Melinda Joe

A gorgeous day for a gorgeous lunch at the newly 🌟 @bulgarinikoromitotokyo. Huge congratulations!

The winter menu exudes understated elegance. Truffles abound, but the dishes are structured to let the flavors of the natural ingredients shine. White truffle is the star of a simple but elegant dish of Kuro Fuji poached egg and potato cream. At the start of black truffle season, @mauro_aloisio presents them atop fettuccelle with Aomori duck sauce - a fabulous match for Ridolfi Brunello.

So happy to catch @nikoromito here in Tokyo. And like Santa himself, he granted my Christmas wish by bringing one of his panettones! Less

A visit to a restaurant like Oryori Fujii in Toyama reminds you just how amazing Japanese counter dining experiences can be. The theater of it, the dazzling products, the thrilling mastery of techniques on display. To be a great kaiseki chef, one needs to have more than deep knowledge of ingredients and culinary chops. You have to have a knack for ikebana and an eye for beauty, along with personal charisma.

Chef Hironori Fujii is one such chef. He’s a charmer, chatting with guests as he breaks down whole snow crabs with seemingly effortless grace. The meal was a delicious lesson in crustacean anatomy, each part thoughtfully prepared with nothing wasted.

Thanks for letting us join this @sezannetokyo field trip, @chezcalvert and congrats on 🌟🌟! Less

Huge congratulations to @mitsuharu_maido on snagging the No 1 slot at this year’s @latam50best! What an achievement, and so well deserved! In addition to being a thoroughly lovable soul, Micha is a pioneer who keeps spreading the joy of Nikkei cuisine around the world.

My first visit to Maido in 2013 opened my eyes to this vibrant style of Japanese-Peruvian fusion (I still remember the tiradito). By the time I went back to Maido last year, the restaurant had really hit its stride. A wonderful experience! Less

In Kyoto, @bluebottlejapan’s exclusive Studio offers an intimate tasting experience that unfolds like a kaiseki course. Open until Dec 11, now is the perfect time to savor these single-origin brews with a view of the autumn leaves.

“As I take my seat at the counter, barista Yuta Miyagawa places a recording of the Keith Jarret Trio’s “Still Live” album on the turntable, marking the start of the prix fixe tasting course. Alongside all the other meticulous details that define the experience, the musical selection has been curated by Blue Bottle founder James Freeman…

The session opens with a trio of cold teas steeped with different parts of the coffee plant: the leaves, flowers and cherries — the pulp surrounding the coffee beans. The unique infusions showcase a spectrum of flavors, from the astringency of the leaves to the soft sweetness and pleasantly acidic tang of the cherries.”

The second piece in my two-part coffee feature for The Japan Times #kanpaiculture:

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2023/11/26/food-drink/blue-bottle-kyoto-coffee/... Less