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Tag Archives: Kauai

An incredible adventure in Kauai, Hawaii

November 4, 2017Americas, Hawaii, Travel2017, Hawaii, Kauai

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I'm Still Hungry - A Food & Travel Blog by Michael Shen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on the work at https://imstillhungry.net

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I've been back in Sydney for two weeks now...but here we are anyway - Japan: final day. Our penultimate meal was at Fukamachi, a Michelin-starred tempura-ya that does a solid - if not terribly exciting - job of inducting newcomers into deep frying as a performance art. Perhaps tempura as 'fine dining' is news to you (it certainly was for me 5 years ago); now you know.
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As usual, there's a whole lot of the 'right stuff' that needs to be in place for something even as ostensibly simple as deep frying to be notable: the oils used, frying temperatures, cadence and batter - all in all, skill & technique. But of course, so much of it comes down to ingredients too. For you see, just because tempura looks like deep frying everything under the sun - and we all know that deep frying makes almost everything better - it's about bringing out the best in each ingredient. Deep frying is simply yet another way of doing this, and when it's done well (such as the luscious sea urchin or the sweet sweet anago), it's pretty hard to see regular tempura in the same light ever again. #ISH_Japan #ISH_Travel #ISH_Fukamachi

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If you've noticed, I rarely comment on value for money when it comes to fine dining. I think we're all mature enough (well...if my Instagram demographics aren't lying) to know that when you pay these kinds of prices for these kinds of experiences, it'd be malapropos to tell you how your value equation should look.
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At Sugalabo, no doubt you'll have to make your wallet rain, but the rain of white alba is just one of the thing that makes a strong value argument. Value does not equal cheap: there are the top-tier ingredients talked about in the last post, the world-class technique, exclusivity of the experience, a wine pairing that would easily be $400 just by itself in a Sydney fine diner, and heck, even the bag of rice from Suga's farm to take home a as a gift.
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Sometimes, things are just priceless. Dw, I've got a mastercard for those other times (actually, it's an Amex...) #ISH_Japan #ISH_Travel #ISH_Sugalabo

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Sugalabo - Suga's Laboratory: a mindblowing, top-ten-of-2019 experience. Classically trained under Joel Robuchon - one of history's greatest chefs - Yosuke Suga's French-but-not-really cuisine is technique and flavour taken to a level that few reach. He sources the best - such as Tada-san's paper-thin ham from Gifu (the only certified Parma ham producer in Japan - 3rd pic), Ishikawa seafood & veg, and white truffles from Alba. And where he can't get the best, he'll do it himself - such as shinmai (new harvest rice) from his very own rice farm.
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I say 'French-but-not-really' because that's literally true: just take a look at some of the dishes. An ikura monaka, wagyu curry rice, a snow crab chawanmushi w/white truffle. But so what - this is perhaps the singular best argument against authenticity purists: if it's fundamentally delicious, so what? Were it not for Sugalabo's introduction-only policy, it would easily receive Michelin's highest honour, and unlike so many other places - deservedly so. One of the best restaurants in Japan. #ISH_Japan #ISH_Travel #ISH_Sugalabo

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Tokyo Day 2: ramen beyond the usuals. The clue's in the name - Mugi to Olive literally means 'wheat and olive'. Here, the thing to do is to pour in a few spoonfuls of olive oil halfway through your bowl (which, if you know what to order, is the triple niboshi, chicken & hamaguri specialty). The olive oil changes things significantly: the sharper accents of the shoyu base are mellowed, the broth's otherwise lightness is enrichened, and the oceanic clam inflection becomes more discernible. 🍜
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Of course, it's a pretty good bowl before or after adding olive oil, so you can't go wrong either way. If the thought of adding a bit more fat into an already heavy dish scares you...you probably shouldn't be in the ramen-crushing business to begin with.
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An innovative ramen-ya that deserves the call-out. BTW, don't forget to try their maze-soba as well (lit: mix-noodles - a no-soup ramen served with a thicker sauce). So good. #ISH_Japan #ISH_Travel #ISH_MugiToOlive

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A jumbo feed at Jumbo Hanare, ft meat sweats. This was one of my favourite meals of 2018, so no surprises that I had been looking forward to this visit with dog-like anticipation (and salivation). It's truly a temple of beef, an omakase of all the best bits of a cow delivered over an unrelenting succession: heart, shoulder, rump, tongue, lower & upper hips, chauteaubriand and its tip, chuck, you name it.
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The signature piece, as always, is the noharayaki, a thinly-sliced sirloin flash-swiped over the grill for less than ten seconds, to be dipped in a gooey egg yolk. Legal drugs.
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We also got a few extras this time - a fillet katsu w/egg that's so tender, it might as well be beef butter, and a godly portion of fillet rice that's literally served in a cow-shaped pot (in case you forget where you were) for maximum impact. Might be one of the best rice dishes I've had in my life. So much regret letting the others take it home :')
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More info (search Jumbo Hanare) on the blog. Moo 🐂
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#ISH_Japan #ISH_Travel #ISH_JumboHanare

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Resuming the usual programming (yesterday's news was kinda big I guess), we now move onto Tokyo Day 1 - or the last 3 days of the trip.
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Is that a ¥500 coin on the ground there? The crowds at TeamLab Borderless were...how do I say...think Kyoto and you'd be on the right track. There were some exhibits (such as the lantern room) with waits so long I didn't even bother trying. I'm amazed I even took one photo of myself - with such a pose, no less. On the other hand, it's incredibly liberating not to have the pressure to take an Instagram-worthy shot and just lose yourself in the art. And the art is truly immersive. Digital exhibits have been done before but never at such a concentration or scale in one place. Easily the best and for that, it was well worth the price of admission.
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Our Tokyo accommodation was at the Palace Hotel, which is probably the posterchild of overpriced Tokyo stays. But that's Japan's capital for you: chronic hotel undersupply. I think scraping pennies will be the order of the day on my next visit, no view of the Imperial Palace can suffice. #ISH_Japan #ISH_Travel

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Hijacking the lady's birthday dinner to pop the question - in front of sixteen people, no less - is a gutsy move. But obviously...she said yes! ♥ #yourenotgonnagettheinjoke
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Thanks to all who shared in the moment to make it the most special of days. 🙂 #hashtagholymolythisishappening #hashtagshwoon2020maybe

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Hakone Day 2: Japanese people will queue for anything and everything. The first and second pictures are an almost tragic case of 'expectations vs reality'. An hour in line, for a photo with a shrine, and the best shot was one in which I wasn't even ready. Guess it still turned out okay? 😎. As overheard in the queue: 'it's a 写真スポーツ' - photography sport (noting the irony of him also being in the line).
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While I would not recommend the photo, the Lake Ashinoko ferry was certainly a highlight of our precious few hours of sun. The views were stunning, reminding me of New Zealand's Milford Sound but with autumn colours. As beautiful as it is eerie during the times when fog intermittently rolled in. Oh, and I've thrown in a random cheese soft serve from Hakone Cheese Terrace: definitely get one if you come across it. So good.
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The rest of the day was spent lazily and hedonistically: copious amounts of fooding and lizarding around our resort. The usual really. #ISH_Japan #ISH_Travel

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Hakone Day 1: rain rain, go away, come again another day. Our final day in Kyoto started out clear, with a final breakfast at Lorimer (first pic only), a hip, raw-concrete uni-student-crowd kind of place that does seriously tasty ichiju-sansai/gosai set meals. Just don't get too hung up on the 45min wait should you choose to go (you've been warned). After we said our goodbyes to the old capital, sunlight slowly - then suddenly - became a scarce resource, and then we never saw it again.
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So we definitely didn't get our wish on the rain, but the timing couldn't be better, as we spent much of it at Hoshino Resorts' KAI Sengokuhara in the Hakone resort region. No two ways about it: this was nearly a luxury lodge-level stay, perhaps the best of 2019 after Wolgan Valley. A full breakfast and kaiseki dinner is served every day (which is VERY good), and even the base room - the equivalent of a suite at most other hotels - is larger than many apartments. There's also a private onsen pool overlooking the mountains, and it demonstrates its connection to local art (which is a strong drawcard of Hakone itself) by allowing guests to colour in (or for the brave, draw one from scratch) a tenugui - a Japanese hand towel. I probably don't have to mention it but even the usual attentive service that's easy to take for granted in Japan is taken up a notch. Is rain really a problem when you don't even want to leave?
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Hakone was one of the worst-hit regions during Typhoon Hagibis, but other than the local trains being out of commission, I'm impressed and glad for its residents that it appears to have recovered so quickly. That's Japanese tenacity for you. #ISH_Japan #ISH_Travel

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Kyoto Day 5, part 2: quality time with Bambi...and getting head-butted by her cousins. It's my first time in Nara and yes, the deer do bite and the deer do bump. Those on Miyajima Island are much better-behaved; I certainly won't be buying a bundle of senbei next time I'm in Nara - there's something a little frightening with a horde of full-sized deer chasing you! One small plus is that the deer do bow! 🦌
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Dinner was at Onryōri Hiwatashi (back in Kyoto), a kaiseki restaurant firmly steeped in tradition. If you read up the structure of how traditional kaiseki is conducted and the kind of food served, Hiwatashi is pretty much a textbook reference. Dishes were expectedly good - though there's the typical 'Kyoto blandness' that's associated with 'true' kaiseki. An alternative view is that nuance is subtle, but you can draw your own conclusions - definitely one for kaiseki adherents. Interestingly, they only take one sitting per meal time, which only means two parties a day! I'm not sure how much of a margin they can make on what is effectively private dining, but it's certainly a unique experience to be the only guests in the entire restaurant. Quintessentially Kyoto, perhaps.
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So there you have it - Uji and Nara can both be done in the same day! That said, would not recommend. So tired. #ISH_Japan #ISH_Travel

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Kyoto Day 5, part 1: greetings from Uji. Everyone knows it as the Mecca of matcha, and that it truly is. This is where household names (if the household is home to matchaholics) such as Tsujiri and Nakamura Tōkichi have their hontens, so some serious shopping was done (and recommended). It's no joke that we have an entire suitcase dedicated only to matcha goods. 🍵 🍃
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We had matcha soba (amongst a ton of other solid eats) for the first time in over 5 years from a waterfront restaurant called Aiso, though I still think putting green tea into noodles is more for the look than anything else. I also took a quick refresher course on how to make matcha - the proper way, though it's still a little hard to tell where the 'face' of a matcha bowl should be. If you know what I'm talking about well, you know. Still, I think I'm all set to chanoyu the heck out of my tea-brewing routine upon my return to Sydney.
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In the midst of all this matcha madness, don't forget to visit Byōdoin Temple! It's on the ¥10 coin so come on, you should at least visit what literally the most impressive example of Heian architecture. #ISH_Japan #ISH_Travel

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Kyoto Day 4: matcha soft serve w/gold leaf - as you do when visiting Kyoto's golden temple. Don't let the gimmickry fool you - this was a really good soft serve given its strength. The extra generous sprinkling of powder on top really took the bitter umami to new levels.
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Kinkakuji itself is like much of the rest of Kyoto's famous tourist attractions: a human zoo. Pics 2 and 3 is a classic 'expectations vs reality'. If you go, be prepared to politely elbow your way through the masses. Unfortunately, for attractions like Kinkakuji that aren't open 24/7, there is no such thing as off-peak.
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Lunch was a super-casual, super-crushable bowl of Hakata-style ramen (Miyoshi) which didn't even break $10AUD, yet was one of the best bowls of the style I've had. Dinner was at Gion Uemori, a shop that specialises in tofu. If you thought tofu is only for vegetarians think again - Japan stands a good chance at changing that perception. #ISH_Japan #ISH_Travel

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Kyoto Day 3: monkey business 🙊. Iwatayama Monkey Park never gets old because really, how does one ever get tired of those adorable red butts? Oh yeah, Arashiyama - you're okay too. By the way, if you want to get a shot of the Bamboo Forest, learning Photoshop is easier than rocking up at 5am in the morning. I did neither, hah.
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Lunch was at the reservation-only Unagi Hirokawa. It took me long enough in ticking off the unagi checkbox, but here we are! If you're planning a day trip to Arashiyama and intend to eat here, don't forget to reserve - I had to make mine over a month in advance!
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Dinner was a more casual affair - wafu-style (Japanified) pasta at Kokona in Kyoto Station itself. I've forgotten just how satisfying it is to try fusion food that's actually successful in concept & execution. My recommendation? The soy milk carbonara. Serz. #ISH_Japan #ISH_Travel #wafupasta

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Kyoto Day 2. The classics, as usual. Unfortunately, while Kyoto's momiji is nothing short of stunning (mum couldn't stop gasping), Kiyomizu-dera had other plans. I've never seen it covered in scaffolding before, which is a shame as I've also never seen it surrounded by so much colour, but it just means a return trip is in order: I'm sure you'll all agree the scene looks stunning all the same.
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Breakfast was at Kishin Kitchen, and it's one of those places where just because it's the first meal of the day doesn't mean it isn't taken seriously: there are hourly sittings for a classic Japanese 一汁三菜 (ichiju sansai - one rice & soup, 3 dishes) breakfast. Would recommend if you're looking for something a bit more traditional - a taste of Kyoto, as it were.
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We also had traditional Japanese sweets (和菓子 - wagashi) at Kagizen Yoshifusa's Zen Cafe spinoff, another very traditional experience, albeit in a modern cafe setting almost resembling a contemporary art museum. Sweet tooths: I highly recommend looking more into this. Another quintessential Kyoto experience.
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Lunch was delicious soba at a hole-in-the-second-floor-wall Izakaya (さかえ - Sakae); I had baumkuchen cake for the first time (yeah, I know); dinner was at a very dressed-up, but ultimately mediocre yakitori-ya called Kazu (which ironically means 'one'). Gosh, now I know why my blog posts are so long - even these summaries are chokkers and reveal no detail, I feel! #ISH_Travel #ISH_Japan

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First day in Kyoto (#ISH_JapanDay 5). Oh man, when did it become a town of tourists (see stories)? 2016 may well be in another decade, given how much this quaint city has changed. But look, it's fine - I'm part of the problem and we're all going to have to acknowledge that world-class destinations are going to get the attention they deserve - ironically perhaps at the expense of everyone that's not involved in the tourism industry.
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Great food though, as always. Got my first cremia of the trip, for one. Followers from the last decade - err I mean 2016 - know that this is my favourite soft serve of all time (yeah haters gonna hate that it's available almost as commonly as maccas). There's also a superbly crushable 'I can't believe there's no meat!' vegan ramen from Kyoto Engine (there are non-vegan options too - both are excellent), and a whole bunch of succulent seafood snacks from Nishiki Market. Tourist Tings, as it were.
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Our accommodation was noteworthy - The Thousand Kyoto (hah, take that Kyoto Century Hotel *childish snicker*) opened up just this year, epitomising Japan's understated, modern luxury touches the country's high-end properties are known for. It's still got the frivolous touches though (like the floating sculpture at the entrance), and I hope they consider moving away from single-use toiletries. Sounds like a sponsored post I know - I honestly wish it was so I could have saved a bit of dosh on this trip LOL. #ISH_Travel

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Temple stays at Kōyasan (the primary mode of accommodation) are known as shukubō (宿坊), which is traditionally how pilgrims do it after a long journey. All shukubō in Koysasan include half-board (i.e. breakfast & dinner), which is quite the cultural experience, though a concession must be made if you're a carnivore - it's all shōjin ryōri ('Devotion Cuisine'). Expect lots of veg, tofus, mushrooms with not a speck of meat in sight.
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Now I know I did say 'concession' but I don't really mean it - despite the austerity, shōjin ryōri is quite elaborate, and at an 'I can't believe there's no meat in it' level of deliciousness. It's the kind of meal that vegetarians should be using as an example to convert the masses. But of course, that's Japan for you. If you don't like tofu or vegetables...well I'd say tough luck, but to be honest you probably have bigger problems to worry about.
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Our temple stay was at Ekoin, one of the oldest temples in Kōyasan. Definitely the best I've stayed at of my three visits here. #ISH_Japan #ISH_Travel

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I'm Still Hungry - A Food & Travel Blog by Michael Shen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Based on the work at https://imstillhungry.net