Eat Like Ushi

When I spoke to a Maori lady at work before going to NZ, I mentioned my desire to try a hangi. Unfortunately it seemed it is more of a north island phenomenon. Ko Tane is a cultural village complete with performances and also advertise the restaurant food being cooked in a hangi.

I couldn't help feeling it is largely a tourist attraction for business purposes and the prices of the tour, the food and a photo for the show seemed as much.

The lamb shank from the hangi was in no way different or unique to another method.

Worth saying I've seen it but unless I experience the pit, I wouldn't pay for it again.

A fish and chips stopoff enroute back to Christchurch.

A beautiful stopoff along the coastal road had some outstanding seafood. Look at those mussels and the colour of the seafood soup. Divine.

Went there as recommended for fish and chips.

If staying at the Mercure Resort, then the hotel restaurant is obviously a convenient choice.

Good fish soup and excellent meat quality, particularly lamb shank.

All sorts of animals and seafood are lined up raw and cooked to order.

On a quiet and cold winter night between Christmas and New Year, the friendly lady was happy for my patronage.

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.