Recipes

February 25, 2020 Hong Kong

Tosca di Angelo Ritz Carlton Hong Kong

Happy Birthday Bryan!

This year we had a slightly different type of celebration for Bryan's birthday. In years past, we often would dine out (just the two of us), or have small gatherings with close friends. Bryan's an introvert by nature and doesn't really like big parties, so the dinners tended to be small.

This year was different. It was Bryan's third birthday in Asia. After having 2+ years under our belt in this region, we had started making some friends. Bryan decided that Tosca, an Italian restaurant located at the top of the ICC (tallest building in HK at 118 stories!), would be perfect.

First, Italian food is Bryan's favorite cuisine. Tosca di Angelo Ritz Carlton in Hong Kong boasts one Michelin star and focuses on Mediterranean-inspired cuisine from Chef Angelo's hometown of Sicily, Italy. There's no question Bryan would enjoy the food.

Second, Tosca di Angelo's location is quite convenient for out-of-town visitors because it is walking distance from the high speed rail, the airport express station, and also the subway (MTR).

Finally . . . . the views and the ability to book a private room! The views from the top of the ICC are unparalleled. They are such a treat for everyone.

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February 21, 2020 Asian

The Tempura Bar at Shikigiku IFC Hong Kong

Shikigiku is a Japanese food lover's dream. This large Japanese restaurant houses a dedicated sushi bar, a dedicated tempura bar, and a dining room area that serves kaiseki menus and teppanyaki.

Known most for its tempura, this restaurant has two locations. One is located in Tsim Sha Tsui while the other is right above the Four Seasons in IFC.

My fellow Japanese food enthusiast friend (we actually met randomly in Japan while dining at Sushi Ya) told me about Shikigiki IFC. It is his favorite place in Hong Kong for tempura. He especially likes coming at lunch because the prices are a steal compared to dinner and the food is still good.

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February 20, 2020 French

Belon Hong Kong

Belon Hong Kong is a small, cute French bistro located on a small street in Hong Kong's quaint Soho neighborhood. The ambiance is warm and cozy, and the food is top notch.

The restaurant is a darling of Hong Kong food enthusiasts, and has quickly won countless awards. In 2019 it climbed 25 spots to number 15 on Asia's Top 50 Restaurants (the highest climber that year) and currently holds one Michelin star.

We came here on a weekend during lunch. The place was packed, but thankfully they had a few open seats at the bar, which is where we dined.

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February 18, 2020 Europe

Leicester Square Kitchen London

Leicester Square is a bustling pedestrian area in London, flanked by popular tourist areas such as Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, and Piccadilly Circus. There's always a huge crowd of people there and it seems to be dotted with mediocre restaurants.

In fact, it's often hard to find really good food in the middle of these crowded, super-touristy areas. This is why we were pleasantly surprised when we stumbled upon Leicester Square Kitchen London, a modern Mexican and Peruvian restaurant located right in the center of Leicester Square in London.

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February 17, 2020 Europe

Emilia London

The Mayfair neighborhood in London is a quaint upscale area filled with gorgeous Victorian houses, high end restaurants, and elegant boutiques. I had the opportunity to spend a couple days here a few months back while stopping by London to do a few meetings for work.

There is no shortage of brand name chefs and ultra high-end restaurants in this area. However, I was looking for something just a tad more down-to-earth, a bit less over-the-top.

After much research that involved optimizing a number of factors, I booked a dinner at Emilia, an Italian restaurant located inside Bonhams’ flagship London saleroom. Emilia caught my eye because it boasted homemade pastas and food with a modern twist, which I typically like.

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February 14, 2020 Hong Kong

Fukuro Hong Kong

Fukuro calls itself a "spirited izakaya" where tired salarymen go to "eat, drink, and escape everyday life." A member of the Black Sheep Restaurant Group (whose restaurants we really enjoy), Fukuro was most certainly spirited the day we visited. The place was packed, buzzing with energy. We even waited a bit for a table, though thankfully the wait was not more than 15 minutes.

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February 13, 2020 Europe

Clamato Paris - Casual Trendy Seafood Bar

Clamato in Paris reminds me of the type of trendy, seafood restaurant you see in Boston. A raw bar, coupled with small, creative plates that incorporate different types of fresh seafood with international ingredients. An eclectic, carefully curated wine list is possible. In short - a Parisien version of a cross between the likes of Neptune Oyster, Eventide Oyster (Portland, ME), Select Oyster, and maybe even the crudos at Bar Mezzana.

Clamato is very, very popular. Part of the reason is that it comes from the folks behind Septime, currently one of the most difficult bookings in Paris, period. It also doesn't take reservations, so folks line up when it gets busy.

We arrived before 7PM and were able to easily get a seat without a wait.

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February 12, 2020 Hong Kong

Octavium Hong Kong

Octavium is the experimental kitchen for Chef Umberto Bombana, the famous Italian chef behind 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana (the only 3-Michelin starred Italian restaurant outside of Italy). Octavium Hong Kong is part of a trio of Italian restaurants by the Bombana Group in Hong Kong, the third being Ciak in the Kitchen, the most casual of the three.

Executive Chef Silvio Armanni oversees the restaurant. According to Chef Bombana, Octavium allows him to experiment more without feeling the need to always use super high end ingredients (truffles, blue lobster, etc.), which is what diners at 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo expect.

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February 11, 2020 Asian

Ah Yat Harbour View Tsim Sha Tsui - Excellent Cantonese Food with a View

Hong Kong has one of the most beautiful skylines in the world. Every night at 8PM sharp the city puts on a fun light show that lasts about 10 minutes.

One great way to enjoy the light show in the comforts of an indoor space (without the crowds) is to dine across the harbour in Tsim Sha Tsui at a restaurant facing the harbour.

A great way to entertain out of town guests is to take them to Ah Yat Harbour View in Tsim Sha Tsui. This well-regarded Cantonese restaurants serves excellent renditions of all the Cantonese classics while also providing fantastic views of the city.

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February 10, 2020 Hong Kong

Xin Rong Ji Hong Kong - 1 Michelin Star in Wan Chai

I knew that Xin Rong Ji must be a really good restaurant when I tried (and failed) twice to make a reservation at the last minute. This Michelin-starred Shanghainese restaurant originated from Mainland China and has several locations throughout the region.

We have since had a few opportunities to dine there and we absolutely love it. Not only is the food top notch, the wine list is incredible and comes at ridiculous reasonable prices (with minimal mark up). It's most certainly a wine-lover's dream to be able to taste a host of high-end wines (think first growth French Bordeaux) while enjoying excellent Shanghainese food.

The menu is quite large, and we have only tried a few dishes (limited capacity when it's just the two of us!). However, we've tried enough dishes to have a general impression about the place. Below are some of our initial thoughts.

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February 8, 2020 Europe

Semilla Paris

Semilla Paris is a warm and cozy brasserie that serves modern and refreshingly light French food. Vegetables are a highlight, though everything is good at this popular spot in the lovely Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood.

The Michelin Guide has awarded Semilla a Michelin Plate, "fresh ingredients, capably prepared: simply a good meal." Alice Waters speaks fondly of it; and Mark Bittman of the New York Times selected it as one of four "winners", places he found where he "was eating best".

The restaurant is insanely popular and reservations are highly recommended. In fact, when we told the hotel concierge that we wanted to dine here, his eyes lit up and he said, "you will love it. I think they make the best veal sweetbreads in all of France."

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February 6, 2020 Europe

Le Chateaubriand Paris France

I was so, so embarrassed.

We were over an hour late to our reservation at Le Chateaubriand Paris. The circumstances understandable. Paris was in the middle of its worst transportation strike/protests in decades. Workers were so frustrated about a potential change in retirement benefits, they effectively shut down all public transportation in France.

The resultant massive traffic jam that arose during rush hour resulted in our 4-mile trip taking two hours. It would have been faster to walk (had we known!).

The staff at Le Chateaubriand were so, so gracious. They called, left a message, and I was able to call them back and tell them about our unfortunately circumstances.

I'm so thankful they were willing to serve us, after we showed up well past 8:30PM. The meal turned out to be fantastic. It was creative, mind-blowing at times, and all around really, really fun.

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February 5, 2020 Asian

Joon Go Korean Restaurant in Wan Chai

Experts in Korean food say you can typically know the quality of a Korean restaurant's food by its banchan, or the little free appetizers that come out before the meal.

I am by no means an expert on Korean food. In fact, I've never been to Korea. So, I can't really comment on authenticity. However, I can say that the banchan at Joon Go was quite tasty, and overall, our lunch there was pretty enjoyable.

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February 4, 2020 Cuisine

hEAT Wan Chai - chargrilled meats and seafood

hEAT is a grill focused restaurant located high up on the 23rd floor of QRE Plaza in Wan Chai. Despite it being really close to our apartment, we had never heard of it. We discovered the restaurant through Eatigo, an app that gives discounts for last minute reservations.

We were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food and really enjoyed a good dry aged steak together with some tasty sides.

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February 3, 2020 Europe

Le Comptoir - best beef cheeks in the world

We begin a new series covering Paris and London today! This series will cover the week we spent in Europe in early December 2019 as a part-work, part-leisure trip right before Christmas.

I first discovered beef cheeks after close friends from our Boston days raved to us about it. They had just come back from Paris and had tried the famous beef cheeks at Le Comptoir, thanks to Anthony Bourdain.

That afternoon, we proceeded to buy some beef cheeks and cook them at home. Although we didn't quite replicate the famous Parisian version, I still fell in love with the soft, tender, tendon-laced nature of beef cheeks.

Close to a decade later, we finally had the chance to try these world famous beef cheeks ourselves.

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January 31, 2020 Asian

Ming Court Hong Kong - Excellent 1-Michelin starred Cantonese food in Mongkok

Ming Court is a high-end Cantonese restaurant inside the Cordis Hotel in Mongkok. The restaurant has been serving refined Cantonese food for over a decade, maintaining its Michelin star since 2009. The theme is the Ming Dynasty, and the dining room is adorned with pottery and decor from the era.

Though it's three-Michelin starred sister T'ang Court is more famous, Ming Court still offers up excellent Cantonese cuisine in an elegant setting.

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January 30, 2020 Hong Kong

Mr. Brown Wan Chai

There's something about nostalgia that draws us to places. The sense of familiarity brings feelings of warmth, fond memories, and an overall sense of happiness.

I never thought I loved the simplicity of grilled vegetables and meats so much until I started missing it. Mr. Brown in Wan Chai, which focuses on all things grilled, instantly brought back memories of Boston in a lot of ways.

Mr. Brown is the second venture from the folks behind the very popular Mediterranean restaurant Francis in the Star Street district of Wan Chai. Mr. Brown has a HUGE grill and focuses on smoked and grilled meats along with other delectable goods from the grill.

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January 29, 2020 Chinese

Old Bazaar Kitchen Wan Chai

The building that we live in is interesting. The first floor houses four restaurants. Three very high end Japanese restaurants (Kaiseki Den by Sataome, Sushi Masataka, Takumi by Daisuke Mori), and then tucked in the back on the alley side of the street, a hidden Chinese restaurant called Old Bazaar Kitchen.

One day, out of curiosity, we decided to stop in and give it a try. We were pleasantly surprised at how good everything was. The level of execution is very high, though with prices to match.

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January 28, 2020 Cuisine

Ciak In the Kitchen Hong Kong

Ciak in the Kitchen is the casual cousin to 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana, the only Italian restaurant outside of Italy ever to earn three Michelin stars. Both restaurants are located in Central in the Landmark Center.

We've been to Ciak in the Kitchen several times and the food is pretty good. Of course, it cannot compare to Otto e Mezzo, but the restaurants serves solid pastas, pizzas, and main dishes.

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January 27, 2020 Asian

Paste Bangkok - 1 Michelin Star

I've been to Thailand four times now. Aside from dining at Nahm, a Thai restaurant from an Australian Chef that originally opened in London, I have mostly stuck to street food, casual eateries, and cooking classes in Thailand.

This trip, we decided to try something different. After spending a few days in a fishing town outside of Bangkok, we traveled back to Bangkok to dine at a few places. One of the places we decided to try was Paste, recommended a food enthusiast friend.

Paste Bangkok has won its share of accolades. Chef Bongkoch ‘Bee’ Satongun won Best Female Chef in Asia by 50 Best in 2018. Paste is also listed No. 28 in Asia's 50 Best. The restaurant holds one Michelin Star.

Chef Bee and her husband Jason Bailey cook what they call "heirloom cuisine." Throughout many years of studying Thai cuisine, the couple came across old forgotten recipes and lost techniques that they decided to being back. Chef Bee continues to travel to rural parts of Thailand, constantly learning more about forgotten traditions, recipes, and cooking techniques. She then takes these ideas and researches and refines them in her own kitchen.

The final product of all that work culminates into a meal at Paste.

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January 24, 2020 Hong Kong

tfvsjs - 談風 VS 再說 - Hong Kong

The name alone sort of catches your eye. What kind of restaurant is called tfvsjs? And what does it mean?

It turns out that it's a mixture of Chinese and English. tf stands for 談風 (taam fung) , the "vs" stands for versus in English, and js stands for 再說, (joi shut) in Cantonese. In fact, the name belongs to the indie Canto band that owns the restaurant.

Interestingly, the band first obtained this spacious underground (basement) space near Hong Kong University because they wanted a large enough space for a band room and a recording studio. However, in order to fund it, they had to have some kind of business. Thus, a modern fusion cafe was born.

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January 23, 2020 Cuisine

Coyote Wan Chai Mexican

Walk past bar after bar brimming with foreigners, red light district type shops, and a number of excellent restaurants to arrive at Coyote, a loud, music-filled, dark and festive Mexican restaurant. The Mexican cantina boasts the first table-side guacamole in Hong Kong, their own housemade hot sauces (which you can buy to take home with you), and local beers on tap.

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January 22, 2020 Cuisine

Amber Hong Kong - 2 Michelin Stars

It was an unusual anniversary, to say the least.

Hong Kong was deep in a season of unrest. Weekends were filled with massive protest marches that more and more often devolved into vandalism and violence. Oftentimes, the subway station would close stations or entire lines if the unrest reached a certain level in a neighborhood. This means, if you were in a protest area after the subways shut down, you could have trouble getting home.

Weeks earlier (Bryan, being the wonderful think-ahead planner that he is) had already confirmed a dinner reservation at Amber. Amber is located in the Landmark Mandarin in an area of Hong Kong called Central, basically the center of the city (and a popular protest spot).

To complicate things, Bryan was flying back to Hong Kong from a business trip that day, and the airport was another area in which protests were happening.

To make a long story short, we decided to book a night's "staycation" at the Landmark Mandarin (the hotel where Amber is located) so that we could relax and not worry about how to get home after our dinner. Thankfully, Bryan was able to make it back from the airport just in time for us to make our anniversary dinner.

Despite the tough times, the folks at Amber were amazing and we had a elegant, flawlessly executed, and memorable anniversary dinner.

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January 21, 2020 Hong Kong

Miss Lee Vegetarian Modern Chinese Food 李好純

Miss Lee vegetarian restaurant Hong Kong

Miss Lee or 李好純 is a brand new concept in Sheung Wan that transforms classic Hong Kong flavors into modern vegetarian fare. Their emphasis on fresh and natural flavors results in dishes that overall feel light and healthy. Instead of wine pairing (which is available, of course), you can opt for a juice pairing which includes house-crafted juices made from a variety of colorful and vitamin-packed vegetables (think beets, carrots, ginger, spinach, and the like).

The best way to enjoy the chef's signature offerings is to do the Chef's Tasting, which, at HKD 288, won't break the bank and gives you the opportunity to sample some of the most signature dishes on the menu.

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January 20, 2020 Cuisine

OM Tapas Hong Kong - Spanish tapas in TST

We've gotten a little spoiled here on Hong Kong island, especially Wan Chai, with all the excellent Spanish restaurants within a stone's throw of our home. However, there was a time a few months ago when some friends were going to be in town, near Tsim Sha Tsui on Kowloon side.

They had never had Spanish food before, so we thought it would be fun to introduce them to the concept of tapas.

After hunting around a bit, Bryan booked us a tapas lunch at OM Tapas.

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January 19, 2020 Cuisine

Kytaly Hong Kong

Wow. Just wow.

I didn’t expect to love the flavor of the crust so much, but the pizza from Kytaly blew my mind and I fell in love. The dough has phenomenal amounts of flavor and the chewy texture is oh-so good.

In my mind there is no contest. This is certainly the best pizza in Hong Kong, and arguably the best pizza I've ever had (and I've had my fair share of good pizzas).

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January 16, 2020 Hong Kong

Giando Hong Kong

Giando is an elegant, warm, and relaxed Italian restaurant tucked in the Star Street Precinct neighborhood of Wan Chai. Chef Gianni Caprioli serves modern Italian food, sourcing ingredients from artisan producers and small family farms in Italy.

Prior to opening up his restaurants in Hong Kong, Chef Gianni worked as a private chef for the Agnelli family, one of the richest families in Italy and owner of FIAT.

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January 15, 2020 Hong Kong

Gough's on Gough Hong Kong

The restaurant industry in Hong Kong moves so fast. The ultra competitive nature for the food (there is A LOT of really, really good food here), the quick changing interests of Hong Kongers, and the expensive rent means that restaurants come and go at an alarming rate.

We enjoyed a phenomenal meal at Gough's on Gough last year. The place had a really unique, classy retro design, fantastic food, and warm and friendly service.

I was so, so sad when I found out they were closing at the end of 2019. The unrest in Hong Kong has been tough on businesses, to the point that even really, really good restaurants are closing.

I still wanted to post these beautiful photos as a tribute to Gough's on Gough.

Enjoy the "silent" photo essay!

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January 14, 2020 Hong Kong

Kaiseki Den - Exquisite Japanese tasting menu in Wan Chai

We never cease to be amazed by the plethora of world class restaurants in our neighborhood, and Kaiseki-Den was no exception. This high-end Japanese kaiseki restaurant is steps away from our front door and serves some of the most elegant flavors and beautifully plated courses I have enjoyed in Hong Kong.

Kaiseki-Den is the first Japanese restaurant in Hong Kong to earn a Michelin Star (back in 2010). It has maintained that star ever since and continues to execute exquisite tasting menus. Chief Executive Chef Hiroyuki Saotome, the mastermind behind these tasting menus, has over 30 years' experience. His signature dishes include uni truffle rice and his wagyu beef dishes(more on those below!).

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January 13, 2020 Cuisine

Chino Kennedy Town - Mexican food with a Japanese twist in Hong Kong

Ox Tongue / Pickled Jalapeños / Arbol // HKD40

We hardly ever leave Wan Chai when it comes time to find a place to eat dinner. In Wan Chai alone, there are so many ridiculously good restaurants, we actually find ourselves getting lazy, thinking that even Causeway Bay (only a 15-min walk away) feels too far away some nights.

Having said that, we make a huge exception when it comes to Mexican food. There is a dearth of good Mexican food in Hong Kong. This is why we were thrilled when we discovered great Mexican food in Kennedy Town, despite the fact that it was (*gasp*) a whole six stops away on the subway.

We fell in love with the food at Chino the first time we visited. Chef Erik Idos grew up in Los Angeles (just like Bryan!) and was surrounded by really good Mexican food ever since he was a kid. He later trained at Nobu (California, New York, and Hong Kong) for eight years before opening his own place.

Chino considers itself a "modern Mexican style restaurant inspired by Japanese ingredients and cooking techniques." We enjoyed the creative blend of the two cuisines - marrying Mexican bold flavors with top notch Japanese ingredients (and flavors).

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January 12, 2020 Japan

Il Ristorante Luca Fantin Tokyo

I had been curious about Il Ristorante Luca Fantin for a while, now. This Italian restaurant in one of Tokyo's glitziest neighborhoods, Ginza, sits on top of the Bulgari building. Chef Luca Fantin himself has spent time at many top notch restaurants around the world, including Mugaritz (my favorite San Sebastian fine dining experience) and Ryugin, where he first fell in love with Japan.

The restaurant has maintained its Michelin star since 2011, though many think it at least deserves one more. It Ristorante Luca Fantin is also number 18 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2019 and 107th on the World's 50 Best list.

When I initially asked Bryan whether he was interested in trying an Italian restaurant in Tokyo, he asked, "why would I want to eat Italian in Tokyo?"

I explained that Luca Fantin incorporates top quality Japanese ingredients into his creative take on Italian cuisine. Italian happens to be Bryan's favorite cuisine in the world. Once he heard that, he was intrigued as well.

We booked about one month in advance, and it wasn't a problem getting a reservation. We did have to pre-book which tasting menu we wanted. We also had to provide a credit card number. They would charge us a penalty if we did not cancel two days before our reservation.

We decided to go with the signature Menù Luca Fantin, JPY25,000 a person.

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January 10, 2020 Japan

Imafuku Tokyo - 1 Michelin Star

Up until recently, Bryan and I were quite "boring" eaters when it came to our trips to Tokyo. Invariably we would book a number of sushi restaurants. We would then throw in a few noodle, wagyu beef, or tonkatsu places and then call it a day.

It wasn't until more recently that we started venturing out. Our trip to Kyoto and Osaka helped us expand our horizons, and we started to explore restaurants specializing in things like tofu, soba noodles, shabu, and much, much more.

I am still a bit shocked that it wasn't until 2019 that we discovered the beauty of sukiyaki, a type of Japanese beef hot pot.

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January 9, 2020 Japan

Sushi Ishiyama 鮨いしやま

We've been fans of Chef Takao Ishiyama for some time now. We first "discovered" him while dining at 2-Michelin starred Sushi Kanesaka back in 2011. (Wow, has it been that long since that meal? We look so young. He looks so young!) He was the one who served us during that meal, not chef Kanesaka, who was at another table.

Four years later in late 2015 we visited Sushi Ya because we had heard really good things about it. We were shocked when we walked in the door because we recognized Ishiyama-san as the person who served us so many years ago at Sushi Kanesaka. We loved the food at Sushi Ya. In fact, I made Sushi Ya one of my regular stops on future trips to Tokyo.

In 2018, we visited him for what would be his last time at Sushi Ya. This is because the word had already been out that Ishiyama-san was finally going to open his own place.

So finally, here we are. In 2019 we returned to see Ishiyama-san finally at his own restaurant. It's crazy to think we have been following him since 2011 through multiple places.

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January 8, 2020 Japan

Disney Sea Tokyo

Bryan and I are pretty big Disney fans and have traveled numerous times to Disneyland Los Angeles (where Bryan grew up), Disney World in Florida, and Disneyland Hong Kong. However, in all our years traveling to Japan, we never went to any of the Disney parks. We had heard that Disney Sea Tokyo was special, more oriented towards adults, and unique since there is only one in the world.

So during our 4-day trip to Tokyo last spring, we finally decided we would do it. We would devote one entire day to visiting Disney Sea.

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January 7, 2020 Japan

Tempura Fukamachi Tokyo

It's been a long time since I've found a place that can rival my favorite tempura restaurant in the world, but I think I may have found a worthy contender at half the price (at least during lunchtime).

I fell in love with my meal at Tempura Fukamachi. It seems like I am not the only one who loves Fukamachi, as it was one of the more difficult reservations to book. The only time slot I could get was a 1:45PM lunch, which required a credit card deposit.

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January 6, 2020 Japan

Easter in Japan - Trip Report

We kick off a new series about Japan!

Despite the fact that I am now a 5-hour flight away from Tokyo (as opposed to a 12-hour flight in the past), I still only managed to travel to Japan at about the same rate as before, roughly once a year.

In 2019 Bryan and I traveled to Tokyo over the long Easter weekend (a 4-day holiday in Hong Kong!). Because we only had four days, we tried to make the most of it, leaving Thursday evening on a red-eye flight to arrive in Tokyo first thing Friday morning.

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January 4, 2020 Misc

Happy New Year 2020 - Wow a new decade!

Happy New Year!

Man, it's been a discombobulated start to 2020, which could explain why I'm several days late to posting my annual New Years update. We "missed a day", leaving for Boston's airport the evening of January 30th and arriving into Hong Kong on January 1, 2020.

Jetlag plus a head cold got the best of me, and I've been slowly recovering since the holidays.

In any event, that's no excuse, and I still would like to spend a little bit of time reflecting on 2019. I'm thankful for a few lazy days at home (between New Years holiday and this weekend) to give me some time to reflect and write.

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November 9, 2019 Catalonia / San Sebastian / Girona

El Cellar de Can Roca - Best Restaurant in the World

El Cellar de Can Roca Girona Spain — El Cellar de Can Roca - Girona Spain

This was it.

The epic "best restaurant in the world."

We had traveled all the way to Spain, all the way to Barcelona, and booked a special trip to Girona just for this restaurant.

El Cellar de Can Roca has won numerous awards and accolades, including holding 3 Michelin stars and the title of best restaurant in the world (2013 and 2015) by World’s 50 Best. A reservation there is notoriously difficult to book and needs to be done 11 months beforehand.

In fact, Bryan’s best friend reached out to us in the spring of 2018 asking if we were interested in traveling to Spain together. After much planning and coordination, our friend secured a booking in August 2018 for July 2019. We planned the rest of our Spain trip around that reservation.

And now here we were . . .

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October 22, 2019 Hong Kong

Carbone Hong Kong

When I get a bit homesick for food that reminds me of the US, I don't have to travel far in Hong Kong to get a taste of it. Carbone is a New York style Italian restaurant and executes old world Italian classics impeccably.

Upon walking in the door, we felt like we had traveled back in time to mid-20th century New York City, dining at one of the city's fine Italian establishments.

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October 8, 2019 Barcelona

Tickets Tapas Bar Barcelona Spain

This is part 11 of the series on San Sebastian, Girona, and Barcelona, Spain. Other parts of this series (as they become available) can be found at this link.

The world was devastated when legendary El Bulli in Spain announced it was closing in 2011. Ferran Adrià’s groundbreaking restaurant influenced a generation of chefs, ushering in an era of molecular gastronomy, using creative scientific techniques to push the boundaries of food.

I remember at the time hearing about how some of El Bulli would live on at Tickets, a more casual tapas bar by Ferran and his brother Albert Adrià. Several beloved signatures dishes from El Bulli are featured at Tickets. Additionally, the whimsical, fun, circus-inspired restaurant still has the El Bulli spirit, experimenting with flavors, textures, and various elements of surprise through the use of molecular techniques.

We had been trying to reserve seats for weeks but to no avail. And then, literally one day before we were leaving Spain, our friend just happened to log into the app and saw an opening. He grabbed it within seconds.

Score! The time was tight, but we thought we could make it to Tickets right before our flight. We brought our suitcases to Tickets and enjoyed a fabulous last meal in Spain before heading to the airport. What a way to end the trip!

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