Today marks the start of a 12 day adventure in Japan. We left Sydney early this morning and landed at Tokyo Narita at 5pm. After an hour on the train, a quick stop at our hotel and another couple of layers (it is COLD), we stepped out into the city.
Dinner was in Roppongi, a neighbourhood that’s undergone a transformation in recent years, casting off its reputation as a hedonistic watering hole in favor of a more sophisticated, classier image. Today, Roppongi is known for some of the city’s best food, bars, shopping and culture.
As we stepped in from the cold to Roppongi Robataya, we were greeted with a chorus of irrashaimase’s and a beautiful spread of fresh fruit, vegetables and live seafood. The space is wood-paneled and cozy, in the way that you might imagine a Japanese ski chalet to look, and the staff is warm and engaging.
“Robatayaki” or, more commonly “Robata” translates to “fireside cooking”, and is a style of Japanese cuisine in which morsels of seafood and vegetables are skewered and slow-grilled over hot charcoal.
The origins of Robata can be traced back hundreds of years to the fishing communities of Hokkaido where, at the end of the day, fisherman would encase hot coals in a stone box on their boats and gather round the makeshift hearth to partake in the day’s spoils.Here in Roppongi, our chefs for the night sat at the center of the room behind a sunken grill, with less than 15 customers seated at the semi-circular bar around them.
After a hot towel, some tea and a pouring of saké, our server gestured to the spread and asked what we’d like to eat. For someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy looking at menus, it doesn’t get much better than this: I felt like a kid in a candy shop and immediately pointed at various delicious looking vegetables.We chose asparagus, some enoki mushrooms, an eggplant and a hearty plate of fava beans. We also picked out a cut of fish and a giant prawn from the gorgeous tabletop tank. Lastly, we ordered some sashimi and on the recommendation of our server, some Hokkaido oysters.
This might have been the tastiest asparagus ever
Fresh, thick-cut sashimi
Giant oysters from Hokkaido
Yellow tail collar
Giant shrimp grilled to perfection
Delicious enoki mushrooms
A mini eggplant
Incredibly fresh fava beans
Needless to say, everything was delicious. The produce and seafood is all so fresh that robata seasoning rarely involves more than a basting of oil and sometimes miso. Most dishes are served with salt and a lemon wedge. Indeed, the British couple seated beside us were politely turned down when they inquired after “soy or some kind of dipping sauce”.
Other than the delicious food, it was the experience of Robataya that made it memorable. Each chef wields a long, smooth, wooden paddle. Once they’ve grilled and plated the food, they masterfully balance the plates and even bottles of beer and sake on these paddles, which they then extend to hungry guests. After plucking your dish from the wooden paddle, you load it up with empty plates, which the chef then deftly draws in and sets aside for cleaning.
The staff and servers at Robataya are equally engaging and will sneak up next to you and join the conversation. There was a lot of fanfare around a “changing of the chefs” where our two chefs stepped off the grills and were replaced by two members of the waitstaff.
Overall, it was pricey but an incredible meal in a very fun yet intimate environment — I only wish there were one of these in Sydney!
I got back Tuesday morning from 10 days in the US. We’d flown in to Chicago for my brother’s business school graduation and then spent 5 days with the family, hiking and driving through the Colorado Rockies.
It took us just about four hours to drive over from Denver and we made a brief stop at Independence Pass which, as expected was deathly windy and freezing cold but still worth hopping out for.
Aspen is beautiful in the summer. The town is lively, laid back and disarmingly friendly. We ran into plenty of gregarious Texans, there to escape their sweltering summer heat. We had a fantastic seafood meal at Jimmy’s Bodega and ended the night with ice cream from Paradise Bakery.
The Maroon Bells are fairly quiet in mid-June. I visited nearly 10 years ago and fell in love. The trails were just as beautiful as I remembered and very easy, even in going up to Crater Lake.
The deadly Maroon Bells
Maroon Lake
Crater Lake
Aspen in Aspen
Once back in Aspen, Niraj and I embarked upon the Ute trail (or the “Glute trail” as I like to call it, since it will kick your ass). The climb is steep and unyielding and we were impressed to see quite a few locals using it for their evening run. It’s all worth it when you get to the panoramic views at the top though. It’s easily amongst the most beautiful summits I’ve seen.
Top of the Ute
The glute trail
Aspen from above
Rolling Rockies
From Aspen, we took the scenic route over to Estes Park, driving 6 hours through winding mountain roads. Independence Pass was slightly warmer on the way back so we hopped out for a more extended frolic through the snow. Seeing the storm clouds in the distance, breaking over the Rockies, added an other worldly feel to an already spectacular view.
Storm Clouds over Independence Pass
Independence Pass
Independence Pass
We stopped at several other lookouts and drove through historic mining towns like Leadville. The highlight of the drive though, was indisputably Trail Ridge Road. Winding over 45 miles and climbing to heights of 12,000 feet, Trail Ridge alternately feels like a top of the world moutain tour and a safari in the plains. We entered Rocky Mountain National Park an hour before dusk, perfect timing to catch grazing herds of elk and even a black bear.
The uninterrupted Rockies
Sunset on Trail Ridge
Up close and personal
Plains from above
We stayed at River Stone Resort and Bear Paw suites and we were thrilled to wake up each morning to the sounds of the gushing Fall River. RMNP is one of the best US national parks with over 140 miles of hiking trails. We did a couple of beautiful hikes including the trail up to Mill Lake and the classic Bear Lake.
Fall River
Hiking through RMNP
Mill Lake
Bear Lake
After more hiking, BBQing and plenty of sun, we flew from Denver to Newark and squeezed in a couple more days with family in NJ and of course, Kuku. The trip was wonderful and far too short. As much as I love it here in Sydney, being with my family made me realize how much I miss them and value these trips. Till next time! x
First day back in Sydney! After 16 days of travel in India and Thailand, we touched down at Kingsford Smith early this morning after a verry long red eye. I appreciated the stopover in Singapore not only because we were ditching Jet Airways for a much bigger, nicer Qantas plane but because it was my first bite of sushi in over two weeks, I hadn’t even realized I’d missed Asian food!
I love going to India for the holidays. North India can be bitterly cold in December and January but there’s nothing like the winter sun in Delhi. Mottled sunlight, cashmere shawls, piping hot paranthas and mugs of spiced chai to warm those icy fingers and scald that throat.
This trip was particularly special because it centered around my brother’s wedding. We got in a few short days of catching up and shopping before the start of the celebration and, coming as we were, from another friend’s nuptials in Thailand, were excited to play a bigger role in round 2 of big fat Indian wedding.
The wedding was an absolute blast and went by far too quickly. We danced in a wonderful Sangeet, I mc-ed an event and gave a speech at the reception. We were relieved though to have it all be done. It’s been a hectic 24 months for my parents with both my brother and I getting married.
Gulab Jamuns soaking in sugar syrup
Bangle shopping in Hanuman Mandir
In showing a couple newcomers around Delhi, I reveled in old and new: Hauz Khas village, United Coffee House, saree and jewelry shopping in CP, India Gate. I became well acquainted with the Delhi metro and they with Delhi auto-rickshaws. Several friends took a day tour around the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Humayun’s Tomb, Qutub Minar, Old Delhi….so much to see (and eat…and shop)!
The day after the wedding, we headed off for our own version of the Golden Triangle tour. A day and night in Agra, a couple days in Jaipur and a few nights in Udaipur before flying back to the capital. We spent a lot of time on the road but it was well worth it.
I can always count on India for a “culture fix”. Going there at the end of the year especially is something I value as a way to reconnect, rejuvenate and recalibrate. Reflecting on my country’s rich history, traditions, spirituality, cuisine and diversity always fills me with awe. I took on the role of the Indian tour guide for my American husband and American friend this time and learned even more in the process.
A wonder of the world peeks out from the main gate
No trip to India is complete without the Taj
The Great Gate to the Taj
Up close
Each Arabic letter in the callipgraphy is a single piece of Onyx
Rajasthan, like Delhi is rich in history. A thousand years of dynastic rulers gave us plenty to read about in history class. The Mughal period is well captured and renowned, both through its iconic architecture and through depictions in contemporary movies and books. Rajasthani history, is esoteric by comparison.
A refresher on the alliances between the Mughal emperors in the North with the Rajput kings of Jaipur and Amer against the rulers of Mewar and Udaipur provided a rich backdrop to the magnificent palaces and forts that we visited. Add to that the beautiful local traditions of Persian carpet weaving (Agra), silver and precious stone jewelry making (Jaipur) and miniature painting (Udaipur) and it was an unforgettable trip.
Jaipur’s beautiful observatory
Standing next to my star sign at the Jantar Mantar
A highlight for me was the Jaipur observatory or Jantar Mantar (literally “calculation instrument”) in Hindi. One of five observatories built under King Jai Singh II, founder of Jaipur, the Jantar Mantar consists of 14 larger than life structures crafted from local stone and marble. The sophistication and sheer scale of these instruments will blow you away, it’s a must see. After Jaipur, we rocked up to a New Year’s Eve party in Udaipur close to midnight. Seven stationery hours in the car had prepared us for the feast that followed. The celebrations had taken on Indian wedding like proportions, complete with over the top buffet, obnoxious DJ and beautiful fireworks. A good start to the year!
Udaipur turned out to be very different from Agra and Jaipur. For starters, there weren’t very many people and India’s “burgeoning middle class” seemed missing. Udaipur seemed a sleepy town, almost hill station like: immaculately clean for India, very very expensive and wholly dependent on tourism.
We had so much fun and even (mostly) avoided getting sick 😉 Till next year, India!
Last weekend, we took a spontaneous trip up to Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef, the “GBR”. My dear friend Joyce (our first visitor from America!) had spent the preceding week with us as part of her 3 month world tour / planned job hiatus. We’d had a fantastic time showing her around — the beaches, the (blue) mountains, the zoo, the restaurants — but she was planning on continuing her Australian adventure with a few days in Cairns (a place both she and my husband had a very hard time pronouncing). The friend she was hoping to explore Cairns with cancelled last minute and it seemed a shame to let her visit the GBR alone. So Thursday evening, we booked flights leaving for Cairns early Saturday morning and returning Sunday night.
Cairns is a three hour flight from Sydney. We set our alarms for 430am (a time I would have considered ungodly early until recently — yeah that’s what Sydney will do to you) and were out the door at 510. The airport was buzzing and the excitement was starting to course through our veins. We were going to see the Great Barrier Reef! As we split a ham & cheese croissant at Sydney airport, we laughed at the last time we’d taken such a spontaneous trip — nearly 7 years ago when we were living in London.
Sydney is no London when it comes to accessing glamorous European destinations in a weekend, but the airport sure helps make up for it. We didn’t even have to bring ID! I’ll repeat that because it’s so awesome: all you need for a domestic flight in Australia is your boarding pass. No more “remove your liquids”, “remove your shoes”. We’d checked in online and breezed through to our gate in 10 minutes. The plane spat us out at Cairns airport at 930am and, by 10am, we were walking around the CBD.
Cairns’ central business district consists of a mix of large and small streets with a ton of restaurants, cafés, bars and hostels. It oozes that beach town vibe but it isn’t packed, at least not at this time of the year, not like Bondi Beach. From the CBD, it’s a 10 minute walk to the water where a lot of the larger resort style hotels have set up shop. Joyce was staying at a hostel and in the spirit of keeping it real, we’d decided to hostel it too. Before you conjure up images of 8 people packed in bunk beds with one bathroom, our hostel, Northern Greenhouse turned out to be awesome and we had our own room and (most importantly!) our own bathroom.
We grabbed some breakfast, a walkabout and a much needed power minute nap, we headed to the pier with Joyce to catch our ride to Green Island. Green Island is a coral cay on the Great Barrier Reef with island rainforests and white sand beaches. We’d picked one of the many half day packages offered from Cairns and set sail at 1230. By 1.15pm we were changing into our gear and getting ready to jump into the water.
Green IslandOur first look at Green Island
Hundreds of fish less than 2 metres from the shore! Some of the highlights were the pointy nose blue gar fish, a humongous sea cucumber that had anchored itself to the sea bed, and a giant school of silver fish that encircled us in a continuous and rapidly moving line whenever we came close. I wish we knew the names of everything we saw. We snorkelled in a few different spots and saw some awesome fish but Green Island was a tad crowded in the end. I was surprised to see so many tourists from China, most with large families. Many of the signs and menus had translations in Chinese.
Surrounded by silver fish
This sea cuke gave me the willies
More silver fish
We got back to Cairns by around 430pm and after a shower and a rest, headed over to Fettas for dinner. I love all kinds of Mediterranean food and had spotted this little gem on our walk in town. We wouldn’t have committed to going there, however, had it not been for Joyce’s success in getting the lowdown on Cairns from a group of local lads.
Fettas was amazing. It was quite possibly the best Greek food I’ve ever had. All three of us got the banquet which meant we’d get to try a little bit of everything and, most importantly, wouldn’t have to make any decisions (big win). The belly dancer and plate breaking (I counted at least six) only added to the fun.
After dinner, we headed over to Gilligan’s, the place we’d gotten the most reccs for as the not-to-be-missed part of a trip to Cairns. I’m not sure how to describe Gilligan’s. It’s technically part of a hostel but it’s really a gigantic indoor / outdoor club…
Before you judge it though, let me tell you it’s super fun and completely unpretentious. People were gathered along long communal benches and a cover band was playing a mix of 80s rock and top 40s. We kept telling ourselves we’d leave and call it an early night but we ended spending the next few hours dancing to the perfect 80s mix. Interestingly, the dance floor never got too crazy. Is it possible the 80s were lost on this younger crowd? Eek!
The next morning, we awoke bright and early for our ride to the Outer Reefs. We were going to hit up three sites and see the actual GBR. We packed up and went back to Macaron cafe, the lovely French place we’d eaten at the day before and put away some delicious croissants and quiches before heading to the pier.
There were 50 odd people on board, a mix of snorkelers and divers, and the tour was very structured. A fantastic guide gave us an overview of the types of marine life we’d see. We were also fitted with “stinger suits” — lycra suits that were meant to protect us from sunburn and from blue jellyfish, also known as “blueys”. A friend had warned us that on an earlier trip to the GBR, she’d been stung by a bluey on her FACE. Wtf!
Pretty yet lethal
Blue jellyfish
The hour it took us to get out to the reef flew by quickly and before we knew it, it was time to jump in the water. The fish were huge and would come right up to the boat for food. We’d been instructed to look out for Nigel, a giant blue parrotfish who’d been domesticated by the boat’s photographer and was always willing to pose for a good shot.
Swimming with Nigel
The coral was amazing and endless and took on all kinds of forms. Our guide had told us that coral nomenclature was fairly straightforward — e.g. looks like a boulder? It’s called boulder coral. Looks like a brain? It’s called brain coral. And so on.
Staghorn Coral
Boulder Coral
We had lunch after jumping in at the second site and tea after the third site. We also went on a 30 minute snorkelling tour with the guide who dove down to retrieve and show us various types of sea cucumber. He also led us to a giant sea turtle! Swimming with that massive creature was just incredible.
Giant sea turtle
We also finally got to see “Nemo”, which had been hard till now because clown fish typically hide in a stinging anemone that they alone are immune to.
Finding Nemo
After the tour, Joyce and I wandered off for a last bit of snorkelling. On our way back to the boat, I spotted a nurse shark! We chased him for a while and got a few pics, but he eventually out-swam me and disappeared into the deeps.
By the time our boat pulled back in to Cairns, it was 430pm. We were exhausted and my hair was a giant, salty, dried out mess. We got back onto the pier, found the cab we’d booked and headed back to Cairns airport for our 6pm flight to Sydney. What an amazing weekend!
We arrived at Charles de Gaulle early yesterday morning. We’re spending a week in Paris and Burgundy to celebrate our one year anniversary and attend the wedding of some friends. The journey from Sydney to Paris was no mean feat. After some 22 hours in the air, plus a plane change in Kuala Lumpur, we were ready to move our rusty limbs. We dropped our bags at our hotel and hit the pavement. It was 830am and the streets were empty. And when I say empty, I mean deserted. We’d never seen Paris like this.
Over the course of our 5 mile run from George V, across the Seine (Pont de l’Alma) and around the gardens of L’es Invalides, we encountered no more than a handful of casual joggers, a few people walking their dogs and maybe a couple of out-of-towners, who stopped us for directions. At a cool 18C, the weather was perfect. Mottled sunlight, a light breeze and very little humidity. It felt like we had the city of light all to ourselves and it was incredible. Our run slowed to a walk as we neared the end of our loop. And, as we wandered through the cobbled streets and along the wide, leafy boulevards, we lost our way.
Tour Eiffel from the Pont de l’Alma
The beautiful Petit Palais
Those famed cobbled streets
L’Hôtel national des Invalides at 9am
After a much needed shower back at our hotel, we headed over to the 7th arrondissement for lunch. I have a very authoritative list of “must-eat” Parisien restaurants, thanks to a business school classmate, and his recommendation to eat at La Fontaine de Mars did not disappoint. It was still fairly early by French standards so we managed to snag a table outside on Rue Saint-Dominique. The menu at La Fontaine is somewhat traditional with a focus on cuisine from Southwestern France (the region we are heading to later this week).
Our waiter was lovely and happy to entertain my rusty French. We ordered the oeufs en meurette and roulé d’aubergine confite au chèvre frais for our entrées and the confit de canard and a lobster salad for our plats. Everything was mouthwateringly delicious and beautifully presented. Dollops of fresh goat cheese ensconced in wafer-thin, delicately-rolled carpaccio of aubergine, sitting on top of a red pepper and tomato coulis — what’s not to like? The duck confit was perfect: tender (meat falling off the bone), flavorful, juicy and crisp, all at once; the lobster was succulent and perfectly dressed but the pièce de résistance, in my opinion were the eggs. Poached and swimming in a hearty red wine stew, studded with the occasional lardon and pearl onion, we just couldn’t get enough and found ourselves soaking up every last drop with crusty white bread.
Despite the hype surrounding the Obamas’ lunch here and the row of restaurants on Saint-Dominique, we found La Fontaine to be fairly low key, authentic and reasonable. Highly recommend!
Roulé d’aubergine confite au chèvre fraisOeufs de MeuretteConfit de canardA salade de homard from the specials
“Robatayaki” or, more commonly “Robata” translates to “fireside cooking”, and is a style of Japanese cuisine in which morsels of seafood and vegetables are skewered and slow-grilled over hot charcoal.
After a hot towel, some tea and a pouring of saké, our server gestured to the spread and asked what we’d like to eat. For someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy looking at menus, it doesn’t get much better than this: I felt like a kid in a candy shop and immediately pointed at various delicious looking vegetables.We chose asparagus, some enoki mushrooms, an eggplant and a hearty plate of fava beans. We also picked out a cut of fish and a giant prawn from the gorgeous tabletop tank. Lastly, we ordered some sashimi and on the recommendation of our server, some Hokkaido oysters.
A Wandering Feast 