Lost In Translation

440 Broadway

There's another great Mexican food alternative in Ebisu a stone's throw from my old apartment at 440 Broadway Taco Shop. Pictured is the small sized chicken burrito, which was totally filling and warmed up handmade tortillas with guacamole.

Yaumay

I recently tried a new dim sum restaurant in Marunouchi, Yaumay. It has a very sophisticated atmosphere and great food. However, it is a bit pricey. It's not the kind of place I'll be eating at regularly, but definitely worth it on occasion.

Crispy bean curd and prawn cheung fun

Poached Peking dumpling

Stir-fried baby bak choi, garlic

Sichuan won ton

Seasame prawn toast

Siu mai

Lychee martini

Char siu bao

Shimpo

I first heard about Shimpo, a seafood izakaya and the highest rated-restaurant in Nishi Ogikuo on Tabelog, on Facebook from a guy who used to live in Japan. I can see why it is so popular, it is one of those place that hasn't changed the decor in 30 years and survives by their reputation of serving the freshest seafood available. Above is the mixed seafood sashimi plate-plenty of challenges there for me, but I finished every bite and gained a better appreciation for uni and scallops.

These oysters from Sanriku, Iwate were massive and tasted of the ocean.

Even the "otoshi" (seating charge appetizer) was tasty-buri and daikon in broth.

Best Food Writing 2001

I came across an old copy of The Best Food Writing 2001 edited by Holly Huges in a discard pile at work and found a lot of compelling essays in the collection. There were a couple of pieces that I had come across in books earlier ("Today's Special" by David Sedaris and "The Trouble with Fries" by Malcolm Gladwell). Not to mention some articles by some well-known authors: Michael Lewis, Jeffrey Eugenides ("The Doner Party {umlauts over the "o"}, Calvin Trillin ("Desperately Seeking Ceviche"), and Paul Russell. But there were lots of entertaining new discoveries for me: "Toro, Toro, Toro" about tuna fishing in America by Jeffery Steingarten, "Who's in Christopher Walken's Kitchen?" by Andrew Goldman, "Lobsters at Five Paces, Knives and Egos Bared" by Rick Martin, "Food for the Crew" by Seattle author Greg Atkins of Canlis, "The Inkblot Test" by Robb Walsh, and "Rome Again" by Coleman Andrews. It seems that Alain Ducasse in particular haunted the year of 2001 with his prominence as "the" best chef in the world. All in all, a strong collection of writing-I skipped very few articles and enjoyed most.

Chimoto

I hesitated visiting Chimoto because I thought it was only a Japanese confectionery shop, but I had noticed some people eating noodles. So I finally stopped by and had a great bowl of mushroom soba for less than ¥800-I'll be back.

Hanoi Street Food Tours

I signed up for Hanoi Street Food Tours and met another couple near my hotel and then walked to The Metropole to pick up another couple to start our tour. The tour operator Tu charges $95, which is a bit steep considering the price of the food, but he offers a quick jump into the world of street food that would take much time to obtain that knowledge and that's what we tourist don't have. Many of the foods that we sampled were new to me, in fact the banh mi sandwich was probably the only thing besides traditional Vietnamese coffee I've had before. I was happy to pay it and felt it was worthwhile, but food is probably more important to me than to others.

First stop was a crab fried spring roll shop in the Old Quarter. This may have been my favorite stop.

Deep fried bread with mung bean filling.

Cha ruoi, our guide didn't tell us what this was until after we ate it-it has palolo worm in it and it’s mixed together with tangerine peel, herbs, minced pork and beaten egg before being fried over low heat. What results is an omelet that’s infused with a fruity zest and the rich, caviar-like flavor of rươi.

The Gate in the Old Quarter.

At the market in the Old Quarter.

Yes, that is a bag of frogs.

Char sui pork noodles with Tuc Bach beer-my first of each.

A banh mi sandwich.

Colorful desserts at a sweets shop.

Wild rice with yogurt, a cold dessert.

A warm dessert with mung bean filled mochi-like patties.

Fish (perch) and pork fried spring roll.

Pork delivery service.

Vietnamese coffee known for the use of condensed milk.

Egg Coffee-egg yolks, sugar, condensed milk, and robusta coffee, a Hanoi specialty.

Eating Vietnam

I really enjoyed Graham Holliday's Eating Vietnam: Dispatches from a Blue Plastic Table (2015), it is one of those books hard to categorize since ti is something of a memoir and something of a paean to Vietnamese street food. I read it while on Vacation in Vietnam and found hit useful and inspiring. It was published on the Anthony Bourdain Ecco imprint and Bourdain provides the Foreword. The first half of the book explains how an Englishman from Rugby, England found himself to become of the foremost experts on Vietnamese street food. Oddly enough it started in Korea where he did his first stint as an English teacher and developed a love of Korean food culture and street food in particular (subsequently he has also written a book on Korean food as well-Eating Korea: Reports on a Culinary Renaissance-which I plan to read). Holliday gets an opportunity to move to Hanoi, which was his original plan anyway. And eventually he becomes smitten with the food culture of the north. At one stage, when he is on his way back to Korea when he meets an equally besotted foodie in the second generation French-Vietnamese Sophie (who will eventually become his wife) and is lured back to Vietnam. So he returns and then another big shift occurs when he moves south to Saigon for his wife's job and decides to become a freelance journalist and start a blog noodlepie (a blog which I did discover back in the 00s-probably when preparing for my first trip to Hanoi in 2005). There is very much a culinary divide between the north and south and Holliday suspects he will never be won over by the south's cooking style, but eventually he succumbs. noodlepie becomes extremely popular and changes Holliday's life-as he becomes many the journalist's main source in Vietnam when reporting on food culture. Another big change occurs in the birth of his son. The third section of the book is Holliday's forays into the stalls of operators he admires as he gets down to he nitty gritty of what makes the food so memorable as well as how daily production of the meals takes place and how the food was established. I think this is a great companion to a traveler in Vietnam, but I suspect it would be attractive to anyone with an interest in Vietnam.

Marugame & Takamatsu

The gate to Marugame castle the last of four original-castles in Shikoku and third of this particular journey. It was an hour and half bus ride and 5 minute taxi from the bus stop near the expressway to this castle.

The city from the castle vantage point.

Marugame's answer to Hachiko? Kinako?

This modern art museum next to the station felt very in congruous and makes me wonder how much was spent on it. I can't imagine it has brought in the tourists as imagined.

Takamatsu station, I stayed the night in Takamatsu since it's one of the biggest cities on Shikoku and I was flying out of the airport in the morning.

The old castle grounds from the street car station near Takamatsu station.

My hotel was a bit isolated, but Takamatsu is not such a big town.

Another shotengai in Takamatsu.

It was the location for Craft Beer Diner Hopheads, the only craft beer bar I came across on my journey. And a well-stocked one with 20 taps, but no customers on a rainy Wednesday evening. the master told me it is popular among foreigners but the locals haven't bought into it yet.

Good portions this is a Cesar salad with a half-pint-I also got some fried chicken. I'll have some udon (a local specialty) at the airport before I fly the next day at 12:50.

Udon and tenpura as promised.

Kochi, Kochi

The main goal for the trip was to visit Kochi, Koichi and check off my 45th of 47 prefectures, but also visit the castle-one of the original 12. This is the station where homage is being paid to heroes of the Meiji Restoration-in the past Tosa domani was an influential area in Japan.

Shikoku is a subtropical climate, but still a little cold at the moment.

There's some relationship between this cartoon character and Kochi...

I may have to enjoy later.

It seems the area is also famous for poultry, the "Tosa jiro", in particular. this temple near the castle had statues and live chickens in it. It makes me wonder if these are the messengers for the gods of this shrine.

On the Kochi castle  grounds, another of the 4 of the 12 original castles in Japan that are in Shikoku.

Some old fellas playing shoji (a Japanese game similar to chess).

The castle crest.

A roof ornament.

The view from the castle.

I found some recommendations for local places to eat n Kochi, first up was Kojiya. The star of the menu was Tosa "Jiro" chicken-here grilled over charcoal.

Next up, Yatai Yasube, a food stall known for their gyoza and ramen.

You can always find these shotengais (covered shopping streets), Obiyamachi here, in regional Japan.

I went to Hirome Ichiba thinking it was a morning market, only to see that it is is more of a night time eating-drinking establishment, but I was still able to get a morning bowl of udon.

2019 Spokane Winter Visit

I arrived in Spokane on a Wednesday after a heavy snowfall when local schools cancelled classes. However, the main roads were clear by the time I arrived. There is more snow in the forecast, hopefully not excessive amounts. Apparently it had been a mild winter until February.

Stocking up on some local provision during my stay: Dry Fly Barrel Reserve Gin, Big Juicy IPA from NoLi, and The Impaler Imperial IPA from Iron Goat. I have to say I like the regular Dry Fly Gin, but the strong oak barrel finish of the Barrel Reserve is not to my liking-oh well sometimes you lose.

A very filling Reuben sandwich from the legendary Domini Sandwiches.

I went with a friend on a Friday night to The Bartlett to see a solo show by The Whigs front man Parker Gispert. It was an entertaining show and now I'll be searching out albums by the man and his band.

Another Spokane favorite: “The Original” with pepperoni, fresh mushrooms & black olives at Pete's Pizza.

Another Spokane institution, Ferguson's Cafe, it was featured in the films Vision Quest and Benny & Joon.

Denver omelet with hash browns and sourdough toast.

I took my niece to lunch at Outlaw BBQ which is on the North side of Spokane not far from my parent's house. Here's a mural from one of my favorite westerns-The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

I got the one meat plate with brisket with potato salad and Texas chili that comes with slaw and a roll. My niece got the nachos with BBQ chicken that was listed as a starter and was served on a massive platter.

Imagining that we're on a tropical island instead of in the middle of winter: Mai Tai at Tiny Tiki.

Cubano sandwich and tomato sop at Ruins.

North Monroe has been slowly gentrifying over the years, there is now a craft-beer brewery, Bellwether Brewery , and now a cool coffee shop/roaster-Vessel Roasters