Machu Picchu

It’s Machu Picchu Tour Day! This is the highlight of the trip (other than eating…). I woke up at 5:00am and got on the train at 6:40am. The train is called vista dome, designed for visitors. A while after I got on the train, they provided us a snack: prickly pear (which the Spanish call "tuna roja"), a small banana, nut mix and cake. The prickly pear was sweeter than any that I have tasted in the US. Some of the prickly pear I’ve had before had no flavor, but this was really nice. The small banana had slightly more yellow flesh and a bit more starchy texture. The cake is called choclo and is very well known sweet for locals. A very simple and not so sweet cake.

After 3.5 hours of train ride, 30 minutes of winding shuttle ride on super dusty narrow road, and 5 minutes of walking, I arrived at Machu Picchu. The subject of this blog is limited to food-related events, however, I’m going to make an exception this time because the view of Machu Picchu was unbelievable. I’ve seen several amazing mountain/cliff views. But I had never seen such steep mountains covered by deep green plants.

After I came back to the Machu Picchu train station, I had a late lunch at a French Peruvian restaurant, called Indio Feliz with unique decor. It may be an attempt at Incan style but it seemed more Bohemian / Mexican in taste. I wasn’t particularly looking for a fusion restaurant but thought it would be a better choice than going to a touristy “kind of” Peruvian restaurant with pizza and pasta. I did make a right decision!. It’s a three course meal where I can choose from their selections (5-10 different dishes for each course). 2 appetizer courses are Trujillo melon with elderberry liqueur and Creole soup.

The melon dish is more like a fruit cocktail, not a savory appetizer. Trujillo is a city by the coast, north of Lima. It was very refreshing but didn’t expect anything like this.

The Creole soup had lots of flavors and a nice kick from the accompanying green chili sauce.

One of the two entrees is trucha (trout) with a spicy tomato sauce, The fish was filleted very cleanly and there were no small bones left. The dish was accompanied by homemade garlicky potato chips and veggies, including roasted tomatoes.

The other entree is chicken with ginger red wine sauce. They were both very good.
On the return, the Vista dome (train) offered another unique snack. Nothing fancy to the locals but very "local." Gooseberries, Roasted corn, traditional mixed vegetable salad and a savory pie. The gooseberries had a distinctive tanginess but were the sweetest of those I've had. The corn is different from the kind used for pop corn. Also, it's not "popped", but still light and nicely crunchy. The mixed veggie salad includes carrot, fava beans and cheese. The cheese seemed to me like cheesy tofu (mostly for the texture). The savory pie seemed to have the same salad and probably onion inside. 

The meal ended with orange pie with lemon sorbet and apple pie with passion fruit sorbet. They were both good, I did really enjoy the orange zestiness from the orange pie.

I was lucky that I found this restaurant. I didn't expect any good restaurant in Machu Picchu since this is such a touristy place. In fact I would say this is the best restaurant in this trip so far. 

Since lunch was so late (around 3:00pm), I wasn’t hungry when I came back to Cuzco so I decided to check out the pisco bar which I had noticed the first day. It's called Museo del Pisco. This bar is also a tapas bar, which was perfect for my appetite then. Pisco is a distilled drink made from grapes. The well known cocktail, the pisco sour, is Peru’s national drink. This pisco bar is not just about pisco sours, as they also make their own flavored pisco infusions. By mixing the infusions along with other liqueurs and juices, they create amazing cocktails. The first drink was pisco passion. It was very tasty. The tapas I ordered included Anticucho (skewed beef hearts), grilled veggie pizza,

avocado & shrimp, and housemade prosciutto and cheese paste in pintxos style.

These are all flavorful and well-presented. But what was crazy good was the second cocktail made with prickly pair, called Amelia. It really blew my mind!! This is definitely the best mixed drink I’ve ever had!

Not only did the bartender do an amazing job in making such a fantastic drink, he also created a stunning presentation! I hope the picture above does it justice. He created a very cute character using a gooseberry that appeared to be smoking a rolled up coca leaf. He even lit the end of the leaf to add to the appearance.

This bartender is a soft spoken guy but very attentive and super detailed. I gave him the biggest tip I’ve ever given. He was that good!!

I was angry at myself that I didn’t try this bar when I noticed it the first day in Cuzco; then I could have tried more drinks. Unfortunately, today is the last day in Cuzco : (I had 3 drinks in total, though…)

Sacred Valley

Today is a whole day tour to Sacred Valley with several other stops on the way. After visiting several archaeologically important spots, we took a break at a local empanada shop. Their empanadas are baked in a home-made oven. According to the guide, even within Peru, each region has their own style. The dough of the empanada we had was less flaky and more bread-like than what I usually have in the US.

The restaurant for lunch was selected by the guide. It was a typical buffet for tourists. I’m glad it’s not a buffet with pizza and spaghetti but all the Peruvian foods including regional food. Also, the server brought complimentary pisco sour (national cocktail made with pisco, lime juice, syrup, and egg white). It was quite tangy.

Three noteworthy dishes/ingredient are trucha (trout) cebiche, relleno and oca. Usually cebiche is made with saltwater seafoods. However, the Cuzco - Machu Picchu region is so far from the sea that they use fresh water fish, trout, instead. It was a bit on the tangy side but I didn’t taste the typical muddiness that I often taste from freshwater fish. Probably the extra acid masks the muddiness?

Peruvian relleno is quite different from Mexican chile relleno. First, it’s smaller and the chili they use can be pretty spicy. This restaurant had two relleno, green and red. The red one was quite spicy. Also, the filling was not cheese (queso) but meat and veggies. Pretty good.

When I saw oca, I was so excited. I asked the guide immediately to confirm whether this is oca. When I was a culinary school student, each student had to make a presentation about an unusual ingredient. I chose oca, which is a Peruvian tuber, which looks like a worm and comes with different color. Once cooked, though, the color dissipates. It tastes like some sort of potato but it leaves an unusual tangy aftertaste. This restaurant simply roasted with other vegetables. I was so glad that I could actually taste oca in Peru!

After we came back to Cuzco, we went to a local market and tasted some unique fruits. The orange-colored fruit in the middle of the photo below is like passion fruit but less tangy. It's called granadilla. The flavor is somewhat close to lychee. I loved it.

Pepino dulce - This looks like tomatillo. But the flavor is close to melon.

This fruit is called lucuma. It is very difficult to describe the flavor and texture of the fruit. It’s as creamy and rich as an avocado or cherimoya but the texture is a bit starchy like a cooked sweet potato. The flavor is a bit like vanilla ice cream. In fact, lucuma ice cream is quite popular. I have to try it before I leave Peru.

For dinner I went to Pachapapa, which is one of the most highly rated restaurants in Cuzco. Here, I found a Peruvian wine and tried it. It was a red blend of Cabernet Saugvignon and Syrah. The neighboring countries, such as Chile and Argentina, are getting quite famous for their wine but Peru is not famous yet. There is a wine region in Ica, which is close to Nazca. It was a pretty decent wine.

The meal started with two appetizers, smoked trout causa and a regional soup. The soup was very hearty but it was lacking flavor and seasoning. The causa was nicely seasoned but I didn’t really taste the smoked trout.

The two entrees are pork in red sauce and lamb in green sauce. They are both big but lacking in flavor. The red sauce was just tomatoey and the green sauce didn’t bring any flavor. Disappointing.

Dessert was tres de leches topped with strawberry sorbet. This dessert had a good sweetness level. And the strawberry sorbet tasted very fresh.

A good day with amazing fruits that I have never tasted before. Also, a reunion with oca!!!

Cuzco

My next trip is to Peru. I have always wanted to visit Machu Picchu and taste authentic Peruvian food to see if what I'm having in the US is really traditional or not.

I arrived in Peru last night via Panama City. Just stayed at a hotel near the airport and flew to Cuzco this morning. I was aware of the altitude sickness there and felt something different right after getting out of the plane. It'll be a challenge to enjoy the food while having the altitude sickness, but I'll cross my fingers!

As soon as I checked in to the hotel, the hotel staff welcomed me with coca tea. We can't have coca tea in the US. It's believed to help altitude sickness and known to have a large stimulant effect.

The first meal in Cuzco is at a restaurant called Mutu. A very modern looking restaurant near the plaza. First dish is quinoa crusted chicken with yucca, Peruvian corn and (most likely) yam. The corn is much bigger and less sweet than typical corn. It's more like a starch... This is accompanied by two kinds of salsa, which are pretty mild.

One of the two entrees is chiriuchu, which is festival food to celebrate Corpus Christi. Corpus Christi was yesterday, but many restaurants are still serving chiriuchu today. It is a pile of different dishes on a plate: various roasted meats, such as pork, alpaca, cuy (guinea pig) and chicken along with roasted corn, sausage and fish roe.      

Like other festival foods, it was prepared with simple seasoning. But I felt lucky to be able to taste such a special food during my short stay. By the way, cuy (guinea pig) is a specialty of this region. Pretty boney and not much to eat, though...


The other entree is causa. Although it was listed on the entree section of the menu, it was actually appetizer portion. It is quite beautiful dish. I'm supposed to learn this dish at the cooking class in Lima next week. I'm excited!

For the dinner, I chose Pucara, whose chef is Japanese. Interestingly, the chef makes one of the most traditional Peruvian foods in Cuzco area. I believe the chef is 2nd or 3rd generation (there are quite a few Japanese Peruvians).

The appetizer platter includes hard boiled eggs, potatoes, and crostini with various toppings. The yellow and green sauces are something similar to what I had with lunch. Everything is nicely prepared.

I have to try Lomo Saltado at different restaurants. Lomo Saltado is one of the two most famous Peruvian dishes (along with cebiche). However, Lomo Saltado is not a true traditional Peruvian food: in fact, it's a Chinese Peruvian food. Basically this is a Peruvian version of beef and veggie stir fry accompanied by potato, which is originated from Peru. There must be different variations and I'd like to figure out what's the standard. Based on what I have had in the US, this Lomo Saltado is less saucy and lightly seasoned. I was expecting more soy sauce, though. Overall, it's a good Lomo Saltado.

Aji de Gallina is another popular dish in Peru. However, I haven't had this at the Peruvian restaurants I've been to in the US. So, it was one of the "must-try" dishes. Aji de Gallina is a chicken dish slowly cooked with yellow chili and cheesy cream sauce. Again, it was lightly seasoned, but pretty flavorful. Probably this chef likes less salt?

I'm still suffering from headache due to the altitude sickness. Hope it gets better.....

Japan

I arrived in Tokyo in the early morning. After I dropped off my luggage at the hotel (it was too early to check in), I headed to Miura City in Kanagawa prefecture, which is a famous sea port specializing in tuna. Because I was planning to have a nice lunch, this was supposed to be a breakfast. Three grades of tuna, akami (leanest), chu-toro (medium fat) and o-toro (fattiest) along with other kinds on tuna sushi. What a gorgeous breakfast...   

My lunch is a prix fixe tofu and yuba (tofu skin) course meal. Tofu course doesn't mean vegetarian or vegan. In general, "vegetable" dishes in Asia are dishes that feature a certain vegetable. It may happen to be vegetarian/vegan but in general, it contains a small amount of meat/fish for flavoring. The interior of this restaurant is pretty traditional, with a low table sitting on the floor. The presentation is also very Japanese. But some dishes are more fusion.

The meal started with three cold appetizers. Boiled greens with soy sauce, yuba and creamy tofu (left to right). The creamy tofu actually has heavy cream mixed in. It was almost like dessert although it wasn't very sweet. The sauce on top is miso.

Fresh tofu in a hot pot

Tai (red snapper) sashimi with soy sauce foam

Chawanmushi (savory egg custard)

Yuba wrapped tofu - deep fried, this is my favorite. I don't know how they seasoned it, but it was very flavorful.

Skewed flavored tofu with miso sauce on top

Tofu gratin, the béchamel part is made with tofu, I guess. The top is real cheese.

In the traditional Japanese course meals, rice and soup are served at the end (before dessert). These are called oshokuji (literally means "meal"). Then, what about the previous dishes?? I prefer to have rice with the other dishes, though...

 

Soft tofu with black sugar syrup and tofu ice cream with the same syrup and roasted soy bean powder

Each dish was pretty small but I was really stuffed by the end of the meal. It was less than $50 including tax (and no tip in Japan!!). I think it's very reasonable for a 12 course meal. I used to think meals are very expensive in Japan but I guess not...

I will spend three more days in Japan but there won't be any "food" events. So, this is the end of this trip.

I don't know where I'm going next. I definitely want to go to Peru, the Szechuan region of China, and Laos (the guy at the cooking class in Yangon recommended). But who knows? Stay tuned until my next trip!

 

Cooking Class in Bangkok

This was the best day of my entire trip! I took a cooking class at Chef Leez cooking school. It was way more educational than I expected. Luckily, I was the only student of the day, so I got all the attention! Like yesterday, it started with a market tour. The market was located in a literally hidden place. We went through a small and dark alley and there it was. I wouldn't go in there unless the instructor is with me..

As soon as we got back to the school,  we started to work on one of the many dishes that I was going to make today. I explained to the instructor that I wanted to learn authentic dishes and that I love spicy foods, so I didn't want her to tone down the heat. Did she give me what I asked for? Let's see...

Fresh Kefir lime, I had never seen it. It smelled fantastic! I don't think I can get this in where I am in the US...

We made coconut cream/milk from fresh shredded coconut. I didn't know we could make coconut milk by hand.... This was a great opportunity for me!! The whole coconut, including the brown skin, was shredded (she said the skin has more fat), then poured warm water on it and squeezed the liquid out - that's coconut cream. Then, we added more warm water and squeezed again. That's coconut milk. I thought coconut cream is reduced coconut milk. But the difference is like extra virgin olive oil and second squeezed olive oil. The instructor said the fresh coconut cream/oil tastes so different because there is nothing added, such as preservatives or stabilizers. Also, because it's not heat treated for a long time (like a canning process). I'll explain how different later in this post.

Coconut sugar is added to the fresh coconut cream for later use. I had never seen coconut sugar in this color. It's not widely available in the US, and it's usually dark brown. The sweetness is much more subtle than the cane/beet sugar that we normally use.   

We made base chili paste (chili, garlic and shallot). To taste the paste, she made a chili paste sandwich. That was really delicious!

We made two kinds of Tom Yam Kung, clear and creamy. This explains why the tom yam kung that I had last night at the restaurant was somewhat creamy. I didn't know there were two versions of tom yam, I thought that tom yam is always clear. However, I think I'll make the creamy version from now on because it was just AMAZING!!! I have to say this is one of the best dishes I've ever had!!! They were both quite spicy and very delicious. But the flavor of the creamy tom yam was beyond words. The chili paste and coconut cream I made earlier and shrimp oil (which is made with shrimp head guts) made this something extraordinary.

Tom Kha Gai

Another amazing dish is this Pad Thai. This is definitely the best Pad Thai I've ever had. Many Asian dishes use MSG to boost up the umami. But I know how difficult it is to achieve the same level of umami without using MSG. But the instructor did it with an incredible amount of flavorful ingredients, such as aromatics, shrimp oil, etc. It's supposed to be a noodle dish. But her version had a very small amount of noodles. And this is not the westernized "ketchuppy" Pad Thai!

[Added in Apr 2020 - Pad Thai cooking video with my own personal twists]

Pad Kra-Pao Gai (Chicken with basil)

Ma-sa-man Curry topped with coconut cream

Green curry with chicken topped with coconut cream; she didn't disappoint me on the spiciness. I was sweating like crazy...

I just told the instructor that I had an amazing pomelo salad last night. Upon hearing this, she just decided to make pomelo salad, which was not included in the class, just for me. So nice of her! There was no pork but it was as good as the one I had last night. I have to make this again once I get back to the US!

Som Tom (Green papaya salad), it was pretty spicy again

This is the typical Thai dessert, mango and coconut sticky rice. But I've never been crazy about it, until now... I thought the coconut sauce was weirdly salty and I always wanted to eat the mango and rice separately. But when the coconut sauce is made with the fresh coconut cream, the difference is night and day. The instructor tossed the sticky rice with the coconut sauce, which has the right amount of salt. Now, it totally makes sense to eat the rice and mango together.

In total, I made 9 dishes in one class. I think the actual cooking time was 2.5 hours or so.. I can't believe it. I've never learned this much in such a short amount of time. I would say this is the best cooking class I've ever attended!

I'm leaving Bangkok tonight heading to Tokyo on the red-eye flight.