The best dishes I had in 2024

Pin It

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.

Tokyo 2024 day 8: airline food again

Pin It

We had a morning flight to catch this morning so we didn't have time for a proper breakfast. Instead Foursheets bought me a tamago sando (たまごサンド) from Family Mart. This was absolutely perfect and I finally got to have it before I left Japan.

Tokyo 2024 day 7: a date with Puchi Jr.

Pin It

For a number of reasons - some of which I have shared with a handful of friends - I have never found myself sitting down for a meal at DEN (傳). I have had tastes of Chef Hasegawa Zaiyu (長谷川在佑)'s cuisine via his collaborations with Gaggan and Goh-san from as far back as his Bangkok pop-up in 2017, but I just never managed to get myself a seat in Tokyo.

I usually hate to beg chefs who aren't already friends for seats at their restaurants, but this time around I figured I needed to check DEN off my list, so I finally messaged Zaiyu-san and asked for help. He was, of course, very gracious and asked the team to help make the arrangements for me.

We were running late due to stupidity on my part, and I ran from our taxi into the building like a headless chicken. I knew that the restaurant is on the first floor and I could see that there is a restaurant, but the glass panel on the door reads Le Gaulois... So WHERE THE HELL IS THIS PLACE?!

After seeing two very confused people outside their door, Noriko-san came out and asked whether we were looking for their restaurant. It's been a few years since I last saw her, and I was relieved to see a familiar face. She explained that Le Gaulois used to be Zaiyu-san and Emi-san's favorite restaurant, and when they moved DEN into the space, they kept the decor of the restaurant - including the door.

We were seated at the big tree trunk table facing the open kitchen. This facilitated some interaction between us and the kitchen, but I would soon find that, thanks to a combination of my short stature, my protruding o-toro, and the beveled edge of the table, I was often stretching to reach the dishes and found myself eating in an uncomfortable position. Oh well... time to put some work in and shrink the o-toro!

DEN monaka (傳最中) - I've had this signature dish quite a few times over the years, and know that some of the ingredients vary with the seasons.

Tokyo 2024 day 7: cats and the noodle, part 2

Pin It

We got ourselves up a little earlier this morning to grab our morning coffee, but rather than being lazy and go somewhere in our neighborhood, we returned to one of our favorite cafés in Tokyo. Reissue has been doing 3-D latte art for quite a while, and we paid them a visit back in December 2018. Foursheets decided that she wanted to go back for more. Six years after our first visit, the place has garned more internet fame, and we saw more customers even on a weekday morning.

I gave them a picture of our CC Dogcow and asked for 2-D art. I thought Sadaharu did a pretty good job, and so did many friends who saw it.

Tokyo 2024 day 6: Champagne and sushi again

Pin It

We're meeting up with Geruhage for dinner in Roppongi, so I thought Foursheets and I could get there a little early and take in the Christmas lights at Roppongi Hills. The tree lights along Keyakizaka-dori (けやき坂通り) have always been pretty, and since Foursheets keeps reminding me that we don't take enough photos together, this would seem to be a good time to do it. We started with the lights on the podium level, but the gusts of wind were so strong and so cold that we had to run for safety. It got a little better when we moved to Keyakizaka, but by then the damage had already been done.

There were lots of people at the Christmas Market, but seeing that we had a nice dinner coming up, there didn't seem to be any point in lining up for food or drink here. Maybe next time I can plan things a little better...

The walk from Roppongi Hills to Ark Hills seemed extra long on this windy night, and we felt as if we had landed in another world and about to be greeted by Elsa and Anna any minute. After arriving at our destination, we definitely needed to defrost a little with the indoor heating while waiting for the second seating at Sushi Saito (鮨さいとう). Thankfully we weren't stuck outside very long.

Tonight was my fifth visit here, and while I sometimes wish I would have to chance to visit other high-end sushiyas to try out the craft of other masters, I quickly realized that this was most definitely a "first world problem". How does ANYONE get tired of dining at a place like Sushi Saito?! Besides, it would only be Foursheets' second chance to sit in front of Saito-san...

Female Japanese snow crab (香箱蟹) - so, so happy to have this while it was in season. The tomalley (蟹味噌), ovaries (内子), and eggs (外子) have been well-mixed with crab meat simmered in sake for this presentation.

Tokyo 2024 day 6: cats and the noodle

Pin It

I needed coffee and breakfast this morning, and there happens to be a branch of Komeda's Coffee (コメダ珈琲店) not too far from our hotel, so we strolled over in the other direction towards Tokyo Dome so we could check out that neighborhood. I have, in fact, never been to Tokyo Dome myself or Korakuen (後楽園), so that was kinda new for me.

Handmade egg dog (手作りたまごドッグ) - seeing that I still haven't gotten myself an egg sando after 5 days, I decided to order this up. Interesting to see that they've put ketchup on the bread. Loved it.

Tokyo 2024 day 5: drunken onion, episode 10

Pin It

Two days after the epic Isojiman Adagio tasting, I'm back at Tamanegiya (酒たまねぎや) to see Master. It's my obligatory visit when I come to Tokyo, and although I had already seen Master on this trip, I still needed to be here, sitting at the bar, surrounded by all the fridges and the sake inside. I need to feel that vibe, that feeling of familiarity. As I don't know exactly Master would decide to retire, I need to be here as many times as I can before I'm no longer able to come.

Bijofu Junmai Daiginjo Yumebakari (美丈夫 純米大吟醸 夢許), 2024, from isshobin - the nose was nice and fragrant, with a touch of sweet fermented rice lees, and a faint nose of banana, along with perhaps some muscat grapes. Pretty nice and elegant.

Tokyo 2024 day 5: the god of tempura

Pin It

On a trip to Tokyo 10 years ago, one of the places we visited was Mikawa Zezankyo (みかわ 是山居). Saotome Tetsuya (早乙女哲哉) is sometimes referred to as "the god of tempura" in the same manner that Ono Jiro (小野二郎) is referred to as "the god of sushi", and that visit 10 years ago left a lasting impression on me. When it came time to look for a place for tempura on this trip, I thought it would be nice to go for a return visit, especially since Foursheets wasn't there with me the first time around.

While seats at the restaurant can be booked via TableCheck - which is the only way first time customers are able to book - counter seats can only booked for the 5 p.m. seating. Well... if I'm coming back, I definitely want to be at the counter watching Saotome-san at work. Which was why we are having an early dinner tonight.

There was a good mix of locals and tourists at our seating, but once again we were seated closest to the entrance - just like my first visit. Oh well...

Our starter included some very creamy tofu with miso and marinated greens.

There was also a cube of conger eel jelly (穴子の煮凝り).

Tokyo 2024 day 5: nigiri for lunch

Pin It

Everything on our schedule is shifted a little early today, and we needed a quick and early lunch to fit into that schedule. It was fortuitous, then, that Geruhage very kindly offered me his 11 a.m. booking at Sushitokoro Yamato (鮨処 やまと) this morning. It's one of his newer discoveries and he was so impressed with this place that he insisted that I go try it.

I have never had the pleasure of dining at Nihonbashi Kakigaracho Sugita (日本橋蠣殻町 すぎた), so knowing that Yasui Yamato (安井大和) spent 5 years there and, when he chose to open up his own shop, received the blessing of Sugita-san, kinda felt like I was getting the consolation prize. And of course I have full confidence that we would enjoy our meal given the high praise that Geruhage heaped on the chef.

The restaurant, like so many others in Japan, is on the street level in a nondescript building. One can barely guess that this is the door to a restaurant by looking at the wood-and-glass door before the place official opens, because that's when someone comes out and hangs up the noren (暖簾) bearing the name of the establishment.

Tokyo 2024 day 4: Bonneau and birdie

Pin It

It's been more than a year and a half, and I'm back together with my Tokyo gang for another round of wines. This time around H-man booked us a private room at YAKITORI燃, which specializes in Californian wines and is, apparently, happy to let us bring more than 1 or 2 bottles to dinner. For someone who normally stays away from yakitori joints due to her disinterest in tasteless chickens and a dislike of innards, Foursheets is having her second yakitori dinner in just 3 days. We did tell the restaurant that she wishes to avoid innards, so they offered her substitute skewers.

The Moe Course (燃コース) includes 7 skewers, a warm dish, a cold dish, a carb dish, plus dessert for a pretty reasonable price.

Oden (おでん) - with tofu, egg, maitake (舞茸), and spinach.

Tokyo 2024 day 4: Instagram-famous tonkatsu

Pin It

Over the years, the core group of alumni from my high school in Tokyo living in Hong Kong has gradually shrunk, as friends move back home to be with family. A few guys have relocated back to Tokyo, and I'm taking the opportunity on this trip to meet up with them. While I had originally thought about going back to a curry shop I visited a few years ago, or even checking out a biryani restaurant I had heard about, I eventually left the choice up to the locals.

I was pleasantly surprised that my friend suggested lunch at Tonkatsu Marushichi (とんかつ 丸七), as it was kinda on my "hit list" for Tokyo. The place is "Instagram-famous" thanks to its very thick cuts of tonkatsu (とんかつ), and I always wondered whether the pork cutlet actually tasted good.

Since no bookings could be made for this popular chain of restaurants, I suggested that we visit the Fukagawa Fudo (深川不動) branch as they have 14 seats at the counter, versus 8 seats at the nearby honten or 6 seats at the Ginza branch. This would increase our chance of getting seated early and, hopefully, in the first round.

Foursheets and I arrived 15 minutes before the official opening time of 11 a.m. and there were 4 other tourists with their suitcases at the front of the line. I guess that fits with their Instagram fame. We were relieved that we would be seated in the first round, and I got to spend some time chatting with my alumni friends while we waited for the doors to open. Meanwhile, a long line started to develop while we waited.

I was surprised that the restaurant only opened up and seated us around 11:30 a.m., which was 30 minutes late and quite unusual for Japan. As we had pre-ordered everything while waiting in line, the cooks inside simply waited until they had fried all the pork cutlets for everyone in the first round, then served us within a couple of minutes after being seated. Well, I would have preferred to wait for my food while sitting down inside and not stand outside for an extra half hour...

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Diary of a Growing Boy (@growing_boy)

BABY, THIS IS WHAT YOU CAME FOR! OF COURSE I chose the thickest cut, as did the other 2 guys. Foursheets, though, took the "half portion" of the same cut of pork, so she "only" had 180 grams instead of 300 grams of pork.

Tokyo 2024 day 3: Isojiman, Mon Amour

Pin It

The main reason for taking this trip to Tokyo was to see an old friend. My first visit to Tamanegiya (酒たまねぎや) came in the summer of 2010, and ever since that fateful night, I have made sure to visit Master on every single subsequent visit to Tokyo. Nine visits over the space of 14 years may not sound like much, but my relationship with this place is longer and more meaningful than with any other hospitality establishment in all of Japan.

On my first visit back there last year after a 3-year absence due to the pandemic, Master mentioned that he was thinking to close up shop and retire this year, as he would be turning 70. That was, of course, not good news for long-time fans like myself, and I resolved to come back to see him before the place becomes history.  

Master organizes around a dozen or so vertical tastings each year of sakes from breweries he is friendly with, drawing on his extensive cellar to showcase a single bottling in a way that few others could accomplish. Usually the president or the toji (杜氏) of the brewery would also be present. I had thought about joining one of these events in the past, but for various reasons I chose not to pull the trigger. Until now.

Today I joined about 20 others for a tasting of Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Nakatori 35 Adagio (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 中取り 35 アダージョ), covering 16 vintages beginning from the very first in 2009 to the 2024 vintage that has literally just been released. As if these weren't enough, Master has thrown in an additional two bottles to make it even more interesting.

Photo credit: Kinoshita Takayoshi

After shelling out a big wad of cash to Master just outside the door, I walked into one of the function room at Hotel Metropolitan Edmont to find 3 tables set up and a wall of sake. Since it's free seating, I hurriedly put my bag down and saved seats for Geruhage and V as well. As luck would have it, we were seated at the same table as brewery president Teraoka Yohji (寺岡洋司).

Tokyo 2024 day 3: Instagram-famous tongue

Pin It

In preparation for a heavy drinking session this afternoon, I have very wisely scheduled a very big lunch to make sure my stomach is full and can handle all the alcohol. 29 Terrace (29テラス) is a place I found thanks to it being "Instagram famous", and when I saw a video of their ox tongue stuffed with spring onions I knew I wanted to come and try it. As V also needed a big lunch before joining me for this afternoon's festivities, I figured he should come along with us.

Even though we were the first to be seated today, I wanted to make sure that we got the signature ox tongue, so I pre-booked the most expensive set menu. It looked like a lot of beef to take down, especially for lunch, but I figured what the hay...

Korean salad (チョレギサラダ)

Kimchi (キムチの盛り合わせ)

Yukhoe (ユッケ) - this was pretty good with all the diced spring onions.

Tokyo 2024 day 2: Takasaka chicken

Pin It

I haven't seen Geruhage since my little detour to Kyoto earlier this year, and a lot has happened since then. We met up for dinner tonight at Yakitori Kyotamba (焼とり 京丹波), and I managed to rope in V for our little soirée. I'm really happy that he looked well and hasn't slowed down much, and even looks chic in his new accessory. 

Takasaka chicken (高坂鶏) is one of the famous breeds used in yakitori, and it's rare to find a restaurant like this where everything is done using this particular breed, as often a restaurant will use it for a few skewers only. We were pretty excited to try this place for the first time.

We were presented with a menu in English for the Chef's selected course:

A plate of assorted Takasaka chicken sasimi aged for 5 days (高坂鶏の刺身) - this included a slice each of thigh (もも), kelp seasoned breast (ささみ昆布締め), and fatty liver (白肝) along with some gelée. The abundance of perilla flowers added wonderful fragrance to mask any potential pungent flavors.

Tokyo 2024 day 2: pizza day

Pin It

After a night of insomnia, I really needed some coffee this morning. I had planned to hit a few Instagram-famous places on this trip, and it starts with a kissaten (喫茶店) famous for its crème caramel (プリン). Hekkerun (ヘッケルン) opened more than 50 years ago, and the place certainly looks like it's been around for a while... even from the outside.

Unfortunately while I was rearranging our itinerary and moved this visit from another day to this morning, I had forgotten to check which days of the week this place actually opens... and they're closed on Saturdays. So I've come all this way for nothing! Well, we still needed coffee, and ended up at a Caffé Veloce nearby.

I took a classic "Morning Set" that is common in cafés in Japan, with a cup of coffee and a ham and cheese toast. This did the job of getting some caffeine in me so I could get through the rest of the day.

Tokyo 2024 day 1: airline food

Pin It

I'm taking my first overseas trip after the end of my self-imposed travel ban, and our first destination is Tokyo. As we were flying JAL today, we got access to the Qantas Lounge at the Hong Kong International Airport and checked it out for the first time. I had done a quick search online as we headed to the airport, and there was something I was really looking forward to.

Unfortunately, the bar only serves up char siu rice (叉燒飯) and other main dishes after 4 p.m., so we were visiting just a tad early for this.

But wait! There's a dim sum cart being pushed around in the lounge! I've never seen that, even in the Cathay Pacific Lounge! I was pretty excited about this, and learned that they offer 2 options daily - one savory and one sweet.

The best dishes I had in 2023

Pin It

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.

Japan Michelin tour 2023 day 10: the last Samurai

Pin It

My last day in Japan was spent on a mission for mom. She had called a few days ago asking me to look for dried spiny sea cucumbers, and I had dutifully looked around in Fukuoka without success. Goh-san had told me that they don't see much of it in Japan, and even my friend whose family operates Chinese restaurants in Japan tells me that most of the supply is shipped to buyers in Hong Kong. Nevertheless, I needed to check things out for myself.

I had gotten word from a family friend that a particular shop in Tsukiji Outer Market (築地場外市場) used to sell it, so I made my way over to the market this morning. The whole place was now bustling with tourists from all over the world, which must be good news to the shops. I went through all the dried goods shops at the market and asked every single one of them, and in the end found 4 shops which were still selling dried sea cucumbers.

I have zero experience buying this stuff, but I did send Foursheets to look around a few shops in Hong Kong a few days ago... so I have an idea of how much the stuff might cost. There are only 4 shops which were still selling them: 深谷水産, 江戸屋海産, 丸二商店, and ヤマカ. In the end I ended up buying small amounts from 3 different shops, with varying quality and pricing. Let's see how they compare to Hong Kong...

Edoya (江戸屋海産) - they had what I thought were the best-looking ones, but the pricing was much more expensive than the others. I ended up buying a small plastic tub with 200g, which had 16 pieces inside. What I didn't realize was that they stuffed 6 (out of 16) inferior ones in the middle of the tub so that it was difficult to see outside. These barely had any spikes on them, and definitely would have been cheaper on their own. I feel cheated and won't buy from them again.

Maruni (丸二商店) - these looked pretty nice. I bought a pack of 200g with 16 pieces.

Yamaka (ヤマカ) - recommended by a family friend. This was the cheapest and they had a decent amount of stock. I bought 200g with 17 pieces.

I went to the market too late and stayed too long, so I rushed back and grabbed myself some takeout from McDonald's nearest to the pad. Samurai Mac (サムライマック) was on offer and I got myself a Roasted soy sauce double thick beef (炙り醤油風 ダブル肉厚ビーフ). That was pretty satisfying, but I had to literally wolf it down in less than 5 minutes so I could pack my luggage and rush to Haneda Airport.

Japan Michelin tour 2023 day 9: chicks on sticks

Pin It

One type of cuisine that has been glaringly missing from my diet over the last few years has been yakitori (焼鳥). Other than the occasional visit to Yardbird where we order up a couple of sticks among a wave of non-chicken dishes, Foursheets' general distaste for chicken - and especially offal - have precluded me from having lots of delicious sticks.

I'm alone for a few days on this leg of the trip, and I have a free slot for dinner tonight, so I got myself a booking at Yakitori Shinohara (焼鳥  篠原) - a place ranked among the top 20 for yakitori in Tokyo. They are known for using the famous Takasaka chicken (高坂鶏) from Kobe. For the second seating at 8:30 p.m., the majority of diners were foreign tourists...

Takasaka chicken soup with wonton (高坂鶏のワンタンスープ) - the soup was very light, with just a little seasoning.

Japan Michelin tour 2023 day 9: the best damn tonkatsu

Pin It

Even though I had another late night, I couldn't sleep in this morning as I needed to get up and go for an early lunch. This meal was, in fact, the reason I extended my stay in Japan and came to Tokyo after Fukuoka.

Tonkatsu Narikura (とんかつ成蔵) has been on my radar for a few years now, ever since I heard about their special tonkatsu (とんかつ) millefeuille. But I was focusing more on fine dining establishments during subsequent visits to Tokyo, so this place was never on my hit list. Until now. I decided I needed to see what the hubbub was all about. After failing to book a slot for my short visit last month, I finally got myself a seat this morning, at 10:30 a.m. So I hauled my ass all the way to Minami-asagaya (南阿佐ヶ谷) for my brunch...