Eat Like Ushi

Although DTF is a Taiwanese company, it made some sense to me to try the famous restaurant in Shanghai. After all, it is the xiao long bao (or Shanghai dumplings) that DTF is most well known for.

This branch also happened to have a special black truffle dumpling of which I didn't feel had distinct truffle flavour and was no better (but more expensive) than the standard high quality dumplings.

I've since eaten at the branches that subsequently opened in Sydney (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/din-tai-fung-sydney-06-2014) and Melbourne. XLB aren't my favourites but the chilli oil wontons certainly are.

This spicy restaurant was located in an alleyway just behind my hostel. It made for an easy escape in the sub-0 freezing Beijing winds.

The boiled crayfish with chilli (Y5 each) was one of the specialties and the searing hot chilli in the dish was emphasised by giving gloves to peel and eat them fish. It was very hot and the dizzy sweats prevailed, but so did I. The chilli oil burnt through the gloves and getting the heat and odour off my fingers took more than a day. It was an experience.

The braised shark's fin & abalone in soup (Y218) finished off this expensive meal.

The next night I didn't really know where to eat and so ended up back at the familiar place. I think the English in the menu helped my decision in that I know I'd get to eat what I want and the food was good. I ordered cheaper more standard dishes like cumin lamb and boiled chicken.

I left happily fed.

The traditional Yangshuo dish of river fish (carp) cooked in beer.

Shinjuku branch of this sushi bar

I made a daytrip from Tokyo to Nikko to see the Kegon waterfall. Unfortunately I picked the most misty day and saw nothing. But at least I had a meal.

My first visit to Nobu was in Tokyo where I thought would be the best place to sample the Peruvian-Japanese fusion rather than the outposts elsewhere in the world. It was a very expensive meal, with high quality produce nonetheless. It was the famous miso black cod that lured me the most and indeed it was clearly the most sublime and remarkably delicious umami dish on the menu and one of the best dishes I'd ever had.

Since then I've had the copycat versions in many other places, including a better fatty tuna belly (ootoro) version in Fujiyoshi (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/fujiyoshi-japan-01-2012). But I'll always credit Nobu will introducing the dish to me.

Located in the department store area of Roppongi.

This French brasserie in the expensive gaijin territory of Roppongi lured me in with its lunch set menu. It is the first time I've ever eaten beef heart and the meat was unique and endearing with a distinct flavour. I've never looked back since then and cooked my own beef heart steak, eaten the hearts of a turtle, lamb, pig, chicken (makes me sound quite the killer) and of course beef in corazon skewers.

It was the prelude to watching Hawthorn football club win the 2008 premiership. Yes!