Bringing Back Cocktail Hour - Tsukiji Fish Market, Japan

It doesn't get any fresher than this!

No trip to Japan would be complete without enjoying fresh sushi, and the Tsukiji Fish Market in Chuo, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan offers some of the freshest fish in the world!  Every day at 4:00 AM the market opens to receive the latest catch for processing, wholesaling, and auctioning.  We did not attend the pre-sunrise activities, but arrived in-time to enjoy an incredible early lunch thanks to the generosity of Jenn’s previous employer, QEP Resources – IT Department.

The scene at the huge market was delightful; market workers moved about hurriedly wearing their waterproof Wellies, the shops near the market were abuzz with activity and the distinct smell of fresh fish was in the air.  We headed over to a row of small, nondescript buildings next to the hustle and bustle to find a small sushi bar / restaurant.

We entered; saddled up to the bar, and requested sushi and sashimi sample plates accompanied by dry sake...it was surely noon somewhere in the world.  We savored familiar flavors and tried some pieces which we didn't recognize along with a two inch long raw squid that, when bitten, popped to reveal its inner juiciness.  The sushi chef must have been impressed because he offered us samples of fresh eel, compliments of the house.

While sitting with the locals and enjoying the flavors we acknowledged our meal as the best, freshest sushi / sashimi available.  When we couldn’t eat any more we left to walk-off our healthy, though nontraditional, breakfast.  It was still early and the day beckoned, so we explored the stalls and gawked at the food, fine cutlery, and oddities available for purchase.

We extend our appreciation to the IT Team at QEP Resources for their generous funding of this one-of-a-kind experience in the Land of the Rising Sun - It was truly one of the best meals of our trip.

Bringing Back Cocktail Hour – Asakusa Neighborhood, Tokyo, Japan

Hidden Jem in TokyoDiane recently surprised us by sponsoring “Bring Back Cocktail Hour”, requesting that we “Enjoy the Local Brew”.  We located a tiny restaurant with a lot of personality in a very well lit building where we secured two of the seven bar stools.  The friendly, casually dressed cook directed our attention to a colorful machine near the entrance.  It turned out to be a handy device which receives food orders, prints coupons for the selected items, accepts cash, and makes change.  After studying the device for several moments we secured our coupons and passed them to the man behind the counter.

Simple and affordable food is often some of the most enjoyable.  We devoured a plate of wontons topped with onions, scallions, peppers, and a pesto-style sauce before we moved on to succulent, boneless fried chicken which came with a cabbage slaw and a dollop of mayonnaise.  We toasted Diane’s generosity with Suntory Premium Malt draft, the perfect libation to go with tasty Japanese comfort food.

Bringing Back Cocktail Hour – Seoul, South Korea

Goal:  Find a unique way to allocate Laura’s recent “Have Seconds” sponsorship of “Bring Back Cocktail Hour” while traveling in Seoul, South Korea.

Steps we followed to accomplish the goal:

1. Find a small, inviting restaurant lacking English-language signs.
2. Enter with a smile and extend a confident and hearty Korean-language “Hello” (AN-YOUNG-HA-SAY-YO) to the staff.
3. Select a unique looking item on the menu and deliver a friendly Korean-language “Please” (JOM-CHOO-SAY-YO).
4. Toast our generous friend Laura who sponsored an affordable and enjoyable two rounds of beer along with this amazing appetizer.  After some analysis we determined that the tasty treat was an asian-style pancake or omelet with bonita (fish) flakes that dance atop the dish as it lets off steam - Watch the action in this 12 second video:

We extend thanks to Laura in our best Korean (COM-SAH-HAAM-NEE-DAH) for helping us find this gem of a restaurant - We liked it so much, we returned a few days later for a spicy noodle bowl and wontons.  Delicious!

Bringing Back Cocktail Hour – Krabi, Thailand

Bringing it Back Krabi Style!Our good friend Matt is quite travel-savvy and has passed along many wonderful trip tips for our consideration.  Most recently, we’ve consulted his recommendations while visiting Thailand and were pleased to apply his “Bring Back Cocktail Hour” sponsorship to an authentic Thai dinner.

The proprietor of the Frog & Catfish Restaurant and Country Inn provided thoughtful recommendations and we were pleased with each dish made with fresh, local ingredients.  We started with Tod Man Pu (crab cake) and Yum Pla Duk Foo (crispy catfish serviced with sliced mango spicy salad).  For our entrée, we shared a whole fish plate (tubtim) served with an “old-style” sauce containing red onion, lemongrass, garlic, and too many local herbs to count.  We paired the dinner with a two glasses of smooth South African white wine.

What makes this venue special is the ambiance.  Our table was set within an open-air hut which overlooked a garden and several koi ponds.  The warm night air was alive with the sounds of nature and a few curious tree frogs hopped onto nearby leaves to show off their bright coloring.

With no room for desert we called it an evening and offered a final toast to Matt who made this memorable night possible.

Bringing Back Cocktail Hour - Hong Kong

Bringing it Back Hong Kong Style!

Nearly every Hong Kong travel guide recommends eating dim sum, the quintessential local meal.  Thanks to Curt’s gracious sponsorship of Dinner and Drinks for Two, we headed to the Din Tai Fung restaurant where we were in for a real treat!

The event began with a quick review of the Guide to Enjoy the XiaoLongBao.  Armed with this newly found knowledge, we feasted on a delicious selection of dishes such as steamed chicken dumplings, steamed shrimp and pork Shao-Mai, pork buns, and deep-fried sweet and sour chicken with chili.  To ensure we covered the core food groups, we added a wonderfully crispy and flavorful order of sautéed Chinese kale as our vegetable.

The meal was delectable and went well with our choice of beverages, refreshing Tsingtao beer and Chinese hot tea. 

We extend our appreciation to Curt for his generous funding of fine food and drink in one of our favorite cities, Hong Kong.