Restaurant Kidoairaku Liberdade area Sao Paulo

Kidoairaku is a unique experience at Liberdade (Japanese town in Sao Paulo city) 

Kidoairaku means: Emotions, Feelings and it is exactly what you read on the tin.

The first feel is : You have entered a house in Japan with children playing around the tables and a old Japanese lady watching a Japanese channel as she would be in her own house. I can discribe as "Japanese Narnia adventure"  the place was full of Japanese ancestry people, it was suggested to me in a conversation with a local guy. Kidoiaraku is located at the corner of  Rua Sao Joaquim x Rua Galvao Bueno.

The menu is scattered over the walls and it is in Japanese (I've asked for help to a guy seated next to me).

You basically choose your favorite meat ( pork, chicken or grilled fish, marinated in misso, after a good 20 minutes wait you are served several little bowls of fried tofu, vegetables, pickled veg,salads, rice and misso soup accompanied by your choice of meat, grilled or fish served as Sashimi.

 Unforgeable! 

Koya Japanese Udon

I hate "foodies" because every restaurant that I discover soon after they invade and make my return almost impossible.Look at them queuing out side Koya!

I discover "Prince" Italian bakery long before them, see it now, impossible to go!Always full!
Well, going back to Koya...

 My favorite  dish was Kinoko, a delicious mushroons and walnut miso.You can have it in cold or hot broth.

There are three main types of Japanese noodle:
Udon- is thick, soft flour noodle The speciallity at Koya, it is home-made, i heard that a special flour is imported from Japan.
Which comes from the south.
Soba- is a thin, firmer buckwheat noodle, which comes from the north.
Ramen- originally from China but now a Japanese speciality, is a wheat noodle that is always served in a bowl of stock.
Try Kakuni a delicious pork belly braised in English cider, soya, brown sugar and ginger, it's a combination of tart and sweet which works very well in this dish.
There is also available a "daily specials" on a board. I've tried another winner, Monk fish cooked in its liver broth, doesn't sound very appetizing but i promise it's worth it!

http://www.koya.co.uk/
Koya Japanese Noodle House 

49 Frith Street, London W1D 4SG020 7609 7460 ‎

Maroccan spiced couscous and grilled salmon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF7lgqAjClI

Quorn and Vegetables Ratatoille

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaWmMi56hbc

My first video on You tube! What to do with leftovers?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06YegehCfUE

The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit

Ever wondered why one flavour works with another? The Flavour Thesaurus is the first book to examine what goes with what, pair by pair.
This book is my bible right now! I do recommend if you have a curious nature like mine and have no fear of new ideas, enjoy!

Cafe Spice Namaste

I saw an article at the Evening Standard about Chef Patron Cyrus Todiwala and his restaurant Cafe Spice Namaste’s commitment to the environment and sustainability. The restaurant holds a Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice and was Highly Commended in the Sustainable Food Category of the 2009 City of London Sustainable Cities Awards.

Well, let's say from the entrance you see lots and lots of certificates and pictures on the wall, and one can't stop thinking...if you are really good, do you really need to prove it or can you just let people acknowledge it? That entrance put me off a little, I must say, but I was decided to check for myself.

Anyway, I went in and I was greeted by an Asian (Chinese) man which was a surprise! Did I get the wrong address I wondered...

The decor is an “India meets Egypt” kind of thing, very warm and vibrant colours, the menu is innovative and I could see their commitment to staff training.

I had the £15 at 15 Menu celebrating their 15th anniversary.

For starter I had Shammi Kebab, Mughal yellow peas cake served with date and tamarind sauce, which was very spicy (too spicy for my taste) and sadly dry.

For my main I had Goan fish crurry with coconut extract, butternut berry served with organic unpolished red rice. It was creamy and tasty with not very much on the plate. Nevertheless I enjoyed it.

The pièce de résistance was Mr Todiwala’s Rose and Cardamom ice cream - simply the best item of the menu.

Cafe Spice Namaste:  16 Prescot Street, London E1 8AZ

closed on Bank Holidays and Sundays