Kyoto in Photos: Nijo Castle

Part 3 of 10

Place: Nijo Castle

How to get there: It's just west of the city center. Take the bus to Nijo-jo Mae bus stop or take the subway to Oike Station.

Essential Information: First built in 1603 by order of the first Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, as his Kyoto residence and defenseive position. Modifications were completed in 1626, but some of the original castle was destroyed over the years by fire. The main building, Ninomaru Palace, is open for visitors, but no photos are allowed inside. There is also a beautiful garden (like everywhere else in Kyoto, it seems).

My Take: The palace is famous for a security feature called the "nightingale floor," where nails have been placed below the floorboards in a way such that when pressure is applied to the floor, the nails scrape the wood creating a squeaking sound (like a nightingale). This was done to prevent an intruder from being able to sneak into the palace undetected. As I was walking through the palace (with a hundred or so other people) I could hear in the background what sounded like a flock of birds chirping away. So it still works today - pretty cool!

A guard tower stands above the moat and outer wall of the castle complex

The Kara Mon, or, Chinese Gate and its' ornate decorations. The Ninomaru Palace can be seen behind it.

Ninomaru Palace, the main building of the castle grounds. It is here where the Shogun and his guards stayed.

The famous Nightingale Floor. Notice how the nails stick up into the floorboards, primed to screech with the slightest pressure.

There are many beautiful gardens in Kyoto, but this one was one of my favorites

A map of the castle grounds shows a fort protected by a moat within a fort protected by another moat. I guess it's good to be extra careful sometimes. The main building at the bottom is the Ninomaru Palace. The one inside the second moat is the secondary palace, Honmaru.

A view of the extended castle grounds. The Honmaru Palace is the building on the right.

Kyoto in Photos: Heian Jingu Shrine

Part 2 of 10

Place: Heian Jingu Shinto Shrine

Address: Nishi Tennocho, Okazaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan

Essential Information: The Heian Shrine is relatively new (by Kyoto standards), having been built in 1895 to honor the 1100th anniversary of the establishment of Kyoto (formerly called Heian-kyo). The Shrine honors two emperors of great importance in Kyoto's history - Emperor Kammu, who was responsible for moving the capital to Kyoto in 794, and Emperor Komei, the last to rule from this city before the capital was moved to Tokyo in 1868. The Shrine is open year round, and admission to the grounds is free. A nominal fee is required for entrance to the garden.

My Take: The architecture and gardens were beautiful and tranquil. It was cloudy and rainy the afternoon I visited, which added to the stoic feel of the place.

The torii (gate) leading to the Shrine is the largest in all of Japan

The main entrance to Heian Jingu

Inside the courtyard is the main hall, which was built as a scaled down replica of Kyoto's original imperial palace

One of the corner end structures

There I am, walking across the water on some stone pillars (actually reused from the footings of a 16th century Kyoto bridge). It was amazing to see the attention to detail in the trimming and shaping of the trees.

A stone pagoda standing in front of a Japanese maple tree

The view across the lake shows a wooden covered bridge and another hall

The mastery of carpentry skills is on full display here, as the bridge is made of perfectly smooth natural wood, and is built without using any nails

A small hall used for traditional tea ceremonies

Kyoto in Photos: Introduction

Part 1 of 10

I have been fascinated by Japan for several years now, but had never had the opportunity to visit until now. If I was only going to stay a couple of days there, Kyoto with it's history and culture were an easy choice. Besides, practically speaking, 2 days is barely enough time to get the flavor of a place, so I wanted to make constructive use of every possible moment. With literally thousands of historical sights in and around Kyoto (including a staggering 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sights), this was the ideal place to go. I even stayed at a hotel located inside Kyoto Station (rail, bus, and subway all in one place!) so I wouldn't waste time "commuting" each day.

The inside of super-modern looking Kyoto Station. The photo was taken as I was exiting the Hotel Granvia Kyoto, the ideal place to use as the homebase for my trip.

Although I don't speak Japanese, I've collected a handful of useful phrases over the years. And it was awesome that I finally got the chance to use them. People (especially in the service industry) generally speak enough English to communicate, but it was fun to throw down in the local tongue.

In the 2 days I spent in Kyoto I managed to cover quite a few of the key sights and experiences. I had pretty high expectations going in, but Kyoto beat them all quite easily. I went a little nuts and took about 300 photos. Don't worry though, I've picked out only the best ones and put together a sort-of photo journal to share with you. I'll try to keep my comments brief and let the photos speak for themselves. Hopefully they can show just a little of the beauty and intrigue that make Kyoto such a captivating place.

Merry Christmas 2007

I just wanted to take a moment to wish you all a happy and blessed Christmas season. With a little one in the house, the excitement is off the charts here! I've cobbled together a few photos to share some of our joy with you all. Merry Christmas!!!

Elisabeth and Mommy (with baby Greyson tagging along) decorating the Christmas tree (of course it's real).

Elisabeth helping Daddy put snowflake ornaments up on the tree.

"I'm gonna rip the paper off, Daddy!"

Elisabeth loves her Play-Doh! at least, for about 0.3 seconds before saying "I wanna open another one, daddy!" I think of all the presents she got, her favorite was 'the next one.'

And then, of course, there's dinner. Standing rib roast (dry aged at home, using a variation on Alton Brown's method) with rosemary & red wine jus. Notice the deep red coloration on the beef as well as the nice intramuscular fat marbling.

Roasted to medium doneness (warm and pink throughout) - perfect for my holiday guests.

Even Daddy had a good year. I even got a gift from my good friend Paps. What a guy!

It was a beautiful white Christmas. Elisabeth and daddy played outside and made a " 'noh man"

Tankuma: A Taste of Kyoto's Kaiseki Cuisine

When traveling to a new place, it always pays to have some insider knowledge. I was lucky to meet up with a friend in Kyoto who had lived there for a few years. I mentioned that I wanted to experience a Kyoto specialty - a Kaiseki dinner. There are scores of places in Kyoto offering this special type of traditional meal, and the cost can be outrageously high. But my friend took me to Tankuma, which offers a 9 course mini-kaiseki menu for a very reasonable price. There are a few locations in and around Kyoto, but we went to one inside the Takashimaya department store (located near the intersection of Shijo and Kawaramachi, on 7th floor of the store).

Kaiseki cuisine originated as a means to provide sustenance following a traditional tea ceremony, but has evolved to become a highly refined cuisine artform. Seasonal ingredients of the highest quality are the featured elements of any true Kaiseki menu. Many small courses are presented, with meticulous attention devoted to freshness and preparation. Selections usually include an appetizer, sashimi, soup, grilled fish, rice, and dessert; however, more courses can be included at the chef's discretion, but are sequenced to follow a traditionally defined progression. Visual appeal is of great importance in Kaiseki-ryori, often using natural elements like flowers and foliage to add color and interest to a plate, as well as using colorful service pieces. It is typically called "vegetarian," although fish is generally used liberally throughout (true vegetarian Kaiseki is also available, if you really need it).

There is little available information in English about Tankuma, but at 5250 yen, the kaiseki set menu I was served was a steal. Cue the footage...

First Plate (1st and 2nd courses) - The visual statement struk me immediately as the first courses were placed in front of me.

First course: sashimi of tuna (maguro), red snapper (tai), and squid (ika). Each was perfectly fresh and tender. The squid in particular had a fantastic texture where a firm bite gave way to a silky, soft interior that melted away - it's clean flavor was matched perfectly with freshly grated wasabi.

Second Course: (from left) spinach with sesame dressing, grilled chicken and vegetable skewer with cucumber pickle, vinegared whitefish pressed sushi (oshizushi) wrapped in bamboo leaf, roasted chestnut, and grilled fish cake.

A closeup of the unwrapped sushi. The rice was perfectly prepared (one of the most underrated aspects of good sushi) - each grain of rice was soft but firm to the bite, not too sticky but holding the formed shape. The vinegar seasoning was subtle with a touch of sweetness, creating a balance that enhanced, rather than overpowered the flavor of the fish.

Second Plate (3rd and 4th courses) - Tempura and soup. The soup featured a dashi broth with seasonal vegetables, mushroom, yuba bean curd, and fish (it had tiny bones left in, but was sliced with hundreds of paper-width slices to break them up). A slice of sudachi was provided to squeeze into the soup.

Third Course: Tempura - The tempura was fried to a light, crisp texture. Items included sweet green pepper (much milder flavor than green bell peppers), squid steak (same item as the sashimi preparation earlier, with fantastic results as a fried item as well), squash, and shrimp (one shrimp was wrapped in a shiso leaf, which made for a great splash of flavor - I would liken shiso to basil in terms of the pungency it adds, but the flavor is totally different). Coarse grained salt and ponzu were also provided as dipping sauces.

Third Plate (5th - 8th courses) - (clockwise from botton-left) Stemaed rice, broiled eel, seaweed salad with crabmeat, Japanese pickle assortment, clear soup with fish cake, steamed fish custard. The grilled eel was outstanding - fresh, soft, and moist, the texture and flavor were superior to the pre-made version used at typical sushi restaurants. There was also a nice sweetness that provided depth of flavor when eaten with the steamed rice. If there was one item that was not in the butter zone, it was the seaweed salad. Tiny strands of sea vegetable were suspended in a gelatinous broth that reminded me of (so sorry to do this to you...) snot. The crabmeat was sweet and delicious however. Kelp, gourd, and cucumbers made up the pickle selection. These are a Kyoto specialty, and are usually eaten with the rice. The clear soup was mild, and acted sort of as a palate cleanser. I was surprised by the custard, which was flavored with bonito shavings and contained a piece of steamed fish at the bottom. It was tasty and unexpected (for me, anyways).

Fourth Plate (9th course) - Vanilla ice cream with pomello. As good as this was, it seemed so simple to me compared with the intricacy of the previous courses. Perhaps it is a final statement on the philosophy of Japanese cuisine, whatever that means.


Admittedly, this was my first taste of traditional Kaiseki food,so I have no true reference for comparison. That said, I was thoroughly impressed. I've been to more modern Japanese places (see Nobu), but this was my first encounter with the classic elements that make up the backbone of such acclaimed institutions. To prepare these courses and present them with such artistic beauty, a chef must have tremendous skill and discipline - this and the brightness of flavor from using such fresh ingredients were perhaps the most memorable elements of this experience for me. If I were in Kyoto again, I wouldn't hesitate to come back to this place. It seems an ideal place to get acquainted with the essence of classic Japanese cuisine - especially if you don't want to break the bank to do so.

One Night at Incheon

My stay in Hong Kong was short lived - literally just enough time to eat dinner and head to the airport. I was heading to Japan on a personal visit, so I had decided to take the redeye in order to maximize my sightseeing time. 12:30am departure time, arriving in Incheon, South Korea at 5:00am. After a 5 hour stopover, I would depart for Osaka at 10am, arriving an hour and a half later at 11:30am.

I was taking Asiana Airlines, the second of South Korea's major airlines. For some reason I had been bumped up to first class, which was so money for an overnight flight like this. But a snack was on the agenda before putting those fold-flat seats through their paces. I had the choice of filet mignon dinner or Korean fare - Bi Bim Bap. Considering that I had just dined on great steak just four hours before, I opted to go local. I haven't really had much Korean food, so it was also an opportunity to try something new (even if it was just the airplane version).

Bi Bim Bap - sticky rice and sauteed vegetables, beef, chilli paste, and sesame oil. Mix it all together, and enjoy. There was also a bowl of kimchi, marinated dried silver anchovies (tiny translucent fish, each with a pair of dark black dots - yup, the eyes), and a soup. I was pretty impressed with the flavors represented. Some of the best airplane food I have eaten in a while, simple as this dish might be.

The Incheon airport is huge, which allows it to support a high volume of international traffic. There is a large transfer area, where continuing passengers like myself are allowed to hang out without having to pass through immigration & customs. The facilities are pretty extensive, including restaurants, an internet café, shopping, and even a transfer hotel where you can rent a small space to sleep during long layovers. There is also a transfer tour desk, where passengers with time to burn can get out of the airport and experience a taste of the local culture (options even include a trip to the DMZ, if that's your thing).

Korean Airlines planes await passengers at South Korea's Incheon International Airport.

Having spent half of my overnight flight eating, I was only able to sleep for about an hour and a half (facilitated, as it was, by those fold flat seats). So when we landed at Incheon at 5am, I was looking for a place to crash. I went to the transfer area and tried finding an empty couch, but legions of passengers like myself were already fast asleep in them. Okay... How about using the internet cafe? Nope, wasn't open yet. Hmmm.... Oh yeah, that's right! I'm in first class! So I headed to the Asiana lounge where they happily let me in.



No couches, but plenty of open seats. And snacks. Like I needed any more food at this point. I sat down and tried to get comfortable so I could nap a little. There was no place to rest my head, so no matter how I tried to contort myself, my neck would get sore within a couple of minutes. Also, as much as I wanted to fall asleep, I didn't want to miss my next flight. So there I was trying to nap with one eye closed, and the other staring at the clock on the wall. I ended up dozing off, but waking up paranoid every 5 minutes or so. Good times.

The boarding gate area was full of sleepy travelers like me.

A couple of long hours later, I had had enough, so I headed down to the gate area to peruse the shops and find my gate. After boarding (finally), I settled in to my spacious seat, turned on some Korean TV, and relaxed. Now, on a 10am flight, you would expect to be served breakfast, right? Once again, I was offered the choice of Korean food or filet mignion. This time, I caved and took the steak. I mean, it had been 14 hours or so since my last steak. I was practically going through withdrawals and needed a fix.

Yup, that steak looks rather grey on the outside. Surprisingly, however, it was cooked perfectly inside. A little smoked salmon, some veggies, potatoes, bread, and a lemon cake were thrown in for good measure. Not bad for breakfast.

The protein had given my energy a lift, but I still sat zombified throughout the remainder of the flight. I still had an hour plus train ride ahead of me, then to the hotel, and straight out to do some sightseeing. Hopefully, my arrival in Japan would just the thing to jumpstart my tired bones.

Wagyu (The Restaurant): Hong Kong's Aussie Steakhouse

A little over a year ago, I was walking through Central in Hong Kong and I happened to pass by a construction site for a new restaurant. The sign said Coming Soon - Wagyu. Once an unknown term in the western world, the past few years have seen an explosion of wagyu beef offered at high end restaurants and shops. It has even trickled down to more humble venues, often in the form of a wagyu burger. The mission of Wagyu restaurant, as I would later read in one of those handy guide magazines the hotels give you, is to bring prime grade-9 Australian wagyu beef to the masses at a reasonable price. This was a mission I could fully support.

What exactly is wagyu, you ask? Well, literally, it means "Japanese cow." It should not surprise you, then, to learn that it refers to the family of cattle breeds native to Japan that are used to produce such famed products as Kobe beef, Mishima beef, Matsusaka beef, etc. - literally beef unlike anything most have ever seen. What makes wagyu cattle so special is the tendancy to develop high amounts of intramuscular fat, which is known as marbling. The fat is responsible for giving meat flavor as well as keeping it moist and juicy, so more fat = better meat. Interestingly, wagyu beef contains less artery clogging saturated fat than typical beef, and is rich with heart healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. So eat up.

The quality of a piece of beef is largely determined by the amount of marbling. Japanese Kobe beef is graded on a 12 point marbling scale. USDA Prime, the top US grade available, typically rates only a 5 on the Japanese scale. The highest grades of Japanese beef are more like fat streaked with meat (skip halfway down this page for photos), and can contain as high as 90%fat content! Meat like this should barely kiss heat, otherwise the fat will render out, creating a very expensive puddle. Wagyu cattle are now raised in limited numbers outside of Japan, mostly in Australia and the US, although in the US, they are often crossbred with American Angus cattle.

Ever since that chance enounter, I have been scouring the internet for info about Wagyu, with very little to show for it. They don't have a website (how can a business without a website even exist?). In fact, I could only find one review, but the writer made the unconscionable decision to not order the steak, skipping it in favor of fish. Um... Did anyone point out that this is a steak restaurant? With unusually high quality (not to mention hard to find) beef? The only option left was first-hand recon. I would have to go in myself. Fortunately, I was with some beef hungry friends last month while in HK, so I had the chance to make good on this plan.

The restaurant is located on the ground floor of The Centrium at 60 Wyndham St., a 10 minute walk or so from the new Star Ferry pier. Making the uphill walk to get there is a great way to work up an appetite, not to mention to take preemptive action against all those calories. The restaurant is tastefully decorated in typical modern restaurant style, with the front open to the street, giving it a quasi al-fresco kind of feel.

The menu offerings reflect the restaurant's Australian heritage (not like that other place), but within that culinary space are a fairly extensive selection of choices. A wide variety of hot (wagyu steak pie) and cold (wagyu carpaccio) appetizers are available, as well as many non-beef alternatives. Beef is priced by the cut and portion size (8, 10, or 12 oz). Australian Wagyu is, obviously, the house specialty, but there were other types of beef (Black Angus, for one) available as well. I was somewhat surprised to see that there were only a few different cuts of steak available. New York strip, my personal favorite (and likewise that of many beef aficionados), was inexplicably not on the menu (I asked the server). It was also surprising that the server didn't offer any explaination of the menu or the restaurant's namesake beef. I guess I expected them to showcase this fine product a bit more, especially with steak prices topping $100US. I took a pass on the filet (perhaps the most overrated piece of cow flesh) and settled on the 10 oz sirloin (don't even think about going past medium rare with meat like this). To accompany the steak, I added an order of the garlic-chilli chips and a bowl of mushy pea mash.

After a reasonable wait, the food was brought to the table. A selection of house made mustards and condiments was brought out to the table to accompany the steak. Everything looked fantastic, but I immediately realized that I had gone overboard on the potatoes. Not sure if I missed it on the menu or not, but I didn't realize that the steak would be served with roasted potatoes (and arugula salad, too, which was a nice touch). The garlic chilli chips looked great, so I was glad I had ordered those, but I had expected the mushy pea mash to be a pile of smashed peas, not mashed potatoes flavored with peas. At any rate, the server perhaps could have thought about my selections a bit and checked with me that all these spuds were on purpose.

You can see how juicy this steak is from this photo. Also on the plate are some mustard, the roasted potatoes, tomatoes, arugula salad, and portabello mushroom (it's hiding under the steak).

But potatoes schmotatoes - this dinner was all about the beef. One bite and I knew that this was truly exceptional meat. Tender and juicy, the steak melted in my mouth. Each bite delivered a buttery richness full of incredible beefy flavor. As nice as the mustards were, I preferred to eat the steak straight up, so that I could enjoy it unadulterated (what can I say, I'm a beef purist). Underneath the steak was a grilled portobello mushroom. It tasted fine, but didn't really enhance the steak for me. The arugula salad was nice and peppery, dressed with a mild vinaigrette. The chips were every bit as delicious as their crispy, golden exterior promised, with a mild chilli zing to tickle the tongue. I did also think the mash was tasty, but I would probably try something different next time for variety's sake.

These garlic chilli chips were totally GBD

Mushy pea mash was tasty - just not what I thought it would be

All said and done, I really enjoyed the food I ate here. The steak was fantastic, and the chips were also memorable. The pricing is comparable to other high end steakhouses in Hong Kong, perhaps even a little less. I would have liked to see a few more cuts of steak offered, however, and I just feel the service could be a little more in tune with the customer's needs. I would eat here again though without hesitation.

Bottom line: If you want super juicy, fantastic tasting steak, this place is worth a try.

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Was this writeup helpful to you? Want to share your Wagyu experience? Please leave a comment below.

A Taste of Hunan

I was in Asia once again last month, but I'm just now getting around to posting some photos. I spent the first few days in China, briefly hit Hong Kong, and finally ended up in Kyoto, Japan for some sightseeing.



While in China, I was fortunate to have dinner with a friend from Hunan province. We were able to find a random Hunan style restaurant in downtown Dongguan City. Many westerners have heard of Sichuan (sometimes spelled Szechwan) cuisine, which is often misrepresented in American Chinese restaurants, but nevertheless correctly known for it's fiery spiciness. Most, however, are less familiar with Hunan cuisine, who's spiciness is equal to, if not stronger than that of Sichuan. I had never had the opportunity to eat Hunan style cooking before, but I was in for an interesting experience.

I took a few photos to give you an idea of what we had.

Beef, fresh chilli peppers, and cilantro - a fresh, light, and tasty dish (and oh yeah, spicy to boot).

Pig tails with fresh chillis, garlic, nuts, and an unknown Chinese vegetable - This dish had great flavor. The chunks of pig tail, however, had fairly tough skin, a microscopic layer of meat, and then a core of bone, so they were not exactly going to fill anyone up.

Duck feet with intestines and vegetables, served in a sizzling iron wok - No one eats duck feet to get full. There's maybe one or two bites of skin that can be gnawed off of these things before you are just pretending. It wasn't clear from the menu that this dish was going to have innards, so the intestines were somewhat of a surprise. Amazingly, despite all this, this dish had outstanding flavor. I can't tell you what was in that sauce, but I can tell you that it would make just about anything taste awesome.

Whole shrimp, fried and covered with 3 types of hot peppers - This dish was pretty straightforward. Heat was provided by the heaping mound of fresh cherry peppers, dried chillis, and the mouth numbing Sichuan peppercorn (typically used in Sichuanese cooking, oddly enough). I think this dish would make great stadium food - it's tasty, convenient to eat, and easy to pop down one after another. Of course, the heat adds up pretty fast.

For more Hunan food fun, see my report on Mao's Family Restaurant (Mao Jia Fan Dian).

Makin' Bacon

Attention vegetarians - STOP READING THIS POST!!!!

Danger lies ahead. Not like many veg-heads are probably lurking on a blog with this title, but in all fairness, I have to offer a warning that today's subject matter may - well, might just cause you to question the validity of your own existance, or at the very least, induce a debilitating feeling of jealousy. And I just can't be responsible for that.

For the rest of us, we are talking, of course, about the great elixir of life - bacon.

Recently I bought Michael Ruhlman's book Charcuterie, a brilliant guide for the home cook - turned meat man. This well crafted collection of principles and techniques is a veritable encyclopedia of meat artistry. Techniques like salt curing, sausage making, confit are all in there, as well as a vital explaination of food safety concerns and how to avoid them. If you are at all interested in trying your hand at these time honored techniques, I can't reccomend this book enough. Although there are some complex and time consuming projects, there are plenty of relativly straightforward items to get you started. This was precicely the information I needed to take my meat game from foolish novice to... um, slightly less foolish novice.

Bacon caught my eye, as it doesn't require any special aging environment (still waiting for the basement to cool for the winter season). It's also still warm enough to justify standing outside for a few hours to babysit the smoker. Plus, who doesn't like bacon? There is a lot of time involved, but most of it is just waiting. It's acutally not too hard to make. Simply get a slab of pork belly, apply a cure, store in the fridge for a week, rinse and dry, smoke the cured belly (now called fresh bacon), and eat. See? Simple. The cure has some flexibility in the flavor department (maple syrup? black pepper? molasses?), but the elements of salt, curing salt, and brown sugar are essential to ensure safety and balance of flavor.

So after all this trouble, you ask, was it worth it? As my Scottish friend would say, it was the dog's bollocks!!! Rich with bacon-y goodness, it posessed a depth of flavor that is lacking in typical commercial bacon. Already, I'm thinking about my next batch once the 5 lbs I made are gone. At this rate, it might be just a couple of weeks away! I don't have to tell you, but the eating options are limitless. In the past week alone, I've used my bacon for:

- plain old bacon strips
- cobb salad
- chicken club sandwich (avocado makes this perfect)
- bacon and shrimp chowder
- and of course, the classic BLT

Let the photo essay begin!

Fresh pork belly, 5lbs - I used organic meat from a trusted supplier. Hey, if you're going through all the trouble of making your own bacon, the least you can do is start with the best possible meat.

Applying the cure. Special thanks to my daughter Elisabeth. Making homemade bacon at 2 years old... I'm so proud!

The cure is applied and rubbed in. Now the waiting starts.

7 days later... The curing is complete. Cure has been washed off and meat placed on an elevated rack to dry. A tacky, dry skin is called a pellicle, and is critical in order for the meat to absorb the smoke flavor.

Smoking in my cheap smoker. Hey - it gets the job done. I used cherry wood (happened to have on hand) and placed a pan of apple cider inside. I tried to maintain the temp at about 125. The bacon smoked for about 4 hours.

Out of the smoker. Looking good...

Ohhhhhhhhh... Aaaahhhhh. Excuse me. I just had a moment.

After baking in the oven (400 deg, about 10 minutes).

With this bacon, a BLT has never been better. Don't mess with a classic - bacon, crisp lettuce, fresh tomato, mayo, and, of course, decent bread.