Bordeaux's Bo-tannique will tingle your tastebuds! (5-5-26)

 Will had been to way more restaurants than me as he spent almost 2 months here alone back in the fall and he really wanted me to try Bo-tannique where our friend Hugo had taken him. This was going to me my last dinner out before returning to DC tomorrow. Bo-tannique ("un jeu de mots" or play on words because "tannique" refers to the tannins in wine) is right in the center of the revitalized old town facing a small square with outdoor seating on the square as well. Some folks were outside last night, but "pas moi" as the temps were hovering around 60Fahrenheit and it was quite wet and damp as well.

We were joined by Brad, our now local Bethesda, MD, US-expat real estate agent, without whom we would never have found a place to live here. He really is great at his work and was so patient and helpful in our home search almost 3 years ago (seems like a lifetime)!

We settled in to a cozy table indoors facing the glass wall to the kitchen so we could sneak a peek at what was going on. It was a Tuesday, so things were quiet. The menu is, like so many places, very simple with four starters (entrees) and four mains (plats) as well as some tasting options.  We had enjoyed some cheese at the apartment, so just ordered entrees and plats.  

The host/sommelier/manager came over to ask about wine and I asked her about a red Bordeaux which she said was gone but suggested a red Rhone blend Crozes Hermitages instead. A couple of minutes later she returned to apologize that this wine, too, was sold out. Maybe they need to print a new list! She suggested a similarly priced Loire red "Les Ardelles" 2022 from Herve Villemade in Chevery which interestingly enough was a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay. The Gamay was strong and fruity, and the wine was quite satisfying and full-bodied but not "tannique!"

An amuse arrived (photos on FB) which was a large piece of seared tuna atop a small "salad: of various greens including cabbage and a hefty amount of cilantro. The white sauce had horseradish or wasabi and there were chopped peanuts, too. It was quite yummy and had a bite as well. Bread came which was okay, but not as good as it usually is here in Bordeaux. 

Will and I ordered both the same dishes and Brad joined us for the main but started with the Anguille fumee or smoked eel atop buckwheat souffle, cream, petit pois, onion (royale d'oignon is apparently a duxelles with cream, butter, egg and chicken stock) and teriyaki. Will and I chose the Asperges because here they were the huge local white ones (and I knew I was leaving town soon) with a fabulous smoked haddock, kalamansi vinaigrette and mousseline (whipped cream of asparagus if you will). It was heavenly indeed.

We all three chose the Canette or small duckling, which was simply a breast grilled with honey and spices "a la rose" which could be pink or also with rosewater in a duck sauce or gravy as Brad said it would be called locally ("jus court")! Either way it was cooked perfectly, and the seasoning was just right and paired so well with the Loire red, we had to have a second bottle. The duck came with beautifully grilled broccoli that was in no way overcooked with a light herbed tahini.

Will took home half his plate for later, so needless to say the thought of dessert did not even enter our minds. Bo-tannique was yet another great find for me in this town that just keeps revealing new places, flavors and fun every day! I am sad to be leaving tomorrow but know we are back in just over 2 months yet again and have booked an even longer stay in the fall and winter.

Bordeaux's MODJO makes you want more! (5/2/26)

 We have quickly learned that there is always a new and exciting place to dine here in Bordeaux on almost every corner, but we had heard about MODJO first from a taxi driver on the day we first arrived here to move in two years ago! We tried to get in once or twice, but the place is small and reservations are essential.

We were joined by Charlene, as Alex had a last minute job. I had looked and the menu quickly, but had no idea it was quite an "elegant" spot with some of the best fine dining in town at excellent prices. One can eat a la carte (starers are 22, mains 34, desserts 17 --all Euros, of course) or the best deal is the 3 course option for 59 Euros($69US--remember there is no tax added and tipping is not essential!). We pondered the two tasting menu options of 79 (4 courses) and 95 (6 courses), and know we will return for these after a full day of not eating!

The space is simple and small with an adorable bar up the stairs to the right rear (I think there are also more tables in the rear). The kitchen is down a narrow flight of stairs (as is the toilet) so the staff have to negotiate this carrying all the plates. We were welcomed with warm lemon-scented towels and taste of rose water. While we perused the menu we all ordered LE MODJO POURORE, their Signature drink or Purple Modjo which was made with lemon, creme de Cassis and Kaffir Lime-infused Cachaca; it was dry, tart and truly yummy; I almost wanted a second one, but declined and we moved on to a superb bottle of local Bordeaux red Chateau Luchey-Halde 2017 from Pessac-Leognan (Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Petit Verdot) which was smooth and aged to perfection. Despite it being a traditional Bordeaux red it was ideal with our starters (even the seafood, as the sauces were so rich!). 

A triple amuse arrived with a tasty deep-fried fritter of asparagus cream, a spoon of slightly spicy tzatziki with a hint of mint and a delicious mini-souffle container full of thick asparagus cream.

Will and Charlene started with the (all photos on FB) Langoustine rotie, citron yuzu et caviar d'Atlantique which pretty much says it all in French. These yummy local langoustines are grilled and served in a rich citrus sauce with some caviar.

Will tried to explain to the staff in French that he wanted to lick the plate, which came across a tad off in French!

 I adored my Morilles fraiches, asperges vertes de Blaye, crumble au charbon vegetal et parmesan, sabayon vin Jaune (morels, local Blaye asparagus, parmesan/vegetable crumble, wine sauce). While we are just entering the white asparagus season here, this dish was an amazing revelation. The fresh morels and the to die for crunchy crumble on top and the rich sauce were indeed decadent and divine.  My comment to the staff was simply "je suis en ciel avec ca plat!" (I am in heaven from this dish)...

In addition, there we small loaves of olive/rye bread with the most delicious black garlic butter. They kept bringing more and I kept eating more...OOPS!

The menu has a choice of three starters, mains and desserts and for the mains and desserts we all opted for three different choices and the superb quality of each dish, each bite and each ingredient proved the Modjo really knows what they are doing and explains the fact that you do require a reservation! 

Charlene chose the L'oeuf BIO mollet frit, jardin de petits legumes, sauce citron noir, a soft egg crusted with fried crumble, vegetables and black lemon sauce which I am still not sure about. Will went for La criee de ligne du moment (le pegre), petits pois a la francaise et lardo di Colonnata, "the fresh caught line-fish of the day" which was Red Porgy, with peas and lardo with a "surprise" side salad of roasted baby gem lettuce. The peas here are al dente and I love them that way, so perhaps when I make ours from the market I can duplicate it; I think Will still prefers his mushy peas! My Selle d'agneau du Bearn, croute de Nori, artichauts d'Acardie, salicornes, palourdes, bonbon croustillant d'agneau  was a perfectly cooked to just past rare Saddle of lamb with nori seaweed crust, artichoke cream, samphire and clam which I honestly could not find but loved it all. The accompanying "spring roll" like side must have been the items I could not really find.

Desserts were all different as well and excelled. Will chose the Souffle glace avocat, ananas roti, glace poivre de Sichuan, pain de Genes (avocado mousse--think semifreddo, roasted pineapple, Szechuan pepper ice cream, a sweet almond cake-like bread or broiche)' Charlene the Chocolat fondant, coeur cacahuetes, glace vanille, croustillant cacao (and I am still at a loss as to what a peanut heart is?) and I had the amazing Rhubarbe, sorbet fraises, sirop d'hibiscus, Arlette vanille fumee(braised rhubarb, strawberry sorbet, hibiscus syrup, smoked vanilla). Two types or mignardises arrived to send us on our way: Coconut/Chocolate/Caramel and Chocolate/Matcha/White Chocolate. As if this was not enough, we each received a small bag with a financier "to-go" which I adored with my coffee this morning! A little reminder that I was still full but absolutely loved everything that Modjo could offer and more.

--

L'ESTACADE in Bordeaux: excellent views, excellent service and excellent food (just 20 minutes away!) (5-1-2026)

 We quickly discovered that the first of May in France is not only Fete du Travail (what we call Labor Day) but virtually everything is shut down, even public transportation! We were planning to dine out with our neighbors Alex and Charlene, as she had come from Dijon (where she now studies) for the long weekend to visit, but quickly realized that many places would be shut. After some quick reconnaissance, Will discovered that L'Estacade, just a short walk up the river of 20 minutes, was open and that the restaurant situated on a pier extending into the Garonne River would be the perfect place for this gorgeous warm evening dinner. It was indeed ideal. The food was even better than our first time there almost 2 years ago and Charlene and Alex had never been and loved it. We were all like little kids taking tons of photos of the sunset, the city, the beautifully lit buildings on the river, then moon and even later on the walk home a satellite that lit up the sky to the wonders of all the pedestrians out and about.

We had some cheese and wine at home so went right into our bottle of Sancerre 2023 from Dezat in the Loire which went with everything. Starters here vary from some of the best local n°4 "Parc de l’Impératrice" to the foie gras with "exotic" marmalade. Two of us devoured the amazing Noix de Saint-Jacques grillées à la plancha, fèves aux oignons et guanciale which were perfectly grilled local scallops with the foot on(!!!) on a bed of superb fava beans sautéed with onion and pork jowl (much of which was a tad to fatty for me). Will decided on a starter bowl of Cassolette d'encornets au chorizo, sauce tomate, a superb casserole of squid in tomato sauce. Alex, also, stuck with a starter of the tuna tartare.

Before we even asked for dessert, Alex declared he had made a flan that afternoon and we must come over to enjoy it. We grabbed a bottle of dessert wine from our cave and had a wonderful taste of his excellent dish (they are both super chefs) and then headed to bed.

--

Bordeaux's Le MAUVAIS GARCON is great..27 Euros for 3 quality courses (4/30/26)

Will had been to Le Mauvais Garcon and chose it for a rendezvous for me to meet new friends Maxie and David who were simply charming. They live around the corner from us so we met up and bussed across the river (7 mins) to the old town and found the Le Mauvais Garcon on a small side square that was simply adorable. Many folks were drinking and snacking on the tall tables outside and downstairs, but we headed upstairs to the quieter dining room with a very adorable bar as well.

Drinks are fun here and Will chose the Sexy Negroni, David an artisanal dark beer, Maxie the Virgin Colada and I loved my Shemale of Cahaca, Whiskey Tourbe, Sirop de Basilic, Creme de Cassis and Citron Vert which was a dark slightly acidic martini full of different flavors that really cleansed the palate. The cocktail names alon are just fun: Bad Biche, GentilHomme, etc.

Our wine was a fine Pinot Noir, La Croix d'en Haut from Belena in Burgundy.

The menu is small with 4 starters, 4 mains and 4 desserts and there is one price: 27 Euros (under $32) for all three (with a couple of supplements). It is simple, but the service was good and the food was delicious. As we have big salads at home for dinner each night, Will & I decided to start with the Beef Carpaccio which was ideal with shreds of parmesan and a tad of mache/arugula and pickled red onions. Maxie enjoyed her Endive salad with Gorgonzola, honey-mustard and roasted hazelnuts. While these were fab, I think David hit the jackpot with the Oeuf Parfait, cremaux des petits pois, a simply poached egg atop a puree and mix of whole fresh spring peas; a seasonal treat indeed.

Potato Gnocchi with arugula pesto & parmesan was our new friends' choice, but Will and I could resist the burger as we had seen it pass by. It was on a gorgeous brioche-bread-type bun emblazoned with the restaurant's name LE MAUVAIS GARCON filled with delicious moist pulled pork in Barbecue sauce and smothered with gooey melted Tomme de Savoie cheese and Echalion shallots. The skin on frites also won a big prize and both our plates were completely empty save for small remnants of the bun!

Desserts here are as I said included in the fixed price and are superb. In Bordeaux, newcomers and residents alike all love a little canale, the local pastry treat, but here it is in profiterole style with vanilla ice cream and gobs of chocolate sauce. What's not to like? I am a bread pudding fan and could not resist the Brioche perdu caramelisee, technically "lost bread" as the French would never toss old bread, but make it into bread pudding, here with a chocolate ganache, vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

What a great find, great deal and great fun with great new friends.

--

Back in Bordeaux we love LE LOUP (4/29/26)

Ever since my first time here alone buying the apartment back in October 2023, I fell in love with Le Loup. We returned Wednesday with our friend Hugo and had a great time sharing the many new plates. The menu says "Les plats....pour partager...ou non." The plates, to share...or NOT!" we loved sharing each delicious dish, but started off with some fun drinks first. Hugo had the Saint Germain, Will a vodka & tonic and I tried Le Feijoa, named for the sweet Brazilian tropical fruit which is mixed with vodka, thyme, Schweppes and ginger.  It was a tad sweet, but not cloying, but a fun new flavor to try for sure. Our wine was a delicious Bordeaux rouge from Chateau de Pe, called 2ieme as it is their second growth and this 2021 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot from nearby Saint Estephe was drinking beautifully and had aged nicely. The fresh bread with soft garlic and parley butter was irresistible!

Rather than have all the dishes at once, we asked Ludovic to have Chef Stephane do them one at a time, like a tasting menu. First was the Ceviche de dorade, leche de tigre, pickles d'oignons, a beautifully simple sea bream ceviche with a nice kick in the sauce and pickled onions on top. Thon snacké , croustillant de pomme de terre, sauce putanesca was a super treat of just seared tuna on top of a crunchy potato pancake with a spicy olive sauce that we all adored. I did tell Ludovic that the term snacké on the English menu should be changed to seared!

If you want rich, filling and decadent, try the Oeuf mollet, creme de parmesan, puree d'epinards which is a barely cooked egg with parmesan cheese and cream over spinach puree that is simply divine. Will had said to get two so we had enough to share, but was already faltering at this point.

Two more dishes were to come before we declined dessert! Ravioles de butternut, bouillion de volaille, shiitake was another excellent pasta from Chef Stephane, who literally makes the best pasta in town (the region, la France?) and these were filled with a mild creamy butternut squash puree and served in a bath of rich chicken broth. We always order the Demi Magret de Canard (half seared duck breast) de la ferme de Phalange and this time with orange sauce and sweet potato puree. The meat is so tender with a slightly crispy skin and the sauce is always delicate and never sweet; even the sweet potatoes were not sweet. Simply a perfect meal in town!

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!