Travel and hotel life in Toronto

When I travel for more than two days I usually manage at some point to have access to a kitchen so that I can cook a bit wherever I am. Whether I rent a place with a kitchen or I do a kitchen take over at some friends’ place. I like to cook the local and seasonal products, and also to have homemade meals with just the right preparation and the right size. But sometimes this is not possible and I feel miserable! This trip to Toronto is one of these. I stay the whole week at a hotel without access to a kitchen… and without the time to shopping in a nice grocery store. My schedule was too busy for that and I only could shop at the 24-7 nearby grocery store with fruits coming from wherever it is… So I am craving for homemade fresh and local food. Of course I am a master of in-room food preparation. Before traveling I often search for the hotel nearby grocery stores or farmers markets, preferably the one with local products and arrange my schedule to have a chance to visit them. I always travel with a super good multipurpose Sicilian knife that can be used for anything from fruit peeling to bread cutting, and I often prepare food in my room. Indeed, the first thing I do when I arrive in a hotel is to get geared: I ask room service for a kettle, one or two plates and cutlery and it all usually comes with proper clothes to be used as kitchen clothes, but they never have good knifes.

As usual I did my homework and had a list of places to go visit upon arrival, but it was without counting that I arrived on Thanksgiving day and the many places I wanted to visit were almost all closed. So that dramatically limited my access to food resources. Not to add that Ontario may have a large variety of fruits and vegetables in the summer but when fall arrives, apples are pretty much the only local fruit available and the beautiful season of mushrooms and pumpkins requires a cooking range or some more elaborated equipment. Anyway… I managed to survive I guess…

Though my working program was quite intense with very little free time, I managed to have breakfast at a place I discovered last time I was in Toronto, where they have a delicious spice chai: Hot Black Coffee, and delicious muffins, with also plenty of vegan options, and to check out a place that everyone was talking about: Momofuku. I could see it Momofuku from the hotel elevator on my way to the pool every morning but didn’t know what it was (I first thought it was a daifuku place!!!). But it was on everyone’s mouth…

For those like me who don’t know, Momofuku is a branch restaurant of very popular NY chef Wang, that specializes in Asian fusion and in particular in noodles/ramen (kind of reminded me of the movie You’ll always be my maybe). The Toronto branch has a noodle bar and a high-end restaurant. I didn’t have time for the high-end. Knowing that I only had ramen once before with fish broth because I don’t like the pork-chicken… broth, I am not an expert in ramen, so eating some fusion ramen is not a blasphemy to an institution for me but I can understand that some purists may be shocked by some of the combinations proposed on the menu. I took some vegetarian noodles, with pumpkin (now or never!) and cheese. This was definitely an inventive combination! But not an uninteresting one… In any case, the restaurant itself was a very nice bright space quite enjoyable.

Now I’m heading back home to my kitchen and you can’t imagine how happy I am to have a long weekend to cook and bodyboard! The simple idea of making pancakes for breakfast while A. prepares his coffee rejoices me!

Blind Donkey

It is difficult to find new nice restaurants in Tokyo, not that there is none but rather that the offer is to wide. And because of our busy schedules, finishing work late pretty much every day, the idea of eating out is rarely an option. But we have guests or visitors we’re always happy to take them out and on these occasions we usually postpone a bit of work to finish early. That’s exactly what happened this week with P. and E. staying at our place. And in March we were recommended a restaurant in Tokyo, very close to our place actually, by a friend working in permaculture in Isumi. She emphasized the background of the chef and the sourcing of the products they use in the kitchen. We tried to go when we had visitors in April, but the restaurant was closed for a month for some rework of the menu or so, and finally I got a reservation for June. I have standards for restaurants that are not necessarily easy to meet. I’m picky with the food for sure, but also service, decor and overall atmosphere. I like places that are not packed, not too noisy, and where the staff is nice since being overly obsequious or marketed. And well… to be honest the Blind Donkey met all my expectations. I like the location, the space and the food, service was a bit rushed but nice and friendly, space between tables is nice, and you can have a conversation with your party without feeling you have to shout and becoming deaf. The food was great. The ingredients, the preparation, and the plating. All was simple but delicious. No extra.

So if you are in town you should try it.

The blind donkey

3-17-4 Uchikanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Pictures are from the restaurant instagram.

Bosso

As planned I didn’t have much time to write in the past days, busy with work: final grading, entrance exams, proposals to submit and research to supervise as usual though. And at home it’s been busy too, with friends visiting and a feverish A. to take care of. But the noticeable thing of this week is the turn in the weather and since the 16th it is definitely not summer anymore. Days have noticeably shortened, there is a cool wind and we turned off the cooler. It is perfect now for open drives, walks around the rice fields to watch rice harvesting and have lunch outside in the shade. And one place I really like, just halfway to Isumi from Tokyo, is the pizzeria Bosso by the lake in Ichihara. It is a small restaurant with seats indoor that have view on the lake and outdoor, facing the lakeside museum, there is a terrace shaded by wine with plenty of grapes, where you can eat the takeaway pizza. Not only the place is really nice, the staff is super friendly and nice, and the food always surprises me. They use local fresh products for the pizze, both cheese and vegetables. The Noka pizza (農家ピザ) uses plenty of seasonal vegetables thus changes regularly and I really love it, it is always a surprise! This time, on the cheese base there was a massive amount of fresh myoga, okra and ginger as in the picture below.

So if you are in the Ichihara area this place is a must try!!!! The nearby museum, the Ichihara artmix events etc.. are also worth a visit. My favorite riding club is also in the area.

Picture from the pizzeria FB page

Bosso pizzeria:

Chiba-ken Ichihara-shi, Funyu75-1

Website

Ichihara lakeside museum

Detour @Brisbane

So, we’ve been in Brisbane for a couple of days now and we’ve tried a few places to dine out but it is not too easy to find nice restaurants in at a reasonable distance from the city center that serves local products… hopefully our friend C. found one very very nice place where we had a great dinner in a nice casual environment. The place is called Detour and is in the neighborhood of Woolloongabba, a short Uber ride from the center.

The menu features an omnivore and an herbivore section. The guys tried the crocodile dumplings, D. and I just stick to vegan/vegetarian dishes that were all excellent. The carrots had a real something different that made them amazing. The desserts, using a bit more molecular cooking were also great. I discovered lemon myrtle, a very Queensland thing, that is just something I would love to eat more and try to cook!!!

Pictures are from the restaurant website.

Detour:

6/11 Logan Rd
Woolloongabba 4102, Brisbane, Australia
07 3217 4880
enquiries@detourrestaurant.com.au

Toronto

Until today I couldn’t really say “I’ve been in Toronto”. When I was a teenager I spent a few hours there on a trip to Niagara with my American family, I remembered the CN tower and around but that was all. So when D. and C. proposed to spend the weekend in Toronto while I was visiting Waterloo for work, I thought it was a great opportunity. A. could join for the weekend from Florence and we would enjoy what the city has to offer in the end of winter: good food, nice walks, theater shows…

We walked all over the city, from the Old Toronto to the East Bayfront, and the Distillery district, through China town to Kensington market and back to the Waterfront… stopping for a bite, a show, or design stores (on King street)…

Here are a few recommendations for enjoying you stay in Toronto.

– stay: I would recommend the Old Toronto where you can find all the big 5 stars hotels. It’s convenient to walk everywhere or so. We stayed at the Ritz-Carlton. Nothing exceptional about it but great efficient service.

– coffee/breakfast: Hot Black Coffee on Queens street is a nice tiny coffee shop open early in the morning. Nice Chai latte, and a wide selection of items for breakfast: muffins, toasts…

– lunch: El Catrin is a Mexican restaurant in the distillery district, their vegetarian tacos were amazing, inventive and refreshing.

– dinner: Actinolite is THE place to eat. A restaurant with a chef that uses exclusively local and oc course seasonal products and makes an inventive, perfectly balanced menu, with the right textures and flavors, and the perfect size. Plating was also great. There is no Michelin guide of Toronto but if there was, it would surely be in with 2 stars at least.

Picture from Actinolite website

Le petit nice

After the buzz of a family Christmas celebration, the noise and the fuss, it is now quiet, even peaceful and time to celebrate my birthday. My parents booked a table at le Petit Nice, a three Michelin star restaurant in Marseille that I like very much for the excellent Mediterranean cuisine and the beautiful view from the dining room. It’s been a really long time I haven’t been there, probably at that time it was not Gerald Passedat but his father Jean-Paul, so I was glad to go again, and with the grey and cold day, it was even more adequate. Since I came last time the place has been nicely refurbished, with classic modern flair, and Jean-Paul Passedat welcoming you at the entrance is just great! As expected the menu (adapted for my taste) was perfect and two dishes really surprised me and enchanted me taste-wise more than the others. The first one was the turbot with fennel. A magic fish preparation with several fennel versions: seeds, roots, juice etc… The second dish that was really unique was the dessert with cacao, persimmon and black olives. The mise en bouche was just strickingly beautiful, like a piece of Mediterranean sea in the plate. If you are in Marseille and want a great culinary experience, do not miss the place!

And to continue the pleasure of the experience the book is really great! With some recipes to try very soon!

Le petit nice

17 rue des Braves, 13007 Marseille

website  not fully operational and up to date (the dining room is now much nicer)

A nice custom

In Japan when you go to a bice restaurant there a nice custom of leaving the restaurant with a present, generally food present. Many of the Japanese restaurants we jave been practice this custom, but I don’t know where it comes from. I need to investigate more!!!! 

I remember some delicious pound cake from Robuchon, sometimes so breads or some cookies or chocolates in French restaurants. In Japanese restaurant it is often some pickles or some rice and this time we had again dinner at Itosho, a Shojin cuisine restaurant, it was some nice green peas rice. To which I added a scrambled egg to make a perfect quick dinner the next day! A very nice way to prolong the experience!

Have a beautiful Sunday! 

Parisian addresses for travelers

Our hotel life in Paris is continuing with a few nice discoveries and rediscoveries that I really want to share for those away from home in Paris. First of all the hotel. Finding a good hotel in Paris with all the services and the quietness is nit an easy task.

Hotel:

After trying many many hotels in many different places, left bank, right bank, I think we’ve finally found our home in Paris: La Reserve. I wanted to stay at the Mandarin oriental again, because I liked the swimming pool and the large rooms, but A. didn’t like it that much (sloppy room service and poor attitude of the security staff and bellmen at the door) so he convinced me to try La Reserve, and there has been no disappointment from start to end. The pool is nice, little used, the hotel is sizable and the staff super nice, the rooms are very quiet and well furnished. The service is very personalized and all is about smiles and freshness. The location is also great (nearby many galleries and in the midst of green) and the little things like the courtesy chauffeur are just nice surprises. 

Restaurants: 

Flora Danica, is a real classic Danish restaurant in the Maison du Danemark on the Champs Élysées, that has been there forever in Paris. We used to go when we lived in Paris. It has changed many times but the quality of the food is steady and the dishes are simple and delicious. The nordic Scandinave interior is beautiful and cosy. The dishes, mainly salmon and mackerel are really nice. Ingredients come first, no fancy arrangements.

Haï Kaï is a restaurant in the 10eme by the Canal Saint Martin. A hipster area of Paris. The place interiror is very simple and the dishes really great. The discovery menu is mking some ambitious and provocative combinations, the a la carte menu is more considerate and has some beautiful dishes like the merlan au beurre or the Parisian gaspacho.  A nice new address in Paris with a cheffe (woman chef!).

Pierre

There are quite many Michelin rated restaurants in Kansai, many are Japanese cuisine restaurants. For A.’s birthday I was looking for a nice place to spend the evening, many are closed on Sunday and I couldn’t make a decision. After spending some time at the Saint Regis hotel, we checked in at the Intercontinental hotel (because it has a swimming pool, something I really enjoy when on business trip) and that’s only at that time that I realized their restaurant Pierre was a newly starred on the Michelin list. Their menu attracted me for being both simple and creative and I was not disappointed. Since I have a list of things I don’t eat that can scare more than one chef and A. has also his preferences that are different than mine I assume that we are a headache!!! But everything was perfectly adjusted and the plates were beautiful, fresh, and perfectly sized for us. Contrarily to many places in Osaka where meat is central, at Pierre local vegetables are playing a main part. If you are in Osaka, I warmly recommend that place, the service lacks a bit of confidence, but the food is exquisite. Wine pairing with the menu was really nice too. Booking is more than recommended as it is quite busy and if like me you have likes/dislikes the chef can accommodate more easily.

Pierre @hotel Intercontinental Osaka near Umeda station and Grand front.

Japanese spring vegetables at Pierre

pictures from the official website  

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