The dreamy look and lush tropical colors of Steve Scribner's photograph, Jacko Falls-Intimate View, seem like time standing still in paradise. (It's actual in Dominica, which is pretty close.)
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Saturday, February 4, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
Top 5 Adventure Vacations
1. Snorkeling in Jellyfish Lake
EIL MALK, PALAU: Islands are wilder and weirder than continents. They're harder to get to, harder to spoil. Count me in. My best natural experiences take place on islands. And for me the challenge of getting there heightens the experience. True, I complain as loudly as anyone about security lines, tiny middle seats and overnight flights. But when I slip into Dominica's cool waters on the way to an underwater volcano or compete with grizzlies for salmon amid the evergreens of British Columbia, the thrill is doubled because I've earned it. Some of these five outdoor adventures can be reached in hours; some take days. All of them, for me, were eye-opening and jaw-dropping. And none more so than snorkeling in Jellyfish Lake on Palau's Eil Malk Island.
Millions of golden jellyfish floated around me in the dark green water like stars in a miniature galaxy. The jellies follow the sun on a daily migration, just as they have since the last ice age sealed this marine lake off from the rest of the South Pacific. ?Be very careful around them,? the guide from Fish 'n Fins said. ?Swim gently.? He wasn't worried that the jellies would sting us ? their venomous defenses have been dampened over time in this aquatic Shangri-la. Rather he worried we might damage their delicate forms with a careless kick. So I floated through those strange glowing stars, careful not to disturb an underwater universe that has existed unchanged for more than 12,000 years.
2. Fly-Fishing with Grizzlies
BRITISH COLUMBIA: The autumn sun danced on the river; snowmelt swirled around my waders. A mellow day of fly-fishing was unfolding in British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest ? and then the grizzly bear charged. Dan Caldwell, my guide from the King Pacific Lodge, pulled out his ?bear popper,? a kind of anti-grizzly hand grenade. ?Get your bear spray out.?
Dan had convinced me to take this all-day adventure after I announced that fishing was dull. To prove me wrong, we'd flown to this unnamed river in the lodge's private helicopter, doors off and the smell of the ancient pines flooding the cabin. We'd been catching and releasing trophy-size coho salmon for hours ? until the bear arrived.
The grizzly closed. I fumbled with the spray. Two hundred yards, 100, 50, 10. Then the bear stopped. He snorted, shook his head and turned around to join his buddy. Dan laughed. ?Still think fly-fishing is boring??
3. Sea Kayaking the Na Pali Coast
KAUAI, HAWAIIAN ISLANDS: ?If you're scared or seasick, this is the point of no return,? said Steve Preibisius, our guide from Kayak Kauai. A half-dozen of us novice sea kayakers were floating in the swell off Kauai's Ke'e Beach. I was scared and seasick, but before I could confess, Steve gave a hoot, dug his paddle into the green water, and we were off on what paddlers affectionately call ?the Mount Everest of sea-kayaking trips.?
The sheer beauty of this roadless wilderness cured my queasiness. We ducked into misty grottoes. We surfed our kayaks on the 12-foot rollers coming in from Alaska. We cooled off under a waterfall and ate lunch on a beach beside a snoring monk seal while the staggering cliffs rose nearly a mile above us. By the time we slid our kayaks ashore at Polihale State Park eight hours and 16 miles later, my cheeks ached from smiling so much.
4. Swimming Inside a Volcano
CHAMPAGNE BEACH, DOMINICA: ?I'm taking you swimming inside an active volcano,? Derek Perryman said as we jumped into Dominica's most unusual snorkeling spot. I'd spent a week diving the island's lush reefs with Derek, the owner of Castle Comfort Lodge, and on one of our surface breaks he brought me to the waters off Champagne Beach for an experience I'd never forget.
The water was refreshingly cool on the surface, but when we dove down 20 feet to the stony seafloor, I could feel the soft tickle of heated bubbles percolating out of a field of rusty orange boulders. All around us curtains of silver bubbles rose, a relief valve of sorts on an island with the densest concentration of volcanoes in the world.
Derek showed me a dive computer that displayed the ambient 82-degree water temperature. Then he stuck it into a bubbling vent. Within seconds it climbed to 120 degrees. That's hotter than most people like their champagne, but in Dominica it was still the coolest drink around.
5. Biking Central Otago
SOUTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND: For a few thrilling minutes, the sheep-flecked sides of the Poolburn Gorge in Central Otago vanished as I hurtled headlong into a train tunnel on my mountain bike. This was my second tunnel of the day, and it curved, so there was no proverbial light at the end of it. Overwhelmed by darkness, I hopped off my bike, flipped on a flashlight and began walking.
It was early winter, and I was riding the newly opened Central Otago Rail Trail, a century-old railway repurposed as a national biking and walking trail. Trail Journeys, which offers guided and independent tours, had hooked me up with a bike, flashlight and picnic lunch, and shuttled me out to spend an afternoon pedaling from Auripo Road to the village of Lauder, an easy seven miles. Many summer riders take three days to travel the entire 93-mile-long trail, overnighting at country inns.
My heart leapt for a second when another light came bobbing toward me through the black tunnel. A ghost train? Happily not. Just another rider out on the rails.
EIL MALK, PALAU: Islands are wilder and weirder than continents. They're harder to get to, harder to spoil. Count me in. My best natural experiences take place on islands. And for me the challenge of getting there heightens the experience. True, I complain as loudly as anyone about security lines, tiny middle seats and overnight flights. But when I slip into Dominica's cool waters on the way to an underwater volcano or compete with grizzlies for salmon amid the evergreens of British Columbia, the thrill is doubled because I've earned it. Some of these five outdoor adventures can be reached in hours; some take days. All of them, for me, were eye-opening and jaw-dropping. And none more so than snorkeling in Jellyfish Lake on Palau's Eil Malk Island.
Millions of golden jellyfish floated around me in the dark green water like stars in a miniature galaxy. The jellies follow the sun on a daily migration, just as they have since the last ice age sealed this marine lake off from the rest of the South Pacific. ?Be very careful around them,? the guide from Fish 'n Fins said. ?Swim gently.? He wasn't worried that the jellies would sting us ? their venomous defenses have been dampened over time in this aquatic Shangri-la. Rather he worried we might damage their delicate forms with a careless kick. So I floated through those strange glowing stars, careful not to disturb an underwater universe that has existed unchanged for more than 12,000 years.
2. Fly-Fishing with Grizzlies
BRITISH COLUMBIA: The autumn sun danced on the river; snowmelt swirled around my waders. A mellow day of fly-fishing was unfolding in British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest ? and then the grizzly bear charged. Dan Caldwell, my guide from the King Pacific Lodge, pulled out his ?bear popper,? a kind of anti-grizzly hand grenade. ?Get your bear spray out.?
Dan had convinced me to take this all-day adventure after I announced that fishing was dull. To prove me wrong, we'd flown to this unnamed river in the lodge's private helicopter, doors off and the smell of the ancient pines flooding the cabin. We'd been catching and releasing trophy-size coho salmon for hours ? until the bear arrived.
The grizzly closed. I fumbled with the spray. Two hundred yards, 100, 50, 10. Then the bear stopped. He snorted, shook his head and turned around to join his buddy. Dan laughed. ?Still think fly-fishing is boring??
3. Sea Kayaking the Na Pali Coast
KAUAI, HAWAIIAN ISLANDS: ?If you're scared or seasick, this is the point of no return,? said Steve Preibisius, our guide from Kayak Kauai. A half-dozen of us novice sea kayakers were floating in the swell off Kauai's Ke'e Beach. I was scared and seasick, but before I could confess, Steve gave a hoot, dug his paddle into the green water, and we were off on what paddlers affectionately call ?the Mount Everest of sea-kayaking trips.?
The sheer beauty of this roadless wilderness cured my queasiness. We ducked into misty grottoes. We surfed our kayaks on the 12-foot rollers coming in from Alaska. We cooled off under a waterfall and ate lunch on a beach beside a snoring monk seal while the staggering cliffs rose nearly a mile above us. By the time we slid our kayaks ashore at Polihale State Park eight hours and 16 miles later, my cheeks ached from smiling so much.
4. Swimming Inside a Volcano
CHAMPAGNE BEACH, DOMINICA: ?I'm taking you swimming inside an active volcano,? Derek Perryman said as we jumped into Dominica's most unusual snorkeling spot. I'd spent a week diving the island's lush reefs with Derek, the owner of Castle Comfort Lodge, and on one of our surface breaks he brought me to the waters off Champagne Beach for an experience I'd never forget.
The water was refreshingly cool on the surface, but when we dove down 20 feet to the stony seafloor, I could feel the soft tickle of heated bubbles percolating out of a field of rusty orange boulders. All around us curtains of silver bubbles rose, a relief valve of sorts on an island with the densest concentration of volcanoes in the world.
Derek showed me a dive computer that displayed the ambient 82-degree water temperature. Then he stuck it into a bubbling vent. Within seconds it climbed to 120 degrees. That's hotter than most people like their champagne, but in Dominica it was still the coolest drink around.
5. Biking Central Otago
SOUTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND: For a few thrilling minutes, the sheep-flecked sides of the Poolburn Gorge in Central Otago vanished as I hurtled headlong into a train tunnel on my mountain bike. This was my second tunnel of the day, and it curved, so there was no proverbial light at the end of it. Overwhelmed by darkness, I hopped off my bike, flipped on a flashlight and began walking.
It was early winter, and I was riding the newly opened Central Otago Rail Trail, a century-old railway repurposed as a national biking and walking trail. Trail Journeys, which offers guided and independent tours, had hooked me up with a bike, flashlight and picnic lunch, and shuttled me out to spend an afternoon pedaling from Auripo Road to the village of Lauder, an easy seven miles. Many summer riders take three days to travel the entire 93-mile-long trail, overnighting at country inns.
My heart leapt for a second when another light came bobbing toward me through the black tunnel. A ghost train? Happily not. Just another rider out on the rails.
Photo of the Day: Falafel, going fast
Filed under: Food and Drink, Photos, Africa, Egypt, Photo of the Day
We at Gadling love street food. Whether it's from an upscale Manhattan cart or from a Chinese cannon, you'll find that some of the most satisfying and authentic local food doesn't come from a restaurant. Today's Photo of the Day by Flickr user micke77023 comes from Cairo, Egypt of a falafel man who seems to enjoy his product. You can almost smell the chickpea goodness emanating from his kitchen and tell that whatever he's cooking is bound to be tasty.
Send us pictures of your favorite street eats by uploading them to the Gadling Flickr pool for a future Photo of the Day.Photo of the Day: Falafel, going fast originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
We at Gadling love street food. Whether it's from an upscale Manhattan cart or from a Chinese cannon, you'll find that some of the most satisfying and authentic local food doesn't come from a restaurant. Today's Photo of the Day by Flickr user micke77023 comes from Cairo, Egypt of a falafel man who seems to enjoy his product. You can almost smell the chickpea goodness emanating from his kitchen and tell that whatever he's cooking is bound to be tasty.
Send us pictures of your favorite street eats by uploading them to the Gadling Flickr pool for a future Photo of the Day.Photo of the Day: Falafel, going fast originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Gangi: The Italian hill town the guidebooks forgot to mention
Filed under: Europe, ItalyHave you ever fallen in love with a place that doesn't merit a mention in most guidebooks and felt conflicted about the its obscurity? On the one hand, you don't want it to be "discovered," but on the other, the snub feels like a bit of an insult, even for you, the newcomer who just fell for the place. This is how I feel about Gangi, an obscure, remote 12th century hill town tucked away near Sicily's Madonie Mountains.
Gangi is well off the tourism trail, and only 24 people have bothered to "like it" on Facebook. But in my family, it is our Jerusalem, Mecca, and Athens. My grandfather, Carmelo Seminara, was born in the town in 1880 and lived there until emigrating to the U.S. in the early part of the 20th century. My father talked about Gangi so much during my childhood, that by the time I visited Gangi myself for the first time, I felt like I already knew the place.
Gangi's old town hasn't changed much since my grandfather left almost a century ago. You can see the town's pyramid of stone buildings, newer ones on the bottom, older on top from miles away as you approach. The road that leads up into the ancient center is so steep, narrow and intimidating that only those who live in town, have raced the LeMans course before, or who have a death wish should consider driving up to the very top of the town. Want to walk up? Better have a damn good pair of shoes, strong calves and a clean pair of lungs. You'd have to be on crack to even try to read a street map of the place- just keep going up, up, up until you reach the town's heart, the Piazza del Popolo, or collapse in exhaustion trying.
The first time I tried to drive up the center, I made it about half way and then chickened out. Even when you have the road to yourself, a simple trip is harrowing. When a car tries to come at you going in the opposite direction, one party needs to back up and come to some kind of agreement regarding how the situation will proceed. I would pay good money to see someone try to drive an Escalade up into the Piazza.
The modern traveler cannot help but notice what isn't in the old town of Gangi- no restaurants, no internet cafes, art galleries, hotels, wine shops, tourist information offices, souvenir stands, or any other business that caters to those who don't live in the immediate area. What Gangi does have is a tangle of ancient streets and narrow dwellings populated by proud people that all know each other and still buy their bread, milk and veggies from men who drive by in trucks and hawk their wares by broadcasting over makeshift bullhorns.Continue reading Gangi: The Italian hill town the guidebooks forgot to mentionGangi: The Italian hill town the guidebooks forgot to mention originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Gangi is well off the tourism trail, and only 24 people have bothered to "like it" on Facebook. But in my family, it is our Jerusalem, Mecca, and Athens. My grandfather, Carmelo Seminara, was born in the town in 1880 and lived there until emigrating to the U.S. in the early part of the 20th century. My father talked about Gangi so much during my childhood, that by the time I visited Gangi myself for the first time, I felt like I already knew the place.
Gangi's old town hasn't changed much since my grandfather left almost a century ago. You can see the town's pyramid of stone buildings, newer ones on the bottom, older on top from miles away as you approach. The road that leads up into the ancient center is so steep, narrow and intimidating that only those who live in town, have raced the LeMans course before, or who have a death wish should consider driving up to the very top of the town. Want to walk up? Better have a damn good pair of shoes, strong calves and a clean pair of lungs. You'd have to be on crack to even try to read a street map of the place- just keep going up, up, up until you reach the town's heart, the Piazza del Popolo, or collapse in exhaustion trying.
The first time I tried to drive up the center, I made it about half way and then chickened out. Even when you have the road to yourself, a simple trip is harrowing. When a car tries to come at you going in the opposite direction, one party needs to back up and come to some kind of agreement regarding how the situation will proceed. I would pay good money to see someone try to drive an Escalade up into the Piazza.
The modern traveler cannot help but notice what isn't in the old town of Gangi- no restaurants, no internet cafes, art galleries, hotels, wine shops, tourist information offices, souvenir stands, or any other business that caters to those who don't live in the immediate area. What Gangi does have is a tangle of ancient streets and narrow dwellings populated by proud people that all know each other and still buy their bread, milk and veggies from men who drive by in trucks and hawk their wares by broadcasting over makeshift bullhorns.Continue reading Gangi: The Italian hill town the guidebooks forgot to mentionGangi: The Italian hill town the guidebooks forgot to mention originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Tokyo video gallery
As part of our Tokyo city guide, we've scoured Vimeo for some beautiful videos of the cityChris CrossBenji Lanyado
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10 of Tokyo's best high-end restaurants
Only in Tokyo can you sample the finest sushi from a skyscraper, try tofu beside a carp pond or taste tempura under an oversized fedora. Robbie Swinnerton picks the best upmarket restaurants ? As featured in our Tokyo city guideKozueNo other restaurant in Tokyo has a setting to rival Kozue. Perched far above the fray on the 40th floor of the Park Hyatt, Kozue is still as swish as the day it opened in 1994, with a contemporary look (soaring ceiling, stylish tables and chairs) to match the confident modern inflections on kaiseki (japan's version of haute cuisine). The menu features torafugu puffer fish in winter, ayu sweetfish in summer, matsutake mushrooms in autumn, and year-round shabu-shabu of perfectly marbled beef from premium wagyu cattle. Book a window seat to enjoy a peerless view of the western hills and even (if the weather gods are smiling) Mt Fuji's cone silhouetted in the distance.? Park Hyatt Hotel, 3-7-1-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, +81 3 5323 3460, tokyo.park.hyatt.com, lunch from �3900 (around �34), dinner from �115. Open daily 11.30am-2.30pm and 5.30pm-10pm, closed Wed. English spokenMikawa ZezankyoTetsuya Saotome produces flawless tempura, succulent morsels of premium seafood and vegetables served straight from his deep-frying wok to your plate. He follows the classic Edomae style, using only ingredients that (with a couple of exceptions) would have been available in 150 years ago. He works solo, which is why he can only seat nine at his counter. The cuisine and configuration may be traditional, but the eclectic decor ? from European antiques to traditional lacquer-work and an extractor hood in the shape of a fedora ? certainly isn't. There are many contenders for the crown of Tokyo's finest tempura, but none take it to quite the same level of idiosyncratic artistry. Zezankyo is hidden away in the residential back streets to the east of the Sumida river, but it well repay the effort and taxi fare to get there.? 1-3-1 Fukuzumi, Koto-ku, +81 3 3643 8383, lunch from �90, dinner from �140, mikawa-zezankyo.jimdo.com. Open Thurs-Tues 11.30am-1.30pm and 5pm-9pm. English not spoken NodaiwaThe speciality at Nodaiwa is unagi, charcoal-broiled freshwater eel. This is one of Tokyo's unsung plebeian pleasures, but here served with refinement and a grand setting ? a transplanted timber mountain farmhouse. The fifth-generation owner-chef uses eel caught in the wild rather than from fish farms and the flavour is incomparable. The cosy ground-floor dining room is fine for a simple (but rich and satisfying) lunch of unaju (juicy eel fillets broiled golden-brown, on a bed of white rice). Up the stately staircase, the private rooms are best for a full banquet. The highlight: shirayaki, eel that's lightly steamed and grilled, then topped with caviar. Perfect with a bottle of crisp local koshu wine. ? 1-5-4 Higashi-Azabu, Minato-ku, +81 3 3583 7852, nodaiwa.com, set menu �60, a la carte from �17. Open 11am-1.30pm and 5am-8pm. Some English spokenNihon Ryori RyuginRyugin sprang to prominence on the back of chef Seiji Yamamoto's imaginative application of modern cooking techniques to classic Japanese cuisine. These days, he has no need for any molecular magic: his vibrant contemporary kaiseki speaks for itself. Yamamoto is now at the top of his game (as recognised by his third Michelin star), drawing massive depths of flavour from his premium ingredients ? such as sakuradai snapper, from the Naruto Strait close to his hometown, creamy an-kimo (monkfish liver, known as the foie gras of the ocean), or hand-reared Iwate wagyu beef. Yamamoto's candy pear dessert nitro-chilled to -196C and served with a sauce of the same fruit heated to a scalding 99C, is the stuff of legend. ? Side Roppongi Building 1F, 7-17-24 Roppongi, Minato-ku, +81 3 3423 8006, nihonryori-ryugin.com, dinner �200. Open Mon-Sat 6pm-1am (last sitting 10.30pm). English spokenAronia de TakazawaChef Yoshiaki Takazawa's bijou restaurant has long been one of Tokyo's most intriguing secrets, more talked about than actually visited. Hardly surprising, since Aronia only sits two tables (maximum eight people) each evening. His French-Japanese signature dishes include: a ratatouille terrine, with vegetables layered into multicoloured cubes; carpenter's salade ni�oise, with sashimi tuna and tapenade sauce solidified in the shape of spanners and screws; and his hot balloon of seafood slow-cooked with bamboo shoot and seaweed. Takazawa stands centre-stage in this hushed, windowless chamber, with its sleek wood panelling and dramatic spot lighting, preparing or finishing each course himself, while his wife Akiko serves and explains in faultless English. ? Sanyo Akasaka Bldg 2F, 3-5-2 Akasaka, Minato-ku, +81 3 3505 5052, aroniadetakazawa.com, from �140. Open daily 6pm-9pm (last sitting). English spokenLes Creations de NarisawaCreativity lies at the heart of the eclectic modern cuisine dreamed up by Yoshihiro Narisawa at his impeccably polished Aoyama restaurant, with its swish, modern dining room and gleaming kitchen revealed through massive picture windows like a balletic silent movie. The fundamentals may be French but Narisawa's ideas and execution are his own: from the foraged herbs and edible soil to the damper-style bread cooked at the table. At times, it all feels overly cerebral, but his delectable char-cooked vegetables and wagyu beef bring a sensual satisfaction, and the desserts seem to never stop arriving. Narisawa also boasts a cellar especially strong in Burgundies, as well as a groaning cheese trolley. ? 2-6-15 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, +81 3 5785 0799, narisawa-yoshihiro.com, lunch from �65, dinner from �185. Open Mon-Sat noon-3pm and 6.30-9pm. English spokenSushi MizutaniSushi doesn't get much finer than at Mizutani ? or more austere. There is virtually no decoration on the plain ochre walls of the small 9th-floor room where Hachiro Mizutani holds court. Nor are there tables, just one long counter; a single massive timber of smooth-scrubbed cedar and 10 plain chairs. The air is crisp with the faint aroma of rice vinegar and the atmosphere is hushed. Sushi veteran Mizutani is taciturn in his own language and speaks no English, but there's little that needs saying, except to specify beer or sake (there's only one brand of each). The sushi arrives in a set order, determined according to whatever is in peak season. A succession of flawless morsels of seafood on lightly vinegared rice kept at exactly skin temperature, it will include several cuts of the finest bluefin you have ever tasted, and the best abalone too. A couple of caveats: perfume is frowned upon, as are cameras and mobile phones. Nothing is allowed to disturb the serenity. ? Juno Ginza Seiwa Building 9F, 8-7-7 Ginza, Chuo-ku, +81 3 3573 5258, lunch from �130, dinner from �180. Open Mon-Sat 11.30am-1.30pm and 5pm-9.30pm. English not spoken Tofuya UkaiIn a city of contrasts and surprises, few are greater than discovering the traditional garden, carp ponds and sprawling low-rise wooden architecture at Tofuya Ukai. There is no central dining room, just a warren of private chambers (most with tatami mats and low tables, but some with chairs) with garden views built around the timber buildings of a former sake brewery. The multi-course kaiseki meals focus on tofu, produced freshly at Ukai's own small workshop in the hills west of Tokyo. In winter, the house-special tosui-tofu delivers a triple whammy of bean goodness: cubes of tofu cooked down at your table in a creamy, savoury casserole of soya milk blended with chicken broth, topped with layers of yuba tofu skin ? 4-4-13 Shiba-Koen, Minato-ku, +81 3 3436 1028, ukai.co.jp, lunch from �50, dinner from �75. Open daily 11am-10pm (last sitting 8pm). English spokenBird Land GinzaToshihiro Wada was one of the first artisan chefs to elevate the humble craft of grilling skewers of chicken (yakitori) to a cuisine of substance and subtlety. He uses only top-quality free-range shamo gamecock, cooking the morsels of meat and offal over premium Bincho charcoal. Open the meal with his trademark liver pate, continue with wasabi-coated rare sasami white meat, and don't miss the sansho-yaki, succulent breast meat dusted with piquant Japanese pepper. In another break from the tradition of smoky neighbourhood grills, Wada stocks a small cellar of Burgundies and New World wines ? perfect with grilled fare of this caliber. ? Tsukamoto Building B1F, 4-2-15 Ginza, Chuo-ku, +81 3 5250 1081, ginza-birdland.sakura.ne.jp, dinner from �55. Open Tue-Sat 5pm-9.30pm. Some English spokenAkasaka KikunoiFrom the bamboo-lined, lantern-lit path to the simple, traditional wooden decor of the rooms (with either chairs or tatami mats), Kikunoi is a microcosm of traditional Kyoto. The Tokyo outpost of one of Kyoto's most illustrious kaiseki houses, it serves the rarified cuisine of Japan's ancient capital ? expect to spend a good three hours at table if you're having the full-course dinner. For a more concise, affordable introduction, the lunchtime Kodaiji bento is an exquisite tasting menu in miniature, served in a lacquered box with several side dishes. Owner-chef Yoshihiro Murata is revered for the depth of umami he coaxes from the dashi soup stock that underpins all his dishes.? 6-13-8 Akasaka, Minato-ku, +81 3 3568 6055, kikunoi.jp, lunch from �45, dinner from �140. Open Mon-Sat noon-1pm and 5pm-9pm (last sitting). English spokenFor more information go to the Japan National Tourism Organisation's website: jnto.go.jp/eng? Robbie Swinnerton writes the Tokyo Food File column for The Japan TimesTokyoFood and drinkJapanese food and drinkJapanTop 10sRestaurantsRestaurantsFood & drinkLuxury travelCity breaksguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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