Was it a clandestine arms deal? Stolen merchandise? Pilfered, top-secret documents? No, I was buying fish. Really, really great fish, well, chips too, to be fair, at Red Fish, Blue Fish in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

This eco-friendly, fresh fish ‘n’ chips haven is only a tiny bit off the beaten path, even though you can’t see it from the beaten path. It is absolutely worth your effort to find if you are in Victoria and in the mood for fabulous fish ‘n’ chips.

The shipping container that serves as this restaurant has a window cut on one end for ordering, then an opening cut into the side with a wooden counter-top where orders are collected. Each order is made fresh, so there is a wait of about 10-15 minutes depending on the crowd.

While seating arrangements leave a bit to be desired at this walk-up, open-air eatery, the ambiance perfectly suits the very hot, very fresh fish served up in recycled paperboard cartons, with disposable wooden spoons and forks and an emphasis on “Green”. Offering a crate to sit down on, and a view of the Victoria docks, I can’t think of a better place to tuck into some battered, fried Halibut, fresh slaw and thick, wide cut chips drowned in malt vinegar. A few high, bench style tables are available, but most of the seating is small stools or crates right by the water’s edge.

Should your daily craving run contrary to fish and chips, you’ll find a few other tasty offerings on their menu. All of the fish offered up meets the Vancouver Aquarium Conservation Ocean Wise requirements. Essentially meaning that the fish is a good fit for those waters, is fished using approved methods, in appropriate quantities and the correct season.

On our visit I went with two pieces of the battered, fried Halibut, while my lovely lunch companion tried their crispy, tempura battered cod. Both were served with twice fried, “Kennebec chips” (wide cut, English style fries), and fresh made slaw.

Both the Halibut and the Cod were excellent. They were extremely fresh, very hot (right out of the frier), sprinkled with salt, thick-cut, moist and essentially perfect. You will find fancier places to enjoy fish ‘n’ chips, but I defy you to find a better place.

Clean-up is a bit more involved than your typical lunch out, since you have to pick-up after yourself then dispose of each item in the clearly marked recycling/diposal containers in the corner of the docks, adjacent to the restaurant.

While I don’t normally associate lunch with “doing my part to save the planet” I suppose if you were to twist my arm, I would go back here time and again, just for Mother Nature mind you. If I get a great meal out of it too, so much the better.

If you have any trouble finding this off-beat dining spot down on the wharf, there is a Tourist Information Center nearby, just ask them. You’re right around the corner from it at that point.

Red Fish Blue Fish
1006 Wharf Street
Victoria, BC V8W 1T4, Canada
(250) 298-6877

They make their own ketchup … That was my way of starting this off with a shock & awe campaign, did it work? I know when I first found out that Blanc Burgers + Bottles makes their own ketchup, my response was just, “Wow!”

As the name suggests, the stars on the menu are burgers and bottles. However, going beyond that, a lot of places make the claim that they serve “homemade” food, but how many of them take the approach to the extent that they even make their own condiments? I am normally a Heinz 57 man, but I’ll take the ketchup offered up at Blanc Burgers & Bottles any day. Not to be overlooked, their whole grain mustard and chipotle mayo are also a treat.

Going with the flow, we settled on keeping it simple and straightforward. I went with a Classic Burger topped with a slice a aged white cheddar and made from a custom blend of coarse ground tenderloin, NY strip and ribeye. It was served up medium rare on a bun baked fresh that morning from a nearby bakery with the usual suspects of vegetables, including slices of their homemade pickles and a half of a homemade pickle on the side.

However, my lovely lunch companion managed to one-up me by ordering the Au Poivre Burger. Crusted in peppercorns it made for a great texture and tons of flavor, it is served with a creamy green peppercorn sauce, grilled onions and watercress. Needless to say, it was outstanding, I know because I got to finish what she couldn’t eat because it was so big (I love it when a plan comes together!).

Of course, let’s not forget the bottles. She went with a Stewart’s Key Lime Soda, while I had a Mexican Coca~Cola. For those not familiar, in Mexico they bottle Coca~Cola with sugar instead of Corn Syrup, it’s a rare North of the border treat to find one.

Almost as important as your burger, is what you have with it. The sides are served a la carte, amusingly so, since they are literally served in a miniature, paper-lined shopping cart.

Each order of sides is about enough for two people. We decided on a mix of the fries and rings, and both proved to be excellent. The rings were the real stand out though. A small tray of each of their three homemade condiments was served up with the fries and rings. The onion rings dipped in the spicy chipotle mayo was my favorite combo.

Having a long drive in front of us, we skipped out on dessert or shakes, but they had several choices. We also decided against any beer with lunch, but they had a great selection…you guessed it, in bottles.

This KC lunch and dinner spot is absolutely worth your time, I highly recommend it when you want a burger and something in a bottle.

Photos courtesy of the Blanc Burgers + Bottles website.

Blanc Burgers + Bottles
419 Westport Road
Kansas City, MO 64108
(816) 931-6200

The Crazy Frog, as it might be known in English, is located just north of downtown in a building that, from the outside, mostly recalls to mind images of a ~1976 Coin-Op Laundromat. In other words, it’s not much to look at from the outside. Inside the tables are tightly packed in a manner that might generously be described as cozy, or otherwise described as downright cramped. However, there is definitely enough elbow room to enjoy the feast you are about to receive. So amuse yourself with the ubiquitious French kitsch covering the walls and settle in for a dining adventure.

The menu changes often at Le Fou Frog. They offer an online sample, some of which will be found on the menu when you dine there, possibly with some variation. The appetizer and salad menu is static enough that they actually print that one out. However the dinner menu changes often enough that when you are seated they hand you a small, neatly hand-written chalk board tablet. That’s your menu. Each table gets one.

If you arrive later in the evening, you can expect that a few things will have been erased from the menu, or your server might update you on a few items they are out of already. The emphasis on fresh ingredients is such that they try hard to keep on hand only what they will need.

For those in an adventurous mood, ready to tackle something they don’t often get a chance to taste in the U.S., some of the game items on the menu might include: Ostrich, Kangaroo, Elk or the like. When I return, and oh yes, I will be returning, I might go a bit farther afield of normal in my ordering. But this night, I had my eyes on a KC Strip.

Overall though, my lovely dinner companion and I were looking for a complete food adventure, the whole package. We started the evening with a half dozen helix snails, prepared Provencal style in the shell. While we were sorely tempted by the Prince Edward Island Mussels, we wanted a smaller appetizer to get us started.

The Escargot were expertly prepared, and the remnants of each shell, cleaned out with a tiny fork, pooled on the plate in a circle of melted butter and herbs, ready to be attacked by the crusty french bread close at hand.

Soup came next. I went traditional with a French Onion Soup, veal stock and port wine enriched sweet onion broth, covered in melted gruyere cheese, divine. Meanwhile, looking for something cool and refreshing, my dinner companion went with one of the Soup du Jour selections, a chilled, pureed soup of cucumber and avocado, infused with a jalapeno vinegar and a touch of cream. Both soups were outstanding.

The wine list was almost exclusively French, and the Premier Cru Burgundy we chose to accompany our entrees struck a perfect balance between the two dishes, steak and lamb.

Hers, the lamb, was a slow cooked shank resting on a bed of couscous, beside a very well prepared vegetable medley. The lamb shank was moist, tender and full of flavor. It had been prepared Provencal style with thyme, rosemary, parsely, sage, etc. This was the first time she had ordered lamb in a restaurant, having previously only ever had it at home, and she was not disappointed in the least.

Meanwhile, again, I was looking for that elusive, perfect, KC Strip Steak. The strip was prepared au Poivre style, crusted in peppercorns on one side, drizzled with a thickened pan sauce made from the drippings. The strip was thick, juicy, as tender as one might hope for from that cut of meat. I could not have envisioned it being better prepared or seasoned. It also rested atop a veritable mountain of frites. Together the very large strip and the frites occupied about 60% of the large platter they were served on. The remained 40% was a mixed mesculin greens salad, lightly dressed in a balsamic vinaigrette.

As much as I want to impress upon anyone that the steak was outstanding, I will be the first to admit, the real star on my plate were the frites. Such a simple item, so perfectly prepared. Even those frites which had been resting beneath the steak and, at the end of my meal were soaked in the steak juices, still had that crisp, crunchy exterior with a silky interior. The frites were lovingly cut such that each one was thick enough to have that silky interior, without being so thick that you run into that bland, unseasoned center of the frite. If, like myself, you love great steak fries, you need to find your way to Le Fou Frog.

Wrapping up our meal, we finished with two desserts. Both of us were mostly full and needed something rich, but light. So we split an order of chocolate mousse, which was predictably outstanding, and Banana Charlotte, which was special on the menu that evening. The bananas had been roasted with brown sugar and cinnamon, then whipped into a mouse. A “cup” was made out of lady fingers standing on end in a circle and the cup was filled with the banana mousse creation.

If you live near Kansas City, travel there on business or just need a roadtrip to the midwest, take the trouble to make your way to Le Fou Frog…and enjoy.

Le Fou Frog
400 E 5th St
Kansas City, MO 64106
(816) 474-6060

I am certain the air conditioning had a little something to do with it, but the cool blue surroundings, complete with interesting art and tropical fish, certainly set the right mood to feel cool and relaxed. Having just come from Malaga Wine & Tapas Bar, Saba’s next door neighbor, my lovely dinner partner and I decided to skip straight to the dinner menu, well, once we had cocktails in hand of course.

My Classico Mojito was served Havana styled and made with a classic golden age tine of Matusalem rum. Meanwhile, this being my dinner partners first trip to Austin, she enjoyed a local favorite, a martini made with Tito’s Handmade Vodka. For those unfamiliar with Tito’s, this Texas made Vodka earned the Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. One reviewer once said of Tito’s, “We can’t think of any reason, barring two broken legs and a restraining order from the liquor store, why we won’t always have a bottle of Tito’s in our cabinet.”

Drinks in hand, but hunger on our minds we turned to food. Specifically to seafood, the specialty of the house at Saba, and no dish features it quite so spectacularly as their Paella.

Mussels, steamed perfectly, provide the trim on this golden, red saffron laced rice creation rich with Scallops, Shrimp, Calamari and Mahi.The saffron broth, nearly completely absorbed by the rice, makes for a consistency just a bit lighter than what you would find in a risotto, which is to say, perfect.

Each bite carries the hint of spice and an abundance of flavor, rich with the broth of the shellfish and mahi and again, that undescribable something extra from the saffron.

Each of the mussels, still in the shell as shown, tends to fill up with a bit of the rice, absorbing the liquor from the mussels and making for an adventure as you plunge in with your fork in an effort to get the perfect bite of rice, sauce and shellfish.

My dinner partner meanwhile enjoyed the U-10 Scallops, perfectly seared and buttery soft, served on a bed of baby greens with just a hint of aged balsamic vinaigrette. The center of the plate was decoratively dominated by a cylindrical towering creation of Goat Cheese Polenta, creamy, tangy and dense while still managing to carry a light enough flavor and texture to compliment the scallops.

To those who aren’t “in the know” a dish called U-10 Scallops may seem somewhat strange. However, the U-10 refers to the fact that these truly jumbo sea scallops are “under 10 per pound.” So, 10 of these monsters will have a pre-cooked weight of more than a pound. That’s close to an ounce and a half each and they are absolutely worth the price you pay for these big guys.

In the end, we both enjoyed our trip to Austin and specifically enjoyed our culinary adventures at Saba Blue Water Cafe. Not every trendy restaurant can live up to the reputation created by its own popularity, but this is one Austin hotspot that can walk the walk.

Photo courtesy of the Saba Blue Water Cafe website.

Saba Blue Water Cafe
208 W 4th St.
Austin, TX 78701
www.sabacafe.com

Indeed, India Garden does not disappoint. While you will find the obligatory Mint Chutney, Naan, Basmati Rice and the like. You will also find items like Paneer Saag, Goat Curry, Crab Masala and more. This willingness to step a bit astray from typical Indian buffet offerings and embrace less commonly seen cultural favorites, sets them apart.

Drawing from the cookings of both North and South India, their authenticity speaks volumes about their dedication to great food. Weekdays (except Monday, when they are closed) they set a 21 course Lunch Buffet, which swells to 35 courses on the weekends. However, they also offer a full menu of Northern and Southern favorites.

One more thing that they do at India Garden to earn my respect is vary their buffet offerings day in and day out. While this means that you can’t be guaranteed to find that favorite item on the buffet any given day. It means you do get a nice variety. Additionally, while mantaining this variety, they are sure to offer a few different kinds of meats (chicken, lamb, seafood) and a few very well prepared vegetarian dishes.

On my recent visit, I had an outstanding chicken makhani. Chunks of chicken floating in a thin, red cream sauce. Crab masala, with large pieces of crab and fish were great and the lamb curry, as always was aromatic, spicy and very well prepared. Dessert was a mango custard, that was probably 80% pureed mango, with bits of fruit in it. Watermelon slices accompanied it on the side and together they made a cool, sweet ending to a great meal.

If for no other reason than to see what they offer next time, I will surely be returning to India Garden soon.

India Garden
2819 S 125th Ave
Omaha, NE 68144
(402) 697-0101

ta·pa
n. pl. ta·pas (-päs, -päz)
Any of various small, savory Spanish dishes, often served as a snack or with other tapas as a meal.

Tapas are a wonderful thing, and at Malaga Wine & Tapas Bar in Austin, Tx, they are wonderfully done. Any of the small plates of brilliantly conceived and artfully executed bits and bites offered up on the menu at Malaga is worthy of exclaim.

Malaga is a blend of different, distinct styles that, in the context of this trendy, downtown Austin hot spot, work well together. Located on the edge of the Warehouse district on 4th Street, you walk up three stairs into the entrance and are treated to a long, narrow, deep establishment stretching out before you.

The wooden bar stretches the length of the room, along the right wall. Behind the bar are tiers of premium alcohols, broken in regular intervals by diamond shaped wine bins that stack to the ceiling, The far wall is similarly adorned with wine bins. After all, it takes quite a bit of storage to support the extensive Wine List at Malaga.

The pride of this seven page list is extensive selection of Tempranillo and Tempranillo Blends. For our brief, pre-dinner stop at Malaga, we went straight to this section of the list. After brief consideration we settled on a 1998 Montecillo Gran Reserva. While the wine could have benefited from about a half hours worth of decanting, it was still excellent as-is. Enjoyed slowly over the course of our stay, it opened up in the glass and took on notes of elegance as the mature tannins softened.

However, what is an excellent wine, without the right food to enjoy alongside it? Piquillos Rellenos de Queso or as my dinner partner liked to refer to them, stuff stuffed with stuff…always a good choice. Four bright red, fire roasted Spanish piquillo peppers are stuffed with a mixture of fresh goat cheese, capers and chives, drizzled with olive oil and served with fresh baked herb bread squares. The peppers themselves were both tangy and sweet, with a soft texture. The warm, soft goat cheese with the added kick of capers really filled the entire palette with just the smallest bite. The flavors, colors and textures of this dish were playful and excellent.

With this we enjoyed the Plato de Chorizo, Queso y Fruta. This essential little of this, little of that fruit and cheese plate, proved a cool, aromatic contrast to the stuffed peppers. Red seedless grapes, thin sliced green apple and thin sliced pear were joined on the plate with Pamplona Chorizo and a trio of three Spanish cheeses, Mahon, Cabrales and Manchego.

While we only stopped in for a snack and a great bottle of wine, you could easily enjoy a full meal at Malaga. If you consider that two Tapas plates will generally equal an entree, order accordingly. They have great desserts as well, including such traditional Spanish favorites as Manchego Cheese & Quince Preserve.

Malaga Wine & Tapas Bar
208 W 4th St
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 236-8020

Inside of Rosenblatt Stadium itself there is typical concession stand faire: Hot dogs, cotton candy, funnel cakes, hamburgers, Polish dogs, nachos, etc. However, you can also find Omaha Steaks, Subway and Famous Dave’s BBQ.

However, no trip to the CWS would be complete without a stop at Zesto’s just outside the stadium, also near the Henry Doorly Zoo. Known for their great cheeseburger’s, shakes and all around comfort food, Zesto’s is commonly the fondest non-baseball memory of attendees.

Also nearby is King Kong Restaurant. With a few locations in the Omaha area, this local favorite serves up gigantic hamburgers and authentic Gyro’s.

Meanwhile, when your team is not playing, there are numerous places to eat near the stadium. However, a short trek towards downtown will bring you to the oasis of local fine dining, Omaha Old Market District, home to about 30 different restaurants and pubs.

Regardless whether you are in search of a quick snack for the 7th inning stretch or out celebrating advancement to the next round of games. Omaha has the food for you.

Zesto’s
(402) 932-4420
3901 S 13th St.
Omaha, NE 68107

King Kong
13th & Rosenblat
3362 S 13th St
402-934-8988

Rosenblatt Stadium
1202 Bert Murphy Ave.
Omaha, NE, 68107

Julio’s bills itself as Omaha’s premier Tex-Mex. That having been said, while I enjoyed my experience, Julio’s is not Tex-Mex. What they have done, which is fun and unique, is adapt some of the popular dinner themes nationwide into quasi-Mexican food dishes which are well thought out, well made, just darn tasty and make for an interesting menu.

If I had to classify them, I would say they offer eclectic Mexican-American cuisine. Among the more interesting menu items:

• Cajun Chicken Tacos
• Portabella Burrito
• Steak and Mozzarella Burrito
• Chicken Broccoli Chimichanga

Of course their menu featured some more traditional items, enchiladas, fajitas, etc., and a few items which were borderline traditional, I was intrigued by the Steak and Chorizo Enchiladas.

I decided to play it very safe and go with the combo fajitas. I was mildly disappointed to find that they were not served with rice and refried beans, however that was made up for by the “cold plate” that accompanied my fajitas. A large tortilla chip “bowl” was loaded with sour cream and guacamole. This was sitting in the middle of the trio of lettuce, pico de gallo and shredded cheddar cheese.

While a more traditional cheese, like cotija, would have been preferred, I will compliment Julio’s on given me a large pile of thick, freshly grated cheddar. Easily more than I needed for my fajitas. I have grown used to seeing restaurants offer up a small pile of thin pre-grated cheese that only allows you to add a dusting to each fajita. So props to Julio’s for that.

The guacamole was also good, as were the tortillas. Quality of a restaurant’s tortillas is definitely one of my benchmark indicators on the quality of a Mexican food restaurant and Julio’s scored some points in this department.

As to the fajita’s themselves…the thick strips of chicken, steak, wide cut red onion and lengths of green pepper were all perfectly cooked, but could have used a bit more seasoning.

In one regard Julio’s far exceeded my expectations, and this, if for no other reason, will be what brings me back time and again. They have an excellent selection of premium tequilas, excellent selection!

I started my meal with a margarita made with Patron Silver and a floater of Grand Marnier. From there I moved on to a Herradura Reposada, neat. I had apparently impressed the manager with my knowledge of and taste in tequilas enough that when the waitress delivered my Herradura, she delivered a Julio’s Shot Glass with it, compliments of the manager. I will definitely be returning. They have Chinaco Reposada, Patron Anejo and more.

As hard as it is to find good Mexican food when you are in a state that doesn’t share a border with Mexico, finding a good selection of premium tequilas outside of the border states is almost impossible.

I am still on my quest to find what I would classify as “excellent” Mexican food in the Omaha area, but there are many more left to try. At the very least, I know that I have found a great place to sit back and enjoy a premium tequila when I take a break from my search. Julio’s has two locations in the Omaha area.

Julio’s Downtown
510 S 13th St
Omaha, NE 68102
(402) 345-6921

Julio’s West
13043 Arbor St
Omaha, NE 68144
(402) 330-2110

The French Cafe has very high, stately ceilings with every side and ceiling surface trimmed in rich, dark wood. The white linen covered tables are stationed just far enough part to give the service staff room for table side preparation of certain, signature dishes. (Cesar Dressing, Cherries Jubilee, Bananas Foster, etc).

To complete the look, the walls are lined with large, black and white photos of diners in Paris, enjoying their meals, reading their papers and going on about their lives. The menu embodies this elegance with limited, but stately and creative offerings.

In addition to the before mentioned French Onion Soup, we started with an order of the Smoked Salmon (served with capers, diced red onion, and separated boiled egg with a sweet onion compote, it was a cool, refreshing start to the meal.

The salad was a nice mix of baby greens served with a house dressing that I’m going to guess was an asiago balsamic vinaigrette. It was tangy and sharp with a nice flavor and blend of textures from the baby greens.

I went with the Steak au Poivre. A good sized filet, prepared medium rare, precisely as I had ordered it. Accompanying the steak was a stacked column of potatoes au gratin and a fresh vegetable medley. The steak was drizzled with an excellent Bernaise sauce, though I would have preferred a small tureen of Bernaise on the side (next time I’ll know to ask for that).

The wine list at the French Cafe has an excellent if moderately sized selection including some nice French wines, as you would expect. For diners with the means they have a very nice selection of extremely upscale reserve wines, certainly beyond what you would expect from a small spot in the Old Market District of Omaha.

Lastly, though I did not order it myself, it is noteworthy that Veal Osso Bucco has moved off of the Daily Specials menu and onto the regular menu. Requiring hours and hours of painstaking preparation, this is a dish that truly is made with Love. Only a chef with a passion for what they are creating bothers with the trouble necessary to prepare Osso Bucco.

With more Continental or French American Faire than traditional French, the French Café is a very enjoyable Omaha dining experience.

French Cafe
1017 Howard St
Omaha, NE 68102
(402) 341-3547

During a trip to Miami Beach last year, I tried the Chef’s Omakasa at Nobu, Miami Beach. The Omakasa is Nobu’s version of a tasting menu. This nine course prix fie menu, varies daily and features the items that the chef chooses to highlight that day. Typically this is a blend of Nobu signature dishes, along with the finest and freshest available in the kitchen that evening.

So, having enjoyed the Omakasa, I knew I wanted something different…but what? Well, with the assistance of some of the best informed, most helpful and expert waitstaff I have ever had the pleasure of spending an evening with, we created our own sampling of Nobu’s best.

The first course was a Nobu signature dish. Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno and Cilantro in a Soy-Miso Sauce with Yuzu syrup.

Nobu’s House Special Roll and Soft Shell Crab Roll made up our second course.

The third course we went with Nagiri Sushi. Two pieces each of Amaebi (Sweet Shrimp), Maguro (Tuna), Sake (Salmon), Hamachi (Yellowtail), Ono (Wahoo) and Toro (Fatty Tuna). In the words of the lovely woman sharing dinner with me, “Thanks for ruining Sushi for me everywhere else.” A sushi lover’s confession…I’d never had Toro. Sure, I’d heard of it, fatty tuna. Typically, for whatever reason, I steer clear of menu items that say “Market Price”. Don’t ask me why. I have never shied away from the high price items on a menu, and in fact have often made special requests that have dramatically increased the price of the final tab. But, I had avoided Toro until this meal.

If you are a sushi lover and, like I was have never had Toro. Go, have it. Enjoy it. The soft, buttery texture just melts on your tongue, dissolving into a burst of heavenly flavor against the pallet. Think of it as a life changing delicacy, not as eating at $12.00 a bite.
Each order was decided upon following the success of the previous course. The waitstaff would stop by for some brief discuss, mixed in with pleasant conversation, the collection of some opinions, and then they were off again in pursuit of the next great thing we were to eat. At this point, I would like to note the professionalism and expertise of Nobu. Every individual I spoke with had been relocated to the newly opened Waikiki location from other, established Nobu locations. Our waiter from Miami Beach, the Manager from New York, the Bartender, also from Miami Beach.

Ah! The Bartender…I began the evening with a signature Matsuhisa Martini. Stoli Vodka, Hokusetsu Sake and Ginger, garnished with cucumbers that were so cold, they had the slight crunch of freeze to them. Very refreshing. With dinner we enjoyed a “Bamboo” of Nobu Jyunmai Daiginjo sake. When I say Bamboo, I mean that a fresh, green piece of Bamboo was cut, such that each section would be watertight. The Bamboo, filled with this Sake available only to Nobu was served fresh from the freezer with small cups cut from fresh Bamboo as well, a unique and wonderful experience.

Fourth course! As it turns out, my dining partner had never enjoyed Hearts of Palm. We had Nobu’s Hearts of Palm salad with thin, wide shavings of Hearts of Palm tossed in a ginger dressing with fresh greens.

For our fifth, and last, dinner course, it was a very tough choice between Nobu’s Broiled Black Cod in Miso, one of, if not the, most famous signature dishes at Nobu. In the end however, the temptation of the new dish, a King Crab Tempura with Ponzu sauce was just too much. The pieces of King Crab were large and within the crunchy, salty tempura they were soft, juicy and buttery.

Two desserts finished off our meal. Mandarin, Kona Coffee: Cinnamon Panna Cotta, mandarin sorbet and a very light Kona Coffee flavored foam served with a praline crunch wafer. The second was a Milk Chocolate Cremoso: Milk Chocolate, lilikoi curd and gelee, Nobu cabarnet caviar and peanut butter powder. Even a number of dedicated foodies couldn’t tell you what some of that is. However, the one that floored us was Peanut Butter Powder. It was Peanut Butter that had been mixed and treated with a special flour treatment that left it as a very fine, soft powder. Once it hit your tongue it would reconstitute into an excellent peanut butter right in your mouth. With the melty, but dense milk chocolate and the tang from the lilkoi curd and gelee (as well as the cabarnet caviar) this was the most decidant version of a Reese’s the world has ever known.
Photos courtesy of the Nobu Restaurants websites.

Nobu Waikiki
2233 Helumoa Rd
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 237-6999