Neyn- One Year Only Doughnut Shop- Tokyo Midtown

In the super swanky shopping mall, Tokyo Midtown in Japan, we came across Neyn, a project involving running a store for only 1 year. In this case, they were a handmade gourmet doughnut shop. An interesting concept that would probably only work in Japan.
We tried the gâteau chocolat (chocolate cake) doughnut and the cake aux fruits - imagine French pastry chefs making doughnuts- each were lovely, not too sweet.

Food Porn- Jamón Ibérico de Bellota

Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, or Pata Negra, is cured ham from acorn eating Black Iberian pigs available from Spain. It has started to make appearances in gourmet groceries here in the US in the past year or so at about $100/pound. The taste is amazing, it is so fatty, that the meat melts in your mouth.
While in a department store in Japan, we came upon this stand that had more Jamón Ibérico I've ever seen- about a dozen full legs hung gloriously in a row.

Abbey Burger Bistro, Baltimore, MD

In Federal Hill in Baltimore, we went to the Abbey Burger Bistro on Cross St. for some pretty darn delicious burgers made with beef from the local Roseda farm. Redneckhunter got the foie gras burger (above), with Hudson Valley foie gras.
Fougoo got their peanut butter burger which in addition to the peanut butter had bacon on it. The flavors were actually really good together.

I got the Harry's bistro burger, which had bacon, cheddar, and a fried egg served on an English muffin. I love egg on burgers.

We shared an order of the waffle fry nachos with black beans, chili, gran queso, avocado, crème fraiche and tomato- not bad. They also make their own potato chips which were also good.





For dessert, we got a chipwhich. The cookies were a bit hard, but the ice cream was really good- clearly homemade.






I also tried their Berger cookie shake which was spiked with vanilla Stoli and Godiva liqueur. Nice flavor, but the alcohol probably wasn't necessary probably because the ice cream was really nice.



1041 Marshall Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
443-453-9698

Food Porn- Kanseki Meal in Nikko Japan

While in Nikko, Japan, the staff at the historic Hotel Kanaya recommended a local restaurant that served a special Kanseki style meal for us. They were also able to have a vegetarian course for Kelly.
The meal consisted of several courses including local vegetables, sashimi, tempura, rice with fresh wasabi, and a beautiful handmade mochi ball. One of the specialties of the region is yuba, or tofu skin.

It's worth your while to click on each pic to see them up close.

Avoid the Pizza in Machu Picchu

So we noticed that pizza was a ubiquitous menu item at restaurants all around Lake Titicaca and Machu Picchu. I figured it was to cater to the tourists, but with so much pizza around, we figured we'd give it a shot. (Incidentally, in a similar vein, a friend of mine from Sweden had backpacked all over the world, including Western China. While out there she was a big fan of the banana pancakes that were at all the backpacker cafes. She just assumed that they were a Chinese delicacy - it wasn't until she actually lived in the US for a time that she realized banana pancakes were American!)

Anyway... we should have known better. For one thing, all the bread we had up at altitude sucked - probably had to do with high altitude baking. But even beyond the crust, the thing was loaded with way too much cheese and not enough sauce.

We were however a big fan of another ubiquitous menu item - Avocado a la Reina (of the Queen). There were variations of this dish, but it basically was an avocado salad with other veggies, and topped with cheese.

Coca and Kola (Tea and Inka, that is)

Two signature beverages of Peru -- I didn't care for either unfortunately. The coca tea was mild (much better in leaf form vs. the teabags), but I didn't notice any difference in my body's reaction to the altitude. Inca Kola -- the country's favorite fizzly-bubbly was WAY sweet - ick.

Coal Fire Pizza in Ellicott City, MD

Recently, another coal oven pizza place opened just out side of Baltimore in nearby Ellicott City. The aptly named, Coal Oven Pizza, is definitely worth checking out for some pretty well charred crust.
From what I had heard, the larger 16" pie ends up less well cooked than the 12" one, so we ordered 3 of the smaller pies. We also had the ulterior motive to try their three sauces - the Classic, the Spicy, and the Signature.
All the pies had a nice crispiness in their crusts. While, I admit the signature sauce was sweeter than I'm used to, it kind of grew on me. The spicy was nice too, tasting as sweet as the signature sauce but with a little kick. Their margarita pizza with the classic sauce was definitely great.

5725 Richards Valley Rd
Ellicott City, MD 21043-6901
(410) 480-2625

Guinea Pig and Alpaca and La Casa del Corregidor, Puno, Peru

Ok, here it is, the post you've been waiting for. Yes, we did eat guinea pig while in Peru. There the little guys is, legs all splayed open and deep fried. I started using my knife and fork on him, but the waiter told me to just pick it up and eat him right off the bone. Sure enough, he had a lot of bones, and tasted like dark meat chicken. Being breaded and deep-fried, I'm sure, helped with the chicken analogy...

Redneckhunter got alpaca - also a cute and cuddly animal. We saw many of them in our journeys usually led on a leash by equally cute kids in colorful shawls wanting 1 sol for a picture. My impression of alpaca was a bit stringier than beef, but not as stringy as goat. It was served in a nice cilantro sauce.

This was at the Plaza restaurant in the lobby of the Plaza Hotel, right on the main Plaza de las Armas, the main square in Puno, on Lake Titicaca. We had walked up the Calle Lima - the main drag in Puno - full of restaurants and souvenir shops, but decided to opt for something quieter.

After dinner we walked across the square and had coffee at the Cafe in La Casa del Corregidor. Set in the former 17th century colonial home of a Spanish official, the place is part cultural center, part gift store, part cafe. With an airy little central courtyard. I loved the local feel - when we went early on a Saturday evening, the woman working at the cafe was watching lucha libre (pro wrestling) on the TV with 2 other patrons who didn't seem to eating or drinking much of anything, just hanging out cheering on the masked luchadores. I had wanted to go back the next afternoon to take a picture of the place in the daylight... but after a long day on Lake Titicaca, I just crashed out with an altitude headache.

La Casa del Corregidor
Deustua 576