The month of April was full of delicious bites. We did a lot of eating in San Diego of course, but also did a road trip to Orange County, a separate road trip to Los Angeles and also started our Japan vacation at the end of April.
Here are a few of the most memorable bites:
Grilled Giant Scallop from vendor near Tsukiji Fish Market (Tokyo, Japan)
While in Tokyo, we had to stop by the world famous Tsukiji Fish Market. It’s a tradition to visit the market to watch the live tuna auction, or to eat sushi breakfast at the many restaurants nearby the market. But what I enjoyed most about my trip to Tsukiji Market was all the small vendors nearby. I came across this stall that was grilling fresh seafood on a tiny portable grill. I had no idea if it was any good, but I saw a line of people and jumped in.
The steaming grilled fresh scallop was quite wonderful. Meaty, briny and very fresh. It was only lightly seasoned with some soy sauce and other ingredients, but the simple preparation was all that was needed. It was a very memorable bite and one I thought about almost my entire trip. You can also add uni and other seafood items too.
St. Honoré cake from Bottega Louie (Los Angeles, California)
I visited Bottega Louie for the first time last month and I was in awe. I told my husband it was like a Tiffany’s for desserts. The display cases of macarons, cakes, pastries are breathtaking. If you get the desserts to-go, they box them in very beautiful boxes worthy of gift giving. I hope I can eventually make my way through all the desserts offered, but it is a little pricey. For my very first cake, I carefully chose the St. Honore cake.
This French dessert has a puff pastry base with a ring of pâte à choux dipped in caramelized sugar. The pâte à choux were light, airy, with a crunchy finish. I had so much fun picking them off one by one.
Stacked Dornuts Creation at Pandor Bakery (Anaheim, California)
I saw this creation on Instagram and made a special stop at Pandor Bakery to get it. After taking a few dozen photos and passing it around the table for even more photos, I was convinced that the creation had probably gone soggy and cold. But to our amazement, the stuffed fried croissant doughnut hybrids held together remarkably well. Even with all the custard and Nutella filling, these pastries were still fantastically crispy and flaky. This is a fun treat, especially if you have a large group.
Smoked Salmon Rilette with Black River Caviar from Addison (San Diego, California)
Every meal we’ve had at Addison has been memorable. But the caviar we had at a recent dinner was particularly enlightening. I’ve had caviar before, but I’ve never had enough of it to really taste all the nuances. It was so surprising at how much flavor and depth these little tiny eggs hold. .
Tilefish at Narisawa (Tokyo, Japan)
Narisawa is a 3-Michelin star restaurant and #8 on the World’s 50 Best List. Every dish we had during our tasting menu was like a work of art. This fish course came in the middle of our meal and both Mr. K and I agreed it was our favorite course. The fish was tender, flaky and moist, sitting on a bed of creamy sakura and kinome sauces. It looked deceptively simple but a lot of preparation went into the dish, and it really showed. The two bites were likely the best bites of fish I’ve tasted.
That’s it for now. I hope everyone has a great weekend!
