Phileas Fogg may have done it in 80 days but with jet travel Joe and I managed it in 21. Our itinary reads like a fancy dress shop's window -- New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, Kyoto, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Sydney, Los Angeles and then back home to New York.
It was nothing short of fabulous.
It doesn't seem like two days in each city is enough time to explore and poke around. But with a good concierge and the Internet we made the most of our short stays. Ruthless in some instances on what we would and wouldn't do. Another department store - negative. A new cuisine? Point us to it. Food almost always won out over any other activity.
We ate well, very well. In Paris we dined at the oldest restuarant in France, Tour D'Argent. A magnificant 2 star Michelin restaurant with views over the Siene and Notre-Dame. In Tokyo we found an adorable sake cum grill bar. The fact that no one spoke English didn't prevent us from trying several sublime sakes, excellent sashimi and wonderful tapas style dishes of grilled meats, foie gras and seafood. We toured the massive Tokyo fish market at 6 in the morning (no digital photos sorry). After which Joe ate noodles with the workers and I opted for sushi.
The concept of sushi at 7am in the morning is challenging. The only thing that enabled me to do it was the fact that the tiny tiny sushi bar we ate at was attached to the largest wholesale fresh fish market in the world. The place was packed solid and the fish literally melted in your mouth. We were even interviewed and photographed by a restaurant critic evaluating the scene.
Kyoto food only got better. Much more laid back than Tokyo and with an air of sophistication reminiscent of Aix-en-Provence. Breakfasts with Mrs Ishihara at her charming Ryokan were a sea of dishes containing grilled salmon, a rasher of bacon, a fried egg, bowl of rice, nori paper, miso soup and pickles. She would slide herself toward us over the tatami mat, pour our tea and instruct us how to eat the rice and nori together -- with chopstick in hand, you press the rice between a sheet of nori.
Perhaps the most intriuging meal was the Japanese-Chinese one. Not only was the dining room beautiful despite its austerity the bamboo garden added an essential Japanese ingredient, serentity. The food was delicious. The Chinese flavors definitely prominent in the dishes, but presented and served with typical Japanese flair.
Hong Kong was more casual for us. Fine dining was replaced with street food hawker style. Vietnamese noodles, grilled squid, and the like are quintessential HK experiences. Perhaps another reason for the light evening meals was the Mandarin Oriental's complimentary breakfast. A western buffet combined with Dim Sum served with perfect espresso! The Oriental was an amazing luxury and welcomed after only completing half our journey.
Back in my home town Melbourne, staying with my parents only meant good solid Italian fare. We cooked a few nights sharing our secret for perfect sauteed vegies and medium rare roast lamb. Joe also taught my mum how to make a cucumber salad and my mum taught Joe how to make an avocado salad.
Dinner at the Flower Drum was fun. Drinks at the Croft Institute an adventure. Regular visits to Jodi and Nick's Rathdowne Tavern made us favorites with the locals. Our meals at the Rathdowne Tavern were greater than the original restaurant reviews indicated. A re-interpreted steak and eggs made me very happy. The egg was gently poached and then quickly fried tempura style.
Meals continued. Sapore in Fitzroy with new friends was devine. Brunch in Albert Park with friend and their kids loads of fun. Tapas on Saturday night with old freinds wonderful. Home cooked dinners and discussion with more friends ever entertaining and of course the grand finale, an Italian BBQ bidding us farewell the night before our flight an extravaganza.
While the global economy can bring the world's products to your door, especially when you live in New York, there is yet no substitute for cuisine in its country of origin. And for that I love to travel.
The entire trip's photo album is posted here.