Henri Charpentier – Ginza, Tokyo.
This is the first post of several that will focus on Japan, which I was lucky enough to travel to during the Christmas holidays that just passed.
My memorable first visit to Henri Charpentier in Ginza lured me to visit it again and I was not disappointed.
Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir & Duck Dinner
Whenever I hear of Pinot Noir, I always think of Jack, that’s like sniffing a woman’s butt before you have sex with her – Miles from Sideways (regarding sniffing the cork of a wine before trying the wine). This quote has stuck with me as well as the fact that the movie based on the book (which lacked that quote boo) boosted Pinot Noir sales up by 41% after hitting the big screen. So when I received an invitation to a Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir & Duck dinner from Angela of Red Urban, I chuckled to myself and replied a hearty “yes please!” Here Comes the Food
Bistro Vue – Melbourne CBD
Our Sydney-based readers you might have once asked: what is Melbourne like during the Christmas period? The answer: Exactly the same as Sydney. Similarities include everything being closed besides Swanston Street and Chinatown, a flourishing food scene and the same long queues outside luxury brands stores. What I loved most about my trip was arriving on Christmas Day and exploring the deserted metro centre. The feeling of having the whole street/lane/side-street to yourself was bliss. Of course, there were rare moments where you would come across people wandering the same streets, but there was an unspoken acknowledgement of the same thought.
Bistro Vue is the lesser version of Vue de monde in terms of formality; the classical French fare is just as good. The dining room has an almost rustic feel as you can see the wooden beams supporting the sealing and hole-in-the-wall plating area allows you to catch small glimpses of the kitchen.