Ariake is a neighborhood of reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay that will soon host the 2020 Olympic Games. I ate several breakfasts and a couple of dinners there during my short trip. The breakfast buffet opened early, a pleasant surprise for those of us not yet fully adjusted to the time zone. My surprise favorite was congee (rice porridge) with ginger---I really enjoyed the kick.
I was very hungry after a long, cold walk back from the conference venue. This pork belly really hit the spot. Its porkiness and fattiness were very nicely balanced. It was a welcome relief.
Luella's is a nouvelle BBQ outfit on the north side of Asheville. It is nestled among the trees in a lovely neighborhood. The restaurant has lots of windows for inside seating and plenty of outside seating. Service was courteous and amazingly fast. This is a combination plate with pork and brisket. Both were very moist and tender. For the pork, I tried both the mild and hot vinegar sauces. To my surprise, I preferred the milder one because it didn't assert itself too much. I enjoyed the spicy tomato sauce for my brisket. The hushpuppies were very good. The fried okra was fresh out of the fryer and excellent. The slaw was of the vinegary variety, which I usually enjoy, but this version is heavy on the white stuff and didn't have quite enough variety in tastes for me.


Comments
Post a Comment