Kyoto's Michelin starred Honke Tankuma kaiseki tasting is a terrific start (3-14-2026)

 I am very far behind and hope to finish these Japan dining write-ups sooner than later which started with our first three nights in Kyoto and a wonderful Michelin-star kaiseki experience that while fascinating was not nearly our favorite meal. The kaiseki experience means a private dining room and we walked up a narrow staircase to be seated in an adorable setting (photos on FB) with unique art (chosen by the manager, apparently) to find out that the chef, while present, had handed over the helm to his son who was also a sake expert and recommended delicious pairings which ranged from Gomon-Kagura "Shichi-you" from Matsui in Kyoto itself, a superb dry Junmai daiginjo to Kachikoma, a daiginjo from Kiyoto brewery and more. Will enjoyed several local beers and we were pleased to see these were not break the bank prices either.

The menu is set, but our server, all decked out in a gorgeous kimono, was adamant we make sure we liked everything and the ingredients were okay. First came Cucumber, Shitake mushroom and wheat gluten cake with sesame vinegar(in the snail shell in the photo), Sea Bream Sushi, and one of our favorite new finds in Japan, the Grilled Firefly Squid here with sweet miso and grated Japanese green pepper leaves paste. We loved it all.

Sashimi (no photo)was next of sea bream, tuna and squid served with Japanese herbs which in olden days were designed to help digestion. The soup course was as weird and novel as it gets as the recipe belonged to the chef's grandmother and was a delicacy dating back over 100 years: Soft Shelled Turtle Soup with baked Rice Cake and Japanese green onion.  Each dish was magnificently presented on beautiful plates or lacquerware and really impressed; the fuss made over this dish, though, was mightily impressive especially after they tried to tell us that we might not like it. The soup was fabulous if the turtle consistency was bizarre, think of cooked cartilage with some small bones. Once we got the knack of it, we did enjoy the dish, but probably would have to say "been there, done that" next time around! We did see it on a menu later on and quickly moved on!

Grilled butter fish marinated with miso and brilliant broad beans was next, but my favorite was the stewed dish (each course is a different style of cooking) Fried Quail Dumpling in a reduced broth with white pepper and Rapeseed.

The "vinegared Course" was a super local Sakhalin surf clam with Hosta grass, Japanese ginger, soup stock vinegar, jelly and yolk vinegar, again a unique favor and taste for sure that may take some getting used to. The fried food was Fried Sesame tofu pudding with Soup Stock of radish, daikon, wasabi and ginger and then came the rice course of Japanese green peas, kelp, bamboo shoot (very much like hearts of palm) and Japanese pickles (rapeseed, radish. and seaweed--definitely the wildest pickle ever!). We were stuffed and there was tons of rice, but we could not eat any more.

Roasted tea came with strawberry (just in season in Japan) and red bean curd, brown sugar and green tea jelly.  We had come to love the white strawberries so much so were a tad upset there were none! alas, I forgot the photo of dessert as well!

More to come....and it gets really amazing!

Saigon's Vietnam House-Ho Chi Minh City's creative cuisine (3/21/26)

 We had an overnight in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and desperately wanted to enjoy local cuisine on our first trip to Vietnam, so we started planning this night out months ahead. we checked reviews, spoke to our friend Peter who has lived there, and looked how far the port was from various options, only for most of our plans to be derailed. While we knew that Tet (Lunar New Year) was celebrated at this time, we later found our first and then second, choice would decide to close after we had made the bookings. Also, since we booked this cruise ages ago, the major cruise port for mid-to-large ships (we are mid) has moved from the city to about 30-45 minutes from downtown as a new bridge across the river was built and thus barring our entry.

Ultimately, Peter made a reservation for us at Vietnam House, and we were very excited about our "expedition" to get downtown (all worked out with the cruise downtown shuttle times and GRAB (the SE Asian version of Uber) to get us back. Well, there went that arrangement when a major accident involving dozens of cars closed the motorway in the afternoon and our full day excursion to the Mekong Delta was delayed almost 2 hours. 

On the way back our guide helped and called the restaurant to move the reservation one hour later and we literally ran back on the ship, changed shirts, washed our faces and ran back out to the port entrance to get a GRAB as we had missed the last ship shuttle downtown in the evening. At first the taxi drivers wanted way too much ($50US) and we ordered the first GRAB for $7.13US but it cancelled. Luckily, after about 15 minutes, a car arrived and as we progressed downtown, knew the street were closed for the celebrations and made it (to the red-light district, a 7-minute walk from the restaurant) with exactly 7 minutes to spare--even with the local hookers shoving their breasts at us!

The restaurant was gorgeous with lush local decor(photos on FB) and yes, lots of foreigners, bit that was okay, as we settled in and Trinh came over to explain the menu. We had eaten a huge lunch in the Delta (the crispy elephant-ear fish spring rolls were divine) so decided to do sharing and keep it simple. The wine list was simple and offered options by the glass from France, Germany, Australia, Chile and the US, so we decided we did not need a bottle and would each have a glass of white and red (both M. Chapoutier "Belleruche" Cotes du Rhone of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne & Viognier for the white and Grenache & Syrah for the red (Will had a second glass of Tracy & Cie "Les Marnes" Pinot Noir from the Loire). They were fine and reasonable indeed paying with the US$, but again most locals would rarely be seen here due to the huge cost for them.

Pork & Prawn Fresh Rolls were super rice paper rolls with tiger prawn, pork, noodles and a very mild soy peanut & fish sauce dipping sauce which we loved.

On our arrival Trinh had asked about allergies, and we said most food save for sesame seeds and grapefruit or pomelo(which is not good for statin meds) was okay. I guess I accented Pom-EL-oh wrong and she did not understand, as she later said the red fruit in our salad was PAM-Eh-loh! No biggie as the SOFT SHELL CRAB & GREEN MANGO Salad was most refreshing with hearts of palm, red pomelo, carrots, peanuts and garlic fish sauce. It could have used some more crab and definitely more spice; nowhere like the Thai spicy mango salad!

Our main was the Wok Tossed CUBED PEPPER BEEF TENDERLOIN with smoked mashed potato. The meat was cooked perfectly medium rare and so tender with capsicum, onion, Phu Quoc Black peppercorns, garlic and oyster sauce with very plain mashed potatoes. We again had asked for spicy, and while the fabulous peppercorns were a wonderful burst of spice, there were only about 1/2 a dozen in the whole dish.

We had room for dessert, and both decided to indulge: Will loved his Coconut Mascarpone Mousse served in a chocolate shell with local raspberries and blueberries, while my Salted Caramel & Chocolate Tart with Salted Caramel Ice Cream was fabulous and even came with pieces of gold leaf on the cream atop the slice of chocolate decadence.

We walked around the monstrously crowded streets that were all blocked off for the huge New Year celebration and then tried to get a GRAB back to the ship, but alas, one more issue arose with the APP and the driver kept trying to call and find us, but we don;t speak Vietnamese! A couple took pity on us and he (who was Croatian) handed the phone to his Vietnamese wife to translate. The car was there in 2 minutes, and it turned out they were from Boston! A wonderful meal, a night of enjoyment, even with its tense moments. We have decided to keep overnight stop dining a bit closer to the ships moving forward!

Cafe Sydney lunch will have you loving it in Sydney, Australia (1/27/26)

 Off ship the other day in Sydney to see a friend from DC who moved here, she chose the perfect spot for fabulous food, views, wine and whatever!

It was great to see our friend Becca who moved to Syndey over a year ago and is loving the Aussie lifestyle. She chose Cafe Sydney in the revitalized Customs Building on Circular Quay which is on the 5th floor, just high enough to see over the highway that runs above the quay's local streets and can block your fabulous harbour views from spots at ground level!

Our view was of the whole quay and the imposing and infamous Sydney Harbour Bridge (photos on FB). Becca knew we craved fresh local seafood and we shared all the wonderful plates loving every bite from the simple Pacific Oysters (we prefer them to the Rock Oysters) with eschalot, chive and pinot grigio vinegar that you only needed an eye dropper of on each flavorful mollusk. They were plump, briny and perfectly shucked; who could ask for more. We also asked for several of the special oyster of the day which was a Pacific Oyster with an amazing apricot vinaigrette and something else that I sadly did not wrote down. We ordered a bottle of our new favorite chardonnay which we had earlier at our dinner in Melbourne: Patrick Sullivan Limestone Coast from Victoria and we kept raving about how perfect it was with all the seafood due to its wonderful minerality.

Our server Matt kept checking on us as we were ordering course by course and we liked that as he was quite handsome!

Moreton Bay Bugs are something one MUST have when in Australia and we had a small platter to share. They are simply oversized crustaceans similar to crayfish, but the size of a lobster tail and just as juicy and plump. They come with mayo, but all you need is a squeeze of lemon. These Queensland tidbits are a delicacy all over the continent and we grab them every chance we can.

We needed something a little heartier, so Will suggested we share the Grilled swordfish with peas, olives, tomatoes, pine, capers and anchovy dressing. A small plated of Spinach & Cheese Na'an was just the foil. Superbly cooked we shared the dishes, finished the wine and headed off for more adventure knowing that Cafe Syndey will be on our agenda if/when we return to Sydney.

Melbourne's KISUME is killer cuisine (1/24/26)

 Last Saturday night our cruise was in Melbourne, Australia overnight and we met friends there for dinner. We decided on Kisume a very low key, elegant Asian/Japanese fusion spot downtown which uses Australian and Japanese ingredients to perfection.

As we were four people we shied away from a tasting menu that was not specific in the ingredients and instead ordered several dishes to share which made for a fabulous food journey indeed.

Our server Jessie and sommelier Leanne were very helpful as the menu was large and varied and with many ingredients we did not know. They also were great in aiding us with wines. We started with a bright 2024 Hahndorf Hill "Gru" Gruner Veltiner from Adelaide Hills then moved on to one of our new and most favorite Chardonnays ever: Patrick Sullivan "Limestone Coast" 2024 from Gippsland, Victoria which was loaded with mineral and earthy flavors and was divine with some of the spices in the food.

Frist was a Kingfish Sashimi with truffled soy, chives and shio kombu that just popped with flavors and the fish simply melted in our mouths (photos on FB). Second was a spicy Octopus Karaage Karashi or Tempura style with honey and pickled Padron pepper. What a great combo of Asian and Spanish ingredients! Our third dish was one of our favorite local dishes here in Australia, Moreton Bay Bugs, the local huge crayfish from Queensland that are so fleshy and fine, but here in the form of a Maki Roll with Yuzu Kosho Mayo & Tobiko. Sushi never tasted so fine!!

We rested for a while between courses and Will decided to order their edamame which were superbly spiced and cooked and easily the best edamame we have ever eaten anywhere.

Our next course was a Glacier 51 Miso Toothfish with Saltbush(a uniquely outback shrub that is edible), Chickpea ad Yuzu. This excellent local white fish was fleshy and light and again prepared to perfection in a Japanese Miso with local Aussie ingredients like saltbush! Will & I ordered a glass of Koerner "The Clare" Bordeaux Blend 2022 of Schiaparelli, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache from McLaren Vale and it was lovely, but we seemed to wait forever for our next and final course. After about 40 minutes they all apologized and said the last round of wine was on them and eventually the Angus Cut Centre Cut Tenderloin with Foie Gras and Yakiniku with three butters (yuzu carrot butter, wasabi mustard butter and onion radish butter. Our side was a yummy Cos (Romaine) Lettuce which was grilled with basil miso and macadamia nuts. They also sent out a yummy complimentary side of roasted potatoes. It was all worth waiting for, but we ended up being there close to 4 hours and were so full and tired, the thought of dessert did not exist.

It was indeed an excellent meal, and we had a great time with our friends and would go back to Kisume in an instant!

Catch a lovely lunch at Dockside in Wellington, NZ (1-16-26)

 Last week on our cruise we did the Wellington Food & Art Tour as a shore excursion and were treated to a lovely lunch at Dockside right on the harbourfront. We made new friends on our 6-day Grand Voyage and had a fabulous meal as well. There was plenty of wine poured with an Nga Waka Pinot Noir Rose from Martinborough and a super Fickle Mistress Pinot Nir from Central Otago.

There was a lot of choices for the two-course lunch, but we were so full from the morning coffee stop and chocolate tasting that Will & I both had two starters (like Europe, called entree's here!)--photos on FB:

Fried Salt & Pepper Calamari was perfectly cooked with a light batter and a lime mayo dip; a Thai salad with sesame and sweet chili dressing was on the side.

Pastrami with Chevre was delish with pickled veggies, truffle honey, parmesan, blushing pear and rye & walnuts

while the Pea & Parmesan Risotto with fresh mozzarella, burst cherry tomatoes, olive oil & pea tendrils was cooked just al dente to perfection.

Our server Aaron was a gem handling all twenty or so from our group and deserves huge bravos! We just love Wellington and New Zealand and will miss it as we started our first day in Australia (Hobart, Tasmania) today with a wine tasting and oyster farm visit with tasting!

Rosella is really right for Mediterranean cuisine in Wellington, New Zealand(1-10-26)

We opted for a simpler early dinner the next night as we had our night tour of the animals at Zealandia (where we had multiple kiwi-bird sitings!) and it was a huge hit.

Rosella is a Mediterranean bistro using local ingredients at their best.

We decided to share several plates and our server Angel was indeed an angel in helping us choose. We ordered a bottle of Neudorf Tom's Block Pinot Noir 2023 from Nelson across the straits on the South Island which was earthy and fabulous.

Our first plate was a divine lean Wagyu tartare with anchovy and cured egg (all on FB) that was spicy from a super harissa vinaigrette. Next came a superb Potato Flatbread with QP Mayo and cumin salt and we finished with the best carrots charred with hummus and a plate of three delicious Herb Roasted King Prawns with ginger, garlic and Aleppo chili.

we had room for a fabulous dessert that was called Olive Oil Torta with Yuzucello and a Kiwi version of cream cheese frozen like semifreddo an not at all too sweet. We loved it but the block of "cheese" was so hard a piece flew off when I cut into it!

We loved it all and had a great evening with our friend Jacqui and at Zealandia afterwards. What a great time in Wellington. 

Wellington, New Zealand's LOGAN BROWN is brilliant (1-9-26)

 Our first night in Wellington was dinner out with Jacqui, a school buddy of Will's whom I met on our last trip here 2 years ago. we chose one of the top dining spots in town which serves on the "Logan Brown Experience," a tasting menu that is guaranteed to fill you up with local ingredients prices at $130NZD(75.00US including tax!!), a real steal.

The venue is the lobby of an old bank with lots of character and very cozy to boot. It was quiet and while casual, felt very elegant.

The breads (sourdough & fruit) arrived with two fabulous butters: French onion soup and an amazing Miso Truffle! We started with a bottle of "Clos Samuel" Viognier from Milton in Gisborne which was creamy and rich and a delight to drink alone or with our first two courses. Beetroot & Chevre "Tart" (all photos on FB) was a superb salad of grilled asparagus, beets, goat cheese from Kapiti Island to the north, lonzo (cured pork akin to prosciutto, but thicker), caramel walnut dressing and a flax seed circle perched atop. It was almost too pretty to eat! 

Perhaps one of the best pasta dishes ever came next. Paua Ravioli is Logan Brown's signature dish on the menu since opening in 1996 and we know why. The abalone mousse filled ravioli were in a decadent Coriander & Lime Beurre Blanc with crisp kumara (sweet potato) shredded atop. It was so rich, yet so perfect, we wanted more but moved on.

We ordered a glass of Neudorf Tirititi Chardonnay (there are also paired wines per course, which this was) which was fruitier than most chardonnays, yet very dry and ideal with the Line Caught Hapuku (local Grouper) with heirloom tomato, smoked eel beignet, macadamia and ajo blanco dill dressing with olives. Another fabulous local fish that makes you really want to eat (and maybe live) here all the time.

Next came the Lemongrass Confit Pork Belly with Crayfish Sausage, Red Dates, Grapefruit na d Lime leaf Crackling in Citrus Beurre Blanc. They did not want to give this to me because of the grapefruit slice, and I said it was fine and would simply not eat it, and was I glad I did. Will got a Cauliflower steak with caramelized harissa, whipped feta, pomegranate and crispy kale which he loved. 

We switched to a perfect Pinot Noir Schubert Selection from Martinborough (the paired wine for the next course). The Costal Spring Lamb was from the west coast of the North Island and came with Potato & Caper Gratin, Tomato Jus, superb Fresh peas and Garlic Puree. It was delish, but I was a tad upset that the menu said it came with Smoked Tomato Sweetbreads and I would have loved to taste that.

Dessert was a delish Passionfruit White Chocolate Cheesecake Brulee with yuzu sable, dulce de leche, fig leaf gelato and blueberries that was not too sweet or to cheesy; another perfect dessert with all three plates wiped clean.

Our server Misha and Amber were fun and a delight and they even brought a taste of dessert wine called Fromm Spätlese Riesling 2024 from Marlborough, but it was not sweet enough for our palates!!

We loved the whole meal and the whole experience, and it was the perfect start to our short weekend in Wellington.