Recipes

September 12, 2022 Guide

Updated: Jen's Japan Recommendations

*Jiro, Jen, & Bryan at Sukiyabashi Jiro*

Japan is one of my favorite countries in the world. I fell in love with it when I lived in Tsukuba (right outside of Tokyo) as a college student during a summer internship. Since then, I've traveled back over ten (!) times (usually tagging along on one of my husband's business trips). As a result, I've had quite a few opportunities to enjoy the fabulous food this country offers.

I've had enough friends ask my for recommendations about traveling to Japan that I thought I'd write a brief guide on my favorite places to eat, shop, and hang out. The last time I was in Japan was 2019, so this guide is only as current as that trip. Unfortunately, Japan is still not open to regular tourists yet, and I have not been able to return. I miss it so much, and I can't wait until I can return again.

Favorite Places to Eat

As for real dining - the options are endless depending on how much you want to spend.

Tsukiji Fish Market used to be THE MAIN attraction for trying fresh sushi and for watching the traditional sushi auction at either 5:30AM or 6AM (there are two shifts). The market closed in 2018 and moved to a new modern space at Toyosu, which I have not visited yet. To see our entire old-school Tsukiji Fish Market experience (for which we waited in line starting at 2AM), check out this full post.

Favorite Tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet)

Butagumi is a cute restaurant serves all sorts of different breeds on pork including tonkatsu made from the famous Iberian pig in Spain. It's a little off the beaten track, so if you're short on time, you can still enjoy excellent tonkatsu at Maisen, which has several locations around Tokyo.

Favorite Ramen

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Rokurinsha has a history of having long lines out its door - which is a sure sign of a good ramen place in Japan. Visit the location at Tokyo Station on "Ramen Street" or go to the new Tokyo Sky Tree and enjoy it there. They specialize in "tsukemen", or dipping noodles. If the line at Rokurinsha is too long for your liking (it often has the longest line at Ramen Street), head over to Ramen Honda, which is still excellent. You can also go for breakfast, when the lines are only about 20 minutes long. For a lighter, yuzu-flavored ramen, try Afuri. For an authentic experience (no English menus!), check out this charming little ramen shop in Shibuya called Suzuran.

Favorite Tempura

Tempura Kondo in Tokyo boasts 2 Michelin stars and churns out the most delicate tempura using the freshest ingredients all over Japan. Try the sweet potato (even though it costs extra). This is supposedly one of the best items on the menu, though I haven't had a chance to try it since it was not in season when I went. Another one that rivals Kondo, but at half the price, is Tempura Fukamachi, which offers a fantastic vegetable tempura option (which I loved). Mikawa Zezankyo (1 Michelin star) is also very good, though I personally prefer the other two.

Favorite Shabu

Seryna (Kobe beef) serves melt-in-your-mouth Kobe beef for shabu. Though it's extremely expensive (think over $100 USD for about 8 slices of beef!), it's by far the best shabu meat I've ever had in my life.

Favorite Steak/Teppanyaki

Ukai-tei is a beautiful and elegant 1 star Michelin restaurant with superb service and excellent steak. They offer steak from specially bred black cows from a region very near Kobe. According to Bryan, it's the best steak he's ever had in his life. The steak standwiches from Shima are also legendary. The catch is that you can only get a sandwich as a take-away after dining in the restaurant and ordering a steak. It's worth it, though, the steaks are phenomenal!

Favorite Sushi

Sushi Yoshitake (3 Michelin stars) is pricy but fantastic, and we love both the original Tokyo location and also regularly visit their Hong Kong location, called Sushi Shikon. I used to love Sushi Ya and I found the prices to be very, very reasonable during lunch. The chef at Sushi Ya, Chef Ishiyama, left and opened his own place, Sushi Ishiyama, which is also very good.

Legendary experiences include Sushi Mizutani (now closed) and the famous Sukiyabashi Jiro (very hard to get in). Sushi Saito is another, which I've never visited in Japan (only in Hong Kong, which is not the same). Back in 2013, we got our Jiro reservation by having one of Bryan's Japanese colleague contact the restaurant to make the reservation. They had to follow up by personally delivered the 20,000 yen cash deposit to the restaurant. Things have changed a lot now. The restaurant has become so exclusive the Michelin Guide removed its stars, saying it was too hard to book. Jiro Ono is 96 years old and doesn't make sushi as much as he used to.

Favorite Yakitori

We had amazing yakitori at a hard to find "hidden" spot called Nakameguo Iguchi. We've also had very good yakitori at 1-Michelin starred Birdland, which is partly famous because it is also in the basement of Ginza station right next to the legendary Sukiyabashi Jiro.

Favorite Izakaya

One of my favorite casual izakayas where I discovered my love of yuzu kosho and tried chicken sashimi for the first time is this family-run restaurant called Kago, founded by a retired Japanese baseball player.

Favorite Noodles

We haven't explored soba too much, but the handmade ones at Kaoriya, Matsugen, and Matsuya Kanda are excellent. We loved the udon at Omen, a charming noodle shop in Kyoto within walking distance of the Silver Pavilion, one of the most famous temples in Kyoto.

Favorite Kaiseki

In Tokyo, our kaiseki meal at Azabu Kadowaki was memorable for two reasons. One, I ate fugu sashimi (!) for the first time. Second, they have an amazing signature truffle rice at the end that is sooooo good. Kikunoi Akasaka, a 1-Star Michelin restaurant in Tokyo whose uber famous sister restaurant in Kyoto has three Michelin stars, is also very good.

Kyoto (birthplace of kaiseki) has many top restaurants, and we have enjoyed many incredible meals there. Nakamura, though pricey, is one of those unforgettable kaiseki meals with exquisite service, fantastic food, and an overall unique and very traditional Japanese experience.

And for something completely different: Try some of the modern, creative cuisine that's popping up all over Tokyo. Aronia de Takazawa serves extremely creative, whimsical, and beautifully (and sometimes unusually) plated food. They also have a large selection of Japanese wines, which is unusual. Ryugin is one of the most famous modern kaiseki restaurants in Tokyo. Boasting three Michelin stars, it has some really fantastic dishes (though at the end it wasn't my favorite restaurant). Tapas Molecular Bar is all out molecular gastronomy located in the top floor of the Mandarin Oriental in Tokyo. The views are breathtaking and the meal is fun, though the flavors of the dishes are only OK.

Florilege is a French restaurant helmed by a very talented Japanese chef who cares deeply about sustainability and bringing out the flavors of local ingredients. Il Ristorante Luca Fantin serves excellent Italian food in a stunning space at the top of the Bulgaria building in Omotesando.

For a Nightcap: check out Bar High Five for great cocktails. In the past they had an incredible selection of Yamazaki whiskey, and we could even get Yamazaki 30 for about $50 USD a shot, which is a steal considering that a bottle probably costs many thousands of US dollars now.

Enjoy the Seaons! It's fun to eat the seasonal ingredients too. During my 2019 trip in the fall, matsutake mushrooms and gingko nuts were in season, and I loved trying both in several different ways.

Where to Shop and Walk Around?

Ginza is the ritzy part of town lined with high end boutiques. It is great if you're shopping for high-end stuff, but it's pricey! On Sundays they close down part of the street to traffic, so it's fun to walk and shop during that time. I do like to visit Toy Park there, and we like to buy shoes in Tokyo since we have wide feet. One of our favorite stores is actually the Asics store, which sells Asic's nicer lines of dress shoes, the Pedala (with their comfy Asics soles!).

Harajuku and Omotesando (adjacent areas) are really fun too - you'll see a bit younger crowd, especially in Harajuku. One of my favorite shops in Omotesando is Kiddie Land, which has one of the best selection of Totoro stuff in Tokyo (even better than Studio Ghibli itself).

Shibuya is not too far away, and sometimes I'll walk from Shibuya to Harajuku and then to Omotessando. Definitely check out the famous crazy crosswalk at Shibuya! Between Shibuya and Harajuku is the NHK Studio, which has a fun shop that sells all sorts of Domokun stuff (Domo is their mascot). Shibuya is where I first fell in love with the Isse Miyake Bao Bao bag (before it became crazy hot and hard to find). It was just displayed at a shop, and I was drawn to its geometric shapes. It was the first bag I bought in Tokyo.

Tokyo Station Character Street. If you like "kawaii" (cute) Japanese characters, "Character Street" in Tokyo Station is a phenomenal place to shop. There are dedicated stores to many characters, such as Hello Kitty, Domokun (NHK), Totoro, Snoopy, and many, many more.

As a food person, my favorite kitchen shopping neighborhood is Kappabashi Dori and (pre-2018), Tsukiji Fish Market (for knives!). At Kappabashi, which is the restaurant supply neighborhood in Tokyo, you can pick up tons of cool Japanese kitchenware for really low prices. Make sure to bring cash, as a lot of places don't accept credit card. I have many beautiful dishes I hand carried back to Boston (and then to Hong Kong), that I still use to this day. They are amazing because they are hardy enough for restaurants, yet still beautiful for nice meals, and ridiculously reasonably-priced. This is also the place where you can buy plastic fake display food which make fun gifts to bring back.

One stop away from Kappabashi is Akihabara. Bryan absolutely loves Akihabara for electronics. The largest electronics store (possibly in the world) called Yodabashi Camera is there. They sell everything from electronics to kitchen appliances to even luxury handbags. It's sensory overload but definitely worth seeing. We've bought many cool water bottles, iphone cases, and random useful electronics. (I even have a cute Miffy charging cable.)

Akihabara is also not too far from Asakusa, where you can sample all sorts of fun Japanese snacks on the path leading to the huge temple (freshly made sembei crackers, red bean filled cakes, fresh mochi, etc).

Speaking of snacking, don't miss roaming around the basements of the high-end department stores (called depachika), where you can gaze at (and sample!) endless amounts of incredible food. Definitely check out the basement of the department store called Isetan in Shinjuku, which houses many of the world's most famous bakeries (yes, I buy a Pierre Hermes Ispahan macaron every time!). I love the grocery store at the basement of Isetan, where I always stock up on yuzu kosho and other spices.

Even if you can't make it out to Shinjuku, there are plenty of department stores in Shibuya, Ginza, and other areas with fun basements in which to explore. I would highly recommend grabbing lunch at least once from one of these places. You can also come back to purchase exquisitely wrapped food-focused gifts to bring back home. Nobody tops the Japanese when it comes to beautifully wrapped cookies, cakes, and other snacks as gifts.

Things to Do

Cherry Blossoms

The seasons in Japan are gorgeous. If you can, go during the spring during the famous sakura cherry blossom season, usually at the beginning of April, though tit varies year to year and by location. Different trees flower at different times. We arrived "late" one year but still got to enjoy phenomenally beautiful later-season cherry blossoms at Shinjuku Gyoen, a beautifully sculptured park that is easy to access and boasts over 500 different varieties of cherry trees (so you have a better shot of at least seeing some blooms!).

Fall Foliage

Fall is yet another beautiful time. The foliage is lovely, and certain ingredients such as matsutake mushrooms and gingko nuts are in season and featured in a lot of dishes.

Imperial Palace

You need to book in advance if you want to visit the Imperial Palace. Guided tours are offered at set times, and you need to book pretty early. I'm not sure how the pandemic has affected all this. We were super lucky during our tour and we saw Empress Michiko Shōda drive by!

Disney Sea

There is only one Disney Sea in the entire world, and it is in Tokyo. An ocean-themed park, this slightly more adult oriented park is beautifully designed, still fully Disney, and really, really fun. The rides are excellent, and the seven themed ports are all really nicely designed. I was so nostalgic because the "American Waterfront" port totally reminded me of Boston! I loved the park so much, I would certainly go back again.

Visit Totoro

Miyazaki fans will love Studio Ghibli, a museum dedicated to all of Hayao Miyazaki's art. You can see what his studio looks like, gaze at numerous sketches that he's made, and enjoy many elements from his movies in this three-story museum that includes an open air rooftop garden, a cafe, and a small theater where you can watch a short film. Kids will love playing in the giant neko-bus on the top floor.

Definitely also check out Shirohige Cream Puff Factory, a super cute cafe opened by Hayao Miyazaki's sister-in law on the outskirts of Tokyo. It is the only officially licensed "Totoro Cafe" in the world.

Ghibli Park is opening November 1, 2022 in Japan! It is located east of Nagoya, about a 3-hour train ride from Tokyo. I really really want to go, and will certain try to go as soon as Japan fully opens its doors to tourists.

Hiking - Mt. Fuji? Or maybe just Mt. Takao

Mt. Fuji Japan — Climbing Mount Fuji when I was in college!

Mount Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan and a very, very popular place to visit. I climbed Mount Fuji in the middle of August 1997 when I was at university, 25 years ago. Back then most people did a night hike, taking a bus up to the 5th Station around 10-11PM, and then hiking up to the summit (takes 6-7 hours) to see the sunrise. Mount Fuji is a very popular climb, and it can actually get really crowded at the summit (see photo above of the "traffic jam" that slowed us down when we reached the top.) The climb is fantastic and worth doing at least once in your life, but you definitely should be at least somewhat in shape to do it.

If you don't want to do something quite so ambitious, consider taking a half day trip to Mount Takao, a hiking spot only about 50 minutes away from Tokyo by train. This mountain takes 2-3 hours to climb and there's plenty to see on the way up. Mount Takao is considered a holy Shinto mountain, and therefore the mountain includes temples, statues, various religious relics, and mountain street vendors selling all sorts of snacks.

Hakone

Another popular day-trip from Tokyo is to Hakone, where you can see an active volcano, enjoy hot springs, and check out some pretty cool art exhibits. Definitely a fun day trip visiting an area that is very different from the crowded metropolis.

* * * * *

It is impossible for me to write a sufficient comprehensive guide to Japan. As you can see I've been there over 10 times, and every time I try to do something a little different. It's such an amazing place, no matter what, you'll find plenty of things to enjoy, and reasons to return over and over again.

Listing of all Japan-related posts

{last updated August 30, 2022}

2019 Japan Trip
Easter in Japan - Trip Report (trip report)
Tempura Fukamachi Tokyo (tempura, 1 Michelin Star)
Disney Sea Tokyo (theme park)
Sushi Ishiyama (sushi)
Imafuku Sukiyaki Tokyo (sukiyaki, 1 Michelin Star)
Il Ristorante Luca Fantin Tokyo (Italian, 1 Michelin Star)

2018 Japan Trip
Totoro, Fall Foliage, Tofu Kaiseki (trip report)
Potsura Potsura Izakaya (izakaya, bib gourmande)
Sushi Ya with Takao Ishiyama (sushi)
Tokyo Shiba Tofuya Ukai - Tokyo Tower (tofu)
Hakone, Akihabara, and only-in-Japan Experiences Crony Tokyo (modern, 1 Michelin Star)

2017 Japan Trip
Kyubey - A follow-up visit
Tsukiji Fish Market Auction & Sushi Bun Breakfast
Shima Steak Tokyo - The Famous Steak Sandwich

2016 Japan Trip
Sushi Ya (sushi, dinner)
Afuri (ramen)
Dominique Ansel (bakery)
Bird Land (yakitori, 1 Michelin star)
Bar High Five (cocktail bar)
Matsuya Kanda (soba)

2015 Japan Trip
Hiking at Mount Takao in Japan
Florilege (French, 1 Michelin star)
Sushi Harutaka (sushi, 2 Michelin stars)
Rokurinsha (ramen breakfast)
Azabu Kadowaki (Japanese, 2 Michelin stars)
Nakameguro Iguchi yakitori (中目黒いぐち) (yakitori)
Sushi-Ya (すし家) (sushi)
Shirohige's Cream Puff Factory - Totoro Cream Puff (bakery)

2013 Japan Trip
Matsugen (soba)
Sushi Iwa (sushi, 1 Michelin star)
Ramen Honda (ramen)
Ryugin (modern kaiseki, 3 Michelin stars)
Omen (udon)
Shouraian (tofu)
Dotonburi (Osaka street food)
Taian (grill, 3 Michelin stars)
Sushi Sho (sushi)
Nakamura (traditional kaiseki, 3 Michelin stars)
Sushi Taku (sushi, 2 Michelin stars)
Sushi Yoshitake (sushi, 3 Michelin stars)

2012 Japan Trip
Sukiyabashi Jiro (sushi, 3 Michelin stars)
Sushi Sawada (sushi, 2 Michelin stars)
Sushi Aoki (sushi, 1 Michelin star)
Kikunoi Akasaka (kaiseki cuisine, 1 Michelin star)
Mikawa Zezankyo (tempura, 1 Michelin star)
Ukai-Tei (teppanyaki, Kobe beef; 1 Michelin star)
Kaoriya (soba)
Rokurinsha (ramen)
Omotesando Koffee (coffee)

2011 Japan Trip
Post Quake Japan
Kago (Kagoshima cuisine)
Daisan Harumi (sushi)
Tempura Kondo (tempura, 2 Michelin stars)
Sushi Mitani (sushi)
Inakaya (robotayaki)
Aronia de Takazawa (modern cuisine)
Sushi Mizutani (sushi, 3-Michelin stars)
Kappabashi Dori (Kitchen shopping street)
Masamoto Tsukiji (Knife shopping)

2010 Japan Trip
Part 1: Kappabashi Dori (shopping)
Part 2: Tapas Molecular Bar (modern Japanese, 1 Michelin star)
Part 3: Suzuran (ramen)
Part 4: Matcha and Azuki Breads
Part 5: Masamoto Tsukiji Knives (shopping)
Part 6: Maisen (tonkatsu)
Part 7: Snacking in Japan (snacks)
Part 8: Sushi Kanesaka (sushi, 2 Michelin stars)

2009 Japan Trip
Everything I Learned About Sushi I Learned from My Mom . . . . And Kyubei (sushi, formerly 1 Michelin star)
Seryna (Kobe beef shabu)
Sometaro (okomokiyaki)
Maisen (tomkatsu)
Kyubey (sushi, formerly 1 Michelin star)
Suzuran (ramen)

September 8, 2022 Belgium

Frites Atelier - Best Fries in Brussels

Belgium is famous for three things: Beer, Waffles, and Fries. Alas, all three are types of food that should be enjoyed with moderation. Imagine the self-control I had to exercise when we were stuck in Brussels for close to two months at the beginning of the pandemic!

I've had lots of fries in Brussels, but hands down the BEST fries (and arguably the most famous fries) would be those at Frites Atelier Brussels.

Dutch Chef Sergio Herman, entrepreneur who owns several restaurants (including three 1-Michelin starred restaurants) decided to embark upon a quest to figure out how to make the best fries.

The 18-month journey took him to explore different types of potatoes, soil types, salts, cooking methods, etc., he settled on potatoes "from the clay in Zeeland" (a province in the Netherlands) and "Samphire salt".

The first location opened in The Hague in 2016, and several more have followed. In Brussels there is a location right near the Grand Place.

Fries are the focus, of course. You can get plain fries (with your choice of a variety of dipping sauces), or you can get the more creatives ones that have interesting toppings, such as Sea Nori, which includes dried seaweed chips, spicy andalouse mayonnaise, and Japanese furikake on top (pictured at top). There are other really creative toppings, such as Arabic Baba and Feta (bab ganoush, feta cheese, harissa, herbs), Flemish Beef Stew (stewed in Petrus beer with garden cress and mustard), Indo Peanut (peanut sauce with kaffir lime, fried onions, Rempejek), or a more classic Mediterranean with Parmesan, basil, and mayo.

The fries are crispy on the outside, almost like they are dusted or coated with something, and they are super, super soft and tender on the inside. I have no idea how they make these, but it's unusually good.

If you want to have a meal, the restaurant has a couple burgers/sandwiches on the menu. Bryan got a black Angus Cheddar Cheese Burger, and I tried a Fish Burger. They were both pretty good.

This is definitely a MUST-TRY place if you are in Brussels. I would recommend at least stopping by for an order of fries (maybe to share?). You could wash that down with a couple pints of beer, or stay for the whole meal and also order a burger.

I'm not surprise so many locations opened up so quickly. It's a great concept, they do a good job of keeping the quality high despite the (now) five locations throughout the Netherland and Belgium.

It's worth the calories, at least to try once!

Frites Atelier Brussels

September 5, 2022 Europe

A Week in the Italian Alps - Solda /Sulden

Solda (or Sulden) is a tiny ski village located in the Ortler Mountains in Northern Italy. Once called the "Siberia of Tyrol", it is now a popular (albeit a bit remote) skiing spot. We were out here because Bryan had a work conference/retreat here. I don't ski at all, but I was still blown away by the beauty of the whole region.

The Drive

We drove from Milan, and the entire drive I was just awestruck by the vivid colors and vast scenes surrounding me.

We did have one (kinda crazy) hiccup. We drove to the wrong mountain range (!). It's a long story, but our final destination, called Hotel Cristallo, turned out to exist in both the Dolomites and in Solda.

Oops.

Still, though, the Dolomites (pictured above and below) were absolutely stunning. And it was quite an adventure that we look back and laugh about, even though at the time it was just a bit stressful to have to turn around and drive an additional 4 hours to our actual destination.

Still, I'll never forget how awesome these mountains looked.

Solda Italy

We finally did arrive at the correct Hotel Cristallo in Solda around dinnertime. The food at the Hotel Cristallo is actually really good, which was surprising to me, considering how remote the location is.

The village itself is tiny, with only a population of 400 people. The powdery snow is amazing for skiing. The mountains are stunning, and the overall area is quiet, beautiful, and serene.

Snowy Hikes

We did a hike up a portion of the mountain with a guide. I really didn't have the proper shoes, and my toes got soooo cold! Partly for that reason, it was one of the most difficult hikes I'd ever done.

Oh, but the scenery was so beautiful.

We certainly felt like celebrating after we got to the top!

At the top we saw where all the skiers hang out. There's also a couple restaurants here, and that's where we had lunch.

A beam of light looks almost like a rainbow from a distance.

We took the ski lift back down, and the views took my breath away.

Our room at the Hotel Cristallo was amazing, with a fantastic mountain vista greeting us every morning.

This is the view from the front door of the Hotel Cristallo.

Vineyards! Lagrein, an ancient grape that is grown in this region, is used to make wine. We drank plenty of Lagrein while we were at Hotel Cristallo.

Yes, Solda is a bit far out, but it's a lovely place to visit, and quite reasonably priced. We ate extremely well (the food is really very good!), had lots of local wine each night, and enjoyed the surrounding mountains during the day.

Unlike most people, I have never gone downhill skiing before. So the whole ski resort experience was brand new to me, making it all the more exciting. I didn't ski this time, but I still very much enjoyed being right in the middle of these giant mountains.

September 1, 2022 Europe

Restaurant Pages Paris

It has been close to three years since I was last in Japan, and I miss it dearly. Some say the best French food is in Japan, where Japanese chefs, with their obsessive attention to detail and quality, create masterpieces combining their French culinary training with Japan's abundant, diverse, and amazing produce. While there is certainly some truth to that, there are also many Japanese chefs who move to France, bringing a similar hybrid ethos but from a slightly different angle. In Paris, there are many, including 1-Michelin starred Restaurant Pages from Japanese chef-owner Ryuji Teshima.

Ryuji Teshima opened Restaurant Pages in 2014 with his pastry chef wife, Naoko. Before moving to France, Chef Teshima studied both culinary arts and wine service in Japan. Soon after, he moved to Epernay Champagne (Les Berceaux - 2 stars), before moving to Paris to work at Lucas Carton (1 star). His interest in meat brought him on yet another journey, working weekends at Hugo Desnoyer (famous butcher in Paris) to learn the art of dry-aging and cutting meat. Executive chef Kenichi Handa is chef de cuisine.

Our friend, a very well-traveled businessman who knows Paris like the back of his hand, chose this restaurant as a place for us to meet up. He was drawn to Pages because it reflected the Japanese French combination that many of us love.

Our meal began with unleavened bread. The server brought over some not-quite-yet-risen rolls.

"It will rise while you peruse the menus, then we will bake them!"

Soon afterwards, freshly baked bread arrived, along with a few other amuse bouches.

Degustation: the Tasting Menu

And thus began our evening degustation tasting menu from November 2021. The dinner tasting menu is 150€, while the lunch is 65€ for the normal lunch or 95€ for the lunch tasting. Special seasonal "add-ons" are available from time to time, such as truffle, caviar, or certain Wagyu beef.

Seafood

Slightly torched scallops, celeriac, and a citrus leaf.

brown butter sherry yellow wine from JuraBretagne lobster

Bretagne lobster tail served with a brown butter sherry yellow wine from Jura.

monkfish + cockles + local lettuce dashi broth

Monkfish and cockles served with local lettuce in a fragrant dashi broth.

Meats

Have you ever seen such a perfectly seared pigeon? Likely due to it being grilled on the Binchotan (Japanese white charcoal grill).

Two different types of steak with a small waffle on the side. Though I can't exactly remember anymore which two we tried, I believe one was Japanese Wagyu.

Cheese + Desserts

coffee “notes”haZelnut, coffee, jasmine coffeecoffee ice cream acidic from coffee jelly

A beautiful layered dessert consisting of hazelnut, coffee, jasmine coffee, and a coffee jelly served with a side of coffee ice cream.

Mignardises

Restaurant Pages - General Thoughts

It was a pleasant, enjoyable meal with friendly service and tasty food executed with precision. The food is decidedly more French than Japanese, though we could certainly see some influences. Portions are not small, and I was pretty stuffed near the end.

The exact details of the meal are now a bit foggy in my mind, but I distinctly remember that the service was very attentive and the food was executed well. No particular dish stands out in my mind (no crazy "wow" dishes), but everything was very nicely done. The restaurant certainly deserves its Michelin star.

https://www.restaurantpages.fr/

August 26, 2022 Cuisine

Day Trip to Chianti Classico Region

The Tuscany wine region has been on my list of places to visit for quite some time now. Even though we'd been to Florence during our honeymoon 20+ years ago, we'd never explored the surrounding wine regions.

Although our time in Florence was still short this time, our excellent tour guides from our last Piedmont trip (Travel Langhe) recommended their friends Deb and Massi from Italy Unfiltered. Massi (who's Italian) and his wife/business partner Deb (who's American but now lives in Italy) worked with us to design a custom itinerary that included their recommendations as well as our own suggestions.

Deb was our main point of contact during the planning stage, and she was great. Super organized, responsive, and flexible. On the day of the tour, Massi came and picked us up and spent the whole day with us.

The drive out to the Chianti Wine Region from Florence takes about 45 minutes, and the views are stunning once you get into wine country.

Massi knew we loved taking photos, so sometimes at various spots along the drive he would just stop the car and let us get out to take some photos. We were blessed with amazing sunshine and lovely weather overall, so the views were amazing.

First Stop: Montefioralle

Montefioralle is an ancient village nestled in the hills above Greve in Chianti, right between Florence and Siena. This tiny, tiny village is virtually car-free and still retains its original fort-like walls.

Some say it is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. It's really small and very walkable, and so very quaint and pretty all around. We spent about 20 minutes exploring and taking photos of the village itself as well as the surrounding vistas.

Stunning views of the surrounding mountains from every angle!

Second Stop: Altiero Vineyard

Deb and Massi have built up relationships with many winemakers in the region over the years they have lived in Italy. They try to seek out more unique, off-the-beaten-path experiences for people who take their tours.

We met the winemakers of Altiero in Chianti. Altiero is a small production organic winery that only produces around 15,000 bottles per year. It was cool to get up and personal with this family and learn more about their winery.

Samuela, the winemaker, shared with us about the long process it took for them to become DOC certified. In Italy, DOC certification ensures that a wine is made in a particular geographical area and using a certain production method.

On top of that, the wine has to pass a taste test for a certain quality standard. It takes years to achieve and lots of paperwork and waiting. For this family, it took them nearly 12 years.

After an educational tour of the winery itself, we began tasting wine on their magnificent patio with unparalleled views of the Chianti wine region below.

So amazing!

We enjoyed the wines and thought the prices were very reasonable. Best yet, they shipped to Hong Kong! So we ordered a case of 12 and asked then to ship it to us when we arrived back in Hong Kong!

P.S. They ended up delivering it early, so it arrived while we were serving out our 3-week quarantine. We drank several bottles in quarantine!

Third Stop: Lunch + Vertical Tasting at Castello di Ama

This third part of the tour was our request. When Bryan's best friend found out we were traveling to Italy, he (perhaps half jokingly) told us we should try to taste a vertical of Castello di Ama's flagship wine, the Bella Vista.

I asked Deb and Massi if they could arrange it for us, and guess what? They did! They arranged for us to have a winery tour, lunch, and the vertical tasting at Castello di Ama. So fun!

The Restaurant: Il Ristoro di Villa Pianigiani

We began with a lovely pasta lunch at the winery restaurant, which was delicious! Of course they serve their own wine, and it was tempting to try several even before our official wine tasting.

The freshly made pastas were excellent, and we did enjoy a glass of their wine (just a taste!) during the lunch together with the pastas.

The Winery Tour

Next we took a private tour of the winery.

Very different from Altiero, Castello di Ama is a much bigger operation. At the time of the tour they were just putting on the finishing touches on their brand new, gorgeous tasting space.

The surrounding views are stunning, with olive trees, rows of grapevines, and mountains in the distance.

There are also several art pieces or installations throughout different parts of the winery, which adds to the uniqueness of this space. Do note, the photo on the right is not an art installation, but an actual photo of pressed grapes!

The Tasting

The tasting was really, really fun, and we did get to try both a number of different Castello di Ama wines, as well as a mini vertical of their flagship, the Vigneto Bellavista. We tried the 2006, 2007, and 2011.

We also tried the L'Apparita 2008 and Vigneto La Casuccia 2011.

We decided to buy some Vigneto Bellavista as well as some other more "casual" wines for everyday drinking. Yes, they ship to Hong Kong as well!

As we were winding up the tasting, i noticed the magnificent sunset right outside the window. I ran outside with my camera and managed to grab a few shots before the sun went down.

Dario Cecchini - Antica Macelleria Cecchini

Our last stop was at celebrity butcher Dario Cecchini's famous steak shop (and restaurant) in Chianti. Dario Cecchini has been features on Netflix's Chef's Table as well as BBC's Food Programme. He's an 8th generation butcher who strongly believes in traditional methods and art of butchery.

"You're from Hong Kong?" His eyes lit up.

"I'll be opening something in Hong Kong soon."

He slipped us his business card, which included a tiny bag of Florentine steak spices.

We promised to visit his new Hong Kong venture as soon as it opened.

We couldn't stay for dinner, unfortunately (oh how fun it would have been!), but he did gift us a few larger bags of his special Florentine steak spice to try.

So much tempting food all around to try!

That night, Massi dropped us off at Michelin Bib Gourmand **Podere 39**, a lovely quaint Italian restaurant in Florence for a delicious dinner. He had been a great tour guide, driving us all over the Chianti region and sharing with us about his own background and stories.

Chianti Wine Region Tour

We had a great time with Italy Unfiltered. We opted for a guaranteed private tour, which cost 200 Euros per person for the whole day (pick up 9AM / drop off around 6PM). We could have opted for a semi-private tour (180 Euros per person), which means there's a chance we would be paired up with another couple. I guess since it was Covid times we wanted to be cautious, so we opted for the guaranteed tour. This also allowed us to customize our itinerary, swapping out certain things for the Castello di Ama tour that we did.

I really felt like I only got a tiny taste of the Chianti wine region. The wine region is beautiful, much like other wine regions I've visited in Italy. I would love to come back and explore more, but then there are so many other wine regions to visit!

In any event, it's an easy day trip from Florence (only 45 minute drive), so if you're going to be in Florence, it's not a huge deal to take a day off and tour around the wine region. Joining a private tour means you can drink more wine and not worry about driving!

We had an amazing time, and I would opt for a private tour again if I came. Italy Unfiltered was great! (This is totally not sponsored. In fact, they have no idea I am writing this post).

August 23, 2022 Europe

Il Palagio - Florence, Italy

Never would I have thought I would be able to celebrate my birthday in Florence, the city where we spent our honeymoon 21 (!) years ago . . . especially during these pandemic times.

As it turned out, a family wedding in the US, Bryan's work in Europe, and Hong Kong's extremely rigid three-week quarantine requirement (at the time) caused us to spend three months in the US and Europe before returning to Hong Kong.

My birthday happened to land on the Italy portion of the trip. We took a few days off of work to spend my birthday weekend in Florence. After a jam-packed day full of museums, a "mercado" lunch, and a rooftop tour of the Duomo, we were ready to take a break and enjoy a nice, elegant meal at Il Palagio in Florence.

Initial Bites

beetroot tartcracker + herb?biscuit- cheese & gingergreen thing is mushroom flavored (Porcini)“mushroom” is potato Il Palagio Florence Italy

Il Palagio is a 1-Michelin starred contemporary Italian restaurant located in the Four Seasons in Florence. Chef Paolo Lavezzini is an Italian chef who spent 10 years in Brazil, and considers his food to be influenced by both his Italian roots as well as his time in South America.

The Four Seasons hotel and the Il Palagio space are both beautiful. We arrived early and enjoyed a lovely drink in the outer foyer area before heading to our actual dinner.

beetroot tartcracker + herb?biscuit- cheese & gingergreen thing is mushroom flavored (Porcini)“mushroom” is potato

The menu has a la carte options as well as a few tasting menus 135 and 150 EUROS per person. To make things easier, we decided to go with the tasting menu as well as the wine pairing.

We began with a beautiful box full of surprises. As the server opened one drawer after another, we were delighted with these beautiful initial bites: a beetroot tart cracker, intricate crisp topped with cheese and ginger, a green porcini mushroom flavored bite, and a mushroom shaped potato.

A fresh loaf of bread was irresistible, especially with the pungent olive oil and my favorite grissini, or crunchy breadsticks!

Appetizers

potato , fennel, paprika — A single bite: potato, fennel, and paprika.

Mediterranean Amberjack with apple, endive, and butter

Risotto + Pasta

One of their signature dishes: Lightly Smoked Risotto with roasted greens, spelt, and rye.

One amazing thing about having a birthday in November is that November is white truffle season! We took full advantage since we were in Italy for several weeks during the month of November.

White alba truffles should be eaten with something really simple, usually a simple butter pasta, steak tartare, or eggs. Here, we had it with a simple butter pasta.

Sooooo good. I swear, the fresh white truffles in Italy are so much fresher, so much more fragrant.

Fish + Meat

Sweets: Desserts + Mignardises

Tangerine "snow" palate cleanser

apple tart, olive oil biscuit “crust”, pesto cream, apples, black olive crumble,

Green Apple and Lime Ingot: a beautiful layered "tart" with an olive oil biscuit “crust”, pesto cream, apples, and a black olive crumble.

Mignardises were lovely. Tangerine bites with a white chocolate-like covering and liquid inside were delicious. Of all the single bites, the chocolate anise bon bon was both of our favorites (surprising to me, because I don't like anise!). I found the marshmallow to be too sweet, and I enjoyed the apple tart as well.

Bryan always asks for an amaro or chinato if he's at an Italian restaurant. He has tried many different kinds, so he's always pleasantly surprised if a restaurant has something new he's never had before.

Cheers!

What a special way to cap off a really lovely birthday. It was a long meal, and we were one of the only tables left by the end of the night.

In this current state of the world with its endless travel restrictions and quarantine requirements, it's really really hard to predict where I will be at my next birthday. So I certainly cherish the unusual opportunity to be able to celebrate my birthday in Italy this time around.

Il Palagio Florence
Borgo Pinti, 99,
Firenze, FI 50121
+39 (055) 2626 450

August 21, 2022 Europe

Birthday Weekend in Florence, Italy

Bryan half jokingly said “this year, we went to an Italian restaurant for Bryan’s birthday, and we went to Italy for Jen’s birthday.” Although technically true, of course our fall itinerary just worked out such that we were in Boston for his birthday (and got to celebrate with his best friend), while we were in Europe during my birthday.

A few weeks before my birthday, Bryan said, "I can take a couple days' vacation the weekend surrounding your birthday. You decide where you want to go."

After some contemplation (and also taking into account what was close by yet feasible), I chose to go back to Florence, a city we hadn't visited since our honeymoon in Italy (!).

*Honeymoon in Venice, Italy September 2001.*

[Note: we took FILM physical photos during our honeymoon. Most of these photos - including all of our Florence photos - are in storage in the US at the moment. Soooo, this Venice one will have to suffice for now]

Florence

Florence is a beautiful city that is richly abundant in history, art, and culture. It’s the heart of the Renaissance, after all, and there’s crazy amounts to see and learn. Two days were barely enough to scratch the surface.

The first night after arriving we did a self-guided tour of Florence using Rick Steves' Renaissance Walk (free app, and this particular tour is also free). Although we had visited Florence 20 (!) years ago, we could hardly remember much, so it was helpful to have an overview of the city first.

Florence government building — *Palazzo Vecchio -13th Century Palace*

The weather was crisp and cool, and the walk was pleasant. We followed the path laid out by the tour and just soaked in the city. The walking tour was great because it gave us some background history as well as pointed out interesting tidbits to notice.

*The Duomo di Firenze, Florence's massive cathedral,* sits in the center of the city. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and boasts the largest brick dome in the world.

The Baptistery of St. John, located right across from the cathedral, is one of the oldest buildings in Florence, built in 1128.

Florence's Incredible Museums

The Uffizi

You could spend a week alone just exploring the museums in Florence. When we last visited Florence in 2001, the most famous museum, the Uffizi, was closed to visitors because it had been bombed by the mafia in a 1993 attack. Even though we visited 8 years after that, tenovations were still underway at that time and the museum was largely closed to the public. As such, it was extra special that we could finally see it this time!

The renovations are now complete and the museum is open and bustling, though there are still remnants of the bombing.

"The vault bears the mark of a window blown by the force of the mafia bomb on 27 May 1993."

It's a sober reminder to really treasure the things that we see here.

Some of the world's most famous paintings, such as Sandro Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus" are here at the Uffizi.

The Accademia - The Statue of David

The Accademia is the museum that houses the statue of David, one of the most incredible statues in Florence.

We both have very clear memories of the first time we saw this statue during our honeymoon. Even though there's a copy of the statue outside in the square, it's nothing compared to the original.

**Bargello National Museum**, housed in a former prison, includes numerous statues from Michelangelo, Donatello, and the like.

We pre-booked tickets for a guided tour of the Duomo Terraces. The views from the top are stunning, and you get to learn some history about the building's various architectural features, which was really fun.

The Food

Florentine Steak at Buca Lapi in Florence

For dinner the first night, we headed to Buca Lapi, recommended by Bryan's Italian co-worker for authentic Tuscan food, including delicious fresh pastas and their famous Florentine Steak!

Florentine steaks are typically very thick-cut, bone-in T-bones or porterhouse steaks cooked with a lovely charred crust and a nice, rare interior.

Lunch at the Central Market + Gelato!

For lunch we visited the Central Market (Mercato Centrale / San Lorenzo) and wandered around. I enjoyed a fantastic artisanal gelato at My Sugar, which is located not too far from the Mercato.

Birthday Dinner at Il Palagio in the Four Seasons

After a long day of museum hopping and walking around, we celebrated my birthday at Il Palagio in the Four Seasons.

The meal was lovely, and I'll write a separate post just on this elegant meal.

Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens

On the last day, we spent a morning exploring the beautiful Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens.

This massive park is beautifully sculptured, and you can get lost meandering through the many tree-lined paths, perfectly shaped bushes, and art pieces spread throughout.

It's a lovely place to spend a few hours.

Last Lunch at Il Profeta

On our last day for lunch, we asked our hotel for recommendations of places close by (since we had a train to catch that afternoon!). We enjoyed a delightful lunch at Il Profeta, a casual and rustic trattoria with a long history and phenomenal service.

The prices were reasonable and the food was very nice. However, it was really the exceptionally warm and friendly service that made the whole experience unique and special.

We loved their famous signature (vegetarian!) pasta that was also John Travolta's favorite (and is now named after him). The sauce is trade secret, and all they will say is that it's vegetarian.

And that's a wrap! After our lunch we headed back to the hotel to grab our bags before catching our train back to Milan.

It was indeed such a special birthday weekend to be able to wander around Florence, enjoy the Chianti region (more on that next!), and revisit a honeymoon spot after so many years.

Hopefully we don't have to wait yet another 20 years to return to this beautiful place.

Planning: 2-day Itinerary for a Weekend in Florence

In case you find it useful, below is our itinerary for Florence. I tried to hit all of the "must see" places, plus added activities that I particularly enjoy, such as climbing buildings (e.g., Duomo Terraces), and incorporating plenty of walking and good food!

During popular seasons (and certainly during times when there are Covid restrictions on absolute numbers of people), it is crucial to pre-book all of your entry tickets. Everything is available online and you can pay for the tickets using your credit card. The online tickets are typically QR codes, which are just emailed to you. It's so much easier and much less stressful if you have all your tickets lined up.

DAY 1
TRAIN FROM MILAN TO FLORENCE
6PM - 7PM Renaissance Walk (get acquainted with city)
7:15PM dinner at Buca Lapi

DAY 2
8:15AM - 11AM: Uffizi Gallery
11:00AM Bargello (statues)
12:00PM Lunch at Mercato Centrale/San Lorenzo
3:30: Duomo Terraces or Duomo Tower
4:15 Duomo Museum
5:30 PM: Accademia (David statue)
7:00PM Dinner at Il Palagio

DAY 3
10:00AM Palazzo Vecchio, walk across Ponte Vecchio to see Pitti Palace, Boboli Gardens
12:30PM Casual Lunch in Oltrarno neighborhood or near hotel (Il Profeta)
3:00PM TRAIN OUT OF FLORENCE

Next up, our 1-day tour of the Chianti Wine region! (a day trip to Florence!)

August 16, 2022 Europe

2 Days in Milan, Italy

Although I’ve been to Italy many times, one city I had never really visited was the fashion capital of Milan. The closest I came was in 2015 when we flew to Milan on the way to Piedmont, (including Alba and the wine regions of Barbaresco and Barolo).

This time we stopped in Milan for a few days before heading to the Italian Alps and Florence (more on that later!). We only had a few days in Milan, but spent a weekend visiting the most famous sites.

The Duomo

Our hotel was situated right next to the Duomo, the second largest church in Europe (only the Vatican is bigger).

This massive and incredibly impressive looking church took 600+ years to build, and just takes your breath away when you walk up to it.

We explored the inside of the Duomo and also booked special tickets to explore the Duomo Rooftops. It's a great way to get a different view of Milan and see these spires up close!

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Right next to the Duomo is Italy's oldest shopping mall, the stunning Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. I loved walking through this space. It reminded me of the St. Huberts Gallery in Brussels, but this one was significantly grander and more awe-inspiring.

The glass atrium is beautiful, and this covered walkway connects two very famous Milan sites: the Duomo and Teatro alla Scala, Milan's historic and storied opera house.

Teatro alla Scala (Milan's Opera House)

You must go inside the historic Teatro alla Scala to fully appreciated its grandeur. Upon entering, you really feel like you have traveled back in time.

We watched the opera Theodora by Handel, which was in English, though we still relied heavily on the subtitles to know what was going on.

The Last Supper Painting (Il Cenacolo)

One of the most famous paintings to visit in Milan is the Last Supper Painting (Il Cenacolo) by Leonardo Da Vinci. You can see buy a timed ticket (10 minutes!) to see this very fragile painting at the monastery called Santa Maria dell Grazie.

The painting has been through a lot in its 500+ year history.

First of all, it's a fresco painting, which means it's painted directly onto the wall of the building. Fresco paintings are notoriously unstable and easily affected by the elements. This particular painting has been "restored" by different painters several times throughout its history. During World War II, the building badly bombed. Workers digging through the rubble were delighted to discover that the heavily protected painting had mostly survived the bombing.

From 1978-1999, the painting went through yet another 21-year (!) restoration using a variety of modern technologies to determine original paint colors.

I really enjoyed marveling at the painting and learning about its unusual history, even though the actual time for viewing the painting is timed and quite short.

Shopping at Via Monte Napoleone

Our friend who works in fashion (and visits Milan annually to scout out products to import) recommended that we visit Via Monte Napoleone for some shopping. The entire area had a fun vibe, and we did seriously check out some stores (though we ended up not buying anything).

While strolling along, we stumbled upon this fun row of cars parked right near Monte Napoleane.

Castello Sforzesco: Evening Walk Around the City

Castello Sforzesco is a 15th century castle and fort. It is walking distance from the Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and is a beautiful place to walk around and explore.

It now houses several museums, though we did not visit the museums since we were here at night (after the museums had closed).

Even without museum tickets, there's still plenty to see in this large park-like area, including outdoor art exhibits, plaques explaining the history or background about various parts of the fort, and just lots of photo-worthy scenes.

For us, since we sort of just "stumbled upon" this fort, the entire experience of exploring it was all the more delightful and surprisingly.

The Food in Milan

We also had our taste of Milanese food, such as Osso Buco Milanese (which is different from the way I make it!), and Milanese risotto. Milanese risotto has a lot of saffron and is thick and creamy. We even tried a crispy risotto with our osso buco, which was amazing!

Since Milan is so close to Alba, we also had our fair share of fresh white truffles, since it happened to be white truffle season!

Milan is fun to visit and is also an amazing launching point for visiting many other parts of Italy. From Milan, we visited Florence, did a day tour of the Chianti wine region, and spent several days at a ski resort in the Italian Alps. More on those trips up next!

August 1, 2022 Boston

Jinny's Pizzeria Newton

Old friends. New digs. Not quite the same, but much nostalgia remains.

We walk in the door of Jinny’s Pizzeria in Newton. Paul, our favorite bartender from Bergamot (R.I.P. 😢) walks up and says hello and gives us a huge hug. It’s been over two years, and the world is a new place. We marvel at Jinny’s Pizzeria, the new pizza joint opened by Chef Lydia Reichert (Paul’s ”better half” as he would say), Chef David Punch and and Shane Smythe (Sycamore, Big Little Diner).

The next thing you know, Bryan‘s enjoying a new version of his old favorite cocktail (the Elisabetta), now in bottled form called ”Dear Elisabetta.”

Jinny's Specialty: The Pizzas

We’ve heard amazing things about the pizzas, so we go ahead and order several. Chef Lydia tells us she spent weeks perfecting the dough, trying various different flour combinations. She was trying to achieve a particular dough quality using local Vermont flour (not Italian flour, which would have been more straightforward).

Though the flour is not from Italy, their massive wood-fired 700° Valoriani oven certainly is. They ordered it from Tuscany right in the middle of the pandemic when (apparently) these ovens were in hot demand all around the world. People wanted their authentic Neapolitan pizzas! If they couldn’t go enjoy it at a restaurant, then they wanted to make their own . . . in their backyard(!). Thankfully, Jinny’s Pizzeria was able to receive their oven in time before the restaurant opened.

Authentic Neapolitan pizza or not, I think Chef Lydia has succeeded, and so do the hundreds of other diners who order take-out or dine-in on a given week.

Lydia tells us that business has been booming. They have done quite well during the pandemic. Sure, pizza is very pandemic-friendly (i.e. delivery friendly) food. But that’s not the only reason. Chef Lydia’s pizzas are genuinely delicious. The crust she has developed is slightly chewy, slightly toasty, and has a really nice flavor. Her weeks of research paid off. Furthermore, the toppings are also spot on.

The Other Stuff - Jinny's Side Dishes

The sides are excellent as well. After all, Chef Lydia is an incredibly talented cook (we know from the days she was executive chef at Sycamore), so it’s no surprise she’s a genius with flavors.

“We have to get the chicken meatballs,” our friend Peter tells us, “they go incredibly well with the Margherita pizza.” We usually trust Peter, who dines here regularly. In some ways, it’s the new reincarnated Bergamot for us, though it’s not quite the same.

Challenges: The Pandemic, Economy, and More

Business has been very good, but they’ve had to make some tough decisions too, as inflation has hit recently. Chef Lydia refuses to jack up prices, and instead has had to make creative changes at times. The shrimp scampi pizza we are enjoying? (which is absolutely delicious, by the way). It was supposed to be a lobster scampi pizza, until the price of lobster shot up to ridiculous amounts.

“I’m not charging $30 a pie.” Lydia’s firm about that. Jinny’s is not that type of restaurant.

”We can find very good wines at all price points.” Paul adds, ”If a wine becomes too expensive, we just swap it out for another one.” I trust Paul. He knows his wines and is extremely talented at scouting out little known producers who make fabulous wines.

Mini Backstage Tour

After we finish eating, Lydia offers to take us on a mini kitchen tour. The back isn't big, but there's a massive mixer for the dough and a huge pile of pizza boxes, ready for the day. When things are busy, they blow through stacks of boxes FAST. It's quite resourceful how they make use of every small space.

We see various bins of dough at different stages of their life journey towards becoming a pizza. Chef Lydia also keeps meticulously labeled bins for all the different raw ingredients. And yes, there are many huge bags of Vermont flour.

Cheers!

We didn't expect to see Dave Punch there as well, which was a pleasant surprise. Dave used to be executive chef at Ten Tables Cambridge, which was just a few minutes from our old Cambridge home.

What an amazing reunion!

We've realized that the restaurant world is a dynamic place, and things can change very, very quickly. The pandemic has exacerbated this phenomenon, ravaging through cities and destroying a swath of restaurants in its path.

Yet what we've also realized is that friendships remain even after the restaurant is gone. Of course, we miss Bergamot dearly and will always look fondly back at those memories. But there are new memories to be made, and new stories to tell!

So we're thrilled for both Paul and Lydia. We're thrilled they are working together at the same restaurant, and that the restaurant is doing really, really well. Despite Bergamot closing, we're thrilled there's another amazing restaurant we can visit, time and time again, where we are greeted warmly with a hug, a smile, and an Elisabetta.

Epilogue: Back Again, 2022

Yep, that's right. When we returned in the spring of 2022, Paul had the foresight to prepare several flasks of Bryan's favorite Elisabetta cocktail, even including the orange peel on the side. It was such a thoughtful gesture. Bryan took the keepsake bottle and carried it all the way back to Hong Kong.

We'll keep it displayed as a reminder of our dear friends in Boston.

Cheers!

Jinny's Pizzeria Newton
1231 Centre Street
Newton, MA 02459
Wed - Sun, 4:30 - 9PM

July 31, 2022 Hong Kong

Smoke & Barrel Hong Kong

As an intellectual property attorney, it blows my mind that a city of Hong Kong can have two completely unrelated restaurants with virtually the same name (Smoke and Barrel versus Smoke and Barrels), both serving American BBQ, and located in Central. If this happened in the US, one party would certainly be suing the other for trademark infringement, arguing a “likelihood of confusion.”

And yet in Hong Kong, these two BBQ restaurants can happily co-exist, both still doing good business (presumably). If the public gets confused, they’ll sort it out, I guess.

Bryan and I visited Smoke and Barrel, a restaurant in Hong Kong’s Central district specializing in Texas style barbecue. The large restaurant (formerly Flying Elk) has an open kitchen that houses a huge authentic wood-fired smoker imported from Missouri.

The food is very good, definitely on par with excellent BBQ that you’d find in the States.

Shrimp & Grits is a classic Southern favorite, and the one here is very good. The grits are rich and creamy, and include a deeply flavor shrimp ”head” sauce that’s fancier than a typical version I might see in the US.

We enjoyed both the All American Brisket (200g for HKD228 or 400g for HKD418) and the pulled pork. The jalapeno cornbread with honey butter (HKD68) was fantastic and one of my favorites of the night. The Brussels sprouts were fine.

Jalapeno Cornbread

Dessert was soft serve ice cream served with ”de-constructed” waffle cone pieces. I specifically asked for the caramel on the side since I don’t like things that are too sweet.

Smoke & Barrel Hong Kong - General Thoughts

Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised that Hong Kong would have at least a couple high quality American BBQ places. There’s probably enough Americans here to meet that demand. I found the brisket to be at least as good as the best BBQ I’ve had in Boston. I haven’t had the best BBQ in Texas, so I can’t comment on that comparison. Still, I think the barbecue here is certainly legit, and I’d come here if I had a BBQ craving!

Smoke and Barrel Hong Kong

July 29, 2022 California

Valley Bar + Bottle Sonoma California

The old Harvest Moon, a favorite for regulars in the Sonoma, closed at the end of 2019 after a successful 13 years in business. That excellent space in the middle of The Square at Sonoma is now a new neighborhood wine bar, restaurant, and bottle shop. Similar to the ethos of their predecessor, Valley Bar + Bottle aims to be first and foremost a neighborhood restaurant. They focus on sustainable ingredients and have an ever-rotating menu based on the seasons.

Starters

We came here with a couple friends and ordered a BUNCH of stuff to share. Our friends, who were regulars of Harvest Moon, happily adopted this new places as one of their new regular haunts.

Lettuce with Green Goddess and seeds $16

The food was simple and delicious. They source a lot of excellent produce, and it clearly shows. The cuisine is ”Californian”, though there’s certainly international influences in the food. Certain dishes reminded me of Hong Kong (e.g., XO Sauce Eggs or the Crispy Rice with Ginger Scallion Sauce), while we also saw dishes with a Mexican or Spanish bent (black beans, Romesco sauce, etc.).

Main Dishes

I was pleasantly surprised at how good the steak was. Frankly speaking, I think it was the best steak I had during our 3-month stint in US and Europe. It was nicely aged, very well-seasoned, and cooked perfectly. I most remember its flavor, which was very prominent (“beefy”), and just really really good.

Side Dishes

Our friends’ insisted on requesting their favorite side dish, this simple Crispy Rice with Scallion Ginger Sauce. It reminded me of Hong Kong, sort of like the crispy part of clay pot rice mixed with the scallion ginger sauce that’s ubiquitous in Hong Kong. This version was very good, and definitely a crowd pleaser.

Surprisingly, another favorite was the humble black beans, which were phenomenal. It turns out one of the chefs comes from a Hispanic background (maybe Mexican?), and just knew how to make these deeply flavorful beans.

Desserts

General Thoughts - Valley Bottle + Bar

The place was packed when we went, full of locals and tourists alike. The food is rustic, flavorful, and fresh. They call their food ”California home cooking,” which is very fitting. I’d certainly come back again, especially for the steak, black beans, and crispy rice. Those mourning the loss of Harvest Moon have a great new neighborhood-focused restaurant they can visit on a regular basis.

Valley Bottle + Bar Sonoma
487 1st West
Sonoma, CA 95476

July 24, 2022 California

Robert Sinskey Winery

A hidden gem?

A winery is not the first place I would look to find a really nice lunch. A tasting with some nibbles is already great. Some wineries have restaurants (even quite famous ones). However, Most wineries I’ve visited in Napa Valley and Sonoma only have tasting rooms. Some serve small bites or pairings with their wines. However, I haven’t visited many wineries with a meal + pairing that’s as nice as the one I enjoyed at Robert Sinskey’s Winery restaurant.

The Space

First off, the space itself is gorgeous. As soon as you walk in, you are greeted with high vaulted ceilings, large stone walls, and a gorgeous bar plus a few scattered high top tables. This must be where a lot of the smaller wine tastings can be done. Walk further in, and there’s a warm fireplace, which completes the cozy yet spacious feel of the tasting room.

The tasting room at Robert Sinskey Winery is gorgeous

The Food

But it’s the food that differentiates this place. Robert Sinskey’s wife Maria Sinskey is the culinary director at the winery. She’s set up a number of different culinary experiences that are paired with Robert Sinskey wines. These range from small bites and bento boxes to a full 5-course “Perfect Circle Chef’s Table” experience paired with RSV’’s finest wines and library vintages.

We did the Perfect Circle Chef’s tasting, which started with a tour of the winery where we learned all about the winery’s biodynamic / certified organic winemaking process. We learned about the founder, Robert Sinskey (current owner’s father, same name), who was a well known ophthalmologist and eye surgeon. There are eye-themed motifs throughout the winery.

After an educational tour, we sat down in the fireplace room to enjoy a lovely 5-course menu with 6 different special wines.

SLD Estate garden tomatoes, cucumbers, labne, za'atar

SLD Estate garden tomatoes, cucumbers, labne, and za'atar paired with Robert Sinskey Orgia, Los Carneros 2016.

Tarte FlambéSLD Estate Tromboncino Summer Squashand Preserved Meyer Lemon, Sweet Red Onion,Crème Fraîche, Garden Herbs

Tarte Flambé topped with SLD Estate Tromboncino summer squash and preserved Meyer lemon, sweet red onion, crème fraîche, and garden herbs paired with Abraxas, Vin de Terroir, Scintilla Sonoma Vineyard, Los Carneros 2017.

Handmade Ricotta GnocchiWood Fire Oven Roasted SLD Estate Garden Tomatoes,Thyme, Datterino Italian Tomatoes

Handmade ricotta gnocchi wood-fire oven roasted SLD Estate garden tomatoes, thyme, and Datterino Italian tomatoes paired with Pinot Noir, Four Vineyard, Los Carneros, Napa Valley 2016

Roasted RSV LambJimmy Red Grits, SLD Estate Thumbelina CarrotsCapa Vineyard Pomegranate, Lamb Jus

Roasted Liberty Farm’s Sonoma duck, RSV orchard figs, garden beans， fig and mustard seed duck jus paired with Marcien, Proprietary Red, Los Carneros, Napa Valley 2012 and 2013 (one of each).

SLD Estate Vineyard caramelized heirloom pear and Frangipane tart salted brown sugar caramel ice cream paired with Pinot Gris Late, Los Carneros,, Napa Valley, 2018.

General Thoughts - Food and Wine Pairing at Robert Sinskey’s Perfect Circle Chef Table

What a unique and fun tasting! I really, really enjoyed this meal. In fact, it was up there in quality with many fine and well-known restaurants in the greater Napa Valley area. To me, since it’s inside a vineyard and doesn’t really have a separate restaurant name, it’s easy to miss. After all, this is not a restaurant. It’s a wine tasting paired with really, really good food. I like to think of it as a hidden find. The tour plus the wine tasting meal is a real treat, and would be a great way to celebrate a special occasion or hold an important business meal.

The Perfect Circle 5-Course (6 wine) Chef’s Tasting is $225pp. There are other priced options, such as the more casual 3-course (6 wine) Eat Drink Tasting ($125pp), Root to Table tasting with a Board of nibbles ($95pp), or the Flight of Five ($50).

All in all, I highly recommend coming here, and I would not hesitate to come back for another meal.

Robert Sinskey Winery
6320 Silverado Trail Napa CA 94558

July 21, 2022 Maine

Weekend Trip to Portland and Freeport Maine

I was on the hunt for really good fall foliage.

New England is famous for its fall foliage, but we arrived in Boston in September, just a tad too early for Boston's peak season. Thus I had secret high hopes that we could see something in Maine. We didn’t have time to drive super far north (where it was peak season), so instead we compromised by going to Portland, Maine, which is about a two-hour drive north from Boston.

Portland Maine is also a foodie haven, and lots of people make the trip purely for the food. We decided spend a day in Portland and a day in Freeport. We booked our favorite restaurants, discovered new ones, and hiked a few trails.

Even though the foliage wasn’t anywhere close to peak season (yet!), we still had a lovely trip. My incorrect assumptions about this being my only opportunity to see foliage would later be corrected. I was delighted to later see incredible foliage in both northern California and also in Europe.

Here’s a trip recap!

Lunch at Eventide

Eventide is one of the most popular restaurants in Portland. They have a great selection of local fresh seafood, creative and delicious Asian-inspired dishes, and fun beers. It’s walk-in only, so we showed up as early as possible (11AM!) to stand in line for the first seating.

It was cooooold outside, but the large outdoor tent was where guests were dining due to Covid concerns. We bundled up, sat near the heat lamps, and still thoroughly enjoyed the delicious soup. The hot clam chowder tasted especially good!

Dinner at Central Provision

I’ve been to Central Provision once or twice, and I have always loved it. It is extremely popular and also really difficult to book. We were thankful to be able to obtain a really early booking. Because of Covid, Central Provision had taken over a large part of the outdoor area next to the restaurant and converted it into a huge multi-level patio.

It was extremely pleasant to sit out on the patio and watch the sunset while enjoying the meal. As the sun set, it got colder, so we were actually quite thankful to have such an early timeslot for dinner.

As always, the food was fresh, flavorful, and delicious. I especially loved the blue tuna with caviar, marcona almonds, green garlic gazpacho, and purple shiso.

Bryan was thrilled to discover this 2015 Clos Rougeard Saumur-Champigny, a lovely red wine (mostly caberbet franc with a touch of cabernet sauvignon and pinot d'aunis) from the Loire Valley. The shop owner had procured it for a really, really good price, and was passing on that price to the diners. Bryan noticed they were selling it for below retail, and thus snapped it up. Enjoying this fabulous wine on the patio made the evening even more special.

Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park

We headed to Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park for an afternoon of hiking. The views of the ocean were spectacular, and we did manage to see a tiny bit of fall foliage, though it was still a bit too early!

Hiking Bradbury Mountain

The next morning we drove out to Freeport. We decided we would hike Bradbury Mountain in the morning and then head to the city for some shopping in the afternoon (Freeport is known for its outlet shops as well).

We chose a nice a relatively short 2 mile hike to the summit. There were some clouds in the sky, but thankfully it did not rain!

From the top of the mountain, we could see tiny patches of red and orange that were appearing in the vast forested mountain below. However, clearly we were too early. I can only imagine how stunning it would look in about 2-3 weeks.

We met some really nice hikers at the top who offered to take a few photos for us. When they found out we were from Hong Kong, they touched their hearts and say, “our hearts really go out to the Hong Kong people. It has been tough for you all. Please know that we support you.”

Seafood + Shopping in Freeport

The world’s largest L.L. Bean Store sits in the center of Freeport. It’s a fun store to explore and it has a HUGE selection of all sorts of hiking, camping, fishing, and other outdoor gear.

Although Freeport is more known for shopping than food, we were pleasantly surprised at the incredible quality of the seafood at Jameson Tavern in Freeport. The restaurant is self-proclaimed ”one of the oldest operating taverns in Maine” and has been operating since 1779. The food’s casual but good.

The pan seared scallops salad was incredibly reasonably priced ($17 for this plate), and the scallops were as good as the best scallops I’ve ever had. I couldn’t finish it (there were soooooo many scallops), and I felt so bad leaving some of them. Oh why did I eat so many fried clams?

I really enjoyed our weekend getaway trip to Portland and Freeport Maine. Although we didn’t get to really see peak season foliage, we got to enjoy the city when it was less crowded. We still got to taste fantastic food and hike some really pretty trails. All in all, the trip included my two favorite activities: hiking and eating!

Cheers!

July 8, 2022 California

The Bistro at Auberge du Soleil

Every since I moved to Hong Kong, seeing friends from the US has not been nearly as easy. Add on top of that a two (going on three) year pandemic, I truly cherish any chance I have to see old friends.

My best friend from college lives in San Francisco. Back when I lived in Boston we managed to see each other almost annually. However, since Covid, it’s been years since I’ve seen her. So, when the opportunity to meet in Napa materialized, I was determined to find a really nice place for our lunch. After all, she was the one driving over an hour to meet me. The least I could do was treat her to a nice lunch. Key requirements: good food and phenomenal views.

The Bistro at Auberge du Soleil, the more casual outpost of the very famous Michelin starred Restaurant Auberge du Soleil.

Auberge du Soleil is a collection of ultra luxury resorts with locations around the world. In Napa, the more famous Restaurant at Auberge du Soleil (which has one Michelin star) is often booked out solid for weeks on end. It’s difficult to book at the last minute, especially during peak season on a Saturday. However, I was thankful that the Bistro at Auberge du Soleil was much easier to book. Better yet, it also has a lovely terrace and shares equally stunning views of the valley.

Smoked Salmon Tartine, fromage Blanc, lemon - $17.00, Oysters on the Half Shell $4.25 each — The food is a bit more casual, with some seafood starters, salads, soups, flatbreads, sandwiches, and the like. It’s a small menu, but everything seems to be made with high quality, fresh ingredients. It’s perfect for lunch, in my opinion.

Starters to Share

Smoked Salmon Tartine, fromage Blanc, lemon - $17.00

Main Course

Grilled Yellowfin Tuna, little gem lettuce, pickled ginger, abovado, soba — For my entree, I had a Japanese inspired grilled yellowfin tuna ”avocado toast” with little gem lettuce. On the side was a small bowl of soba noodles with scallions and pickled ginger.

Fish of the day (halibut), claims with bacon, carrots, — My friend enjoyed the pan-seared ”Fish of the Day”, which was halibut, servied with clams, bacon, and carrots.

The weather was perfect and the views were breathtaking. We sat under the sun, enjoying fresh Californian food while catching up on conversations long overdue. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that good friendships are hard to come by, and they don’t develop overnight. I cherish my old friends, and I certainly cherished our lunch on this beautiful patio.

The food was fine. Not the best there is in Napa, but still pretty enjoyable. It’s a bit expensive for what it offers, but perfectly reasonable for a 5-star Relais & Chateaux resort.

At the end of the day, I was more there for the space and the environment. For that, the experience was top notch. The food was fine and the views were spectacular. After all, it’s hard to put a price on the ability to dine in that environment. Our lunch was special and memorable. I’d certainly come back again in a heartbeat.

Bistro at Auberge du Soleil Napa
180 Rutherford Hill Road
Rutherford, California

July 6, 2022 Europe

Le Baudelaire - Paris France

It’s rare that you have a meal where everything goes perfectly right. Even at the finest restaurants, there’s may be a course that’s you don’t like, timing of service that’s a bit off, or just too much (or too little) food. Last year, a seasoned gourmand and regular traveler to Paris recommended Le Baudelaire to us. He wrote “[t]he food never disappoints and the course menu has no misses ever, which is a wonderfully welcome characteristic.”

After our dinner at Le Baudelaire, all I can say is that I completely agree.

...

June 27, 2022 Europe

La Dame de Pic - Paris France

The Pic family is legendary in France. Their website motto of “3 Generations, 3 Stars” describes the immense success this family of chefs has attained throughout the past century. Chef Andre Pic, his son Jacques Pic, and granddaughter Anne Sophie Pic have all obtained 3 Michelin stars while running the family restaurant, despite two world wars and their own meandering career changes.

Chef Anne Sophie Pic initially studied business but returned to the family restaurant in 1997. After 10 years Maison Pic in Valence obtained three Michelin Stars. The PIC group has expanded on that success, opening up additional restaurants that have all been quite successful, including restaurants in Paris, Lausanne, London, and Singapore. Many of these have also achieved one or two Michelin stars.

Chef Anne Sophie Pic is considered one of the best chefs in the world, and awarded ”World’s Best Female Chef” by 50Best in 2011. She loves coaxing and taming harsher flavors, such as bitter, acidic, roasted, and smoked.

We dined at her 1-Michelin starred restaurant La Dame de Pic, which she calls “a taste of Valence.” The food is creative, elegant, and overall very good.

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June 25, 2022 Europe

Pertinence Paris France

Nestled in a small street near the Eiffel Tower lies Pertinence. This is where Ryunosuke Naito (Nagoya Japan) and Kwen Liew (Malaysia) run a tiny restaurant serving just a handful lucky guests per night. What’s most impressive is that the entire restaurant is just the two of them. Chef-owners Naito and Liew take turns between the kitchen and the front of the house.

The couple met while working as chefs in Paris. After gaining experience at different types of restaurants in Paris, they decided to set out and open their own in 2017. Even they were shocked when they received a Michelin star the following year. Liew became the first Malaysian woman ever to be recognized by Michelin, and that year, she was only one of two women chefs on the list.

On the day we went, there were only six diners present. Us and one other table of four. That made for a very intimate and cozy experience, and we enjoyed it immensely. That day, Naito served us, while Liew was in the kitchen.

The Tasting Menu

The Underground Wine Cellar

One really fun and unique feature of the restaurant is the underground wine cellar.

It was so cool to watch Naito go down and fetch us the bottle of wine that we had ordered.

Seafood

scallop w/ laksa sauce, carrots! sous vide big one, raw slices

The food is creative and draws inspiration from all over the globe. For instance, our first course clearly incorporated Malaysian ingredients, a perfectly seared scallop served with laksa sauce! Various interpretations of carrots surrounded the scallop, including sous vide carrots and paper thin slices of rainbow carrots. Such artistic plating!

A French lobster came with artichoke, Spanish jamon Iberico, and bellota foam.

The ”Croute” (Meat Course)

Bryan loves all kinds of ”croutes”, such as the pithivier from Bozar and the beef Wellington from Gordon Ramsey.

This mini-croute was perfectly executed and a nice way to finish the meal.

Cheese Course

Dessert

Some final sweet endings.

General Thoughts - Pertinence Paris

I’m really impressed with the food and overall experience at Pertinence. It’s crazy to imagine how hard the two chefs must work to pull off this level of food themselves.

They serve both lunch and dinner, which means their days are very, very long. At lunchtime you can get a 3-course meal for 55€ or a 4-course meal for 80€. Dinner there’s either the 6-course for 120€ or the 7-course for 185€. The whole table must get the same tasting.

There is also an a la carte menu, but since we didn’t go that route, I don’t know much about it.

We got the 7-course, and I was definitely really full near the end. I may have even given Bryan some of my croute at the end (since he loves those anyway and I was really stuffed!). All in all, we enjoyed our meal a lot. It certainly deserves its Michelin star and multiple other accolades.

Bonus: the ability to walk over and say hello to the Eiffel Tower before heading home.

Pertinence Paris
29 rue de l’Exposition, 75007 Paris

June 10, 2022 California Trip Report

Napa Valley Trip Report

I have a lot of nostalgic memories for California’s wine region, having visited Napa and Sonoma virtually every year before moving to Hong Kong. From covering the Almost Famous Chef Competitions to media and business trips, I feel like I know the region really well.

But obviously the pandemic put a halt to all travel for close to 2 years. Living in Hong Kong made it even harder to visit. So, when Bryan said he had a work conference in Napa in the fall of 2021, I immediately told him I really wanted to come along.

I’m so thankful it worked out! We caught up with some of our close friends in the Bay Area and even attended a black tie gala (first time in 8 years). I had to rush out and buy a last minute dress!

The fall colors were stunning this time of year, and we savored some magnificent wines and food.

We stayed at the Silverado Resport & Spa, and spent quiet mornings jogging along the beautiful golf course.

I didn’t expect to see such beautiful foliage in Napa Valley, but we arrived during peak season to stunning colors everywhere. Recent rains also brought green hills, which was unusual this time of year.

*Yountville, The garden at The French Laundry*

It’s been over 10 years since we ate at The French Laundry and wandered around its impeccable garden. This time we re-visited the newly renovated space (just to take a look) and walked around the garden again. The garden feels pretty similar, though the new building looks amazing. Fall season means there were pumpkins!

Memorable Meals

My best friend (and roommate) from college drove up from San Francisco to meet me for lunch. We enjoyed great conversation and lunch overlooking expansive views of vineyards at The Bistro at Auberge du Soleil.

I really think the tasting menu at Robert Sinskey Vineyards is a hidden gem in Napa. I’d never heard of it, but a friend treated us to a fantastic meal there. The food is excellent, the space is beautiful, and the wines are delicious. We took a quick tour of the winery beforehand, which was informational and fun.

Other great food memories include fantastic seafood at Hog Island Oyster, rustic French food at Angèle Restaurant, excellent wine and food at Compline Wine Bar and Restaurant, and my favorite TKOs from Bouchon Bakery. We enjoyed a fantastic steak at Valley Bottle and Bar in Sonoma (in the former Harvest Moon location). We got our Pliny the Elder fix when we got wind that the Marriott in Napa serves it on tap. We made a quick stop, sat at the hotel bar, and enjoyed a glass of our favorite West Coast beer.

*Rustic, farm to table food at Compline Wine Bar*

We had a ”it’s a small world” moment when we learned that the our server at Compline used to live in Boston and was good friends with our restaurant friends at Bergamot.

Finally, we learned about the history of two wineries: Stag’s Leap and Stags’ Leap, and how an apostrophe makes all the difference.

One Unfortunate Event

We did hit a snafu during the San Francisco portion of our trip. Thieves broke into our rental car (smashed our windows in broad daylight!) and stole our luggage.

Thankfully we were safe and we weren’t in the car. We spent a frantic day reporting to the police and re-buying critical items before our flight (the next day!) to Europe. Miraculously, a good Samaritan spotted our bags later that day and turned them into the police. Although all the valuables had been picked clean, we at least recovered the bags, some IDs, and our clothing. A HUGE shoutout to the Richmond police, who went out of their way to help us recover our items on their day off.

Despite that unfortunate event, we still had a good trip. I was so thankful to be able to visit Napa again, especially considering how much harder it is for us to go there (from Hong Kong) during these pandemic times. More importantly, we cherished the time we had catching up with old friends, and we are very thankful that we stayed safe and healthy the entire time.

Traveling During Covid - Our Three Month Trip Around the World
Visiting Family in Los Angeles During Covid
All Napa Posts
All Sonoma Posts
All San Francisco Posts

May 29, 2022 London

36 Hour Stopover in London

London is one of those cities of which I never tire. Although I've been there numerous times (I used to go every year for work), every time I went back I would revisit my favorite streets, squares, and shops. During our whirlwind US/Europe trip in the fall of 2021, London was our stop-over city. We flew in and out of Heathrow, stopping through and saying hello to London TWICE while passing through on the way to cities in Europe, such as Brussels or Paris.

What does one do on a 36-hour stopover in London?

We stayed at the **St. Pancras Renaissance**, a lovely, lovely hotel (highly recommended!). It is located right at St. Pancras train station, so it's amazingly convenient if you are taking the Eurostar here (from, e.g., Brussels or Paris). The lobby incorporates parts of the beautiful train station exterior, and you can take an elevator directly into the train station without even stepping outside. I enjoyed a lovely brunch in this airy and spacious lobby. When I tried to come back in the evening to meet a colleague for drinks, they told me it was fully booked. I didn't even know you had to book this place. Mental note: make a reservation next time!

Covent Garden

During our first visit, we arrived in London in the morning and had a few hours to kill before our train to Brussels in the evening. We decided to walk around Covent Garden and perhaps find some lunch.

Din Tai Fung Covent Garden London

This is where we broke down and had our first Chinese restaurant meal in over 6 weeks (*at Din Tai Fung, no less*!). The decor was beautiful, and this DTF was a bit more upscale, offering cocktails and some dishes we hadn't seen on other menus. We stuck with the basics, ordering various types of dumplings. Though it hit the spot and was very enjoyable, the overall quality was supbar to the ones in Hong Kong (and it was more expensive!).

The River Cafe

We had one nice meal in London, an Italian outdoor dinner at The River Cafe. Situated right on the Thames River, this Italian restaurant from Ruth Rogers has been around for 35 years and is famous for training up several well-known British chefs, such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (River Cottage), April Bloomfield (Spotted Pig, Breslin Bar & Dining), Theo Randall and Jamie Oliver.

London’s the type of place where it’s easy to stop by for just a short amount of time. If you need to take the train somewhere, I highly recommend staying near St. Pancras station. It’s super convenient, and there’s a lot of fun stuff to do right around that area, such as jog along Regent Canal or shop/eat at Coal Drop Yard.

The next day we hopped onto the Eurostar and took the 2-hour journey to Brussels, our next stop. Good-by London, until we meet again!

May 28, 2022 Belgium

A Day Trip to Antwerp, Belgium

Antwerp sort of holds a unique place in my heart. I had never even heard of the city, but it welcomed me with open arms when Bryan and I got stuck in Belgium on 9/11 back in 2001. We were flying back to the US from our honeymoon in Italy on 9/11 when the US closed all airspace entering the country. Our plane, from now defunct Belgian carrier Sabena Airlines, turned around and landed in Brussels.

Despite the horrific circumstances, the airline was especially kind to the passengers. They took such good care of us, providing a shuttle bus and paying for our hotel stay in Antwerp, a city 45 minutes away from Brussels. My memory of Antwerp from that time is virtually non-existent (that whole experience was quite a stressful blur), yet I will never forget the kindness of the Belgians during this time of extreme anguish for the American people.

I haven't visited Antwerp since that time 20+ years ago. This time around, during a weekend when Bryan was away in Germany on a business trip, I decided to take a solo trip to revisit Antwerp, the second largest metropolitan region in Belgium, and the largest city-center in the country.

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May 25, 2022 Hong Kong

Arbor Hong Kong

How does one celebrate after an arduous three-week quarantine in a hotel?

Bryan and I flew back to Hong Kong after spending close to three months outside of Hong Kong. At that point, it had been 1.5 years since we had seen our families in the U.S. Bryan’s sister had pushed back her wedding (originally planned for 2020) back a whole year. We decided to fly to the US to attend the wedding, despite knowing we would need to quarantine upon returning to Hong Kong, who was (and is still!) pursuing a dynamic zero Covid policy.

Three weeks in a hotel room is tough, but we are thankful that we were able to quarantine together. After 3 weeks, it was so freeing to finally be able to walk around Hong Kong, and even venture out to eat at restaurants.

We were ”released” on the morning of December 23rd, just two days before Christmas. On Christmas day, we visited Arbor for the first time and enjoyed their special Christmas meal.

We absolutely loved our meal there. The food was elegant, exquisitely executed, and just very, very good in so many different ways. It’s hard to believe we waited this long to try it. Chef-owner Eric Räty, who hails from Finland, is expressing one of my favorite styles of cuisines: Japanese ingredients, French technique, and a Nordic focus on bringing out the flavors of natural ingredients.

Little did we know that Omicron was lurking around the corner, and in just a few weeks the open life of enjoying dinners at restaurants would stop completely for many, many months. We’re so thankful we had the opportunity to enjoy a few really nice dinners out in Hong Kong before the multi-month period of restrictions that followed.

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May 23, 2022 Hong Kong

Mono Hong Kong

Despite the fact that it’s still cumbersome to travel outside of Hong Kong (though at least now the quarantine period has been reduced to 7 days), we still are fortunate in Hong Kong to have the world travel to us, opening up restaurants that reflect cuisines from all over the map. Mono is a Latin American influenced restaurant from Chef Ricardo Chaneton. Chef Chaneton has worked with some of the finest chefs in the world, including Quique Dacosta (Spain), Mauro Colagreco at Mirazur (France), and Petrus in Hong Kong.

Mono is Chef Chaneton’s chance to express his South American roots (he’s from Venezuela) while using techniques he has learned from his rigorous French training. This past year Mono earned one Michelin star, and Chef Chaneton became the first Venezuelan chef ever to obtain that honor.

Below is a meal we enjoyed in 2021, right before Mono received the Michelin star. As you can see, Chef Chaneton clearly puts a lot of thought, heart, and soul into each dish.

Highly recommended!

Amuse Bouche

1st Course

Freshly Baked Bread and Amazing Olive Oil

Seafood + Meat

Sweets

What a unique journey to Latin America! Chef Chaneton’s is indeed breaking boundaries and introducing a whole new audience to the ingredients and flavors of South American, prepared in ways that are innovative, creative, and fun.

Mono Hong Kong
5/F 18 ON LAN STREET
Central, HONG KONG
https://www.mono.hk

April 29, 2022 Hong Kong

Summer Palace Iconic Wine Lunch - Hong Kong

More than 10 years ago I visited Summer Palace in Beijing. Once an imperial garden during the Qing Dynasty, the area is now a UNESCO heritage site.

"Summer Palace" here in Hong Kong is not a garden. Instead it is a high-end restaurant that still shares some of the former's imperial grandeur. This Michelin-starred restaurant inside the Shangri-La serves refined Cantonese fare, shares a Master Sommelier with Petrus (upstairs), and regularly holds unique and interesting wine lunches and dinners.

Our friends invited us to one such wine lunch at Summer Palace last year.

As we rode up the elevator at the Shangri-La to Summer Palace, we couldn't help but notice an awe-inspiring painting. This impressive wall mural, called The Great Motherland of China (大好河山), is the largest silk mural painting in the world. It is 16-stories high and it took 40 Chinese artists 6-months to complete it.

Summer Palace Wine Lunch

Summer Palace Hong Kong Iconic Wine Lunch — As we entered the room, we got a first look at the featured wines of the wine dinner. Wow.

Master Sommelier Yohann Jousselin oversees the wine platform for all Shangri-La restaurants in Southeast Asia, and spends over half his time in Hong Kong. The Shangri-La group of restaurants regularly holds wine lunches and dinners, both at Summer Palace and also at Petrus, upstairs.

They come at different price points, from more casual Wine Lunches at the Lobster Bar (HKD888 per person) to the flagship Iconic Wine Experiences that can cost up anywhere between HKD25,000 to HKD$58,000 per person (the latter including a super rare Petrus 1947).

The wine meals focus on different themes, and often provide opportunities to try older and rarer wines.

Iconic Lunch Series

This particular wine lunch focused on wine from 6 different regions in France, including a blind wine. It was part of the Iconic Lunch series, and costs HKD$3988 per person.

Here's a look at our meal!

We began with a special 2000 Dom Perignon P2 (short for "Plénitude 2"). This aged champagne is deep in color and complex in flavor. Even though you normally wouldn't decant a champagne, our sommelier recommended doing so for this wine.

A lovely way to start the meal.

Summer Palace is known for its refined Cantonese fare.

Blind Wine - 1960's

1970's Mouton Rothschild

We tried them side-by-side, a mystery "blind" wine from the 60's and the Mouton-Rothchild from 1970, paired with the claypot rice.

Dessert

The meal was lovely, but it was the unique wine pairings that really made this meal fun and special. Food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the overall lunch was relaxed and interesting.

I leave you with one more look at The Great Motherland of China (大好河山).

Caprice Hong Kong
Birthday at Roganic Hong Kong
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon

March 22, 2022 Cuisine

Lucciola - Italian food at The Hari Hotel in Wan Chai

Lucciola The Hari Wan Chai — *Il Vitello Tonnato Veal Tenderloin, Tuna Sauce, Modena Aged Balsamic, Pantelleria Capers - HKD230*

Lucciola is one of the two anchoring restaurants at the new swanky boutique Hari Hotel in Wan Chai, the other being Zoku. While Zoku is a hip, fusion Japanese spot with a Nobu-esque air, Lucciola is a more traditional Italian restaurant serving trusted Italian favorites such as vitello tonnato, salt-crusted fish, and rustic pasta dishes.

The chef is originally from the Piedmont region of Italy, though most of the menu focuses on classic dishes. Most of the pastas are made from dried pasta, though there are a few handmade pastas as well.

The ambiance is elegant and quiet, a good place to have a conversation.

The Food

The food is solid, with the "Il Vitello Tonnato" being my favorite dish of the night. In general, the menu is "safe", meaning the menu consists of crowd pleasers that most people would enjoy. It has a nice pasta/risotto selection that is larger than most (10 different kinds!), including vegetarian options and even one made with Impossible Meat.

The prices are on the higher end (not a surprise considering the luxury hotel in which it is housed). You can probably find similar quality food for less price (in a less fancy atmosphere) at other places in Hong Kong.

Still, it's a nice addition to Wan Chai, especially for pasta lovers who are tired of the same old pasta dishes and want to try one, two, or up to ten (!) new and different pasta dishes.

Lucciola
Hari Hotel 1/F
330 Lockhart Rd
Wan Chai

March 17, 2022 Cuisine

Studio City by Cali-Mex Causeway Bay Hong Kong

Bryan grew up in Southern California, only a couple hours away from Mexico. It's one of his favorite cuisines, and (sadly), there's not that much of it in Hong Kong. Sure, we love the delicious (but pricey) tacos at 11 Westside and the Japanese-Mexican fare at Chino. However, both of those places have historically been difficult to book, and Kennedy Town is still a bit far from us.

Lately, we've found a new favorite that's much, much closer, cheaper, and still delicious. Introducing Studio City by Cali-Mex, a new higher-end Mexican concept by the same folks who brought us Cali-Mex, the fast-casual burrito spot with locations around the city.

To be perfectly honest, Cali-Mex is only OK. For Bryan, it satisfies his cravings from Mexican food and he still gets in on occasion, but he doesn't love their burritos. As such, we weren't sure what we would think of Studio City by Cali-Mex.

We were pleasantly surprised! We visited their Causeway Bay location (right in Fashion Walk area) and met up with a friend for dinner and drinks.

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March 8, 2022 Hong Kong

Petrus Hong Kong

Before this current pandemic, Hong Kong was really a special place for those who like to travel. Locals could whisk off to Japan, Mainland China, or Southeast Asia for a quick weekend trip. Travelers could just as easily fly in, do a business meeting, enjoy a nice meal, and then jet right back out. Bryan used to visit Victoria Peak just to see the view and enjoy a meal during some of his longer stopovers in Hong Kong. That seems like such another world now.

We had friends who used to live between Hong Kong and the US. They regularly flew back and forth every few months, enjoying the best of both worlds: the wide open spaces of the countryside in the U.S., and the vibrant, "sensory overload", excitement of Hong Kong. It was a great way to stay connected to family, friends, and business partners on both sides of the globe.

With Covid, it became difficult for them to go back and forth like they used to. However, they did manage to come back to Hong Kong TWICE during the pandemic, enduring multi-week quarantines each time. We were so fortunately to be able to see them in the spring of 2021, just as Hong Kong was reawakening back to life after a grueling 6-month long "4th wave" lockdown.

We decided to visit Petrus together with them to celebrate a birthday as well catch up after such a long time!

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March 6, 2022 Cuisine

Ichiran Tonkotsu Ramen Hong Kong

I am really, really behind when it comes to famous tonkotsu ramen places. Can you believe it wasn't until the end of 2021 that I tried my first bowl of Ichiran Tonkotsu ramen?

Ichiran has been around since 1960, perfecting their tonkotsu milky pork bone broth as the perfect base for their ramen.

Their restaurants are known for being "private", meaning each diner (even within couples and families) dines separately in a cubby. The idea is that eating ramen is a serious affair, and you shouldn't be talking. You should concentrate on enjoying your ramen. Slurping is absolutely permitted, and, in fact, encouraged.

And slurp you should. It'll help you fully enjoy the flavors of that rich, savory, and delicious broth. The noodles have great texture, and all the parts come together into a really satisfying meal.

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March 2, 2022 Hong Kong

James Suckling Wine Central - Hong Kong

James Suckling Wine Central is a wine bar (first and foremost) but also a Korean-esque fusion restaurant (James' wife is Korean). The restaurant is a labor of love, a dream that James and his wife Marie have had for a long time. Going there sort of feels like you are visiting your wine-loving friends who are sharing with you their favorite wines together with their favorite foods.

The wine list is massive, consisting purely of 90+ scoring wines (by James Suckling, of course), whose scores are conveniently displayed on the menu. There are special sections such as "James’ Cellar Selection” and “Wines of My Career (100-point wines)” that reflect James Suckling's own personal favorites, wine that he says " I revere and love to drink." He self admits that there's a "heavy emphasis on Italy, Bordeaux and Port."

The best part about coming to James Suckling Wine Central is the HUGE selection of by-the-glass offerings (over 500 bottles!). They use the Covarin system to preserve their wines, so they are much more willing to let guests sample nicer bottles by the glass.

We had tons of fun, both ordering different wines (so that we could try each others' glasses), thus sampling even more kinds!

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February 23, 2022 Hong Kong

Birthday at Roganic Hong Kong

I've waxed poetic about my love for Roganic numerous times on this blog already. There's something about Simon Rogan's ethos regarding vegetables that draws me back to the restaurant over and over. We have eaten at the restaurant during the "good, open times" in Hong Kong, and have ordered delivery from his Simon Rogan AtHome collection during restrictive "lockdown" waves of the pandemic.

The photos in this post highlight yet another exquisite meal we had. This was to celebrate the birthday of another dear friend. We feel so blessed to know these friends because, truth be told, we wouldn't have become such good friends had it not been for the pandemic.

...

February 19, 2022 Hong Kong

Caprice Hong Kong - Four Seasons

There is a season for everything. Right now in Hong Kong, we are in a season of change. Much has happened in the past three years, and thing continue to change, a lot of which is outside our control.

As part of these changes, we have had to say good-by to friends that we've gotten to know in our time in Hong Kong. Some friends are moving back home to their native lands, others are moving away from Hong Kong to settle into a new land. Whatever the case may be, our circle of friends in Hong Kong has shifted over time.

This past year, during "pandemic-friendly" periods, saying good-by has meant meeting up over a special meal. For one of our close friends, Bryan told their foodie daughter that she could pick any restaurant in Hong Kong in which to have our good-by meal. This "tween" actually spent serious time conducting online research and considering this difficult question before finally replying a few days later.

That's right, she chose Caprice.

We had actually never been to Caprice before. It was a lovely opportunity to be able to bless this family, spend an evening celebrating our time together as friends in Hong Kong, and wish them the best on this next portion of their journey.

...

February 17, 2022 California

Majordomo Los Angeles - David Chang's Foray into the West Coast

You could say I'm a fan of restaurants within the (ever-growing) David Chang Empire.

A little more than a decade ago, Bryan and I first visited his flagship Momofuku Ko in New York City back when they didn't allow photos! It was just a tiny bar back then. Even so, my mind was blown with David Chang's unrestrained creativity. He wowed us with dishes such as his signature shaved foie gras, lychee, and reisling gelee dish. Through the years, I've regularly stopped by Momofuku Milk Bar for their corn cookies and cereal milk soft serve. I have also visited Momofuku Ssam Bar (where I fell in love with the spicy sausage rice cakes). And then there's Ma Peche and their fantastic fried chicken. I finally returned to Momofuku Ko in 2016 (where they now allow photos), and wrote up a proper post!

And then suddenly, in a blink of an eye, it's been 5 years since I last visited a David Chang restaurant.

Frankly speaking, because I've been living in Hong Kong, I didn't even know about Majordomo opening up in LA. It was David Chang's first restaurant in the West Coast. It was ridiculously popular and impossible to book when it first opened.

It's been a couple years, and we're in the middle of a pandemic right now. Still, Majordomo still wasn't easy to book at all. We essentially lucked out (due to a cancellation). We were able to grab dinner for four after first putting ourselves on a waiting list.

Starters

One of the signature items is the "Bing", which sounds like the Mandarin word 餅, a term used to referred to a variety of items in the bread family. At Majordomo you can get them with all sorts of sauce, though the Cultured Butter appears to be one of the most popular (and the one we ordered). These flatbreads are freshly made and are delicious.

The vegetables at Majordomo do not disappoint, and these Baby Lettuces, tossed with lemon vinaigrette, pepita brittle, and chives, were likewise delicious.

Bo Ssam

Despite having eaten at Momofuku Ssam Bar before, I had never ever tried the famous Bo Ssam (because how can two people ever order such a large piece of meat??).Since we finally managed to get FOUR people together at a meal, we decided to order the Smoked Half Bo Ssam, which supposedly feeds 4-5 people.

The dish comes with a variety of sides, including ginger scallion sauce, kim chi, chili paste, bean sauce, and pickles. You essentially make your own lettuce wraps with whatever combination of fillings you desire.

It was satisfying and enjoyable, though in some ways seemed much more traditional and "normal" than other David Chang dishes that have blown me away. I know this recipe has been floating around the Internet for quite some time. I'm almost tempted to try making this for a party some time . . . perhaps after Covid.

My favorite dish was by far the Mushroom Crispy Rice, a glorious umami-filled bowl of shiitake mushrooms, burdock, and yuzu layered over a bed of beautifully crisped rice. It was insanely addictively, and I kept going back for more.

General Thoughts - Majordomo Los Angeles

It's clear that David Chang knows how to build and run restaurants. This place has delicious food, good service, a nice ambiance, and is clearly very professionally run. Despite the fact that the location is a bit non-central (on the edge of Chinatown), it still seems to consistently draw a crowd.

One side note: the parking area is a bit unusual, located in a vacant, empty-looking warehouse area behind the restaurant. Thankfully there was a parking attendant that showed us where we could park (it's not that obvious). After walking down a semi-abandoned looking area, we arrived at the bustling restaurant.

Domo visits Majordomo

All in all, the food is very good, certainly crowd-pleasing, and we had a wonderful time. Although the Bo Ssam was delicious, I sort of wished I had ventured out and ordered some of the other more unusual things on the menu. I absolutely loved the mushroom rice, and the salads were amazing, partly because the ingredients were so high quality and super fresh (gotta love California for that).

All in all, I was excited we were able to secure a booking at this hard-to-reserve restaurant during our very limited, short time in LA.

Majordomo Los Angeles
1725 Naud St.
Los Angeles, CA, 90012

Other Posts in this Series

Traveling During Covid – Our Three Month Trip Around the World
Playa Amor - fantastic mole
Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary at Taco Maria (During Covid)
Daybird LA – Best Szechuan Hot Chicken
MÍRAME Beverly Hills – Modern Mexican

Playa Amor Long Beach
6527 Pacific Coast Hwy
Long Beach, CA 90803, USA

February 13, 2022 California

Playa Amor Los Angeles

Our friends raved about this place when they visited less than a year earlier (during the pandemic!).

"You have to try the mole, it is amazing."

The chicken mole at Playa Amor, a modern Mexican restaurant in Long Beach California, is indeed amazing. You can even get the mole with tater tots, a nostalgic crunchy throwback smothered with their delicious, intense, and smoky mole. It's good either way, though I think the mole pairs best with the chicken.

Enjoy the chicken mole on top of Playa Amor's homemade tortillas together with some salsa, made-to-order guacamole, and other toppings. It makes for a pretty fantastic bite (see below, Exhibit A).

We ate at Playa Amor twice. The first time we ordered take-away and enjoyed it in our hotel room. We thought the food was so good that we invited Bryan's parents to come with us a second time (and actually eat at the restaurant). Both times, the food was great.

They have a pretty big patio that is partially protected with clear plastic "curtains". There is also a pretty sizeable inside area, if you're comfortable eating indoors. All in all, the food was excellent, reasonably priced, and really fun. For us, it was really convenient because Bryan's parents don't live too far from Long Beach.

Other Posts in this Series (Some to be published in the next 1-2 weeks)

Traveling During Covid – Our Three Month Trip Around the World
Majordomo Los Angeles – Part of David Chang’s Momofuku Empire
Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary at Taco Maria (During Covid)
Daybird LA – Best Szechuan Hot Chicken
MÍRAME Beverly Hills – Modern Mexican

Playa Amor Long Beach
6527 Pacific Coast Hwy
Long Beach, CA 90803, USA

February 11, 2022 Hong Kong

Happy Year of the Tiger!

Happy Year of the Tiger!

恭喜發財！The Lunar New Year is one of the biggest holidays in China. During normal, non-Covid times, everyone make the long journey back to their hometowns to see their family. This is the time when relatives gather together to enjoy numerous massive meals. Parents bug their single children about getting married, and nudge newly married couples to have children. Here in Hong Kong, the culture of handing out red envelopes, called "laisee", is ubiquitous. Always make sure to carry a couple envelopes in your bag, just in case you run into service people, kids, or others to whom you should give a pocket of blessing.

This year, for the first time, we decided to go all out, embracing the local traditions. We hosted a traditional Chinese New Year dinner. We invited friends who were "family-less", unable to go home for the holidays due to long, burdensome, and restrictive quarantine requirements.

...

February 1, 2022 California

MÍRAME Beverly Hills - Modern Mexican

Even though we have been going to Southern California virtually every year to visit Bryan's parents, we typically stay closer to Orange County. As such, we have surprisingly NOT visited Los Angeles city proper much at all.

This time, we spent a fully week right in downtown LA near the Staple Center. Bryan had a conference there, so we had a chance to hang out in LA a bit.

Frankly speaking, I think I've gotten used to Hong Kong's walkable streets and excellent public transportation system. I wasn't as used to LA's driving culture, and having to hop into a car to go anywhere was a bit tough for me. Still, there are some places that are pretty walkable, including parts of Santa Monica and Beverly Hills.

We enjoyed a lovely modern Mexican meal at MÍRAME in Beverly Hills one weekend day after spending the afternoon visiting museums in Los Angeles.

My favorite dish was the delicious **Salmon Skin Chicharrons** served with an addictive fermented garlic aoili. The chips were surprisingly light and airy, not a bit greasy. The aoili was ridiculously addictive. I took so much at the beginning that Bryan had barely any aoli in which to dip his last chip. Oops. Thankfully they were willing to give us a bit more aoili, which made me SO HAPPY.

When I saw the Mirame Fermented Green Tea Salad (**$16.00)** on the menu I immediately wanted to get it because it reminded me of the Burmese counterpart version. Mirame's has cabbage, peanuts, and herbs tossed in a tamarind shrimp vinaigrette. Although not really like a Burmese tea leaf salad at all, it was still refreshing, with lots of different textures. I liked it, though I secretly kept thinking how I liked the Burmese version more.

For our main meat dish we went with the server's recommendation, Niman Ranch Pork Tenderloin and Cochinita Pibil (**$46.00).** The pork came with gooseberry and broccolini, served with a cacao vinaigrette. The sauces were interesting, and overall the dish was nice, though to me it wasn't the most interesting.

For dessert we had a lovely cornbread "cake" topped with grilled baby corn and served with ice cream and a tomato jam. It was more sweet than savory, and was certainly a creative and unusual dish.

General Thoughts - MÍRAME Beverly Hills

Mirame is a fun place to enjoy Mexican-inspired, creative dishes in one of the most glamorous cities in LA. It's not authentic Mexican by any means, but the food is tasty, and overall Mirame is a trendy, modern, and pleasant place to catch an enjoyable meal. I especially enjoyed the salmon skin chicharron, which I could dip in that fermented garlic aoili forever. I don't think I would make a special trip to Beverly Hills just to eat there, but I would certainly be happy to go again if I were in the area.

MÍRAME Los Angeles
419 N CAÑON DRIVE
BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90210

Other Posts in this Series (Some to be published in the next 1-2 weeks)

January 25, 2022 California

Daybird LA - Best Szechuan Hot Chicken

DayBird is a tiny little fried chicken joint located off the beaten path in a random, non-descript strip mall (which thankfully has plenty of underground parking). When we went in October, there was no indoor dining whatsover. They literally just had a counter right at their door where you could order fried chicken to go.

Evenly spaced stickers on the sidewalk showed us how to maintain social distance.

Frankly, there's no real good place to sit. We didn't feel like sitting in our car, so we just found a concrete ledge to sit on and enjoy our fried wonders.

Fried wonders indeed. Everything was fantastic.

Daybird uses famous Californian Jidori^®chickens. Jidori^®chickens are quite the rage in California at the moment. These free-range, locally raised chickens are fed "all natural grains, without meat by-products, hormones, or steroids."

Daybird only has a handful of things on its menu: signature Szechuan Hot Chicken Tenders (choose between 5 different levels of spice), the Szechuan Hot Chicken Sando, pickles, and fries. Everything is fried in rice bran oil, and they make everything to order, so be prepared to wait 15-25 minutes if you make a walk-up order.

The chicken was phenomenal, airy and crispy on the outside, super juicy on the inside. The fries blew me away as well. They were lightly battered with some sort of coating, amazingly crispy and super light. Despite the non-ideal dining environment, we loved the food.

Highly recommended!

Daybird LA

240 N Virgil Ave #5
Los Angeles, CA — 90004

Other Posts in this Series (Some to be published in the next 1-2 weeks)

January 23, 2022 California

Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary at Taco Maria (During Covid)

Taco Maria in Costa Mesa has always been one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in LA.

Chef Carlos Salgado is originally from Mexico but spent over ten years training in some of the best kitchens in the US, including 2-Michelin starred restaurants like Coi in San Francisco and Commis in Oakland. He opened Taco Maria in 2013.

Prior to achieving a Michelin Star, Chef Salgado was a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef West consecutively for the past four years, and was named Food & Wine Best New Chef in 2015.

Dining During Covid

Notoriously challenging to book, this Michelin-starred restaurant got even harder to book during Covid. They removed all indoor dining and limited seating to parties of four. They also opened up bookings only 1-2 weeks in advance, so Bryan diligently logged onto their website (at midnight in Hong Kong!) to grab seats for us during popular, coveted weekend slots.

...

January 20, 2022 California

Visiting Family in Los Angeles During Covid

Returning to the US

The pandemic has upended the lives of virtually everyone on this planet. Like many people, we had not seen most of our family, including our parents and siblings, since Christmas of 2019. Little did we think back then that it would be so, so long until we could see each other again.

Despite the fact that Hong Kong has one of the most stringent quarantine requirements in the world, we finally decided to bite the bullet and plan an extended trip out of Hong Kong. We went into this knowing that when we returned, we'd need to spend 3 weeks at a government-approved quarantine hotel. As we traveled between various countries, we would need to take umpteen Covid tests and comply with a vast array of procedural requirements that varied country by country. We'd need to test ourselves, often, and we'd need to be ultra careful while meeting our parents.

How did we prepare? We ordered dozens of rapid antigen Covid-19 tests, which we used to test ourselves after every flight. Bryan ordered boatloads of my favorite coffee pods and even two TRX training systems to plan for our inevitable quarantine. We brought TONS of KN95 and KF94 masks to last us the entire trip.

Re-Adjusting to American Life

It's funny the first places we visit after returning to the US. After re-adjusting to a lifestyle that included having a car, parking lots, and (ugh) LA traffic, we started visiting the most mundane places. The funny thing is, it had been so long that we were super, super excited to go to places like Costco, Target, and In & Out Burger.

It took awhile to adjust to a different way of mask wearing. Mask mandates vary city by city, but virtually no city requires wearing masks outside (unlike in Hong Kong). At the beginning, we stared in horror as we witnessed whole maskless cities going about their normal life. I distinctly remember being shocked seeing a man rip off his mask the moment he stepped outside the stop. By the end of the trip, we had adjusted and were "doing as the Romans do", taking off our masks the moment we stepped outside (though we always kept them on inside).

Home Cooking Never Tasted So Good

The sweetest part of the Los Angeles trip was of course the time we had to spend with family. We saw Bryan's parents for lunch almost every day. His mom cooked us a bountiful array of amazing delicious and healthy foods, which we shared each day together on their outside patio (thank you California sunshine!).

Bryan’s mom made all of Bryan’s favorite foods (which he hasn’t had in close to 2 years!). Because we couldn’t be home for Thanksgiving, she even hunted around off-season and found a full-sized turkey, making us an early full-fledged Thanksgiving meal. It was amazing, and oh-so-good to be with the extended family once again.

Because it was pandemic times, we only ate outdoors and kept our masks on inside.

Disneyland

Disneyland was one of the highlights of our Los Angeles trip. The weather was beautiful, we went on a weekday (so the lines were short!), and . . . most importantly, we saw the new Star Wars Land! It was really, really cool. The must-do ride is the new Rise of the Resistance. There are limited tickets per day and you must reserve them via the mobile app. They become available two times a day, 7AM and 1PM, and it's a mad finger race to see who can grab them first.

We tried to reserve them at 7AM (we asked our friend to do it), but he totally failed, even though he tried right at 7AM. After entering the park, we tried again around 1PM. This time, we knew how crazy of a race it was, so we ALL downloaded the app and started pressing the button over and over and over again. Bryan "won" our finger race and was able to reserve tickets for all of us.

It is SO WORTH it. It is probably the best Disneyland ride I’ve ever been on. I won't spoil it, but it's a huge production with many different parts to the ride. They only let people ride it once a day. Otherwise, I totally would have gone back and ridden it multiple times. There's so much to see, and it really takes multiple times. Perhaps someday . . .

Hiking in Los Angeles

I love hiking no matter where I go. In Hong Kong it's easy just to walk 5-10 minutes and arrive at a trail. In Los Angeles, we had to drive, but there is a lot of fun hiking both nearby and further away. We spent a day hiking up to the Hollywood Sign. From the top you can see beautiful views of LA and also take some silly photos with the sign itself.

My favorite hike for pretty views, though, were the beautiful waterways at Bolsa Chica Wetlands Wildlife Reserve. We chose this place because it was not too far from Bryan's parents' home in Orange County. It's a pretty easy and flat walk, and the views are stunning. It's a preserve for birds, so you can also see lots of different types of wildlife. Finally, we also met up with a friend at Huntington Beach and Balboa Island, and took and nice long walk along the virtually empty beach.

All in all, we had a really blessed time in Southern California. I'm extremely thankful that we were able to visit Bryan's family during a time before Omicron hit. Even though Delta was present, at least the vaccines seemed to do their job against that variant at the time (phew!).

Next up: all the food we enjoyed while in LA! Below is a sneak preview. 🙂

Other Posts in this Series (~~Some to be published in the next 1-2 weeks~~ all published!)

Traveling During Covid - Our Three Month Trip Around the World
Majordomo Los Angeles - Part of David Chang's Momofuku Empire
Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary at Taco Maria (During Covid)
Daybird LA - Best Szechuan Hot Chicken
Playa Amor Los Angeles - Amazing Mole
MÍRAME Beverly Hills - Modern Mexican

Celebrating with the extended family in Southern California.

December 20, 2021 Around the World Trip Report

Traveling during Covid: Our 3-Month Trip Around the World

Dear Friends,

It has been so long!!!! I am so sorry for the extended silence here. I swear, in the 12 years since I started this blog, I have never had such a long silence before, and for that I sincerely apologize. After almost two years of being “stuck” in Hong Kong, Bryan and I finally flew back home to the US to see our family, friends, and business contacts.

It was a tough decision to stay away for so long, but we live in a very different world now. Hong Kong currently has one of the most stringent quarantine requirements on this planet. We knew that by traveling to the US, we would have to quarantine for 3 weeks upon return. As such, we wanted to make the absolute most out of our time outside.

And thus we embarked upon a whirlwind trip that included multiple cities in the US and in Europe. We visited so many old friends, re-visited our old haunts, and also traveled to some brand new places.

Traveling During Covid

Traveling during Covid is very, very different, but still doable. Different countries have different requirements for Covid tests, vaccinations, and (in the case of HK), quarantine bookings. It’s a maze to figure out, and all the more complicated because the situation changes sometimes daily. We ordered boxes of Covid tests that we kept in our suitcase and carried along with us just so we could self-monitor, and (at least for the US), even use those test results to comply with official requirements.

We wore KN95/KF94 masks on flights, but felt comfortable enough to take them off for short durations while we ate. If our travel time was longer than 12 hours, we would change out for fresh masks. We tried to keep a distance from people at airports, and most certainly kept our masks on at all times except while actively eating or drinking.

The Quarantine Life

I have now finally returned to Hong Kong after 3 long months, and am currently serving out my 3-week quarantine. Not surprisingly, I took thousands of photos during my time away. I am methodically working through them, and hope to share with you all the things I experienced (and learned!) while traveling during this pandemic time.

For now, below is a snapshot of things to come. Happy Christmas, Merry New Year, and have a wonderful holiday!

...

September 1, 2021 Around the World Trip Report

Happy 20th Anniversary! A look back . . .

20 years???

In some ways it's really hard for me to believe that I have been married for 20 years (the years flew by!). Yet in another way, when I look back and think about all the different things we've gone through together -- how we've both grown, changed, and experienced so many different chapters together in so many different ways -- then it does feel like it's been a long time.

I met Bryan when he was 17 and I was 19. We were mere kids, not really knowing anything about our futures, where we would go, what we would become. We got married soon out of college, still figuring out our directions in life.

Marriage is truly a step of faith and also commitment (especially when you're really young and you still don't really know yourself!).

We got married on September 1, 2001. It was ten days before the horrific attacks on 9/11 that changed America and our lives forever. We were on our honeymoon in Italy at the time, and started out our marriage stuck in Brussels for days before finally catching a flight to Montreal and driving down the Boston.

I thought it would be fun to reflect upon how we have celebrated our anniversary over the past 20 years. Of course, our 20 years of marriage is defined by so much more than just food or annual celebrations. However, it has played an important part of how we enjoy time together as a couple, and (of course), it is the focus of this blog. 🙂 Enjoy!

2002

2002 was a different time, define by a post 9/11 world and yet pre-digital and pre-social media. Although we received our first digital camera as a wedding present, I woefully have very few photos from that era, and I can't remember for the life of me how we celebrated! All I remember is that I gave Bryan a coffee grinder and Illy espresso cups for our first Valentine's Day, which we use to this day.

2003 - 2007: Staying Put in Boston

I changed careers in 2003 and started attending law school at night and working full time during the day. Needless to say, we started out our marriage being quite busy! Although my weeknights were filled with classes and weekends full of study, we still played in our church band together, ran a Bible study group at our home, and enjoyed local trips around New England.

2003: *Outlet shopping in Freeport Maine*

2004: *Hiking, lobsters, and blueberry pie at Acadia National Park in Maine*

2005: Attending a friend's wedding and celebrating in Boston's North End at Prezza for dinner

2006: I love biking, and one of my favorite activities is to bike the minuteman trail (from Cambridge to Lexington) for ice cream at Rancatore's, and then bike back for a nice dinner in Cambridge. This time, we took a day off of work and ended the day with a French meal in Harvard Square.

2007: Tiny Urban Kitchen is Born

When I graduated from law school, I was so ready to explore a plethora of hobbies (after being "cooped up" for 4 years studying law during my freetime). I threw myself into trying new activities, such as sewing handbags, oil painting, running, capoeira, cooking, and starting a food blog.

In the early days, the blog had no photos (!). I really just wanted to keep a journal of the restaurants I ate at, and also my mom's recipes. Because of that, my write-up of our 6th anniversary meal at Craigie Street Bistrot (one of the earliest blog posts at Tiny Urban Kitchen) is shockingly photo-less.

As life would have it, as I became "freer", Bryan started traveling more and more for work. At our first anniversary apart in 2008 (due to one of Bryan's many business trips), Bryan sent me roses at work for the first time.

Tiny Urban Kitchen is Christened

In 2009 I started to blog more seriously. Bryan had bought me a lovely little camera that took really good photos of food. I changed the name of the blog, joined an ad network, and started to write more seriously about both my cooking and my dining out.

That year, we celebrated our anniversary with a lovely meal at Boston's classic No. 9 Park.

2010: 9th: Menton

2010 was a momentous year. I won Project Food Blog: The Next Food Blog Star, and I started blogging a lot more. We celebrated our 9th with a lovely meal at Barbara Lynch's flagship restaurant Menton, where we enjoyed New England inspired food elevated to the highest level Boston had ever seen.

2011: Las Vegas

For our 10th anniversary we did something crazy. Our friend, a wedding photographer in Las Vegas, offered to treat us to a photoshoot in the desert! We brought along my wedding dress and took all sorts of fun photos, the below being one of my favorite.

We also enjoyed a mind-blowing meal at 3-Michelin starred The Mansion at Joel Robuchon. Truly an unforgettable meal.

2012: 11th Uni Sashimi Bar!

2012 was a special year because Bryan's parents retired that year. Bryan had so many airline miles from his years of travel that he gifted his parents a choice of two first class tickets anywhere in the world.

They looked on a globe and picked the farthest location they could find: Australia and New Zealand. Oh, and they wanted to go together as a family. In 2012, we took a 3+ week vacation (longest we'd ever taken!) and traveled around that stunning region. I woefully have never given it a proper write-up on the blog, but there are a few food posts I was able to write.

Due to the crazy travel in November that year, we took it easy for our anniversary (and also for Christmas), not traveling at all but just resting and staying put. We celebrated 11 years of marriage with a lovely Japanese-inspired meal at Uni Sashimi Bar, back when it was just a small corner of Clio, pre-Tony Messina. How things have changed!

2013: 12th Sonoma!

I have such, such fond memories of California's wine region. I got to know the region when I used to travel there annually to cover the S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef competitions. For years we went back annually, savoring the beautiful scenery, amazing food, and in Sonoma and Napa. I have many, many fond memories of those trips, and am so thankful for the numerous opportunities we had to visit that amazing region.

2014: 13th Berkshires!

Boston's own backyard, the Berkshires, is a lovely place to visit in the summertime. For our 13th anniversary, we finally enjoyed a picnic while listening to a concert at Tanglewood, the quintessential New England summer experience!

2015: 14th in the Midwest and Around the World

Our friends asked us months earlier whether we wanted to make a special trip to Chicago just to dine at Alinea, one of the most famous fine-dining restaurants in the US. It had been years since I had visited Chicago, and I fell in love with the city! I guess my Midwestern roots are still strong, and perhaps a part of me felt at home there. The meal at Alinea was also really special, especially because we got to spend this anniversary with some of our best friends.

2015 was also memorable for me because that fall Bryan took me on an "Around the World" trip to celebrate my 40th birthday. It was a momentous and crazy trip. We visited wineries in Bordeaux, explored museums in Paris, sampled white truffles in Alba (even went on a truffle hunt!), learned all about the barbaresco and barolo regions, savored Tokyo's food and culture, and also stopped by Hong Kong, Bryan's favorite city in the world. At that time, we never would have ever imagined that we would move there some day.

Finally, I started a new job as head of IP at a biotech start-up in Cambridge, which was super exciting. What a year!

2016: 15th Saison San Francisco

In 2016 I got to enjoy one of my favorite meals (ever) in the US, our anniversary dinner at Saison in San Francisco. I loved how the chef incorporated so many Japanese concepts and ingredients into the tasting menu.

2017: 16th Bergamot Boston

2017 was an unique year. It was the year I moved to Hong Kong. At that time, Bryan had already moved to Hong Kong first and had returned to Boston right before our anniversary to wrap up our move. For our anniversary, we visited our favorite hangout spot Bergamot and enjoyed a boisterous meal at the bar with close friends.

2018: 17th Bergamot Boston

After moving to Hong Kong, we started to value and cherish our times at Bergamot more and more. We returned again in 2018 for yet another anniversary celebration at the same bar. Little did we know that would be our last time . . .

2019: 18th Anniversary in Amber

We couldn't make it to Boston for our 18th anniversary. Instead, we decided to book Amber in Hong Kong in the midst of an intense time of social unrest in Hong Kong. It was a crazy story of how Bryan barely made it out of the airport (which was overrun with protestors) right before the police locked down the airport. Many people were stuck in traffic for hours. I was so thankful Bryan was able to make it back in time for us to celebrate together. I am even more thankful he had the foresight to book a night at the Landmark Mandarin so we wouldn't have to worry about how to get home afterwards.

2020: COVID-19

It goes without saying that 2020 has been the most upended, unpredictable, and crazy year to date. 2020 meant we had been "locked in" working from home for close to two months. In late August, Hong Kong finally started to open up a bit. We ventured out, cautious, celebrating our first "socially distanced" dinner out at Xin Rong Ji.

2021: Our 20th Anniversary

Happy Anniversary!!! Here we are at our 20th. We are so, so thankful that the Covid situation in Hong Kong is quite good, with no local cases in months. We've been enjoying an extended week of celebrations, visiting some favorites such as Sushi Shikon, Ando, Mott32, and Din Tai Fung, just to name a few.

Sometimes it's shocking to me how little we knew ourselves and each other when we took the plunge and decided to tie the knot at such a young age. However, I truly believe it's because of God's amazing grace that we have been able to grow so much as as couple these past 20 years.

The 20th anniversary gift according to tradition is China, while the modern version is Platinum. It's fitting, considering we currently live in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, and Platinum is the material we chose for our wedding bands and my engagement ring so many years ago.

I feel very, very thankful and blessed beyond measure.

Happy Anniversary!

July 25, 2021 Hong Kong

The Queen Restaurant 后園 FWD HOUSE 1881

Despite living in Boston for over twenty years, I only heard the Boston Symphony Orchestra a handful of times. As a student at MIT I could have gone for free, and yet I hardly took advantage of the opportunity (probably because school-related things always felt more urgent).

Ironically, it took a pandemic (and a violinist friend) who got me back into the concert hall. The past 6 months, Bryan and I have already gone to the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra THREE times (!).

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra plays in Tsim Sha Tsui in a concert hall right along the harbourfront. They have one of the best views in Hong Kong.

About a month ago, we decided to gift a friend tickets to the HKPhil orchestra together with a pre-show dinner for her birthday. This friend really loves Chinese food, so Bryan started hunting around for excellent Chinese restaurants around the concert hall. I was thrilled to discover The Queen, a new upscale Chinese restaurant that opened during the pandemic in 2020.

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