Fijian Tales - Traditional Dining at the Tropic's Bamboo Kitchen (Nadi)

It was early morning Sunday when my plane landed in Viti Levu, Fiji's main island. The airport town of Nadi (the newly minted 3rd city of the country) slumbers on a Sunday. In fact, nothing stirs all over the islands. They take their Sabbath day seriously as a great number of its population are Christians, then Hindu and Muslims. Most shops are closed. Even public transportation isn't running, except the taxis. Tropic of Capricorn sent someone to pick me up at the airport. He was waving a bond paper with my name written on it. Before 7 AM, I was already in front of the Tropic of Capricorn Beach Resort at the edge of Wailoaloa Bay.

 I was in a daze, partly due to the 13-hour plane ride, the change of time zone and because I was coming up with the flu. 

Unfortunately, I couldn't be accommodated until about 11 AM, when a room became available. I wouldn't have minded otherwise if Nadi was "open for business". But there was nothing to do. I couldn't even go to town and check out the shops. 

Nothing Urgent

To make the best of the situation, I took a stroll along Wailoaloa Beach, with its placid waters and the gentlest of ripples. When the resort's Bamboo Kitchen (Tropic Cafe) opened, I ordered breakfast. This took awhile. Everything in Fiji takes awhile. Nothing is urgent here. If you are in a hurry, I would be sorry for you. In southeast Asia, Laos has its "Please Don't Rush" demeanor? Try Fiji. 

Breakfast was 4 pieces of bread dipped in rich egg butter served with lightly cooked bacon strips.

Everyone at the Bamboo Kitchen introduced themselves. Nanni, Maria. I met Teddy and Marlon by the pool. Everyone was warm and accommodating, wearing their radiant smiles with an ebullient "Bula!" It's their "Mabuhay" - their welcome salutations; their hello, their good morning, etc. 

Later that night, I chose a customary Fijian dish so I ordered "Coconut Crumb Chicken" at F$15 (P385). What went to my table was a delectable work of art that looked more like a dessert than a meal. It was chicken crumbed (breaded chicken) in coconut flesh served with pineapple and tomato salsa with a side of spinach, cassava and lemon butter sauce. Fijian meals usually contain coconut, taro, yam or sweet potato. This one had baked taro leaves that tasted good. Cassava slice was chewy and tasty.  Sprinkled with bits of pineapple and tomato, the whole concoction beautifully came together with slices of chicken. I felt smug.

The restaurant itself was open spaced, facing a grassy lawn with cots and benches. A few steps away, the South Pacific beckoned. It was the perfect meal to end an exhausting first day in Melanesia.

As a child, I used to watch that Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. I could hear Bloody Mary sing "Bali Hai". 

I was standing on its set.

My first meal and breakfast in Fiji. Nothing fancy but the price.

Bamboo Kitchen

Tropic of Capricorn Beach Resort faces Wailoaloa Bay. My room was at the 3rd floor, left side of the photo.

Nadi is located west of Viti Levu. This photo only from Dolphin Island's website.

A Taste of the Authentic Tonkotsu Ramen of Fukuoka (Kyushu, Japan)

"Do you have Ramen?" I kept asking that question in every diner at a corner of Hakata Station in the city of Fukuoka. Rows of food joints litter the space and I wanted a taste of the world famous Tonkotsu Ramen that Fukuoka is known for. But everyone I asked shrugged their heads. I was baffled. Ramen is supposedly everywhere, particularly by the roadside as makeshift stalls called "yatai" (street cart). There are about 150 yatais all over Fukuoka but most of them don't have menus owing to its mobile character. I decided to check out the restaurants at the station. So there I was.

After half a dozen shops, I just looked at the photo displays and thought, hmmmm, these are the ramens that I know about. Is it possible that the people of Fukuoka don't call them ramen?  Was my accent wrong? How else do you say ramen?

I went inside a noodles bar. The order took 10 minutes. The minute the waiter placed my bowl in front, I could smell the pungent odor. It was overpowering, like something rotten was steaming. This is the character of Tonkotsu Ramen aka Hakata Ramen, the rich pork broth that gives the dish its savory taste. Hakata Ramen's noodles are made from wheat dough; they are long thin noodles, topped with pork slices (chashu), green onions and dried sea weeds. A soft boiled egg is thrown into the cloudy white concoction. 

These days, Japanese Ramen is world renowned. Not too bad for a dish that originated from China and found its way to the Japanese shores in 1859. In fact, until the 1950s, ramen was called "shina soba" in the country, translating to "Chinese soba". The secret of Tonkotsu (pork bone) - not tonkatsu (fried breaded pork) - is in its preparation. Most broths are prepared overnight and served the next day. 

Tips on Eating Ramen

With my ramen sitting in front of me, I stared at it. I thought of how the pungent smell gets to my brain. I remember reading an Australian ramen aficionado giving a tip on how to find a good ramen meal. He said, "Usually the worse the smell, the better it is. There’s no real way to tell. If the shop smells really, really bad like old tennis shoes, the ramen is usually good." Goodness. 

He further suggested, "Ignore the smell, first up. Don't let the smell deter you from going into a shop. Ah, that's the hardest obstacle to overcome." If he asked other foreigners why they don't eat ramen, their answer was usually “because it smells so bad”. And I was reminded of Durian. Also, you have to eat it with a slurping noise, a practice scoffed at in many "civilized" societies.

As for my experience in Fukuoka, my ramen smelled like a rotten meal, but tasted like heaven. I needed to get used to eating good ramen.

Keika Ramen's Soy Sauce-Based Shoyo in Shinjuku (Tokyo)

Just beside Tokyu Stay, my hotel in Shinjuku Suehiro, was a ramen shop offering no-frills dining in this metropolitan corner. Keika Ramen originated from Kumamoto - home of tonkotsu ramen, thus you see the prefecture's icon Kumamon somewhere in their shop. It's been in business for 30 years.

Keika is a small ramen bar with affordable dishes on their menu. Upon entry, they will offer you an English menu (if you need it). Once you've picked your choice, you order it from a vendo machine just beside the door. The process can get intimidating because the vendo isn't in English, but you can ask for assistance from the waiter. Then you hand your order's receipt to the cook. In a short while, your ramen is served steaming before you. The seating is on a bar. The joint is too small for proper tables. Turnover is fast as most clients don't linger too long.

Classes of Ramen

I ordered Shoyo (syoyo) Ramen which is soy sauce based. Other major classess of ramen include Shio (shiyo) Ramen which is salt based; Miso Ramen has fermented bean paste; and Tonkotsu Ramen is pork broth based. My bowl includes 2 soft-boiled eggs, and cabbage strips. It is a sizable serving at 980 yen. 

This area in Shinjuku Suehiro is littered with shops that stay open til the wee hours. Further on are night clubs, adult venues and go-go bars so it can get interesting. In spite of this, the place doesn't feel seedy or shady. There's an entrance to the Shinjuku station nearby (through an underground tunnel), although it's easy to get disoriented. I kept getting lost; I had to always "find" my way back to the hotel. 

Grimm's Affordable Steaks in Busy Harajuku (Tokyo, Japan)

Central Tokyo isn't a place for those on shoe-string budget. When you're in wards like Shinjuku, Shibuya, Roponggi, Ginza or Harajuku, it isn't easy finding restaurants with inexpensive food... particularly when you're craving for the occasional steak. The area teems with high end shops and trendy boutiques.

I was in Harajuku, visiting the H.I.S. Tourist Information Center when I noticed the pictures of food offered in an oddly named restaurant called Grimm, accessible through a narrow stairway leading to a basement. 

Grimm is what they call a Yoshoku, a Japanese-style western-influenced eatery. It is small, with only 7 tables. Each can sit 4 people. Due to the size of the restaurant, the place fills up easily. I had a 15-minute wait standing by the stairs before I was accommodated. The waiting staff was fast, but due to the volume of customers didn't have time for pleasantries. Food takes time so while you're waiting for your food, there's nothing much to do but fiddle with your phone. If you're dining solo, you'd have to share your table with others. Young locals mostly populate Grimm. 

I ordered pork steak which came 15 minutes later. Like most Yoshoku set meals, this had rice, soup and salad. The plating looked messy with pork cutlets, butter, lemon, beans and corn. Despite the presentation, my meal was tasty. And since it just costs 850 yen (tax included) right in the heart of busy Harajuku, this was a steal. If you're in a budget, look no further. 

Grimm's limited space provides a no-frills atmosphere of local color, like you're in the thick of Tokyo's underbelly. Consider that Harajuku is flanked by Shinjuku and Shibuya. If you're traveling solo, you feel this sumptuous disconnect inherent in Tokyo. Does that make sense?

Grimm is open daily from 5 PM onward.

There's a stairway leading to the basement where Grimm is.

The street scene outside Grimm in Harajuku.

Burj Al Arab's Al Muntaha - Dining at the 27th Floor of the World's 7-Star Hotel

Decided to reserve a seat for lunch at Al Muntaha, a luxurious restaurant serving modern French cuisine at the 27th floor of Burj Al Arab (BAA), the world's first 7-star hotel, and an iconic symbol of Dubai. I had been scouting for that perfect restaurant to suit my taste, cater to my curiosity, and experience something special. I liked the altitude, and that it's French more than Middle Eastern cuisine. Bab Al Yam and Sahn Eddar were among the options. But I didn't want to be completely in the fog about the food, as I rarely visit a middle-eastern restaurant in Manila. With French though, at least I can enunciate "hollandaise" - but not "vichyssoise", okay? Give me shish tawouk or baba ghanoush and I'd hear crickets.

Burj Al Arab has a strict guest policy, thus if you aren't one, you don't get to visit even the lobby. Photography inside is regulated. Remember that in the UAE, taking photos of anyone without his consent can get you fined - or in jail. What makes BAA more restrictive to outsiders is its construction. The odd-shaped building stands over the waters of the Persian Gulf. There is a bridge that takes you to the hotel entrance. There's security that will double check your presence.

THE PERFECT TABLE

At 12:30 PM, I was allowed to take the elevator to the 27th floor. Lead to my table, I was surprised to get a beautiful spot with a view of the hazy skyline outside. The expanse of the Arabian ocean stretched out west until it faded into a haze. 

I thought I'd be stuck with a table near a toilet, like the complaint of one guest I read somewhere. Lo and behold, mine was a prime seat. There's one waiter tasked to serve your 3-course meal. He then explains everything served on your table. Despite the air of sophistication and opulence (which may intimidate some folks), Al Muntaha basks in a relaxed atmosphere; not at all stuffy. I could ask anything I wanted about the food.

FOOD AND BEVERAGE

I was served bottled water, then a platter of bread, with two kinds of butter. For my drink, I chose Green Topaz, which was their signature mocktail, over cola. It had this gorgeous shade of green that reminded me of a melon and apple concoction.

On a cup, Aboush Corn Jelly was presented, like an appetizer for the appetizer.

First course was Charred Yellow Tail Mackerel. A delectable red cabbage tea accentuates the beautifully plated appetizer, with Vongole Apple and Cucumber. There's a chilled crunchy plant on top which was surprisingly tasty, and I forgot to ask what it was. Under all the trappings is the rich-tasting mackerel. I wouldn't describe it as charred.

Then came Irish Grass-fed Tenderloin, which was cooked medium rare, as per my instruction, with sweet potato (camote) strudel, Hokkaido Squash and Miso Hollandaise. Tenderloin was exquisite, with a dash of rock salt. The camote strudel could have been a bit more chewy though, but this is a personal preference.

Dessert was Morello Cherry Marshmallow, an Almond Milk Emulsion with Coulis (koo-lee, thick sauce made from pureed and strained fruit) and Coconut Granita. I love these gourmet marshmallows thus it's hard to find fault. I'd have preferred a lime granita for that twist but this was delicious nevertheless.

The experience didn't take long, but I appreciated the laidback surrounding. In fact, there were few people during lunch. Meanwhile, at the other side of the room, few folks were having their afternoon tea already.

Notice the bluish hue of the photos. This was due to the thick bluish glass panels of the restaurant (and probably the whole building to contain the harsh and offensive summer sun), imparting a zen interior space. 

It was a singular experience, eating at the world's 7-star hotel. If there was anything I took from this, it was that impressions create a powerful influence on people's minds. There was nothing intimidating with the lavishness of Al Muntaha. It was there for its guests to enjoy. Moreover, it was just another restaurant experience... where I had to dig into my pocket just a little bit deeper.


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Please check out our previous post why booking a room with Agoda at the M Hotel Downtown by Millennium in Dubai's Business Bay was nothing short of a nightmare. 

Irish Grass-Fed Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Strudel

Charred Yellowtail Mackerel

Aboush Corn Jelly

Morello Cherry Marshmallow with Coulis and Coconut Granita. 

Green Topaz

BAA's restaurants mostly follow a dress code. For guys, its a collared, long sleeved shirt, with trousers and leather shoes. Sport shoes and walking shorts will be turned away.

Rebateki Liver Steak in Shinjuku Sanchome (Tokyo)

Sometimes, I just hop inside a restaurant that looks interesting. Like when I saw "liver steak" done Japanese style called Rebateki Liver with Green Onion for 680 yen. 

Most rebatekis I know are grilled on a stick, but this one was served on a sizzling plate, and seasoned accordingly. The meal included a cup of rice. This liver steak was plump, tasty and tender. I wanted more.

This was in a restaurant at the 2nd floor of a building with no English signs. I was just walking around one night and couldn't decide what to eat. I must have walked the narrow streets twice before finally deciding on this one. 

The interiors were filled with lanterns, wooden tables and shelves filled with different Japanese beverages. I stayed in the quiet corner. When my order arrived, it took me awhile to eat my liver steak. It looked so beautifully cooked I just wanted to document it. 

But the glory of dining is in the tasting, and it was...

Sinfully delicious.