They called us the next day to say that it was very good and that they really liked it. Which was basically code for: “Please bring more next time.”
Continue readingTag: Alcohol
Visiting the Kavalan distillery in Yilan
Yilan (宜蘭) is most famous for its hotsprings, innovative cuisine and 三星 spring onion, but it also happens to be the home of the Kavalan whisky distillery.
Continue readingVisiting the Nikka Yoichi distillery in Hokkaido
The highlight of the visit was finding out that there was a small bar in the museum, where we could sample the Yoichi 15y and 20y. Yes, actually get to taste them.
It wasn’t cheap, but the fact that they were even available to drink was amazing. We sent a photo to some friends who are big whisky fans and they were suitably impressed, and I assume, also very envious.
Continue readingGodfather, Part 1
“Have you ever tried a Godfather?” asked Shimura-san.
No, I had not, and with a name like that, there was no way I was not having one.
Continue readingGrapes are nice, but don’t forget the other fruits
Sticking with tradition, we opened another bottle of bubbly on the first day of 2021 and promptly started day-drinking. This year, it was the intriguing Migaki-Ichigo Mousseux NV made from 100% strawberries grown in the Miyagi prefecture of Japan.
Continue readingBe careful, yuzu sake is very addictive
The taste was unmistakably yuzu, citrusy with a pleasant bitter afternote, swimming in a sea of smooth sake.
Continue readingWork travel is a necessary evil, but at least you get to eat well
I used to travel quite a fair bit for work and during a four-year period from 2015 to 2019, I had made 26 round-trip flights to Tokyo for an average of one trip every two months. Here are some of the memorable meals that I’ve had during the four years when I was commuting to Tokyo.
Continue readingReclaiming the vegetable compartment
For the longest time, the vegetable compartment of the fridge has been our de-facto wine cellar. Over many years of accumulation, it was getting crowded and so it was time to start drawing down the strategic wine reserve.
Continue readingDinner and drinks in Pontocho alley
A trip to Kyoto would not be complete without a night out in Pontocho alley, a long and narrow stretch lined with numerous restaurants and bars.
Continue readingQuarantine + BBQ Delivery + Amarone = Meh
It was Day 25 of the not-lockdown and I wanted to bust out our bottle of Amarone from the vegetable compartment. And since Jerry’s BBQ now does deliveries, we decided to order some meat to go along with it.
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