Good Taste is the Worst Vice

Flying on ANA

My flights to and from Tokyo in the spring were in ANA business class (thank you, United miles!), and were a markedly better experience than my trips in United global first in every regard. Only on a Japanese carrier would the flight attendants line up in the aisles and bow deeply to the ... continue reading...


Egg in the hole

Here's a fun breakfast idea - eggs and toast, in one handy package! The other morning I was looking at the package of Japanese "shokupan" I'd gotten at Mitsuwa when inspiration struck.  It's the perfect bread for eggs in the hole, since it's thick enough to nicely ensconce the egg without it ... continue reading...


EL Ideas, Chicago

EL Ideas has grown up since I last wrote about it.  The interior was expanded to allow for more diners, and it's held a Michelin star for the past two years. But being grown up doesn't mean EL has lost any of its creativity and irreverence. Your first dish comes silverware-free and you're ... continue reading...


Ginza Iwa sushi, Tokyo

Our last dinner in Japan was sushi at Ginza Iwa - a fitting finale to a great trip. We got a bit lost as we walked through the small backstreets of Ginza in search of the storefront pictured on the printout our concierge helpfully gave us, but eventually located it. We were seated at one end ... continue reading...


Vintage enchiladas

Nowadays you can find a wide variety of Mexican ingredients almost everywhere, so your cooking can be as authentic as possible north of the border - fresh tomatillos, every kind of chile from poblano to serrano, queso fresco, and of course, corn tortillas. This recipe contains none of these ... continue reading...


Nagahori izakaya, Osaka

Of all the Michelin-starred restaurants we tried in Japan, Nagahori was unique in that it felt like a casual neighborhood spot with regulars enjoying their dinners.  It's a long, narrow restaurant that's all counter seating, with a few chefs and a couple of servers distributing plates and pouring ... continue reading...


Shunsaiten Tsuchiya, Osaka

Our short stay in Osaka was almost entirely consumed by day trips away (to Himeji and Miyajima), but I took care to arrange two dinners in the city. After all, Osaka is known to be particularly food-obsessed - the word kuiadore, which essentially means to eat until you go broke, is specially ... continue reading...


Hiiragiya ryokan, Kyoto, Part 2

Breakfast at Hiiragiya is a tour de force - you have the choice of Japanese or Western, but either way prepare to be impressed. This would have been a perfect opportunity to use the panorama setting on my phone, but since I didn't think of that until later, I offer you these not-so-artfully ... continue reading...