Miyagi Trip 2017 - Day 1

As there is no direct flight from HK to Miyagi, we decided to transit in Osaka. Taking the Cathay midnight flight, we were surprised to see the flight was all full, but on deeper thought it should be expected because it was also the beginning of the long weekend of National Day.

Pretty sleeping for the whole way, we touched down in Kansai airport (KIX) early, and with virtually an empty terminal we were able to quickly retrieved our luggage and went to the airport bus-stop, and catch the 7am shuttle to Osaka Airport (ITM). The fare is 1950 yen for adult. 

The ride was quite comfortable, with after slightly more than an hour we arrived at Itami. Our connecting flight is with J-Air, the commuter airline under Japan Airlines. Fortunately because JL is also part of Oneworld, I was able to use my Marco Polo member status to use the fast-lane and get lounge access too. 

Still early and with about three hours before flight departure, we went to one of the restaurants Sorazen for breakfast. I had the French Toast Set while my wife had Japanese set. The French toast is quite nice, freshly prepared so would take a while to be served. With maple syrup and whipping cream, it certainly is rich and indulgent. The sweetness is quite balanced with the savory bacon and sausage. There is also a fresh vegetable salad on the side, with a cup of coffee along, the set costs 1180 yen, fairly reasonable in my opinion.

Finishing breakfast and since there is not much to see or buy in the airport, we decided to go to the lounge to relax. Again thanks to my Marco Polo status I could go in with my wife. Honestly I was quite tired already and so had slept for a while in the lounge. Eventually the time came and we went to the gate to board our flight.

After about an hour in the air we arrived at the first stop of my Miyagi trip - Sendai. The weather was beautiful with a cool breeze and plenty of sunshine, and just exiting the baggage claim area was the rental car company counters. The staff of Toyota Rent A Car was already expecting us and greeted us warmly when we approached her. In no time she called the shuttle and took us to the rental office.

The office was basically empty when we arrived, and so we can quickly processed the registration and we were lucky to get a nearly brand new Camry this time (with the mileage less than 3000 km). The car is comfortable, quiet and easy to navigate. After driving for about 30 minutes, we reached our hotel on the night, The Westin Sendai. 

The hotel has a modern, luxurious and chic setting, with the reception located on the 26th floor. Probably because we came at the peak hour for check-in, there were quite a few people so it took a bit of time before our turn. 

The room we booked is of the type 'Premier Room', which is located in the corner of the floor with full-height windows of panoramic city views. It has a relaxing palette of walnut furnishings with a dark satin. 

The two double beds are very comfortable, and there is also a sofa chair with ottoman for one to relax and enjoy the view. In addition, there is a round working table as well for business travelers. 

The bathroom again has floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing plenty of natural light to come in, with the marble floor, rainforest shower, and a free-standing bathtub. One can also open the blinds to admire the city view during soaking in the bath. A really great experience.

Then we headed out to the Ichibancho, which is a shopping area near the hotel, about 10 minutes walk. It is a covered walkway so you don't need to worry about the weather. The place is busy but not overly so, and it is a leisure walk and shop time for both locals and tourists.

Because we didn't have lunch we went for a quick bite in a cafe called Kamakura. The signature of the cafe is freshly baked bread. We both ordered a pasta however since we were hungry, and the taste is quite nice in fact.

We went to the Fujisaki department store, looking for some good sake, which is part of my ritual whenever I visit a Japanese prefecture I would try to buy the best local sake. Happy to see that the wine section of the department store actually have one of the largest selection of sake, and particularly featuring local ones. I went crazy and quickly bought five bottles to bring back home to enjoy. One mission accomplished!

We also went to other parts of the department store, and bought some dried shrimps and a bunch of grapes, which are very reasonably priced (compared to HK). The grapes are large in size, perfect in each of them, and very juicy and sweet.

Continuing our shopping we also were searching for the restaurant we were going for dinner. Coming to Sendai of course we need to try their most famous food - grilled beef tongue. Aji Tasuke is recognized as the birthplace of this delicious specialty in Sendai, with more than 74 years now in history. It is a small place and we were seated at the counter looking how the beef tongue is prepared.

The beef tongue is seasoned with salt, pepper and then allowing to marinate overnight before grilling on charcoal fire. Looking at the second generation owner (already an elderly gentleman) checking the fire, adding charcoal, and then grilling the beef tongue may seem easy, but it truly demonstrated the skills he had perfected over the years.

I ordered the four pieces set, which come with four pieces of juicy, tender and beautifully grilled beef tongue, some pickled vegetable, ox tail soup and barley rice. The soup is also very good, with the broth clear and not having a drop of oil, elegant in the taste with the leek bringing additional fragrance to it. The rice is also good with the barley providing more bite to the texture.

With my wife ordering the 3 pieces grilled beef tongue and a glass of beer, the bill was 3900 yen which is very decent in price. A place I highly recommend if you happen to be in Sendai.

Walking back to the hotel we stopped at the yakitori restaurant Kushidori to have a few skewers. We visited the same restaurant in Sapporo a few times before. Honestly this one in Sendai is not as good with the skewers only so-so.

Back in the hotel the beautiful night view of the city greeted us from our room. Good night Sendai!

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Bouchon

This French bistro is located in Soho, Central, at the end of the pedestrian escalator. Having made the reservation online, when we arrived it seemed the staff could not find our booking but we were quickly seated without much hassle.

The setting is one of bistro style, with small tables and high chairs so overall it was not particularly comfortable for diners. But the biggest issue for me was the lack of air-conditioning. The restaurant was hot, and even with the fans overhead it did not help much in cooling me down, particularly since we walked up all the way from Queen's Road Central via the escalator.

I drained my glass of water and ordered a virgin mojito, and finished that also in no time. I noticed that many other customers also had voiced out the temperature problem but seem there is nothing the staff can do. I have to say that seriously affect our overall dining experience.

For starter we ordered the Assiette de Charcuterie, which is a cold cut platter comprising of Foie Gras, Bayonne Ham, Garlic Sausages, Saucisson Sec, Chorizo and Duck Rillette. The ham and sausages are good, but I like the foie gras most, which is creamy and melting in mouth. There are some toasts provided to accompany the foie gras which gives a contrasting crunchy bite. The duck rillette is seasoned nicely also.

The other appetizer is Escargots de Bourgogne, which are a dozen of Burgundy snails with herb butter. The herbs butter are fragrant and rich. The snails are tender in bite, but a bit under-seasoned. Overall not a bad attempt.

For the main course my wife went for Poulet Roti, which is Chicken Breast, Crispy Polenta, Chanterelles, and Truffle Jus. The chicken is juicy and not rubbery, and the polenta is creamy with a nice cheese flavor, but the portion is a bit too big for her to finish. The mushroom is tasty and paired well with the truffle jus. Quite a nice dish also.

My main course is Bouillabaisse, the signature Provencal Seafood Stew. There are prawns, mussels, perch and crab served on a nice rich seafood stock, with parsley, onion and potatoes as well. The soft-shell crab can be eaten whole, and the perch is pan-fried with crispy skin. Both are quite nice but the prawns are not up to standard, tiny in size, lacking flavors and I suspect are frozen ones. It is difficult to imagine the signature dish of the restaurant using such and I have to say I am quite disappointed.

Not until we got the bill did the staff came to check in with us on the food, and there are basically minimal service throughout. However, this is not totally unexpected as this is nevertheless just a bistro. With the above four dishes plus a mocktail the bill on the night was $969, which is quite reasonable. But unless coming in cooler time of the year, or you can really stand eating outdoors in a summer evening, the restaurant is just too 'hot'.

My overall rating is 50/100.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Shing's Kitchen

This restaurant is located in The Tanner Hill, the special project from HK Housing Society for the rich elderly. When first arriving and parking my car, I have the impression that I came to a premium luxury apartment, with the parking system taking a photo of the plate number upon entering and I only needing to type in my plate number at the machine to pay my parking fee.

Going up one floor is the restaurant, bright and neatly set up, offering a decent environment for the diners. As many of the customers are the elders living in the building, the restaurant has tailored made the dishes to be suitable for them.

We ordered three dishes on the night, including Chicken in Soy Sauce, Rainbow Prawn Ball, as well as Mixed Dried Seafood and Vegetable in Clay Pot. The chicken is quite nice, with a rich Chinese rose wine aromas permeating before I start eating. The soy sauce of suitable saltiness, and the chicken flesh is also quite tender. Not a bad attempt at all.

The Rainbow Prawn Ball is certainly a colorful dish, with good visual appearance, comprising of big prawn, bell pepper of different colors, celery, beans, tomato and onion. The prawns are good, seasoned beautifully and crunchy in texture. The vegetables are stir-fried nicely too, but the beans may be a bit under-cooked for me. Still a decent dish overall.

The Mixed Dried Seafood and Vegetable in Clay Pot is something most Cantonese restaurants would offer, and in my opinion one of the those dishes that can be a real test of the quality of the restaurant. Unfortunately this is a far inferior dish than the others. The main issue is the dried small shrimps used. They got a weird taste and we decided not to eat those, and the soup was also affected by those. The vegetable and mushroom are not bad, but just that the experience is not pleasant as a result. It is disappointing.

The service is fair, without anything to praise except that when serving the first dish they already prepared three bowls of rice along and save the time from taking the order and getting them from the kitchen. The price is quite reasonable at $501 for the three of us, and if they did not have the issue on the dried small shrimps my rating would be much higher.

The overall rating is 50/100.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Sabatini

This Italian restaurant is located inside The Royal Garden Hotel in TST, and in my opinion it is one of the top Italian restaurants in town. Being here a few times, I always had a good time and this occasion is no exception. The setting is of European-style, reminiscent of a nice restaurant in Italy, with beautiful floor tiles, nice pottery and furniture, and there is also the oven and dessert cart in the background.


We ordered two appetizers to share, one being the Grilled Octopus and Scallops Salad and the other is the Parma Ham with Melon. The staff has arranged our portions to be served on the same plate, so we don't need to do that on our own and creating unnecessary messiness. The octopus got the good chewy bite but not rubbery, and the scallops are fresh, full of flavors and seasoned beautifully, with the salad having a blend of basil, olive oil, tomato and greens. The Parma ham with melon is another signature, with the ham permeating the savory aromas and the saltiness is balanced perfectly with the sweetness of the melon, which is juicy, and the two appetizers certainly started off the dinner with a high expectation for us.

Then we have the signature pasta of the restaurant, the Linguine Sabatini, which essentially is a seafood linguine. The pasta is freshly made in-house, with clams, mussels, scallops and prawn prepared in a tomato sauce. Nothing can compare with freshly made pasta in my opinion, and the texture is something you won't be able to find otherwise. The seafood are fresh and having the great flavors of the sea, complemented by the acidity of the tomato to enhance the freshness. Another great dish.

For the main course I ordered the Dove Sole with Porcini and Beans, while my wife went for the Grilled Lamb Chops. The fish is very tasty, pan-fried nicely with butter, showing a golden sheen, great texture and seasoning. But I am most impressed by the porcini, which is a profound flavor intensity and I guess it is cooked in a sauce to have such concentration.

The lamb chops are equally good with the flesh tender and juicy, grilled perfectly to medium level as requested. There are some aged balsamic vinegar on the side to provide the sweetness to supplement the sauce.

For dessert I ordered the Chocolate Molten Cake with Vanilla Ice-cream, while my wife went for Tiramisu. The molten cake is good, with the rich chocolate oozing out upon cutting the cake, and there is a citrus sauce on the side to provide a tartness to balance the rich sweetness, and the vanilla ice-cream has a good vanilla note and right sugar level.

Although I didn't try the tiramisu, just from the look of it already won over the heart of us. The chocolate powder sprinkled on top has the nice spoon and fork shape, and the rich mascarpone cheese is creamy and indulgent.

Wrapping up I ordered a double espresso and the experience in total was one of satisfaction and enjoyment. The service is nice and friendly, without too much intrusion to us during the meal, though I hope they can spend more time explaining the dishes to us before serving. There is also a live band with musicians playing the instruments and singing to provide a romantic atmosphere for all.

With two bottles of still water as well, the bill on the night was $2,868 after a 10% discount from the Citibank credit card promotion. Considering the quality of the food, the environment, services and overall satisfaction it is of good value in my opinion.

My overall rating is 73/100.

Nutritionist Recipe - 48. Seafood Risotto

Ingredients (for 4):

• Squid - 1
• Mussels - 12
• Shrimps - 8
• Arborio Rice - 350 g
• Low-fat cream - 3/4 cup
• Low-sodium chicken stock - 750 ml
• White wine - 4 tbsp
• Garlic - 4 cloves
• Onion - 1
• Parmesan cheese - 10 g
• Butter - 1 tsp

Procedures:

1. Clean all the seafood thoroughly, remove the shells of the mussles.

2. Cut the squid into rings.

3. Remove the shell of the shrimps and remove the insides.

4. Peel the garlic and chop into finely.

5. Peel the onion and chop into finely.

6. Put 1/2 tsp of butter in a heated pan under medium-high heat, then add garlic.

7. Once fragrant, put all the seafood in and cook for a short while, add a bit of white wine. Remove for later use.

8. Clean the pan and heat to medium heat, then add the remaining butter.

9. Saute the onion, then add the arborio rice. Continue to stir and cook.

10. Heat the chicken stock to boil, then gradually add those into the rice. Continue to stir well.

11. Continue to add chicken stock and continue to stir well. Then add cream and white wine.

12. When it is nearly done, put the seafood back into the rice and mix well. 

13. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and let it simmer for a short while with lid.

Family Meal Recipe 13. - Fried Eggs with Asparagus

Ingredients (for 4):

• Thin asparagus spears - 28
• Olive oil - 400 ml
• Eggs - 8

Procedures:

1. Pour 100ml of olive oil into a deep frying pan and place over a high heat.

2. Fry the asparagus for 3-4 minutes, turning regularly, until just tender. Transfer to a serving plate and keep warm.

3. Pour 300ml of olive oil into a deep frying pan and place over a medium heat.

4. Break the eggs into cups, then carefully slide them one at a time into the hot oil. 

5. Fry the eggs for 1.5 minutes, until the whites are crisp at the edges but the yolks are still soft.

6. Lift the eggs from the oil using a slotted spoon. Drain well, then place on top of the asparagus. Season with salt before serving.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Chan Chun Kee

This small stall is located in Queens Street Market, a place where there are a few famous and good eatery. Chan Chun Kee is certainly one of them with a long history, only serving a limited choice of food. But all coming here is just for one purpose - their signature Pig's Organ Soup.

Many people would complain the service of the eatery, and in my opinion while the lady serving us could in no way be called friendly and nice, she did tell all people the time you would need to wait for your noodle, typically around 15-20 minutes or more during peak hours. Many might think that is rude but I think it is just to manage expectation. But of course if the tone is more friendly it would make a huge difference.

We actually had to come back as all tables were full, but then once seated and have our order taken, it took less than the time she told us for our orders to come. I have taken the Pig's Organ Soup with Flat Rice Noodle, of the large portion, while my wife went for the same with Rice Noodle but small portion.

The broth is clear without any oil, and there are different pig's organ included, like stomach, lungs, intestines and a few others I don't know the English name. I also included the Pig's blood cubes. The organs are all cleaned very thoroughly, without any strange smell and really tasty, with all the different texture. The chef has added some white pepper powder to the soup to enhance the flavors and it was really nice. I generally do not like to eat the organs but this time I did finish all in no time so it really showed how good they are.

With two cans of soft drinks, the total bill was $100, which is reasonable. Nowadays it is not easy to see an eatery that is still so focus on making one thing great and Chan Chun Kee is one of them.

My overall rating is 50/100.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Cafe Gray Deluxe

This restaurant is located on the top floor of The Upper House, a hip luxury designer hotel in Admiralty. Arriving on the 49th floor, the first impression I got was that it was a real high-end restaurant, from the interior designs, the setup and more importantly, the amazing views looking out the window. One can see across the harbour, at ICC and the western Kowloon area, and in the evening that alone was probably worth coming over.

But of course we need to have good food in order to qualify for a good restaurant. And on the night we ordered the Market Menu, which has four courses. To begin the cold appetizer is Yellowtail Crudo, Chilled Tomato Consomme, with Lavender and Basil. The fish is nice and fresh, with the tomato having good acidity to pair well with the fish to highlight its freshness and supplement well on the delicate taste. The consomme added an extra dimension with the herbs enhancing the flavors but not overpowering. A good start for our dinner.

The second course is Poached Lobster Tail in XO Butter with Haricot Vert and Edamame. The hot appetizer has a rich texture, aromatic with a creamy sauce that matches perfectly with the green soybeans and green beans. The lobster tail is fleshy, cooked beautifully and having great flavors. My only comment for this dish was that it was quite salty, both in the seasoning of the edamame and the XO butter. Tuning down that a bit more would make the dish even better, but overall not a bad one.

There are two choices of the main course, one being Seared Skate Wing, Saffron Emulsion, Charred Eggplant, Olives and Bergamot, and the other being Roasted Rack of Lamb, Cauliflower and Water Chestnuts, with Dried Chilies and Cumin. My wife opted for the fish while I went for the lamb. I tried a bite of the fish, and that immediately reminded me of the same type of fish I had once in a high-end Korean restaurant in Seoul, albeit less exotic, but still quite difficult to be well-liked given the strong ammonia taste. I guess that is the intention all along? My wife frankly hate that and it was a miracle she finished it, probably doesn't want to embarrass anyone.

The lamb is much more 'normal' from that perspective, though I would not say it was in any way impressive. The lamb was roasted to medium level, with a bit of fat on the skin. The use of cumin in my opinion is a bit dangerous as it can easily hijack all the attention on the flavors, but I imagine the chef is trying to prepare the lamb in a fusion manner incorporating some Chinese elements, that you might find the skewers in the northern part of the country. My comments on the two main courses would be a bit disappointing however.

For dessert it is Ginger Flan, with Crystallized Ginger, Longan and Lemon Madeleines. The ginger flan is quite good, of the right sweetness level, with a delicate ginger note and a bit of 'kick' on the spice. Coupled with the longan, the fruit provided a light refreshing taste to the richness, and the ginger sorbet served well to balance the dessert and clean the palate. On the side there are two pieces of lemon madeleines which are also good, spongy in texture and again of right sweetness.

Service overall was quite good, though I would expect in this type of restaurant whenever the food is served the staff should explain what we are having and check in with us along the way to adjust coming dishes if necessary. With a bottle of water, a cup of double espresso, the bill on the night was $1,854 for two persons. Not exactly very good value dinner frankly.

My overall rating is 58/100.