Monday, August 19, 2013

Kajitsu

    Menu: Hana - Eight course Dinner
    Chilled Eggplant with Polka Dot Cucumber
   
    Wakame Soup with House Made Seseme Tofu
    Mushroom Casserole
    Simmered Tomato
    Assortment of Seasonable Vegetables
    King Oyster Mushroom-Sushi and House Made Soba with Jyunsai
    Minazuki - Rice Cake with Azuki bean and Black Sugar Syrup
    Matcha with Japanese Candies

    Kajitsu
    When Kajitsu moved up to midtown east, we decided to go for a spontaneous dinner one night. We
    were able to make a quick reservation for the same night on a random weekday. Kajitsu serves
    Shojin Cuisine which is a type of vegetarian cuisine in Japan that originates from Zen Buddhism.
    They did have a few a la carte options, but we decided to go with an eight course meal, Hana, for
    the ultimate Kajitsu experience. Every dish that we were presented with was beautiful and almost
    too pretty to eat. In terms of taste, we were blown away on some dishes, but were underwhelmed
    with the others. I would go again to try different menu, but not anytime soon.

Saturday, August 10, 2013

The Graham & Co.

 

                       The Graham & Co.
                       A few weeks ago, we went up to the Catskills looking for some relaxation. We
                       got exactly what we expected at The Graham & Co. A quaint town, the lack of
                       cellphone reception (wifi available) and the Esopus River nearby added to our
                       experience. The friendly owner explained to us that this place was designed by his
                       daughter who is a graphic designer. I really loved the black and white theme with
                       wooden accents throughout the whole place. Some of the rooms are too small if you're
                       planning to stay for more than a weekend, but the converted garage bar, outdoor pool
                       and their free bikes to rent definitely makes up for the small space. When we go
                       back, we will probably reserve a larger room for a longer stay. Definitely a great place 
                       for the ultimate relaxation away from the city.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Lucin Kantun

    Fish Pate
    Dalmatian Ham
    Squid Ink Risotto
    Bacon Wrapped Scallops
    Stuffed Squid
    Cozy Interior of Lucin Kantun
    Baked Octopus
    Duck Breast with Apple Cream
    Fabulous chef behind the counter

    Lucin Kantun
    A small, cozy Croatian tapas style restaurant in the heart of Dubrovnik Old Town was by far our
    favorite restaurant from this trip. Since it was tapas style, we were able to order lots of small plates
    to share and more! Everything was delicious from the fish pate to the Duck Breast with Apple
    Cream. We felt like we were invited to someone's apartment and having a home cooked meal
    because of the coziness of the space and the small open kitchen being so close to the
    tables. We enjoyed our meal so much that we decided to come back for our last meal before we left
    Dubrovnik. My mouth still waters when I think about their Squid Ink Risotto and their Baked
    Octopus. If anyone is visiting Dubrovnik, do not miss Lucin Kantun!
   

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Final stop in Croatia: Dubrovnik

    Old town center of Dubrovnik

                             Walking around the old town wall
    The view from the wall
  
                            Loving the streets of Dubrovnik
    Latte and Jazz post dinner
    Rector's Palace
    Church of St. Blaise
    The night view of Stradun, main street of old town

    Dubrovnik
    Dubrovnik was one of those places where I never wanted to leave... beautiful architecture,
    warm weather, friendly people and delicious food! The old town is definitely filled with lots of
    tourists during the day and it can get very crowded, but after most tourists leave the town, the
    whole town comes live at night with brightly lit streets, musical performance and outdoor cafes
    where locals and tourist can relax listening to jazz musicians... This place has a soft spot in my
    heart and hopefully we can stay even longer next time we visit!

Friday, August 2, 2013

Split






    Split
    A busy port city of Croatia is located about three hours from Plitvice Lakes. We decided to stay
    here for 2 nights before moving on to Dubrovnik. One of the main reasons why we visited Split
    was to see the Palace of Diocletian, which is one of the largest and best-preserved structure
    from Roman Empire. Palace of Diocletian was more like a huge complex of apartments, stores and
    restaurants and it was fun to explore the maze of tiny streets. Split had tons of great seafood
    restaurants offering the catch of the day. Exploring the Palace and walking along the harbour was
    fun during the day and at night we enjoyed free concerts in the square by unique musicians from
    around the world.