Halo Kitchen & Bistro 光輪

Some would argue that going on a cruise is not the best way to see Japan.  Well, I will partially agree with that since going on a cruise is never a great way to experience places since most ports only get a day.  When I say "a day", that would mean something like 8 hours, if you are lucky.  I've been on some cruises where there are overnight stays and that helps a bit, but generally, you would be best served doing a land vacation where you can be at a location for at least 5 days to get the full experience.  However, on the flipside, for smaller towns, a day is more than enough for a visit.  That brings us to Shimizu, our first port on our 12-day Japanese cruise aboard the Celebrity Millennium.  We didn't end up doing very much here since the fish market was closed (on a Wednesday).  We did wander around and the people were very nice.  It was also cloudy and we only got a brief outline of Mt. Fuji.  For lunch, we ended up at "Halo" Kitchen & Bistro for some Yoshoku cuisine (Japanese version of Western dishes).  This place has been around since 1972 and is very reasonably-priced.  After we sat down, the place was packed!

For myself, I had to go for their Halo Lunch that consisted of a pork katsu, spaghetti and fish with a bowl of rice, cream soup, salad and coffee (at the end).  This was only 900 yen (approx. $8.00cad)!   The small cutlet featured an airy and crisy panko coating that was beautifully fried.  The pork itself was nicely marbled and super light.  It was moist and buttery tender.  As for the small piece of fish, it was seared just enough that it was cooked through, but was also flaky and buttery soft.

My son went for the Hamburg Steak which was covered in a delicious and rich gravy.  It was so flavourful and full of umami with just a slight tang at the end.  The hamburger steak itself was plump and evenly seared on the outside.  As for the inside, the meat was fluffy and tender with it taking on the sauce very well.  When eaten with the rice, it was a delicious bite.  The side of cream soup was slightly viscous and had lots of natural milk flavour with some saltiness.

My daughter had another classic Yoshoku dish in the Curry Doria.  Originally conceived in the Hotel New Grand in Yohohama, this featured rice topped with curry and cheeses (usually parmesan and gruyere) with some type of meat.  It was chicken in this case.  We found the version here to be flavourful with a rich curry that had depth from the spices, but it wasn't spicy.  Rather, it had a good balance of sweet and savoury with plenty of cheesiness.

For Viv, she had the Curry Loin Katsu with the sauce served on the side.  This ensured that the katsu remained crispy.  It wasn't greasy and the panko coating was not dense.  Inside, the meat was also airy and light.  It was tender and succulent.  Served on a bed of chewy rice, it accepted the delicious curry sauce well.  At the end, we were served a coffee and the kids were served juice.  I can't say enough how good of a deal this place is.  To top it off, the food is delicious.  Oh and the people are super nice.  A must try when you are in Shimizu!

The Good:
- Cheap!
- Delicious
- Super nice people

The Bad:
- Well, if you arrive late, you won't get a seat

Mawashizushi KATSU

As much as conveyor belt sushi can be both a gimmick and also a poor experience; that is usually reserved for places in North America.  Sure, you can probably find a decent spot if you are in the know, but for all the ones I've been to locally, they have been "meh".  That can happen in Japan too, but there is a much better chance in finding a good one rather than not.  So we took the short walk from our hotel to Mawashizushi KATSU located in the Yokohama Sky Building.  This place has pretty high ratings for its quality, affordability and great service.  Naturally, there was a lineup when we arrived, but all you have to do is enter your details into the machine at the front, it spits out a ticket and it won't be long until you are seated.  If you want to be right at the bar, make sure you choose that option.

Once seated. each seat has its own water, condiments and touch pad (to order items you don't see coming around on the conveyor belts).  We were a bit hungry and wasted little time in grabbing some dishes.  The trick here is that each plate colour represents different pricing.  They will add up the amount of each dish and then you will be charged accordingly.   Two of the items we had right away was the Salmon Toro and Unagi Nigiri.  Nice amount of fish-to-rice ratio.  Salmon was buttery soft while the unagi was also soft and sweet from the glaze

Since the place was so busy, the conveyor belt was looking rather bare and we snagged whatever we could get our hands on.  That happened to be both the Aburi Toro Sadine and Plum Toro Sardine.  We also had one without plum sauce as well.  These were surprisingly buttery soft and not that fishy.  The sear on top helped activate some of the fats creating a nice aroma. It also lightly crisped up the skin.  There was some salt, hence this didn't need any soy.  Also, the first set of sardine nigiri had some grated daikon and ponzu which added a nice tangy brightness.  Even more tangy and sweet, the plum really had an impact.  I actually enjoyed the plain one the most as I could actually taste the sardine with the fatty belly.

Another item we were able to retrieve from the conveyor belt was the Aburi Engawa.  This was quite the treat and we actually got a few more of these.  Essentially the seared dorsal fin meat on a halibut, this was super buttery with just a bit of rebound.  A touch of lemon salt added the right amount of flavour and acidity.  A must try!  After that, we had some Tamagoyaki and it was decently layered and also relatively fluffy with balanced sweetness.

By now, we were getting a bit impatient with waiting for what we really wanted, so we went to the touch pad and ordered both the Hotate Nigiri and the Hotate Kobashira Gunkan.  These arrive separately on a track adjacent to the conveyor belt.   Both of these were good in their own right.  With the larger scallop, we had more sweetness and a uniform texture.  With the smaller scallops and wrapped in seaweed, we had differing textures and possibly just a bit less sweetness.

Continuing on the theme of ordering things in pairs that are similar, we had the Crab Salad Gunkan and the Snow Crab Gunkan.  Yes, both are "crab" but one was only real.  Believe it or not, I much preferred the imitation crab salad version more.  This is not a surprise to anyone who knows me because I find real crab in sushi is often lost.  The crab salad was creamy and full of salty sweetness.  For the snow crab, it was light, fluffy and mildly briny.  I had to eat this without anything so I would not lose the natural crab flavour. 

Sporting a beautiful colour, the Hamachi Nigiri was as good as it appeared.  It was a nice portion of fish compared to the chewy sushi rice.  Hence, it was impactful with a taste of the sea, sweetness and butteriness.  Very simple but good.  Next, we had the Negitoro which featured a boatload of buttery tuna belly with just a bit of green onion on top.  As the picture shows, not all of it looked like the actual belly, so we had some alternating textures.

We ordered two cooked items as well including the Chicken Karaage and the Geso Karaage.  We found the chicken karaage to be decent with a thin and crispy potato starch coating.  It was lightly seasoned and had a hint of ginger.  As for the squid tentacles, they were more aggressively coated and hence were super crunchy.  Inside, the squid was still bouncy and moist.  This was well-seasoned and with a squeeze of lemon, it was rather addictive.

Two really nice bites were available on the conveyor belt, going around and around.  We finally bit and got the Torched Rosy Seabass and Torched Salmon Toro.  These were two very different pieces of fish, but they had one major thing in common.  They were both extremely buttery and soft.  Due to the torching, the fats were activated being aromatic and flavourful.  Not much needed to be added as the natural flavours were enough.

Normally, I wouldn't order a Shortrib Gunkan, but we ended up trying it anyways (partly because my son loves shortrib).  It was not bad since the shortrib was tender (with a chew) while completely marinated.  Through the touch pad we got the Salmon Sashimi as well.  This was pretty much standard, but still quite good.  The slices were of a good size and the texture was buttery with some bite.  It was mildly sweet.

Finally, we got to dessert and we ended up with Vanilla and Chocolate Soft Serve as well as some Matcha Ice Cream.  These were okay, not as creamy as I would've liked them to be, but they did the trick.  At least they weren't that sweet.  Overall, we really enjoyed our meal at Mawashizushi KATSU.  Lots of selection and if you wanted something specific, you can just order it.  Quality is great for the price.  It only cost us $100.00CAD for the 4 of us and we actually ordered multiple dishes of the same item.  Will be back next time we are in Japan!

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Good quality with all things considered
- Efficient operation

The Bad:
- Most of the items you may want will be taken before it gets to you (but you can order it)
- Lineups are a thing here

Kanon 香暖

Since we had booked a cruise to leave out of Yokohama, we ended up arriving a day before so we didn't have to rush.  That also meant we had the whole day to explore the city.  After a touristy visit to the Cup of Noodles Museum, we took the short stroll over to Yokohama's famous Chinatown.  I have to say it is one of the cleanest Chinatowns we've ever visited, but at the same time, the most tourist-orientated version as well.  To me at least, it seemed repetitive and like an amusement park rather than an actual Chinatown.  With that in mind, we walked down a side street and had some ramen at a little spot called Kanon.

Their menu only consists of 3 items and one of them (the Tsukemen) was unavailable.  Hence, we only had 2 to try including the Tamari Soy Sauce Ramen.  This was as simple as it sounded, but sometimes simplicity rules supreme.  Well, they nailed it here as the broth was clean and flavoured with just enough soy for impact without making it salty.  The thin noodles were al dente while the piece of chashu was super buttery soft.

The other dish available was the Special White Soy Sauce Ramen with everything.  The everything included chicken and pork with a marinated egg.  The pork and chicken broth was also light, but still had meatiness while the use of white soy made for a lighter taste.  It was sweeter and less salty.  Meats were good, even the chicken was tender (despite not looking so).  Egg was a bit salty though and we would've liked it more custardy.  Overall, this was a pleasant meal with decent ramen at a very reasonable price.  The big bowl of everything ramen was only 1300 yen.  I feel this is a better choice than all the touristy Chinese restaurants in the area.

The Good:
- Simple, serves essentially one thing and does it right
- Well-priced
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Simple is great, but wished we had just a few more options

ANA Business Class (YVR-HND & HND-YVR)

For our trip to Japan, I decided early on that it was time to do a little splurge.  Therefore, I booked ANA Airlines business class from YVR to HND.  Sure, the setup is the older business class seats on the Boeing 787, unlike their new "The Room"  in their Boeing 777s.  But really, I wasn't complaining as having a business class seat to and from Tokyo is a treat for sure.  So along with the ticket, access to the Maple Leaf Lounge was included.  Furthermore, like any other business class ticket, there is dedicated check-in and priority boarding.  2 checked-in bags were included as was a carry-on.  At first, this was a total splurge, but little did we know, it was necessary as Viv broke her leg 10 days into our trip.

The business class cabin is configured as a 1-2-1 setup with the "A" or "K" designations being right at the window with the side table facing the aisle.  If you prefer to sit with someone and have some conversation, the middle seats have a retractable divider.  Obviously, the best seats are by the window and those are booked up first.  However, on my return flight, we changed our seats to the middle since I needed to be nearby in case Viv needed help.

On our outbound flight from YVR, I chose the Japanese meal which included an Amuse Bouche consisting of Smoked Salmon Canapé and Marinated Three Kinds of Mushrooms.  Unfortunately, the crostini underneath the salmon was a bit soft, but it was still fine as I love smoked salmon.  As for the mushrooms, they were a bit tangy.  They were pleasant enough.  A nice start to my meal.

We moved onto a variety of plates including Zensai (Appetizers).  These included Crab with marinated spinach, Grilled Chicken, Smoked Salmon Broccolini Roll, Simmered Octopus, Prawn and Tamago.  Nothing particularly amiss with this as things were as expected.  Textures were on point.  Also on the platter, we had the Jellied Eggplant and the Simmered Chicken & Vegetables.

For the main course, we were served the Grilled Sablefish with saikyo miso.  This included steamed rice, pickles and miso soup.  Pretty solid platter of food where the use of sablefish was a smart choice.  Being a fatty fish, it heated up without much degradation.  Hence it was buttery and had the fermented saltiness of miso.  It was served with some mushrooms and surprisingly, not overly mushy veggies. 

For dessert, we had a choice and I went for the Mango Cake.  It was not bad with a soft sponge cake base, mango mousse and topped with a mango gelatin.  Not too sweet and a refreshing way to end the meal.  So I got a bit peckish between this and my next meal, so I got the Kaoru Fukuoka Tonkotsu-style Ramen.  Don't let the appearance fool you, this was plant-based with a sesame paste broth.  I thought it was fantastic being rich and creamy.  The salt content was on point and the noodles were still chewy.  Delicious!

I decided after that, I would try to get some sleep.  After I woke up, I chose the Sautéed Herb Chicken with mushroom risotto.  I liked the colour on the chicken and it was ultimately rather juicy and tender.  However, the risotto was mushy (forgivable since we were on a plane).  Flavours were impactful enough.  This came with some bread and butter as well as some fresh fruit.

Viv kept the Japanese theme going with the Salt-Grilled Sockeye Salmon with steamed rice and some veggies.  Being a leaner fish, the sockeye salmon was not as moist as the sablefish.  Yet, it was not dry either.  There was enough salt that it wasn't bland.  On the side, there was Simmered Winter Melon with minced chicken sauce.  She also got their famed Corn Soup on the side and wow, so sweet and natural corn tasting!  A must order!

The dessert available during lunch was some Mario's Gelato.  Nice! On our return flight, we both chose the International Meal that also started with an Amuse Bouche.  This was a mix of 2 interesting items with the Gizzard, Cheese and Olive being the most controversial.  I personally love gizzard and this was tender.  Not sure that everyone agrees with me.  The other thing was a Nut & Chili Pie Stick.  It was a bit spicy and of course nutty.  Was okay...

Onto the main dish, we were served a Beef Fillet Steak with chasseur sauce, onion cream, parmesan risotto and seasonal vegetables.  Unfortunately, the steak was fully-cooked which meant it was not juicy (but was still tender).  This was partially alleviated by the chasseur sauce.  It had a nice viscosity with bits of mushroom and shallots.  It was on the salty side, but better than being bland.  Understandably, the risotto was mushy as we were having it on a plane and it was reheated.

For dessert, I selected the Cheese and Pistachio Mousse.  Definitely a composed dish and I expected it to be considering it was curated from L'ecrin Ginza.  Beyond the clean presentation, the mousse itself was super light and creamy.  The pistachio portion was in the middle and it was aromatic and nutty.  Such a subtle dessert as the sweetness was reserved, but it didn't negatively impact the overall flavour.

Prior to landing at YVR, we were served one last meal and I selected the Greenland Halibut with soy-based sauce.  It came with a vinegared appie with octopus.  The fish was plenty soft and buttery while lightly-seasoned.  It came with tamago and lotus root.  Overall, I thought the food was quite good on both flights considering the price point.  Service was truly excellent in terms of attentiveness and professionalism.  The business class seats were the older style, but still comfortable and enough room even for my 6'1 frame.  When set to the lie-flat setting, I found the airflow to be insufficient and I was sweating.  No need for the blanket.  Washrooms were fine but not very big.  In the end, it was a good experience and I would do it again.  Hopefully, we will get the new business class cabins like the flights originating out of NYC in the future.

The Good:
- Excellent service, from the airport counter to the cabin crew
- Food isn't perfect, but pretty good
- ANA lounge is also good

The Bad:
- Older business class product, so needs an upgrade to compete
- Airflow isn't the best in lie-flat configuration, gets rather warm

Maple Leaf Lounge International Departures YVR

The last time I posted on a lounge at YVR, it was the Plaza Premium for US Departures.  Not mincing words, I would say it was sub-par.  But that was expected as the domestic and US-departure lounges are generally average at best.  This time around, I was heading to the Maple Leaf Lounge in the International Departures terminal at YVR.  Being in ANA business class, we were able to access the Maple Leaf Lounge since they are in the same Star Alliance as Air Canada.  It was conveniently located just past security and the entrance was inviting and open.

There was no wait and we were able to enter right away.  The space was fairly large with lots of views of the tarmac from the floor-to-ceiling windows.  There were a decent number of lounge seating near the windows as well as bar seating.  We ended up sitting away from the window as all of those spots were already occupied.  I must say there was a lack of space between the bar seats (at the right and left sides of the bar) and the divider.  Tight squeeze especially if someone has their luggage beside them.

The food selection was acceptable with some Spring Rolls, Onion Rings and Sauteed Veggies.  Right beside it, we found a small salad bar.  I though the spring rolls were fine being crispy with a good amount of veggies inside.  Onion rings were the typical frozen battered variety.  The sauteed veggies were actually quite good being firm and not overcooked.  Salad options were pretty typical, but everything looked fresh and replenished frequently.

The other section of the food selections featured a "made-to-order" BBQ Pork Bao and Roasted Cauliflower.  Naturally, this was a far cry from the actual made-to-order dishes at lounges in Asia, but hey, they do have that in the new Plaza Premium First Lounge (which I have yet to try).  I thought the bao was decent where the pork was tender and nicely marbled.  Didn't try the cauliflower though.  Adjacent to that, we found 3 chaffing trays with Korean Potatoes, Lemon Butter Sole and Rice.  The sole was not bad being soft and mildly seasoned.  Potatoes were crispy and sweet while the rice was fairly fluffy.

In addition to the actual bar, there was a selection of beers-on-tap that one could just pour for themselves.  Next to it was a soda pop machine with Coca-Cola products.  Adjacent to that was a Lavazza coffee machine.  Naturally, we found a selection of teas as well next to it.  Attached to the first buffet island, there was also congee and a Wild Mushroom Bisque.  I went for the bisque and although it was a bit salty, the mushroom flavour was there.

Inevitably, I must talk about the washrooms...  They were spotless and seemed to be attended to on a regular basis.  The lounge was about 75% full and the washrooms still looked like the pictures above.  No trash and pools of water anywhere.  As for the toilets, they were also clean and a great place to do your business before the flight.  Showers were available too and like most lounges, you need to check with the front desk for a waitlist.

To end this blog post and also ending our visit to the Maple Leaf Lounge, we had some dessert in the form of a variety of cookies.  These were pretty good with a crunchy exterior and a somewhat soft chewy interior.  They were rather sweet though.  On the topic of sweet, they had some classic Nanaimo Bars on the bottom tray too.  Representing something local!  Overall, the Maple Leaf Lounge was decent, but not particularly memorable.  It did the job and wasn't chaotic.  

The Good:
- Food area replenished quickly
- All the spaces I observed were clean and kept clean
- Generally enough seating

The Bad:
- Just a typical lounge