Tag Archive: Food Trip


Steam Cooking From Hell (Beppu, Oita Prefecture, Kyushu Island)

Filed under: Japan, Travel, travels — 1 Comment
November 28, 2017

The “hells” of Beppu offer a unique experience. Its hot springs generate so much steam you can cook just about anything. Clams, scallops, fish, shrimps, octopus, pork, eggs, sausages, corn, sweet potatoes, cabbage. First you buy your stuff to cook in the store. The man in the open kitchen made sure we saw our bought stuff laid out in the steaming pots and baskets, and advised us to claim our tables and wait 15 minutes. As he dropped the pots, hot steam jetted out ferociously and blurred my eyeglasses. I’d never make it as a cook. Not even as steamer!

Hell’s Kitchen. Very eco-friendly. But we all wished the man fished out our lunch sooner than 15 minutes. The octopus meat wasn’t so tender anymore. And the shrimps were overcooked. Rather, oversteamed. But we enjoyed our pork slices with steamed cabbage, which tasted rather sweet. Even sweeter were the corn and sweet (say that again?) potatoes. The fish was ok, so with the sausages. But the clams and scallops were rubbery. Again, oversteamed!

Well, we still managed to enjoy our lunch. Can’t resist this unique onsen cooking here in Beppu. You’d find steam vents all over the place. We were lucky to beat the lunch crowd as we came early. Heard it can be crowded. The food is just average but one must think of this as an experience rather than as an honest-to-goodness dining.

If visiting Beppu, don’t skip this experience. But be sure to tell the “steamer-chef” to steam your seafood stuff for only 7-10 minutes. I think that should do it. And yes, don’t miss the sweet corn and potatoes. Then, sit back, relax and have a beer while waiting for lunch.

Happy steaming, Happy eating!

(PS. Thanks, Iyay for letting me use your photo)

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THE BEPPU SPRINGS IN AUTUMN

Filed under: Japan, Travel, travels — 2 Comments
November 26, 2017

Beppu is a resort city in the Oita Prefecture. Found in the southern island of Kyushu, Japan, it boasts of as many as 4,000 onsens or hot springs set between the volcanic mountains and the lovely Beppu Bay. You know you are in Beppu as soon as you see those steam vents all over the city. Quite amazing and rather unreal to find in a city.

We arrived autumn time. The (hot) springs area in Umi Jigoku was teeming with steam vents looking even more surreal because of the autumn foliage. Unfortunately, we came on a long weekend. This Thanksgiving weekend sent throngs of locals out of their urban abodes heading for the luxury of sand baths, mud baths, foot baths, onsen, hot spring baths to be found in Beppu.

We couldn’t wait for 2 hours for the sand baths. Besides, it’s freezing cold (as low as ZERO degree in Mt. Tsurumi Summit at 1,375 meters high) and we weren’t confident we’d enjoy lying down “buried” under the hot sands for only 15 minutes, then up and go. Too much trouble. Instead, we opted for the foot baths. Still too hot for our legs and feet, but t’was fun doing this with the group before a hefty kaiseki in our hotel’s restaurant. A lonnnnng dinner, with the ubiquitous Japanese cooking utensils and dishes spread out on our long table. The plating typically teases, but the taste never ever disappoints!

We were filled to the brim with all the sumptuous food. The miso soup had an unusual, savory taste. The pickles you’d care to eat with your rice. The thin meat slices paired well with the broth with morsels of fish balls, shrimps, etc. The saba (costing ¥5,000 per mackerel) was so fresh. The tempura batter sweetish and crisp. Even the matcha gelatine-like dessert tasted sooo good.

That last photo above was sourced from our hotel’s site.

So, no worries. We didn’t snap photos inside the hotel’s onsen. Did we try it? Naturally. Beppu boasts of the best onsen experience. And so, we ended our long day on a “hot” note.

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Chasing The Napa Valley Wine Train

Filed under: Travel, travels, Travels Around USA — Leave a comment
November 14, 2017

It’s a matter of choice. And finances 🙄. The Napa Valley Wine Train choo choos through the valley’s towns and vineyards. At this time of the year, it should be a splendid ride sipping some vintage wine paired with a gourmet meal while one’s eyes feast on the autumn foliage running through Napa, Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena. Or you can drive it!

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Yountville. This is Thomas Keller country. Per Se. French Laundry. Ad Hoc. Bouchon. Choose according to errrr….. budget. Bouchon breakfast of your favorite brew and that cluster of freshly-baked epi with the signature butter and jam should do it. If you like, take your brew and bread a few steps away to a garden table right by Thomas Keller’s organic farm just across French Laundry. Here you can enjoy the farm view, linger, and people-watch. A much better deal than watching the line at Bouchon Bakery and feeling guilty overstaying at your table.

Oakville. We missed the oldest grocery store in California here. Still operating, but with artisanal products intended for tourists/visitors rather than its measly population of 300. We should drop in next time we’re in the area. But we didn’t miss visiting the Carmelite Monastery — with its beautiful garden and pond meditation place. The vineyards around the area look newly-harvested. Thank God the recent wildfire didn’t reach this area.

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Rutherford-St. Helena. Well, if you ask me, I like St. Helena best. It is farther away but certainly worth the extra distance. For many who have done Napa and nearby Yountville, St. Helena struck me as more elegant in a casual way. More posh. We only managed to visit Far Niente, Beringer and Hall vineyards but these are truly enough for a short afternoon visit. The interior road to Far Niente is like a drive to a forest basking in its autumn colors. And the Far Niente gate — though closed the day we visited — is teeming with blooms.

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Beringer with its Rhine House and garden replete with blooms is quite a sight. On the other hand, Hall seems “ready” for its many wine-drinking guests. Before the tasting, one can stroll around the vineyard and enjoy the view. The staff were also accommodating.

St. Helena has a number of restaurants worth visiting. My friend’s favorite is Farmstead. But we went for the less formal Gott’s. The original is right here in St. Helena. This unpretentious place has a good, informal setting for “happy hours” — wine or craft beer — and a good selection of reasonably-priced soup, salad and sandwiches. I liked today’s special – a beef brisket sandwich, and enjoyed the spicy tomato soup, but I’m told their burgers are tops. Perhaps next time. St. Helena absolutely deserves another visit!

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Andean Delights

Filed under: Exotic Cuisine, Food Trip, South America, Travel, travels — 2 Comments
October 28, 2017

My first reaction is why? How? This indigenous mammal has graced many homes as pets. Like the rabbits. But here, it has been a staple Andean dish for 5,000 years. They are actually rodents, more furry and cute! But here in Peru, they are either fried or roasted and called CUY. In some, they are served much like the suckling pig or cochinillo.

Tried this in Cusco, with ceviche (trout) on the side. They love their potatoes here so that makes up the carb component of one’s meal. I don’t know. Didn’t think I’d try it but then cuy is a Peruvian delicacy most locals would say no one should miss. But we opted for the better-looking cuy chaktado (fried under a stone) vs the roasted cuy on skewers found in most markets.

I like their ceviche with corn kernels (big kernels, long thin kernels) but I’d pass on their tamales and pisco sour. The tamales is too bland and the pisco sour too strong. In Lima, we’ve tried their lomo saltado and that’s ok. Won’t really crave for it. And no I won’t be ordering ice cream for dessert here. The texture and flavor just don’t make the cut. Nor would I order suspiro — a blend of egg yolks with condensed milk, cinnamon and port topped with meringue. Suspiro is simply too sweet for me. Each time it was served, I only managed a couple of teaspoonfuls. But I do like the variety of fruits we tried at the Food Market. Especially their custard apple, called chirimoya.

Do i have a favorite dish? I’m not particularly fond of meat but their salads, especially the avocado and lima beans as well as the variety of potatoes complete my meal. Trout is good too. And the quinoa soup is divine! For the carnivores, cuy fried or roasted, chicharrones (fried pork rinds), alpaca chops and lomo soltado should be IT!

Peruvian cuisine has survived many many years. The many varieties of potatoes and potato dishes, the big fat kernels of corn, those bigsized peanuts all pre-date the Incas. Our local guide kept reminding us the world owes Peru for its potatoes, now eaten all over the world. Through the years, Peruvian cuisine blended Andean ingredients with the Spanish and African to produce Creole cuisine. Then the Chinese came, and the craving for fried rice a la Peruviano gave way to chifa. The world-famous Nikkei cuisine blends Peruvian with Japanese cuisine — anyone cares for sushi with pisco sour? No wonder Peru — Lima, in particular — is home to many inspiring and aspiring chefs. A real food haven where many restaurants rank among the best!

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Getting Stoned @Joe’s

Filed under: Travel, travels, Travels Around USA — 1 Comment
October 23, 2017

I’d be quick with this one. You may be all agog strolling the Art Deco-lined streets of Miami, but not as agog over a plate of stone crabs with the special Joe’s mustard and mayo (and whatever else) dip. An institution around here, many say it would be a crime to visit Miami without dropping in.

We had salad before digging in into those fat crab claws, and a slice of chocolate pecan pie after the delightful seafood platter. Too bad they ran out of key lime pie, which I hear is another bestseller.

The place is housed in this yellow building not too far away from the Art Deco strip and that building one always sees when watching CSI Miami 🙄 . Best to go off peak hours if you want to get seated. I noticed though that many locals pick up their takeaway here. The idea crossed my mind too even AFTER we’ve lunched here. For sure, I won’t mind getting stone crabs for dinner on the same day. But then, there’s the business of checking out the nearby Art Deco buildings and the crabs would have to be left, stoned and cold, in the car. 😩

So there. Take your pick. Dine in or takeaway, or both? By the time you’re done meticulously cleaning out those claws of all the crab meat you can get, you’re ready to check out those background scenes in your favorite TV series 😜

Then head back for more.

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PLATEA MADRID

Filed under: Food Trip, Spain, Travel, travels — 1 Comment
April 30, 2015

I am very, very sold on Mercado San Miguel off Plaza Mayor and Mercado San Anton in the Chueca District just off Gran Via. But this! A gourmet market in a converted theater — how original is that? 


  

  


I made a mental note of going back on an empty stomach and with company. Surely, there’s a variety of gastronomic delights and it’s more fun to enjoy rioja or tinto verano or cerveza or sidra with friends.  The delicatessen available on the ground floor or center stage offers many choices. I can just imagine myself enjoying tapas y vinos while a band is playing onstage. 


   

  


For senior diners, there’s a 2 Michelin star Chef running Arriba Restaurante on the 2nd floor where tables are set up with a full view of the center stage. Likewise overlooking the theater stage is El Paco on the 2nd Floor. Now this El Paco should suit serious drinkers! 


  

   

Platea Madrid is truly a gourmet experience. I can imagine crowded weekend nights here. It must go crazy! Drinks, tapas, international dishes to suit every whim! I hear there are other Michelin star restaurants in this food hall too other than Arriba. But who cares about ranking? I just love the vibe here! 


    


   


This gourmet food hall housed in a former theater is along Calle Goya 5-7, near the Plaza de Colon. You can’t miss it.  You bet I’m headed back!  


  

  

And so I’m back. And loving it! Buen Provecho 💕





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INDIA: As Spicy As It Gets

Filed under: Asian Holidays, Food Trip, India, Travel, travels — 4 Comments
November 23, 2014

Spices of India. Masala. And I thought it was another spice. Rather, masala is a mix of ground spices. The very heart of Indian cuisine. And India is soooo rich in spices. Turmeric. Cumin. Pepper. Cardamom. Chilies. Fennel. Cinnamon. Caraway. Anise. Ginger. Coriander. And so much more.

 

 

 

 

Poori or Puri Unleavened Bread. As puffy as it gets! With potato masala.

Poori or Puri Unleavened Bread. As puffy as it gets! With potato masala.

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Chole. Chickpeas is love <3

Chole. Chickpeas is love ❤

 

 

I was quite prepared for the spicy cuisine. And I do like Indian food. One of my fav dishes is the ubiquitous Palak Paneer found on every buffet spread. That plus the dhal (lentils) and chole (chickpeas) paired with all types of flatbread. Naan, Poori, Chapati, Paratha of all types — onion, garlic, paneer, etc. And the chutneys!

 

 

Chutneys galore!

Chutneys galore!

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All that bread. Imagine all that ghee. A couple more weeks here and I couldn’t slide into my pants. Plus the rice. Biryani? Basmati? Carbo overload. And don’t forget the okra — short, tiny, and crunchy. Loaded with uric acid, if you aren’t careful. Yay!

 

 

They look like doughnuts but these breads must be filled with ghee!

They look like doughnuts but these breads must be filled with ghee!

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And how can you resist the curry? My fav is mutton curry, which I can’t get enough off. Rice or flatbread, the mutton curry is wiped clean off the plate or bowl. Soaking naan across the curry plate is yum! Just mind the spices. There were others, but I couldn’t get past a tasting portion without burning my tongue. Phew!

 

 

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Indian "fried rice" was such a hit with me!

Indian “fried rice” was such a hit with me!

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As for desserts, that uber-sweet, syrupy gulab balls should really push your sugar levels past the Diabetes 2 threshold. Tooooo much. I won’t mind not seeing them for a year. And the almonds? Freshly shelled and milky white not to be ignored. Other nuts like pistachio also found their way into some sinful desserts.

 

 

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On our last day, our guide shared this home recipe with us. I tried it…. and ended up with a spinach dip instead. (I’m hopeless)

Palek Paneer (Spinach + Cottage Cheese)

Boil spinach until wilted. Osterize to make purée. Set aside.

In a pan, put veg or olive oil. Sauté cumin seed or put cumin powder; add finely chopped onions or onion purée. When browned, put garlic paste and bit of ginger paste. Put spinach; let boil. Add chili powder, salt to taste. Add cubed cottage cheese. Add tomato purée. Add little hot water to dilute.

 

 

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Thank you, Chikie, for some of the food photos

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A Must Addition to Dining 101 In Spain

Filed under: Europe, Food Trip, Travel, travels — Leave a comment
December 9, 2013

Earlier, I blogged about my ‘food trip’ while spending nearly 3 months based in Madrid, Spain. If you’ve been following my blogs, you won’t be surprised to know that food is an essential part of all my travels. In that earlier blog (Eating Around Spain), I rattled on and on over Spanish paella, cochinillo, boquerones y rabo de toro. I have reminded many of my friends never to miss Mercado de San Miguel near Plaza Mayor which just happened to be one of my “happy places” while in Madrid. Obviously, I have gained more favoritos in my first 2 weeks here and now feel compelled to make these additions.

 

 

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Best Cocido Madrileño. Only in La Gran Tasca in Calle Santa Engracia near cuatro caminos.

 

 

While cocido madrileño is traditionally a winter dish, it is mercifully available yearround, so don’t fret. Try it in what claims to be the best cocido in Madrid. La Gran Tasca Ristorante. You won’t miss it. Just take the metro (2) line and get off at Rios Rosas and walk along Calle Santa engracia towards Cuatro Caminos. It should be on your left side. For more details, just click on the link.

 

 

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Pricier as it is trendier. Love the anchoas del cantabrico here in mercado de san anton.

 

 

Filipino historian and Rizal expert Jaime Marco gave me a “Rizal’s Madrid” tour here, as well as introduced me to such delightful dining places I missed the last few trips. I soooo love Mercado de San Miguel near Plaza Mayor. Love the vibe, even the crowds. But if you really want to eat, claim a stool, leisurely sip your cortado or cafe con leche, and savor quality deli food, go to Mercado de San Anton in the chueca neighborhood just off Gran Via. You’d know what i mean when you get there. For details and directions, just click on this link. Buen Provecho!

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Life as a Movie (Part 2)

Video
Filed under: Asian Holidays, Food Trip, Travel, travels — Leave a comment
November 13, 2013

http://youtu.be/tkQeboZozSY

 

 

 

Here’s a quickie post.  More like a vid-blog or whatever it’s called 🙂

 

 

http://instagram.com/p/gpAwYiA5UD/

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THE FOOD TRUCKS ARE HERE!

Filed under: Don't Skip Manila!, Philippine Travels, Phlog, Travel, travels — 9 Comments
July 11, 2013

Here’s a quick one. We meant to be dropped off in Glorietta when we were pleasantly surprised with the tents being set up and food trucks parked around that tiny park fronting Glorietta and Makati Shangrila Hotel.

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There were burgers, fish & chips, arroz caldo, bbq’s, ice cream, tacos, roast chicken, mac and cheese, kakanin like rice cakes, and so much more!

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How exciting to find these food trucks here. As soon as my apos and I got off the car, we lost no time checking out the many stalls. So many choices. And lots of new food dishes to try. We’re waiting for Truck Bun to get ready — planning on trying the Japa-dog, whatever that is. Also Jasper’s Chicken where we can actually sit inside the van! (The Chicken Karaage with Sour cream and their “wet sauce” was good!) Then finish off with Merry Moo’s ice cream. Or you can cross the street towards Family Mart to buy their P25 green tea soft-serve ice cream in the comforts of an air-conditioned space with tidy restroom. Hmmmm. Nice Thursday afternoon.

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