inakaya, roppongi.

Inakaya in Roppongi, tokyo.

robata grilled cuisine. all fresh, made in front of you as you order.

dining here is an experience in itself. the process is part of the tradition. and the food, is delicious.

we ordered alot, so i’ll post pictures of the dishes: all items were raw on the bar in front of us, then grilled to order.

the restaurant is one big bar/counter, with two chefs in the center, sitting on their knees, grilling.

sashimi.

mini crabs.

shiitake mushrooms.

shisamo.

kobe beef.

prawn.

kinki fish. fatty, amazing, so delicious. one of the best items there.

conch.

onion.

garlic.

red bean + mochi dessert.

xx

macarOns!

visited isetan’s b1 in shinjuku.. and went on a macaron binge fest.

first up.. henri charpenter.

they were good, but just good. jasmine, chocolate and fig.. the fig had the best texture.

jean paul hevin. still my favorite. chocolate strawberry, chocolate, pistachio, and chocolate strawberry again. chewy + moist.

lastly, pierre herme. violet, vanilla, chocolate. good flavors, but the texture wasn’t as chewy as jean paul hevin.

walking out of isetan with bags full of macarons.. it felt like christmas.

xx

Pur.

Pur’ at the Park Hyatt Vendome, Paris.

Michelin star Chef Jean Francois Rouquette’s set course of the day.

i cant remember all the courses and their descriptions, so the pictures will have to suffice.. yes, it was pretty good.

starter mini brioche.

spiny lobster slice with lemon and fennel jelly

ostera caviar.

abalone.

b’s steak.

sea bass.

cheese course. with honey, salted caramel and pie crust- like crumbles.

strawberry confit in the tube! vanilla gelato, strawberry cake.

poached fig, fig tartin, pecan caramel ice cream.

 

xxx

Laduree, Paris.

my ongoing macaron endeavors.

i feel guilty to foodies + critics alike for saying this, but i must. after so many years of lusting over laduree’s macarons, i realized that it was the unattainability that made them so desirable for me. now that i’ve been there a few times… i can safely say that i prefer jean paul hevin, pierre herme, or even a few of robuchon’s flavors (chocolate) over laduree. is something wrong with me? maybe its because their signature flavors are ones that i don’t enjoy.. licorice.. violet..  ick.

that said. i still love macarons, and laduree is always so beautiful, their salon’s decor alone compels me to sit down for tea. so i do. and i end up there again.

this time, we changed it up, and tried the macaron glace, with apricot sherbert. it was quite good. frozen macarons from laduree! something i can enjoy exclusively there.

pistachio, coffee, chocolate, orange?

creamy + light montblanc that my friend ordered.

i may give it another try in tokyo this weekend…  but pierre herme awaits. ;)

Benoit, Paris.

classic french bistrot dining at Alain Ducasse’s Benoit.

established in 1912.

“B”

cheese bread. amazing. chewy, cheesy, slightly crispy on the outside.

foie gras de canard confit, with brioche parisienne toast. (not pictured)

cookpot of spinach and chestnut stuffed mushrooms.  stewed in beef broth, with herbs. so delicious. vegetables never tasted this good.

crayfish soup with cream + chives.

mine: daily special entree: pork chop. it was soft, cooked medium, with garlic. it cut like a prime rib.

b’s house cassoulet. it was brought to the table in a rather large + heavy cookpot of beans, pork, duck, and then plated. it could have easily served 2-3.

frozen souffle of orange with grand marnier. too big to finish, because it wasn’t fluffy like a baked souffle.

gateau chocolat. chocolate cake with crispy praline, hazelnut ice cream and cracker.

YUM. the ice cream was so delicate and smooth that it melts instantly in your mouth.

seriously good food!

xx

Ristorante Paoli.

lunch at ristorante paoli, florence.

i love that in italy you get a preview of dessert, at the sweets cart, on the way in to most restaurants.

the interior of the restaurant is beautiful, with arched ceilings.

their version of the complimentary “bread and butter.” wow.

my favorite dish in italy. raw artichoke salad with truffles and fresh parmesan. dressed with some olive oil, lemon juice and balsamic. heaven.

penne arrabiatta.

b’s wild boar stew. very gamey, strong flavor. he liked it.

i ate too much during this entire trip. most of the time i was too full from eating breakfast, pastries, gelatos, trying something at whatever charcuterie or cheese shops i wander into..

but i still insisted on trying dessert everywhere i went. even if it was something light like this stewed (gimormous) pear. the food experience in florence was def worth all the calories.

 

 

Buca Mario, est 1886.

dinner at Buca Mario, Florence.

an establishment of quality family style italian. fresh, with minimal ingredients.

for a starter i had the proscuitto, served with baked bruchetta topped with gorgonzola + mushrooms.

pasta: freshly shaved truffles, butter and tagiatelle. so delicious and fragrant.

steak, florentine style. the meat dishes were served in huge portions, compared to the starters, pastas and desserts.

strawberries with lemon juice.

fresh berry tarte with cream.

a slice of flan.

such good, simple food.

gelatos + sorbets

exploring iced desserts in florence, italy.

the highly anticipated GROM.

dark chocolate and stracciatella gelatos. so creamy and rich. it was everything everyone said it would be.

second location: Perche No?

here i tried the fig and straberry sorbet.

it was the best. ugh. i wish florence wasn’t so far.

 

xx

konyali at kopkapi castle

istanbul, turkey.

lunch at a cliffside cafe, at the kopkapi castle. yes, for tourists.. but it was decent.

appetizer plate, 12 different “salads.” yogurts/hummus, couscous, tomato salad..  this was my favorite dish! it was served with bread rolls, which was disappointing.. i was hoping for the turkish flat breads..

spices and hot sauce. :)

huge spinach pastry.

b’s plate. lamb/beef mix.

chicken shish kabob.

 

xx