toyoda, tokyo.

lunch at ginza toyoda.

i didn’t get photos of every course, but wanted to share the interesting dishes we were served..

this is whale fat. aka blubber. it had the texture of super fatty sashimi, with a slightly fishy aftertaste. there were two cubes in the thick miso-like broth, but i could only eat one. i’m not sure if i enjoyed it, but it was definitely interesting.

this little snow crab was served in her own shell. beautiful, and a bit.. ironic?

grilled yellowtail. quite delicious.

oyster rice. this was fragrant and light, i had seconds.

a really good cup of tea.

sesame and milk pudding, with the consistency of a soft mochi. served in a brown sugar syrup.

xx

beige, alain ducasse. tokyo.

lunch at beige in tokyo.

bright setting in the ginza chanel building. lots of sunlight makes for a relaxing lunch.

we dined on the three course pri fixe menu.

earl grey tea service.

amuse bouche tartlets.

lobster salad.

john dory.

wagyu with onions and potatoes.

cappucino.

the signature chanel magnolia chocolate dessert.

mignardises to end the meal.

xx

providence.

lunch at providence.

this was our first time dining here, and we were not disappointed. we opted to order a la carte, and of course, ordered too much. especially since bread and 3 amuse bouche courses were brought out first.

a little bite of some gelee..

shiso and rice “taco” light in flavor, great texture, crunchy wheat puffs.

ikura atop cracker with a bit of soup. sO good.

this was our first order, josephine’s clam fritters. they were huGe. much bigger than expected.. more like puffs/beignets than the fried clams we were expecting. served with yuzu mayo. we packed half of it to go, to save room for our main courses.

then onto wild fluke. ponzu was delicate, nice presentation.

there was a seasonal white truffle offered that day, which i couldn’t resist. we opted for a pasta course, and ordered the truffle on tagliatelle.

he came back and shaved more truffles after we started digging in. (:

my main course, the hokkaido scallops. i was pretty full by the time this course came out, but still enjoyed. seared, soft scallops, with coconut and curry flavors.

b’s entree of striped bass.

dessert, this was pear something.. i forget the name but it came with pureed pear atop a cake, with gelato.

when we dine out, i don’t usually choose seafood restaurants, but was glad we tried providence. the flavors were light and balanced, with a nod to asian seasoning, and execution was delicate. we thoroughly enjoyed, and will be back for dinner soon.

xx

http://providencela.com/

the hart & the hunter.

this casual little bistro style restaurant, is inside the pali hotel on melrose.

we like to come for lunch, as its close by and usually easy to grab a table. the menu is small, but all the choices are well executed.

smoked trout toast. with pickled onions and avocado.

biscuits. i love biscuits. these need some work, but i still order them every visit, and they have gotten better. great flavor, but still a bit too soft in texture and fall apart easily, so its a bit hard to spread the condiments that come with. our first order looked like the biscuits had melted, and were flat/fallen. lately they have “risen” a bit and are a bit flakier.  the condiments- i lOve the sweet butter and the blackberry compote. the spicy cheese i usually pass on as i don’t like to mix the salty and the sweet, but b likes it.

the below sandwiches were ordered on separate visits, i don’t think they appeared on the menu together.

so far, the chicken crackling sandwich is my favorite item. sO good. crispy chicken skin, a sort of BLT.

below is their bacon sandwich. another version of the classic BLT, their thick cut smoked bacon is sO good.

lOve.

 

xx

 

http://thehartandthehunter.com/menus.html

Morimoto, napa.

lunch at morimoto, on a recent visit to napa.

it was hot out, so i ate light, ordering only sushi. the signature toro tatare was amazing. beautifully presented, and taken in little bites of so many flavor combos.

the condiments are, nori paste, avocado, sour cream, chives, wasabi and puffed crunchy rice cracker. served with dashi soy and a little dallop of caviat atop the tartare.

below are the nigiri i ordered a la carte. ( yes they come in 1pc per order) the sushi was just.. good, a bit underwhelming. the ikura and tuna were the freshest that day. next time, i think i’d order his specialty and cooked dishes and skip the sushi

 

will be back to try a lunch set. the sea urchin carbonara pasta looked good..

xx

 

http://www.morimotonapa.com/

sushi gen, lunch.

lunch in little tokyo.

i finally had sushi gen’s $15 sushi lunch special.

my gf was awesome, and got there 45 minutes before they opened on a tuesday to wait in line.. thats dedication to food!

so much goodness.

xx

 

 

pine & crane.

taiwanese eats in silverlake.

a dear friend of mine has recently been consulting at this new restaurant nearby, and we couldn’t be happier! for b and i, this is comfort food. we were invited to a tasting before the soft opening, and here are some of the photos.

you order at the counter, get a #, and grab a seat. theres a long communal table, and a row of doubles that can be pushed together. it already gets crowded.. i was there early once, before doors opened for lunch, and i was shocked to see that  line had formed in front of me while i took a call in my car.

there are a variety of cold small dishes in the front display case. i always order the seaweed, pigs ear, and my favorite- the peanuts! before i continue, to address pricing; for ex, three cold appetizers for $7.50, which for taiwanese food seems a little expensive, but remember you’re in silverlake. take a look around. this isn’t your normal hole in the wall sgv chinese restaurant setting. you’re also getting quality ingredients, sourced from their own farm in bakersfield, and dining in a well designed, comfortable setting- with great service. try getting that at sgv. i know  we’d gladly pay a few extra dollars and eat closer to home.

continuing on..  heres a shot of the seaweed and shredded potato salad appetizers from the tasting.

taiwanese sausage with garlic.

one of my fave items: the beef roll. i’ve loved this since i was a child. pine & crane’s version is not greasy, and full of beef and scallions. lOve it.

three cup jidori chicken. basil, garlic, yum.

zha jiang noodles. chewy noodles, slightly sweet sauce.

minced pork rice. YUM. this picture is of the tasting sized portion, if you order it it comes in a bigger bowl. with the classic seven spices, and delicious pork fat, which makes the dish what it is. another one of my childhood faves.

pea sprout veggies. fresh, light.. because we shouldn’t eat carbs all day- which is what usually happens when i eat taiwanese food.

b’s fave. beef noodle soup. their version is lighter, not spicy, and does NOT have a layer of fat/oil floating on top. i approve.

loose leaf tea service. this was the high mountain dayuling.

and for my sweet tooth, i usually get a jasmine green milk tea (not pictured), and my gf told us that they may be adding some sweets onto the menu soon.

sO glad there’s some asian food that i actually like nearby now. you guys know i usually avoid chinese/taiwanese food.. especially greasy, or seafood banquets.. ugh. but, pine and crane is everything that i actually like to eat.

cheers! congrats on the soft opening!

xx

 

http://www.pineandcrane.com/

 

honolulu eats.

some faves from a recent visit.

my favorite shave ice, is from waiola. fluffy and melts right away. i go as many times as possible each trip!

i always get lilikoi and guava syrups, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream underneath.

another favorite eat, is local food, no frills, hearty and delicious. this time we went to Haili’s Hawaiian Foods.

short rib plate, with a side of poke.

 

the lau lau pork. the wrap taro leaves are tender.

(:

xx

 

xx

mother mash, london.

pies at  mother mash.

we LOVE savory pies. so we looked some places up when we were shopping around Liberty, and ended up here.

check out the menu.. this is how it works.

i chose the cheesy mash, the days’ special pie of beef and ale, and the traditional gravy.

b chose the champ mash, traditional mince beef pie, and the onion gravy.

we also ordered a side of cauliflower cheese. delicious.. baked gooey and creamy, LOTS of cheese.

fentiman’s ginger beer. not too sweet, strong ginger taste. i like.

a pic of the meat filling in the steak and ale pie… drooL…

everything was good. no complaints.

must return on our next visit to london.

xx

muracci’s japanese curry.

muracci’s in los altos.

best hamburger steak curry ever. you need to call in and order it ahead, as it takes about half an hour to prepare. muracci’s is usually packed, with a waiting line.. so either come earlier or later than the lunch/dinner rushes, or call in with a reservation.

that said.. here it is.

hamburger curry. the meal is served with a small salad, and comes with either white or brown rice.

the pickled veggies. i LOVE the red radish.. so i order and pay for an extra large side portion of it, as its an integral part of my meal.

closer shot of the hamburger steak.. perfection.

 

be warned that their curry is on the spicier side.. so their mild, for me, is already hot enough.

 

xx

http://www.muraccis.com/indexLosAltos.html