The Blissful Glutton

I am kind of rushed for time, so I am just going to let the photos do the talking. We went to a little noodle shop that our concierge recommended for lunch. I don't have the name because all the signs were in Japanese and the hotel staff just directed the cab driver in Japanese. I will see if I can find out before I leave. It was really good. You can view the full album HERE. Lunch another day was another random spot I walked into when my family was indulging in some oden. I sat myself down at the counter with all the Japanese businessmen and had some tonkatsu. It was soooo good. The rice (which you cannot see that well, had pureed Japanese potato/yam in it that gave the dish the sticky texture of natto. Great meal and cheap to boot. My Dad pulled a winner out of his sleeve last night. He found a restaurant called Tofu-ya Ukai, which is located under the Tokyo tower. We had a private room and it was kaseiki-style dining with numerous courses. The service, plating, and flavors were just amazing. September 21st was the official start date of Autumn here in Tokyo and it was reflected in whimsical little touches like pine straw laid across our plates. It was our most memorable meal because of the pure artistry of the entire experience. A definite must if you are ever here. There is a two month wait, so book it now! You can view the full album HERE. In true Glutton family fashion, we went to yet another food floor at at a department store, Takashimaya in Shinjuku. I think I liked this one ever better than the first one we hit. The oshinko and fish selections were excellent! You can view the full album HERE. When it comes to shopping in Tokyo, the only thing I wanted was knife. We headed down to the restaurant wholesale district called Kappabashi-dori in Asakusa. The area is marked by this large chef's head. I got a few knives for my friends and myself. Here is a photo of on of the knives and the nice man who sharpened them. There was a store that sells all of the plastic food used for display restaurants--what a trip. I should have bought something, but I had no use for it--still kind of a fun store. Dinner last night was just fabulous. We went for tempura to Kondo. It is a bar-style tempura restaurant where each piece is fried individually and then placed on a small plate with paper which is changed after each course. It was insane. There was anything from fresh corn (sick) to acorn squash. Probably rivals the robata for my favorite meal. Another must if you are here. The seating is limited, so book in advance. One of the chefs serving a guest. A piece of lotus root tempura. Shrimp heads You can view the full album HERE.

Doc: Thanks for the recommendation. I will check it out if we can. I think most of our meals are planned as of now. Jennifer

I am finally getting into the groove of Tokyo. I love it here. It is like a much cleaner and calmer New York. If it was not so far from where my family lives, I would move here in a heartbeat--I always say that about cities I love. So, we are trying to mix it up food-wise. Tuesday night we went to an old haunt of my parents' (they met while both of them were living in Tokyo) in Roppongi, where many of the expats live. I have to say this was the best meal I have had in a long time. It was simple and straightforward using nothing, but great product. The way it works is that you sit at a counter that encircles two chefs surrounded by baskets of fresh vegetables, meat, and fish. One of our chefs for the night Selection of items to choose from--you are out of luck once it is gone. These two guys cook everything for the restaurant. You order from your waiter who yells the order to the chefs--yelling a lot is key here. It makes for a very cool enviornment. Once your order is ready, the chefs pass you your dishes on a paddle. Sake--which is very strong here--is poured out of wood bowl into you square cup. I can normally handle my sake, but I was definitely blurry after one cup. I still had another and was very silly for the rest of the night--this was the kind of place where it is okay to get rowdy--my kind of spot. The food we had was just amazing. The lighting was kind of weak, but the blurriness pretty much replicates the way I was seeing things this particular meal. Don't worry--I never forget a flavor. Fried river crabs and hirame (flounder) sashimi Fried red snapper: this was so buttery and tasted amazing. Ginko nuts Clams I woke up the next day with the most incredibly bad headache I'd had in years--darn sake. My dad took us for some katsudon (fried pork cutlets over rice with egg and caramelized onions) to soak up the alcohol in our stomachs. There are plenty of stalls around Tokyo where you can get this and we just walked into a random spot near hotel in Ginza. It was great. After a small nap, we headed out for shabu-shabu. The shabu-shabu spot, Nigyocho Imahan (located in the Barneys NY building), was pretty good, but I have had better in Hawaii and NYC. I hate to complain, but the meat was almost too marbled. The service was excellent though and we got our authentic shabu-shabu fix in Japan. The shabu-shabu pot "High-quality beef" for shabu-shabu Veggie assortment Well, that is it for now. You can check out my whole photo album, which I will be continuously be updating HERE. Stay tuned for more...I will update when I have the time.

I am not Japanese and staying in Ginza--any recommendations would be appreciated. Jennifer

After a grueling 14 hour flight, I am here in Tokyo and trying desperately to get on Japan time. Forever the glutton, I have already covered a heck of a lot of ground food-wise. I am still a bit hazy, but wanted to blog when this was fresh in my mind. I have a lot of photos that I am blogging on my website with slideshows that don't work here so I will just link to my albums for those entries. Last night, we arrived late and went searching for something to eat, but found many things closed. We ended up a place near the hotel that served food from Okinawa. I can't say it was the most flavorful of cuisines, but it filled our tired bellies. English at the place was minimal (my parents' Japanese is still rusty), but I took a photo of the sign in case you are somehow able to translate. I unfortunately do not have the correct terminology for the food, so I hope the photos are enough. Tofu soup You can view the rest of photos HERE. This morning, I woke up at 5 a.m. Hooray for jet-lag! I waited until my parents were awake and we headed out to Tsukiji Central Wholesale Market for a little breakfast. This place made me want to move to Japan by the sheer amount of gorgeous looking food for sale. Fresh wasabi root Fish for sale You can view the rest of the photos HERE. There were also a variety of food stalls serving anything from tempura to oden. My sister is an oden fanatic, so she got a bowl at one of the stalls. My Dad choosing the oden My sister digging into her daikon. I spotted a woman splitting fresh uni (and conch) open and grilling them over hot coals, so I left my folks and sis to their oden (never been a fan of fish cake) and stood in the very long line. Here are some photos of the woman cooking and the final product. Forever the food-crazy family, we headed to a favorite haunt of my parents, Mitsukoshi. I was really not in the mood to go shopping until I saw where my Dad was taking us--the food floors. The sheer volume and quality of the products made me want to cry out. It was just AMAZING. The store is like the Japanese version of Harrod's, but so much better. Anything you could ever want or need for your kitchen. My mouth was watering at the sight of this beef Dumplings for sale Assorted tempura items Check out the rest of the photos HERE You'd think we were done with food for the day--no way. It was only noon and that meant it was time for lunch. I had been asking for udon and my Dad delivered in a big way. We went to a little spot in Ginza called Sato Yosuke--killer place. My tray was so big I could hardly get a proper photo. But, here is my best take on the place. Great spot if you are looking for fresh noodles + chic decor. If you would like to view my full post, with slideshows and more photos, please visit my website: The Blissful Glutton I still have a week here and then I am off to Hong Kong, so stay tuned.... Jennifer

My entire family lives in Mexico City and I would never put it down in any way. I definitely think D.F. is a gorgeous and virbrant place full of history and culture. However, to say the crime is not a problem there is simply not true. My cousins have been robbed numerous times and I have had (middle-class) friends kidnapped for ransom. When I was last there, my cousin, who has lived there her entire 32 years, said she really loved Mexico City, but just did not feel safe there and she is a pretty tough gal. Like many have said in this thread (which was originally started to share food photos from my trip Mexico City this summer), use your best judgment and you should be fine. But, to ignore the crime in the name of of city pride is simply ridiculous. I live in Atlanta and I love it here, but there are plenty of areas that are not safe and I know not to take public transportation at night, walk with expensive things on, etc. That doesn't mean I am putting my town down.

A sponful of cajeta or peanut butter will normally do the trick. If I need to sink my teeth into something, I have been know to make makeshift 'croissants' with baking chocolate, french bread from dinner, a little sugar and butter.

I have yet to watch the episode. That quoted text was from the Travel Channel website.

What luck! Bourdain just did a show on Hong Kong. Talk about timing. I don't know what the guidelines for posting articles is here, but here is the summary from the website with lisitings. http://travel.discovery.com/tv/bourdain/tr.../hong-kong.html I am totally checking these spots out when I am there this month.

Thats not a bad idea, KA! I will have to try it next time she is visiting. I have another photo of some food I have recently made. This time it is breakfast. My mother, bless her heart, is not the best cook. She was the queen of takeout when we were growing up, but there were certain things she made that were amazing. Black beans were her specialty. While black beans are not the most Mexican of items, we ate them a lot growing up--a holdover from our days in Rio (where I was born). Mom would make the most amazing dishes with black beans like fried tortillas topped with the beans, a fried egg, and salsa--something I even eat for dinner on occasion. Another item she used them for was molletes. Making these is so very simple. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, butter a bolillo (I used a baguette for this recipe to fancy it up a bit), top with some refried beans, and cover with chihuahua cheese--you can use mozzarella if you cannot find Mexican cheeses in your area. Put them in the oven until the cheese is bubbling (about 10 minutes) and serve with some salsa (the one below is a salsa made with arbol chiles) and/or pickled jalapenos on the side. They are especially popular with kids (served without the egg) because you can call them breakfast pizzas. If you are feeling naughty, top with a fried egg. Best breakfast in the world.

Bumping the thread. I am going to be there for a couple of days in September. Any more recommendations?

I wanted to add another photo of something I made a little while ago. Whenever my Grandmother (my Mom's mom) visits from Mexico, she makes a huge batch of mole. I have tried to get her to teach me, but she is one of those "a little bit of this and a little of that" kind of cooks. I need to get that recipe. I love her mole and I use it up way too fast. I made some enchiladas with my last container (sniff) a while back. Topped with the usual suspects (crema Mexicana, micro-cilantro, queso fresco, and pickled onions) and served with some radishes tossed with lime and salt.

Everyone's food looks amazing--I cannot keep up. Tonight I made a lazy dinner. Miso soup (with enoki mushrooms, tofu, and green onions), an assortment of store-bought oshinko, and sticky rice. Nice and clean.

Going to be in Seoul for 2 days as a stopover from Hong Kong in September. I have been reading the thread, but was wondering if anyone could tell me the absolute musts. Thanks in advance!

If you are into wine, there is a big wine store called Lavinia that has a restaurant upstairs. I had the best steak tartare with a baby arugula salad on the side that was my favorite lunch of my trip there in May. You can also drink wine for the retail price without the markup. 3-5, boulevard de la Madeleine, Paris Telephone: 014 2972020. Lavinia website Edited to add pictures from my meal: Tartare Arugula salad with the most delightfully chewy sun-dried tomatoes Lobster salad

Those look so delicious, Jennifer! Thanks for your great posts and pix, too. I'm wondering - have you ever taken that mix and baked it like lasanga - topping it with more salsa and cheese before popping in the oven? ← I have done that. My sister actually prefers it that way--you get a crisp crust that way and it is not so wet. I always add chicken if I do it that way. But, you have to be careful no to dry it out.

Thanks everyone! Doc: I loosely followed Diana Kennedy's recipe which you can find HERE. I use the achiote paste that you find in blocks at most Mexican stores and mix it with the juice. I like a bit more normal orange juice because it gives it a little added sweetness that plays well against the heat of the salsa when plating. I also used a butt instead of a loin because I had it on hand. The marinade takes 5 minutes to make and then you just let it sit overnight.

My pleasure. I am trying to think of what I am going to do next. Made these sopes with cochinita pibil a little while ago. They were insanely good. Used a locally grown pork butt and did it in my Le Creuset. Topped with queso fresco, pickled red onions, avocado, micro-cilantro, tomatillo salsa, and crema Mexicana. Here is the pork out of the oven: The finished product:

I am heading there in September and would appreciate you posting your list. Thanks.

If I had to credit one person with my never-ending curiosity about food, it would have to be my Dad. When I was growing up, he was working for a large Atlanta-based company that required him to travel a lot--I remember him telling me he had done something insane like 200 countries in 5 years. Since he was traveling the world, Dad was exposed to many different cuisines and constantly brought us home little food souvenirs like stinky cheese from Paris, immense bags of bread and smoked fish from Zabars, and dried fish snacks from Japan. When he wasn't traveling, Dad would cook. And, man, did he cook. Braised legs of lamb in white wine, amazing risottos, cassoulet, and all sorts of Mexican dishes. One of our family-favorites was a simple Mexican breakfast of chilaquiles (a peasant dish that uses leftover salsa and tortillas). There is something about them that is so satisfying and nobody makes them better than my Dad. There are many varieties of chilaquiles. Some people add shredded chicken or turkey to the mix, but we normally make them plain. You can use a red or green salsa--whatever you prefer. Every family does them a little differently. This is how we make them: Cut up some corn tortillas into strips or squares and fry them in oil until they get some color on them. When they are done, place them on a paper-lined plate or bowl to absorb some of the oil. If you don't have leftover salsa from the night before, make your favorite red or green salsa--just be sure it is homemade because the store-bought versions won't cut it for this dish. Dad just normally throws one together with some tomatoes, onion, lots of salt, and whatever chiles he has on-hand. Toss the fried tortillas strips with the salsa and top with crumbled queso freso, chopped onions, and a drizzle crema Mexicana. A little chopped cilantro ain't bad either. I like to serve with a big bowl of scrambled eggs for a bit of protein, but you can just have them on their own.

For breakfast/brunch this morning, I crisped some bacon and then caramelized some finely diced red onion, banana pepper, and garlic in the bacon fat. Tossed some San Marzano butter beans into the mixture until they were warmed through and bit crisped up. Re-added the bacon after the beans were hot. Topped with 2 fried eggs from my local farmer and served up with a nice slab of toasted country French loaf. I think this is my new favorite breakfast. So satisfying.

I am trying to find an online source for those striped dish towels you see used as napkins in restaurants. Does anyone know where I can find them?

I asked the same question. The waiter told me that the green chorizo comes from Toluca and the difference between it and the red version is simply a matter of what chiles they use. I don't know what type though. The brightness of the green was amazing--it made me think that there must be some food coloring in it--and there was very little difference in flavor vs. the red chorizo. Hope that answers your question. I am still learning about all the different facets of Mexican cuisine. Even my folks, who grew up in Mexico, are constantly discovering new dishes on our trips. Ain't food grand?

Sure thing. Rossy is not in the supermercado. I don't have the address for the mercado, but I will check and see. It looks like a huge shopping center in the center of town. You can't miss it. If any of these are hard to find, ask your concierge and they should provide you more detailed directions. Don Emiliano: Website for Don Emiliano La Fonda : Website for La Fonda with menu and address Taqueria Rossy's: Open for breakfast through late lunch - until the fish runs out Carreterra Transpeninsular KM 33 * San Jose del Cabo * (624) 42-6755

I think it will be nice to have one here. I have never eaten at any of the restaurants in NYC, but have always had stellar experiences at Craftsteak in Vegas.