Vienna's CLARITY is cultivated cuisine (7-23-24)

 

Alan S for foodie finesse

<alansavada@gmail.com>

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We had to get to Clarity when we heard our friend Chef Tracy O'Grady had taken over the kitchen, so we booked with some friends only to find she had the night off! That said, the kitchen, service and all went like fine clockwork, so now we just have to return when she is at the helm, maybe for their tasting menu!

Will and I started off with the MTM-Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, Ancho Reyes Chili Liquor, Lime and Mango Turmeric Syrup which packs a spicy punch with the super-spiced rim and the ancho reyes, but is mellowed by the mango. Bee's Torn ACL was our friends gin drink of choice with minted honey, limoncello and ginger lime shrub.

The decor is overseen by some not-so-pretty 60's like chandeliers, but I love the quasi-slate-like tables and the chairs are quite comfy. The art on the walls was totally no to our tastes and I think it is for sale, so maybe someone will buy it all!! SORRY! 

The menu is varied and has many choices, so we perused until we settled and Josephine, our excellent server took the order:

Will loved his TRACY's TOMATO, BASIL, ALMOND GAZPACHO with avocado mousse, radish and toasted almonds save for a large clump of cilantro, which was not listed in the ingredients. One of our guests really despises cilantro, so it should be listed as it can be one of those weird dislike ingredients. My NEW KIND of CAESAR Salad was superb with mustard croutons (I really didn't taste the mustard), 24-month aged Parmesan, white anchovies and lemon oil. The dressing was superb, and I only begged for a couple more anchovies as these were excellent. Caramelized U-8 DAY BOAT SCALLOP in Sweet Corn & Bacon Chowder with fresh snap peas, thyme, Alepo(I always spell it Aleppo) chili oil and popcorn shoots looked delish indeed.

Our white wine was a Chateau Crezancy Sancerre 2023 from the Loire, and the citrus tones were nice with a hint of grapefruit. Our superb red, suggested by Matt the manager was an Inkblot 2021 Cabernet France from Lodi made by Michael David Winery.

Main courses were hugely varied from a huge CORN FLAKE CRUSTED PORK SCHNITZEL with Buttermilk Spaetzle, Dutch Runner Beans, Fava Beans, Waxed Beans, Gigante Beans, Summer Savory and a Smoked Pork Jus (served in a cup on the side so as not to have the wonderful crust damaged). I loved the way the beans covered the schnitzel and were so varied and needless to say there was plenty of it all to bring home leftovers. The Australian F4 WAGYU NY STRIP Steak came with Shitake Truffle Emulsion, Twice Baked Fingerling Potato, Blue Cheese, Trumpet Mushrooms, Spring Onion and a red Wine Sauce and got raves for the meat and sauces. The 18 oz. USDA PRIME RIBEYE is served only for two people and comes with Earth & Eats Wilted Spinach Fiorentino, Shitake Cream, Whipped Potatoes and a red wine sauce. The crust of the meat had a crunchy peppery crispiness that was divine, but some of my meat had some gristle and fat, which is why I usually stay away from steaks, but I was lured by someone willing to split the dish and that shitake cream and the spinach which were divine!

Bowls of Strawberry & Peach Sorbet with fresh peaches arrives and after that, we could not even fathom the thought of dessert. I can't wait to go back and hopefully sit in the rear closer to the kitchen and away from the ugly art as well as order smaller portions and taste more things as there are so many items on the menu we missed.

NOSTOS in Tyson's Corner, VA is great Greek!! (7-17-24)

Our friends Lee & Kevin suggested trying Nostos in Tyson's Corner (McLean) VA last night and we agreed having never heard of it. We were surprised on arrival to find the place had been open for over a decade and is an adorable (if noisy) spot just a block off Route 7/Leesburg Pike that you might never notice! The rooms are all stucco white giving a real Greek Isles feel with on brick wall in the room we were in, though the noise factor was high when the room was full. Our server Bella was very helpful, though we had some specific items in mind and decided to share 4 starters!

Before they arrived, the owner offered us four small skewered pieces of swordfish on fava bean puree which we adored. we had ordered an Assytirko "Kaldera" from Karamolegos Winery on Santorini that was bright and acidic and worked brilliantly with the foods as well. The wine bottles start at around $50 with lots of options as well, many of them Greek, of course. Our second wine was a barrel aged Assyrtiko from Nikolau Estates on Skyros which had an ever so slight hint of oak but still retained that strong acidity. With all the dishes being fish and the temperatures outside near 100, red was not needed!

The Taramosalata here is excellent and we gobbled it up along with the superb Dolmadakia Yaialantzi, stuffed grape leaves with tzatziki. For fun, you must try the Saganaki, a pan fried Kefalograviera cheese which is flambeed tableside! I have never had Feta Karpouzi which is another excellent option if you like feta cheese, here served warm and crusted with sesame seeds then fried and paired with Greek honey and refreshing fresh watermelon!

We were surprised again when the owner appeared with another complementary tray this time with four "palate cleansers" the likes I have never had before and truly LOVED. It was the same fried and sesame-crusted feta blocks but here served with an ice-cold chili sorbet that just was excitement in the mouth and on the tongue!

When we asked Bella about which main fish dishes were best, she went right for the Whole Branzini, and it is indeed special. She did agree to fillet it tableside, and another guy helped her as two of us ordered these huge whole sea basses served with broccolini and potatoes. There must have been more than 3/4 of a pound of fish after they finished the filleting and it was a lot for one person, easily a great dish to split, especially after a goodly number of starters which are all so great! The Garides Saganaki was another dish one of us ordered and I realized that saganaki is not cheese, but the frying! This was sauteed shrimp with feta, tomato, onion and raisins. Also yummy was the Youvetsi Thalassinon, a huge platter of shrimp, calamari, fish of the day, mussels and tomato sauce over orzo.

There is of course Greek coffee to be had and some dessert options as everyday as Chocolate Mousse or as traditional as Baklava. There are two baklava variations which we tried and loved: BAKLAVA CRUMBLE with added crumble over the traditional and ice cream on top, as well as BAKLAVA BEXEVANIS (credited to a chef in Greece who created the dish) which is a modern version with less phyllo (I missed the phyllo) but with apple, apricot, raisin, cinnamon and walnuts and ice cream wedged into the dish. I have to admit it was most refreshing with the intense heat outside.

We all left full and very happy finding an excellent option for Greek food in our area that we never knew about!

HARBINGER heightens vegetables and more in Des Moines (Iowa-7-14-24)

 I had been to Harbinger once before on my first trip to Des Moines Metro opera and we tried to go last year, but they had a power outage as we arrived, and we had to dine elsewhere. We returned this year and while temps were close to 100 outside, the A/C was working fine, and the power was ON!

We sat down and ordered the TOM YUM MARGARITA with Blanco tequila, Galangal, Lemongrass, Lime, Lime leaf and Thai Chili which packed a punch with alcohol and its yummy spice rim as well. We loved the smooth tequila with the hints of spice. We moved on to a bottle of Verdicchio di Matelica "le Salse" from Belisario which was great with all our veggie dishes as harbinger does specialize in that!

Our servers Grace & Mustafa were superb. Grace oozed excitement and was a truly bubbly personality helping us with choices at every move and Mustafa warned us not to miss certain dishes. There were many to choose from and we opted to pick the ones we wanted rather than go with a heavier tasting menu which had scallops and wagyu as well as all the veggie dishes.

We chose several dishes to share to start and GREEN BEANS TEMPURA were the first to arrive (all fotos on FB) with a light batter, fried to perfection sprinkled with prawn dust and chili oil and served with an XO mayo dipping sauce--a must for anybody coming here. HAKUREI TURNIPS are served shaved raw and cooked in this quasi-salad with local miso, puffed rice, a smoked confit egg yolk (think rich aioli), pickled ginger and toasted nori powder and was a perfect dish in the intense heat. The Steamed Bun with FRIED CHICKEN, Yuzu Cherry BBQ sauce and pickled pepper was nice, but the least exciting dish. SALT CRUSTED KOHLRABI was also shaved and grilled and then glazed with wild black-raspberry vinegar and came with compressed beets and lemon thyme; another hit dish in the heat and really proves how amazing veggies can be!

FARM CARROTS have been on the menu since the beginning but in various different personalities and now are served soured (pickled carrot coins) with a Lemongrass Pork Sausage (not everything is totally vegetarian) with crispy shallots and cilantro. The dish has weight because of the sausage with its maple-y Asian BBQ flavors, but the use of carrots still keeps this dish on every menu. Mustafa said we had to order the SUMMER SQUASH FRITTERS and we were really glad we did as these were served with Mohinga Mayo (a super kick-ass spice) and a Burnese crunch made from crunchy edamame, fava (horse beans), pumpkin seeds, fried garlic and toasted sesame! They were small cylindrical discs rather than the flat latke-like fritters we know and packed a punch!

At this time, we moved on to red wine and had a glass of the Luigi Giordano Barolo which Mustafa suggested and was just right with our last savory dishes, the final one being CHICKEN ROULADE stuffed with OYSTER Mushroom sausage, roasted potato, pickled turnips, yuzu ginger puree and parsley puree. We liked the dish, but the description did say CRISPY SKIN which seemed to be missing.

Dessert was a truly novel Late Spring SNAP PEA CAKE with Calamansi Butter cream and Toasted Pistachios. It reminded me of a carrot cake (but with peas!) with a very rich icing, and while it was nice, I could only eat a couple bites as I am not a big icing fan.

We loved everything and had a great time and were so happy the power held out this time. Can't wait to return again!!

DC's MITA makes me want more (6-25-24)

 Thursday night I joined a dear friend for a tasting menu at MITA which opened at the end of 2023 to rave reviews for its vegan cuisine from Chef Miguel Guerra who originally hails from Venezuela. Chef Guerra and his team have created an intimate warm space that really entices you to linger and enjoy. The Tasting menu runs $150 and has four "acts" (Opening, First, Second & Third)each consisting of 3 or 4 courses for a total of 14 "plates." There are also a la carte menus available. On arrival I knew the restaurant was vegetarian but was totally wowed and surprised that it was vegan. I have been to many vegan restaurants and the food can tend to be heavier, but this was a dream meal making me want to come back for more.

Each course has a background and often relates to a specific Latin American country of origin as well; stories abound and the team love to tell you the reason for each course making it more exciting, truly educational and ultimately really delicious.

Houssam led our team and brought over the drink menu and wine list. There is a pairing option, but we knew for all these courses we would need more than 5 pours, so we started with a Poblano Margarita which was very tasty and had a slight hint of spice from the peppers, though very mild. Our first wine was a Prieto Picudo Rose "Arrostos del Pendon" from Raul Perez in Castilla y Loen. The grape called Leon was totally new to me and had a depth much larger than your usual rose which we loved and worked well some of the intense flavors as well.

Our red was another grape I did not know, Listan Negro from Lanzarote in the Canary islands "Los Bermejos" 2022 is grown in volcanic soil and you can taste it in the terroir which is so earthy. I am excited to look for this wine when we visit Lanzarote in November!

the first taste was called "Copan" after the Mayan ruin in Honduras and was a caramel wrapped in an edible rice paper(I started to unwarp the treat and Houssam told me to eat the whole thing!) sitting on a plate covering a small aromatic smoker that you lifted up to get the aromatic and healing fumes that welcome you. I remember doing a number of these Mayan ceremonies in our travels and it was a giant throwback to when we visited Lago di Atitlan in Guatemala and got to meet the local god, Maximon, who is always kept smoking his cigarettes daily by the lucky chosen local family!

A drink followed called PAPELON that was anon-alcoholic rum with herbaceous botanicals and a piece of Sugar Cane with Compressed Finger lime in a stick that you sucked on and dunked into the drink as well.

The third portion of the "opening Act" was the course that set us raving for the entire evening. Venezuela is featured in 5 types on mini-arepas (that Pastry chef Monica made into perfection): plantain, smoked potato, yuca, corn and whole wheat. There were three separate dipping sauces you could use on these to make so many taste combinations:

Sour cream with hearts of palm, cashew and chili oil was first and I would have sworn this was dairy, but the chef came out and said it was vegan sour cream....WOW!! It was our favorite of the three dips. Guasacaca was a guacamole with herb oil that reminded me of a not-spicy chimichurri sauce and Chontaduro was palm fruit cooked with pineapple and cocoa.

Act II started with PACHAMAMA, again a native theme in many Latin countries of "earth mother" here with a glass box holding offerings under the Yuba crisp topped with Black Bean Mole, Celery root and ahi amarillo.

Next was another of our favorite courses and not to be missed if you head to MITA, the ARRACACHA is a to die for soup made from potato and yuca with fava beans(mixed with spices for a slight kick), sweet plantains and parsnips that has a mushroom dashi poured on top tableside. There is a slash of onion ash atop the foam that tops the rich soup below (of course, all the photos are on FB).

We moved to a much lighter dish with the Watermelon Crudo with fermented carrots, crispy wild rice, cilantro, charred avocado and leche de tigre--think vegan ceviche on crack! Our rose wine was divine with this.

This was followed by what was called "A quick trip to Mexico" with a Hoja Santa Tortilla with marinated squash, crispy kale, mole verde and Huitlacoche which we rolled up and just simply loved the flavors and textures that abounded.  Towels came to wipe our fingers.

The Second Act began with a dish from Brazil called ACARAJE which was a bean croquette with peanut sauce paired with a ceviche of young coconut, pineapple, cachaca with coconut leche de tigre and a tapioca crisp. 

Causa is a Peruvian staple (here with a Japanese flavor) and this was an amazing one as it is based on potato and egg (not vegan), but I could taste "egg" in this one made with hearts of palm, crisp seaweed, tomato, sake and a Huancaina sauce.

Pearl Barley was next with Grilled Maitake Mushroom, Charred banana puree, peas and pea shoots loaded with crispy shallots in the vein of a Venezuelan soffrito.

The final course of the second act was a Mushroom terrine/Asado Negro/Grilled Endive/Parsley emulsion/Soy crema with Potato & Swiss Chard...don't ever say that vegetarian food won't fill you up! We were loving our red wine by this point as well.

The third act started with RASPAO, called a palate cleanser, it was a Canary & Honeydew Melon Granita with basil, dill, tarragon and parsnip caramel. Kepp this one on your list for a wining palate cleanser! UYUNI are the salt flats of Bolivia and this dish was served on a glass enclosed miniature salt "flat" with Yuca Tapioca, Chirimoya(custard apple sorbet), Api Morado (purple corn flour from Bolivia) and Singani, a fruit unique to that region and we fell in love! i always love custard apple, but this took it to the best heights ever!! Don't forget the chocolate tuille!

The last course was called ARTISTS:"BOTERO" Cocada Dulce de Leche and was served on a plate with a Botero drawing served by pastry chef Monica with petit fours of sweet caramelized coconut and parsnip!! YES< PARSNIP!...they are indeed sweet and worked brilliantly here.

We loved this entire experience and could not stop showring praises on Chef Miguel, but eventually had to leave...knowing we will be back for more at MITA!

Join us at MARCH OF DIMES Signature Chefs at the Washington Marriott Marquis on October 29th!!

 Greetings foodie friends,

We have a table again for MARCH OF DIMES SIGNATURE CHEFS on OCTOBER 29th.

The event returns to the beautiful MARRIOTT MARQUIS(next to the Convention Center) and individual tickets at our table at $250 each. We can confirm your seats with us now and you can pay March of Dimes by credit card or check anytime up to the middle of September!!

Please come and join us for this amazing event, but don't bid against us!!!

We are expecting 30 or so of DC's top chefs plus wine pourings and mixologists as well as the requisite silent and live auctions--ALWAYS A GREAT NIGHT and a GREAT CHARITY!

Email asavada@comcast.net --DO NOT HIT REPLY!!!

Thanks a lot and see you there!!

Alan & Will

Bordeaux's AKASHI is awesome and alas closing soon (6-1-24)

 We thought Saturday night would be one of the busiest nights for folks to go out and eat in Bordeaux, but I guess we were wrong because when we arrived at Akashi, only 5 minutes from the hotel. The place was empty and believe it or not only one other couple sat down about thirty minutes after us.

It seems that this wonderful French restaurant with an Asian chef who fuses a little bit of Asian style into real French food is not that popular here, and Sarah the manager told us that they will sadly be closing soon. It's a real shame as it's the best meal we've had since we arrived, and it was the last we were having before we moved into our apartment today.

It's a small, simple elegant setting with super comfy high back velvet chairs that I wished I had bought for my own and rough gray tables only nine in total. We decided on the larger tasting menu which was four or five courses for 68 euros($74US and remember, no tax here) and then ordered a bottle of white and red:

Pessac-Leognan Coquillas 2022 was a refreshing Bordeaux of 100% Sauvignon Blanc that we loved and paired superbly with the first two fish courses. Our red was a Frank Phelan 2018 Saint Estephe is a magnificent second wine from the famous Château Phelan Segur that we fell in love with.

Amuses bouches arrived beautifully set on a plate with uncooked chickpeas as the bed: Goat cheese and caviar was on a rice cracker, radish was with a wonderful pasty hummus-like sauce and the Corsican sausage was akin to a rustic blood sausage.

The first course was Crevettes roses et Asperges Blancs: mi-cuites, mi-confits, sauce Pedro Ximenes, pousses de shiso or Beautiful red shrimp that were partly cooked along with super thin slices of barely cooked white asparagus served in a delicious sherry sauce with a kick and a small cup of crème d'asperges that was to be poured over it. It was totally light and refreshing and a real change from some of the very heavier dishes we had been having.

Second came Turbot et Combava poîlée, coulis de laitue, sauce vierge... This was a gorgeous piece of Turbo poached and served in a lettuce sauce with kaffir lime and a foam of lime and lettuce on top with Asian asparagi. This was something we had never seen before as the asparagus were very small and very unique. Check out the photo on facebook.

We enjoyed our red during a break before the main course which was a complete revelation as we had been told that the beef on the menu was being substituted for pastrami. This had to be the best pastrami we have ever had, and it was topped with a pesto/wasabi aioli and served with canneloni of eggplant wrapped inside grilled eggplant slices as well as bok choy. The meat was so mouthwatering and completely melted in your mouth. This was what they called cuisine française au perfumer Japonias, but some NYC deli thrown in!

Douceur d'hibiscus(meringue) et fruits rouges avec Sablé Breton, mousse limoncello was dessert and it was fabulous. I am not a meringue fan but the fruit, mousse and shortbread cookie from Brittany made a magnificent combination.

We ordered Akashi whiskey from Japan and then had the pleasure of meeting the chef Akashi who was as sweet as can be. His plans are to open up a pastrami centric bistro or shop... I gave him my card to make sure we know about it. We are so sad that this magnificent gourmet dining spot will be gone when we next return.

Back to Bordeaux's L'Embarcadere for everything spectacular seafood (6-3-24)

 Last night, we were walking around the old town and could not get into a restaurant we wanted to try, so decided to head back to L'Embarcadere, the seafood bistro we dined at on our first night. We had the same server who said we should stick with the same wine as the Chateau Coucheroy 2020 from Pessac-Leognan in Bordeaux is 100% Sauvignon Blanc (Will was very impressive saying, "Je deteste le Semillion!"). We perused the fresh seafood platters as it was a warn evening and everyone was getting them. We chose LE COMMANDANT which consisted of the following treats (check out the FB photo) presenting in a giant cardboard "boat" filled with ice:  1/2 Homard(lobster), Huitres(oysters), Langoustines, Grosses Crevettes Roses(large red shrimp), Bigorneaux(periwinkles), Moules Cuites (cooked mussels), Amandes(thanks to Kevin Doss for the translation=dog cockles), Coques(cockles), Palourdes(clams), Bulots(whelks) and Crevettes Grises (small gray shrimp that you eat shell on and are crunchy!)...oh Mon Dieu. While Will is fearful of getting much of the fish from inside the shells, I helped him a tad, and he persevered, and we loved it all. The fish all had great tastes and the langoustines were especially sweet and juicy, and oh what fun it was.

We finished off with a bowl of crunchy frites and a carafe of Chateau Bellevue 2021 red which is a fairly light innocuous wine.

We headed home and had a dribble of Scotch (Aberlour from the duty free at Dulles when we left--PS avoid IAD duty free, they often forget to deliver you purchase to the gate and if you board without it, you lose your purchase!) before heading off to bed in our new home here.

L'Estacade has everything, is truly excellent and a view to die for (6-2-24)

 First of all, I must apologize for the last posting as the Subject line spelled the restaurant name incorrectly..it is AKASHI.

We had read some great reviews of L'Estacade (the pier) which is literally just down the river from our new home and we're thrilled to read the menu and enjoy the fabulous view across to downtown old Bordeaux, the Bourse, downriver to Quinconces and Notre Dame and upriver to the ancient Pont de Pierre..our primary route across to downtown.

While there was only one other couple in the restaurant when we arrived at about seven forty by the time eight fifteen rolled around the place was more than two thirds full.

Our friendly and super helpful server pointed to the least expensive white wine on the menu , saying it was really the best deal. We loved the Château Turcaud "Cuvée Majeur" 2022..45% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Sauvignon Gris and 15% Semillon which was very yellow in color, but dry, fresh and even with a hint of oak! At twenty-eight euros (under $31) a bottle we had to have two. While we always love Badoit water in France, we have become quite partial to the local mineral water called Abatilles which comes in still and sparkling and is made quite nearby.

Amuse bouches are omnipresent here and ours was a wonderful small shotglass or a creamy rich Crème de Camembert (think bisque) with a savory crumble on top. The oysters here are local and excellent. We loved the Parc d'Imperatrice "perles"(milder and tame) and the "speciales"(more briny) both No. 4 with mignonette and a squeeze of lemon.

We split the starter Crab and Haddock with Carpaccio of Beets and Lemon Vinaigrette, and the portions were still large when halved! Compared to the similar version of this that I had at Cité du Vin's Le 7 two days prior it was half the price double the portion and the excellent crab and haddock salad was superb! While both restaurants have superb river views, we Told our server that L'Estacade was ten times better.

We both chose that evening's special main course: Parillada des Poisons avec Risotto auxiliary Aspèrges Blanc de Blaye. This was another magnificent creation using four local filets: Daurade(Dorado or sea bream), Lotte (monkfish), Cabilleau(fresh cod) and Thon Rouge (red tuna) with a superb Risotto cooked perfectly and loaded with our favorite seasonal veggie, the local white asparagus from Blaye!!

As we have been tending to simply have a good breakfast at the hotel and skip lunch, there was room for dessert because they had Banofee en Verre façon "Estacade," a trifle like creation with fruit and caramel crunch and crumble on top. It may have had a tad too much whipped cream but at least it was French cream.

At sunset we all stepped onto the outside balcony to grab pictures of downtown across the river and met some very nice people as we have everywhere we go here...welcome home indeed!

--

Le 7 (le sept) at Bordeaux's Cite du Vin kind of sucks (5-31-24)

 Many reviews have been written at Le 7 (Le Sept--which refers to the 7th floor with stunning views) at Bordeaux's famed Cite du Vin, the museum and center dedicated to wine. (We joined Cite du Vin as members and will hopefully get there this week before we leave.) The reviews have gone from mediocre to fabulous and frankly, mediocre is where we ring in.

The setting is very nice with magnificent views over the Garonne, the nearby bridge and the shore down to the city center, where we live. The place was deserted at 715pm when we arrived and no more than 10 of the maybe 30-40 tables were taken when we left.

We looked at the tasting menu which was a tad boring and while we considered our options bread and amuses bouches arrived. The amuse was a unexciting shot glass of gazpacho with white asparagus and the pain de campagne was decent, but the grain bread Will chose was stale.

We ordered our food and then some wine: Will started with the Chateau Perron 2023 Graves(sauvignon blanc) which was very nice and I loved the Domaine Laurent Cognard 'les Bassets" 2022 Montagny Premier Cru which was all chardonnay in the best of French styles. Will's starter was the yummy Burratina by Pierre Rolet(cheesemonger) with peas, dried duck breast, chiffonade, red wine vinegar and truffles from Guillaume Ge. I ordered the Beetroot Ravioli and was shocked when it came to see a carpaccio of beets although they were delish and stuffed with Breuil ewe's milk cheese from Pierre Rolet with Timit Pepper and a fabulous preserved lemon dressing and some radishes. It just what not what I expected. We had ordered a bottle of red, Chateau Sociando-Mallet 2014 Medoc which needed decanting and then opened up wonderfully, but our server placed the decanter on a stand away from the table, as the little marble table was so small, very little would fit on it; bad planning!! She was never around when we needed more wine, even though the place was virtually empty; simply the service sucked.

Mains were nothing of note with Will's extremely bland Guinea fowl with artichokes, burnt spring onion, poulette sauce and smoked white pepper; he tasted no flavors. I fared better with my Pigeon in Armagnac sauce with peas, broad beans (about 4 beans) and Bordeaux butter with a leg stuffed with citrus, Porto and icy mint sauce(I'm glad I could not taste the mint).

We decided to split a cheese plate which was more Pierre Rolet cheese with Saint Nectaire, Tommes de Pyrenees, Brebis(sheep) and Camembert which were quite nice.

Some yummy chocolate with nuts and fruit in it arrived before we left totally unimpressed with most of the food and totally underwhelmed by the lack of service.

Le 7 gets a maximum 3 out of 10, largely due to the view!

Le LOUP in Bordeaux is luscious! (5-30-24)

 When I came here last fall, Le Loup was suggested by one of our real estate agents and the meal was simply exquisite. We decided to return with both our agents and our decorator to thank them for the amazing job they have done in helping us start our new home here in Bordeaux.  Hugo, our decorator and home installation guru ordered the Hugo, which is an aperol spritz(which Will had) but with St. Germain instead! We ordered a super simple Bordeaux rose called Rose du Carsin 2022 and the most fabulous gougeres arrived with a rich creamy warm melting cheese center.  An amuse bouche followed of a barely cooked egg with mushroom and black garlic mousse on top that was divine as well.

The menu here is very simple as the bistro has only 14 or so tables and the kitchen is behind. There were several choices in each category, and I went right for the Asperges Blanc with a traditional Hollandaise with mandarin and miso added. Will chose L'oeuf en Meurette Fume et Pane, another so traditional dish served here with a smoked egg with potato puree and lard fume (smoked bacon). We switched halfway and these two were both divine. We had moved on to a lighter red to start Les Sales Gosses (which is a play on the term "dirty kids") 2021 from Domaine Mas Cremat in Rousillon in the Southern Rhone.

Our third wine was a dream Bordeaux red, Chateaux Franc La Rose 2019 St. Emilion Grand Cru "terra-Vitis" blended from 70% Merlot and 30% Cab Franc that had us all in heaven.  Most of us ordered Le Canard en pastilla, pate de citron noir et epices which was a take on the Moroccan dish but not as sweet and tempered by the lemon. I loved it, but Will was less excited. The Salmon with petit pois, wasabi and shiitake tempura looked amazing!

Cheese followed in the form of Chevre, Ossiau-Iraty, Tommes de Vache with garlic, and Galet Boise a cheese made with walnut liquor. These were all super and great with our St. Emilion Grand Cru! Le Pomme-Celeri was a popular dessert choice made with Granny Smith apples, celery, white chocolate, streusel, meringue and Apple-Celery Sorbet.  Celery may sound odd, but everyone loved it!

We know that LE LOUP will be a spot we head to often!

Bordeaux --big bravos for our first two bistros! L'Embarcadere & Bistro de Tutelle (5/27 & 28.2024)

 We may have been exhausted from our trip over, but once we settled into the Grand Hotel Intercontinental here in Bordeaux, we got a second blast and headed out for dinner on a lovely spring evening and even got to dine outside at L'Embarcadere, a superb spot in the old town, ideal for seafood.

In Bordeaux prices are really amazing and there were two menus of 32,50 Euros for 2 courses or 3 Euros more to include dessert.

We had to start with the 1/2 dozen local Cap Ferret Oysters, located just 90 minutes from the city of the Aracachon Bay which were superb. We both had the Pave de morue or baked cod with a to-die-for tomato/onion/thyme/bay leaf sauce and what may be the best roasted potatoes on earth sliced super thin and oh so crunchy! Think a slice of potato just wider than a chip but cooked to perfection! Will chose the dessert menu and the Tarte Tatin was apples with only a hint of crust, kind of de-constructed if you will. The wines were a fabulous white(local Sauvignon Blanc) Chateau Coucheron 2020 from Pessac-Leognan in Bordeaux) and then we had some reds after dinner: Chateau de Respides Graves 2020 for me and Chateaux Flamand Bellevue 2023 for Will. We slept very well!

Last night we made plans to meet a friend from the USA visiting the area with her friend and we had another super meal around the corner at Bistro de Tutelle, where Joel is the proprietor and suggested a less expensive red to start with than their more famous brands: Chateau de Courlat 2015 from Saint Emilion was a dream wine at 38 Euros a bottle..we had two!! Will and I split the monstrous Salad de Chevre which was topped with warm Cabecou goat cheese and had lettuce, pickled onions, tomatoes local ham and smoked duck....OMG!! Three of us opted for the Tartare de Boeuf Italeinne which is named thus as it also has pesto and parmesan mixed in. One plate of Scallops came with the foot attached which our guest had never seen before!! This is FRESH food and at its best! Desserts were a terrific Creme Brulee a la Vanille and a decent Tarte de Framboise(Raspberry) with whipped cream and raspberry sorbet.

Tonight we start our long weekend of tasting menus at some of the more well-known local institutions, stay tuned as we gain weight--although we have been walking nonstop every day all day shopping to furnish to new apartment!!

INCA SOCIAL still super save for a few things (4-17-24)

 After our fabulous introductory meal at INCA SOCIAL in Arlington we returned with friends a week ago and had for the most part, a pretty wonderful meal. Our server Franklin was helpful and attentive, although, when things started to come out wrong or only portions of our order, it got a little frantic. It did not help that our birthday party of 6 was seated right next to an even larger birthday group; indeed, our chairs were back-to-back, so the din was a tad nuts.

As always, we started with wonderful Pisco Sours then moved on to wines; Will had a spicy margarita. The white was Chateau Vartel Sauvignon Blanc made for Ambar(Restaurant) from Moldova, which was very good, although we did not realize there was a relationship between Inca Social and Ambar!  As always photos are on FB!!

Ceviche is almost a must here and we ordered a variety including a sampler (classic, Aji-amarillo and Rocoto cream) and a Leche De Tigre, which always has a great kick.  Some folks are not fond of the Peruvian Sweet potatoes, but I love them in the ceviches as well as that giant white soft corn from Peru!! Chicken Empanadas were ordered as was a Causa Sampler which had three wonderful causa(shrimp/avocado/lime with golf Inca sauce; chicken salad with avocado lime sauce; and veggie with beets and corn with avocado, lime sauce & Inca sauce) all of which we marveled at.  there was a starter special of SCALLOP ANTICUCHOS that was spectacular with chalaca, onion, cilantro and lime with the scallop still in shell; sadly, the foot was missing!! Another bravado Anticucho were the Beef Hearts skewered with roasted potatoes, choclo, Inca sauce and chimichurri sauce. WOW!! 

We moved on to a Trevenezie 2022 Pinot Noir from Salvalai that was nice but not very huge bodied, so after that ended up with the Romulo Malbec 2021 from Mendoza(we also tasted the Impero Merlot 2022, not as big body either).

The mains went from fabulous to mediocre. Next came AL OLIVO, a divinely huge portion of Octopus with black olive sauce, avocado and our Inca sauce.  Salmon Andino with balsamic reduction, parmesan risotto, quinoa, asparagus and white corn as well as the Pescado(mahi-mahi) a lo Macho topped with calamari, shrimp, mussels, octopus, seafood sauce and white rice both got raves. The Huachana Burger was chorizo with fried egg, tomato, lettuce, onion, avocado sauce and rocoto sauce, while the Cordera a la Norteña was a stew-like braised lamb in cilantro, aji amarillo sauce, canario beans, white rice and salsa criolla. The dud was my Lomo Saltado that was steak with fries, rice, oyster-soy sauce and onion that was as dry and overcooked as it possibly could have been. The dish is way too carb-heavy as well. I could not figure out what went wrong with this and was really disappointed.

We ordered one Tres Leches which was very nice, and a complimentary combo dessert arrived as well as a chocolate birthday slice for our birthday boy!

NYC's HAV & MAR has it all (4-5-24)

 We had a leisurely evening free before a weekend chock full of opera and Broadway and settled on HAVE & MAR, owned by the famed Marcus Samuelsson but helmed by James Beard Award nominee Chef Fariyal Abdullahi. We arrived for happy hour at the bar and chose their signature HAV & MARtini drink made with Tito's vodka & gin, pickled red onion, gentian, vermouth & blue cheese olive which I loved, but Will was not nuts about. The dozen oysters were superb as well.

We settled into our table and Kent proceeded to explain the menu and what he suggested. There was so much to choose from we simply opted for the Chef's Four Course tasting for $95 and gave him some of our favorite likes. We ordered a bottle of Domain Reverdy-Ducroux Beauroy Sancerre which was superb and went with all the various items that came first, but before that, Kent hauled us to the kitchen to meet the chef who was an absolute gem. She hails from Ethiopia but is well-versed in dozens of cuisines which really showed on our journey through the evening!!

Frist came warm Teff (the world's smallest grain!) Biscuits with honey butter that melted in our mouths(all fotos on FB). First came Tuna Tartare with miso, shishito aioli, aji amarillo, crsipy injera and walnut oil which was accompanied by Hamachi with Black Ceviche(basically the black ash oil from what is scaped off the oven!!), cippolini onions, Granny Smith apple and fennel. We loved them both but the hamachi really won if comparing. 

Pan Seared Scallops with Sunchoke Puree, crispy sunchokes, celeriac, turmeric, pickled fresno chile was a revelation as the richness of the puree was foiled by the kick ass spice of the fresno pepper! At this point we switched to a red wine, but I seem to have failed to note which one. It should be noted the wines all run $60-80 by the bottle.

Our "mains" were many from the HAVatini which is bucatini pasta with crab, shrimp and an uni butter truly decadent and rich rich sauce! Banana Leaf Snapper came with Coconut Rice, Dill Salsa Verde ad crispy Brussels sprouts and treated the fish like royalty with a wonderful crispy skin. A side of Oxtail Rice with Fermented Beans, egg, sesame oil, chile and teardrop peppers was a complete revelation when it comes to rice; we had specifically asked for this. Addis York is Ethiopian fried chicken where Chef Abdullahi is not afraid to splash on the chilies. It comes with Doro Wat which is stewed chicken inside a sauteed or fried injera that was like a spring roll on crack, ayib (Ethiopian cheese) & soft-boiled egg and was a dish we shall always go back for again and again.

Chocolate Layer Cake and Yuzu Lime Tart were both delectable desserts that we could not resist, but to soften the sweetness, Will had a Lagavulan, and I had Carcavelos 1997 Quinto Dos Pesos dessert wine.

The location just off the Hudson River on 11th Avenue is quiet and offers super high ceilings but that did not make it too noisy. There is a huge bar in the center and that Happy Hour runs from 5-7pm!! Oysters are $3 each! 

Kent was a superior server giving us tons of time in between the courses and the entire team was really perfect. Easily on of our new NYC faves!!

Alexandria's VERMILION is victorious and Chef Tony Chittum tantalizes (3-30-24)

 Our first dinner our after returning from our 8-weeks away was at VERMILION in Alexandria as we saw that Chef Tony Chittum had returned there after a long absence and totally turned around the menu. We were thrilled to see Chef in house and chat with him and find out that he still maintains his position and ownership at IRON GATE in DC as well!

We were warmly welcomed by our server Tucker who brought over some glasses of sparkling wine for us as a treat as we perused the menu and tried to make choices as you can go a la carte or family style here and there are so many options!

We went a la carte, and everything was delish, even the yummy fresh radishes that came out complimentary with a wonderful, caramelized onion dip(photos on FB) which were so delightful, I wanted to head right to the farmer's market, which I did the next morning! We ordered a 2018 Williamsburg Viognier from Virginia, and I was also thrilled to see the huge Virgini wine list as well as many other places offering so many options. First came BETTIE's BUNS, a family recipe that has yeast rolls in a cast iron pan served with whipped sorghum butter and some pickled chiles. The three buns were gone in seconds as they melt in your mouth and come piping hot. 

Starters were so varied and indeed novel such as the CRISPY CHESAPEAKE OYSTERS with sweet and sour apple remoulade, celery root puree and pickled mustard seed. I could have eaten a dozen of these! It was a nice change from all those amazing fresh oysters we had Down Under and reminded me that a cooked oyster can be terrific.

New Frontier Bison Tartare came with preserved oyster mushrooms, porcini aioli and St. Malachi cheese and I was only yearning for a hint more of mustard or spice to give it an extra kick that I always like.

We moved on to a Shenendoah Ox-Eye 2021 Cabernet France that was out of this world. We always like Virginia Cab Franc's and this one is a standout.  My main was BUTTER BASTED SCALLOPS with Pork "Scrapple," Braised Shell Beans, Lacinato Kale and two mustards. This dish is unlike any scallop preparation you have ever had. It is a huge and rich dish loaded with flavors that surprisingly do not overwhelm the tasty mollusks. The "scrapple" is really like hush puppies on crack! The wine was ideal with this as you would always tend to white with scallops, but this dish was so hearty and indeed a great winter dish(it was chilly if spring)! SMOKE IN CHIMNEY TROUT came with black salsify, potato, crispy ham bits, leeks and a creamed clam broth that got raves and the DOUBLE RAVIOLI was filled with melted cabbage and golden potatoes with crispy Brussels sprouts, green apple and Valley Thunder Aged Cheddar Cheese offering a wonderful veggie dish that is sure to please!

Dessert was a Butterscotch Custard with salted caramel, whipped cream, chocolate crackle cookies that I tasted as I am not a fan of butterscotch--sorry. I was so full and happy anyway I did not need another bite.

What a great meal for our first time out back in the USA!

Ubud, Bali's SAYAN HOUSE is super (3-20-24)

 Seems I skipped one posting about our penultimate night in Bali at Sayan House just a couple of blocks down the road from the Four Seasons where we stayed. Like the Four Seasons the location is on the top of the Ayung River Valley but at the very end of the valley so our view was a bird's eye one indeed just over all the properties hanging on the valley edge including the Four Seasons, and the sunset was indeed spectacular.

It is an outdoor setting like almost every place in Bali, but the cool breeze from the valley permeated so we did not melt like the night before. There were fans as well and the setting was quite remarkable.

Hibiscus Margaritas were fabulous, and a fun amuse arrived of Potato Salad(with mustard and mayo) on a Potato Chip arrived; odd, but quite tasty. Will & I decided to share starters and it was a great idea as we loved the huge NIPPON SALAD with Romaine, Tomato, Cucumber, Avocado, Bacon, grilled Chicken, Prawns, Egg, Radicchio & Lettuce with a Fab Kombu Dressing. The CEVICHE DEL MAR was also huge and superb and loaded with tuna, salmon, octopus and prawns in a salsa Veracruz with Green Tabasco, ohban leaf, soy and shiso oil. You may have noticed the food style here is not Indonesian, but the chef does a fusion of Japan and Latin America! Our wine was a new find called TWO ISLANDS because the grapes come from Australia, but the wine is vinified in Bali! we had a glass each of the Limestone Coast Chardonnay from South Australia which was more on the minerally side than vanilla or oak and was superb with the salad and ceviche.  We had a bottle of the TWO ISLANDS Reserve Shiraz 2020 from the Barossa Valley which came ever so slightly chilled--almost a requirement for red in Bali due to the heat--and we adored the spicy finish. 

Our mains were Yuki's Ribs for Will with a Chipotle Sauce, Yukari-Cilantro Rice, Grilled Veggies and I loved my Duck Teriyaki which was a nice breast with teriyaki-Balsamic glaze with green onions, peanut and wasabi mashed potatoes. It was super indeed and cooked to perfection unlike the super-dry crispy duck the night before.

A refreshing palate-cleanser was a granita of dragonfruit, mango and something else. Our server Made was very sweet and indeed helpful, but sometimes it is difficult to parse the English of some Indonesians as it is not their primary language. Indeed, many of them speak multiple languages, so it's something I don't push if I miss something on the second explanation!

We decided to split a dessert and while the EL DAIFUKU was refreshing with Yukimi Daifuku Coconut Soup and marinated fruits, vanilla ice cream, palm sugar and sweet bean paste. A sticky rice mochi was a very goopy rice cake that was not remarkable.

It was a pretty great meal and we left very full knowing we had to rise the next day early for a full day of touring followed by a 30 hour trip home!

AUYUNG TERRACE at the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan is super (3-21-24)

 Our final meal before heading home was at our beautiful hotel on the AUYUNG TERRACE overlooking the resort and river valley. It's a nice setting and we had enjoyed wonderful breakfasts here every morning of our stay as well. The food is indeed typical Balinese/Indonesian but we did have to ask them to bring the spice levels up as it does seem to cater to foreigners. 

We decided to split a starter and it was a smart move as the Cakalang Sambal Bongkot was four huge slices of beautifully seared tuna with Ginger torch, shallot relish, raw crunchy green eggplant and peanut crackers--we loved it.

The Lombok Lobster was cooked to perfection with Thousand Spices and came with a raw sambal that had a slight kick, just right for the light shellfish. The side was called Morning Glory and was a magnificent seared Asian greens with fried shallots. All the dishes came with rice which, of course, we ladled the yummy spicy sambal olek onto. Will had the Woku Belanga, a seafood agglomeration of scallop, octopus, mussels and snapper all in a turmeric lemon basil sauce.

A bottle of Barossa Valley 2022 Rawson Retreat Chardonnay was simply perfection!

We loved it all and while we loved Bali, we were happy to load our bags into the car to head to the airport and now are about to return home after an amazing 8 weeks in Australia, New Zealand and Bali!

The DINING CORNER (at the Kayu Manis Resort) in Ubud, Bali is delicious save the duck (3-19-24)

 Our second night in Bali took just down the road to the nearby Kayu Manis Resort and their Indonesian outdoor dining spot, The Dining Corner. On arrival we waited for an escort from the small outdoor reception lobby to the "corner" of the resort (about 4 minutes away) where the restaurant is located around their pool on a balcony literally in the middle of the jungle. We were offered a bug spray, which we quickly used, but really it was not an issue. What was a tad weird were the deep screechy sounds of the small geckos and then the fruit bats flying in the nearby trees looking for food; they were not small. We got some videos(all on FB with the food) and settled in with the menu as we enjoyed their night antics. Will ordered the Bintang local beer which he likes alot and I chose a carafe of white local wine from Bali called Plaga which was akin to an off-dry Riesling and went quite well with the spice in the food, albeit the heat was so oppressive, the wine, beer and even iced water was warm within 5-10 minutes; we were indeed dripping.

The menus here all seem to have burgers and pizzas for the tourist but we found many Asian dishes and settled in on particular Indonesian local dishes to try.

I have always loved Lumpia Goreng, the wonderful spring rolls filled with chicken, and these were indeed delicious and had a wonderful spicy dipping sauce, but I totally burnt my mouth as they came to the table scalding hot from the deep fryer! The Ote-Ote Udang Jagung is a Fried Prawn and Corn Cake that is quite tasty and comes with a sweet chili, sambal, soy dipping sauce.

Next was the Nasi Goreng Mawut, as Nasi Goreng is pretty much the national dish of stri fried rice with egg noodles and here came with some prawns in the mix, cabbage, box (spelled that way) choy and two large grilled prawns on skewers that were superb, as well as rice crackers. The dish was superb, but I am getting over-riced a tad.

We both wanted to try the famous local Crispy Duck or Bebek Goreng with comes with vegetable urab (a kind of mix of beans with spice and other veggies) in a chili lemongrass sauce and chili sambal. Indeed, there were three condiments on the side plate: the traditional red Sambal Olek, the green less spicy Sambal and then a chili/ginger/garlic mix, also not super spicy. We loved them all but sadly the duck was dry and there was not a lot of meat on the two small pieces; we felt cheated.

We left full as we had had two large Indonesian meals that day--the lunch was a delicious single Indonesian platter(check out the FB picture) loaded with everything.

Hoping to discover more good food tonight after a super Indonesian breakfast of spicy broth with chicken, noodles and a poached egg on top--very ramen-like.

Bali's APERITIF is amazing Michelin-starred European-style/Indonesian/Asian flavors in an extremely elegant setting (3-18-24)

 We arrived in Bali from our cruise and set off to our private pool villa at thew Four Seasons at Sayan, near Ubud in the foothills of central Bali. It's much quieter that the beach resorts and allows access to many wonderful sites and experiences of the beautiful Balinese culture. After resting all day poolside, we headed over to the Viceroy Bali, another 5-star luxury resort and their fining dining venue, Aperitif. The restaurant is in its own pavilion complex with a monstrous bar area (inside and out), pool table and more plus a huge, elegant dining room and open kitchen. We were royally greeted and chose to sit on the terrace overlooking the resort and jungle as we sipped our Aperitif Negroni made with Raku Japanese Gin, Vermouth di Torino, Campari, Sandalwood and Ylang-ylang...we loved them.

Three gorgeous canapes arrived which shamed the ones we had been having on Silversea for the last month: 

-Cured Red Snapper with Ponzu and yogurt that was super light and refreshing

-Chicken Liver Mousse with Balado & Shallot which was creamy and rich

-Charcoal Puff with Smoked Mackerel cream that was revealed under a smoke dome tableside and with so creamy and rich and indeed divine.

We were escorted to the large, elegant dining room with about 20 tables of various sizes with crisp white lines, silver and crystal. There seemed to be dozens of staff all over the place. We took a table for two facing the large open kitchen where there had to be over a dozen staff under the constant eye of Belgian chef Nic Vanderbeeken. Keeping in mind all these people, only 8 people were dining at Aperitif on Monday including us!

There is a choice of two menus: Signature and Avant-Garde both priced the same at 1,690.000 rupiah each +21% tax and service(tipping not necessary) which comes to $130 for 8 courses! The wine pairing was an additional 1,000,000++ or about $77, a real steal considering the large pours and amazing quality of the imported wines.

JB, the Sommelier, from Nimes, France, was amazing and explained each wine in detail and it was apparent he chose them all with great care as each one match each course brilliantly.  Each wine arrived just before the course was served so we could taste it first, and the entire meal was spaced to perfection and lasted from our 630pm arrival and 715pm move into the dining room until our 1030pm departure.

Chef Vanderbeeken was in Tokyo prior to opening this magnificent establish just before covid and the menu shows that. There are also many additional items that you can add (at fairly high costs) such as caviar, lobster, truffles, Wagyu main course and more, but our choice was just enough food indeed.

The amuse of Chawanmushi(Japanese egg custard) with Mushroom and Dashi was a brilliant concept to have the dashi surround the custard to cut the richness.

We watched the kitchen as some 6 staff hovered around the chef prepping our first course of Japanese MUROTSU BAY OYSTER(all photos on FB) with Dabu-Dabu sauce(a local chimichurri-style sauce, but not spicy), watermelon and Kemangi(edible flower). The one oyster was huge and an amazing treat while the Henri Bourgeois Sancerre "Les Baronnes" 2022 from the Loire Valley had us almost forget those we had in New Zealnd and Australia!

A bread cart arrived that might have been much smaller than that of Stierereck in Vienna, but just as impressive with many breads and they were all served warm with three butters: Sourdough, Truffle and Salted. I had never heard of sourdough butter, but it was interesting indeed with a slightly yeasty flavor. There were baguettes, focaccia, amazing onion rolls, sourdough bread, but the best was the local black rice bread!! WOW!

Course #2 was WAGYU served in the Japanese style of Tokusen Roast Carpaccio that means just barely seared on the edges. It came with a Black Garlic & Bone Marrow Emulsions and Mustard Seeds that made the dish superb. The paired Chateau d'Astros Minuit(menaing midnight as the grapes are harvested at night), Rose from Cotes de Provence 2021 uses Syrah, Grenache and Carignan and was magnificent, not to mention JB poured it from a monstrous Jerobaom bottle!

Next came and additional course which JB offered complimentary, and we jumped at the chance to try to huge local SUMBAWA PRAWN, again barely cooked and served on a Jerusalem Artichoke Puree with Cucumber and a light Coconut-Soy Dressing. JB even paired it with EDDA Chardonnay/Fiano from Puglia 2020 that was oaked lightly and paired perfectly with this divine local crustacean.

Course #3(no photo), really #4 was a Perfectly seared Hokkaido Scallop in a light Clam Chowder with Baby Clams and a wonderfully lightly-spiced Pineapple Sambal that in no way overpowered the delicate scallop. M. Chapoutier Bila-Haut "Occultum Lapidem" (meaning gemstone), Cotes de Roussillon was a combination of White Grenache and Vermentino with an uber mineral nose and taste that Will compared to licking rocks. JB said the stony soil does make the terroir so apparent in this unique wine.

Spring Chicken sounds simple but this steamed version came with a Tori Paitan Sauce(local Indonesian) with Koya (dried milk with garlic?) and Bumbu Kuning(Turmeric condiment that resembles aioli). We had truly moved to Bali for this dish paired with Pascale Jolivet Attitude Pinot Noir 2021 from the Loire, a beautiful unoaked but medium-bodied Pinot!

Our main was Venison (from New Zealand) Wellington with Foie Gras(from France), a lighter than usual yet super tasty, lightly spicy Rendang Sauce and sweet potato puree. This dish was as close to perfect Wellington as it gets, and the venison was as tender and lean as could be. The wine was a magnificent The Chocolate Block Syrah(with Viognier) 2021 from Franschhoek in South Africa.

A palate cleanser of Pomelo/Yuzu frozen yogurt with crisp and flakes was delightful and oh so refreshing and the JB arrived with the cheese trolley(included in the dinner!!) laden with gorgeous cheeses.  We called this the Grand Finale first night in Bali!

Our choices were 

-Camembert

-Fourme d'Ambert(blue)

-Muenster

-Aged Chevre from France and we had a choice of two condiments from poached apples, raisin puree, strawberry chutney(great with the blue), fig jam, walnuts, cashews and grapes! JB suggested a Dr, Loosen 2-21 Riesling which I liked, but Will passed on and got some Churchill 2017 Vintage Late Bottled Port, which JB poured for me as well; what a treat!

The dessert was a truly novel dish called PB & J with a home made biscuit (and a giant "A" on it for Aperitif) with a Peanut Mousse & Raspberry-Blackberry Jam. Will hates peanut butter, but managed to eat this!!

Mignardises were presented as well, and they included: Smores/Snickers/Passionfruit Fudge/Pistachio/ Sesame and Orange Sponge...check out the video on FB! These were served with Manco a local hot chocolate/tea drink with soy and sesame as well!!

Needless to say we were full, but thrilled with our first night choice in Bali! On to more local food now!!

Darwin's SNAPPER ROCKS really rocks for seafood, wine and more (3-14-24)

 Our last port on this 32-day cruise and final stop in Australia before heading to our final destination Bali was Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory. For a small city, it has a lot going for it and we decided to pop off the ship for a final dinner ashore as we were overnighting here. Our new friends, Priscilla and David, joined and we walked across the waterfront to the very busy and active dining spots just off the wharf. We chose SNAPPER ROCKS as the menu was quite varied and had, yes, OYSTERS. We really wanted some local ones, but the featured ones here were from Coffin Bay in South Australia, but we loved them as well. A couple dozen later we were thrilled as we chose them plain and also with finger lime "caviar" (really just a dash of these amazing limes from Queensland) and shallots ....what a great way to end our oyster journey.

We chose a Hahndorf Hill Grüner Veltliner from the Adelaide Hills in South Australia to start and it was ideal with the yummy bivalves having great acidity and also superb melon and tart apple flavors. Our second wine was the D’Arenberg ‘The Sun Surfer’ Fiano from McLaren Vale, also in South Australia which we all loved and never heard of, as I assume the Fiano grape is not exported to the USA from this well-known winemaker. Wines are not produced in the north as the temps are so high and they have a huge wet season which is just about to end followed by a dry season; no way for grape vines to survive.

Priscilla said we had to try the "Fish Wings" which are actually grilled cheeks from the local snapper seasoned with peri-peri sauce that we all loved. Next came the "Bugs," the famous large crayfish in Australia that here came from the nearby Gulf of Carpenteria and simply grilled with lemon, butter & garlic. These crayfish are the size of lobster tails and taste truly magnificent. Fried Loligo local squid was lightly battered with Geraldton wax, salt, leaves, and were served with a remoulade/aioli. we loved it all!! 

We decided to try the local specialty main: Whole wild-caught local Snapper with cashew sauce, papaya & coriander. The meat came off the bones beautifully and we all loved the dish which also came with a not-spicy-at-all Green papaya salad. Our sides were yummy Crispy Potatoes with rosemary & salt as well as super tasty Sauteed Snake(string) Beans with chillis and shallots.  For the wine we moved to a super light-bodied Serafino ‘Bellissimo’ Montepulciano, also from the McLaren Vale, South Australia.

The four of us waddled back to the ship knowing that this wonderful fresh fish meal would stay in our minds and hearts for a long time. It was even better sharing it with our wonderful new friends.

Kaikoura, New Zealand's HAPUKU KITCHEN is a killer cooking experience not to be missed (2/23/24)

 When a Kiwi friend of mine told me about the HAPUKU KITCHEN experience over a year ago, I started to check out this renowned location on a remote corner of the South Island and learned that the couple who created this amazing place in their home were pioneers of New Zealand modern cuisine and also just great folks. I knew our ship was scheduled to stay into the late evening in Kaikoura (which means "eat crayfish"!!) so we planned to do the cooking lessons in the afternoon followed by dinner as a private event for just Will and me.

As is the issue with all well laid plans, the ship decided to curtail the later evening tenders and a day prior we were scurrying to reschedule. Luckily it all worked out perfectly in the end.

Chefs Fiona Read and her husband Chris have lovingly built a home around their kitchen, gardens and homestead for many years after previously having worked at the luxury Hapuku Lodge just up the road. Their plans were a tad delayed with Covid, but now they welcome small groups and individuals for group cooking lessons and meals which had to be one of the best things we have done on this entire trip Down Under (and that includes some pretty momentous stuff!).  We were warmly welcomed by Chef Fiona and her amazing co-chef Jerusha(all the photos are on FB) and immediately seated with cups of coffee and home made Anzac biscuits(cookies) as we discussed the menu and what was to follow and compared notes. We headed out into the gardens to forage for herbs, veggies and more and visited with the pigs, ducks, chickens and whatever else flew by during our outing. Back in the kitchen, Jerusha brought out the best-ever home made cheese scones and we began to prepare what was to be our dinner:

-Ravioli with whipped Ricotta, Black Garlic ,Sorrel, Sheep Cheese & Sage Butter

-Kaikoura Crayfish with Miso & Herb Butter & Foraged Salad

-Plum & Ginger Galette with whipped Mascarpone, local honey & rosemary

This may all sound quite simple, but we spent a couple of hours preparing this and Will actually made the ravioli for the most part and may have even gained an interest in cooking! I did most of the pastry dough for the galette and then Chef Fiona taught Will how to use the pasta machine(watch the amazing videos on FB). The gorgeous local Kaikoura crayfish are a delicacy in this region, and we spiced them up with some chillis as well and all the ingredients (for the most part) were all local or regional and largely sustainable. I do have to say that I don't think I ever saw more butter used in a meal for two people anywhere on earth, but then if you are in New Zealand butter is indeed essential in most every dish!

You will see from the FB photos that our meal was dreamy, and the wines were excellent as well--we had several. Our dinner was outside in the gardens where the native birds flew by, the ducks waddled around, and the dogs came by for an occasional pet. We had arrived at around 1245pm and had our dinner early at about 430-5pm so as to be able to get back to the pier by the new last tender time of 630pm. It all went swimmingly smoothly well, and we waddled back on the ship having had the best meal in New Zealand for sure....that we helped to cook. We have the recipes and maybe we shall try to replicate them, but nothing can match the experience of this wonderful team, the love they have for cooking and patience they have for teaching. Brava to Chef Fiona and to Jerusha as well as Fiona's husband Chris who joined us later as he was setting up for a huge local event in Kaikoura coming the next day! I can assure you that when we are next in this region, the first event we shall plan is a return to Hapuku Kitchen!