July 29, 2016: Bestia

Bestia has been on the top of my shortlist of restaurants that I've wanted to try since Ryan Yamashiro and I went to a Test Kitchen dinner at Bestia with chefs Sang Yoon and Ori Menashe before they had opened back in 2012. The restaurant is located in the Arts District of Downtown LA in a brick and metal industrial building. The place has been packed ever since they opened and every time I tried to make reservations for a smaller group they were always completely booked. Since Christal was taking her last test of med school we decided to have a date night after and Opentable happened to have a reservation available right when Bestia opened so I snatched it up.

LB patiently waiting to dive in while I take a picture

All the dishes at Bestia are meant to be shared so they pretty much all came out as they were ready. The first dish we were served was a veal tartare crostino with shallots, parsley, lemon and tonnato sauce. It was really well balanced overall and each individual element complimented everything else. The grilled bread was nice a crispy with a crunchy, chewy crust and a hint of sourness. The veal was minced into perfect tiny cubes, which suggested that it was all cut by hand, and the texture was tender but with enough chew that it didn't just melt away. The tonnato sauce, which is basically like a tuna mayo (described in my Alimento "review"), was rich and smooth with a good balance of salt and lemon to brighten the dish. Luke even like his broccoli and cauliflower dipped into it! I thought it was a very clever play on the classic Piedmontese dish vitello tonnato and an excellent start to our meal.

Veal Tartare Crostino w Shallots, Parsley, Lemon & Tonnato Sauce

The smoked branzino with lentils, fennel soffritto, cherry tomatoes, chili oil and preserved lemon butter toast came next. It was basically a tomatoey lentil stew with generous chunks of the smoked branzino. The branzino had a strong smokey flavor that provided a wonderful savoriness, which was balanced by the sweet cherry tomatoes. The fennel soffritto was too subtle for me to taste, but the chili oil added a nice kick to the back of the throat. The preserved lemon butter on the toast was a perfect compliment to the stew adding a salty, citrusy flavor that toned down the fish. There was also a little lemon zest sprinkled on the toast as well that added a fresh lemony kick too.

Smoked Branzino w Lentils, Fennel Soffritto, Cherry Tomatoes, Chili Oil & Preserved Lemon Butter Toast

Our pasta dishes all came out together and the first one that I took a picture of was the cavatelli alla norcina with ricotta dumplings, housemade pork sausage, black truffles and Grana Padano. The only criticism I had with this dish is that ours was either missing the ricotta dumplings or they had dissolved into nothing. Other than that the entire dish was perfection. The cavatelli was al dente and chewy, but still tender enough that it was easy to eat. The sausage was well seasoned, but you could still taste the pork and it complimented the pasta well. There was plenty of black truffle scattered throughout the pasta, which made the whole thing earthy and really luxurious. Luke especially loved his broccoli dipped in the sauce and truffles. The sauce itself was creamy, but not heavy tasting and the sausage gave it a pleasant meat flavor. It was really interesting because the sauce clung to the pasta really well, which made it easy to get everything in each bite. I think they used quite a bit of the pasta water in the sauce to emulsify and provide more body, which took it over the top in my opinion.

Cavatelli Alla Norcina w Ricotta Dumplings, Housemade Pork Sausage, Black Truffles & Grana Padano

The second pasta we had was the roasted marrow bone w spinach gnocchetti, crispy breadcrumbs and aged balsamic. We were instructed to scoop out the marrow and mix it in with the gnocchetti and then eat it. The gnocchetti had a subtle spinach flavor and a vibrant green color. The breadcrumbs and balsamic were on top of the bone marrow and broiled till they formed a crisp crust that provided a pleasant textural contrast for the dish as well as a sweetness that complimented the marrow. The marrow was cooked perfectly and had the signature soft texture and when mixed with the gnocchetti it provided a rich counterpoint to the light spinach gnocchetti.

Roasted Marrow Bone w Spinach Gnocchetti, Crispy Breadcrumbs & Aged Balsamic

Our last pasta dish was the agnolotti all'agnello saffron pasta parcels with braised lamb, burro fuso, Grana Padano, pine nuts and currants. The pasta for the agnolotti was very thin and had a pleasant saffron flavor and the braised lamb stuffing was meaty and delicious. The burro fuso, or melted butter sauce, with the pine nuts and currants was very sweet and it complimented both the saffron in the pasta and the savory lamb filling. The only problem with this dish was that it didn't include enough agnolotti in my opinion.

Agnolotti all'Agnello Saffron Pasta Parcels w Braised Lamb, Burro Fuso, Grana Padano, Pine Nuts & Currants

For dessert I ordered the butterscotch coconut tart with fresh coconut sorbetto. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but since it was coconut I had to get it and I definitely wasn't disappointed. The crust was buttery and rich and not too dense like some crusts can be. The filling was soft and chewy in the center and the top was surprisingly crispy. Texturally it was unlike anything I've had before. The butterscotch had a smooth caramelly flavor and the coconut flavor was pronounced enough to satisfy even my dad. The sorbetto was really refreshing and amplified the coconut flavor of the whole dessert. It was probably one of the top three or five coconut desserts that I've had in my life.

Butterscotch Coconut Tart w Fresh Coconut Sorbetto

Christal ordered the crème fraîche panna cotta with mara des bois strawberries and whole wheat butter cookies. The panna cotta had the perfect texture and was just barely set in the jar and the flavor of the crème fraîche was subtle. The subtlety of the panna cotta helped to highlight the sweetness and flavor of the strawberries. The butter cookies, in my opinion, were the most average component we had all night. They seemed a little bit tough and kind of plain when all was said and done. Luckily the panna cotta definitely outshined the shortcomings of the cookies. Christal was such a big fan that she thought it was the best panna cotta she has had.

Crème Fraîche Panna Cotta w Mara des Bois Strawberries & Whole Wheat Butter Cookies

The entire meal at Bestia definitely lived up to my expectations, which is saying something, because they were pretty high to begin with. All of the pastas were cooked perfectly so that the texture really came through and the sauces were in harmony with the pastas and they all seemed to meld together. Even though the desserts that we ordered seemed simple on the menu they both blew us away with how flavorful they were and I think their simplicity helped to highlight those flavors. On the drive home Christal and I agreed that it was probably in the top three for our favorite Los Angeles restaurants.

Luke's First Taste of Truffle

Food 5/5

Service 4/5

Christal's Rating 5/5

http://bestiala.com/

May 23, 2016: The Tasting Kitchen

The Tasting Kitchen opened several years ago and I have been wanting to try it for quite a while now, but we have never really been able to go because it is in Venice and it always seems like it is so much further to get to than LA or Santa Monica. Christal and I decided to have a family date night while we still can take Luke out with us and I chose The Tasting Kitchen to try. The restaurant was very open with most of the tables out in the front along with an olive tree growing between the main dining room and entrance, and a bar with some smaller tables in the back. We sat next to the entrance at a booth, which worked out well for Luke's sake.

It's Superman!

Christal wanted to get a cheese plate to start so we chose three cheese to taste. We selected a Monte Enebro, Oma, and Tomme Brulee for our cheeses. The Monte Enebro was a goats milk cheese that was rolled in ash. It was fairly mild for a goat's cheese and had the signature soft texture of most goat cheeses and it paired perfectly with the fruit compote that came with the plate. The Oma was a washed-rind cheese from Vermont. It had a very pleasant funkiness to it and a very soft, pudding-like texture to it. It was my personal favorite due to the earthy flavors and it paired really well with the honeycomb on the plate. The last cheese was the Tomme Brulee, which is a French Basque cheese that is more firm and the rind is scorched. This cheese was Christal's favorite and it reminded me of a slightly smokier Manchego cheese.

Cheese Plate w Monte Enebro, Oma & Tomme Brulee 

The funghi misti with Pedro Ximenez and foie gras. It included morels, maitakes, shiitakes and beech mushrooms all sauteed together with a few small dices of foie gras that added an extra richness to the dish. The Pedro Ximenez used to deglaze the pan emulsified with the fat from the foie gras and created a perfect sauce that added sweetness and acidity to the mushrooms and could be sopped up with the toast that accompanied the mushrooms.  

Funghi Misti w Pedro Ximenez & Foie Gras

The next dish to come out was the agnolotti with corn, chanterelles and basil. I had initially expected the agnolotti to be filled with corn, but the corn was actually tossed into the sauce and the agnolotti were filled with ricotta cheese. The pasta used for the agnolotti was slightly thick so the ends where it was sealed together were a little bit too "al dente" in my opinion, but it still tasted delicious. The chanterelles were sauteed perfectly so that they were firm, yet tender and they paired with the sweet corn seamlessly. The basil added a nice fresh finish and, along with the pickled onion sprinkled on top, helped to lighten the dish even with the butter sauce that everything was tossed in.

Agnolotti w Corn, Chanterelles & Basil

Our last savory dish was the halibut with vermouth butter, morels and peas. The halibut was cooked well, keeping its firm texture yet staying tender and moist. The morels were tender and earthy, contrasting nicely with the sweet peas and the vermouth butter was not overpowering, but had a nice richness supplemented by fresh herbs and the vermouth. The dish also had a small dollop of créme fraîche that added a little more acid and a few pea tendrils that lent extra freshness and a pleasant chlorophyll flavor to compliment the dish.

Halibut w Vermouth Butter, Morels & Peas

For dessert we decided to go with the pavlova with mulberries, Marcona almonds, elderflowers and créme fraîche. The meringue was a little chewier and less crispy than I was expecting. The mulberries were sweet and also tangy, which helped to counteract all the sweetness in the meringue. The elderflowers were very subtle and I really didn't notice them when I ate them with everything else. The almonds provided a crunchy textural contrast that played off of the soft mulberries and meringue. The créme fraîche gave the dish a little extra acidity to cut through all the sweet elements as well as a pleasant richness that wasn't too heavy on the palate.

Pavlova w Mulberries, Marcona Almonds, Elderflower & Créme Fraîche

Overall Christal and I really enjoyed all of the food we had, and everything was cooked well and executed soundly, but nothing really stood out as being extraordinary or mind blowing. We both agreed that we would enjoy eating here again and would recommend it to other people, it just isn't a restaurant that is going to bowl you over with its innovation. What it will do is provide you with a satisfying and tasty meal that you will be glad you had.

Food 4/5
Service 4/5
Christal's Rating 4/5
http://thetastingkitchen.com/

March 3, 2016: Union

Ever since I had heard about Bruce Kalman's restaurant, Union, in Pasadena that made almost everything in house, including all of their pastas, it has been on my short list to try. Uncle Vic had gone with Jeffrey and Julie a while ago and they all really enjoyed the food, which just made me want to go even more. We met up with Brandon since he was home alone for the week and he wanted to take us out for giving him a ride home from Oroville. Union definitely lived up to my expections, which were pretty high to begin with.

We started out with the crostone with Pinkerton avocado, pistachios, San Andreas pecorino and fava beans. It was basically like bruschetta in that everything was placed on top of some crispy, toasted bread. The avocado was smooth and rich and the pistachio added a nice nutty flavor and textural contrast. The pecorino cheese provided a needed saltiness to boost the avocado flavor and the fava beans had a great fresh, green flavor to them. It was a really nice, light start to the meal.

Crostone w Pinkerton Avocado, Pistachio, San Andreas Pecorino & Fava Beans

Next we had the housemade stracciatella with roasted garlic and crostini. Stracciatella is basically a really fresh mozzarella that is very similar to burrata. In fact, I'm not really sure what the difference between burrata and stracciatella is, all I know is that they are both amazing. There was a very thin smear of roasted garlic puree around the bowl, which I couldn't really taste, but it didn't really need it. The stracciatella was dressed with some extra virgin olive oil and fresh cracked pepper, which was perfect and the crostini was toasted nicely and had a nice crunch. The portion they served was actually a very generous serving and even after getting more bread we still had a little bit leftover.

House Made Stracciatella w Roasted Garlic & Crostini

The bread and giardiniere with house made cultured butter and Hepp's sea salt came at the same time as the stracciatella. Giardiniere is basically spicy pickled mixed vegetables. Union's giardiniere included chilis, carrots, onion, cauliflower and celery and had a great acidic kick that opened up my tastebuds. I probably would have liked it to be a little bit spicier, but the spice level probably was perfect for the masses. The butter was nice and rich and went well with the pickled veggies and the extra stracciatella ended up pairing extremely well with the giardiniere as well.

Bread & Giardiniere w House Made Cultured Butter & Hepp's Sea Salt

Shortly after the above dishes came out the wild mushrooms with Grist & Toll polenta, Pedro Ximenez sherry vinegar, sage and rosemary was served.  The sauteed mushrooms were excellent. They had a great earthy flavor and the sage and rosemary are classic herbs to go with mushrooms for a reason. The sherry vinegar added a light acidity and sweetness to cut through richness of the polenta. The polenta itself was rich and light at the same time and it was one of the better polentas I've had. Even though each component of the dish was varying in richness it didn't really overwhelm my palate or feel like it weighed me down.

Wild Mushrooms w G&T Polenta, Pedo Ximenez Sherry Vinegar, Sage & Rosemary

Next they brought out our pasta dishes. The bucatini cacio e pepe with Pecorino-Romano, black pepper and 63° egg. This dish was one of their most popular pastas and for good reason. The bucatini was cooked perfectly with a significant, yet tender, chew to it and the sauce was rich, especially with the perfectly cooked egg. The fresh black pepper provided a nice spice, yet was not overwhelming. It's a dish that is so simple, but Union executed it so perfectly that it was definitely one of the standouts of the night. 

Bucatini Cacio E Pepe w Pecorino-Romano, Black Pepper & 63° Egg

The other pasta dish we ordered was the porcini casarecce with yellow foot chanterelles, rosemary and Parmigiano-Reggiano. The casarecce, like the bucatini, was cooked to a perfect al dente and the chanterelles were delicious, I just wished there would have been a few more of them in the dish. The pasta was dressed very simply and the dish as a whole was very good, but I didn't think it was nearly as good as the bucatini.

Porcini Casarecce w Yellow Foot Chanterelles, Rosemary & Parmigiano-Reggiano

After we had finished the pastas they brought out the main dishes that we had ordered. The first to come out was the porchetta with Weiser Farms potatoes and salsa verde. Other than the pastas, this was the dish I had heard the most about at Union and it more than lived up to my expectations. The pork loin that was tender and very moist with a mild porky flavor and the pork belly that encased it had a rich flavor with a good balance of lean and fatty meat and the herb and spice rub in between the pork belly and loin gave a nice light, fresh contrast to the rich pork. The crackling on the outside was perfectly crisp without any hint of chewiness and the salsa verde lent a great vinegary herbaceousness to the dish that helped to cut through the fattiness of the pork belly. The potatoes were tender and fluffy, and helped to sop up the jus that was spooned around the plate. To be perfectly honest, this porchetta may have been the best pork dish I have had to this point and it is definitely in the top five of pork dishes for me.

Porchetta w Weiser Farms Potatoes & Salsa Verde

The other main dish that we ordered was the stracotto with Niman Ranch beef short rib, salt pork, parsnip puree and gremolata. The beef was braised nicely until it was so tender that it could be cut with the fork. It had absorbed a lot of flavor from being braised in red wine, which seemed to almost gave it a more rich, luxurious flavor and texture. I couldn't really pick up the salt pork that much, but I think it may have added some saltiness, obviously, but also some meaty richness that may have blended in with the short rib. The parsnip puree was sweet and smooth, but there wasn't nearly enough of it in my opinion. There was only about a tablespoon of the puree underneath the short rib when I think we would have been satisfied with about four times as much. The gremolata provided freshness that brightened the whole dish, but again, I would have liked a bit more of it too.

Stracotto w Niman Ranch Beef Short Rib, Salt Pork, Parsnip Puree & Gremolata

For dessert we shared the bay leaf pannacotta with pickled berries and vanilla. The pannacotta had the perfect amount of gelatin in it because it was soft and tender and just set. The bay leaf flavor was extremely subtle to the point that if I hadn't been looking for it I would not have noticed there was any bay leaf infused in the cream and it was overshadowed by the fragrant vanilla, which completely coated the top of the pannacotta with vanilla bean specks. The pickled berries added another layer of sweetness and enough acidity to cut through the richness of the dairy.

Bay Leaf Pannacotta w Pickled Berries & Vanilla

When the check arrived they gave us espresso meringues as a petit four to finish our meal. They were light and crispy and then after you bit into them they almost dissolved in your mouth. The flavor of the espresso was nice and it did not overpower the meringue, which was perfect for me, but it might have been too light for coffee lovers. It was a nice end to an excellent meal.

Espresso Meringues

Since Union has been on my shortlist of restaurants to try for almost two years I came into the meal thinking it would be difficult for it to live up to my expectations, but I have to say they were met and for some things exceeded. The highlights of the night for me was definitely the porchetta first and foremost and the bucatini cacio e pepe. Even though I had heard so many positive things about both dishes they still surprised me with the flawless execution of classic Italian dishes. I would definitely recommend Union to anyone looking for a good meal. The only people who might have a little trouble would be vegans, but even then the kitchen would probably whip something up that was outstanding.

Food 4.5/5
Service 4/5
Christal's Rating 3.5/5 (But she was sick and couldn't taste very well)
http://unionpasadena.com/ 

January 28: Japan to LAX

This morning we had to wake up early to finish packing and meet Uncle Hiro at his place at 8:30 so I set my alarm for 6:15 and we went to breakfast at about 7. When we got down there Otousan was towards the back of the line and there were a tone of people. Almost all of the tables were taken so Christal and I went and grabbed an open one. Otousan called me over and told me to take his place in line to get food for myself and Christal and then he went to the back of the line. By the time he got to the food nobody else had gotten in line behind him and once he sat down at the table about half of the hoard had finished and left the dining room. It was like a swarm of locusts had descended on the breakfast buffet and then disappeared. After we finished breakfast we gathered our luggage, checked out and headed to meet Uncle Hiro. From there we drove into Fukuoka where Otousan and Uncle Hiro had to sign some documents for their father and then Uncle Hiro took us to Canal City, which is a department store/mall. We walked around a little bit and then Uncle Hiro got a phone call that he had to meet someone at Hakata Station to drop something off, so we went there hurried over there. From Hakata Station it took less than 10 minutes to get to the airport.

Canal City

We checked in for our flight to Narita and we were able to check our bags all the way to Los Angeles, so that was nice. After we checked in Uncle Hiro had parked his car and met us in the terminal so we headed up and had lunch at Kuko Ramen, which translates to Airport Ramen. They served Hakata style ramen, which uses a tonkotsu broth made from pork bones. I ordered the special ramen that included chashu pork, negi, pickled mustard greens, marinated sliced konbu and a marinated soft-boiled egg. The noodles they used were thinner than most ramens I've had before, but they still had a good chew to them. Everything was very good, the pork was really tender and soft with a good ratio of meat to fat. The mustard greens had some chili in them so it added a little extra flavor and the konbu had a tender crispness that complimented the texture of the noodles. The egg was very lightly marinated to the point that I couldn't really pick up any extra flavor. After we finished with lunch Christal and I went and bought some mentaiko for Uncle Vic real quick and then we said goodbye to Uncle Hiro and went through security.

Special Ramen @ Fukuoka Airport

Our flight to Narita was delayed by about 30 minutes, but luckily we were still able to make it to our connection pretty easily. Otousan had accidentally booked premium economy for this leg as well, so Christal and I quickly checked out the Sakura Lounge for about 10 minutes before we went to the gate to board. The first hour or so of the flight was slightly turbulent, but otherwise uneventful. The meal I got was a beef and pork hamburger steak, shredded carrot salad, simmered vegetables with sakura shrimp and a green salad. It wasn't as good as the meal flying to Japan, but it wasn't horrible for airplane food.

In-Flight Meal

After eating I tried to sleep but Luke was fussy at the time and every time I almost fell asleep he would scream out. I think I got about half an hour to an hour of sleep total. I ended up watching a couple of movies and some food shows so it was still good. The rest of the flight went smoothly and when we landed we were able to get through customs really quickly thanks to Luke. It was a really fun trip with lots of emotions, especially for Christal and Otousan, but it is good to be home.

Luke Enjoyed Premium Economy

January 27: Munakata, Fukuoka Day 2

I must have had more caffeine than I thought yesterday because last night I stayed up till after 2 and this morning I woke up with a sore throat and slight congestion...almost made it all the way through the trip without getting sick. The worst part is I can't hold or kiss Luke. Anyway, once I did get to sleep I was able to stay asleep till about 7:30 and then Christal, Luke and I went to the breakfast buffet and met up with Otousan. This morning's buffet seemed a little better to me, but maybe that was because of the types of fish they served. When we finished with breakfast Christal put Luke down for a nap and she told me to go to the onsen and alternate hot and cold pools at least three times for at least a couple of minutes in each. The onsen was completely empty, so that was nice, and after alternating the hot and cold pools I did feel a bit better.

Breakfast

Luke ended up sleeping until about 1 pm so when he woke up we went and visited Hi-Obaachan one more time. Of course she was excited to see him but unfortunately Luke got a little bit fussy after just a few minutes. We still hung out there for a little while and I could tell it was difficult for Otousan to say goodbye.

From there we went to the Aeon Mall for lunch. We ended up choosing a tempura place called Hakata Tempura Takao. I ordered the anago tendon so that I could compare it to the one I had in Kichijoji. Overall the anago tendon in Kichijoji was better, but this one was still really good. Along with the anago it also came with chicken breast, kabocha, nasu (eggplant) and pii-man (green bell pepper). The chicken was really moist and tender, especially for being the breast and the batter on everything was a thin, delicate layer that shattered when you bit into it. The piece of anago might have been slightly larger here, but there was a little more of the narrow tail portion, so it kind of evened out. The variety of items was also pretty similar, but I felt the quantity at Kaneko-Ya in Kichijoji was a bit ore, which for an American is important. The tendon here also provided more tare (sauce) if you wanted as well as the normal tempura dashi with grated daikon if you got tired of the taste of the tare.

Anago Tendon

When we finished lunch it was 3 so we headed up and got tickets to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I'm quite proud to say that Luke's first movie in a theater was Star Wars. He started out a little fussy so Christal had to stand up and go down on the side where the exit was, but she was able to watch the whole movie and she said Luke slept through most of it.

Luke About to Enjoy Star Wars

After Star Wars ended we headed over to Uncle Hiro's mansion and ended up arriving about 5 minutes before he got home from work so we all drove over to Eichan Udon for dinner. This time I ordered takenoko tempura udon, which was udon with a side of mixed mushroom tempura. They gave me honshimeji, bunashimeji, eringi (king trumpet), shiitake and maitake mushrooms as well as a piece of carrot and shiso tempura. The tempura was almost as good as lunch, but the batter was just slightly thicker. All of it was still better than most tempura in the States though and my personal favorite of the night was the maitake mushroom. The udon was excellent as well and this time I got a better taste of the dashi. It was even more complex than I had originally though. It had smokiness as well as a really pleasant fishiness from what seemed like several different kinds of dried fish. When I finally finished I was stuffed. From Eichan Udon we headed to the Sun Live department store and bought some more omiyage gifts to take home and Christal and I got some soft serve for dessert. Once we finished shopping we dropped Uncle Hiro off at home and then headed back to the hotel and went to bed.

Takenoko Tempura Udon

January 26: Munakata, Fukuoka Day 1

This morning I woke up at about 7:30 and then Christal, Luke and I went down to the breakfast buffet a little after 8. Otousan got picked up by Uncle Hiro at 8 and then dropped him off at the train station so that he could go to work and we would have a mode of transportation. The breakfast buffet was good, but I wasn't too hungry this morning. When we were almost done eating Otousan came back and told us he had spoke to the hotel and if we packed our bags up they would move us to a non-smoking room when we left for the day. Once we finished we headed up and packed up our bags again and got ready to leave.

Breakfast

Otousan needed to do a few things at his parents house so we headed there first. The house was at the end of a street up towards the top of a hill and the streets we traveled on up the hill were extremely narrow. When we arrived the property was larger than I had imagined, even though I had seen pictures. The front yard had several trees and Christal said they used to have a garden in the front also. The back yard extended about 20 yards or so behind the house and had a small mikan (orange) orchard with various types of mikan, including one that you pick in the winter and wait until the summer to eat. Christal said there also used to be a garden in the back as well. Both sides of the property and the back were all lined with groves of large bamboo and Christal said they would harvest shoots in the early spring to eat. After she showed me the outside she gave me a tour of the inside. It was more spacious than I had imagined and very nice, but very different than western homes that I'm used to. While we were at the house Luke fell asleep so we delayed going to see Hi-Obaachan for a while.

The Nishikawa House

From the house we drove to Aeon mall to see when Star Wars was playing and to look around. We found out it would be on at 3:15 in English so we were going to try and see it, but Christal had forgotten Luke's ear plugs and ear muffs at the hotel so we will have to watch it tomorrow. After visiting the theater we went down and found some matcha soft serve at Yamaguchi Garden of Tea and we all got one to snack on. The texture was super smooth and creamy and the flavor was nice because it wasn't too sweet and the matcha had a nice floral aroma to it.

Matcha Soft Serve

After the soft serve we wandered around a little bit and then went into a pet store to look at the dogs. All the puppies were bred to stay small and apparently their vocal chords are cut so that they won't be too loud. The prices were pretty exorbitant, ranging from the equivalent of about $2,000 all the way up to $10,000! They sure were cute though and Luke certainly seemed to agree.

Luke's New Friend

When Luke was finished playing with the pups we headed to lunch. We tried to go to a sushi place that was right on the beach, but when we got there it was closed. Otousan thought they were closed because they weren't able to get any fresh fish, so we went to an unagi restaurant called Yanagawa-Ya instead. Otousan and Christal both got unajyu with kimosui (eel liver soup) and Otousan ordered me a whole 10-course meal and I shared all the extras with Christal. Besides the unajyu and kimosui it also included tsukemono, assorted sashimi, (peanut tofu with a slice of tai sashimi), eel makitamago, green salad, (cooked eel salad), chawan mushi and an orange for dessert. Everything that I was served was excellent, but the unajyu was, by far, the best. As good as the unajyu in Ginza was, this one was even better. Otousan said that at Yanagawa-Ya they broiled the eel with tare first and then steamed it with the rice so that the rice would be infused with the eel's flavor as well, whereas most places will steam the eel first and then broil it. Because of their cooking process the rice isn't just a compliment for the eel, it becomes melded to the eel and their flavors intermingle with each other and almost becomes seamless. When I had finished I was fairly full, but I wanted to keep eating the unajyu, it was so good.

Unajyu w All Its Accompaniments

When we finished with lunch we drove to Sun Life department store to look around until Luke woke from his nap. We did some scouting for more gifts to take home too while we were there. As soon as Luke woke up we headed over to visit with Hi-Obaachan. Luke played with her for about 15 minutes or so and then he wanted to go back to Mommy. After visiting with Hi-Obaachan we went to Uncle Hiro's mansion where Luke and Christal both had naps while Otousan and I used the internet and I caught up on my blogging.

Luke & Hi-Obaachan

When Uncle Hiro came back from work we all went out to dinner at Kappa, which is another izakaya that was across the street from Uncle Hiro's mansion. It was a small restaurant and the food was really good. We had agedashi tofu, assorted sashimi that included buri, tako (octopus), sake (salmon), kinmedai and tai (snapper), fries, edamame sauteed in sesame oil, gyoza, sliced tomato, tempura shrimp with a squid ink mayo, avocado salad and Caesar salad. When we finished dinner we said goodnight to Uncle Hiro and drove back to the hotel and went to bed.

Tempura Shrimp w Squid Ink Mayo @ Kappa

January 25: Tokyo to Fukuoka

It had snowed in Fukuoka a couple days ago and quite a few flights to Fukuoka had been cancelled so Otousan was a little worried about our flight, but luckily it hasn't snowed in Fukuoka since and Uncle Hiro said the amount of snow and ice on the roads had gone down. Our flight was at 8:10 from Haneda Airport so I got up at 5:30 and we were able to get on the 6:15 hotel shuttle to the airport. We got checked in and dropped off our baggage fairly quickly so we had a little bit of time to wander around the airport a little. When we boarded we had A, B, and C seats, which were on the left side of the plane, so when we took off we had a pretty good view of the Tokyo Sky Tree off in the distance. About 20 minutes or so into the flight we got a spectacular view of Mt. Fuji, so for future reference, if you travel from Haneda to Fukuoka grab a window seat on the left side of the plane. After taking quite a few pictures I took a little bit of a nap.

Mt. Fuji

When we landed in Fukuoka it was overcast with a thin layer of snow covering the ground. We retrieved our baggage and met Uncle Hiro in the terminal. He had rented a larger car to accommodate all our luggage and so we packed up and drove to Munakata to have lunch at their family's favorite restaurant, Eichan Udon. I ordered the yamakake udon, which comes with grated yamaimo (mountain yam) and a raw egg yolk. Otousan recommended that I add some shichimi and tempura crisps to my udon so I followed his recommendation. The broth was really good and really hot. It had a great depth of flavor even though it was so light and the egg yolk and tempura crisps added a nice richness to the dish. The noodles had a nice elasticity and chew to them. Overall it was an excellent bowl udon and extremely satisfying. We also got kashiwa onigiri and inarizushi on the side because Christal said that they always get it.

Yamakake Udon

After we finished lunch we went to Uncle Hiro's mansion (in Japan they call apartments mansions) and Christal, Luke and I hung out there and watched the replay of the Patriots vs. Broncos AFC Championship Game while Uncle Hiro and Otousan took care of some paperwork and errands from their father's death. After they had finished with their errands they came back to the mansion and we hung out until Luke woke up from his nap. Then Uncle Hiro drove us over to see their mom, Luke's Hi-Obaachan, in the nursing home and we visited with her for a few minutes. Apparently Otousan was going to tell her about Masumi Obaachan, but he didn't get a chance to and when Uncle Hiro took her back up to her room he mentioned something about Masumi. Anyway, I think Otousan may have a tough converstion with his mother tomorrow.

The Nishikawas

When we finished at the nursing home Uncle Hiro took us to the Royal Genkai Hotel, which is where we stayed when we came to Fukuoka after our wedding. He dropped us off and then drove home because he has work tomorrow. After we checked in and put our luggage in our room we went down to one of the restaurants in the hotel. As luck would have it, just about the only restaurant open in the hotel at the time was Otome, which was an izakaya, so we ended up having bar food for the third straight night. Even though the restaurant was dead the food was good, so I was happy. We got assorted sashimi that included fresh saba, akami maguro, kanpachi and sazae (horned turban snail), a mixed vegetable salad with sesame dressing, gyoza, fried Satsuma fish cakes, tempura gobo, karaage (fried chicken) and kanpachi kama. I have to say, Otousan did a great job of ordering because it was the perfect amount of food so that I was satiated and not completely stuffed. For me the sashimi was the most surprising dish of the night. I wasn't expecting much since the restaurant was like a ghost town, but all of the sashimi was extremely fresh tasting and none of it, even the saba, had a hint of fishiness. Each item that was on the sashimi platter had a different texture as well, so it provided another layer to the experience.

Assorted Sashimi

After we finished with dinner we headed up to our room for a dessert of omiyage and sweets we had either received or bought throughout the trip, then Otousan either went to the onsen or to bed and Christal went to the onsen after putting Luke to sleep.

Kanpachi Kama

January 24: Tokyo Day 5

This morning I was able to sleep in until about 8 or so and then when I woke up Christal and I went to Familty Mart to pick up breakfast. I ended up getting a tonkatsu dog and a chicken and cheese patty. The chicken and cheese patty was a little disappointing, but at least the cheese was subtle and not overpowering. The tonkatsu dog was a lot better than I had expected. There was some tsukemono hidden under the tonkatsu and the tonkatsu sauce also helped add some extra flavor. After I finished breakfast we had to pack up because tonight we are staying at a hotel next to Haneda Airport. Uncle Kiyonari and Auntie Megumi picked us, and our luggage, up at about 11 and took us over to Ogikubo to the church to set up for the memorial service. 

Katsu Dog, Chicken & Cheese Patty

When we got to the church we put our stuff in a back room where we could change our clothes later and then Christal and I walked around the neighborhood for about half an hour. While we were walking around we saw Karen and Maria walking to the church from the train station. We headed back to the church to see if Otousan was done meeting with the people he needed to meet with. Unfortunately he wasn't so Christal and I went out to lunch with Karen and Maria to a small soba shop near the church called Chouju-An. Uncle Kiyonari and Auntie Megumi were going to join us, but there wasn't enough room in the shop, that's how small it was. I ordered tanuki soba, which was hot soba with tempura crisps in a broth. The soba was more tender and elastic than the soba I had yesterday, maybe it had more wheat flour in it. The broth was exceptional. It was very savory, but not salty, with a hint of sweetness and packed with umami. It was so good that I almost drank all of it even after I had finished the soba. The tempura crisps added a nice crunch in the beginning and then as they soaked up the broth they added a nice richness to the soba. 

Tanuki Soba

After lunch we headed back to the church and changed into our dress clothes. The service went well, but Luke was tired and got a bit fussy after Christal spoke so I took him to the mothers' room to try and get him to fall asleep. There was too much for him to look at though and the speaker was on fairly loud so he was too distracted to sleep. After the memorial service finished I changed Luke and took him to Christal and we visited with some of the people who came to the service. There was even a large group of ESL students from HMA that came, including Nao Manabe, so it was nice to see them and catch up with Nao. When we were done visiting with people and had changed we said our goodbyes to Alyssa, Karen and Maria and then Uncle Kiyonari and Auntie Megumi drove us to the hotel next to Haneda Airport that we were staying at. After they dropped us off and we all said our goodbyes we put our luggage in the rooms and then Christal, Luke, Otousan and I went out to dinner at Uotami. Otousan said it was like a Japanese seafood izakaya, and it was good, especially for being just a block from the hotel. We started with assorted tsukemonos and then we ordered shishamo (smelt), shirako (cod milt) with a ponzu sauce, green onion yakitori, a daikon salad with shiso dressing, amaebi tempura, buri (mature yellowtail) yakitori, hokke (atka mackerel), omelet stuffed with stir fried noodles and lastly, stingray fins. When we were almost done with dinner one of Otousan's high school friends stopped by because another high school friend Otousan was texting with on Facebook called him to tell him where we were. Anyway, they caught up for a while and once Christal and I were done we left the restaurant to run some errands and repack for the trip to Fukuoka.

Shirako w Ponzu