Geranium – a review

Geranium(12)Last weekend I returned to Denmark for a very special wedding but made sure to take advantage of returning to Copenhagen and another friend’s birthday to try another of it’s top rated restaurants – Geranium.

Headed up by Rasmus Koefed, Geranium has, like Noma, two Michelin stars yet is doesn’t seem to be as widely known. While, in my humble opinion, this is something that should change I’m not sure I really want it to! It was much more manageable to get a reservation at Geranium and yet, for me, the food, while less challenging, was more enjoyable and just as beautifully presented.

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Hiroshima

Hiroshima-the-atomic-dome(1)Having settled into our very comfortable room at Hiroshima Aioi, a lovely traditional ryokan right by the Hiroshima Peace Park, complete with a sobering but incredible view straight out onto the Atomic Bomb Dome, we took advantage of our location and headed straight out to the Hiroshima Peace Park and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. Continue reading

Kyoto – part one

Kyoto-Higashiyama-with-view-of-koyashu-pagodaI think it’s fair to say that most visitors to Japan spend at least a little time in the fascinating city of Kyoto which was Japan’s capital for over a millenium. Kyoto is known as Japan’s most beautiful city and it is easy to see why but as it is hugely spread out and hosts an overwhelming number of shrines and temples (some sites put it at 400, others at 2000!) it can be a little intimidating when you sit down to plan your trip…so hopefully my tips over the next two days on my favourite sights will help in your itinerary building. Continue reading

Tirpse – a review

Tirpse-pigeon(1)While we were in Tokyo last autumn we were lucky enough to eat not only at Quintessence but also at Tirpse – a restaurant set up by an ex sous chef of Quintessence, Terada-san, and occupying its old location in Shirokanadei. And somewhat controversially, I think I actually preferred my meal at the latter…

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Castles and cold noodles – a weekend in Matsumoto!

Matsumoto-castle

I’ve always loved the architecture of Japanese castles – the contrast between their simplicity and magnificence. So naturally, from the moment I set foot in Japan I couldn’t wait to visit a castle or two. And a trip to Matsumoto quickly made it to the top of my destination list.

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Akelaré – a review

Akelare-tunaOn our second day in the Basque region, we hopped in the car and drove towards San Sebastian, stopping on the way for another indulgent meal at the three Michelin star Akelaré.  Perching high on the cliff tops, Akelaré is built to look like a boat and as such is light, spacious and has spectacular views out over the sea.  

I was wondering how I would fit another meal in after our meal at Azurmendi the night before but once the bread basket was waved under my nose, I knew I would somehow find space for our second tranche of gourmet fare.

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