Sebastien's spectacular sake lesson and tasting at Tokyo's Teshigotoya Seigetsu (3-19/26)

 Our last night in Tokyo we met our sake "sommelier" Sebastien Lemoine in our hotel lobby for a spectacular evening of sake tasting, touring, fun and food which was another excellently curated experience ending our Japanese journey.

We grabbed a taxi and upon alighting Sebastien (who was from France but was presently living in Japan with his native-born wife) started us with a history lesson of Japan and sake and so much more. After about an hour of walking around we ended up at Teshigotoya Seigetsu, an izikaya (basically local dining spot that was practically unmarked and known only to locals)in the Kaguraza neighborhood.

Sebastien ordered up four or so sake's to start and more came afterwards. He explained a lot and told us about his podcasts and answered my many questions, but I really did not take notes, so I am a failed student in that I did not retain much; although he gave me some information which I am going to read when I get some free time.

There were many dishes starting with a crab komatsuna amuse, a Japanese omelet, Sansai Tempura which are local mountain vegetables in season (such as spring ferns). we were told to taste the sake at first in one swallow while we have the food in our mouths, which, of course, is totally contrary to Western drinking of wine. It worked, but I preferred to treat the rice wine, like wine and savor it on my palate to get the full flavor.

I guess I am very Western and old fashioned in this sense.

Grilled chicken was superb and there was also a Kama fish (yellowtail) kanpachi. Apparently, potato salad is a ubiquitous dish in Japan and is seen at almost every local table, so we ordered up a bowl and here it came with freshly made potato chips! Eggplant and Beef was served sautéed on a large hoja leaf, and the meal finished with rice and sardines! It was fun, filling and another super experience, especially for the sake.

Sebastien explained that these sakes are so local they cannot be found very widely and there was really no point to taking down the names (the labels are, of course, only in Japanese). On top of that, he explained how sake consumption overall in the country is rapidly declining, so the art of making sake and thus, the drinking of sake is somewhat out-of-style with the younger crowds. We truly hope that trend is changed by this masterful teacher and his attempts to change this societal trend, as sake is indeed a truly spectacular treat.

TORIFUKU treats you to terrific chicken in Tokyo's Nonbei Yokocho (3-18-2026)

 Our fabulous guide Nino had a special evening planned for us after more than a full day of touring Tokyo as we headed to the busiest intersection in the world and then secreted around the corner to a tiny, deserted lane called Nonbei Yokocho, famous for its street food counters. Our destination early the evening (hence "deserted") was a small door and up a very narrow stairway (narrower than the lyrics in "A Chorus Line")(check out the FB fotos) to an 8-seat counter where the owner's son was chef, ably assisted by his aunt.

We were alone for at the counter for over an hour until a couple arrived, so the chef was quite chatty (with Nino translating) as we devoured every bite. The restaurant is called TORIFUKU which means "happiness from chicken" and that's exactly what our evening was all about. Of course, there was delicious sake constantly pouring and we marveled at how they managed so many different dishes in the tiny space that you could not even stand up tall in.

Everything here is done yakitori style or grilled on skewers starting with Chicken Hinei with Leeks, moving to the spicier Akadori or red chicken. You could add daikon if u wanted different flavors and there were also two homemade sauces one of Japanese red pepper and the other Soy & Yuzu, both were great as we migrated back and forth and kept getting new plates full of food, such as the chicken with fried crispy skin.

I asked specifically for the heart and livers skewer which Will graciously passed to me after a bite and I loved; also, the quail eggs were novel and fun. Minced chicken was in a roulade, and everything was finished off with a chicken soup with Japanese honey wort (definitely competition for Jewish penicillin) cooked in a 93-year-old soup pot with a recipe from the chef's grandparents that was also as old, when they first opened the place! 

Meanwhile, it was still early when we finished and Nino insisted we enjoy the neighborhood some more with a stop for some snacks and Japanese whiskey or drinks at another small "speakeasy" with 8 seats on the ground level where one woman singlehandedly was cooking, mixing drinks and more...what a delicious way to end the evening.

TOKYO WHISKEY LIBRARY--go for the Shots not the food (3-17-26)

 Our first night in Tokyo was a tad frustrating due to some miscommunication from our ground operator. They had made a reservation for us at TOKYO WHISKY LIBRARY for a tasting and dinner but did not tell us we had to get there by ourselves. After some back and forth, we arrived about 30 minutes late to a large open upstairs bar and dining venue which had a cozy feel to it with one long bar and many levels of whisky bottles along the entire wall; ladders slid back and forth like a book library to access the different bottles. The menu was daunting, but our meal was alas pre-chosen, set and even had the 10 whisky options up front. Our server tried to explain the procedure to us as we perused the very boring set menu, and we finally called the manager over to try and understand how this place worked. Apparently, we had 90 minutes "free flow" from the time our first glass was delivered until it was "last call" and during this time we could consume as many glasses(tastes) of whisky, beer, wine or other choices on the "included menu."  we settled into a routine which worked, but did feel rushed. 

I will dispense with the food first as it was so basic, it is not really worth mentioning.

the amuse of daikon and some weird cheese was unmemorable and then came a decent place with smoked dill salmon trout, prosciutto with burrata, chicken Caesar and pickles (while I love Japanese pickles they DO NOT go with whisky!).  The grilled fish was as dry as could be although the spice was nice; the chips were so salty, I must have downed three shots with just that small plate. The Pork was one dry piece and one fabulous, while the beef was nice and perfectly cooked to medium rare with an unnecessary coarse mustard.

The whiskeys were all over the place and we were grateful for some help form a brother and sister from Australia at the next table who knew them well and spoke Japanese. 

#1 Amahagan Edition #2, red wine cask was a pleasant start

#2 was one of the most famous ones HAKSHU very fruity and full of flavor

#3 Togouchi was also fruity and very smooooth

#4 Yamazki moved to mellow

#5 Yoichi Single Malt from Nikka we had the eveing before and was too acidic for me

#6 Fuji Single Malt was another could have skipped

#7 SAKURAU was a big winner in Sherry casks

#8 was off the free flow and suggested by our neighbors and was a big winner as an afterwards treat!=AKKESHI Single Malt from Rikka

We are glad we had this experience but have to say that it is best to grab some street food or a meal before coming here, then doing the a la carte options as an after dinner treat!!

Kyoto's most ingenious cuisine is INUI !! (3-16-26)

 For our last night in Kyoto we took the advice of a friend/guide in New Zealand whom I met 2 years ago and then had as a guide (by chance) again this year. It turns out that Mark lives in Kyoto part-time and said we would love INUI which is a modern-fusion take using traditional Japanese ingredients with Mediterranean influences. It was indeed ingenious.

The location is just across the river from the Ritz-Carlton where we stayed and down a small corridor and seemed impossible to find (what isn't in Japan?) and we entered a very intimate space with only two tables for four or so at one end and a large raised wooden butcher block table at the center for about 11 people. The metal stools were not super comfy, but I persevered as the ambience and food were well worth it. The lone chef was at the end of the block table in a small prep area piled high with bowls between us and him and the kitchen to his side was smaller than ours here in France and way smaller than in DC! The server went from the tables to the kitchen to assist alternating back and forth and handling everyone as well as the food and drink orders. Oh, did I mention we were the only westerners in the place!

The menu was a selection of five starters and six mains, so more of a Western menu style than Japanese where everything seems to be at once. The plates were larger than tapas and wonderful to share. Will and I each chose one course and that was indeed more than enough.

Will tried the Iwatekura Beer which was an herbal ale which he liked, and I adored the Tamaza Kura Sake from Shimane that the server poured tableside from a magnum bottle. We had multiple refills as they were delicious and very flavorful. When our main course arrived, we tried their "house" red wine which was a French Gamay from the Loire called Les Grain de Seneve, which was an amazing $7US a glass! There were some sours as cocktails, but we loved the sake, beer and wine!

Before we ordered we did watch the various plates arriving and tried to guess which dishes they were before settling on our favorite local seasonal specialty FIREFLY SQUID here with Nduja & Mushroom and served on a beetroot waffle. It was a divine preparation of this treat and while a Japanese ingredient the dish was wildly modern and different with a nice kick of spice. Next came SCALLOPS with stracciatella, kumquat, "calm" (which should have been "clam") broth and horseradish (all photos on FB). I am always wary of things like kumquat, but these were fresh and tasty and sour and really an amazing addition to a scallop dish which is so refined but spiced up with the horseradish...and in Japan, there are dozens of kinds of wasabi making each flavor so different.

We had a nice rest before the mains (it should be noted that save for a couple of places where diners were gone soon after we arrived at 7pm, each section or table was for one sitting) and the first was Grilled Veal Tongue with Sansho pepper and a Chimichurri sauce that rocked. It was not ily and indeed so refined I would have not called it chimichurri; let's say the Japanese version might just be the best! The other dish of Grilled Duck Breast with five-spice powder in a Tamarind and Caper sauce was easily one of the best duck dishes ever..yes EVER! we ate every last slice with a yen for wanting more, but were alas so full by the end, we knew we could not even think of ordering another dish, or another plate of the duck, which was indeed tempting us!

There is no dessert at INUI so we headed back to the hotel bar and settled in for a Japanese whisky tasting which was another crazy experience we loved. It was eight tastes of dessert in bottles!!

Yay for KAPPO YAMASHITA in Kyoto (3/15/26)

YES!, I am finally getting to the rest of the amazing dining experiences in Japan last month. On the morning of our first full day in Kyoto we bumped into Paal and Helene our next door neighbors from the cruise and planned to meet for dinner at Kappo Yamashita around the corner from the Ritz-Carlton. We had originally planned to have counter-service, but as they were full, they graciously gave us a private dining upstairs. we ordered beers (the favorite seemed to be Yebisu named for the fisherman god of fortune) and for me always Sake:

Joukigen (Junmai Dingo) and Nichizakari (Daigingo).

As the menu was huge with many choices and pages, we decided to each order a couple of dishes and attempt to share everything, which was indeed a great idea. First came the Tsukidashi, a plate of Japanese amuses, if you will (no photos, ooops!--but the rest is on FB) of fish with broad beans in sesame mustard sauce and flowers; fried fish; firefly quid in vinegar mustard (boy, did we love this unique fish!), snails, miso with cheese(ball) and soup!! 

Renkonn Sebei was the first ordered dish and was a simple yet super tasty bowl of deep fried lotus which we could not get enough of. Toria Wase Sunmono was a traditional vinegared dish with many types of veggies and seafood including fish, firefly squid (yay), jellyfish, prawn and clam. Ika Uniyaki was more grilled quid with fabulous tasty sea irchin paste which was followed  by Koh No Mono a plate of traditional Japanese pickles that was so beautiful we did not wish to mess it up: carrots, daikon, seaweed (yes, pickled seaweed) and more.

Guji Yaki was a simply grilled tilefish and this was followed by the first dessert of Shahbetto (an interesting word in itself) which was a sake soret which we think was made with seaweed. Furuhtsu was next, another wrd sounding very English as it was various fruits served with tea.

We drank more, chatted tons and were so thrilled to be able to extend our cruise (kind of) one night and see a couple we just had a great time with.

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!