emsny

We recently came back from a couple of weeks in Tokyo, and I can affirm that Krispy Kreme is still doing a land-office business there. Long lines outside the Shinjuku store, and many people seen walking around with large boxes of doughnuts. Japan's tooth may be getting sweeter.

This doesn't address the question of whether they'll put together a whole new menu for a diner, but I can say that on our one visit to the restaurant they were very accommodating about replacing a dish on the tasting with one from the a la carte menu.

Last time we were in Japan, it was only for about 18 hours: we had to return immediately because of a death in the family. The one meal we had (before we found out we were going home) was from a place like that in Yokohama, with a vending machine somehow linked to the kitchen. Or did it give you a ticket you gave to the person behind the counter? I don't remember. But it was great fun, and not half bad. Anyway, yes, of course, noodles are on the agenda.

All taken into account, Robyn. Time is meaningless with a 13-hour difference - and an adventure.

Thanks all, both re: Kuu and for more general guidance.

We'll be spending ten days in Tokyo very soon, staying west of Shinjuku. We thought we'd try to eat dinner in the neighborhood on our first night, and nothing especially fancy. A couple of places in Nishi-Shinjuku have been mentioned: Kuu and Sangendou. Any thoughts on either - or other ideas along those or similar lines? Thanks.

Thanks to all. I hadn't realized that the focus on coffee preparation had blurred in Tokyo. I'll follow up, though, on the various suggestions - then probably look forward to returning home to a new shipment from Counter Culture Coffee.

Can anyone name some Tokyo coffee houses of the kind one reads about: where the drink is brewed with meticulous attention to bean, roast, grind, timing, temperature and any other elements that go into what aficionados view as a perfect cup? We're headed for Japan next week and ought to have a list of such places.

The New Yorker is on Eighth Avenue near 34th Street, so Ideal is really a little remote (around 50th and First Avenue if I recall). Artisanal is not exactly around the corner either, but at 32nd between Park and Madison it is a bit closer. She might think of eating there too; I never have, but the menu looks tempting and seems to be in that mid price range you were talking about.

Steingarten writes in the current Vogue that Liebrand will be collaborating with Nieporent. That's not to say it would be at Montrachet, of course.

The Microplane rotary grater (a) yields very fluffy, microplaned (duh) results, too fine for many applications in my view, and (b) is also plastic and seems a bit flimsy. See this http://tinyurl.com/3ymmxo (on amazon.com) for something that looks very much like a stainless version of the indestructible but rust-prone tinned-steel one I had for decades. Not that this is actually relevant to Fat Guy's query, but for smallish quantities I find myself using a box grater more and more. Also not entirely relevant: I find the Zylis grater very uncomfortable to use, though it's effective enough.

Be aware that much of what they sell nowadays only EVOKES defunct restaurants, clubs, trains, etc. Many of the items are not "vintage". At least this was true last time I looked, which was quite some time ago.

I endorse the recommendation of Le Repaire de Cartouche, where last winter I had a most delicious pork chop - not something one sees in Paris restaurants all that often. Let me add a favorable memory of Le Passage - which, admittedly, I haven't been to in at least six or seven years. Address is: 18 passage de la Bonne-Graine, 11th. (01) 47 00 73 30. Specializes in andouillette: they have eight, nine, ten of them from charcutiers from different regions. Other things too, but don’t bother unless you’re willing to eat andouilette – some of them there are quite elegant, oddly. Excellent wine. Perhaps someone has been there more recently than I and can update this.

What about the London Bar at the Gordon Ramsay place? Fifty-fourth between Sixth and Seventh.

Thanks for the help - and, Octaveman, for the link on the Guede knife; I hadn't previously been able to find it for sale (except by a firm that didn't take credit cards).

Such a shame - it is a gorgeous, comfortable dining room.

Let me revive this thread with a question that I don't think has been addressed. What I'm looking for is a 12-inch bread knife whose blade is very rigid. I'd prefer a non-offset handle (the length takes care of knuckle-clearance issues, mostly, and a straight knife is easier to store). Price, within reason, is no object - "within reason" meaning that the Franz Güde damascus blade @ $4,000 is out of the question, but, say $125 would be okay. Thanks.

On a London trip last month, I was very impressed with Tapas Brindisa right near Borough Market. You won't find Spanish products (hams, sausages, olives) of that quality in New York - at least I never have. Good wine too. No reservations. Could be a good choice for a Saturday lunch because you could also visit the market. See: http://www.brindisa.com/dining_about.asp . E

I second the recommendation for SOS Chefs, but with one caveat: it is possible that their regular restaurant accounts will get better product than a walk-in retail customer. So don't hesitate to ask, "Don't you have anything nicer?" if you feel that you're being offered less than top-notch quality. That said, I had a super-duper truffle from them a couple of weeks ago - could hardly have been better.

We had a terrific five nights in Copenhagen; the city's museums were eye-opening, notably the Carlsberg Glypotek. Noma far exceeded my expectations - despite the enthusiastic recommendations from one and all, something about the menus I read made me a bit skittish. But it was spectacular in all respects from the bar snacks to the desserts. Some haunting flavors there. We ate dinner one night at the new opera house. It was fine for opera-house food and a pleasant place to dine before the show, but it would not pass muster as a stand-alone restaurant in that price range. Custom House, the new Conran place, to which friends took us, did not seem to be up to speed yet - or if it was it isn't terribly impressive. Other than that, lots of Wienerbrot (often at La Glace) and good smorrebrod (including at Cafe Sorgenfri, which we thought was great fun). Thanks all for the guidance - especially for the strong recommendation of Noma.

A note on the KitchenAid grinder attachment: because of its plastic body it really doesn't work well on tough jobs (e.g. pork skin for cotechino sausage). I had one break to pieces in the middle of a session.

The one time I tried to make curd for mozzarella it was a disaster, and I'm told by people with a lot more skill and knowledge than I can muster that it is a very tricky curd to make - pH needs to be spot on, for one thing. Me, I'm sticking to soft goat cheese from now on - foolproof; less like a science experiment and more like cooking. Has FatGuy succeeded in making mozz curd? If so, a tutorial might be in order.

amazon.co.uk sells such things.

Thanks for that, dallardice. We'd been thinking not to go to Almeida - our one visit there a couple of years ago was disappointing, largely thanks to boneheaded service, but also because of blah cooking. But it might make sense to give it another try. I'll give them a buzz, if London ever emerges from Christmas and starts answering the phone again.

Let me revive this thread to ask for recommendations for an after-theater supper: we're seeing a play at the Almeida one Saturday night in mid-January. We were thinking of La Trouvaille, where we once had the most delicious duck-fat-fried potatoes, but I'm told that it has closed. We'd prefer someplace not noisy - could be any cuisine, pretty much any price range. The key is that it would take a reservation for around 10:30 or 10:45 (don't have a running time for the play yet). Thanks.