Chinese food in Shanghai Area

This is me and my co-worker at a Shanghai restaurant. It had a nice view of what is called the "Bund" which look European for when some European nation (I forgot which) governed the area.



China’s got a big gambit of flavors. I don’t like all of them, and some take acquired tastes. For example I like Pi-dan (that green egg yoke), but I don’t like preserved bean curd. I have to say that the food was good. Of course this is all restaurant food which is hiked up with oil salt, but still it was good.

Here’s the popular shanghai crab. They come with tags so you can read the logistics profile. It’s fresh water and it was pretty tasty. But you got to be patient to eat it as it’s about the size of your fist.


Here is a dish which was pretty tasty. Pork and Enoki mushrooms in a nice spicy sauce, with char sui and some greens on the side. I was surprised the rice was crap in this part of China. Also this part of China your meal is a lot of little dishes like appetizers. Food goes good with beer because it’s salty and spicy.



I think I got a reputation for fish head eating. I eat them, and then people kept ordering it for me to eat. There’s not much meat on it, I just like to pick it apart. Give me something to do while I sit there.

All the food was pretty good. I think it’s better than Japanese food., but at least Japanese food you can be somewhat assured of the quality. Who knows how sanitized the food is in China. Oh well, we at restaurant which is safer than the street food, so I hear. One day we went to a dim sum place and I think this was the best damn dim sum I’ve ever eaten. Of course not to say I haven’t had good dim sum before, but this was a notch above.

I wish I could have captured ever single dish, but then I would have like 50 pictures. Well, and I was embarrassed to take out my camera in front of everyone at the big gatherings. More pictures are : http://davidandlouise.smugmug.com/gallery/2204466

Sinbad Restaurant

For the price point it was good, especially since you order up at the cook station We stumbled in on a Saturday night. There was belly dancer there. The lamb and pita was good, but I didn't like the meat stick lamb. Like a really skinny meat loaf on a stick, spicy and not my desired texture for chewing meat.

Maybe we'll go back again if we crave some big plate of meat, pita, hummus (which I didn't think was great).

Chinese restaurant in Nikko

This place was overpriced. I can only think that it was because it was in Nikko which is very touristy, but they charged me $2.10 for rice and my whole meal was over $30. Also, it was not long grain rice, what kind of chinese restaurant was this. Anyway, I was tired hungry and buzzed from exhausion.

I ordered abalone, okay that is kind of expensive. Actually I though it was abalone and oysters and then when I read the menu again after they brought it out thinking it was a mistake, it was abalone in oyster sauce. Oh well, it was pretty good and I can't say it didn't taste good with the shitake mushrooms and shiny sauce. Although it had cooked lettuce underneath to soak up the sauce. I would have prefered a more valuable vegetable like cabbage.

Actually I think the rice charge wasn't only for the rice, there was soup and tsukemono which I didn't order, but it's like a set price I guess.

Station Food Japan

Looks a lot better than it tasted. I think that's because it's chilled due to food saftey. I thik it would be a lot better if I had a microwave.

Fish on a stick - Kegon Falls, Nikko, Japan

Yummy! You gotta be a little careful of the bones though, but this is a nice snack when you are hungry and want something small. $5 bucks. . .might be a little steep but it's a touristy place.

Tavern "Hipparidako" - Nikko, Japan

After a long day of walking all over Nikko at the famous shrines I stopped into this restaurant. I was assuming it was busy when they told me to wait a moment after I told them it was just me. . .they mumbled something in Japanese which maybe was something to clarify but I couldn’t understand. When I was seated ½ the restaurant was empty.

I ordered a tenderloin steak and I can’t say it was anything fabulous, but it was perfectly cooked and I was hungry. Okay, I change my mind, it WAS really great!

I have to say though, I love to eat my meat with rice. In America you can’t find this combination at a restaurant. I always do it at home. And again, the rice always so perfectly cooked..

Of course I didn’t need to order that strawberry shortcake afterwards. . . but So what if I did. . . It was good!

Breakfast at Turtle Inn

Breakfast wasn't that impressive as a place that has B&B on the door. Oh well, they serve you and it comes with juice, coffee and the convience of eatting in the morning when you are hungry!

Nikko - Turrle Inn Dinner

I stayed at this nicer one of the Inn in the link above in Nikko. Except, no more Japanese style non-beds for me EVER! The dinners are pretty nice actually. I just had one dinner there, I should have had another dinner

I had meet this elder British couple who I ate dinner with and had coffee with later which made it a more enjoyable experience.


This is sukiyaki. Not my favorite, but it was pretty neat with your own little pot and all. It’s raw when you sit down and after you are finished w/your salad the broth is boiling and your meat is cooked. I didn’t care for the raw egg to dip in. My father used to do that all the time with the raw egg thing. I prefer liquid eggs with rice. The little fish was nice and mild and for dessert we had yokan.

Ice Coffee Drink

Now here is something new. Little bits of ice coffee frozen and served with milk. Kinda fun to drink.

On all the noodle places in Japan

Japanese noodle dishes aren't new to me. I just expected the mediocre bowls of noodles to be better than the mediocre bowls in America. I tasted pretty much the same. I guess when Japanese came to Hawaii they didn't cook anything differently so the food is pretty the same. The Japanese restaurant too in California is pretty comparable too. I have to say though that rice is always prepared well in Japan. Maybe in Hawaii I get some mushy thing sometimes, but in Japan even our work cafeteria the rice is tops!

Anyway, my favorite noodle is Udon and chow fun. However, I have never ever been able to find the same freshly made udon that Eagle factory made in Hawaii. It was the best tasting Udon EVER!, and I have never tasted anything that has come near it, even in Japan.


Ramen on the left and cold udon on the right


Katsu-don on the right (this was really good) and Tempura Udon on the right

Regular Dinners

I usually eat simple dinners in my apartment in Tochigi, Japan. I eat at the company cafeteria during the day so I like to eat simple unprocessed foods when I get home. I could eat at restaurants everyday but then I'd be totally obese compared to the locals. Hey I'm already considered overweight by their standards.

I like just going to the supermarket after work. My refrigerator is a tiny cube so people don't shop once a week like in America. Anyway, it's kinda relaxing after work strolling around the store. The whole store is like the Japanese section in America, except it's the whole store. Duh. . I’m in Japan. There's too much variety and it would help if I could read the Japanese, but the grocery stores are set up the same way. You just walk along the perimeter to get your vegetables, meat and dairy.

Even amongst all the choice I go back to just buying fruit/vegetables, meat and starch. I actually buy cooked rice because I don't have a rice cooker. Also I usually cook everything in water because I don't have anything to fry in.

I love the food here, but I miss the variety of California.

Some Restaurant in Tokyo

Okay, so I felt a little shy taking pictures of every dish, but this is just a sample of all the dishes at this meal. Pretty Yummy. Oh my god, we had so many dishes.First 3 different little appitizer dishes first was bonito fish, sort of dried and salted with shoyu flavor. Then, sea snails you had to pick out. Next a seasoned spinach salad topped with bonito flakes and then a daikon salad with mayo based salad dressing sprinkled with flying fish roe. That was the appetizers and they were served in small portions. By then I had a sparkling sake and peach mixed drink.

Then came the sashimi selection and grilled fish. I was kinda already full. Then a dish of chicken joints deep fried, I think my boss ordered that. Next fish bones seasoned with soy sauce, ginger and chopped up gobo. I was stuffed. Had one more drink. I think it was a blue Hawaii. Okay, I said I was stuffed back then, and then another dish. Miso soup with clams, rice, and some yam paste which had the texture of natto, but tasted like mashed gobo, and tsukemono. I don’t like to waste the good stuff, but I was so stuffed we left food on the table.

Oh I forgot the waiter thru in some baby dried sardine sheets and two bowls of dipping something or other. One was a sort of clam, and the other a salted stomach of some fish. He thru it in just to see if I would eat it, it was okay, but not my favorite.

I have no idea where this restaurant is in Tokyo, but it had a cute waiter, who by the looks of flawless skin, I had a good 5 years on him.

Greens restaurant

We went to Greens for the Saturday pre-fix menu for my celebratory dinner. First thing they brought out were lightly pickled cucumbers, radish, goat cheese and bread. Yummy antipasto combo, too bad it was a small platter.







One Salad was spinach, ridicio, pumpkin seeds, carmelized onion and cheese shavings with vinaigrette. Was okay, any other restaurant it would be good but since it's Greens we have higher standards. The fig salad was more on par with Greens expectation. Figs were charred so they were served warm, sweet and creaming with creme fresh piped in the center. The watercress and cantaloupe had a nice citrus vinaigrette. Excellente vinaigrette!







Spinach raviolli was filled with a soft mozzarella which melty gooey-ness. The sauce I can only guess was butter based, and tasty. Mixed about were pine nuts, sweet tomatoes, spinach and purple colored basil.

The mushroom custard tart was the best thing. I usually hate how tarts have a thick oily crust, but this was done well with the cream o'mushroom flavor throughout. The mushrooms were some exotic kind which I can't name but it was nice and chunky. Sides were great; Perfectly seasoned rosemary potatoes, yellow and green wax beans with beans, and watercress.







Dessert was little anti-climactic. I forgot I don't really like vegan stuff because I like animal products, so I go and order the vegan chocolate and banana cake. Kinda tasted like carob product and I could tell there was no dairy in the solid chocolate hunk. Was okay, we ate a good portion. The other dessert was chocolate icecream served over hazelnut cookie macaroon and caramel. We actually had it before so we knew it would be good.







Greens experince is always preety good. You need reservations because the restaurant is very popular. The service is very solid and attentive. Our reservation was at 6:45pm so it's perfect time of the day to dine with the sunset.

Fresh Choice

Salad bar restaurant. . .starts off good, but like a cheap chinese restaurant. . . afterwards it wasn't *THAT* good.

Venus Restaurant

Hungry and too lazy to cook we decided to go out to dinner on Friday night in Berkeley. Wanted to try Venus for dinner so we decided to go there. Luckily got a good parking space near by.

It was 7pm, prime dinner time and the place was pretty full, but luckily we got a seat. I don't like the open kitchen because the place was a little loud. Plus we had to sit in close proximity to some cozy couple on a date. The guy seemed much older and sounded like a pretentious idiot hippy, so I was really grossed out by the woman ooogling him. Sorry, I digress.

For appetizer we had the fig salad. I've started to order my dressing on the side like I used to in Milwaukee. I had higher standards for California, but it seems they still over dress salads so I must resort to dressings on the side. The dressing was a really nice port wine and balsamic reduction. The figs were sweet. Good salad.











Dinner we had the Halibut and Pork chop. Pork chops were served with potatoes, cabbage and apples. I like apples or apple sauce with my porkchops, but David not so much. The cabbage was dressed with a mustard/horseraddish tasting house so I didn't like it so much. The mashed potatoes were good and no doubt filled with some fat. The pork chop was cooked very well.











The halibut was okay. Not to much taste in the fish itself but it was done nicely. It was served with spinach, tomato compote and risotto cakes. I didn't like the fried risotto, kinda tasted dry. . .although David liked it. The tomatoes were sweet. There was some pickled ingredient I didn't know what it was. The basil oil was a nice touch.



Overall aside from idiot couple next to us, Venus is a good restaurant with that organic California ingredient stuff. Pretty good meal and okay value for the price. Desserts didn't look so appealing and we were full, so we went home satisfied.

Abkahzi Tea Garden - Victoria, BC

We stopped for a snack and tea. Food was okay, nothing special, but it photographed really nicely. The tea pot was kept hot the whole time so they must have baked it or something to make it like that.

Binner's B&B Breakfast - Victoria, BC

We ate two breakfast's at our B&B. Our hosts changed the table setting every day. The first morning was bright pink and the next morning was a flowery pattern. Breakfasts were nicely prepared and served with coffee and fruit juice.

The first monring we had a pear and blueberry crisp topped with whip cream. There were some cinnamon rolls too. For breakfast we had apple pancakes and sausages.












Our second breakfast started with a fruit cup, a crossant and yogurt. A new fruit juice was served too. The main breakfast was a mushroom omelet with asparagus. Also homemade toast was served. Pretty good stuff.

The Med Grill - Victoria, BC

We went to the Med Grill on recommendation from our B&B hosts. It was pretty crowded for a Sunday night, but it was a Sunday before a holiday so I guess that explains it. Our host said they had a prefix menu. Usually that means you have at most 3 or so entrees to chose from, however when we called them they said there were 11 choices. What they really meant to say is that they offered a 4 course meal for reduced size and price. The price was pretty good $17 for it. Now I didn't expect that much food, but it was funny how they served the first two on little plates. The antipasto was a bruchetta with roasted garlic.

I chose the house salad and David had the thai peanut salad. Both were pretty good, but as usual too much salad dressing. Sigh.










David had the Hake(white fish) and I ate the chicken Spaetzle. The fish was okay, nothing special with a cream sauce atop. The spaetzle was pretty tasty. Although I think there was probably a hell of a lot of oil to make it taste that way.










For dessert I had a chocolate cream and David had chocolate moose. Basically the chocolate cream was like a dark chocolate creme brule and the moose was a light version. Both were quite good.



The service was krap. We complained and the waitress blamed it on the kitchen. Didn't get much but a free dessert next time. . .Grr. Oh well, we weren't in a rush so it wasn't a big deal.

Steamroller Buritto - Vancouver, BC

We weren't too hungry so we just got a quick bite to eat. Stopped in on steamroller and ordered a burrito to split. It was kinda expensive. . . 7.50 bucks. . .grr. Well it was pretty good though. Surprisingly everytime we ate out the food was pretty good. I have low expectations after living in Milwaukee where you can have lots of below mediocre experiences. Anyway, the burrito was sitting in a sauce which I thought wouldn't taste too good but it was pretty good. The size is not as much bulk food you'd expect from chipole or quodoba.
THE TOMMY BURRITO
spinach tortilla, spanish rice, chicken, jack cheese,
garlic yogurt sauce, our famous tomatillo sauce
Also available veggie-style: spinach tortilla, spanish rice, carrots,
black beans, jack cheese, tomatillo sauce, garlic yogurt sauce

Tuscany - Bowen Island, BC

We walked up to this restaurant after our kayak adventure. It was 4pm in the afternoon and we were catching the end of lunch and not to many people were there, so we though it odd that we could only sit at the tables for two.

We ordered a salad with pear, sundried tomatoes, artichokes and topped with parm shavings. This is probably the best salad I've eaten at a restaurant no kidding. I was just talking about how places douse the greens with dressing. . . I hate that. This place somehow covered the greens sparingly with dressing but each leaf was coated and seasoned perfectly. I can't say the rest of the ingredients made the salad, I just appreciated that it wasn't sopping.

The pizza was great. I could've eaten another one. Time out on the water makes you hungry. I like the thin crust pizza better.




Luckily we had some time before the ferry was due so we could have dessert. Chocolate hazelnut tartufo with raspberry in the center. Yummy to the tummy. :-)

Pretty good restaurant, I would have loved to have dinner there. The prices were very good too. Aside from the *piff-piff-snoot* German waitress with no refills, service was still satisfactory and the food. . .I could've eaten double of everything.