NYC's PLANTA Queen is near perfection (5-30-26)

 Our NYC family weekends have become a fun tradition with opera, musicals, shows and usually a nice dinner and we found a new (well, old) vegetarian spot, which also has a branch here in Bethesda, MD, called PLANTA QUEEN which really rocked.

There was a fun cocktail list, but our server Emira explained most of them tended to be sweet, so Will asked for a Mezcal Margarita which ended up coming with a salted/spicy -tajin rim that made me order one as well. Sam enjoyed Mint Lemonade and then Hudson North Cider. The wine was a tasty Cune Tempranillo 2021 but I do have to admit the wine list was short and limited.

The setting was nice with a long bar at the front and comfy seating booths at the rear. A nice change from the loud places!

The menu leans toward sharing and Sam and I started to agree on things as Will wanted his own dishes, but that changed as soon as he heard our choices and joined in warmly.

AVOCADO BEETROOT TARTARE was with pine nuts, citrus, soy sesame, cilantro and yummy taro chips (photos on FB) which was very refreshing and loaded with flavor. The Steamed Edamame Dumplings arrived with a sweet chili peanut sauce and were delish, but the Crispy Gyoza were even better with cabbage, carrot, cilantro, mushroom and a spicy chili soy dip.

Two noodle dishes were as different as could be: DAN DAN NOODLES were with Szechuan kamut (a grain like farro), a rich coconut milk sauce, sesame and cilantro. A mild spice came through, but nothing as kicky as the RAMEN CHILI CRUNCH, a noddle bowl with Kaarage "chicken", scallion and cilantro. This was fried chicken made from tofu that tasted amazing with a spicy sauce that we all declared perfection. You may not lots of cilantro and sesame, but they were very careful to advise which dishes had sesame seeds (very few) as it was often a paste or oil! Cilantro-haters would not be at home here!

Wok Fried Bok Choy with sesame ponzu was a nice side veggie and then Will got his Crispy Mushroom Roll with avocado, gochujang, pickled ginger and unagi while I tired the Spicy "Crab" Roll made from hearts of palm and spicy mayo. The rolls were nice, a tad messy to eat, but tasty. Next time I might go for the sushi instead of the single hadn rolls, but stick with the amazing tasty dishes we loved.

Will would not even taste the Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream and coconut Caramel, but it was a good dessert, even if not the perfect copy of the Yorkshire version; Sam & I were happy.

Nice to know Planta has a DC and Bethesda location--can't wait!

Friends of the Flock is fabulous fun at DC's ROOSTER & OWL with Chefs Erik Bruner-Yang & Yuan Tang's terrific tasting! (5-27-26)

 I was lucky enough to get on ROOSTER & OWL's email list for a series of guest chef tastings here in DC with Michelin starred resident chef Yuan Tang. How did I miss the fact that this place got its star back in 2021! And I also discovered that Chef Tang is one of the first Chinese-American chefs to win a star in this country! 

On arrival to Rooster & Owl we were warmly greeted at the door with a glass of chilled cava and taken to our table which was in a quieter corner. I say this as the place can have a loud noise level, added to the fact that there were some large loud groups at this event! we loved our corner and the service everywhere we noticed was truly excellent as was the food, so this calls for a return visit soon to check out the regular tasting menu there! I only wish the chairs were a tad more comfortable!

Friends of the Flock has Chef Erik-Bruner-Yang of Makoto visiting last Wednesday and these two guys cooked up a tasty Asian-influenced and spicy meal that had us raving all night. Our server Renee arrived with a smile, and we said we were interested in ordering a bottle of wine and directed us to the Devium white blend of 45% Roussanne/28% Viognier and 27% Grenache Blanc from Les Collines in Walla Walla, Washington which we loved. It was ideal with all the difference spices and flavors we enjoyed all evening. 

FRIED AYU SWEETFISH (flown in from Japan) from Chef Eric was up first layered over Maryland Crab, Sweet Potato leaf and pickled daikon (my pomelo was removed) and these tasty little fired imported whitefish were a true treat while our local crab a great combination!

Tasty Pineapple Bread arrived at the table warm with cultured butter and scallion oil. I love good fresh pineapple but never thought it would make a great savory bread; this is a winner with a saltiness and crustiness that made it so yummy we almost asked for more! Luckily, we did not as so much was yet to arrive!

Chef Yuan gave us his BLUEFIN TUNA TARTARE with strawberry boshi, citrus dashi and caviar. I make great tuna tartare but I see why this dish is a regular on the Rooster & Owl menu. There was a nice heap of Petrossian caviar on the gorgeous raw fish with a fermented strawberry gelee and I think there had to be some wasabi mash for spice?

We were not sure what to expect from Chef Eric with the STUFFED CHICKEN WING as it sounds so unexciting, but stuff it with fermented pork sausage, sticky rice and fermented chili paste and you have an umami blast in your mouth that I would call the "chicken wing on crack." It was so full of flavor and made this a dish I could go back to over and over again.

At some point here, I noticed my wine glass (not quite empty) had been whisked away by an over-attentive server and within seconds, our server Renee had replaced it with a complimentary glass of the same wine (they have by the way a small wine list of which almost all come by the glass for pairings!). About 3 minutes later, the sommelier Greg was apologizing and opening another whole complimentary bottle of the Devium White!

I have heard of good service, but this was above and beyond the call of duty and indeed, cemented the fact that we needed to return again!

No less exciting was Chef Yuan's LOBSTER MAPO TOFU which was explained as a traditional dish but here made with Lobster & Scallops, tofu cavatelli, preserved mustard stem and Sichuan chili oil. Normally beef is used but the shellfish works great and created a fabulous and funky fermented dish that would have been super without the seafood as well for any vegetarian (always thinking of our son--and they have a vegetarian tasting menu here as well!).

The "main" dish was a collaboration of the two chefs and they joked how "he's on top, I'm on the bottom!" with IBERICO CHAR SIU or the "wagyu" of pork charred and presented with Shoyu donburi, ginger scallion and garlic chili crisp in the style of a Japanese rice bowl that was creamy and rich with shoju butter. 

Dessert for Will was Chocolate Mousse with Black Sesame Cremeaux and Malted Milk Ice Cream which he adored. Renee explained that there were uncooked sesame seeds in this dish, so I got the tasty MANGO STICKY RICE PAVOLOVA with chili-lime kiwi and Passionfruit-Mango Sorbet. I am not a meringue person, but the flavors were great. To boot, we got strawberry pate a fruit and Salted Caramel Dark Chocolates as a treat making this a truly memorable, exciting and tasty teaming for dinner.

CHAY is fun Vietnamese veggie food in Virginia (5-23-26)

 We needed a place to go with Sam before theater in Falls Church and chose CHAY which hs been getting raves for its strip mall veggie cuisine and deservedly so. First thing to remember here, ORDER SMALL, everything is huge. The food is filling and delicious and if you want spice, it will be there.

Bi Chay Rolls are filled with shredded tofu, sweet potato, taro and bean noodles with a dipping sauce, while Grilled Chay Rolls have vegan sausage, vermicelli and a peanut mushroom dipping sauce. You cannot miss the Fried Avocado and its yummy tamarind sauce!

There is no alcohol here (oopsie!) but the teas (iced and hot) and the Vietnamese Iced Coffee are all fabulous.

When the mains arrived, we went into shock. The arrival of the first platter (which turned out to be mine) was met with "where shall we fit it on the table?!!" as the Bun Dau Mam Chay-Vegetarian Vermicelli Platter was loaded with Fried Tofu, Veg Pork Belly, vegan patty, lettuces and herbs, cucumber and fermented vegan shrimp paste sauce and a huge pile of vermicelli at the center. A lot of this was packaged to go, needless to say!

The Nem Nuong Mien Trung -Chay Wrap & Roll Platter was another monstrous plate where you wet your own rice paper and make rolls from grilled vegan sausage, vermicelli, lettuce, cucumber and herbs with mushroom dipping sauce! there were also fried crispy rolls on the side, just in case!

Will was not crazy about his Cari Chay Coconut Curry of Vietnamese soy ham, sweet potato, taro, mushroom and carrots, but our friend Scott loved his! So go figure.

I think the biggest hit was the Fried Tofu Dish with vegan tofu floss. The tofu was whipped into a mousse, battered and fried and served with a grated cheese0like tofu floss on top which Sam declared as unique and also said the amazing vegetarian variety was great! I have to agree!

Wooden chairs, simple and very inexpensive make for a great quick meal if you are in the Bailey's Crossroads area (P.O. is Fall's Church, but this is Annandale!)

#17 in North America: MOON RABBIT rocks! (5-22-26)

 Each award and honor that Chef Kevin Tien gets never surprises me as he is one of the most inventive chefs in the country and this week, he is honored with Top 50 restaurants in North America's place #17! WOW!!

Last Friday, 18 of us stopped in for a feast that was truly fabulous with every bite being a revelation and everyone having a ball!

There were drinks and so many choices I cannot enumerate, but I started with a fun tasty "Grandma's Candy Jar" made from butterfly infused Seoul night soju, salted plum soda and tia to "caviar" served on the side which was a fun, if sweet, addition that was tapioca-like balls to have with the drink (hence candy jar). I loved the Hoa Sen/Lotus which was toki whiskey(learned to love Japanese whiskey when there in March!), lotus infused green tea, lemon, lemongrass syrup and soy milk clarified. The white wine was a slightly effervescent Malinga Gruner Veltliner that was not to my taste, but the Freja Cellars Pinot Noir 2017 from the Willamette Valley was a true treat. 

Taro Milk Bread with cilantro butter, lemon olive oil melted in our mouths and more kept appearing on the table (and disappearing) as we moved on to plates of starters:

Summer Roll was made with daikon, hearts of palm, veggies, sprouts and had a sunflower hoisin dipping sauce which was very light and refreshing.

Ora King Crudo treated the citrus cured salmon with care  in a lovely rau ram nuoc cham(fish sauce), lemon balm and strawberries.

"Muffaletta" was a deconstructed version that I never would have guessed with Vietnamese mortadella, rice noodles, olive tapenade, sesame crunch and a fried egg aioli

Water Fern Rice Cake had caramelized braised king trumpet mushrooms, sunchoke XO and herbs in a ginger oil

(all photos on FB).

We caroused some before the mains arrived and I enjoyed one of my favorites ever dishes here

SWEET POTATO & CRAB which were light sweet potato tapioca gnocchi with tomato, roasted crab fat and Maryland Jumbo lump crab. The spice was fabulous in this dish with a creamy sauce which made me go for seconds and thirds.

LEMONGRASS PORK was Berkshire pork collar with sticky rice, nectarines and more of that XO (here a jus) all presented beautifully.

FRIED QUAIL & TOMATO RICE used one of my fave birds perfectly but stuffed with Duck Sausage with crispy tomato rice, clementine mustard and herbs

CRISPY MOUNTAIN SALAD sounds simple but was a delight of preserved lime stracciatella, crispy amaranth, , dandelion, braised peanuts in a lemongrass chili vinaigrette

Dessert arrived with three choices:

SEAWEED in the form of a pandan panna cotta, coconut creme, coconut granite, chocolate streusel and yes, seaweed

CURRY was a sponge cake with avocado sorbet, soursop mousse, fish sauce caramel and finger lime that I LOVED and

DURAIn was fun as so many people love to hate this tasty fruit here in a mousse with passionfruit granita, white chocolate streusel and dill!

As it was my birthday a slice of sponge cake, Vanilla Pandan chiffon, creme anglaise and pineapple sorbet with a candle! At least there weren't 70+1!

Congratulations Chef Kevin and the entire fantabulous MOON RABBIT team on a great dinner and a well-deserved award--it's just the beginning!

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.