- mango juice
The most beautiful things in Japan are the temples/shrines and the food basements of the major department stores. Here are some photos taken at Misukoshi/Nihombashi. Temples will have to wait. The variety and especially the presentation is staggering.
- bread as in a cartoon
- sweets to accompany bitter green tea
These sweets are only one example of a huge category. Each maker tries to outdo the next in beaauty.
If you go to Japan allow at least an hour to browse all the sections. Fish or crackers are as beautifully presented as the sweets.
While there are also restaurants in the department stores, I have a fewfavorite restaurants elsewhere and managed a few photos. The first night and the last in Tokyo I could think of nothing more delicious than a big plate of sashimi, a bowl of cold tofu with ginger and green onion and a some black cod with miso (the last i ate too quickly and just photographed the bones.
The restaurant is called Uokatsu, and is in the little neighborhood of the International House called Azabu Juban. During the day, they have a fish store. Very handy. The cost of these 3 courses was about 50. dollars and included a draught beer.
Another night in Tokyo I went to Union Square Tokyo and had a delicious Japanese plum mojito and a hamburger.
The best snacks in Japan include some delicious greasy “sembe” crackers from Mamagen in the same street as the Uokatsu. The small bag will do, and you will not be able to eat dinner if you eat the whole bag. The other snack is “butter peanuts”, nice hard peanuts available at every train station.
In Kyoto, the only new place is a small and delicious Italian restaurant on Kita Shirakawa dori (just north of Donq, the French bakery) called — believe it or not– Bosom. Gnocchi with a cream and uni sauce was absolutely delicious. (The owner said the name appealed because it implied warm and cosy which was the feeling she wanted for their restaurant.)
Tastes better than it looks. More on Japan later.
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Since my last report I have been in India, Cabo San Lucas, San Francisco and Los Angeles. India was by far the most stimulating in every way. For two weeks, I ate with gusto, and had only one non-veg meal. The highlight was the food in Ahmedabad. Right in and adjoining our hotel (House of MG) were 2 really tasty restaurants — next door an open kitchen with a gazebo-like structure serving glorified street food (puri, yogurt, spicy eggplant, lassi, etc.), and on the roof a more refined open-air experience. Of course we were lucky to be invited to several delicious home-cooked meals; had plenty of “bed tea” in fancy hotels (served at the Imperial in Delhi with 2 mini madeleines), a great Thai meal at the Oberoi in Calcutta, plenty of huge crispy cashews, all sorts of spicy crunchies both sweet and salty. What a wonderful place!!
Cabo San Lucas is becoming way too developed. Even the last standing older place (the Twin Dolphins) will be razed shortly to make room for another “resort” with golf, higher rise buildings etc. The breakfast churros and the Saturday night roast pig were delicious, as were the fish or shrimp tacos at Rosy. Otherwise avocados from the grocery store were the best.
The glories of California are really the farmers’ markets–the Ferry Building market in San Francisco and many others. Satsuma tangerines, Meyer lemons, Recchiuti caramel sauce, Dungeness crabs, baby artichokes, cheeses from Cowgirl Creamery, all sorts of breads, salad greens, dried fruits — more than one can even imagine. While Kansas City groceries have certainly improved with the arrival of Whole Foods, nothing can compare with the bounty of California.
As for restaurants, LA’s Angelini Osteria offered an excellent mushroom risotto, and the hamburger and fries at the Four Seasons were pretty near a perfect supper. I cannot fit into my clothes. Better order up some larger ones at Asiatica!
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Since the last update I have eaten much too much. In December I had a wonderful trip to Madrid (via London). The paintings in the Prado were the main “feast” of each day, usually followed by a meal at a Cervezeria nearby. I’ve never seen such constant and simultaneous talking, smoking, drinking and eating as in Madrid. The most memorable food was jamon Iberico, with pellets of dry crackers, olives, a fresh salad and a glass of young wine. I also discovered a Basque apertif called “Patzaran”. The hotel was the Suecia — a joy at 70 euros per night.
In the short visit to London, it was Rasa and the River Cafe. But having bought the Casa Moro cookbook, I regret not having eaten there. Next time.
January was Mexico. A week at the Twin Dolphin in Cabo San Lucas (our favorite, the Hotel Cabo San Lucas has closed). The TD is wonderful — delicious food, though we most often had a couple of tacos in a dive for dinner, and avocado sandwiches for lunch.
Mexico City was a revelation. Delicious food at Aguila y Sol. Very chic, hip and also tasty. I loved eating potato chips and chicharron on the street with lime and salt.
Then to San Francisco. Dinner at Piperade was a reminder of Spain. It is a great way to eat off many plates which we all ordered en-masse. The best old treat was an oyster medley, a salted cod casserole and an espresso granita at Zuni (along with a dry muscat from Navarro). Also a fine bread pudding with fruit for breakfasat at Bar Tartine. Shopping at the farmer’s market is the best (missed my favorite which is Alemany Blvd., but got to the Ferry Building and bought 3 jars of burnt caramel sauce from Recchiuti (still unopened). Fresh crab, bread and salad at Fifi’s was delicious.
I had better get on the treadmill now.
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