Cane and Canoe - Maui, Hawaii

This is a new restaurant, recently opened in June of 2014, just a matter of months before our arrival. It's housed in a relatively new luxury hotel, Montage Kapalua Bay, replacing some very exclusive and private residences that have been there since the Kapalua Bay Hotel was destroyed in 2006.

During the time of the Bay Hotel, a restaurant on the property housed several mural sized paintings by the iconic Hawaiian artist, Pegge Hopper. When the hotel was removed, there were many questions regarding the whereabouts of these exquisite works. We found the answer at The Montage Kapalua Bay when visiting Cane and Canoe for dinner.

Upon entering the hotel, two areas on the main floor proudly present Hopper's treasures. We were so excited and relieved to see them, it started a conversation with some of the staff. We were told that the pieces were found sitting in a dumpster - yes, the perfect spot for what are obviously works of some size and skill. In addition, it was discovered that another creation had ended up in another area of the island and was in the process of being returned to its rightful place. It is believed that Ms. Hopper herself returned to do some touch ups on the paintings prior to their re-hanging. There are a total of six or seven of them currently on display in various areas of the hotel. Hooray for the Montage!

Reclining Woman and Flowers

Woman Under Palm Tree

Two of these places are in the Cane and Canoe restaurant and lounge. The dining area is an open, airy outdoor space with wonderful natural wood and stone. The chairs are made in a woven design with several fabric covered banquettes adorned with multi-coloured throw pillows. As the sun dipped beyond the horizon, contemporary tiki torches were lit for a more intimate dining experience.

For starters, I had a light hamachi poke. Hamachi is yellowtail and poke is the Polynesian version of a ceviche - small cubes of the fresh fish mixed with herbs in a light sauce. This one sat on a bed of paper-thin slices of cucumber and was topped with chopped avocado and a dollop of local caviar. Paired with it was a handful of house made fingerling potato chips.

My husband started with the Keahole lobster bisque. It was a tad thinner than the typical creamy bisque and made with local Kona lobster. Kona is an area on the Big Island, otherwise known as Hawaii. The bisque had a rectangular piece of herbed bread in the centre of the bowl topped with some lobster knuckle meat and spread along the inside of the bowl was Greek yogurt for a bit of tang. It had a more unusual flavour than the traditional kind made with Atlantic lobster.

Our server brought us an extra taste - his favourite item on the menu. A play on the traditional Chinese noodle dish, Chow Fun; instead of noodles, thin slices are calamari are used. Join this with charred scallions, crispy bean sprouts, smothered kale and spicy slices of lap cheong, a Chinese sausage, and a flavourful appetizer is born.

My entree was a lovely, tender piece of monchong fish in a rich flavoured broth and surrounded by potato gnocchi, marinated cherry tomatoes and strips of braised fennel. The fish was topped by two beautifully prepared Kauai shrimp. My husband's main course was grilled blue marlin. His fish swam in a lighter broth along with sliced new potatoes, bacon, Manila clams and braised radish and turnip. Both dishes were so delicious, it's going to be difficult to try something new on our next visit.

As if we weren't full enough - but dessert had to be sampled if for no other reason than to report it on this blog. So, we shared what can only be likened to beignets. These are a New Orleans staple, akin to donuts but without the hole and they are just soooo much better. So, these beignets type pieces were sprinkled with granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar. This automatically negates the choking and coughing that ensues when one accidentally inhales the powdered version. And they were served with two dipping sauces - mocha chocolate and maple bacon. Now, I know for some people like my husband, anything containing the word 'bacon' naturally means unbelievably good but I just can't seem to marry a breakfast meat with a sweet finish to a lovely, sophisticated meal. But he enjoyed it all the same.

A small note about the new restaurant's logo that I think bears mentioning. One of the great crafts made by Hawaiian artisans is the quilt and quilted items. Each has a very distinct design that symbolizes something special to the artist. On the aprons of the staff at Cane and Canoe is one of these designs. It is 'X' over cross shaped in embroidered purple. The cross lines are canoes standing on end and the 'X' piece is the leaf of the sugar cane plant. It's a minor thing but something that took consideration. It reflects Chef Riko Bartolome's dedication to the use of local Hawaiian resources.

Astrid y Gaston Lima, Peru

Lima's finest eatery is Astrid y Gaston in the Miraflores district.  This is a shopping, eating, partying area of Lima.  This marvelous place has recently been listed as one of the top 15 restaurants in the world - not in Peru, not in South America - the world!!  And rightly so.

The building is actually rather nondescript from the outside - it is next door to three guitar shops.  But once inside - the walls are covered in terrific contemporary paintings, unfortunately none for sale.  And at the back is the open kitchen framed in a high gloss fiery red.  I didn't go back and test it but it almost looks like glass.

We ordered a very interesting Peruvian wine (yes, they make excellent wine here) from the Ica area called Tacama.  There are some areas of inland Peru which are higher in elevation, thus cooler, and well-suited from vineyards.  This blanc to blanc wine is a blend of sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and viognier.  It's a young wine with layers of mineral notes.  Really quite good.

Okay, normally one doesn't make reference to the bread that is brought to one's table but here it's worth it.  It was fantastic!  Five different kinds, all made in-house.  A brioche with chili peppers, a very dark pumpernickel, a multi-grain, an olive bread and a cheese that was almost as dense as cake.  For good measure, they threw in a chili breadstick as well.

I started my meal with a smoked, grilled octopus.  For those of you who remember my blog on Rio - this was as tender as the one in Rio without the mafia.  It was covered in a chorizo sauces and plated with purple foam and a coated potato.  Peru is known for its immense variety of potatoes.  My husband started with tres cebiches - one was a traditional preparation and the two others progressed to something more contemporary - the second was done with coconut milk and chilis and the third was done with substantially more heat.  

For mains, we both had a fish dish.  I had a deep sea fish, sautéed, on a bed of green asparagus risotto and wonderfully fried baby artichokes.  This was one of the best fish I've ever had - perfectly cooked and tender and beautifully spiced.  My Husband had an Amazon fish (there's a first), sautéed as well, served with swiss chard and saffron risotto.  

We'd eaten so much bread that we had to share dessert.  Oh my!  It was a chocolate ball with crunchies and marshmallow cream and raspberry compote inside.  Then warm chocolate sauce was poured over the ball so that the whole thing began to melt.  Now, for someone who doesn't care much for chocolate, I must admit that this was a little scoop of heaven - smooth and creamy.

What a fantastic meal - wine and bread and wonderful food creations.  My husband swears that it's the best meal he's ever had.

courtesy of www.tripadvisor.com

Zaza Bistro Tropical, Rio de Janeiro

This place is eclectic and funky, just the venue to be in the Ipanema district.  It sits on a corner with cushioned benches outside the gate at street level.  Up the steps are wonderful seats on the wrap around porch for waiting or enjoying a drink with friends.  There are wonderful coloured twinkle lights hanging from the house's white trim and its azure blue facade is most inviting.  

Once inside, you can enjoy your meal at the charming bistro tables downstairs or you can sit on the cushions on the floor at the tables upstairs.  No matter where you choose, the walls are decorated with painted phrases of writers and philosophers and shadow boxes of every shape and size, containing items from all the world's religions.

This diversity is clearly reflected in the myriad of ingredients and cuisine styles.  I started with whitefish ceviche with fruit and cilantro, using wafer-thin potato crisps as a spoon.  I really appreciate ceviche, the fish (or scallop) is so tender and the flavours - lime, for instance - blend so well.  The flavours chosen are also the ingredients used to cure the fish or scallop.  Heery had Zaza's take on the Caprese salad.  This time, a whole tomato was hollowed out and filled with black olive tapenade.  How I love olives!

The mains were equally interesting.  I had flambeed shrimp with risotto al limone (lemon) - it was deliciously rich.  Heery had a special whitefish with a puree of bananas and...fresh (I'll say it again, fresh) hearts of palm.  This is a Brazilian wonder - no pulling mushy stalks out of the can.  Brazil is its home turf.  It was unbelievable!

We finished with a fabulous dessert.  A petit gateau filled with caramel and green tea ice cream on the side.  Since caramel and ice cream are two of my dear husband's favourite sweets, this was the perfect choice.

This meal was a terrific way to begin our trip as it was a lovely two block walk from our hotel on our very first night in Rio.

courtesy of www.restauranting.com.br

Stella! New Orleans

The dining room is a beautiful combination of traditional decor - taupe leather chairs with studded accents - paired with contemporary elements.  Above the fireplace is an arrangement of brushed steel stalk and trunk inspired pieces.  The most striking item is an enormous white ceramic vase on the centre table that is simply full of incredible, colourful fresh flowers.

Our meal was a delight.  We chose their four course menu - as each course had several selections from which to choose, we had them pair the wines.  We had mentioned our love of Spanish wines, so the staff made special pairings with only Spanish wine.  We'd never had any of them and they were terrific.  

My first course was devilled egg with caviar and champagne gelee.  'Nuff said.  Heery started with foie gras (you know how he hates that stuff) and a mustard sauce with fruit. The second course was a fantastic Asian chili prawn dish - three gulf shrimp on a slice of baguette - all drenched in a spicy chili sauce.  So yummy!  We both had this course and the third one.  Flounder with mussels, clams, calamari, shrimp and Nantucket scallops in a coconut and kaffir lime broth.  Each piece was perfectly tender but the scallops had a succulent sweetness to them that was quite unique.  The fourth course was rather unusual.  I had a citrus verrine with honey custard - this was a kind of ice creamy sauce on top of this lovely sticky custard.  Heery had a Stella version of a warm, moist almond pound cake.

All of our food choices had elements of classic New Orleans cuisine combined with more modern cooking techniques.  The whole staff was very expert and inviting - we felt most welcome and comfortable.  You simply must go!

courtesy of www.bloomberg.com

Akbiyik Fish Restaurant, Istanbul

I've seen some very negative reviews of this place online but, truly, I cannot understand why.  We not only had a wonderful meal, we were treated very well by several lovely gentlemen.

Akbiyik Fish Restaurant is located on the corner of a main street in Sultanahmet but in a less trafficked area so it was less touristy.  Along the outside wall of the restaurant on its side street sat three men providing some traditional Turkish music.  Because it was outside, we could enjoy it without feeling overwhelmed by it.  At the entrance, there are a couple of steps that bring you in slightly below street level.  It's interesting to people watch from this vantage point.  The interior isn't much to look at, very simple, but it's the food...!

The first course was a tray of mezes (or small plates) from which we could choose as many as we wished.  The three we ate were terrific - a roasted aubergine (eggplant), a potato and caper salad and a marinated octopus.  We ordered a local Turkish wine with this - something similar to a sauvignon blanc and very nice.  As we sipped, a fresh platter of fish was brought out for us to choose.  We picked a glistening white grouper that was baked in a salt dome.

This is a bit of a lengthy process, so while we waited, we were brought a plate of THE MOST TENDER calamari rings - exquisite.  When the fish came out, two men set it on fire and then proceeded to chisel the dome open.  Once the largest chunks were removed, another man removed the fish and filleted it.  Along with the fillets, we were served the cheeks of the grouper and the shrimp and mushroom stuffing that had steamed inside.  Mr. Grouper was so large that we had to forgo dessert.  But what a great meal!  This was a lovely change from the more touristed places in Istanbul.

La Villa des Sens, Moorea

My husband just stumbled on this restaurant in an obscure brochure and a good thing too as it was absolutely the best eatery we visited.  The style of cooking was focused more on the French than the Polynesian but, with the incredibly fresh resources available, La Villa des Sens was a fabulous surprise.  We looked at the a la carte menu and it appeared to be delicious but, as it was Christmas Eve, we decided to have the special pre-fixe menu.

The first course was a red mullet with grilled vegetables, arugula, basil and black olives. These flavours together were wonderful and the fish was so fresh, cooked moist to perfection.  The second course was prepared beautifully - a shellfish soup and green penne pasta.  In a soup, often the shellfish ends up overcooked but not in this case.  The main course was a first for me; oven roasted Bresse capon (yes, these are the famous blue-footed chickens from France), polenta and truffle galette and carrots and turnips candied in honey.  This course was the exact balance of savory and sweet and the bird was perfectly moist and tender.  And no, the feet were not included.  The dessert course was what I often refer to as "slap yo mama" good.  My husband claims that it's the best dessert he's ever had.  It was an exquisitely risen and light chestnut soufflé with mille-feuilles, or simply put, three layered ice cream of chocolate, vanilla and pistachios with rum sauce.  Something akin to the classic French Napolean pastry.  Now, I really don't care for all this text-speak but OMG!!  This was the kind of dessert that makes your eyes roll back in your head.

La Villa des Sens is on the Legends Resort property across the road from the Intercontinental.  It's a very easy walk or, if you're like me and can't walk very far, they will actually pick you up and drop you off in a golf cart.  The dining room is lovely, using the locale to its best advantage.  To start , the outer walls are open with awnings if needed in case of rain.  So, all the lush foliage surrounding the structure is part of the experience.  As is the moon, which presented itself in full on the night we were there.  The interior had inlaid stone walls and warm dark wood floors.  The lighting was diffused, coming primarily from long, narrow fixtures hanging from a high ceiling.  And the owners have chosen some very intriguing abstract paintings that decorate several areas of the room.  This was the perfect way to end our South Pacific adventure.

courtesy of www.legendsresortvillas.com

The Well of the Turk, Hania

This restaurant serves phenomenal fresh, organic food in the Turkish district of Hania known as Splantzia.  The historical building lies amongst a "labyrinth of narrow streets" on Rouga Square and houses The Well of the Turk and a marble fountain depicting scenes of Istanbul.  This establishment is truly enthralling and I am amazed at its efficiency as the kitchen is up a flight of stairs on the second floor.  Although there is a lovely dining room inside, the breezy tables outside are preferable and the patio wraps around to an intimate side street too narrow for cars.  

The restaurant's owner, an ex-pat from the UK, creates wonderful, flavourful dishes from Middle Eastern and Mediterranean influences.  Having lived in Morocco learning about cuisine from a good friend, she provides the unique spicing and textures from this culture.  The Greek influence comes from her mother-in-law when she first arrived in Greece; it was through food that she learned the language.

Our appetizer was the freshest, flavour-popping salad I've ever had.  Along with organic greens, avocado, oranges and black olives were tossed with crunchy flakes of Greek sea salt.  The Mid East/Med spices combined beautifully first with chicken and bacon kabobs and then with a spinach, cheese, almond and raisin crepe pie.  Plumpness, crunch, creamy - all together in a warm nest.  The owner, Jenny, brought marvellous food and took us on the grand tour.  The Well of the Turk was a terrific surprise.

courtesy of www.welloftheturk.com

Coyote Cafe, Santa Fe

This restaurant is notable, not only for its vibrant cuisine, it is also the source of the Southwest style of cooking.  In 1987, Chef Mark Miller created the Modern Southwest Cooking style here; a fusion of flavours and recipes that was popular with cowboys, Native Americans, Spanish colonial settlers and Mexicans throughout the 16th century.  

The cafe's ambience is very warm and, due to the style of the cuisine, the adobe architecture is quite prevalent.  Throughout, the guests are enveloped in a cozy orange light.  Its ceiling is very high and has a series of glass rectangles hanging in various colours by thin wires.  Each one is rippled, seeming to represent birds flying overhead.  Above the open kitchen area, a video of fireplace flames is projected on the wall, adding not only to the warmth of the room, but in some cases, the heat of the food.

Which is, as always, most distinct.  We started with an organic baby lettuce salad with pears and pecan brickle in a cider vinaigrette.  A tasty twist on a classic.  We also sampled a fabulous rare ahi with foie gras.  The first main course resonated with some of that "heat," a fiery white shrimp and rice cake with basil aioli.  The second was a mesquite grilled lobster tail.  Don't think Chappy would have barbecued that on the back of the chuck wagon.  Round 'em up, boys!

courtesy of www.finetravel.com

Cote Plages, St. Martin

This little French restaurant sits on one side of the Orient Bay square.  With its white painted wood and navy cushions, it truly feels like a seaside bistro.  Each table is lit by small candles casting a warm orange glow.  As it was during the holiday season, the whole  square was lit with colourful lights strung from one side to the other.  It added a festive air to our experience.  

Our meal began with a wonderful amuse bouche - a little shooter glass of cumin carrot soup.  This was the perfect beginning, preparing the palate for yummy things to come.  Although French in influence, the menu included its Caribbean locale both in ingredients and freshness.  Our starters reflected this.  The first was a carpaccio of marlin in lime and coconut milk and the other was a lobster bisque with truffle shavings and creme fraiche. Imagine these flavours at their very freshest!

The main course was both tasty and adventuresome.  We had whole shrimp steamed in cognac with risotto and cauliflower salad.  We had great fun de-heading and peeling these critters knowing how scrumptious the reward would be.  Not only were they succulent, they were huge!  None of this imported c**p!

We finished with a more traditional French dessert - bananas flambé - local, fresh Caribbean bananas made it all the more flavourful.  A fabulous meal in a beautiful setting.

Restaurang Prinsen, Stockholm

This eatery served a wonderful combination of traditional Swedish dishes with some more contemporary international fare.  Founded in 1897, Restaurang Prinsen sits along a pedestrian thoroughfare with an outdoor patio, much like a classic French bistro.  We were fortunate to sit at a small open window table that overlooked the patio and allowed us to people watch during our meal.

Which was a delight, by the way.  We started with a creme of Jerusalem artichokes topped with crayfish tails and who could visit Sweden without sampling the herring.  These were prepared five ways - one with beets, a Greek style with tzatziki sauce, a traditionally pickled version, a red wine marinade, and a version that completely escapes my memory.

Two memorable mains followed, however.  The first was a thinly sliced cured salmon with fresh dill.  This came with traditional boiled potatoes and some delicious spinach.  The second was a version of Swedish meatballs called "Var Klassiska Wallenbegare."  Yes, wonderful little minced veal burgers with whipped cream and egg yolks.  Delightfully light when the expectation was dense and heavy.

We completed our meal with divine crepes stuffed with vanilla and almond cream and covered in berries with a raspberry sauce.  A great way to complete our visit to Stockholm.

courtesy of restaurangprinsen.eu

Lineadombra, Venice

Lineadombra was a find from our wanderings out to the very tip of Dorsoduro near La Salute.  It has a beautiful deck literally floating in the Giudecca Canal beside the walk.  A light canopy keeps the sun off the back of your neck but the open platform allows the breeze to find you.

The staff of this eatery are most helpful in explaining the menu and are so proud of the fresh offerings they have each day.  As foodies know, it is usually wise to try the daily specials on any given menu.  This represents the chef at her or his finest.  So we started with 2 special appetizers - one was a heavenly spider crab salad.  For those who have not experienced these morsels, they are crabs about the size of a small tarantula (yes, I know not the greatest food image but it is the perfect size equivalent) and you eat the whole thing, much like you do with a soft shell crab.  Delish!  The second appetizer was a tartare dish that included 3 types of fish, a scampi, a langoustine and a scallop.  What a luscious array.

The main course was shared - chosen from a platter of the fish that had been caught that morning.  Our choice was the special "lucerne," a strange looking reddish "thang."  This baby was baked in parchment inside a salt crust with artichokes, grape tomatoes, black olives and thinly sliced potatoes.  So fresh and unique.  Okay, so we were soooo full we opted out of dessert but espresso and a limoncello is just about as good.

Now, before we go any further, I want to bring up a topic that is bound to rear its ugly head again and again.  For those of you who know me (and that's pretty much everyone), you'll know about my love of all things salty.  If any of you don't know, put salt and sugar in front of me and I'll choose salt every time.  I just want to make it perfectly clear that the salt crust was a cooking method and I did not, I repeat, did not eat it!

courtesy of www.ristorantelineadombra.com

Restaurant La Couronne, Rouen

La Couronne remains a classic French restaurant both in menu and in atmosphere.   The salon even houses a shining silver duck press and it is currently in use.  The colours of the dining area are subdued clarets and midnight blues with dark wooden tables and chairs.  The lighting enhances the relaxed tone with candles and small wall sconces.

Our dinner was exquisite and served with warmth and professionalism.  It is so nice to be in a part of the world where food service is a career choice and not a temporary job for the out-of-work actor.

We began the meal with an amazing foie gras (Hudson Valley's got nothing on these guys) and fresh large Normandy oysters.  I'm not sure that oysters get any better than this.  Fish was the choice for our entrees but we each chose a different variety.  The sea bream with cheesy risotto rivalled the sea bass fingers in a lemony sauce (please don't confuse "fingers" with "sticks").  Both were moist and buttery and equally rich.  The cheese course was a wonder - delicious livarot and camembert - what, French cheese was delicious?!  Imagine that.  And then we still had dessert.  A peach au gratin and a true burnt cream (yes, creme brûlée).  Can one ever be too full for dessert?

This was the view from our table.

courtesy of www.lacouronne.com.fr

Lasarte Restaurante, Barcelona

Lasarte is arguably Barcelona's best restaurant and its master, Martin Berasategui, is considered the #1 chef in Spain since the closure of Ferran Addria's El Bulli.  Very deserving of its 2 Michelin stars, the food is both creative and delicious.  The flavours and textures make perfect sense, unlike many of the current gastronomical experiences that seem to be more interested in turning the meal into a chemistry experiment.


The mood of the space is subdued and warm.  Each eating area houses only a few tables so you never feel crowded by other diners.  The white plaster of the walls is beautifully complimented by muted gold accents and fresh fragrant flowers.


The food, of course, is the real star.  Tasting bites and small tapas serve as the amuse bouche - spiced pistachios, potato with roe, and smoked oyster with cream.  As appetizers we chose three tapas - smoked eel, prawn with sea urchin (oh, to eat this again!), and tuna tartare with caviar.  The seafood delights were perfectly matched, preparing us for amazing main courses.  Rare pigeon breasts with risotto-style truffle gravy and charcoal grilled tuna belly with mango, capers and greens.  A wonder of flavours!  Dessert was a sweet treat adventure.  Rice and cardamom juice over olive oil cake with olive oil ice cream was my choice and my husband devoured the French toast with coffee ice cream and caramel foam.  Yum!!


Each course was prepared with unusual flavour combinations that made for a unique dining experience.

Courtesy of www.restaurantlasarte.com