136. Tokyo - Bread, Bread, Bread at Saint-Germain / サンジェルマンのパン (Tokyo: Shibuya-ku, Ebisu / 東京都: 渋谷区, 恵比寿)

If you ask anyone about what he or she wants to eat while visiting Japan, the likely answer will be sushi... sashimi, perhaps... maybe even ramen or tempura.  Well, at the top of the list for me is none other than bread (pan / パン).  While strolling through Yebisu Garden Place, I came across Saint-Germain, a two story bakery and café brimming with the warm aroma of baked goodness.  This popular chain is part of a larger family of bakeries including Maison Kayser, one of my favorite producers of European style Japanese bread.

Lucky for me, the nearest location of Saint-Germain was a hop, skip and a jump from the Westin Tokyo where I was staying.  Right across the street from the entrance of the Yebisu Sky Walk (恵比寿スカイウォーク), it was utterly convenient to grab some breakfast on the way to Ebisu Station (恵比寿駅) on the JR Yamanote Line (JR山手線).  For those that don't know already, I am bread crazy.  Like... insane when it comes to bread.  This was my loot from just one morning.

Mentaiko bread (明太子パン) is easily one of my favorite types of Japanese bread.  A salty spread of pollock roe that is utterly glowing is smeared across the soft inside of a crisp baguette making for an absolutely irresistible version of caviar on toast.

There is no way to avoid a curry donut (カレードーナツ) when visiting a Japanese bakery.  When done right the outside should be golden brown but not to the point of crunch.  The inside of the football shaped fried fritter is gooey with spicy curry, peas, and carrots, and the mantle of bread should still be soft and easy to tear apart to reveal the goods within.

This bacon and cheese baguette (チーズベーコンバゲット) captured my attention the moment I laid eyes on it.  Tender and succulent slabs of sweet bacon and cheddar are sandwiched inside thin, crusty French style bread.  Japanese bacon is usually not as crispy or salty as American bacon, which makes for a texture more like that of a fatty ham.  Yum.

Just close your eyes and take one bite of the pork cutlet and egg salad sandwich (サンドイッチのとんかつ卵サラダ), and you will feel like you have gone to heaven.  There is nothing like a deep fried pork chop with sweet ketchup essence submerged under a fluffy cloud of egg salad.  Really, there isn't.  When the pork cutlet and egg salad canoodle under the covers of a soft bun, the combination becomes the definition of excess and decadence.

I picked up a tomato, cheese and bacon calzone (カルツォーネ) based on the staff recommendation.  I still prefer a piping hot pocket feel stuffed with heart attack inducing fillings, but if you like a more delicate, less oily take on the Italian-American classic, this is a good choice.

Custard pudding (カスタードプリン) or flan, Japanese or not, is one of my favorite things to eat of all time.  So naturally, when I saw it sitting in the refrigerator section, I had to take one back with me for dessert.  It was something that I could eat without needing to glance away from the morning paper.  Digging for the caramel syrup that lines the bottom of the smooth custard is like diving for gold at the bottom of a treasure chest.

Also somewhere in this mess of carbs was a hash brown, but I ate it so hastily that I did not get a chance to take a picture of it.  Just a heads up... my next meal is definitely carb overload too.  Until the next carb fest, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

サンジェルマン / Saint-Germain
東京都 渋谷区 / Tokyo Metropolis, Shibuya Ward
恵比寿 4-20-5 / Ebisu District, 4 Chome 20-5
恵比寿 ガーデンプレイス 内 / Yebisu Garden Place

Check out some more mentaiko madness from my Flickr set here.

ML - 20130627

129. Portland - Blueberry Bourbon Basil at Blue Star Donuts (Portland: Southwest/Downtown)

Not that I didn't already have enough breakfast at Pearl Bakery, but on the way out I couldn't stop myself from swinging by Blue Star Donuts for just one doughnut... just one.

On top of the almost obligatory maple and bacon hipster doughnut, Blue Star has some creative flavor combinations.  Have a craving for PB&J? Well, there's a doughnut with blackberry compote dusted with peanut powder.  There's also a red berry & rhubarb, a lemon poppy seed, and a meyer lemon & key lime curd... which is delicious, by the way, even after a 10 hour flight to Tokyo.  Oh, and don't forget there's an original glazed too.

I wanted one doughnut... just one.  I could only fit one doughnut in my stomach after already consuming the croissants and coffee from just 15 minutes earlier.  However, selecting just one delicious doughnut from a display of many delicious doughnuts was no easy task.  After much pondering, swaying from side to side, and a persuasive nudge in the right direction by Travis, the very friendly cashier, I pointed to the blueberry bourbon + basil.  I'm not sure what possessed the doughnut maker to create such an interesting flavor profile, but I'm very glad this person did so.  It is sweet, soft, and amazing-delicious.  The blueberry, bourbon and basil hit your tongue in that exact order... it is sweet at first, sultry next, and there is a bit of exotic tingle at the very end.  Yesssss... good choice.  And even better with coffee.  Black, of course.

Well, well, well... that one blueberry bourbon basil charmed the pants off my tongue with such conviction that I went back to the counter to stare at the other doughnuts.  Travis, noticing that I was loitering at the counter and probably creeping the doughnuts out, suggested that I take some doughnuts home with me.  "I'm flying to Tokyo in a few hours," I told him.

No problem! Travis said that these doughnuts last for more than 10 hours.  So I grabbed the passion fruit cocoa nib, the dulce de leche & hazelnut, and a meyer lemon & key lime curd in a box to go.  Taking boxes of doughnuts on a flight seems like a recurring theme for Portland now (post: Cursed by Voodoo Doughnut).  The passion fruit tartness and the crunchy texture of the sweet cocoa nibs makes for a whirlwind of amazement.  I believe it to be one of the best doughnuts I have ever had in my life.

The dulce de leche & hazelnut is good too.  Actually, it's delicious.  The dulce de leche glaze on top almost oozes out at you.  It looks firm and congealed, but it's actually lusciously soft and gushy.  There's a slight essence of Nutella to it but without it being too sweet.

My desire for just one single doughnut quickly turned into four.  This seems like a recurring theme as well, doesn't it? Time to pack up and go meet Ken in Tokyo! Hopefully he can help me munch on these doughnuts.

This concludes my second series on Portland.  The next part of my trip away from home brings me to Japan where I will be spending five days exploring and eating through the largest city in the Land of the Rising Sun.  Until then, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

ML - 20130624

Post 119: Portland - Cursed by Voodoo Doughnut's Bacon Maple Bar (Portland: Southwest/Old Town/Chinatown/Downtown)

Every trip to Portland requires a visit to Voodoo Doughnut whether you love doughnuts or not.  It has become an institution in this city since opening its erection.  Some have flocked to this twenty four hour corner store to simply see the snake of a line, but many more wait patiently to experience that yes, indeed... the magic is in the hole.

Angela and I went to the shop to see what the fuss was all about, and I will stop just shy of saying that the doughnut shop put a spell on us because the two of us left with about three dozen doughnuts... for our friends and family, of course.  We were cursed by the voodoo doughnut to have an unrelenting craving for these fried rounds of dough, but partly, it was because we had absolutely no willpower.  None.

Here are the doughnuts that I bought with the exact descriptions from the menu on the Voodoo website... and some of my commentary.  The site may curse you with uninhibited gluttony too, and it may have possessed me to say some of these things.  Beware.

Voodoo Doll.  Raised yeast doughnut filled with raspberry jelly topped with chocolate frosting and a pretzel stake! Apparently, each voodoo doll looks slightly different from the next.

Bacon Maple Bar.  Raised yeast doughnut with maple frosting and bacon on top! This was delicious... my favorite.

Portland Cream.  Raised yeast doughnut filled with Bavarian cream.  Topped with chocolate and two eyeballs, representing the vision of our great city.  Well, what I see is a doughnut, so I think I will eat the vision of Portland.

Captain my Captain.  Raised yeast doughnut with vanilla frosting and Captain Crunch! Like drugs, really.  I can smell the sweetness of the sugar.

Triple Chocolate Penetration.  Chocolate cake doughnut with chocolate frosting and Cocoa Puffs.  Who's gone kuckoo for Cocoa Puffs now?

Grape Ape.  Raised yeast doughnut with vanilla frosting, grape dust and lavender sprinkles! It looks a little like a solidified toxic version of grape Kool-Aid. 

Diablos Rex.  Chocolate cake doughnut with chocolate frosting, red sprinkles, vanilla pentagram and chocolate chips in the middle! This one looks like it's verging on voodoo too.

Dirt Doughnut.  Raised yeast doughnut with vanilla frosting and Oreos! It'd be cool if there were some gummy worms digging their way out of this thing.

Maple Blazer Blunt.  Raised yeast doughnut shaped into a blunt and dusted with cinnamon sugar.  The tip is dipped in maple frosting and red sprinkle embers.  Prices vary due to Blazer Mania! OK, what someone smoking a blunt when they created this?

Marshall Mathers.  Plain cake doughnut with vanilla frosting and mini M&M's! Haha, I get it... it's very punny.

Old Dirty Bastard.  Raised yeast doughnut with chocolate frosting, Oreos and peanut butter! Combine the Old Dirty Bastard, the Marshall Mathers and the Maple Blazer Blunt, and you get a Rapper's Delight.  No joke.  It's on the menu for $4.20.

McMinnville Cream.  Raised yeast doughnut with Bavarian cream with maple frosting on top and two eyeballs and a mustache! Wait, does this guy have a brother or cousin that I've seen before?

Neapolitan.  Chocolate cake doughnut with vanilla frosting, strawberry dust and three marshmallows! Why are we so excited about marshmallows?!

There you have it... a baker's dozen of the most popular devilish delights from Voodoo.  I took them back to So Cal with me.  Angela had a dozen of these too.  We got stares from everyone walking through the weird streets of Portlandia, and when we got moved up to the front of the plane (because the TV screen wasn't working), some of the passengers on the plane accused us of bribing the cabin attendants with doughnuts... jokingly, I think.  And back at Long Beach Airport, a dad even said to his son, "Hey, remember the man with all the doughnuts?"

Sugar overload for real.  Until the next voodoo curse, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

ML - 20120915

Post 111: Portland - A First Meal at Tasty N Sons (Portland: North Portland/Northeast/Boise)

Last September I visited Portland for the first time.  My friend Angela and I took an early morning flight out from Long Beach headed to the mecca of modern and inventive hipster cuisine.  Right after touching down at PDX, we dropped our bags off at the hotel and hailed a cab straight for Tasty N Sons, a self-titled neighborhood restaurant that has made itself into a Portland institution.

We settled down to a freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and a cup of local Stumptown brew, which was served with a very cheeky carafe of milk.  There's nothing like a good cup of acidic liquid to start your morning right.

Under the advisement of our welcoming and friendly server, we ordered the renowned Breakfast Board, which arrived complete with various proteins, an assortment of breads, fresh blackberries and pickled beets, and even a duo of supple spreads that pulled the smorgasbord together.

The strips of house made beef jerky were more moist than expected, and the hard-boiled eggs were more tender than expected.  But the double smoked applewood bacon was delicious just as expected.  It is hard for me to remember another time when I had bacon as good as this.  With a crisp crostini of chicken liver mousse spread over the top, I was in absolute heaven.  The only thing that may have been better than the luxurious chicken liver mousse was the Lebneh, the creamy yogurt cheese drizzled with olive oil.  Whether it's spread over crostini or encircling the fresh blackberries, the opulent tasting dairy spread cannot be beat.

For some heartier fare, we ordered the BBQ Chicken Hash.  It was topped off with some onion sour cream and an over easy egg.  I immediately popped the runny yolk so that it ran down the sweet and savory shredded chicken.  Ah, isn't that the best part of every egg done over easy?

We saw all of this being prepared on the spot while seated at the bar counter.  The chickens were pulled out of the oven, cooled and shredded, and blended with the barbecue sauce by hand.  Heart and soul was being injected into our fresh food live in front of us.  Very cool.

I was mesmerized by all the happenings of the open kitchen.  Everyone worked at a quick but steady pace without the frenzy and chaos of other kitchens I've seen.  No drama here... just genuine cooking.  It must have been the Portland air.

Our last taste at Tasty N Sons was the Chocolate Potato Doughnut with crème anglaise.  This was a must because it was prominently featured on the menu twice.  It was literally the first item on the menu, and it was on the desserts list as well.

It was densely packed with chocolate, and although I love chocolate, the granulated sugar coating on the exterior of the decadent doughnut and the pool of crème anglaise really made the dessert what it was.

Our first meal at Tasty N Sons gave us a solid first impression that this supposedly quirky city has to offer.  And now, next door to Chop Charcuterie and Eat: An Oyster Bar for a little taste of what they have to offer.  Let's get S.O.F.A.T.

ML - 20120914

Post 96: Two Times Quartino (Chicago: Near North Side)

In my very short trip in Chicago, most of which was spent in the suburbs by O' Hare Airport, I managed to come across Quartino twice.  The first time was a planned dinner with an old friend.  The second time was accidental... the result of a digestive walk after consuming Chicagoland staples on Ontario Street.  Quartino, is a tapas restaurant, but one that specializes in Italian small plates rather than the traditional Spanish snacks.  The menu is extensive, ranging from pizza to pasta to risotto.  There is a section for salumi and formaggi, and three of the eight folds in the paper menu are dedicated to wine.  Quartino was an ideal place to meet Jen, my friend from back home who had recently moved to the Windy City.

Whether sitting at the bar in the afternoon or settling down for dinner in the evening, the meat and cheese charcuterie is one that must be ordered.  The full platter is of salumeria tasting is two selection of meat and cheese each, three spuntini, and an assortment of olives.  The star of the salumi on the menu is definitely the house made duck proscuitto, a seasoned duck breast that is smooth and fatty, peppery and fragrant, vibrant and beautiful.  Another highlight is the fontina val d'aosta, a cow's milk cheese that is creamy and soft, and perfectly spreadable over crusty bread.

And now we turn to the dishes we ordered for dinner the night before.  The first thing we ordered was crisp calamari, which has become a must as an Italian appetizer.  It was cut in wide curls, and it was so fresh.  It was not overcooked to the point of tasting like a rubber band, just tender in the middle and slightly crisp from the breading on the outside.  The lemon and organic tomato sauce only added to its freshness.  It had to have been one of the best calamari plates I have ever had.

The next item we ordered was the sea scallops, grilled with beautiful sear impressions with a hint of lemon and caperberries.  There are not too many ways to grill sea scallops, so I appreciated that the restaurant served them on a bed of vegetables and sliced peppers in a buttery sauce.  The peppers gave a pleasant kick to an otherwise mild dish.  It wasn't completely out of the ordinary, but it was just different enough to make this dish have its own personality.

When Jen and I saw that angus beef carpaccio was on the menu, we had to order it.  Any carpaccio, tartare, or steak for that matter, is simply a favorite of mine.  Topped with shaved celery, parmigiano reggiano and extra virgin olive oil, the dish was a perfect balance of savory protein, salty dairy, and light greens.  I really liked that celery leaves were shaved along with the stalk.  The celery leaves gave the dish a very clean taste.  My only wish was that the cheese was grated as thin as the beef, but it was good nonetheless.

For a more substantial dish, we also ordered the roasted Tuscan sausage and peppers.  It was the first truly meaty dish that was served during the meal.  Even though the calamari and the scallops were hot dishes, the sausage and peppers were the first dish to make me feel warm.  Thanks to this dish I had forgotten all about the elements in the Windy City.  It was raining, and the wind was definitely blowing hard.

Of the four risotto dishes on the menu, we selected the mushroom risotto made with portobello, balsamic and pork stock.  The risotto was creamy and hearty, cooked to just al dente.  The comforting, hot food was a smart way to cap off the meal to make us feel full and satisfied. 

Even though we were absolutely stuffed, we had to have dessert.  Okay, so maybe I had to have dessert, and I conned Jen into joining me for dessert.  First were the zeppole, freshly made Italian doughnuts that were like a cross between giant donut holes and mini cream puffs.  They were dusted with powdered sugar on top and served with chocolate dipping sauce on the side.  Chocolate, of course, made the deep fried ball of dough that much better.

We also got chocolate cake.  What's wrong with us? Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs that night... maybe not just that night.  The torta al cioccolato topped with vanilla gelato sealed the deal for the night.  The hot chocolate cake melted the gelato too quickly, so I had no choice but to order another scoop.  Jen looked at me like I was crazy, but a cold gelato must be eaten the proper way.  I made sure to walk up and down the stairs to the bathroom a number of times to somehow stir up the digestion.  I'm not sure it worked out the way I had thought.

It had been years since I had eaten with Jen, but it seemed like we made up for all the lost meals in one night.  I was very glad that we were able to catch up while trying a variety of different Italian dishes all done tapas style.  With all the food that we had ordered for two people, I was surprised that we didn't even order from the pizza or pasta section.  That, I guess, will be saved for next time.  It was good to see both Jen and Chicago again.  Jen, come back and visit soon! Until the next business trip, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

ML - 20121018-19

Post 53: National Doughnut Day 2011

Last Friday was National Doughnut Day.  I wrote a post on National Doughnut Day last year after opening my eyes to some simply amazing doughnuts in Seattle.  Okay, scratch that.  I wrote two posts.  Counts on fingers.  Yes, that's right... two posts.  So to celebrate the big culinary holiday this year, I thought about heading to a local donut shop to purchase a dozen for the office... but I was running late, so no donuts.  But I walked into the office with a resounding chorus of, "Where are the donuts man?"

I have a habit of wanting to feed people until they balloon to human-sized chubby marshmallows, so I think everyone expects me to bring food in.  But lucky for me, I walked into our kitchen and found two boxes of Krispy Kreme, courtesy of colleagues on the other side of my cube wall.  So, "hey, uhhh... there are donuts in the kitchen!"

So happy National Doughnut Day to everyone.  No special doughnuts to celebrate with this year.  But I have found a few places in the Orange County area that require a visit.  In the meantime, check out my So Cal Krispy Kremes and my NYC Dunkin' Donuts.



And kick up your feet while bumming around to Bruno Mars', "The Lazy Song."  That's what I have on repeat lately.  Until the next culinary holiday, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

ML - 20110603