gates that used to be part of the ancient city wall in Valencia. We had lots of fun climbing the old gate and exploring its many levels.

The views are also lovely from the top.

All in all, I really really enjoyed Valencia. It's a sunny, relaxing town full of friendly people, good food, and walkable neighborhoods. I can see why people vacation and retire here. It's certainly worth a visit if you are in Spain.

November 13, 2022 Hong Kong

Stuck in Quarantine (Song)

Hi friends!

Sorry for the silence lately. I was actually a bit distracted working on a song. At the end of September, Hong Kong announced some exciting news (especially for those of us who like to travel). Finally, finally, hotel quarantine requirements would be completely lifted! We would still need to spend three days under ”medical observation”, where we could not enter restaurants, bars, or the like.

As you may know, Bryan and I endured several quarantines during these past two years, the worst one being 3 weeks hotel quarantine right before Christmas in 2021. During quarantine I started writing a song about being stuck in quarantine. I finally finished the song in October, and released it on Youtube a couple weeks ago. It shares a bit about what our quarantine experience was like.

Please enjoy! And let’s hope for 0+0 very very soon!

Jen

September 27, 2022 Belgium

VerTige Brussels

Chef Sang Hoon Degeimbre is one of the more well-known chefs in Belgium. A self-taught chef, he became well known through his use of modern cooking techniques and hyperlocal ingredients (predominantly from the restaurant's own farm) at his flagship restaurant, L'Air du Temps (two Michelin stars), located out in the "countryside" about an hour outside of Brussels.

We very much enjoyed his more casual outpost, SAN Bruxelles, the last time we were in Brussels.

In June 2020, SANS Bruxelles closed and became VerTige. VerTige is still under the larger umbrella of the SAN group but is a new concept headed up by Kevin Perlot, an alum of L'Air du Temps.

Tasting Menus: Vegetal and Discovery

VerTige focuses on "sustainable, modern, plant-based gastronomy." Though the focus is clearly on vegetables, the restaurant still serves some seafood and uses ingredients such as ham, sweetbreads, and dairy products.

They have various tasting menus. The restaurant is clearly plant-focused, but it also offers tasting menus that includes meat and seafood. The Vegetal Menu (vegetarian) is 39€, 49€, and 79€ and the The Discovery Menu (includes meat, seafood) is 45€, 59€, and 89€ for a 3, 4, or 6-course tasting, respectively.

We decided to go with the 6-course. I got the Vegetal while Bryan got the Discovery.

Cucumber and kohlrabi ceviche with mackerel

For several of the courses, the only difference seemed to be the addition of the protein. For example, in the photo above, you can see raw mackerel on top of the kohlrabi "scroll", whereas the plant-based version does not have it.

One of the most impressive dishes was probably the risotto, which was intensely flavorful yet was made without cheese. This was part of both of our tasting menus.

To be honest, we sort of chuckled at the main course, which was identical except for a nice seared piece of meat.

It almost seemed like the plant based menu was designed first, and then they found ways to add meat and seafood to appease the meat-eaters. In any event, it was tasty, though I wondered whether Bryan felt satisfied since just adding that one piece of meat wasn't that much food.

Single "raviolo" in broth.

Taragon & rhubarb dessert, with 2 preparations of rhubarb (stewed rhubarb and rhubarb sorbet)

General Thoughts - VerTige

I remember SAN Bruxelles being difficult to book and filled with diners when we ate there (granted, this was pre-Covid, so it's not exactly a fair comparison). The day we ate at VerTige, I think we only saw one or two other parties arrive. Perhaps it's the pandemic; perhaps it's because plant-focused food is still not nearly as popular.

I personally like light dishes that are plant-based, so I don't mind this type of restaurant at all. However, I had a feeling Bryan wasn't full enough. There was very little meat (ratio-wise), and overall the portions are not very large.

I did appreciate the artistry and attention to detail of the food. It's no surprise, given that Chef Perlot came from L'Air du Temps. The food is good, and there were definitely some wow moments. However, I think this place is more suited for people who are seeking out mostly plant-based foods. The meat clearly seems to play second fiddle.

Vertige Brussels
Rue de Flandre 19
1000 Bruxelles

September 24, 2022 Europe

La Cucina dei Frigoriferi Milanesi - Milan

La Cucina dei Frigoriferi Milanesi is a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant that's a little off the beaten path. We had to take a car to reach this restaurant. It wasn't within walking distance of our hotel (which was located right in the center of the city next to the Duomo).

However, I was drawn to La Cucina dei Frigoriferi Milanesi because they promoted a "slow food" philosophy. More vegetables and seafood, some meat, but not a ton.

We were also blown away by the amazing value. The tasting menu is only 36 EUROS and includes bread, antipasto, a "primo" (pasta dish), and a "secondo" (meat dish), plus a dessert. The ambiance was warm and cozy, the service was good, the food was very tasty, and the price was incredible.

Certainly worth the car ride! Here's our tasting menu!

We started with a crispy saffron risotto (Milanese style!) "cake" topped with calamari, zucchini, and a lemon and herb sauce. Perfectly executed, light, and flavorful.

La Cucina dei Frigoriferi Milanesi Milan, Italy

These Croquettes came with the restaurant's own housemade ketchup. They were perfectly fried (and delicious!), though I thought six croquettes was a lot for two people!

I was almost half full after this course.

The next "primo" course was a smaller portion. Pasta with a white meat sauce, was very tasty, and the texture of the pasta was excellent.

a little off the beaten path, needed to take a car

For the "Secondo", we had a pan seared duck breast with roasted pear, leeks, and duck jus. It was nicely executed.

We tried four different cheeses.

A simple dessert: gelato with chocolate "chips".

General Thoughts - La Cucina dei Frigoriferi Milanesi

La Cucina dei Frigoriferi Milanesi was a lovely place to relax after a long day of touring around Milan. The food was authentic, made with heart, high quality, and delicious! Prices seem like they are from another era. It's certainly worthy of its "Bib Gourmand" status, being a restaurant that has "good quality, good value".

La Cucina dei Frigoriferi Milanesi {book online}
Via Giovanni Battista Piranesi, 10, 20137 Milano, Italy

September 20, 2022 Europe

Hélène Darroze Paris

The pandemic was a time that separated people, a time when many families and friends were unable to see each other for YEARS. We had a close friend who had been living in Asia for 30+ years until the pandemic all of a sudden prevented her from getting back home.

The border closures were challenging for many. For us, it was tricky to leave Hong Kong. We knew there were risks of not being able to go home (or being locked up in quarantine) if we tested positive outside.

It was in this type of environment that we serendipitously found out that our dear, dear friend would be in Paris celebrating her birthday AT THE SAME TIME we would be there!

What a God-given crazy opportunity to meet up! There was only one day where our travels would overlap.

After a flurry of messages back and forth, we decided to spend the afternoon visiting Versailles together. That evening, we celebrated her birthday with a very special meal at 2-Michelin star Hélène Darroze in Paris.

Welcome to Hélène Darroze Paris

The attention to detail in the artistry of the food is evidence the moment you sit down. We began with three intricately latticed leaf crackers. From left to right: pepper, lobster, and olive.

Starting Bites

Helene Darroz is originally from the Basque region of France. This next course was a “taloa“. Our server, who also happened to be from the same Basque region as the chef, explained to us that taloa was ”like a taco.“ This delicous one consisted of a cornmeal crepe topped with mackerel, espelette pepper, and rosemary.

Helene Darroz is originally from the Basque region of France. Our server, also from the Basque region, explained "the taloa . . . is like a taco.“ This delicious one consisted of a cornmeal crepe topped with mackerel, espelette pepper, and rosemary.

The next course (for the normal tasting) was a a beautiful multi-layered creation consisting of paper-thin white button mushrooms, lardon, and Perigord nuts.

This plump juicy oyster (supplemental cost option) was out of this world. It came topped with caviar gelee and a cocoa bean sauce. It was so ridiculously good.

Our friend does not eat foie gras, so the kitchen was kind enough to prepare a special pea-based cream for her. I personally don’t like foie gras that much either, so I was actually a bit envious of her dish, which looked really good!

Bryan and I got the foie gras, which Bryan absolutely loved. I have to admit it was pretty good, though certainly rich.

Seafood

Helen Darroz has some Asian ties. In fact, her two daughters are adopted from [Vietnam?].. This next course reminded me a bit of Hong Kong‘s shrimp toast, with French influences (of course!). A beautiful layered and crispy toast came topped with green asparagus, crayfish, and yuzu kosho beurre blanc.

Hélène Darroze has some Asian ties. In fact, her two daughters are adopted from Vietnam.

This next course also had hints of Asian flavors, reminding me a bit of Hong Kong‘s shrimp toast, with French influences (of course!). A beautiful layered crispy toast came topped with green asparagus, crayfish, and yuzu kosho beurre blanc.

French blue lobster with Tandoori spices, carrot mousseline, Lampong pepper reduction with fresh coriander.

French blue lobster with Tandoori spices, carrot mousseline, and Lampong pepper reduction with fresh coriander.

The seafood course consisted of a simple piece of hake topped with “crunchies” made from the skin (removed and deep fried). This came with a beautiful piece of white asparagus (which was in season at the time), peas, and a sauce made from fish essence and egg. On the side, dollops of “egg yolk“ completed the plate.

Main Meat Course

Bryan ordered the lamb as his entree, which came with two preparations: a seared lamb rib and a roulade. On the side, a beautiful seared artichoke heart topped with a mint pesto.

I ordered the Wagyu entree, which (unbeknownst to me) also had a (quite hefty) supplement cost. Like many traditional high-end restaurants in Paris, Hélène Darroze gives the male a menu with the prices, and the female(s) a menu without the prices.

Bryan was surprised I ordered so many supplemental courses. He didn't realize that I couldn't see the prices and didn't know (oops!).

There was also a Wagyu “bao” and a Wagyu “Shabu shabu”, which was fantastic.

This "Wagyu three ways" main course included a Wagyu steak, a “bao” and “shabu shabu”, which were all fantastic.

Cheese

Our server came back to serve us the next course: flatbread + cheese. She proceeded to shave this very special cheese onto pieces of the flatbread for us to enjoy.

Dessert

For our first sweet bite, we had a rice pudding with mango and crispies. It reminded me of the mango sago desserts in Hong Kong.

Finally, it feels like no French meal is complete without at least a little chocolate at the end.

Special Memories

Ah, what special memories from such an unlikely meet-up at a restaurant in Paris. We never could have imagined that, despite the fact that we both live in Asia, we had to go all the way out to Paris to meet up. Just goes to show how crazy restrictive the borders were back home.

In any event, our meal at Hélène Darroze was certainly memorable. The food, the presentation, and the whole experience was top notch. But even more so, it's the conversations, laughter, and the joy of catching up in-person that I won't forget. Thank you to the whole team at Hélène Darroze for making our meal so special.

And just for fun, here are some photos from our last visit to Versailles back in 2005, and 2022. Man, time really, really flies.

September 20, 2022 Europe

La Condesa Paris

This post is part of a larger series about Paris. Other posts in this series include Frenchie Wine Bar, Les Enfants du Marche, chez Alain Miam Miam, and Hélène Darroze Paris.

Our meal at La Condesa was one of the highlights of our Paris trip. From the first bite of goat cheese and corn-based (tostados? gorditas?) and the slightly-molecular mushroom "smoke" soup to to the traditional French-style madeleines that closed out our meal, we were continuously delighted and surprised by this tasting menu.

Chef Indra Carrillo

The food at La Condesa is creative and surprising partly because Chef Indra Carrillo himself has a diverse background, from his native Mexican roots, his experience working under some top French chefs, and his years of training in Japan and Italy. The culinary tasting "adventure" at La Condesa is truly fun. You really don't know what to expect because he gathers inspiration from all over the globe.

Here's a look at our tasting menu!

Small Bites to Start

We began with crunchy cornflour based "crackers" that reminded me of Mexican tostados, but much coarser and crunchier in texture.

It was a lovely bite that immediately signaled to us that this tasting menu was based on Mexican roots.

After enjoying some fresh bread, we tasted several more small single bites. Butternut squash flowers came deep fried and dusted with some spice.

A Refreshing Savory Sorbet?

This next course came in two "parts". The dried, crunchy "rice crispies" coated in a bit of sugar were kept on top of the stone container.

sorbet pickle, dill, citrus, rice crispies coated a bit of sugar, soooo refreshing, so interesting, bright

We poured the "toppings" into a very refreshing and bright sorbet with sliced pickles, fresh dill, and citrus. The dish was so very interesting, with bright refreshing flavors.

Seafood

seared scallop, multiple types of grains (wheat berry, lentil, mung bean), two types of pickled radish, Sabeyon sauce, daikon roll.

Next up was a single seared scallop (served on top of the scallop shell), with multiple types of grains (wheat berry, lentil, mung bean), two types of pickled radish, a daikon roll, and a generous topping of sabeyon sauce.

Pasta Course

herb + saffron pasta, clams, herbs, seaweed,

A taste of Italy (and maybe Japan?) appeared in this next course, consisting of a gorgeously green and orange herb + saffron pasta, served with clams, herbs, and seaweed.

A Tasting of Mushrooms (and Truffles!)

mushroom cream, mushroom broth & mushroom smoke, black truffle deep fried ball eat last / soooooo good, umami, smoke,

This next course was served in two parts. First, a trio of mushroom served as a mushroom foamy cream, a mushroom broth and a mushroom smoke. Upon opening the top "cap", mushroom smoke billowed out. The server gave us a straw, which we used to sip up the delicious, mushroom-y broth.

black truffle deep fried ball eat last / soooooo good, umami, smoke,

We were told to eat the deep fried ball last, which was filled with black truffle + mushroom goodness. It was soooo good, full of umami and smoke.

Banana Leaf Cod

This next course of banana leaf wrapped fish reminded me of Thai cuisine.

Inside the banana leaf was a perfectly seared piece of cod with a curry carrot sauce and herbs.

The Meat Courses

filet of beef, collard green, napa, turnips, leek oil, beef jus,

A beautiful beef course: filet mignon, collard greens, napa, turnips, leek oil and beef jus.

pigeon filled with veal + nori, lobster sauce, salsify, parsnip purée, chips, kumquat?

A pigeon roulade filled with intricate layers of veal + nori (seaweed), lobster sauce, salsify, parsnip purée, and parsnip chips.

Sweets

grapefruit, lemon, walnut cream, slices of grapefruit and lemon (candies? cured?), tuile m

Slices of candied grapefruit and lemon, walnut cream, and tuile.

cremont wine
nettle purée, kiwi tempura, fruit, sorbet,

Kiwi tempura served on top of nettle purée, kiwi fruit, sorbet served with cremont wine.

madeleines — Freshly baked cannelles . . .

General Thoughts - La Condesa Paris

Even though I do enjoy a great French meal, my favorite meals in France are typically ones where French technique is applied to another cuisine. We both agreed that this meal was one of our favorites from that trip to Paris.

I would highly recommend it!

La Condesa Paris
13 rue Rodier
75009 PARIS

+33 (0)1 53 20 94 90
[email protected]

September 18, 2022 Belgium

Brussels Favorites "That Pithivier Place" (Restaurant Bozar) and More

As soon as we knew we would be in Brussels for a slightly extended amount of time, Bryan asked if we could go back to “that pithivier place”. He still had fond memories of our last meal there, back in early 2020, when we experienced Chef Karen’s stunning works of art for the first time.

It’s been two years, and a lot last happened. As you may recall, Brussels went into lockdown in early March, the DAY we left Brussels to take one of the last direct flights back to Hong Kong. Who would have guessed that 2 years later, that direct flight is still not flying . . .

mousse of saspirella, caviar, fish, puffed wheat,

It hasn’t been easy. We talked to area restauranteurs. The family that owns Pasta Divina told us they were closed for 8 months, and many other businesses did not survive the pandemic at all.

Nevertheless, Brussels is coming back to life. As the days become longer and the sun sets later and later, people are reveling in the freedom of a society that is opening back up. We hardly saw masks anywhere (except perhaps inside trains, cars, and airplanes). There’s also no more need to show the digital “Green Pass” to enter restaurants.

This trip (Spring 2022) we mostly revisited our favorites from past trips. We were thrilled to see that our favorite pasta place, Pasta Divina, was still going strong, fully booked every single evening. In the fall of 2021, it was still relatively easy to get a last minute booking or walk into a popular restaurant. No more. Brussels is back, including the tourists, and restaurants are packed.

This was our first time in Brussels during the spring, so we were surprised to learn that mussels are not in season between March and July. Alas, no fresh moules frites this trip. We made sure to taste our favorite beers, such as the wild fermented lambics from Cantillon, “best beer in the world” brown beer from Westleveteren, Triple Karmeliet, Orval, Rochefort, and many many more.

*Sneak peek at the pithivier before it goes into the oven.*

Similarly, public areas such as The Grand Place and St. Catherine were teeming with life, filled with crowds that acted like it was 2019, i.e. “the Before Times.”

Despite all the tourists, thankfully I was able to secure a reservation at Restaurant Bozar again. It had been two years since we were last there, and we were looking forward to trying Chef Karan's signature pithivier again.

We had already pre-ordered the pithivier a few days before (must order 48 hours in advance!), and thus we were all set for our main course. We just had to choose a few appetizers. If you don't pre-order, you can still enjoy his "croutes" (meat filled pastry creations) by ordering the croute tasting (195 EUROS per person, minimum 2ppl), which includes trying four different ones, including a dessert croute!

Starters

I must say the attention to detail and the pure artistry of the food at Bozar never cease to amaze me.

It's not merely artistry, of course. Each course is elegantly composed, with balanced flavor combinations that are just a delight to eat.

The fresh, handmade ravioli was beautifully al dente, and the consomme together with the lobster (from Brittany) and sweet peas was just perfect.

Mes Croutes: Duck Pithivier

There are several different types of croutes, filled with different types of meat such as Basque pork, pigeon, or duck. We (again) ordered the duck pithivier, which includes Dombes duck, goose foie gras, spinach, morel mushrooms, and root vegetables.

I really want to try the salmon one (which also has spinach, buckwheat, mushrooms, and a white butter sauce with caviar), but the menu says it is for 6-8 persons.

Duck of Gérard Burgaud from Challans, foie gras, spinach, morel mushrooms, and root vegetables

It takes so much precision to get all the layers to cook just right.

So amazing.

We finished with some light petit fours, including some freshly baked warm madeleines.

Our first time here was in 2020, right when the pandemic began. It was a scary time, when masks were scarce, little was known about the disease, and it was unclear how long we'd be stuck in Brussels.

So much has changed in two years.

Back then we ate the 221st pithivier. Two years later, our new keychain told us we had just eaten the 319th pithivier. Wow, Chef has made close to 100 more pithiviers since then, which is impressive considering the pandemic was roaring during a lot of this time . . .

We were thrilled to be back this time, and hopefully won't wait another 2 years before we return.

Bozar Restaurant Brussels
Rue Baron Horta 3
1000 Bruxelles

Tel : 02 / 503.00.00
Mail : [email protected]

September 16, 2022 Asian

Crown Super Deluxe Teppanyaki Hong Kong

It was crowded in Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong's famously lively neighborhood known for its bars, nightlife, and foreigner-friendly establishments. This was during a long stretch of period during the pandemic when things in Hong Kong were pretty stable, and thus life moved on like normal.

As Bryan and I walked through a neighborhood that we had not visited in a long time, we continued to walk in circles searching for this restaurant that specialized in "lavish teppanyaki affair" with strong influence from both Japan and the US? What does that mean??

Soon after we stepped into Crown Super Deluxe Teppanyaki we started to understand. This place is not like a typical teppanyaki restaurant that we've visited in the US. Instead, it serves Japanese food with the flair and showmanship of US teppanyaki establishments. Think Benihana, but much more upscale.

Case in point. Moments after we sat down, this beautiful large lobster started looking at me. I cringed a bit, knowing that he would likely become part of our dinner later on in the day. There are actually several counters at Crown Super Deluxe Teppanyaki. It seemed like we were sitting at the lobster station where unlucky live lobsters were "prepared". I've always had trouble killing any live critters (e.g., I couldn't bring myself to step on ants when I was a kid, and I still struggle cooking live mussels). As such, this wasn't the most fun table for me to sit at.

I tried to ignore the lobster as we looked at the menu. We could choose from one of three different tasting menus: the Crown (HKD788) which included a choice between two types of US Prime beef, the Super (HKD788), which added sashimi, a seafood course, and AU Wagyu beef, and the Deluxe (HKD988), which added Spiny Lobster and A5 Kagoshima Wagyu.

Since this was our first time, we decided to go all out and try the Deluxe.

...