Good Taste is the Worst Vice

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...


Asakusa and Kanda Yabu Soba, Tokyo

I woke up bright and early on our first morning in Japan excited to start exploring... only to check the clock and find that it was 11:30pm.  Oops.  Jetlag.  Back to bed. We rose instead at the more realistic hour of 5:30am, took our time getting ready, had breakfast, and caught the metro to ... continue reading...


Hiiragiya ryokan, Kyoto, Part 1

I was homesick for the Hiiragiya after we left. Homesick for a hotel?  Really? Turns out that yes, it's possible.  A beautifully traditional ryokan like Hiiragiya is as luxurious and indulgent as any top hotel, but much more personal. When we returned from sightseeing in the afternoon, our ... continue reading...


Meiji Shrine and Afuri ramen, Tokyo

For our last day in Tokyo, we visited the west side of the city to see the Meiji Shrine and walk around neighboring Harajuku.  The two border each other (separated by the JR Yamanote line tracks) but couldn't be more different. Meiji Shrine (aka Meiji Jingu) is located in a forest park.  On ... continue reading...


Ueno anago, Miyajimaguchi Japan

After our time on the island of Miyajima, we took the ferry back to Miyajimaguchi (the name essentially means "portal to Miyajima") so that I could introduce D to one of my favorite places from my prior visits to Japan: Ueno. It's an extremely popular restaurant that's over 100 years old and ... continue reading...


Miyajima and momiji manju, Japan

The little island of Miyajima is a must-see attraction for tourists and Japanese schoolkids on field trips, and the ferry we took that morning was packed with plenty of both. It's offshore from Hiroshima in the Inland Sea, and is best known for the much-photographed red-orange torii gate that ... continue reading...