Cookfellas Wine Bar & Eatery--the last supper in UK was one of the best! (9-7-26)

 We visited Cookfellas in Guisborough once before and I didn't do a wrote-up on this blog which I must now apologize (apologise) for. We returned for our last night in the UK with our dear friends Sue & Steve and we all agreed the place is fabulous. Fran was our server and was a gem, she is also the daughter of the owner, Wayne Leonard. If you take a look at the Facebook posting, you will see the photos of the menu pages describing the reason for the vast international menu selections ranging from Asia to Europe to America, as Mr. Leonard spent many years travelling around the world learning about food, cuisine and cultures. This sounds like a guy I would LOVE to meet.

Guisborough is a small village of under 8000 people and is most unassuming, but we stay in the Guisborough Hall country manor nearby now whenever we visit North Yorkshire, so it's a 5-minute drive from the hotel! That said, the town has very few dining options and this place is a star in the entire region indeed. 

There is a small pub in the front with the charming restaurant in the back and while I am not sure how old the building itself is, there is indeed an old-world charm about it a the five of us sat in the rear facing the open kitchen and constantly raving to all the staff therein how fabulous the food was.

Sam had his requisite Old Mout Cider; this time Berries & Cherries flavor (flavour), while I ordered a bottle of Le Jardin Chardonnay. The wine list here is not large, but it is varied and offers something for everyone. Our Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Emotive 2024 red was a great one which was medium bodied and went with everything from fish to beef.

A yummy rich starter was the Pulled Ham &Manchego Croquetas made with pulled ham hock, Manchego cheese, bechamel and were deep fried with a sticky chilli jam to dip in that was divine. It's quite filling and we were glad to move on to mains after sharing these while (whilst) Sam enjoyed and HRPA or hummus, red pepper, avocado mix with rocket (arugula), tahini mayo and added grilled halloumi all in a giant fresh focaccia bread.

I think Will hit the top of the jackpot with the Mejillas de Credo Estofado or slow cooked pig cheek with sherry, almonds, ham stock, whole grained mustard, cream and parsley served with mashed potatoes, green beans and toasted almonds. Just the sound of the dish evokes raves, but it was simply superb. Pork Bimbimpap moved us from Spain to Korea just across the table with grilled pork belly in a spicy red pepper sauce, jasmine rice, "numal" fried vegetables (spinach, beansprouts, carrots & mushrooms) all topped with a fried egg. Sam chose

The Shroomie Burger on a whim, even though he is not a mushroom fan, and ended up adoring it. The burger is a veggie one with crispy Cajun (so we crossed the Atlantic to Louisiana as we moved back across the table) fried oyster mushrooms, pulled BBQ king oyster mushrooms, pickled red onion and fennel on a Brioche bun with Cajun majo, baby spinach served with slaw and skin-on fries (not chips!). Flame grilled Scottish (back to the UK) Salmon Filet came with plum tomatoes, flat cap mushroom, slaw and fries. My Vietnamese (back to Asia) Crispy Beef and Noodle Salad compromised a huge bowl of crispy fried picanha beef rump with rice noodles, bean sprouts, pickled carrots, radish, mange tout (pea pods), spring onion, courgette (zucchini), Thai basil and crispy noodles topped with Vietnamese dressing that was so large our friends took home 1/3 of it. Crispy beef is an acquired taste as it tends to chewy, but the whole dish together was delightful and fun, and every bite had different ingredients!

Dessert here is not to be missed, and more raves came for the Bread & Butter Pudding with Irish Cream Liqueur, White Chocolate, dark chocolate curd and a jug (small) of warm creme Anglaise. The local word for this is Fandabby Dozy!! Look it up!

Looking for cheese (and I always am) is not an issue here as the team has procured some unique ones from the UK and some from Europe as well. I always keep local and chose the Isle of Mull Farmhouse Cheddar from Friesian cows owned by the Reade family (read the long cheese descriptions on the FB foto as well), a delicious Rollright soft rind washed cow from Kingston Dairy in Gloucestershire as well as the more local Shepherd's Purse Harrogate Blue. These come with chutney, celery, biscuits, and apple.

A glass of Bulas LBV port was a nice accompaniment and again as all the wines here, very reasonably priced.

Thanks to Fran and the entire team and we hope to see you next August when we return to the area!

Stockton-on-Tees VADAH is impressive Indian (9-6-26)

 When we visit the UK we always like to have Indian food as it is really great and the only place it is better is India! Up North here they tend to lessen the spice, but last night we did convince the staff to add some extra kick to our main courses.

Vardah is a cute little spot on the river here with comfy booths and banquettes, although the chairs could use some reupholstering as they have very little cushions left in the seat after years of use. We were here years ago and loved it then, but the chairs were way more comfortable. The staff were attentive and helpful and while Will had a vodka and I tonic, Sam had a Kopparburg Mixed Berry cider and I started the white wine we perused the menu at length, which was indeed VERY lengthy.

We noticed the large tree trunk with cherry blossoms hovering over the entire entryway and thought immediately that these guys used the same decorator or supplier as the Ivy Asia in Leeds from several nights prior!

Our wine was listed as Domaine St. Felix Sauvignon Blanc/Vermentino blend, but I noticed at the end of the meal, the label read Les terraces d'Arches Blanc 2025 made from Sauvignon Blanc and Grenache, which was bright and crisp and worked great with the spices anyway.

The Popadoms (spelled that way in the UK) came with several sauces, two of which were a tad too sweet, a raw onion chutney and a sweet and sour chilli sauce. Sam liked his Coconut Dumplings which were potato coated and we adored the crispy Onion Bhaji. we also liked the "King Prawn on Puree of Ginger, Garlic, Green chillies, tomatoes and tamarind sauce" which came looking more like Prawn Enchiladas and all three starters had the same swaths of sauces made with some spices, but not super spicy. (fotos on FB)

The spices picked up for our mains although Sam said his Daal was quite mild and his Garlic Fried Rice as well. There was very nicely spiced Garlic, Cheese, Chilli Naan that was steaming hot and the server brought an odd bowl to the table then poured liquid nitrogen or such on top, so we were enveloped in a cloud of fog! It was dramatic, yet funny as well. Will and I were so full from all the starters that we shared one main of Vadam Morosan listed as one of the chef's specialties. The sauce was hot garlic and minced meat which was fabulous and it was filled with huge chunks of lamb and chicken, alas the breast was a tad too dry and even the fabulous sauce could not redeem it. Bhindi Bhaji is a super okra curry dish we had recently on the ship and always crave, so we had that as a side, and it was superb indeed and a Rice pilau was simple yet great for sopping up all the sauces. we could not even fathom dessert but enjoyed the fresh orange slices brough to the table before we headed back to our hotel.

The MUSE in Yarm is yummy, but noisy (UK-9-4-2026)

 We met up with some family here for our second night in North Yorkshire at the Muse in Yarm where we have dined before many times and always loved. It was a belated celebration for Aunty Pat's 80th birthday and I was truly grateful we had a back corner table in the quietest part of the restaurant as the place was jammed on the first Friday night of the month and the autumn season and the din made conversation a tad difficult!

Will and I ordered a "Picante" which was a yummy spicy cocktail of tequila, lime, chilli & coriander much akin to a spicy margarita.

Once again, we decided to share some "snacks" of rye flour sourdough and hummus (the bread was great, the hummus very nice); green nocellara olives & a Chorizo & smoked paprika focaccia with sour cream and tomato salsa. They were nice, but nothing to rave over. Our wine was a Cotes du Rhone Brunel de la Gardine 2022 which was quite nice.

The mains were all delicious with Will having the Loin of Pork, harissa aioli, char grilled tender stem broccoli, broccoli puree, and smoked almonds although he substituted chips for the Moroccan cous cous (Lord knows why as that seemed the ideal accompaniment to the dish!). I loved my Roasted Rack of Lamb cooked perfectly to medium rare with a braised lamb belly, lamb sweetbread, spinach, salsa verdi(their spelling), spiced tamarind ketchup, heritage tomatoes and marinated feta. Everything worked on this dish, but the belly was quite fatty and not really prepared to my liking as it was battered and deep fried, as was the tasty sweetbread, which was superb.

Other dishes all got the thumbs up from Lime & Mango marinated Chicken Breast to Pan Fried Salmon and Brown Shrimp Risotto to the Flat Iron grilled steak of grass-fed aged beef.

A super nod here to the sticky toffee pudding, which is made with dates and my Apricot souffle, honey & ginger ice cream drizzled with apricot syrup was divine!

The Waiting Room in UK's Stockton-on-Tees is vegetarian variety with flair (9-3-2026)

 We always look for a great menu with vegetarian options when we travel with Sam, so on our first night in North Yorkshire we chose to revisit The Waiting Room which is a simple little spot which was indeed the waiting room for the station nearby at one time in a previous life. It's cozy, but alas not the most comfortable of chairs as they have many mismatching wooden chairs that were clearly used in churches or schools at one time in the way past! That said, the 7 of us settled into the large wooden table feeling much like a family from somewhere in the precious century!

We all recalled the very large portions in the past so decided to share some breads and spreads to start rather than overdoing it with starters. The spreads were a superb pea and mint hummus; a smoky, spicy aubergine red pepper, black cardamom zaalouk and a sunblushed tomato and thyme pate all served with yummy homemade breads and a nice serving of superb purple slaw.

The wines here are simple and all natural, vegan and bio, but I did miss the wonderful library of wines they used to have which was stored at the tiny bar room next door. Our server said they could not keep them well with the heat and cold and alas many had spoiled, so they did away with them :-((.....  Instead, I chose a Running Duck Chenin Blanc Fair Trade form South Africa and an Adobe Pinot Noir Bio Bio from Chile both of which were very reasonably priced and tasty as well.

The dishes here are inventive and as varied as can be. The chef is not afraid to use spice as he does in the Puy Chilli Enchilada or the Chilli & Brown Rice Bowl. Simpler dishes such as the Double Rainbow Sald come overflowing with veggies and more and are indeed a full meal in themselves. Sam loved his Halloumi & Leek Sausage Rigatoni although oddly it was the smallest dish of all the ones we ordered. One dish I wanted to try which got raves was the Coconut cream broth Laksa with "exquisitely sauced broth, thick ribbon noodles, roast pepper, tamari-roasted sweet potato, sugar snaps and more topped with fresh slaw, crunchy peanuts and sambal", again with a kicky spice. You just gotta love the descriptions!

I chose the Cauliflower, Sweet Potato & Artichoke Thermador Pancake which was a dosa-like crispy crepe filled with all the veggies in a white wine, cheddar cream sauce with celeriac remoulade, browned butter and capers which was a huge creation that was full of flavor and indeed a vegetarian delight.

Since we did not have starters there was indeed room for the fab desserts such as Sticky Toffee Pudding (mine was with custard!!); Vanilla Ice Cream with Butterscotch or the very different Stem Ginger and Lime Basque Cheesecake.

We loved it all and went home very full after a superb evening with dear friends.

The IVY ASIA in Leeds (UK) is luscious (9-2-26)

 Dining is Leeds is fun and there are many good choices. Our first night we returned to RBG (Restaurant Bar & Grill) with our entire local family and had lots of fun, but felt the prices had escalated and the food was no longer at the quality it was on many visits over the past several years.

Our second night took us to The Ivy Asia, located above the famed local version of The Ivy where we have been many times as well. Will loved the Ivy Asis on a previous trip and we fell in love this time as well. It is an intimate setting with super cozy booths surrounding a giant fake cherry tree trunk with 1/2 the ceiling made of flowering blossoms. the floor is a lit from the bottom geode/quartz mélange and the bar has adorable beaded fringed fish/dragon lamps. There are heavy silk curtains and gold leaf walls. This is the place to go for a great meal on a chilly night as they know how to spice up their food as well.

We ordered a bottle of Viognier Les Collines de Bourdic 2024 from Languedoc/Roussillon and it was clean and fresh with the spicy dips. Our server Mariam was very helpful with the wine choices as well as suggestion various dishes!

First came Edamame with yuzu salt and a super garlic and chilli dip; what a brilliant idea to give the edamame an extra umami! Wonton crisps and Poppadoms were okay with a Szeechuan dip. (all fotos on FB).

If you head to the loo, be sure to greet the oversized Samurai warrior who stands at the urninal and greets you with "konichiwa!"

Popcorn shrimp were crunchy and tasty and not over battered and came with a spicy mayo and lime dip. The Yellowtail Sashimi was perfectly sliced kingfish with a toszzu dressing & dry miso, but became a hit with the green chilli slices (serrano) and black truffle slices on top.

Sam enjoyed a Thai Singha beer with his Cucumber, Crunchy Asparagus and Avocado rolls with mizuna and Masago Arare(what's that?) and then had a yummy bowl of Chilli Noodles followed by Wok Fried Broccoli and Tofu with greens, broccoli, water spinach (bok choy), crispy tofu, Szechuan sauce and crispy shallots!

We adored our amazingly presented (video on FB) of Golden Aromatic Duck which was spice marinated shredded duck in a giant metal duck brought to the table with smoke billowing out. Steamed pancakes were thin to wrap it up with cucumber and spring onion with a perfect hoisin sauce! Our red was a brilliant Syrah from Gimblett Gravels "Craggy Range" 2021 in Hawkes Bay New Zealand where we had been just this past January and fell in love with their minerally rich wines.

Sam had mochi for dessert in multiple flavors, Will loved the Golden Monkey (another fab presentation) of Coconut sorbet with pineapple and passion fruit while I loved my Ube doughnuts of Filipino yam & coconut with a delish Kalamansi yoghurt dipping sauce.

Someone thought it was our anniversary so a small plate of mochi arrived with a chocolate medallion reading "Congratulations!" We loved it all from start to finish and would return in a flash.

The Ivy Asia has multiple locations now in the UK so look for it for fun and whimsy.

London's CAFE DECO is delish (8-11-26)

 We had only one night in London again this trip before boarding our cruise to Iceland and we were looking for something that offered vegetarian options as Samuel was with us. I remembered our wonderful dinner last year at the oh-so-casual CAFE DECO and booked it again for a return visit. This time was just as nice as we settled in to the very small space not far from the British Museum and only a 20-minute walk from our hotel. We were dining early at 6pm (jet lag for Sam coming from DC) and the place was pretty quiet. Tables filled up, but this place is so laid back it never gets noisy. It was also a very warm London evening and many folks were dining outside.

Vodka martinis were on the order made with a local UK vodka with an odd name that escapes me and Sam enjoyed a Melon Shrub, but later said the Cucumber & Lime Cordial was better. The menu is simple and we wanted to share some of the yummy starters and chose Fried Shishito & Goat Horn Peppers which were okay and Sam loved his rich creamy Celery Soup. The Green Bean Fritters with Mushroom Ketchup were a huge hit and are basically deep-fried battered green beans with an Asian style mushroom dipping sauce.

Marinated Summer Beetroots with Mustard Leaves in Herb Vinaigrette was a superb, refreshing salad. We ordered a fab bottle of Austrian rose called Revolution Pink Solera from Johannes Zillinger in Weinviertel made from Rosler, Syrah & Sankt Laurent grapes, and while UK prices for wines are sometimes a tad high, this was a great rare find.

The Braised Chicken with Girolles (Chanterelles), Sweetcorn and Bacon sounds so simple but was a wonderfully moist and juicy breast cooked to perfection.

Dessert was a Damson Curd Tart with Creme Fraiche which was really tasty and fresh as well with a very nice pastry crust to boot. We walked back home knowing we had a long day boarding our ship in Southampton coming, but felt our return to Cafe Deco was a delicious delight.

PICKLES in Bordeaux is pretty good but maybe should be "Mustardseed!" (8-7-26)

 We headed across the river the other night to meet up with some friends in the Chartrons district and chose PICKLES where Will had dined once before and I wanted to try. It was a pleasant evening, so we dined outside, which I did regret later with smokers and the horribly uncomfortable outdoor chairs with virtually no back support. That said, the service was good and the food pretty good to boot. Will discovered our friend Brad's favorite for the summer a Mezcal Negroni while I went right to the wine and loved their Cotes du Rhone blend call La Bastide Saint Dominique 2025 made from Viognier, Grenache Blanc and Clairette. You gotta love the prices when the bottles are almost all under 40 Euros!

Will ordered a nice Pork Taco starter, one of us tried the Polenta Frites and we also split a delicious bowl of Moules de Bouchot de Bretagne Facon Thai, Lait du Coco et pate de curry rouge, which were small dainty mussels from Brittany in an excellent and quite spicy (well, for the French) That red curry sauce. There was plenty of yummy crusty bread to mop up the leftover sauce as well. I wondered what all the little yellow caviar looking things were on the mussels and then we figured out it was mustard seeds, which I loved. One of us chose the duck breast, but the other four of us chose to split the special Bar Entier, Salad de Pois Chiches, Caviar d'Aubergine et salade d'herbes. This was a whole beautifully grilled sea bass with some sauces and a very different kind of salad made up of whole chickpeas, a puree of eggplant and again covered with mustard seeds, which at first I thought was the "caviar" of the eggplant. 

For dessert I loved the Gazpacho of Nectarines and White Peaches as it was so refreshing. Three of us left for a drink at a nearby bar, and I was still wondering why the place was called Pickles instead of Mustardseed, but that won't keep me from returning!

Le Prince Noir par Vivien Durand; magnificent Michelin star bravado in Bordeaux (7-29-26)

 Our friends Lee & Kevin were visiting us from DC and we decided to celebrate Lee's birthday at a nearby (13 min drive) place we had not yet visited in Bordeaux. A couple of months ago I was watching the CNN series Eva Longoria:Searching for France where she seemed to miss many of our favorite places on the Bordeaux segment, but I was impressed with her visit to le Prince Noir. WOW, was it worth the try.

We arrived at 8pm with our dear neighbor Charline in tow and decided to enjoy aperitifs outside on the terrace. The restaurant is a new building in the yard of a small old chateaux turned into a drama school that overlooks the large Garonne suspension bridge below. we had a gorgeous view of the sun as it lowered across the river starting off with a yummy Signature drink made with Lillet, but alas I forgot the rest of the ingredients.

As we toasted in the warm breeze the handsome gent who served us most of the evening brought out a pile of various amuses which were really way more that that!

Tarte fine anchoiade was a anchovy paste salty delight and then another plate was salted marinated beef with zucchini tempura & tuna, salicorne and anchovy. The final piece de resistance was a small iron cast pot revealed tableside to have a novel cassoulet of escargots!

We decided on wines, the menu and more and then moved inside where we were grateful for the air conditioning! The glass enclosed pavilion-like building was attached to an older building where there was an entry area with cute stuff like a juke box, old cash register filled with candy for your departure after the meal as well as the main kitchen. Blond wood tables were modern with very modern art, funny photos of all of the staff, chandeliers hanging from their Michelin Star metal plaques medallion and super comfy swivel chairs which I fell in love with. As in most Michelin restaurants, flatware was delivered before each course.

The first wine was brought and was a vineyard suggested by Charlen from her home Jurancon. Clos Larrouyate 2023 Comete was indeed a comet of a wine full of mineral and so dry it went perfectly with the first two vegetable courses. Le Prince Noir, incidentally, will do an entire vegetarian menu if you like and we promised that we must bring Sam here in the fall!

We were soon invited to join Chef Vivien in the kitchen, who deserves a star just for being himself. He has ONE restaurant and while, well-known as a character larger than life, he sticks to his clients at Le Prince Noir using locally sourced and sustainable ingredients that were indeed some of the best dishes we have had here. He prepared the next "cucumber course" before us which I captured much of on video and we ate it while in the kitchen as he told stories and we told him our stories--all of us conversing wildly in French, with Charline explaining how her father was a chef in Ireland and the southwest for many years before retiring.

Back at the table bread arrived in three forms: focaccia was really just wonderfully frilled white bread; pleurot pain (grain) and pain au mais(corn, this is not what you folks in the US call cornbread, it is a tasty BREAD that uses corn and has the consistency of real bread). A sauce bourguignon accompanied the breads as well as a spicy pepper olive oil.

The next course was "TOMATO" and easily is one of the best veggie dishes ever. It was sliced thin like sushi and topped with crispy black garlic over a mirroir of red wine like a thick gazpacho, but way better made with sarrazin and anchovy. I could have eaten multiples of this!

HOMARD was prepared at a large roll in tableside (videos again) where the tail shells were used to make a sauce with cognac and then the tails were served with large arancini stuffed with lobster over the sauce and also with a sauce soubise. I did manage to get one small shell, but that did not mar this delicate and delicious dish at all. By now we had switched to our second white which I chose as I love Viognier and adore its very vineyard specific Condrieu. We had Andre Perrett 2022 which was loaded with Rhone Valley minerals and so unctuous and creamy all of us were oohing and aahing for quite some time. After this we moved on to an amazing red which I chose from Saint-Emilion as we had visited there earlier in the day with Lee & Kevin. Chateau Dassant 2015 Grand Cru Classe was a divine Bordeaux that frank perfectly and we all agreed again, a perfect wine for our meat and cheese courses.

Speaking of meat next was Ris de veau or sweetbreads with two sauces: mustard & blanquette de veau with a crust polenta that was divine. I am a sweetbread lover, and this dish was a true treat as the preparation was indeed superb and the tastes, sauces, and just everything made it the ideal main course.

Cheeses followed and there were many to taste and share and enjoy with the breads and wine. On the side was a small croustillant like a charcoal cracker or crunchy wafer topped with some romaine hearts and vinaigrette.

The first dessert was right up my alley and was called Abricots which brough fresh apricots roasted with the famous local piment d'espalette (Espalette pepper) paired with BBQ apricots and apricot gel. The crust on the pastry was sublime and the whole thing sitting in apricot verjus was just heavenly.

The final dessert was a simple sorbet of nectarines with sirop d'agrumes (citrus syrup) again with the wonderfully spicy piment d'espalette that made this almost a savory dish, but not quite. A perfect end to a perfect meal.

Since it was Lee's birthday we did sing Happy Birthday, but the staff brought out a small package at the end for him to take home of a Gateau Basque (small cheesecake if you must) which we ended up eating at home this week and I have to say it was moist and creamy and delicious indeed and a great reminder of our meal the week before. What fun we had.

Always a reason to love LE LOUP in Bordeaux (7/25/26)

 We returned to Bordeaux and knew the first place we had to have dinner was at our beloved LE LOUP in the midst of the historic center. We arranged dinner with our new friends Scott & Andy and they loved it too; who wouldn't. Ludovic welcomed us back with a warm embrace and we ordered a bottle of Carsin Rose de Carsin, the house rose that's always great in warm weather then moved on to Le Blason de Parnay, Chateau Parnay, AOC Saumur 2020, a tasty and mineral intense Chenin Blanc from the Loire.

While the place was pretty full, this Saturday was the first night we had to wear masks outside due to the horrid smoke from the wildfires and not all the tables were full as on a usual Saturday night. Luckily the city was not harmed with more than smoke as so many people were displaced to our west and southwest and many homes destroyed. 

While Le Loup encourages sharing plates, we all chose our own and gobbled down the delicious crusty French bread with herbed butter. I can highlight many dishes here, but indeed we loved everything that came to the table from the tasty Tartare de Boeuf with Sauce Vierge, but if you want lighter go for the Ceviche de Dorade with Leche de Tigre. Thon Snacke is a seared (not snack) Tuna with crunchy potatoes and Puttanesca sauce.

For mains the biggest hit was the Mozzarella filled raviolis in a consommé of fermented tomatoes. As always Chef Stephane Raynal excels at pasta, and everyone marveled at the delicacy of the pasta and intensity of the broth! I never go wrong with the demi-magret de Canard, a perfectly seared duck breast from Phalange Farm, sauce Apicius (a vinegar/wine/honey-based sauce with spices) and a small side dish of sauteed heirloom tomatoes.  Aubergine rotie (roasted eggplant with miso) was a gorgeous dish to look at and got a rave from Scott.

We shared some desserts and I loved the Chou (basically a small profiterole) with mascarpone, pistachio, apricot with a divine and unique basil-citron sorbet. Will almost always takes the Brioche perdue (brioche based bread pudding) with peach, vanilla ice cream, nuts and caramel sauce.

I think Any & Scott loved our choice, and we had a great time seeing our friends and immediately planned another outing to their favorite "duck" spot in town!

London's IMPALA impresses with intensity of flavors and noise (7-22-26)

 

We were in London just one night so I could attend the opera, and I needed to have a simple, not too heavy, early dinner, and chose IMPALA right near our hotel on the walk to Covent Garden. IMPALA fit the bill and was pretty quiet as I took a seat at 530pm. I had a table right opposite the open kitchen and a huge prep table that virtually all the chefs encircled for the entire time I was there; it was great to see these 1/2 dozen or so doing their jobs. To the right of this was a bar with stools for those who wanted to sit and chat with the chefs doing cold prep or perhaps enjoy a tasting menu.

The cuisine here is Moroccan based using local English ingredients, so my s whicherver was a tad unnerved when I said no sesame or poppy or small seeds, as it seems so many of the dishes incorporate them. He went to chat with the head chef nearby who actually came over to the table several times to ask about the seed issue and i explained, that it was just whole seeds not oils or such and he was very happy. He later brought many of the dishes explaining them as well; this was a real team effort.

I started with the Beef Tartare made with baklouti chilli and this could be one of the best around town. (photos on FB) It arrived with finely shredded cheese on top, and the spice was amazing, but the piece de resistance was the fried dough that came with it instead of bread!! What a brilliant novel and tasty idea indeed.

Second was Pastilla, duck pastry with pickled walnut which were two pastilla pastries that looked more like spinakopita and had a very spicy ketchup-like dip. Another spicy dish that tasting so divine, I wanted more. Third was Kibbeh of white crab and sun dried wheat wrapped in shiso leaf. This was one large bite (as I was instructed) and really not what I would call a kibbeh; deconstructed crab kibbeh, maybe. The crab sat inside atop the leaf and was a tasty, refreshing bite, but at 7pounds($9.50US) I would have appreciated two!

I was also enjoying a glass of Nino Barraco "Biancomatto" 2025 Catarratto from Sicily which was also so refreshing with great mineral flavors. The wine list was great with every one (13 whites/2 oranges(amber)/2 roses/9 reds/3 sparkling) all available by the glass or bottle, even if some of them were insanely priced; the lowest was 7pounds up to 56 (over $75) for a glass of 2006 Pouilly-Fuisse!

I was still a tad hungry and asked my server for a suggestion and ending up with the Fried Mackerel, cod's roe and muhammara, which was nothing what I expected. The fish sat sandwiched between a bed of muhammara(spicy red pepper and walnut spread) that was so creamy it was almost beyond rich and atop a huge ribbon of creamy cod roe. It was amazing, and now I was truly full. After a strawberry pate a fruit as a mignardises, I was happy to move on as the noise level between the music and guests (two tables were now so close to me I could hear every word said) made me yearn to get to the opera. A great meal but dine early to avoid the noise!

Des Moines HARBINGER hits the heights again (7-12-26)

 I am way behind as on arrival here in Bordeaux we had some pretty bad heat and awful smoke due to the wildfires, then guests arrived, then we spent the weekend in the Bearn (Bas-Pyrenees), so please accept apologies and enjoy!

Each year when we go to Des Moines Metro Opera, we always make time for dinner at Harbinger. It's a real treat, despite the not so comfy chairs (the banquette on one side is okay, but then the person opposite in the chair suffers!). They have a new chef, Hoe Tripp, who was actually off to Malaysia when we went this year, but we were still impressed with every bite and sip from start to finish. Harbinger tends to the vegetarian side but does offer fish and meat if you need it and the variety of dishes (all meant to be shared) is excellent.

We started with cocktails and mine was a Some Like It Dirty with Haku Vodka, House green tomato(pickled) to replace the olive, Umeboshi and Genepy which I adored, while will went with the Memory Lane of Roku Vodka (substituted for Roku GIn), Vida Mezcal, Fermented Carrot, Lime, Cilantro & Thai Chili. Garrett was at the bar as he was the year before and makes magic with these fabulous drinks as well as always tries to introduce us to great new wines.

Our first dish was (all on FB) KOHLRAHBI stuffed with Kauai Prawns, grilled avocado & mousse, lovage, pickled green strawberries with puffed buckwheat. We adored the flavors but went crazy for our second dish SPRING PEA VARIETALS swimming in Nam Jim and olive oil with green curry emulsion, pickled jalapenos and pea-pod crackers was indeed a PEAS ON CRACK dish that shall never be forgotten. I think Harbinger easily has the best pea dishes on earth each time we go!

Our fabulous server Melina had told us the next dish was irresistible, rich and fabulous and she hit it spot on with the Chanterelle Mushroom Godan, a rice dish made with Koshihikari rice, crispy soft-boiled egg and brown butter lovage in a plate that was indeed so divine. If one person has this dish, the meal is over, but we could split it easily and move on! 

The Bao here comes in three different types, but we settled on Fried Chicken steamed bun with Fermented Pepper Relish and Duck Fat Aioli; the description alone answers why we chose this fabulous crunchy treat. We had started with a bottle of Damsel Cellars Marsanne "Booshey Vineyards" from Woodinville, Washington that was fabulous and then Garrett suggested a Barbara Ohlszelt Gruner Veltliner called "Leader" that was also fabulous with all the spice in the various dishes.

Speaking of spice, last was the Sakura Farms Charred Pork Collar with blistered radish, strawberry gochujang, marinated Swiss chard and squid ink tuille. We chose to pair this with a side that Melina said was superb, and it may have even beaten the pork! The Charcoal Grilled Savoy Cabbage was in a smoked onion cream with ramp/kimchi butter and shiso. the two dishes were great, but the two sauces really competed with each other! Garrett delivered two glasses of wine and we each loved ours: Vera Sacrum GSM from Argentina and Bedrock Zinfandel, both paired with the pork ideally.

We rested --A LOT--and then pondered dessert. My rearend was not happy and I suggested to the staff that pillows on the hard metal chairs might be nice. We settled on the Toasted Rice Pudding Mochi Donut (which was really a churro), poached rhubarb and wild wood sorrel and loved every bite, especially the chewy yummy textures.

Garrett arrived with glasses of Tannat Alcyone Atlantida, a crazy wild chocolatey dessert wine from Uruguay as well as the traditional French Pineau de Charentes (from just to the north of us here in Aquitaine). Delish!!

It was the perfect end to a perfect meal (save for the chair) and we knew we would return again next year, maybe for the tasting menu which I had the year prior and could not stop raving about!

PS-there is a way to tip the kitchen staff a tad extra here called "Kitchen Love" on the menu where you buy the chefs a round...and of course, we did!

FAMILY LEE in DC makes it to TWENTY-anniversary celebration at Mandu (7/7/26)

 I nabbed a seat at a super wonderful tasting menu the other night at MANDU here in DC to celebrate Chef Danny Lee's 20th year here. He was joined by his amazing mother, Mama Lee as well as Chef Edward Lee, also a well-known figure in DC!

I was escorted to the quieter upstairs section (I did not even know this existed) and my servers Doobie and Jake took over to take me on a Korean food journey that was as memorable as it can be. I like Mandu's Essay Chenin Blanc as it stands up to spice and started with a glass of that as the amuses or snacks arrived:

SOON DOOBU TART came with fermented lemon "chiffon" if you will, and basil oil on a Monaka or rice wafer. This dish was made of whole lemons blanched multiple times and added to soft tofu to make a not sweet, but very tart, lemon chiffon if you will. It was a great palate cleanser and setup for the GESAL MUCHIM or toasted seaweed cracker with MD lump crab, perilla, persimmon vin and gim. The crab was fab and I loved this taste of what was to come (photos on FB).

Starters were a SAEWOO MANDU or Shrimp dumpling in Gochujang Cream, Ssukgat with pear and powdered shrimp paste. This dish was a revelation. While Mandu literally means dumpling and it is a specialty here, of course, this preparation and the blow-your-mind spicy cream was a novel mouthful of east meets west. 

Gimmari was a Rice paper tempura fried crispy seaweed "roll" with glass noodles, onion & carrot filling topped with sea urchin and caviar. Decadence at its best indeed and while the seaweed was crispy it was also chewy in a very novel way that made the dish so different. needless to say, the uni and caviar were divine.

The main courses all came together in three plates with BANCHAN to mix and use as sauces or such with mama Lee's Kimchi (the best), Oi Sabagi, Ojinguh Muchim & Yeongeun which amounts to kimchi, pickled lotus, cucumber and a superb spicy squid salad.  BIBIM MAKGUKSU was a almost a soup of buckwheat noodles, pickled eggplant, Minari with some apple pieces that popped and a sauce that rocked.

The main plate had two dishes: GALBI JJIM, a prime short rib with sweet, braised daikon, carrot, rice cake, dates and pinenuts. Opposite was a Fondant Potato and while that's as Frenchas it gets, here it was topped with Jajang or black bean sauce and Charred Kimchi--more east meets west!  Everything was cooked to perfection with spices and seasonings that tingled and got every taste bud excited.

I had already moved on to red wine and loved the Lodolai Dolcetto d'Alba, Ca' del Baio which is a tad bigger than most Dolcettos with a touch of acidity; a good pairing with these dishes but had to finally return to the much bigger Partridge Malbec, a really great wine on the menu for big meat dishes and spice, too.

Dessert was YAKGWA -Honey Cookie with Ginger Syrup, Vanilla Gelato, Misugaru, and Strawberry Cheong or fermented strawberries which were a real treat. Not too sweet and just right as I was quite full by now, but I had to finish every bite for sure!

Bravo to this entire team who always had on a smile, and I could tell made everyone in the whole house very happy.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Magnificent modern Indian at KARIZMA in DC (7-2-26)

 We are so glad our friend Elliot suggested Karizma in downtown DC for our outing together last night as it was a magnificent find indeed. We walked in and the chef and some staff we are the far end of a nice bar just chatting and the place was empty--well it was Thursday night on a holiday weekend when half of DC downtown streets are closed due to massive holiday nonsense! Karizma shares space with Karma next door, which is a tad more elegant with a tasting menu (we can't wait to try that), but we loved the simple and calm decor with white marble tables, banquettes, comfy chairs and several high tops near the bar in the front windows. The kitchen at the rear is open, but since we were the only table all night and a small group at the bar, the staff was not too busy. When we said we wanted to thank the chef after dinner, he was gone!

Our server Griffin told us he had been there for years, and the place opened in 2017! How did we miss it? We looked at the varied wine list and since the temperature outside was still hovering at over 100, I asked if I could taste the Gruner Veltliner which comes by the glass. he brough over a nice taste and we all tried and loved the Weingut Stadt Krems 2022 from Austria that was more than refreshing in the heat and was great with all the spice. It was so good, we finished off THREE bottles!

We ordered some dishes and got to taste many things and loved it all. Only the Garlic naan was a tad too thin and crisper than what I would normally like.

Quinoa Tikki was potato, quinoa, ginger and white pea mash in a cake that was superb and Tandoori Cauliflower was spicy with Garam masala, tomato jus and yogurt to cut the spice. We loved the starters and were even happier when the mains arrived. 

Griffin also brough out some sliced fresh onions with lemon, hot chilis and chili sauce in case we wanted more seasoning.

The order of Grilled Lamb Chops came out rare, so it was sent back as Norca likes well done, The Kerala Fish Curry was superb with sea bass and tamarind. The Malvani Chicken Curry was a stewed spring chicken with coconut milk but no skimp on spice and my Nariyal Chili Prawns with basil and blistered cherry tomatoes was also a fabulous treat. The simple cumin rice with pea shoots on top was some of the best rice around town and it was a godsend with all the fabulous sauces. Griffin had also brought out a tasty cucumber raita.

My number 1 gauge in an Indian restaurant is the Palak Paneer of spinach, burnt garlic and cheese and this dish could win a prize indeed. It was creamy, a tad spicy and the spinach was cooked to perfection.

We were full but Griifin insisted we try two desserts and both were superb. The Mango Kulfi was like semifreddo on crack and the Coconut Payasam was a rich, delicious rice pudding, yet so light it was gone in seconds.

We loved everything about this place and cannot wait to return. Indian food is all over, but not always so great as that of Karizma, loaded with charisma!

Brasserie by Niche makes St. Louis seem like France (6-19-26)

 The ngiht after dining with Chef Ford Craft we headed over to his very traditional French bistro BRASSERIE BY NICHE for an early light supper before the opera (which was Romeo et Juliette, alas in English here at OTSL). We got a great dose of France though with many full tables outside (it was quite hot, but not humid!) and lots of great small, varied spaces inside. we were taken to an interior room which was darker, quieter and had beautifully embosses walls and stamps on the wall with hanging single bulbs. 

Within seconds our gracious server Jennifer appeared with two complimentary glasses of Gamay/Cab Franc Henry Varney Sprakling Rose from the Loire, Refreshing and great on a hot day, this was our first of many doses of the tastes of France. Will moved on later o a glass of Milou Rose from Provence, but like in France if you don't seek anything specific you can order house wine by the glass or carafe, which I am sure is just fine.

We could not eat a lot before the long opera, so decided to share some starters at first. Delicious bread and butter arrived and then our Wild Burgundy Escargots with herbes (spelled that way on the menu!), garlic and doused in butter arrived with toasted bread slices. They were hot, sizzling and delicious and we did remark that when in home at Bordeaux, we do not see them a lot as they are indeed a regional dish from Burgundy!

Next came the Steak Tartare with fines herbes in a mild preparation that really starred the meat itself. Someone here loves bread as there were over 20 thinly sliced crostini accompanying the dish in a beautiful fan. We probably used no more than three each for the dish! (always photos on FB).

Jessica arrived with a plate of Gougères which were better than any I have had in this country. They were large, soft, warm and cheesy indeed and really filled us up.

Will said he was stuffed, but I had a small yet satisfying simple salad of Mixed Lettuces & Goat Cheese with Hazelnut Croutons in a shallot vinaigrette. I loved it and felt very old-fashioned French finishing with a salad.

Will wanted to try the Rhubarb tart tropezienne with sugared brioche, rhubarb ginger jam, roasted rhubarb pistachio creme madame and rhubarb sherbet, which was okay, but a tad sweet and the cake was dry. Jessica appeared with a complimentary dessert of Chocolate Mousse, Hazelnut Liqueur, Espresso, whipped cream and brown sugar cocoa nib tuile that was delish, but I could not manage more than a small spoonful.

We left very full and are so happy we return for brunch today with a group of singers as this has become an Opera Theatre of St. Louis newer tradition here as we end our weekend.

--

A return to St Louis' LITTLE FOX will knock off your sox (6-18-26)

Rather than risk a delayed flight and miss an opera here this weekend at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, we set out a day prior and checked in with our friend Chef Ford Craft about where to eat these days. For years prior to its closing, we loved his award-winning NICHE where I first visited back in 2008 when his now late father (who lived in DC) told me I HAD to try it. I was in LOVE instantly, and while Chef still has places here in town (we go to Brasserie by Niche tonight for supper and Sunday for brunch!), the long stretched out fine dining meals are gone. He got back to me and said he would meet us at LITTLE FOX (who knew he would join us?) where we had a fabulous brunch two years back. It's tucked away in a quiet area south of downtown and very unpresuming, but the entire place was jammed last night at 7pm, including the outdoor seating as it is simply gorgeous weather here!

Will and I arrived a tad earlier and settled in with a "Here's the Thing" a divine cocktail of Sotol, green chile vodka, bay leaf, banana pepper, Thai bitter, lime and an egg white froth on top (a la pisco sour) which had a nice spice and tasted so refreshing. Our server Chad was super and was fine with us ordering slowly so we could pace ourselves and enjoy our 3+ hours there, and he was also very nice to look at!

Chef Ford arrived and he asked the folks next to us what was good; that always works and he said we have to try the Potato Churros made with Manchego and a romesco dipping aioli that I loved. Our neighbors hit it right with the Crispy Green Tomatoes that were very different from those we know as they were corn-flour battered like onion rings with lemon, basil yogurt sauce, pickled banana peppers and crispy fried basil leaves on top. YUM.

By now we had gone to our first wine a beautiful creamy Viognier from Ilahe in the Willamette Valley of Oregon that the sommelier Becky suggested; she knew her wines for sure, and what a wonderful list indeed. 

Sea Scallops were in a ramp soubise with morel mushrooms and house-cured pancetta which I chose as they simply sounded superb, but while not bad, they were probably my least favorite dish all evening.

A beautiful (and complimentary) Summer Squash Salad with grilled and marinated squash, charred onion and yogurt arrived with agrodolce and crunchy Marcona almonds. It was delish but paled next to the amazing Beet Salad with a yogurt-like smoked aioli, amazing crunchy crisp a urfa quinoa, dill, lemon and pickled mustard seed. 

Chef regaled us with storied about his growing up in DC first working in a kitchen in Utah in his late teens and ultimately ending up as a hugely decorated chef in St. Louis, while I scribbled notes back to him due to my decreed silence due to nodes on my vocal cords!

Royal Trumpet Mushrooms were also suggested by our table neighbors and these huge grilled Ozark Forest fungi arrived delicately cooked in a not too rich soubise sauce with frisee, sherry vinaigrette and chive oil. Becky arrived back and helped us chose a Broc Nero d'Avola 2023 from Mendocino's Fox Hill Vineyard, California called "The Badger" which we loved. I can't recall seeing this varietal ever grown in the US, but Broc can do it!

It paired spectacularly with our two pasta dishes: CAVATELLI with asparagus, fennel, yeasted saffron butter, piave vecchio (cheese), preserved lemon and garlic breadcrumbs. Some small cherry tomatoes added acidity to the richness, and it was a hit. Even better was the GARAGNELLI with braised pork trotters, jus, pickled ramp and Arugula. The huge pasta sopped up the large shreds of braised meat like a sponge and the flavors just melded with the wine.

There was no room for dessert, so we polished off the wine and headed back to our hotel for some good rest before our three operas this weekend here. How nice to see Chef Ford again and know he is doing so well and hearing about another dining venue (fine dining) he will hopefully open by our next visit!!

Make mine MAKETTO when on H St, NE in DC it's delicious (6-6-26)

 We had a magnificent early dinner before an early curtain at the Atlas Performing Arts Center and I knew we had to return to Maketto where Chef Eric Bruner-Yang really cooks pan-Asian awesomely! This is a place you could come and dine for hours tasting and sharing many dishes with friends, but more comfy chairs would help that. 

The servers are attentive and helpful and full of smiles and can help you choose a dish if you aren't sure, but I think we had our minds made up, until we saw several dishes whisked by and maybe re-calibrated. It seems the small dishes are not so small, and the medium dishes are quite large; we ended up taking home some extra, but luckily not a lot. the three ladies next to us were packing up giant fried chicken sandwiches that looked so tempting (medium??!!)

Will loved the Cora Rose from Montepulciano and I waited till my food came to enjoy a refreshing glass of the Christina Gruner Veltliner that had a slight effervescence when poured and quickly dissipated but went great with spicy food!

Will had the Steamed Pork Bao which were two large buns stuffed full and a hoisin dipping sauce on the side. I went lighter, or so I thought, with the amazing Ginger Chicken Soup Dumplings with peanut chili vinaigrette that were so intense and flavorful and loaded with chilis in the sauce that I loved. They were really even better than the soup dumplings I had in Shanghai several months earlier!

For our mains Will chose the Duck Noodle Soup which was a full 1/4 duck(leg) with wonton crisps on the side, noodles, local greens and mushrooms. It was quite filling and while declared "medium" I say it's a meal! My Cambodian Noodle Salad came with Crispy Pork Shoulder(warm) on top of the room temperature noodles, bamboo shoots, carrots, a crunchy topping of fermented (shrimp?)fish, peanuts herbs and even a spring roll stuffed in on the side! It came with a sweet and sour vinaigrette on the side so i was able to add a bit at each level as I ate through the noodles and tasty meat! Yes, medium again, and check out the FB pictures to see how big you think medium is! I have to say these noodles were also superb and far surpassed the mediocre ones we had several weeks prior at Chay!

We could not even ponder dessert, but knew we would head back to Maketto, perhaps on a Sunday evening this summer when things are quieter and parking is free as the veggie options for Sam are numerous!

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!