Travel Belly

It’s my 3rd time in Piemonte and I’m still discovering

noreply@blogger.com (Travel Belly) — Wed, 01 Jan 2020 23:09:00 +0000

I consider myself very lucky to have been to this part of Italy, not once but thrice so far. Mostly, I was lured by the white truffles in Alba and the big reds from Barolo and Barbaresco. I know for sure this won’t be my last. On this trip, I tasted Vitello Tonnato, bicerin and discovered a rooftop restaurant that serves the best carbonara pasta, and a wonderful mercato in addition to my favorite Eataly. And I was once again awed by the beautiful landscape of the snow-covered Alps that can be seen from so many corners in Torino, not to mention spectacular views from the roads that bend through the hills.

Vitello Tonnato – veal in tuna caper sauce. I’ve known this to be a Piemontese speciality but have always thought that it was odd to mix meat and fish and then eat it cold. I stand corrected. The lean tender veal, eaten with a dollop of the briny creamy sauce is a match made in heaven. I made a mental note to myself to seek out a good recipe when I get home.

Vitello Tonnato in a ristorante in Alba

Bicerin – a drink made with espresso, drinking chocolate, and milk served layered in a small glass. We had it as a dessert in the Mercato Centrale in Torino, drinking it at the bar and hoping to come across as a local, even though I'm a yellow-skinned Asian! We were pleasant surprised to find the sheer number of stalls and quality of food served at the Mercato Centrale. Will come back again.

Biceri

Last but not least, a beautifully decadent carbonara pasta at Piano35 where we had our Cena di San Silvestro (New Year’s eve dinner). The standout in the menu was the carbonara pasta, with hard-to-achieve al-dente fresh pasta topped with crisp speck and an eggshell on the side filled with a creamy sauce. The final combination was rich with crispy bites and such an amazing mouth feel that I know that it would be hard to eat carbonara pasta anywhere else again. We were told by the server that this was Chef Marco Sacco’s specialty dish from this 2-michelin starred restaurant Piccolo Lago. Now, I understand why it’s so good!

Carbonara pasta - speck atop with eggshell sauce

Carbonara pasta - heavenly mix

View of the Alps from Vergne, in the municipality of Barolo

Fusion dining experiences in Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Travel Belly) — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 23:25:00 +0000

Dining at Restaurant A.T in Paris is a wonderful experience - impeccable food and welcoming, attentive service. At this small, intimate restaurant in the Latin Quarter a short walk from the Seine, the furnishings evoke Scandinavian modernism. The chef, Atsushi Tanaka, is Franco-Japanese. His food is creative, beautiful and delicious. The menu is not of one country origin but melds his background with uncommon artistry and culinary perfection. We had the lunch tasting menu and every dish was masterfully crafted. My two favorites were the Mallard duck served with different beetroot preparations, and the shiitake tartlets.

Leek, Brown Butter

Shitake tartlets

Sea Uchin with Tonka and Carrots

Scallops with Celeriac and Bergamot

Cod fish in Pil pil sauce

Mallard Duck with Beetroot

Vacharin with Verbena Pepper and Sage

Restaurant Lumen, located not far from the Louvre, serves French-Italian-Japanese fusion cuisine. It is helmed by Chef Akira Sugiura, and has an airy, light-filled dining room that looks out at a quiet walkway. Initially skeptical of the tripartite fusion combination, the menu worked out well. The matcha tiramisu is a standout. The sommelier introduced Zibibbo to us – a white wine grape called Muscat of Alexandria. It was bone dry and absolutely delicious when paired with seafood.

Enduring Rustic Charm of Anderson Valley

noreply@blogger.com (Travel Belly) — Mon, 08 Jul 2019 04:24:00 +0000

We visited Anderson Valley again after 15 years and were surprised that not much has changed. Their wines (mostly Alsatian wines and Pinot Noirs) continue to be delicious and, by 2019 pricing standards of California Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, Anderson Valley wines would be, if I might dare use the C word – cheap! The tasting fees were either free or in the $5-$15 range, and often waived with wine purchases.

We were successful in our quest to buy a couple cases of whites, but also a few reds. Here are the highlights of the wineries we visited in one day and our purchases:

1) Pennyroyal Farm

The highlight of the trip, Penny Royal is a working farm producing some world-class cheeses from their herd of goats and sheep, in addition to some tasty wines. The place feels wholesome yet modern. We opted for a cheese plate paired with two white wines and one rose. The wines were flavorful, and boy were we lucky to sample their lovely cheeses.

Cheese and wine pairing at Pennyroyal Farms

Our wine purchases:

- 2017 Chardonnay Hammer Olsen at $35

- 2018 Pinotrio (Pinot Grigio, Blanc, Noir) at $33

2) Witching Stick

Their small tasting room is in the town of Boonville. The proprietor/winemaker poured us a selection of Rose, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Noirs. The Gewürz is aromatic and delicious with just a hint of residual sugar. I am planning to serve it with dessert.

Our wine purchases:

- 2017 Gewürztraminer at $28 each

3) Navarro

Returning to Navarro after 15 years, we were pleased that not much has changed. Fifteen years ago, we bought the Pinot Noir Methode A L’Ancienne at around $30-35 and it’s now just $36! Also check out their jams and mustards. We particularly like their Gewurtraminer mustard (Dijon style) and Boysenberry Zinfandel jam. They make Muscat Blanc in both dry and sweet styles. We tried the dry Muscat Blanc, which had a wonderful floral aroma.

Our wine purchases:

- 2015 Pinot Noir, Methode A L'Ancienne at $36

- 2018 Pinot Grigio at $18 each

- 2015 Muscat Blanc at $22 each

4) Greenwood Ridge

Acquired by Wilson Winery 3 years ago, we were pleasantly surprised that we really liked 2 out of their 5 wine tastings – the Sauvignon Blanc and Rose. Their prices are really hard to beat.

Our wine purchases:

- 2018 Rose of Grenache and Syrah at $20 each

- 2018 Sauvignon Blanc at $20 each

5) Handley

We usually try not to do more than 3 or 4 tastings in a day as the taste buds get tired but we pushed on to our 5^th tasting at Handley. And are glad we did. Although we arrived just 15 minutes before their tasting room closed, the staff were warm and welcoming. The wines were all well-balanced, well structured and flavorful.

Our wine purchases:

2016 Chardonnay at $27 each

2016 Pinot Noir at $35

It seems to us that Anderson Valley has remained largely unchanged over the last decade or so, and has not experienced a boom like its neighboring wine regions of Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley or even Paso Robles, further south for Bay Area visitors. Selfishly, we hope it will stay the same.

3 standouts in Steamboat Springs, CO - Bison Tender, Pork Chop, Fried Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Travel Belly) — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 00:36:00 +0000

3 different proteins in 3 different dishes from 3 different restaurants. These are the most memorable dishes I had during a ski week at Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Steamboat is a quaint town in the Rockies with what I consider above-average customer service felt throughout every interaction - from the small Hayden airport, to the shuttle bus operators to the supermarket cashier.

Bison Tender from Laundry Restaurant. This was a standout dish. The meat was wonderfully cooked to rare-medium rare, tender and very lean. Nicely accompanied with spaetzle and a rich mushroom gravy.

Pork chop from Café Diva. This restaurant is widely touted for their venison steak and surf and turf. However, we found their pork chop dish to be the true standout. Juicy and succulent with a slight pink in the center, the honey mustard sauce on the side adds some sweetness and tang to the dish.

Fried chicken from LOW Country Kitchen. I dare say this is one of the best fried chicken dishes I ever had. The chicken pieces are smaller in size compared to other fried chicken but the meat was juicy and perfectly cooked, with a nice seasoning. The hostess told us that the chickens are from Red Bird Farms. Earlier, through the small window at the front, I saw a cook checking the temperature of one plate of fried chickens with an instant read thermometer. The restaurant also offers an array of homemade sauces. My favorite is green chili with green apple hot sauce. June 2019 update - the restaurant is now closed due to a 'unsuccessful company restructuring' :-(

See my TripAdvisor reviews on these and other restaurants in Steamboat Springs, CO:

Laundry Restaurant: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g33657-d2502585-r649517363-Laundry_Restaurant-Steamboat_Springs_Colorado.html

Cafe Diva - https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g33657-d512095-r649520957-Cafe_Diva-Steamboat_Springs_Colorado.html

Low Country Kitchen - https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g33388-d12255591-r649528020-LOW_Country_Kitchen-Denver_Colorado.html

Talay Thai - https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g33657-d13359547-r648807408-Talay_Thai-Steamboat_Springs_Colorado.html

Paramount - https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g33657-d2043541-r648806506-Paramount-Steamboat_Springs_Colorado.html

Salt & Lime - https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g33657-d9610002-r649546845-Salt_Lime-Steamboat_Springs_Colorado.html

Hazie’s - https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g33657-d382400-r649542487-Hazie_s-Steamboat_Springs_Colorado.html

Fusion in Lisbon, Portugal

noreply@blogger.com (Travel Belly) — Sun, 10 Jun 2018 00:48:00 +0000

Our 2 most memorable meals in Lisbon, Portugal were actually ‘fusion’. I know what you’re thinking…but gotta go with those taste buds of mine. J

At Yakuza First Floor, they operate a very successful fusion sushi restaurant. I highly recommend the fusion platter, 12 pieces (6 pairs) at 60 euros but worth it. The fish taco appetizer was really good too. We paired our meal with 'Sho-gun' sake, which was dry, full-bodied and paired really well with the entire meal. Overall, a great dining experience with superb service.

A very creative and delicious Sushi Platter

A pair of Wagyu Beef Sushi

Surprisingly delicious Fish Tacos

Fish Tataki

Paired well with Shogun Sake

Salmon Burger

Cuttlefish Burger

Another memorable ‘fusion’, but not exactly fusion cuisine, experience was fish burgers at O Prego da Peixaria at Saldanha! It’s a fun little place, with chips, sweet potato fries or sautéed vegetables as side dishes. We ordered the salmon cuttlefish and the shrimp burger. Both were good, the latter slightly tastier. Hard to beat the taste of fresh shrimp lightly cooked.

Accompanied by Rose, Chips and Vegetables

When in Porto, drink port

noreply@blogger.com (Travel Belly) — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 23:57:00 +0000

Porto, Portugal is the birthplace of port wine. It’s a beautiful city with steep cobbled streets and port cellars galore across the Duoro river in Vila Nova di Gaia.

We had a wonderful visit at Taylor’s Fladgate and lunch at their restaurant, Barao Fladgate. The views were breathtaking, the service friendly and the food delicious. The 30 euros prix fixe is a tremendous value offering a starter, main course, glass of wine and dessert. We started off with a crisp dry white port from Taylors, followed by a coconut pineapple cream cold soup and salmon salad. The baked hake was cooked perfectly. And most importantly, do not miss out on the chorizo bread, they are super tasty and addictive as well!!

Our fav - Very Old Single Harvest Port at 280 euros

Beautiful views of Porto from the restaurant

Refreshing Chilled Pineapple Cream Soup

Delicious Salmon and Avocado Salad

Tasty Seared Beef with Bok Choy

Perfectly Cooked Baked Hake with Pea and Tendrils

A very nice dry White Port for Aperitif

Don't miss out on these chorizo breads - ask for seconds!

Chocolate dessert with ice cream

Classic Portuguese Tarts

Port Tasting at Taylor's Salon

After lunch, we opted for a port wine tasting in their salon. It's wonderful to be able to taste ports side-by-side. Our favorite was the 1966 Very Old Single Harvest port. We saw the bottle in their boutique retailing at 280 euros. We were glad or maybe not so glad that we were not drunk enough then to part with 280 euros to buy a bottle!

The best gastronomic day of my life - at Niseko, Hokkaido

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 06:00:00 +0000

It's uncommon to have two back-to-back memorable once-in-a-lifetime meals. We had that happen on February 14, 2016 at Niseko, Hokkaido.

Thanks to the lousy weather that day (raining in Niseko), we decided to skip skiing and try our luck getting into Sobatei Rakuichi, a tiny 12-seater soba house made famous by Anthony Bourdain when he featured them back in February 2011. This wonderful small restaurant is in a tranquil, woodsy area away from the ski area. We got there at 11:05 AM (yes, admittedly a tad crazy) but we were the last two seated at the first lunch service; the next couple, who were right behind us and arrived at 11:10 AM, had to wait a whole hour to be seated in the next round.

This is a truly memorably experience, knowing that your soba was just rolled out and cut by hand after you ordered your dish and the cooking begins. Menu is simple - classic cold soba, cold soba with hot duck soup, or hot soba with duck, vegetable tempura. That's it! For a famous and highly sought after place, I was surprised at how inexpensive the menu was. The classic cold soba is only 900 Yen, about USD 8!

The soba was 'light' yet al dente. It didn't have the strong buckwheat taste of other sobas. The vegetable tempura was delicious, and served with a green tea salt (no dipping sauce). The duck soup was very tasty, with succulent slices of perfectly cooked duck. I also liked the side of spring onion tempura that came with the duck order.

The place is run by Rakuichi-san, the soba master, his wife and their daughter. They remain authentic to their craft, hospitable and calm as they feed the people who visit them from around the world with high expectations. Here's a link to a video demonstration of his soba making.

Our dinner that night was at Asperges Hanazono, located at one of the four base areas of the Niseko ski area. Having had our fair share of fine-dining experiences, we were impressed by this place. Most of this is attributed to high quality ingredients and 'respectful' cooking that allowed the ingredients to shine. Much of the cooking was done right at the fireplace, in the middle of the dining room, including grilled beef and casseroled items.

EVERY single dish was a standout - from the 4 amuse-bouche, the salads of 20 winter vegetables, the abalone first course, the grilled beef second course to the petit-four. What surprises me is that some sides, such as the risotto for the abalone and the gratin for the beef, are done in casseroles prepared for your table, and then served at table-side. That's highly unusual for fine dining. It reminds me of 'home-cooking' and the concept of sharing. Don't get me wrong, I can't home-cook these dishes!!

The 4 amuse-bouche dishes:

1) hokkaido oysters - fresh, creamy

2) flounder (raw) on rice cake with mixed herb salad - the combination of herbs is outstanding

3) botan shrimp lightly poached - they present the raw shrimp before cooking them. Served medium rare, it's really the best way to eat these shrimps
4) grilled smoked herring - didn't know herring could taste so complex, with a combination of smokiness and char

This is followed by a refreshing and colorful 20-vegetable winter salad. I ate each vegetable separately as they all have a slightly different taste, texture and preparation. How do they grow so many colorful vegetables in the winter? Hothouse would be my guess.

The next course is a knockout. Yes, I mean out of this world. Hokkaido abalone, seared lightly so that a crust is formed on the underside and served with a squid ink sauce, accompanied by a squid ink risotto. Every kernel of the risotto is flavorful, every bite of the abalone is succulent.

The main course was grilled beef with potato gratin and grilled turnip. Yes, it's the first (and also last time) we saw foam, thank goodness. Served with some wasabe (in place of traditional horseradish), this is an outstanding dish, especially the potato gratin (underneath the foam).

The petit 4 is a main dessert - "Baba au Sake," a kind of rum baba but with sake, followed by coconut meringue, homemade marshmallows and black beans coated with chocolate. The Baba au Sake is a standout - light yet crusted, in a light sake syrup.

We finished the feast with a snifter of 17-year old Hibiki whiskey - from Japan, of course.

I cannot believe that this has been such a tremendously good day - a fantastic lunch, followed by a wonderful dinner. Can't thank my lucky stars enough :-)

Otaru - Vienna of the East

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 14 Feb 2016 00:52:00 +0000

Otaru is a small coastal town, about 70 minutes via local train from Niseko (Kutchan) or a little shorter from Sapporo. I was expecting a typical fishing town, perhaps a little run down and worn from the unforgiving coastal winds. To my surprise, Otaru has some of the best cafes and confectionary shops. They are seriously good - big, modern spaces that turned out really good tarts, soft serve ice cream, cheese biscuits, cream puffs and more. Don't miss out on visiting Le Tao Pathos for sample treats of their famous double fromage, cheese biscuits and mini chocolate 'pyramids'.

It must be the famously high-quality Hokkaido milk that makes all dairy products taste so good!!

Kitakaro - cream puff heaven

Custard oozing out...

Otaru is also famous for fishcakes. We stopped by Kamaei and tried their satsuma fishcakes. Even my companion, who is not particularly fond of fishcakes, actually liked it a lot!!

Fish cakes counter at Kamaei

Sapporo - land of good beer, uni, miso ramen and cheese tart

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 09:22:00 +0000

Sapporo is a nice gateway to Hokkaido. Especially during the snow festival, the air around the Odori Park is filled with the scent of unami and seafood from the multitude of food stalls serving festival goers.

A must visit is the Sapporo fish market called the "Curb Market," which is across the street from the wholesale fish market - not open to the public - located a mile or so from the downtown area. (The other fish market is called Nijo, which is closer to downtown.) Most hotels offer a free shuttle to one of the largest shops in the Curb Market. Initially unhappy that we were 'chained' to one shop since we took the free shuttle, that turned out to be the best decision we made. It was the largest shop, and that means good turnover and fresh seafood. After arriving at about 6:45 am, we ordered the Donburi (rice with a selection of raw seafood) for breakfast. Everything was ultra-fresh but the uni (sea urchin) stole the show. Creamy, light, slight hint of brine, smaller and lighter in color compared with the uni I've seen before, this was the best uni - hands down.

Donburi with mixed seafood

A special find in the Sapporo Underground Pedestrian mall is Kinotoya Bake cheese tarts. Selling only one item in a modern bake shop, this is a must-try. Best time to have the tarts is at 10 AM when the shop just opens, the pastry is still slightly warm, the crust is crunchy and the filling (made with 3 cheeses) is light and airy with a hint of lemon.

No visit to Sapporo is complete without a visit to the Sapporo Beer Museum followed by a mongolian lamb dinner with Sapporo beer at the Beer Garden right next to it.

Enjoying beer with lamb bbq

Another famous dish in Sapporo is Miso Ramen. We took the advice of one of the young ladies on the hotel staff and went to her favorite miso ramen shop - Keyaki. It is a tiny place, but it was a good hearty meal. I ordered the char siu ramen, which was a tad oily from the seared pork. My companion's miso ramen (with nothing else) was better!

Cooking miso ramen

Char siu (roast pork) ramen

Another piece of advice for Sapporo is to give yourself plenty of time at the New Chitose Sapporo Airport. In the Domestic terminal before you check in for your flight, you will see all our Hokkaido favorites again - fishcakes from Kamaei, cheese tarts from Kinotoya bake, LeTao sweets and of course, Miso Ramen!

Chocospoon – A new way to hot chocolate in Luxembourg

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 23:00:00 +0000

The Chocolate House in Luxembourg is right across from the Palace of Grand Dukes. It serves up hot chocolate in a very ingenious way - in a pre-packaged chocolate cube with a wooden spoon!

I ordered the Ginger and our friends ordered the Hot Chili Orange. The latter was a hit! If you can take heat, you should definitely try the Hot Chili Orange.

And if you order one with alcohol, the package comes with a small tube of the desired alcohol/liqueur.

Really, really clever!!

Warm milk, and a packet of Ginger hot chocolate

The Menu

Hot Chocolate Packets for Sale

A 'Pure C' Seaside Lunch in Cadzand, The Netherlands

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 21:00:00 +0000

On the windy shore of the Nord Zee (North Sea) in The Netherlands, just across the Belgian border, is an elegant restaurant called Pure C. It is owned by well-known chef Sergio Herman, who had the famous (now closed) Oud Sluis in a small village a few minutes away and who currently operates The Jane in Antwerp, Belgium. But Pure C should not be overlooked.

Panoramic views over the dunes to the sea formed a stunning backdrop to our lunch at Pure C, which began with an amuse-bouche that looked like rocks and were served in a bowl with actual rocks. It was hard to tell the difference visually - good thing the server warned us about the seasoned but inedible stones! The edible treat was a puff crisp filled with a cream of anchovy, mushroom and bleu cheese. The flavors blended wonderfully, with the bleu cheese providing just a hint of richness. Truly a delight!

The anchovy "stones" were accompanied by spheres of carrot filled with foie gras and camomile, and a small bowl with quark, wheat and celery.

The next amuse-bouche was cockle, beetroot, rosemary and horseradish, served on the shell.

We were too full to order the tasting menu, but shared Langoustine served three ways and Lobster served two ways.

The Langoustine began with a raw preparation served on a locally grown and completely edible mini corn stalk, together with lime, lavender and soya sauce. This was a real hit at our table! The second preparation was with Chinese cabbage, a ribbon of butternut pumpkin and watercress. The third and final course was with eggplant, dashi and tarragon.

The first lobster course was served with shiso and pearl barley, followed by a second course with tomato, olive and zucchini.

Our meal concluded with a lovely berry dessert and a selection of petits fours.

It's worth a detour to Pure C for a breath of fresh Nord Zee air and a delightful meal served by a gracious staff in a modern atmosphere.

Carrot Spheres (left, filled with foie gras and camomile) with Anchovy Stones (right, filled with a cream of anchovy, mushrooms and bleu cheese) and a mix of quark, wheat and celery (bottom).
Can you tell the difference between the edible Anchovy "stones" and the actual stones?

Cockles, served with a seaweed-based crisp

A tasty olive-based bruschetta-style appetizer

Fabulous crusty bread served butters (one infused with seaweed) and seasonings

Langoustine #1, on an edible mini corn stalk

Langoustine #2, with Chinese cabbage, a ribbon of butternut squash and watercress

Langoustine #3, with eggplant, dashi and tarragon

Lobster #1, with pearl barley and shiso

Lobster #2, with tomato, olive and zucchini

A berry good dessert ;)

Petits Fours

Lightest, Crispiest Belgian Waffles in Brugge

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 07:05:00 +0000

Craving Belgian waffles the first morning after arriving in Brugge, we chanced upon Verdi Tearoom. To be honest there are not that many places that are opened at 9 am in the morning. Love the Belgian lifestyle, or is it more generally the Europeans! I ordered the waffles with sugar, my partner ordered it with strawberries and bananas. Wow!! Never had waffles that light and crispy. Like a good crusty bread, you know that it's good when you hear that 'sawing' sound.

Really good waffles! Highly recommend it!!

Waffles with strawberries and bananas

Waffle (half) with powdered sugar for 4 euros

Good heart, great talent, nice value - Zeno in Brugge

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 07:08:00 +0000

Had a really enjoyable meal at Zeno in Brugge. With a decor that's mostly white, spare and clean, this restaurant is run by a husband and wife team - the chef Reinout Reniere is a very talented man who worked at the 3-star restaurant de Karmeliet in Brugge. He serves most of the dishes himself with his wife running the front of the house.

The standouts of the meal were the amuse bouche and the dessert, which is really unique. A composition of malt ice cream, chervil root mousse with fennel seeds and fennel flowers, it is very flavorful and not too sweet. The chef told us himself that he doesn't have much of a sweet tooth. At 37 euros, the meal consisting of 4 amuse-bouche, fish entree (appetizer), chicken main course, dessert, palate cleaner and a variety of petit fours, is really worth every penny.

Amuse bouche - picked cabbage

Amuse bouche - beets

Amuse bouche - celeriac with a citriusy filling

Amuse bouche - 'Ratatouille' - eggplant puree, with tomato gazpacho freeze balls, cucumber, sorrel

Bread with olive oil, butter and pork grease with seeds

Fish (crispy skin) with chanterelles

Farmed chicken with onions

Malt ice cream, chervil root mousse, fennel seeds/flowers

Hazelnut delight, canele, chocolate with buttonberry, fruit parfait

Refreshing palate cleanser - coconut balls, basil

A not over-the-top 3-star restaurant in Paris - Astrance

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 04:47:00 +0000

There are ten 3-star restaurants in Paris. It's a privilege to dine in one. The best way to have this 3-star experience at a decent price is to go for lunch. We did that again! For 70 euros, (about 100 euros including wine), we had a really nice meal at L'Astrance, which is ranked #36 on the list of best restaurants in the world. We were told that the name came from a small wild flower in the mountains! Like its namesake flower, L'Astrance is a really small restaurant, located in the Trocadero neighborhood. It's tastefully decorated with bright yellow leather chairs and grey walls that have an elegant waxed finish. I particularly liked the colorful glass place settings and the wine glasses from Zalto Denk'art. The lunch menu is 5 courses, with additional amuse bouche and sweet treats at the end.

First course - mussels in a light coconut thai infused broth. Just delectable!

Second course -Slice of mushroom/foie gras 'tart'

Third Course - fish with sliced zucchinis with an amazing burnt butter/white miso mayo (top center dollop)

Fourth Course - pigeon with eggplant (green piece on right)

Fourth Course side dish - salad with pigeon leg and pigeon liver

Fifth Course - nectarine, chocolate sorbet +++

Additional sweet treats - egg with jasmine froth, magdeleines, plums with figs

What made this a particularly lovely dining experience is that the staff is genuinely friendly, not hoity-toity. The co-owner, Christophe, joked about the pigeons not coming from the top of Eiffel Tower or the nearly gardens but from the south of France. The sommelier recommended a lovely well-balanced fruity red wine from Sicilly made from the Il Frappato grape - a new one for me! One would expect that a sommerlier from a 3-star restaurant in France would probably recommend a grand cru from France!!

King crab reigns supreme in Patagonia

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 14:11:00 +0000

Eating king crab makes me a very happy person...indeed.

Having seen big king crabs in Santiago and resisting to order them since they hail from Patagonia and that is going to be our next destination after Santiago. Finally got to taste this beautiful crustracean in La Cucina on our first day in Punta Arenas. The meat was so sweet and of the perfect temperature, every bite was heavenly. It doesn't need any lemons or aioli (although provided). The salad on the side adds a unique contrast of crunch, some bitterness from the greens and acidity from the salad dressing. Underneath the 3 crab leg meat pieces, it's all crab meat!! All for US$13 only, what a steal.

Other amazing king crab dishes are this beautiful king crab sandwich and king crab pie (chupe), at the Restaurant at the Singular Hotel, where we stayed.

King crab sandwich - with lettuce, eggs on toasted bread

King crab pie (chupe) - gratin with cheese, cream

Waiter's Choice at Osaka Restaurant in Santiago, Chile

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 28 Dec 2014 07:00:00 +0000

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Osaka is a seemingly Japanese restaurant in Santiago, Chile. Why would I choose to eat at a Japanese restaurant in South America? However, a few days into the trip, I learnt that Chile is blessed with great seafood and I can’t think of a better cuisine than Japanese to take advantage of that abundant bounty.

Osaka Santiago is the second restaurant of the flagship restaurant in Peru – touting Nikkei cuisine – Japanese and Latin American fusion. Online reviews are generally very complimentary of the food, but a number of them criticize the lackluster service. Making the reservations only two days in advance, the only seating was at the sushi bar, which suited us fine.

We had a very flamboyant waiter and when I asked for recommendations, he asked if we would let him order a few dishes for us. Since we are familiar with chef’s choice (omakase), we thought why not ‘waiter’s choice’. The 3 dishes turned out to be absolutely delicious!

Aji Amarillo ceviche

My absolute favorite was the ceviche dish called Aji Amarillo - white sashimi fish, with a 'leche de jaguar' sauce, black sesame and two fried wontons filled with sweet potato puree. Not the usual lime-cured ceviche, the sashimi style fish is light and, coupled with the crunchy red onions and the sauce (which remains a mystery), was a heavenly combination.

Mariscos al fuego - shrimp, octopus, squid in a scallop shell, with fire ablaze. Enjoyed with Austral beer from Punta Arenas

Salmon belly - lightly smoked, topped with quinoa in a ginger soy sauce

Delighted by such excellent choices, we encouraged him to order another round of food for us.

Unagi with Foie

Crispy Quinoa - avocado, crab, shrimp roll coated with crispy quinoa

Crispy rice - topped with salmon

All 6 dishes were really good.

According to our waiter, he’s able to to order partial portions because he’s selecting and ordering the dishes for us. Our bill came up to $35 per person, including two beers. Really reasonable for the quality of food and I dare say, the quality of service too. I’m looking forward to a return visit soon!

It's great to know someone in the wine industry - a memorable visit to Maipo Valley, Santiago Chile

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 28 Dec 2014 01:00:00 +0000

From our gracious friend, Lyz, we were introduced to TerraMater Vineyards in the Maipo Valley, about 1 hour south of Santiago. Lyz used to work at DT Asia, a wine importer in Shanghai and through her connections, we got in touch with Catherine Wevar, the Commercial Director at TerraMater.

We were hopelessly lost, mistook Maipu for Isla de Maipo, the latter being the correct location. Almost 2 hours late, we finally arrived at the winery. In the meantime, Catherine got really worried and was frantically emailing us, willing to escort us to the winery, wherever we were!

TerraMater Vineyard with Andes foothills in the background.

Horribly late, Catherine nevertheless greeted us with a smile when we got out of the car. Driving us in her red SUV, she brought us on a very comprehensive tour of the vineyards - showing us different grape varietal plants, types of terroir, irrigation methods, explaining the fruit trees they have and the history of how the founder, an Italian immigrant, started growing grapes on this initially very infertile 50 hectares of land. She ended the tour with a generous (or should I say, lavish) tasting in the barrel storage room. Opening 5 brand new bottles just for us, we tried a Zindanfel/Syrah blend, a 100% Zin (ya, she knew we were from California and wanted us to compare Chilean Zins with California Zins), a Carmenere, a 100% Altum Cab, and a Cab/Zin/Syrah blend. We told her that the Altum Cab (pictured on right) was our favorite and guess what happens next? She handed us the bottle and told us to enjoy it over lunch!

TerraMater also produces some very good quality olive oils and, knowing that we are also olive oil fanatics, Catherine did an olio tasting with us too. Not with bread, but with cups, slurping it like wine. Their olive oils are also very good, especially their award-winning Petralia. We would have purchased some, except we would have to lug them to Patagonia.

We were given a truly a memorable and extremely hospitable wine tour (which cost us absolutely nothing) and we got a whole bottle of Cab to enjoy over lunch -- we know this is unique. And even though we told her that we are not from the wine industry ourselves, Catherine continued to show us the grace and hospitality that is rendered to wine professionals. We know this wouldn't have been possible without an introduction from our dear friend, Lyz.


Amelia (Chardonnay), Don Melchor 2010 and 1992 (Cabernet Sauvignon) from Concha y Toro

Following TerraMater, we headed to Concha y Toro, probably the most famous and biggest wine empire in Chile. The place was massive and being a Sunday over the holiday period, there was a zoo of people. Choosing to just sample their wines at the bar, I opted for their Premium tasting - their best Chardonnay Amelia and their most highly-medaled Don Melchor cab. The Amelia was delicious, reminding of HDV chardonnay, one of my favorite chardonnays. The 2010 Don Melchor (retailing at over $100) was IMO average, the 1992 Don Melchor (retailing at over $200) was again IMHO, way past its prime. I simply cannot imagine paying $200 for a wine that tasted so awful, I couldn't even take a second sip.

In pursuit of good whites in Casablanca Valley, Chile

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Chile is most famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon, with whites from Casablanca Valley getting more and more attention worldwide. During our 5 days in Santiago, we decided to rent a car and head out to the Casablanca Valley, about an hour west of Santiago.

View from Tanino Restaurant at Casas del Bosque

Casas del Bosque is a beautiful winery in Casablanca Valley, with a medaled Sauvignon Blanc. We had lunch at its restaurant Tanino - our appetizers of lamb empanada and seared tuna turned out better than our entrees of gnocchi and baked chilean sea bass (corvina).

Seared tuna with pistachio crumbs, ginger syrup

Mini lamb empanadas with chili oil

After lunch, we drove toward Casa Marin in the San Antonio valley. On route, we stopped by at Matetic Vineyards, an organic and biodynamic winery. A fairly large winery with multiple labels, there's also a hotel on-premise. They recommended one of their best wines, a Matetic EQ Syrah, and it was pretty good.

Casa Marin is a boutique wine producer located just 4 kilometers from the Pacific coast. Their Sauvignon Blanc Cipreses was designated one of the Best Super Premium white wines in Chile last year. We had a winery tour, with a fluent English-speaking guide who was from Peru. The tour was nice, but probably not exceptional and ended with a tasting of their highly acclaimed Sauvignon Blanc Cipreses as well as Sauvignon Gris (a hybrid Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris propagated vine) and Pinot Noir, a favorite of the owner - the first woman to own a winery in Chile. The Cipreses was extraordinary but the Sauvignon Gris was not a big hit for us. The Pinot was alright. We might have thought the tasting was complimentary but nevertheless asked for the price and were charged US$38 each. That's quite a hefty sum, considering the 3 tastings were probably only 1 oz each. I guess super premium white wines also mean super premium winery tour charges...

A taste of the South, leaving me craving for more...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 03:38:00 +0000

My first trip to the South was (ok, kinda lame) a business trip to Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a short trip, but I had a sampling of some really tasty foods. More importantly, I was impressed by the hospitality and kind generosity of the people.

My first meal was dinner after I landed in Charlotte - a car rental agent strongly recommended that I to go to Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar. Although it was in the opposite direction to where I needed to go, I punched the address into my Garmin and off I went. Sitting at the bar, I had a great time. I ordered a sushi sandwich with 'bread' made from crab meat (kani) and sushi rice. It was a delicious BLT sushi sandwich.

The next day, craving for fried chicken, I was driving around trying to find some. Through a combination of lack of time and not being in the right location, I ended up at a fried chicken wing chain called Wingstop. I enjoyed the wings, which were well seasoned, very tasty and freshly fried.

Another memorable meal was a bbq lunch with co-workers. Delicious tender pulled pork with hush puppies (oh yes, I love them now) and a side of beans. (Hush puppies are fried corn meal.)

And lastly, I got some 'chicken minis' from Chick-fil-A, a box of bite-sized chicken nuggets sandwiched in between soft white rolls. Best breakfast ever!

All in all, a great trip which makes me crave to go back again to visit more of the South - to go to Charleston and Savanna - and taste more delicious Southern delicacies.

Scallops reign supreme in Maine

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 31 May 2014 03:07:00 +0000

From an enjoyable trip driving along the coastline from Portsmouth, New Hampshire to Bar Harbor, Newport, Bangor and Portland in Maine, here are some highlights and lowlights of our food adventures. Most memorable seafood on that trip - scallops!!

1) Favorite lobster roll - from the Clam Shack in Kennebunkport. Kennebunkport is a beautiful coastal town. It's worth a short drive from there to catch a glimpse of the impressive Bush family estate, which is surprisingly easy to see from a nearby road.

Best lobster roll from The Clam Shack, Kennebunkport

The Clam Shack, Kennebunkport

2) Favorite fried seafood - Scallops. We had fried fish, calamari, scallops, shrimps. Hands down, fried scallops are the best.

Big, fat juicy scallops

Seafood combo from a roadside fried seafood shack, Kittery

3) Most over-rated lobster shack near Bar Harbor - Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound. Cooked in sea water, the lobster turned out tougher than expected. Didn't like that they charge for all condiments, including lemons. :-(

near Bar Harbor, cooked in salted water

Vats of very salted boiling water

4) Most craved for local seafood not found in other places - Long neck clams, also called Ipswich clams.

Long neck clams - also called steamers

Visiting Proseccoland - Valdobbadiene to Conegliano

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 19:02:00 +0000

The town of Valdobbadiene is very pretty, nestled in the foothills of the Dolomites mountains and famous for its prosecco wineries.

We are here to visit Ruggeri Winery on the recommendation of a friend. The wineries here are mostly large-scale export businesses, not quite set up for walk-in visits from foreign tourists. My pre-visit emails did not yield any responses from Ruggeri. We decided to drive there anyway and just pay them a visit. We walkd up to the reception desk -- it's more like a business than a Napa-style winery -- and shamelessly name-dropped our friend's name (he's in the wine business), and in a few minutes a handsome man emerged from upstairs and introduced himself as Giuistino Bisol, the eldest and only son in the family carrying the name of their most famed prosecco - Giustino B.

Giustino B. holding a bottle of his namesake (actually it's is Grandfather's name)

Although he is a busy man, he graciously took the time to give us a tour of his familiy's winery, explaining how meticulous they are in the wine making process to ensure top-quality wines. He ended it off with a lovely tasting session in a well-furnished conference room with an internal window overlooking the winery operations. Perfectly chilled, he served us the famed Giustino B and the pride of the family - VecchiViti, a hard-earned project of his father and grandfather to create a more matured and more flavorful prosecco. Both wines were delicious.

He was very proud to inform us that Giustino B 2012 was awarded the Tre Bicchieri (Three Glasses) of the Gambero Rosso 2014, a recognition given to the best Italian wines. He was kind enough to make lunch reservations for us at Salis Ristorante, a lovely restaurant perched on a ridge overlooking the valley, and to give us his cellphone number in case we needed any assistance during our visit to Valdobbiadene. Truly, a charming young man who is carrying on the family business.

After leaving Ruggieri Winery, we drove on small winding country roads into the hills just east of the village of Valdobbiadene to Salis Ristorante, which is part of a small spa and hotel that overlooks the surrounding vineyards. We were shown into a tastefully modern dining room and seated at table with a wonderful view. We enjoyed a lovely meal that included an aromatic, flavorful pumpkin risotto, and a filet accompanied by potatoes and grilled radicchio from nearby Treviso.

Restaurant terrace

Pumpkin Risotto

Filet di Manzo, with Potatoes and Treviso radicchio

This day, which began in Padova, was a fitting end to our visit to northeastern Italy.

Tortellini worthy of detour from Verona

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 20:25:00 +0000

One of our friends, who goes to Vinitaly (the big wine show in Verona) quite frequently gave us a list of recommended places to eat around Verona and Lake Garda. One particularly stood out to us since we love 'stuffed-pasta' and the website photos look amazing. Thankfully, Restaurant Alla Borsa did not disappoint. Photos can only do so much to convey flavor, but the thin, moist skins on the tortellini pictured below give you a hint at their delicious silky texture.

Tortellini with meat

But to start from the beginning: Today is a bank holiday in Italy. The little town of Valeggio sul Mincio, some thirty minutes southwest of Verona, appears like a ghost town, but when we walked into the restaurant for our lunch reservation at 1 pm, the place was brimming with diners, many of them dressed in their Sunday best. We didn't expect any tourists here during the first week of January, and one look around the dining room confirmed that this place is a big hit for locals. And we trust the discerning Italians when it comes to food.

We ordered a smoked trout carpaccio for appetizer: slices of trout, topped with shavings of a matured hard cheese (I am guessing Grana Padano), pink peppercorns, diced celery, topped with curls of butter. I don't recall ever having uncooked trout, which although it look similar to salmon has a lighter and more delicate taste. The butter was a surprise, and I wondered if it would overwhelm the trout. But this butter was light and smooth, without the heavy dairy flavor of most butter. The flavor combination was a huge success. It guess butter makes everything taste good!

And for their house specialty - stuffed pasta - we ordered a selection of 3 pastas to be shared: first, tortellini filled with meat (veal, pork, beef & chicken) (pictured at the top of this post); then, a green tortelli filled with ricotta and spinach; and finally a tortelloni filled with pumpkin, which was sweet enough to act as the dessert course. Each of the pastas was served very plainly - no sauce, perhaps a tad of butter. Because we ordered a shared selection, the waiters brought each pasta to the table in a large plate and served "family style," which made us feel like we were getting a home-cooked meal. These were by far the best stuffed pastas I have ever had!

Tortelli with spinach and ricotta

Tortelli di zucca (pumpkin)

And we also finally got the chance to order a bottle of Ripasso, the little brother of Amarone. Athough Ripasso is not as rounded and full-bodied as its famous brethren, it is still a very delicious wine and was a perfect accompaniment to the pasta dishes.

Ristorante Tivoli at Cortina: Best Venison Ever

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 18:00:00 +0000

I just had the best venison in my life.

After our arrival in Cortina d'Ampezzo, we decided that for New Year's "eve" we would splurge on lunch at another Michelin-starred restaurant - Ristorante Tivoli, which has a stunning view of the snow-covered Dolomitis from its perch just above Cortina.

View of the Dolomites at restaurant table

We knew we were in for a good meal when the obligatory bread basket arrived with fresh, green Sicilian olive oil.

Bread basket with olive oil from Sicily

Feeling foie gras-deprived since California banned it in July 2012, I was particularly keen to order the foie gras appetizer done 3 ways - seared, like creme brûlée and torchon. It was good, especially the pan seared which has always been my favorite.

Trio of Foie Gras - Seared with mustard sauce, Like Creme brûlée, With cranberry sauce topped with grapefruit

My dining partner ordered an unusual appetizer with an egg on a bed of spinach, with taleggio cheese sauce. The server pointed to the egg and said, "attenzione," and explained that the egg, which was poached and lightly breaded on the outside, contained a runny yolk. The combination of the egg and spinach with the fragrant taleggio was exquisite.

Fried egg with spinach and taleggio cheese

My main course was a beautiful display of 6 ravioli filled with sausage, topped with napa cabbage on a red beetroot sauce - a modern interpretation of a local dish called Casunziei all'Ampezzana - ravioli filled with beets.

Sausage ravioli on beetroot sauce, topped with poached and tempura napa

The ravioli were light and the flavors delicate; a perfect compliment to the star of the entire meal: the venison!

The venison was served sliced, so I could immediately see that it was perfectly cooked - seared on the outside, rare inside. It was presented with a delicate red wine sauce, a couple radiccio leaves (from Treviso, a local favorite this time of year), and broccoli with roasted potatoes. The perfectly prepared venison was tender and flavorful; the red wine sauce added depth and richness, without being too sweet - a bit-sized piece of venison draped with a touch of sauce was a match made in heaven, and a perfect way to celebrate the New Year.

Star of the meal - Venison

A lovely Pinot Noir from the South Tyrol, near Bolzano

We had all of these with a wonderful Pinot Nero (Noir) from Weingut Gottardi Mazzon, from the South Tyrol region, near Bolzano. It was a lovely surprise as we thought the Alto-Adige region only produces Pinot Grigio. It was a good bodied Pinot. The next day, we contacted them, thinking of visiting their winery. The owner Alexander Gottardi promptly replied that unfortunately he would be in Austria, perhaps next time.

Burano: Following Anthony Bourdain's footsteps

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 28 Dec 2013 22:00:00 +0000

Burano is one of the outlying islands of Venice, second in fame compared to Murano, which is world famous for glass blowing. Many visit Burano for its past glory as a lace producer, it's current picturesque colorful houses and to a much much lesser extent, the butter cookies from this island (Buranelli).

I am visiting Burano because of an episode in Venice from Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, to visit Da Romano Trattoria. The menu is filled with accolades and quotes from past famous patrons - Henry Matisse, Ernest Hemingway, Robert de Niro, Maria Callas, Mina, and so on. I followed Tony's recommendations - Sardines in Soar (pickled sardines - a traditional venetian appetizer), Fish Risotto and Mixed Seafood Grill.

The sardines in soar are delicious. A fan of sardines, I look forward to this humble fish prepared well and this is a great approach. The waiter successfully upsold us with pickled shrimp with red onions, also quite tasty. Although in general I'm not crazy about polenta, I actually found myself really liking the grilled white polenta cakes.

Sardines in soar and pickled shrimp, with polenta cakes

The fish risotto is their signature dish. The risotto is made with a broth from the Go fish (the fish meat is not eaten as the fish is all skin and bones) and finished off with some parmesan cheese and butter. It's a very simple dish, yet each bite is flavorful, rounded and toothsome.

Fish Risotto for 2

For second course, we ordered the mixed seafood grill. Apparently renowned to be the only restaurant in Venice with a wood fired grill, I found this dish disappointing and uninteresting.

Mixed seafood grill - monkfish, cuttlefish, sardines

The total cost of this meal is 110 euros - these 3 dishes pictured above, and a half bottle of Soave (15 euros). For seemingly inexpensive and simple ingredients, I consider this meal expensive. Especially when I compare this to yesterday's lunch at a 1-star restaurant where we had a full bottle of white and even a dessert to share, this place seemed over-rated to me.

Il Ridotto: A well-deserved 1-star restaurant in Venice

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Our best friends told us that the best way to eat in a michelin starred restaurant is to go there for lunch and that is true found wisdom. We had lunch today at Il Rodotto, in the castello district of Venice, about 5 minutes walk from St. Marks square and it was one of the best meals I've had - up there with high scores for Etxebarri in Spain, Le Benardin in NY.

For 28 euros (with service charge included), they served 3 cichetti (tapas) and a main course of either fish (Branzino) or meat (Rabbit) - we chose the former. Every single dish was excellent - thoughtful, well-balanced, and creative but not too 'fru-fru'. We enjoyed all of this with a bottle of Pinot Grigio from the nearby Friuli region. We ended the meal with dessert, a fat tip to the waiter (as we had forgotten that service charge was already included and gave him an extra 20%) and a big smile on our faces. This was a truly memorable meal and we are so happy to have had that pleasure.

Branzino (black bass), belgian endive, vegetable aspic, kale, tomato, potato cubes

Shrimp with cauliflower puree, broccoli sauce, topped with almonds

Scallop on carrot with smoked black tea sauce, topped with fried fresh pasta

Montecato - salt cod cream with beluga lentils, topped with black rice crisp

Bergamot soup, creme catalan, vin brûlée (sorbet), sprinkled with freeze fried raspberry