The best dishes I had in 2024

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2024 was a strange year for me. While the borders had been fully-open since late 2022, I went on a self-imposed travel ban for 6 months in the middle of this year, thereby missing out on a few amazing culinary trips my friends undertook. I told everyone that I was staying in town to support Hong Kong's economy, and I hope my chef and restauranteur friends appreciated that...

As I have done each year since 2016, I have compiled a list of dishes I've enjoyed during the year which were the most emotional experiences for me. There have been no shortage of delicious dishes over hundreds of meals, and making a concise list of the best of them remains a difficult task. So here they are in chronological order:

Sweet and sour pig tails (菠蘿咕嚕豬尾), from The Chairman (大班樓) in Hong Kong - as someone who loves pig tails and who also enjoys a good sweet and sour pork this combination proved insanely delicious. The light and airy batter was especially bewitching.

50 Best and then some day 9: no pictures, part 2

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I'm a man on a mission today. On my last day in Kyoto, I wanted to try a couple of the best crème caramel (プリン) served up by Japanese kissaten (喫茶店) in town. After doing a little research, I decided to hit two shops in close proximity to each other in Kawaramachi (河原町).

François is a salon de thé in an alley next to Takase River (高瀬川). The shop was established in 1934, with the current interior dating back to around 1941. It became the first kissaten to be registered as a national tangible cultural property (登録有形文化財) in 2003.

I got myself a pudding set (プリンセット), which includes a crème caramel and a coffee.

50 Best and then some day 8: no pictures, part 1

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This is it. The reason why I paid an arm and a leg to change my return flight to spend 2 extra days in Kyoto. The reason for my detour. Dinner with Geruhage. At least it wasn't last minute like last year... this time he did ask me 2 weeks in advance.

Iida (飯田) is a name that would be familiar to anyone who is serious about fine dining in Japan. The restaurant had the honor of holding 3 stars in the Michelin Guide for Kyoto in the 2018-2020 editions but, like a few restaurants before them, had supposedly asked to be delisted from the guide entirely. The reservation for dinner tonight was made by my friend back in 2022, so I felt I should make the effort to come and see why it's so difficult to dine here. Basically, they're just not taking any bookings from new customers they don't already know.

50 Best and then some day 8: shopping for wifey

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Since I went to bed this morning at around 4 am, naturally I decided to sleep in. I had bought some pudding (プリン) desserts from Family Mart yesterday, so it was time to see what they taste like.

Pudding tart (プリンタルト)

50 Best and then some day 7: Gaijin kaiseki

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I woke up stupidly early this morning for my flight out of Seoul, as I finally bid farewell to my tropical hotel room at Shilla Stay Samsung. The saving grace was that the bus to the airport picked up right in front of the hotel, and I had an uneventful trip as I tried to catch some Zs.

I arrived at Incheon a little too early, so I had plenty of time to get in some breakfast before checking in. After strolling around and finding many options less appearling, I finally got myself some seolleongtang (설렁탕). One last meal of having kimchi with my meal...

The best dishes I had in 2023

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Another year of eating pretty well, now that we've been released from the shackles of the pandemic and resumed travel around the world. Revenge travel, it is called, and I've made no less than 6 trips to Taiwan just to see the Parental Units. Of course, there were other trips, too... and I finally made it outside of Asia towards the end of the year.

Once again I have compiled a list of dishes I've enjoyed during the year which drew the most emotional reactions from me. I've had many, many delicious dishes over hundreds of meals, and as always it is no easy task to pare the list down to a manageable number. The dishes were tasted in Hong Kong unless otherwise indicated.

Golden roast pigs from New Territories Farms (新界農場大金豬), from Red Seasons Aroma Restaurant (季季紅風味餐廳) - it had been four years since I was last able to taste this roast pork... where the pigs were roasted in underground ovens and the very crunchy crackling come with that beautiful smoky flavor. Just so, so happy to be able to enjoy this with friends again.

Everything everywhere all in my tummy day 10: Hello Kitty Shinkansen

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Our time in Kyoto has come to an end, and it was time to make our way back to Fukuoka. Another day of long rides on the Shinkansen, but this time there is a special train we are riding on. We checked out of The Thousand Kyoto and pushed our luggage across the street to Kyoto Station, then boarded the train. We were hurrying a little so we forgot to snap some pics with the Hello Kitty display at Kyoto Station.

We had a 40-minute layover at Shin-Osaka Station (新大阪駅), so I sent Foursheets to go shop for some ekiben (駅弁). This is one of the biggest stations in Japan so there were, naturally, plenty of choices. She came back with a couple of surprises.

The Special Makunouchi Bento (特製幕之内御膳) included specialties from the Kanto (関東), Tokai (東海), and Kansai (関西) regions - represented in the top, middle, and bottom rows, respectively. From Kanto we have Fukagawa meshi (深川めし) with the clams; Hida beef umani rice (飛騨牛うま煮ご飯), ebi-fry (海老フライ), misokatsu (みそかつ) from Tokai; and plum rice with baby sardines (梅ちりめんご飯), black beans (黒豆), and yuba (湯葉) from Kansai.

Everything everywhere all in my tummy day 9: smoky meat

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For dinner tonight we met up with the Dining Austrian for one last meal. He had heard about a pop-up event by Yakiniku Shunyasai Fanbogi (焼肉旬やさい ファンボギ), a shop well-known for aged beef and ranked No. 1 in Gifu (岐阜) on Tabelog (食べログ) for yakiniku (焼肉). So rather than going for some kaiseki (懐石料理) or kyo-ryori (京料理), this was our last dinner in Kyoto.

The event was at Y Gion, and a small group of us were seated counter-style, and Chef Takahashi Nobuyuki (高橋樗至) showed us the ingredients as he prepped each course. His detailed explanations were, of course, in Japanese... so I tried to pick up as much as I could.

Everything everywhere all in my tummy day 9: from east to west

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We're doing some sightseeing in Kyoto today, but unlike most tourists we're not hitting any of Kyoto's famous temples. Both Foursheets and I have done the touristy stuff, which was why we were really looking forward to a special tour this morning. But first, breakfast!

We wanted something quick and simple around Kyoto Station, but this being Sunday morning, of course every single place was packed. We ended up at McDonald's as we actually found seats there. The minute I saw it, I just had to order the Mega Muffin, which came with two pieces of sausage, a slice of cheese between the sausages, the egg, and bacon on top. This was really, really satisfying.

Everything everywhere all in my tummy day 8: Noma Kyoto

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I have never been to Noma in Copenhagen.

I was always curious about this Nordic restaurant which got famous serving people moss, lichen, ants... etc. But I never made the effort to fly out there for a meal. I did make the effort to go to their very first pop-up in Tokyo - which has been well-documented in Ants on a Shrimp. Eight full years have passed since then, and these guys have done two other highly-popular pop-ups since then. When René Redzepi announced that they are returning Japan for another pop-up - which is possibly their last - I didn't hesitate to get online and book us seats.

I had told myself after Noma Tokyo that I didn't need to go to Copenhagen, because I didn't think the flavor profile of their cuisine was to my liking. I also heard from a few friends whose opinions I trust that they didn't like the dishes at Noma 2.0, which reinforced my belief that I shouldn't plan to trip to Denmark. So why did I choose to plonk down a chunk of money on dinner and wine pairing, and paying for 2 seats at that?!

Well, because in spite of the fact that I had mixed feelings about the dishes I had 8 years ago, I gained an immense respect for René and the team on account of the amount of effort that they would put in for events like this. Not that I'm suggesting they normally sit on their asses in Copenhagen and just coast on their reputation - that's absolutely not in their DNA. I was intrigued by how the team interpreted Japanese cuisine in 2015, and this time I'm interested to see how they would do what is effectively Noma Japan 2.0. What have they learned since 2015? How have they developed in the last 8 years? Would I enjoy this meal more than the experience I had in 2015, given also my own experiences in the years since?

I was chatting with the Dining Austrian when he told me that he had a 4-top for dinner tonight. Having been given the chance to share his table, I quickly chose to return my 2-top along with the accompanying room at the Ace Hotel Kyoto and adjusted our schedule accordingly. I haven't spent any time with my friend since November 2019, so I was really looking forward to this.

We were greeted by none other than Ali Sonko. Never having visited Noma means never having seen his smile in real life, but he was, of course, instantly recognizable with his radiant smile. I'm not normally in the habit of asking for selfies, but I was really, really tempted to get one with him.

Due to my last unpleasant experience with Noma's juice pairing, I decided to do the alcohol pairing this time.

The décor for the event space was, of course, customized for this – from the furniture to the serving ware, which was just like Noma Tokyo. I’m guessing that these things hanging down from the ceiling were meant to resemble kombu (昆布).

Everything everywhere all in my tummy day 8: strolling in Kyoto

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I'm starting my first full day in Kyoto properly, by having breakfast in my hotel room with a couple of things I picked up last night from 7-11. I'm on a quest to see which major convenience chain store has the best egg sandwich (たまごサンド), and this would be my second of the trio. The chunks of egg whites here are smaller compared with the one from Family Mart, and they mixed in all the yolk with mayo, making the filling more creamy. It also seemed a little sweeter. Very nice.

Everything everywhere all in my tummy day 7: 10 at Saito

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We didn't get ourselves out of the hotel early enough this morning, so my plans to stroll around the 'hood and check out some cherry blossoms had to be shelved. Instead of having coffee at some quaint little café, Foursheets ended up getting her caffeine dose at the Japan Rail Cafe inside Tokyo Station. Interesting experience, as it's kinda like a ticketing office which also serves coffee and snacks, which makes it a popular place for people to meet. It even has a tatami (畳) room at one corner for tourists who want to pose for pictures.

We checked out our hotel and left our luggage with the bell desk, and dashed to our lunch appointment. The Dining Austrian had booked out the main counter at Sushi Saito (鮨さいとう), and had kindly allowed me to invite a few friends to tag along. I'm grateful to be able to share the experience with Fergie and others. Foursheets was supposed to come in March 2020 for her first experience, but with the start of the pandemic of course we cancelled our trip. We've waited 3 full years for this!

We kicked off with the otsumami (おつまみ) part of our meal:

Japanese glass shrimp with sea urchin (白海老 雲丹) – nice seasoning as the soy sauce integrated well into the sea urchin.

The best dishes I had in 2019

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It's been a busy year at work, thanks to me changing jobs at the start of the year.  I definitely did not take as many holidays as I had planned, and in fact I ended up eating out less altogether.  That being said, I still found plenty of opportunities to pig out all over the world.

As in previous years, I have put together a list of the dishes which I thought were "the best", in the sense that they elicited the most amount of positive emotions from me.  They are listed in chronological order here:

Deep-fried garoupa filet (吉列老虎班球), from The Sports Club (五陵會), Hong Kong - there's something about battered and deep-fried fish, and this was probably the best version I've ever had.  I was totally amazed that something like this could be executed at this level... with light and crispy batter enveloping very fluffy and soft fish.  And that starchy egg drop and corn sauce was beautiful.

Braised stuffed sea cucumber (海參鑲肉), from mom - OK, so I'll never grow tired of eating this dish from mom.  Soft and wobbly sea cucumber stuffed with minced pork.  I'm so lucky that mom is a wonderful cook.

Kyoto 2019 day 4: silk in the river

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On my first trip to Kyoto in 1998, the most memorable meal during my stay was the one I had at Nishiki (京  嵐山  錦) in Arashiyama (嵐山).  The restaurant on Nakanoshima (中之島) in the middle of the Katsuragawa (桂川) served a very delicate kaiseki (懐石) cuisine, which I would later learn as kyo-ryori (京料理).  It was an eye-opener.

Tonight I took us back for nostalgia's sake, and I was really looking forward to tasting all those little bits of delicately-prepared and plated food, some of which would almost be too pretty to eat.

It's a Monday and we were here at 6pm, so we ended up being the only people in the public dining room.  The current menu comes with 8 basic courses, while the restaurant offers 4 main course extras which diners have the option to add on.  AND OF COURSE I added more than one dish!

Appetizer: deep-fried tofu, shredded spring onion, Tosa soy sauce (先付：揚げからし豆腐  洗い葱  土佐醬油) - the tofu had a very crispy shell, and there was a little bit of mustard inside to make it a little spicy.

Sashimi: sea bream (お造り：鯛へぎ造り) - these were thin slices, and came with perilla flowers as well as chiffonade of perilla leaves.  Condiments on the side were fermented garlic (もろみにんにく), Kyoto aomi radish (青み), and of course wasabi (山葵).

Kyoto 2019 day 4: go west

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It's our last day exploring Kyoto together, and our itinerary would take us to the western side of the city - hitting some of the key temples there.  When we realized we had just missed the Raku 101 bus from Kyoto Station and the next one wouldn't come for a while, we switched to No. 205 and got off at Kinkakuji-michi (金閣寺道).

I was surprised to see that we were so close to the Hidari-daimonji (左大文字), which is on Daihoku-san (大北山).  Kinda interesting to see it in daylight when the fires aren't lit.

Rokuon-ji (鹿苑寺) is most famous for its pavilion that has been covered in gold leaf, hence it is popularly known as Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺).  Not surprisingly there was a horde of tourists this morning - as there would be on any morning - so it took a while for some people to get to the right spot for photos.  I was so thankful that the sun was out again today, and the gilding on top reflected the sunlight well.

I wasn't at all surprised by a sign by the temple entrance which warns that it is forbidden to fly drones here.  Having rebuilt the pavilion after it was burned down in 1950 by a monk with mental issues, the last thing that the temple wants to see is some idiot crashing a drone into the national treasure.

Kyoto 2019 day 3: wooden mountain

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Tonight was my biggest hope of getting some high-end kyo-ryori (京料理).  I knew I had no chance of getting into the most sought-after places since I didn't start planning my meals until about 2 weeks before the trip, but I still wanted to pick a nice place for kaiseki (懐石料理).  Thankfully I found that Kiyama (木山) - which is highly rated on Tabelog and on the OAD Top 100+ Japanese Restaurants despite having only one macaron - was still available via one of the paid concierge services, so I booked us in.  Maybe it's because the place has only been only for about 2 years.

We were led to a private room just off the entrance, so the 5 of us would be on our own.

Grilled eel with glutinous rice (鰻御飯) - kinda surprised that the chef started us off with rice, and even more surprising that it's glutinous rice.  Nice fragrance from the sansho leaves (木の芽) on top, and interesting to have chopped bits of pine nuts mixed in with the rice.

We were offered a welcome sake, which was dry and came from Fukuoka.

Kyoto 2019 day 3: Higashiyama

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I didn't get much sleep last night, as I woke up early and decided to update the firmware of my DJI Mavic Pro.  After going through the necessary steps and thinking I was ready to go, I began reattaching the propellers - as I normally have them removed before boarding a flight.  That was when I realized that I had brought the wrong combination of propellers... so I carried my drone to Kyoto for nothing...

We decided to get an earlier start this morning, and headed to Kyoto Station in order to board Raku Bus (洛バス) No. 100 - one of three routes designed for tourists.  We would be exploring the eastern side of the city today.

The first stop of the day is Higashiyama Jisho-ji (東山慈照寺), which is otherwise commonly known as Ginkaju-ji (銀閣寺).  The design of the main structure was meant to emulate the famed golden pavilion of Rokuon-ji (鹿苑寺), and the pavilion was meant to be covered in silver foil, but the latter was never executed.

This was my second visit and took place more than 20 years after my first, and I think I finally gained more appreciation for this temple.  I can see why my friend Ninja likes it so much.  We enjoyed a stroll along the path up the small hill next to the temple, admiring the luscious, moss-covered surroundings which looked so green and serene. 

Kyoto 2019 day 2: Karhu's hangout

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It was supposed to be perfect.  I had planned our day's itinerary so that we would end up around Gion (祗園) during early evening to try to catch any geisha (芸者) shuffling down Hanamikoji-dori (花見小路通り) on their way to dinner appointments.  Then we would have dinner nearby at a restaurant serving traditional kyo-ryori (京料理).

But due to our late start this morning and the need for my friends to check-in to the hotel - and our insistence to use public transport - we missed the golden hour to stroll down what would have been undoubtedly a tourist-filled lane.  So we ended up just strolling around the restaurant before getting seated in an upstairs dining room at the Sueyoshicho (末吉町) branch of Yagenbori (やげんぼり).

As we were removing our shoes at the genkan (玄関), I noticed a copy of Karhu@77 - the book featuring the works of Clifton Karhu published by my friends the Tolmans - was prominently displayed.  As we entered our private dining room, I saw that a Karhu print of the exterior of the restaurant hung on a wall.  And the cardboard coasters we got for our cold drinks - a different one for each of us - also featured drawings which are reminiscent of Karhu's annual calendars.

Kyoto 2019 day 2: an easy start

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MorgChop and family arrived in Kyoto this morning, and we would have the next three days together.  It's been a few years since I last saw him, but it's been more than 15 years since I last saw his wife and son.  In fact, the last time I saw the little kid was before he turned 2... and he's headed to Shrimp Buddha this fall.  How time flies...

Our first stop today was Nijo-jo (二条城), the castle that was the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa shogunate. It's been more than a decade since my last visit, and they have since renovated the famous Karamon (唐門) which leads into the Ninomaru Palace (二の丸御殿) and gardens.  No wonder the gilded parts were looking so shiny under the sun...

Kyoto 2019 day 1: Kobe in Kyoto

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Tonight's dinner is arguably the most-anticipated meal during our short trip.  As I didn't plan my meals early enough, some of the most sought-after reservations in Kyoto were no longer possible for us.  As I scrolled through the offerings of one paid concierge service, though, I was kinda surprised to see Miyoshi (肉の匠  三芳) still showing as being available.  I've certainly seen enough people post about this place, and figured that Hello Kitty would enjoy having some good Japanese beef, so I took two seats and ordered up the menu featuring Kobe chateaubriand.

We were the first to arrive for our late seating, and we ended up getting stuck at the far end of the counter... which wasn't ideal for me to take pictures and videos.  I did, of course, ask for permission to use my big camera.

Given how so many people were posting pictures on Instagram from this place, perhaps it isn't surprising that out of 11 guests for our seating, only 4 were Japanese...

As we waited for the rest of the guests to arrive, we watched Chef Ito Tsutomu (伊藤力) prep for the meal... and this hunk of beef definitely got us drooling... The chef brought this hunk of beef around to show all the guests, and of course some of the Chinese guests immediately had to ask what grade the beef was... (It was A5)