Travelogue to Greece, Part II: Meteora and Santorini

After some sightseeing in Athens, my family and I traveled to Meteora. During the road trip, we made a pit stop where I enjoyed my first slice of Baklava.

The baklava had layers upon layers of crispy phyllo dough, bits of nuts, all drenched in syrupy Greek honey. It's definitely a dessert that you need to sit down with a cup of coffee, espresso, or tea--and to be shared--because it is so sweet.

While in Meteora (which in Greek means "in the heavens above"), we visited many monasteries that were literraly "suspended in the air," or set atop of hill tops and rock formations. We hiked up to a few monasteries, but others like the one in the picture below are not really by the public.

For lunch, we visited the simply named Cafe Meteora, which is family-owed and operated.

The place was so charming and had a lot of character--they even had a torch from the 2004 Olympics in Athens!

Every diner was invited to walk through their kitchen and see huge pots of stews, rice, and potatoes. We got a few different dishes, including lamb meatball stew served with rice. It was delicious and hearty.

The better dish though was this stewed lamb. The lamb was so tender and had a wonderful depth of flavors from the time it spent on the stove.

After a wonderful visit to Meteora, we went back to Athens for a night before we flew out to Santorini. We decided to keep things relatively low key and went to Athens' Old Town, Plaka, where there are many shops and tavernas. Because there are many tavernas, we didn't really quite know where to go, so we just chose a random taverna in one of the alley ways in Plaka. The ambiance was really nice, candle-lit tables, and an acoustic guitar band serenading the diners.

We started with this grilled Halloumi cheese. I'm not sure if this was just not the best Halloumi since I've never had it before, but I was not a big fan of the dish.

My sister Pinnerton really wanted to try the Dolmadakia, which are grapevine leaves stuffed with rice and vegetables. Pinnerton thought it was good, but I was really put off by the briny and sour taste, so I really did not enjoy this dish.

And the meal went down hill from there ... We ordered this sad looking plate of stewed lamb, and shared even sadder looking plates of chicken Souvlaki and stew that I don't even want to post.

Finally, we made it to Santorini! After a short flight from Athens, we are ready for lunch. My mom had read somewhere that a little gyro restaurant by the tourist information booth is supposed to be good.

The gyro pita sandwich was a bit disappointing. The meat was not as good of a quality as the gyro we had in Athens.

The Souvlaki suffered the same fall of low quality meat, which made the dish not as enjoyable as it could have been. But who cares about the food, when you're in Santorini--I mean, look at the view!

Santorini is even more beautiful in person--the blue ocean's contrast with the white structures is so breathtaking. If I thought Athens was hot, Santorini is ten times as hot! We were practically drenched in sweat just walking around.

After wandering around the island, we needed to cool down. So, we stepped into this little cafe and sipped on some deliciously strong iced coffee. I don't even drink coffee, but it was so good!

Here's another gorgeous view of this Greek island. 

After we watched a beautiful Santorini sunset, we enjoyed our last dinner in Greece at a rooftop restaurant. I ordered yet another lamb meatball stew--I can't help it, I love lamb and stews! It was not the best meal of the trip, but we were so exhausted by that point that we just wanted to sit somewhere and take in as much of Santorini as we could. 

I would definitely want to go back to Santorini and the other Greek islands, but am not sure if I would return to Athens. Overall, Greece was a fantastic experience! 

Enjoy, 

LMC

Travelogue to Greece, Part I: Athens

After the nightmare called the Bar Exam, most people take the obligatory post-Bar trip as the last hurrah before their law school career officially ends. So, of course, I went back to Thailand to see my family, and off we went to Greece! We arrived in Athens, checked into the hotel, and wandered around the historic city. After a bit of sightseeing, my sister and I needed a little snack. Restaurants all over the city offer street-side gyros served on pita bread--yum! 

Most places offer lamb gyros, but some also offer pork and beef. Definitely a tantalizing sight and smell as you're walking around the city!

Here is our official first lamb gyros sandwich of the trip--and probably the best! The gyros had a nice crust and caramelization from the lamb rotating on the vertical spit. The creamy Tzatziki (cucumber yogurt sauce) and fresh tomato perfectly complemented the gyros on the delicious pita bread. 

We wandered around Athens a bit more, stopping at some outdoor market. The Greeks sure love their dried fruit, nuts, honey, cheese, and yogurt!

Some apricots and oranges preserved in honey. After looking at all the beautiful food, we were ready for a real meal! 

We walked up to a little restaurant and ordered a couple of dishes. We got a plate of lamb Souvlaki, or marinated lamb grilled on skewers, served with the staples--pita bread, tomatoes, red onions, and Tzatziki (excluding that sad handful of fries).

We also got a pork gyros pita sandwich, which came with fries inside. It was like a Greek equivalent of a California burrito--not too shabby!

My sister Pinnerton ordered this dish of grilled eggplant, generously topped with dices of tomatoes and crumbles of feta cheese. I was not a big fan of this dish because there was no texture contrast--everything was just mushy. 

After lunch, we visited the National Archaeology Museum of Athens where we got a taste of how much history is in this country. 

The museum housed, among many artifacts, the famous Gargon's Head (350-325 B.C.!), which represents the head of Medusa, the most famous of the three Gargons. 

We spent the first evening in Greece on some dinner and a show tour (I believe it was called a Night in Athens), which was just awful. I wish we would have stayed away from that and just checked out a local taverna in Plaka (Old Town). 

Our first full day in Athens, we did a lot of sightseeing. We visited the Syntagma Square and made our way over to the Acropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

The most famous structure at the Acropolis of Athens is undoubtedly the Parthenon. The architecture and history were reflective in this impressive sight, and, as you can see, they had started a wide scale restoration of the temple and other structures in the Acropolis. 

By the way, Greece is scorching HOT in August! I think we nearly died of exhaustion and heat stroke hiking up to the Acropolis. The blood orange Powerade was definitely a much needed replenishment of electrolytes! 

Since we were starving and exhausted, we just stopped for quick lunch at cafe atop the Acropolis Museum. 

I ordered the sandwich with salami from Lafkada with Cretan gruyere cheese, rocket (arugula), and virgin olive oil. A simple and tasty sandwich that showcased local products.

My parents opted for a smoked trout sandwich with celery and lime. I think they enjoyed it, but I'm not a big fan of smoked trout and celery, so I didn't bother to try any. The cafe at the Acropolis Museum was a nice way to take a breather and enjoy a view of the ancient city.

After a day of sightseeing in the heat, we took it easy for dinner and just walked over to a mall in Athens where there is a small diner on top of the building with a nice view of Athens. My sister and I tried our first ever Moussaka, which is a traditional dish layered with ground meat, eggplant, and bechamel sauce. It's like a Greek lasagna, but I thought this one had a little too much bechamel sauce. 

Part II of LMC's travelogue to Delphi, Meteora, and (the best part) Santorini is coming up next!

Enjoy, 

LMC

A Food Travelogue: Tokyo and Yokohama, Part II

During our fourth day in Japan, we explored the hectic streets of Tokyo. I had researched for a place for us to do lunch while we were district-hopping around Tokyo, and found the perfect place--Maisen in the Shibuya. Maisen is famous for its Kurobuta (more commonly known as the black or Berkshire pork) Tonkatsu. Although Maisen is hidden behind the Omotesando Hills shopping area, it was relatively easy to find using our city map. 

The bottom level of Maisen consists of the bar area where most solo diners are seated; and the upper level is the seated dining area. My family and I were quickly seated upstairs, and I knew exactly what I wanted. 

We started out with the Korobuta Siu Mai (my parents' selection, above), which was decent, but not anything special.

My parents also shared the Katsu Don (above). While my sister went for the "regular" Tonkatsu, I went for the real deal--the Kurobota Tonkatsu! And it was perfection. 

The Kurobota pork was extremely moist and flavorful, and the panko breadcrumbs had the most amazing crunch. Maisen, of course, makes their own Tonkatsu sauces. My Tonkatsu came with its own sauce, which was a big deviation from what we're used to in bottled sauces and Japanese restaurants in the U.S. I could not decipher what ingredients exactly were in their sauce, but I would imagine that it had finely grated dikon, maybe some ginger, among other things. The sauce was sweet, savory, slightly tangy, and perfectly complemented the rich and crispy katsu. This was undoubtedly my favorite meal in Tokyo. 

After lunch, my family and I wandered over to the Meiji Jingu, where we witnessed an incredible part of the country's spirituality and history from the Meiji era. 

We finally made our way to the heart of Harajuku, where we sampled its immensely popular crepe from one of the packed crepe shops. 

Before heading back to the Tokyo Dome Hotel, we asked around for suggestions of where to have dinner, and were kindly directed to a nondescript ramen shop behind the Harajuku subway station. And, boy, were we happy to have found it! Like many ramen shops in Tokyo, there was the usual "vending machine" where customers conveniently order and pay for their ramen selections. 

After you purchase your ramen, then you are seated individually in a carrel stacked in rectangular arrangements. The servers operate in the center of the carrel arrangement, and you never see their faces! (See LMC's Mama above in a carrel about to dig into her rame.) It was a very anti-social dining experience, but the ramen was amazing! 

I really don't remember what I had ordered exactly, but it was even better than any of the Ramens we sampled at the Ramen Musuem. The ramen was one of the smaller noodles with a miso-based broth, a few slices of pork, and a generous sprinkle of scallions. Definitely, my second favorite meal in Tokyo--so much fantastic food all in one day!

On our last day in Japan, LMC, Pinnerton & Co. visited another must-see tourist destination, the Asakusa Namamise. After wandering around Sensoji, or the Asakusa Temple, I was excited to try some of the food vendors in the Namamise--and there were a lot of vendors!

We started with Amazake, or sweetened hot sake which is served during the winter season, then moved on to various kabidango, or sweets--they were all so good! 

 

 

 

Finally, we took departing photos at the Kaminarimon Gate. 

That's it for LMC's culinary adventures and travelogue in Japan. More traveling and good eats to come! 


Enjoy, 


LMC

A Food Travelogue: Tokyo and Yokohama, Part I

Pinnerton and I, along with our folks, traveled to Japan recently. Upon arriving to Narita, where we would be spending our first night in Japan, we were in need of a light lunch. We took a quick cab ride to the Aeon shopping center.

After walking around for a while, we settled on a casual Japanese restaurant--we were lured in by the nifty faux food.

The first dish we shared was some sort of rice bowl topped with chopped sashimi of salmon, tuna, and shrimp, as well as tamago, cucumber, and scallions. It was served with a warm broth that tasted like some mirin or rice vinegar. Light and refreshing.

The second dish was like a fish katsu in a hot broth. This one was very tasty. None of us had any idea of what either of the two dishes were called because we basically pointed to a picture on their menu and nodded. At least things worked out well so far with that strategy.

My first encounter with the amazing Japanese toilets. Among the nifty toilet technology, there were washing or spraying options to clean your tush and water sounds to facilitate your toilet experience.

The Japanese are definitely known for their efficiency and clever product design. They are also known for their emphasis on convenience. Case in point: ice in a cup. Genius, right? Why have I not seen this in American supermarkets? They also had sake in a cup among other equally intriguing supermarket or convenience store items.

After spending the night in Narita, we made our way to Yokohama to do some sightseeing, including the San Diego Friendship Fountain.

The highlight in Yokohama was probably the Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum. It was a bit of a tourist trap with exhibitions about the history of ramen, but it was also a good place to sample various, unique types and recipes of ramen. Above is a nifty ramen vending machine in front of each vendor: insert money, choose your ramen, and grab your ticket and change. Again, efficiency and convenience are key.

The ramen man at Yamagata Ryuhanhai skillfully cooking the ramen noodles.

Yamagata Ryushanhai: miso-type ramen--chicken, pork, and seafood-based soup with medium-shaped noodles, topped with slice pork, and chili, miso, and garlic paste. This was the most amazing bowl of ramen I have ever had--the broth was extremely flavorful; the noodles were fresh and perfectly cooked; and the chili/miso/garlic paste added the last punch.

Kumamoto Komurasaki: tonkatsu-style ramen--chicken, ginger, and pork-based soup-- with thinner-shaped noodles, topped with sliced pork, seaweed, and a boiled egg. The broth was visibly cloudier and richer than the miso ramen. The bowl was also huge! Pinnerton and I shared so we were able to enjoy both types of ramen. I don't think I can have ramen state-side ever again ... It's just not the same!

I wish we could have gone to all the 9 vendors at the ramen museum, but unfortunately the tour must go on. We went on a boat ride then on the Hakone Ropeway (an aerial tram) to the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, where you could still see the remants of Mount Fuji's volcanic activity. Above is the Owakudani Boiling Valley--known for the "black eggs" (the eggs turn black when boiled in the hot springs due to the sulphur level), which is supposed to add 7 years to your life. We didn't make it there in time to consume freshly boiled black eggs, but we did purchase some pre-boiled eggs in a vacuum-sealed pack. My sister and I tried the black egg soft serve ice cream. It tasted just like any other ice cream, but hopefully its longevity benefits will still translate in the ice cream application.

A view of Mount Fuji.

After a wonderful stay at the Hotel Fujihana and a relaxing onsen (traditional Japanese hot spring) experience, my family and I traveled to Oshino Hakkai, where there were spring pools flowing from Mount Fuji. My camera ran out of battery so no picture from there--bummer! After checking into our new hotel, we went exploring around Tokyo and visited the Imperial Palace (above). Unfortunately, it is only opened to the public for a few days a year, and we were not so lucky.

While we were exploring Tokyo and its many famous districts, we made a stop at the iconic Herzog and de Meuron's Prada structure located in the Omotesando district. We also stopped by the Commes des Garcons flagship, but it wasn't opened yet. I tried finding the BAPE store, but we gave up after wandering the streets to no avail. Apparently, the store is purposely hard to find--well, they succeeded.

That's it for the first part of LMC's culinary adventures in Japan--way more food to come in the next travelogue including the BEST tonkatsu in Tokyo and amazing food vendors at the Asakusa Nakamise.

Enjoy,

Little Miss Contrary