tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84030439535057816092011-11-27T15:35:37.457-08:00Always hungry for moreDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.comBlogger951100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-87741780923786198422011-08-07T00:21:00.000-07:002011-08-07T00:38:04.205-07:00

Hello world, it's been a long time. My day job had me keeping some insane hours in the past few months, including a lot of transpacific travel. After a particularly bad month, I took a much-needed week off and treated myself to a detox retreat at Kamalaya in Koh Samui. While it's a tad pricey (ok, maybe a little more than a tad), especially for Thailand, it was exactly the rest, relaxation and

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-66026852036661356982011-03-01T07:41:00.000-08:002011-03-01T08:18:15.217-08:00

Brunch at The Pawn isn't for the faint of heart, literally. The delicious fare at this wonderfully cozy, modern British gastropub is a cardiologist's nightmare: heavy on fatty meats, butter and other saturated fats. But don't let that keep you away, because you'd be missing out on some of the best brunch fare in Hong Kong. On a recent visit, I had an absolutely delicious (and artery-clogging)

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-32036494960818853862011-01-10T03:36:00.001-08:002011-01-10T03:59:23.246-08:00

I've been to Posto Pubblico three times now - twice for dinner and once for lunch (the photos below are from lunch). I thoroughly enjoyed my first two visits during dinner; not so much my most recent visit during lunch.During my first two visits, the caprese salad was amazingly fresh and delicious, the antipasti platter was sublime and the pastas perfectly al dente. I don't know if they use a

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-7572017378639899902011-01-06T17:36:00.000-08:002011-01-06T18:01:07.879-08:00

I'm not a fan of food nazis - chefs that tell you exactly how you have to eat your food (I'm of the camp that believes that "you like it the way you like it" - who's to tell me or anybody else that there's only one right way to eat something??). So even though friends in LA had been telling me for awhile that I had to try the burger at Father's Office, I put it off for a long time. Why? It went

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-84283939611934142032011-01-06T04:58:00.000-08:002011-01-06T05:40:03.158-08:00

From the very beginning (delightful amuse bouche) to the very end (perfect assorted petit fours), the degustation menu at Amber was absolutely perfect. Very few times in my life have I had a meal (especially a meal with numerous courses) where there wasn't a single flaw - dinner at Amber is one of those rare perfect meals that I can count on one hand.Amber is perfect for special occasions - the

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-83645701403159657532011-01-06T04:34:00.000-08:002011-01-06T04:57:19.794-08:00

At Cafe Gratitude in San Francisco, the dishes are named with self-affirming labels such as "I am dazzling" and "I am sensational." 7000 miles away in Hong Kong, while perusing the menu at VeggieSF (named for San Francisco), I smiled at the inside joke - the most popular item on the menu is a dish called "I am Fabulous." VeggieSF is a cozy restaurant on the 10th floor of a building in the heart

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-1887296440299271752011-01-06T04:02:00.000-08:002011-01-06T04:33:34.976-08:00

Prior to moving here, I'd only visited Hong Kong in the summer, so I have to admit that I had no idea that Hong Kong can get so cold. On a chilly winter day like today, I wanted a hearty, flavorful dish to warm me up - and what's more hearty and flavorful than a hot bowl of laksa? I headed over to Katong Laksa Prawn Mee after doing some research online for "best laksa in Hong Kong." Katong Laksa

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-9402706519861229742011-01-04T20:02:00.000-08:002011-01-04T20:18:59.479-08:00

I spent a year living in Tokyo, widely acclaimed as one of the world's top gastronomic cities, and spent quite a bit of time eating at some of Tokyo's best restaurants, but I'll tell you a little secret: Tokyo has nothing on Hong Kong. Hong Kong is by far my favorite city to eat, eat and eat some more.Don't get me wrong - Tokyo has the highest concentration of refined cuisine (especially Japanese

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-64546240777380840742010-07-09T21:04:00.000-07:002011-01-04T21:00:58.676-08:00

Located in Mint Plaza, just a stone's throw from the SF Shopping Center, Chez Papa Resto is one of my favorite spots in SF for an al fresco lunch or intimate dinner with friends. The cuisine consists of fresh California ingredients prepared using classic and modern French techniques. The food is delicious, service is excellent, ambience is sleek and sexy at night yet laid back during the day. And

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-58720173992882815302010-07-07T00:09:00.000-07:002011-01-04T21:01:15.991-08:00

I can't believe I don't have a picture of the delicious ice cream at Humphry Slocombe, but I guess it's not that surprising - who has time to take pictures when concentrating on devouring the creamy, uniquely delicious ice cream before it melts?Go to Humphry Slocombe. Eat their ice cream. And no matter what else you get, try the Secret Breakfast ice cream. Food rating: **** and a halfBang for

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-29729510534834523072010-07-06T23:30:00.000-07:002011-01-04T21:21:39.149-08:00

To say I love ice cream is an understatement. I really, really love ice cream. In fact, I never go a day without eating at least one spoon of ice cream. Currently, my favorite flavors are Haagen Dazs' Salty Butter Biscuit and Green Tea & Cookies (both only available in Tokyo). The SF bay area has some of the BEST ice cream in the whole entire world. My absolute favorite flavor of all time was the

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-65494601562998653992010-07-06T23:04:00.000-07:002011-01-04T21:04:19.678-08:00

When it comes to Peking duck in my life, there's the BC period and the AD period. BC: Before China. Prior to visiting Beijing, I had never been a huge fan of Peking duck. I liked the flour pancakes and the hoisin sauce, but I preferred mushu chicken to Peking duck, which I found dry yet too fatty all at once.AD: After Da Dong. My meals at Da Dong changed everything I previously thought about

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-46419116636948248732010-07-06T22:52:00.000-07:002011-01-06T19:45:51.467-08:00

My version of a perfect sandwich is a delicious Vietnamese banh mi on a crusty french roll, spread with a bit of mayo, stuffed with marinated pork, pickled cucumber and radish salad, a few sprigs of cilantro and a couple jalapeno peppers. One bite of my first banh mi and I was instantly in love with possibly the single best thing to come out of France's colonization of Vietnam.There are several

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-63398405407294084952010-07-06T22:40:00.000-07:002011-01-04T20:53:24.711-08:00

I've been wanting to write about Luce ever since I fell in love with it after dining there in December. When I visited, it was fairly empty so I truly hope that SF diners discover its delicious, perfectly executed cuisine soon so that Luce doesn't fall prey to the travesty of amazing-but-failed-anyway restaurants that plague the restaurant world.If you live anywhere near the bay area and need a

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-26947267362914757142010-07-06T21:10:00.000-07:002011-01-04T21:26:48.901-08:00

I have a Pavlovian reaction to grits. I hear the word "grits" and I start salivating. I love me some grits. I like them boiled simply with water and salt, I like them with melted butter, I like them cheesy, I like them creamy, I like grits on its own, I like it with a side of bacon or ham, I like it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. But by far my favorite (before discovering 1300 on Fillmore) were

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-38895780972250769202010-07-06T21:00:00.003-07:002010-07-06T23:53:25.328-07:00

I would seriously move to the Mission Dolores area for one reason alone: Tartine Bakery. Tartine is so quintessentially San Francisco - the crowd is a diverse mix of hippies, hipsters and yuppies of all races and age groups congregating at shared tables (or separate tables thisclose to each other so that you might as well be sharing a table) over newspapers, chess games, and the perfection

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-88843819465748322082010-07-06T20:47:00.001-07:002010-07-06T20:56:34.197-07:00

Happiness is a humongous platter of oysters shared with friends at the Ferry Building on a sunny, breezy SF summer day. It's really as simple as that. At the Ferry Building The most delicious oysters - you can mix and match between their various daily offerings Hog Island's grilled cheese sandwich is also scrumptious!Food rating: **** and a half Bang for buck rating: 4The essentials:http://

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-29963105537277868802010-07-06T20:26:00.001-07:002010-07-06T20:40:01.435-07:00

For a greasy spoon brunch experience, complete with long wait, shoddy service and servers with attitude, Elbow Room Cafe is the place in Vancouver. A plaque on the wall proudly boasts: "Reader's Choice, Best of Vancouver: Best Place for Surly & Indifferent Service." And yet people don't seem to be deterred - during the weekend, waits are mandatory. Perhaps it's the humongous portions of tasty

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-60448727757027846982010-07-06T20:13:00.000-07:002010-07-06T20:24:57.289-07:00

The Vancouver Port is the largest port in not only Canada, but the entire west coast of North America - it's no wonder the seafood in Vancouver is so amazingly fresh. Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar is a great place to try some of Vancouver's seafood. We ordered the Petite Plateux de Mer and a plate of oysters - a perfect meal for two. The seafood was so fresh, so sweet, so delicious! Delicious

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-20474665398384537982010-07-06T20:08:00.000-07:002010-07-06T20:08:58.498-07:00

Vancouver is one of my favorite cities in the world - not only does it have a friendly laid-back vibe, international population and proximity to sea and mountains, it has some of the best food in North America, including the best hot dog I've ever had. Japadog, a hotdog stand in downtown Vancouver, is home of Japanese-influenced hot dogs, including an Okonomi hot dog that mimics flavors of

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-91778306309938817072010-07-06T07:45:00.000-07:002010-07-06T22:29:04.655-07:00

A 10-minute drive south from the North Shore in Oahu leads you to a cluster of shrimp trucks. Everyone has their favorite, but the unanimous favorite among my Hawaiian native and transplant friends is Giovanni's. I was told it was a "must-try" so even though we were full from a complete Hawaiian breakfast, we pulled over from the highway to try it. At $12 a plate, the shrimp and rice plates,

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-37904949261054679062010-07-06T07:40:00.000-07:002010-07-06T22:28:52.657-07:00

When I first heard about Hawaiian shaved ice, I expected it to taste just like a sno-cone. After all, isn't that what a sno-cone is? Shaved ice with fruit-flavored syrups. But I was told by Hawaiian locals that M. Matsumoto was "the best Hawaiian shaved ice," and well...if it's the BEST, then I must have it. Thus ensued a two hour drive (including traffic) to the North Shore area from

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-29833418649272138772010-07-06T07:25:00.000-07:002010-07-06T07:27:02.469-07:00

I recognize that the "best pizza" is all relative. Some people like thin crust, some people like thick. Some people like lots of toppings, some people like their pizzas sparse. Two of my favorite pizzas in the world are polar opposites from each other: Zachary's pizza in Berkeley serves up Chicago-style, California-influenced deep dish pizza (in fact, the deepest dish pizza I've ever had) so

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-77205507047206562212010-07-06T04:22:00.000-07:002010-07-06T04:30:21.516-07:00

One of my favorite spots in Tokyo for a frothy cappuccino, refreshing Italian soda or casual meal is Pagliaccio. Unpretentious and unassuming, Pagliaccio has an extensive beverage menu (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) as well as full menu of casual Italian fare. A perfect weekend day might consist of strolling through the nearby Imperial Palace gardens, stopping by Brick Square for a buttery

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-75591971981125714842010-07-06T04:02:00.000-07:002010-07-06T04:21:16.061-07:00

I often wax poetic about how brilliant (just brilliant!) Spain is, and so much of that has to do with its simply amazing and amazingly simple cuisine. I've spent about 5-10 days out of every year for the last several years in Spain (most often in Barcelona), and the other 355-360 days looking for restaurants that replicate the unique joie de vivre and deliciousness that are characteristic of

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-74774592668111276652010-07-06T03:44:00.000-07:002010-07-06T23:53:44.788-07:00

I never visit Paris without making at least one visit to Laduree, one of my favorite patisseries in the world. Just looking at their display case full of macarons, eclairs, croissants and other delectable sweets makes me happy! I've dined at Laduree on a couple occasions as well and recommend ordering from the brunch/tea menu rather than the savory lunch/dinner menu. While Laduree's viennoiserie

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-85671788079195872632010-07-06T03:35:00.000-07:002010-07-06T08:32:52.451-07:00

The SF bay area is home to some of the best dim sum you will find outside of Hong Kong - translucent rice-based wonton skins wrapped around succulent shrimp, chicken feet braised in a savory black bean sauce, glutinous rice wrapped in banana leaves and filled with marinated meat and vegetables, perfectly fried sesame doughnuts with lotus filling...the list goes on. Servers bring around carts so

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-56286149435811183802010-07-06T03:17:00.000-07:002010-07-06T08:33:08.708-07:00

Delicious appetizers. Mouthwatering, tender, juicy, succulent steaks. Amazingly well-priced international wine selection. Need I say more?After an exhilarating day on the slopes in Niseko, dinner at Steak Rosso Rosso is absolutely the perfect way to end the day. Caprese salad and prosciutto & melon appetizers Bacon-wrapped scallops Hokkaido sirloin Wagyu filetFood rating: **** and a half Bang for

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-12814037184351092892010-07-05T15:09:00.000-07:002010-07-06T23:54:34.886-07:00

I love the concept at Patisserie Potager, a whimsical bakery in Nakameguro, one of my favorite areas in Tokyo - vegetable cakes and desserts, from carrot-chocolate flan to edamame cheesecake to asparagus swiss roll cake. It's so different, so strange, so uniquely Japan! The patisserie has garnered a loyal following, not surprisingly consisting mostly of the female variety. While I love the

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-24841901505821377042010-07-03T03:52:00.000-07:002010-07-06T08:33:39.090-07:00

A friend recently visited Tokyo for a week from New York and when asked what she wanted to eat, she answered: "oooh, I want to go to one of those Japanese bar/restaurant things, like the kind in Astor Place!" I answered that I thought she meant an izakaya, which was easy enough, since there are decent izakayas to be found in every neighborhood in Tokyo. On her first night, I took her to Kaikaya

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-65310097105423870632010-07-02T14:41:00.000-07:002010-07-06T08:30:00.059-07:00

Dining out is not just about the food, but the whole experience - the taste and texture of the food, the service, ambience, etc. And human interactions should generally be governed by a general rule of decency. I recently dined at Le Petit Restaurant Epi in Daikanyama and had the single worst dining experience of my life - after a misunderstanding about the bill, the chef publicly humiliated and

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-20486881728581215192010-04-06T04:58:00.000-07:002010-07-06T08:33:55.477-07:00

I previously wrote that I'm not a huge fan of Gonpachi and think there are better places to take visitors. I'd like to offer my first suggestion for an alternative to Gonpachi: Teyandei, just a three minute walk from Gonpachi. A cozy izakaya with a discrete entrance on a street with more residences than businesses, Teyandei offers an "authentic" izakaya experience and the food is loads better

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-53658709618525332032010-04-06T04:51:00.000-07:002010-04-06T04:51:44.832-07:00

Delicious, well-executed Italian with a twist of French in Kyoto. In a nutshell, that's Scorpione, located in the Gion district. Excellent service, excellent food - highly recommended if you need a break from all the kaiseki and tofu in Kyoto (which we most definitely did). Lunch appetizer plate - ratatouille, marinated seafood, cured meat, bean salad and curried mashed potato salad Kyoto beef

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-34999621681646237072010-04-06T04:41:00.000-07:002010-04-06T04:41:49.696-07:00

From my review in the Tokyo Weekender: http://weekenderjapan.com/?p=18180Roppongi Hills added a new restaurant to its already impressive roster with the opening of 37 Steakhouse & Bar. Located on the second floor of Keyakizaka Terrace, across the street from the Grand Hyatt, 37 has the sophisticated ambience of a New York steakhouse with cozy, private booths and muted, dark-toned wood furnishings

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-18592160513059180482010-04-06T04:36:00.000-07:002010-04-06T04:36:37.227-07:00

The only exposure I've had to Minsk is from watching "Friends" - Phoebe's physicist boyfriend David (played by the brilliant Hank Azaria) decides to move to Minsk and breaks her heart. Did I know that Minsk was the capital of Belarus before that? I may have, but I doubt it. Hey, I'm part of Generation Y, we get our information from MTV and the internet!So in case you, dear reader, know as little

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-84252580458327374132010-04-06T04:28:00.000-07:002010-04-06T04:29:21.269-07:00

I have an awesome recipe for Thai pumpkin curry that I will share with you. Instructions:1. Pour yourself a glass of champagne or cabernet.2. Call (415) 369-0007 and ask for the pumpkin curry.3. While you're at it, also order the fried sweet corn patties, sea bass clay pot, crushed sesame scallops and pad thai.4. Throw in a few good friends, some laughter, and a couple cocktails and you have: THE

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-18267344587703448212010-04-03T06:37:00.000-07:002010-04-03T06:59:54.913-07:00

I've posted an entry previously about brunch at Roppongi, but felt like a review of their dinner offerings was long overdue. I am a huge fan of Roti. Good food in good portions at good prices. Except for their salads, which are laughably small (but quite delicious).I was initially led astray by the name "Roti," which I thought referred to the Indian bread, but I believe it's short for "Rotisserie

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-77940861454717878192010-04-03T06:03:00.000-07:002010-07-06T08:34:16.661-07:00

The lunch course at Sushi Saito has to be the best-kept secret in Tokyo. For 5500 yen, diners are served a tiny appetizer, miso soup, 10 pieces of exquisite sushi prepared by Chef Saito himself while you watch, and a tuna roll to finish. Considering that it's only about 1500 yen more than the omakase course at Sushi Dai in Tsukiji, but with the benefit of a reservation (i.e. no 3 hour wait) and

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-82668614527340100072010-04-03T06:00:00.001-07:002010-07-06T08:34:33.387-07:00

Gion Fukuzumi is a moderately priced ryokan-hotel (I call it ryokan-hotel because it's not a small ryokan with only a few rooms but rather a hotel type building with 6 floors and many rooms and has the institutional feel of a small hotel) in the Gion area of Kyoto, at the foot of Chion-In Temple. The ryokan itself is unspectacular - your basic tatami room (some with views of the mountains),

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-17053399251562685692010-04-03T05:50:00.000-07:002010-07-06T08:34:46.157-07:00

Apparently the first pizzeria was opened in Naples in the year 1830 - hence the name Pizzeria 1830, located in the shadow of Tokyo Midtown in Nogizaka. Lured by the promise of true Napolitan-style pizza, I was truly looking forward to dinner at Pizzeria 1830. The menu is extensive, with pizzas that include tomato sauce or not, and various combinations of toppings. For a group of four, the mixed

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-5606587764230332142010-04-03T05:38:00.000-07:002010-07-06T22:34:30.173-07:00

If you're like me, you think that "Green Tea" is the greatest dessert flavor on the face of the planet. Seriously. What beats Green Tea flavored ice cream, cake, macarons, shaved ice, cookies, etc.? Only once in my life have I ever come across a flavor that was better than Green Tea, and that was the Earl Grey ice cream at Sketch, a now defunct ice creamery in Berkeley, California. Oooh, their

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-59045369821663194602010-04-03T05:30:00.000-07:002010-04-03T05:37:22.495-07:00

Taking a little break from Tokyo reviews to write up one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in the SF bay area: Tsing Tao, in Albany. Tsing Tao specializes in Chinese-Korean cuisine, which is the cuisine that Chinese immigrants in Korea created/adapted for Korean tastebuds. Jja jang myun is thick, handmade flour-based noodles topped with a black bean based sauce that includes pork, shrimp and

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-73108280578933415032010-04-03T05:15:00.000-07:002010-04-03T05:28:30.178-07:00

Asterix is one of those places that makes me wonder - how did people ever discover this restaurant? In the basement of a non-descript building one block from Akasaka Biz Tower, it's one of those places you probably pass a hundred times on your way home, to work, or another restaurant, and don't give a second thought to. I'd put Asterix on my list of "to-try"s after coming across the review on

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-66544971794817478892010-04-03T05:03:00.000-07:002010-04-03T05:05:19.277-07:00

After an Indonesian ex-patriate friend living in Tokyo recommended Cabe with rave reviews, a friend and I decided to make the trek. We had spent a week in Bali in late 2009 and fallen in love with the flavorful cuisine, especially the simple but delicious nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice)! Good ethnic food (meaning non-Japanese) can be hard to find in Tokyo, Michelin-starred French and Italian

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-40565486553655752902010-03-31T05:34:00.000-07:002010-07-06T08:35:18.184-07:00

Nodaiwa is a Michelin-starred restaurant that specializes in exactly one item: unagi. Nodaiwa has been around for over 160 years and is currently run by the fifth generation of the same family that founded the restaurant. Unlike most other unagi restaurants, Nodaiwa uses unagi caught from the wild (instead of farmed unagi). The unagi is tender, fall-apart-in-your-mouth flaky, but comes at a high

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-79998143794349782232010-03-31T05:00:00.000-07:002010-03-31T05:08:15.078-07:00

Although I'm a staunch omnivore, there are many times my body craves vegetables, and only vegetables. In New York, I used to like to cleanse my system every now and then with a raw food meal from LifeThyme in the West Village (I loved their raw "lasagna" and spirulina pie), and in SF there was always a plethora of vegetable/vegetarian options, from the ready-made items at Whole Foods or Trader

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-2372360701782114942010-03-31T04:52:00.000-07:002010-07-06T08:35:34.424-07:00

Kushikatsu is what you get when you cross the skewering method of yakitori with the breaded and fried method of katsu (such as tonkatsu). I can just imagine some guy eating tonkatsu one day and yakitori the next and thinking: "you know what would be good? If my tonkatsu was skewered on a stick like yakitori" or perhaps he was thinking the converse "you know what would be good? If my yakitori was

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-85034908965921787352010-03-31T04:34:00.000-07:002010-07-06T08:35:48.179-07:00

Sometimes, you don't want sushi or fusion Italian or any of the other haute cuisine that Tokyo is so good at. Sometimes, you just want good old American style pizza. The kind that reminds you of all the Domino's and Pizza Hut and Little Caesar's and Papa John's you ate growing up in a household where both parents worked. Pizzakaya is Tokyo's most "American" pizza joint - the crust is a bit like

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-60610107810091688732010-03-31T04:10:00.000-07:002010-03-31T04:42:46.473-07:00

Devi Fusion's name is misleading - the food is not fusion, it's solid Indian classics such as chicken, lamb or fish curries, tandoori chicken, etc. Their execution of such classics is just average. However, their huge, fluffy, straight-out-of-the-oven naan, brushed with melted butter is delicious, and worth going for.You smell the buttery, yeasty, freshly baked smell as the waiter brings you your

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-54274845283329988352010-03-28T07:10:00.000-07:002010-03-29T07:10:09.941-07:00

Sam gyup sal, a popular Korean dish, is uncured pork belly, fried crispy and eaten dipped in fermented soybean paste, wrapped with lettuce, and washed down with a cold shot of Korean soju. It’s a lot like bacon, except unsalted and unsmoked so that the natural savory flavor of the pork can shine through without distraction. I call it “crunchy fat” because when grilled to perfection, the outside

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-54314061630585521822010-03-28T06:23:00.000-07:002010-07-06T08:36:43.456-07:00

The best ramen in Tokyo is at Ippudo in Roppongi. I realize that's a very bold statement to make in a city with more than 4000 ramen shops, but I stand by my claim. Ippudo doesn't make trendy ramen or gourmet ramen (such as ramen shops with gold flakes) or innovative ramen (such as shops with corn or butter or cheese ramen). It just makes the best freaking bowl of tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-41260698596073648562010-03-28T06:16:00.000-07:002010-03-29T06:16:50.905-07:00

A friend recently introduced me to a rarity in Tokyo: a Korean restaurant that serves FREE banchan (side dishes). That alone is reason to visit Seoul Ddookbbaegi, on the ground floor of the same building occupied by Hyungboo Shikdang, another one of my favorite Korean restaurants in Tokyo. But here are a few more reasons: the banchan is delicious, the kimchi is delicious, and the seollungtang (

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-77030060953101362042010-03-28T01:38:00.000-07:002010-07-06T08:37:01.425-07:00

So many websites and travel books recommend Gonpachi that I would like to offer an alternative viewpoint: Gonpachi is overrated and mediocre, don't go there.I have no photos from Gonpachi because I've never been impressed enough by the food to merit taking any photos, and I don't ever plan to go again because there are too many great restaurants in Tokyo to waste my time going back to Gonpachi (

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-37092393888705660562010-03-27T08:02:00.000-07:002010-03-27T08:27:00.232-07:00

My first visit to Elio Locanda was truly memorable - delicious house-made pasta, creamy risotto, fresh mozzarella, perfect cannoli and cappuccino...a Japanese colleague recommended it as the best Italian restaurant in Tokyo, very high accolade for a city with some of the best Italian cuisine on the planet, and it didn't disappoint. On my first visit.I couldn't wait to revisit, so I recently went

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-40148869909623325522010-03-15T08:04:00.000-07:002010-03-16T08:12:56.163-07:00

Tokyo is full of excellent bakeries and patisseries and pretty much all of them offer an excellent array of croissants, whipped cream cakes, Japanese style breads filled with red bean or chestnut or sweet potato, and uniquely Japanese-French fusion breads. I've tried many pastries at many bakeries but the one I go back to time and time again is Aux Bacchanales. And the reason I go back is

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-11972122041961616572010-03-15T07:18:00.000-07:002010-07-06T08:37:17.558-07:00

When I was a kid, I used to make Korean Neoguri brand ramen with less water (to make the soup more concentrated), then add milk to the cooked bowl of ramen, which resulted in a creamy, spicy ramen - quite possibly one of the most delicious culinary creations ever. My family and friends would raise their eyebrows and exclaim "gross," but the creaminess of the milk added the perfect balance to the

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-33868529438185404492010-03-06T20:15:00.000-08:002010-03-06T20:43:22.041-08:00

I'm still on my self-declared mission to eat through 20 Michelin stars (a mere fraction of its over 200 total stars!) in Tokyo within a year, but Michelin stars don't come cheap, so I perused my Tokyo Michelin guide for the best value-for-money meals I could find and Chez Tomo topped the list for its 2890 yen lunches and 5780 yen dinners (not cheap, but for a full course meal in Tokyo, a

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-24605126496493238212010-03-06T19:54:00.000-08:002010-07-06T08:37:39.996-07:00

Tokyo has an endless array of sushi choices, with decent offerings for every budget category. The fact is, even the mediocre sushi I have in Tokyo is better than some of the best sushi I've had elsewhere in the world. However, after having tried everything from cheap kaiten (rotator belt) sushi to 3-Michelin star establishments to Kyubey (creator of gunkan sushi), I have finally concluded that

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-60090238878361107522010-03-06T19:11:00.000-08:002010-07-06T08:37:51.646-07:00

When I mentioned to a long-time Tokyo resident that I was having dinner at Uoshin, he scoffed that "Uoshin is for tourists and foreigners." It didn't dissuade me since I am a foreigner, and for the record, he was wrong because Uoshin was packed to the brim with Japanese and non-Japanese alike, progressively getting drunker, fuller, louder.That being said, Uoshin is a good rendition of what a

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-3168152619785570762010-03-03T09:40:00.000-08:002010-07-06T08:38:18.077-07:00

"Yum Cha" means "drinking tea" in Cantonese and refers to what most people generally call "dim sum" - an event that marries drinking tea with eating small dishes. Whatever the correct nomenclature, I love me some good dim sum. Having lived in San Francisco for most of my adult life, I always had access to amazing, and amazingly cheap, dim sum. Chinese food in Tokyo is generally very

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-84065061007383052562010-03-03T09:14:00.001-08:002010-07-06T08:38:30.273-07:00

Lauderdale is the kind of place that makes me feel so cozy and happy that ever since my first visit, I've been planning my next. It's the type of place I would love to live next to so I could stroll in every morning for a cappuccino and newspaper before heading to the office. I loved the kitschy hats on the walls as decor, the laid back brasserie vibe, the shabby chicness, feeling like I was

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-9806300727820636472010-03-03T08:09:00.000-08:002010-07-06T08:38:40.800-07:00

My first experience at Sushi Kyubey will always be remembered as the night I dined with Hugh Grant. I mean sure, he sat at the bar about 3 feet away from our table, but I think that proximity is close enough that it counts to say that we had dinner together. Actually, for the first full hour of dinner, we didn't even notice him. We were halfway through when my friend suddenly said: "that guy

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-44678125008065920762010-03-01T16:42:00.000-08:002010-03-01T16:50:22.600-08:00

I'll continue to update this blog when I can (have a backlog of great restaurants I need to write about!) but for now, I can also be found here: http://weekenderjapan.com/I've been asked to be a food writer for Tokyo Weekender magazine, as well as the blogger for the magazine's "Tokyo Foodspotting" blog! The blog is updated every Tuesday morning and covers unique, interesting or wacky food

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-38258709638701334642010-02-01T05:13:00.000-08:002010-03-03T08:51:48.182-08:00

Argento Aso is technically an Italian restaurant, but the kind of Italian restaurant that serves steamed sweet potato and tsukemono - pickled vegetables (albeit a fancy version) with your meat course and deconstructs traditional Japanese "curry rice" into an Italian-esque risotto with curry foam. It's modern Italian influenced by Japan, with a flair of molecular gastronomy. And for its

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-3400670623546424952010-02-01T05:06:00.001-08:002010-02-01T05:11:45.726-08:00

Japanese snack companies are always coming up with new flavors to try to appeal to the Japanese palate. Some, like carrot and apple flavored Kit Kats, fall short. But others, like these mayonnaise flavored shrimp ships are instantly addicting.

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-6528374924589478572010-01-17T06:44:00.000-08:002010-03-03T08:52:49.702-08:00

Cafe Intermezzo is the best evidence I have to offer you that hippie vegan food can in fact be amazingly, outstandingly delicious. On my trip home to the SF bay area for the holidays, my list of must-eats mostly consisted of tons of vegetables, salads, and of course, burritos. A Tokyo salad usually consists of exactly 3 bites of greens, usually drenched in sesame-soy-mayonnaise dressing. For the

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-19337308915777866812009-12-12T00:12:00.000-08:002010-03-03T08:54:16.738-08:00

My first month after moving to Tokyo, there were three earthquakes, my laptop died a sad, quick death after I spilled tea on it, I was working until 1 or 2 am on a daily basis, I got food poisoning after eating raw chicken livers (in my defense, the menu listed them under the "grilled" section), and I came down with a severe cold that I couldn't shake for almost the entire month. On top of that,

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-89533646504455121162009-12-08T05:28:00.000-08:002010-07-06T08:39:03.886-07:00

When I moved to Tokyo this summer, I resolved to eat through at least 20 Michelin stars within one year. I printed out a list of all of the Michelin-starred restaurants and started researching some of the ones that sounded good. How does a restaurant "sound good" just by the name? I don't know, it's a lot like choosing a book based on its cover. For example, an Italian restaurant by the name of

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-50924370237810449702009-12-04T06:05:00.000-08:002010-07-06T08:39:25.214-07:00

Tokyo doesn't exactly have a plethora of down-home American southern cuisine options so sometimes you have to take what you can get. Which in this case means fairly decent executions of Louisiana cuisine, but at steep prices, and served by a nazi-ish chef/host who may disapprove of your order (when we asked for the gumbo and the jambalaya he sternly told us that we shouldn't do those dishes

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-52019496838835555872009-12-04T05:30:00.000-08:002010-07-06T23:52:23.691-07:00

Korean shabu shabu. I was extremely suspicious - a restaurant claiming to offer Korean cuisine that doesn't even have a menu in Korean?? And what the hell is Korean shabu shabu - I've never had Korean shabu shabu in my 30 years of existence. Nomenclature aside, whenever I have a red meat craving (which is very rarely), Imasara is where I go for delicious fat-marbled beef, which you cook tableside

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-38107629811322772482009-12-04T05:15:00.000-08:002010-03-03T09:01:43.255-08:00

Hyungboo means "brother-in-law" in Korean and I don't know whose brother-in-law this restaurant refers to, but it serves up the best, most authentic Korean food I've had in Tokyo. Mainly, this means that they don't add sugar to their jjigaes (stews) and soups.Note #1 to other Korean restaurants in Tokyo: unlike Japanese food, Korean food is not supposed to be sweet. Please do not add sugar to

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-32588960966179741852009-12-04T04:53:00.001-08:002010-07-06T08:40:07.588-07:00

One of the greatest things about living in Tokyo is that even the mediocre sushi you have in Tokyo will be better than the best sushi you've had in the US. In Tokyo, the sushi choices range from super-cheap stand up sushi bars to kaiten sushi (rotating sushi bar) to 3-Michelin starred experiences. I am a sushi fiend and need to get my raw fish fix at least 2-3 times a week in Tokyo so I've

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-4591135645950768702009-11-18T05:47:00.000-08:002010-03-03T09:00:11.172-08:00

On my 30th birthday, I experienced the most amazing meal I've ever had to date. I use the word "experienced" rather than "ate" because a meal at Tapas Molecular Bar is not just about eating meticulously prepared creative dishes. It's a show. A sensory experience that surprises and delights all of your senses, not just your taste buds. It's Cirque du Soleil meets culinary perfection. Every dish

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-13002376898621574502009-11-18T03:27:00.000-08:002010-07-06T08:40:32.470-07:00

The term "California cuisine" generally goes hand in hand with Alice Waters, the slow food movement and organic, local ingredients. That's one type of California cuisine, of which I am a big fan. But San Francisco's greatest gastronomic contribution isn't frou frou cuisine such as macrobiotic greens salad with toasted walnuts and strawberries in aged balsamic vinaigrette. No, its greatest

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-82015228032361974112009-11-17T05:06:00.001-08:002010-03-09T22:16:28.207-08:00

The bf came to visit for my 30th birthday and we spent four delicious days eating, eating and eating some more excellent Japanese food (which I will blog about in the days to come): izakaya, tofu kaiseki, Japanese molecular gastronomy, elaborate traditional kaiseki, bentos, soba, sushi. And after all that Japanese food, I was SO DONE with Japanese cuisine. After awhile, Japanese food all tastes

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-69481308290484052672009-11-17T04:46:00.000-08:002010-03-03T09:03:41.062-08:00

One thing I absolutely adore about Tokyo is that it's a city where a Milk Bar can exist. Imagine a store that sells overpriced milk products trying to survive in a city like SF, where even truly great restaurants rarely survive. It would never happen. (However, Momofuku Milk Bar in NY seems to be doing ok, although clearly they can't get by just selling milk products and sell a wide array of

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-85241393360278747002009-11-11T04:12:00.000-08:002010-03-03T09:04:34.096-08:00

When anyone mentions "Hawaiian food" the first things that come to my mind are: loco moco, spam musubi, kalua pig and poke. It's not the most refined food but it's quite delicious when done right and in Tokyo, the real deal can be found in the unlikeliest of locations, on the 5th floor of a small building one block from Akasaka Sacas. Walk through the cloth curtain and suddenly...you're in Hawaii

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-56150683630322957342009-11-08T06:11:00.000-08:002010-07-06T08:40:54.384-07:00

Naeng myun literally means "cold noodles" and refers to Korean-style thin, chewy noodles, usually made of buckwheat. There are two main ways to eat naeng myun: bibim naeng myun (literally, "mixed cold noodles") or mul naeng myun ("water cold noodles"). Bibim naeng myun consists of noodles topped with a spicy-sweet cho-gochujang (spicy red pepper paste) mixture, marinated beef, half a boiled egg,

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-29429856222634469752009-11-08T05:48:00.000-08:002010-07-06T08:41:08.077-07:00

One of my absolute favorite things about living in NY was Sunday Brunch. I loved how in NY, it was like...a thing. I so looked forward to Brunch - from the cozy little nooks such as Tartine in the West Village to the hip places like Balthazar to the underrated places like Zoe (loved their bread basket) to the ridiculously long waits at Good Enough to Eat (but totally worth it for the thick-cut

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-34846386731797565442009-11-07T05:36:00.000-08:002010-03-10T02:10:23.865-08:00

A perfect meal doesn't have to be at a Michelin-starred or high Zagat-rated restaurant. In fact, it rarely is (for me), if only because a perfect meal generally cannot involve pretentiousness. The elements are simple: excellent fresh delicious food in good company with good conversation. One of the best meals I've had in all of 2009 was my grandmother's hwedupbab, Korea's version of chirashi.

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-67672856256854978762009-11-07T04:57:00.000-08:002010-07-06T08:41:32.240-07:00

The best sushi I've had to date is surprisingly not in Tokyo, despite the fact that I eat sushi at least 3-4 times a week here. True, some of the best individual pieces of sushi I've had have been in Tokyo (best uni: Sushi Daiwa, best otoro: Sushi Daiwa, best chutoro: Sushi Zanmai), but the best sushi meals I've had in my life have been the two meals I had at Sushi Sasabune in Oahu (I have yet to

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-37911389231396291522009-11-06T09:38:00.001-08:002009-11-06T09:41:31.332-08:00

Came across something called "night milk" at the grocery store and had to try it. I imagined it would taste different - perhaps enhanced with a little cinnamon and sugar (I used to make warm cinnamon sugar milk as a kid on cold winter nights on the East Coast). Surprise! Night milk tastes just like day milk. The only difference is that it comes in an individual sized cup at the same price as a

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-59917045417655202152009-11-06T09:15:00.001-08:002010-03-03T09:07:32.290-08:00

I've been known to wax poetic about Spain. I've called it my soulmate (if a country could be a soulmate). I've called it the most brilliant country in the world. And in the last two or three years have traveled to and throughout Spain four times. So if you don't know by now, I love Spain. And I love Spanish food. Jamon iberico, queso manchego, paella, arroz negro, fideua, gazpacho, tapas, rioja,

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-381271727985954662009-11-06T09:05:00.000-08:002010-03-03T09:13:29.814-08:00

Everyone I know just calls this place the Singaporean chicken rice place, but they offer much more than Hainanese chicken rice, which I still haven't tried. Their roti canai is quite good, even though their roti is a bit thicker and not as papery-whispery thin-yet-still-crispy-chewy at the same time as the kind I usually like. Their stir fried pea sprouts in fish sauce is delicious with a little

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-50513560349918236982009-11-06T08:37:00.000-08:002010-03-08T18:19:06.864-08:00

Peru boasts the largest population of Chinese people of any Latin American country and the Asian influence can be found in one of Peru's most ubiquitous dishes, Lomo Saltado - a stir fried combination of sirloin steak, french fries, onions and tomatoes in a soy-based sauce. My friend Judith, a Peruvian national, after taking me to my first Peruvian restaurant declared that I had to order Lomo

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-39513116687425691402009-11-04T07:34:00.000-08:002010-07-06T22:29:52.376-07:00

Humongous bowls of udon. I pass by this restaurant a dozen times a week and there is always a crowd outside waiting for a table. Several times I tried to get reservations for dinner, to no avail. And the harder it played to get, the more I wanted it. WHAT could be so great about a bowl of udon that people would wait for an hour outside (even during typhoon rains!) to get one? Finally, after

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-91156588282475347842009-11-02T07:31:00.001-08:002010-07-06T08:44:18.461-07:00

When a fellow food-lover friend told me he'd be visiting Tokyo for exactly 48 hours, I asked what his priorities were: sightseeing? Karaoke? Clubbing? Sushi? Kaiseki? I was thrilled when he informed me that it was all about food for him, noting that if he wanted to learn about the culture, he could read about it on Wikipedia. Which left me with a blank slate to plan (my second favorite thing to

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-55693517032973684132009-10-28T23:13:00.000-07:002010-07-06T08:44:02.096-07:00

Power lunch in Akasaka - Lawry's salad and soup bar followed by beef rib curry plate, finished with a tiny portion of creamy panna cotta and coffee (forgot to take a picture of the panna cotta because usually it goes directly into my tummy as soon as it's on the table). The rib curry plate is 1800 yen (~$20) and includes the salad bar, dessert and coffee. You can also just get the salad bar,

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-54119701132920396962009-10-28T18:21:00.000-07:002010-07-06T08:43:37.062-07:00

Shojin ryori is a type of Japanese Buddhist cuisine, that according to Hachinoki's own website, was brought to Japan from China and Korea. Niiice, I like it when Japanese people finally admit that something good was originally brought over from Korea."Shojin" means a devotion to pursue a perfect state of mind banishing worldly thoughts and making efforts to keep striving for limitless perfection

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-23930163059301469122009-10-28T12:30:00.000-07:002010-07-06T08:43:11.932-07:00

The hostess here must have been a broadway star in a former lifetime. She sings all her words to you in a clear, high-pitched falsetto voice, which at first is surprising, then amusing, then after a while, a bit annoying. Located in Roppongi behind the Hard Rock Cafe, Fukuzushi serves fresh, high quality sushi at reasonable prices. The singing is free.Chirashi sushiThe water glasses have grooves

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-24762090876965207432009-10-28T12:24:00.000-07:002010-07-06T08:42:59.236-07:00

Tokyo may be home to the most Michelin stars in the world, age old family-run establishments that serve cuisine that has been refined to perfection over generations, the world's best sushi/udon/tempura/kaiseki restaurants and even some of the best patisseries in the world, but it is really lacking in quality American-style brunch places. So I was thrilled to discover Roti Roppongi, which serves

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-70639151457574663892009-10-28T11:58:00.001-07:002010-07-06T08:42:47.041-07:00

Sadly, I don't have photos to accompany this post. But I do have the happy memory of praline covered pancakes sitting in my belly. I wrote this entry for yelp awhile back:Comfort.Is my ratty Ugg slippers. Is my flannel pajama pants and 10+ year old favorite t-shirt. Is reading a good novel under the covers in my uber-comfy king-size bed. Is spending a leisurely Saturday morning with a person who

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-26125932131174119542009-10-28T11:14:00.000-07:002011-01-04T21:09:30.919-08:00

Moovida, located inside the uber-wonderful, modern oasis known as Hotel Omm in Barcelona, is owned by the same restaurant group (Grupo Tragaluz) that manages Cuines Santa Caterina. It's no wonder I instantly fell in love with everything about it - the modern, laid back decor and vibe and the perfectly presented and executed dishes.Jamon iberico - buttery smoky saltiness that melts in your

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-12010638514985823412009-10-28T10:32:00.000-07:002011-01-04T21:05:31.051-08:00

My first entry had to be about my happiest place on earth, Cuines Santa Caterina in Barcelona. It's the bar-restaurant I wish existed in SF because if it did, I would actually buy a place close to it so I could make it my watering hole (my watering hole in SF was actually Koh Samui & the Monkey but that's another blog, another day). The food is representative of everything I love about modern

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403043953505781609.post-56018448474496423862009-10-28T09:17:00.000-07:002009-10-28T11:39:46.658-07:00

I love good food. I love to blog. So I'm not sure why it never occurred to me to blog about my neverending quest to find (and consume) delicious food anywhere, everywhere. I was going to say the quest to find the perfect meal, but I don't think there is only one perfect meal. It could be a perfectly executed bowl of Vietnamese bun topped with charred grilled pork and crunchy imperial rolls,

Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14098047659656216771noreply@blogger.com0