Miyajima - Niwa Cafe - An oasis off the beaten track

This adorable lunch cafe is actually located in a private back garden, in a back street away from the crowds. The name 'Niwa' means garden. We found it by chance when we got sick and tired of the crowded main streets and ducked into a residential back street. 

I hope you can find it. Even though there are some signs advertising their lunch deals, I nearly missed the narrow path between two residential buildings that led us to the quaint back garden and cafe. It's really in a location where you don't expect to find a restaurant. And my goodness, did we dine well! The affordable lunch deals were delicious. The wagyu beef lunch cost ca 2500 yen and the pork ginger lunch was ca 1500 yen. Dessert was not included in the lunch set but we couldn't pass up the incredible creamy and rich pudding.The photos below should whet your appetite. 

https://www.instagram.com/niwacafe_miyama/?hl=ja

Address to copy into google maps: Hiroshima, Hatsukaichi, Miyajimacho, 527-2

Hiroshima - Di Grotto Tamazawa - Hidden Italian jewel

What a find! An amazing Italian restaurant worthy of a Michelin star. Only a couple of customers can fit along the counter along the kitchen where Yoshiki Tamazawa whips up course after course of amazing Italian food...and that with just one arm since he lost use of his right arm due to a stroke. This was our dinner: plate with chestnut butter broth, apple walnut creme salad and shako (a type of shrimp) on a daikon radish slice, grilled assorted veg, butter garlic oysters for my husband, soft slow-cooked beef tongue with almond for me, homemade gnocchi with his signature tomato sauce made from 3 different local tomatoes, tender juicy lamb with rosemary, duck breast with dark berry sauce, spaghetti with assorted mushrooms, spaghetti with cream and wild boar sausage (so good the we begged for an extra portion and we got it😉), and finally a heavenly panna cotta with a sauce of reduced red wine and orange. Not only was the food superb but the intimate atmosphere and the personal contact with Yoshiki and his wife Seiko made this dinner an unforgettable celebration of my 60th birthday.

Note 1: When we dined there, they didn't have a menu per se. They do 'omakase' which means you leave it entirely up to the cook. I think we paid around 15,000 yen for the entire meal of 7 courses. In the end it was eight courses because we were able to ask for a half portion of duck and a half portion of lamb for the meat course since we could not make a choice. Please do ask what the dinner that day will cost and/or tell them what your budget is. And also communicate if you have allergies or anything you do not like or cannot eat. For example, I was served the beef tongue instead of oysters. Also note that most dishes were served as a double serving on one plate to be shared.

Note 2: Due to some horrible setting in google maps (possibly favoring the business accounts that pay advertising fees to google) you really have to zoom in to see the location of Di Grotto. And even then, the name of the restaurant may not even be displayed. So I've added screenshots of the map so you can visit Yoshiki and Seiko.

https://www.instagram.com/di_grotto_tamazawa_2014/?hl=en

Barcelona - Sagardi Argenteria - Basque Delights

 In 2022, we had the pleasure of dining here with my then boss and her husband. And thanks to them, we had a taste of Basque cuisine. I'm not sure if you can actually make reservations. However, it is worth trying because the place is packed. If the weather is nice, there are tables on the plaza outside. Only beware, there will be smokers. Inside is smoke free, however tables are small and you end up precariously perched on bar stools.

While the seating might not be so comfortable, that is quickly forgotten when you see the incredible display of pinchos on the bar. These are bite-sized creations held together with colour-coded toothpicks. You are free to help yourself to whatever pincho that attacts you. Just save the toothpicks because the color coding is linked to the per-item price and they will tally up the toothpicks in the end for your bill.

As if the pinchos were not enough, this is a carnivore's walhalla with superb cuts of dry-aged beef. And if you are able to drink alcohol  (Lucky you! I cannot due to the lack the necessary enzymes) try ordering their cider. This is served in a spectacular theatrical manner of pouring the cider from more than a meter above the glass. As I learned from my friends, this is not just for show. It is actually functional. The pouring technique will aerate the cider and reduce the bitterness. 

Note: There are several Sargardi's in Barcelona. The one we enjoyed is Sargardi Argenteria, C. de Argenteria 62. Be sure to go there with a large appetite.

PS. That's me on the left looking way too happy, pointing at the dry-aged beef in the window.