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Post by domeplease on Nov 18, 2018 15:08:11 GMT -5
PIPPS: How was your trip to the Bahamas?
11-18-18: edition.cnn.com/travel/article/sapporo-best-crab-restaurants/index.html (CNN) — Japan is renowned for taking the quality and freshness of seafood to a whole new level.
The nation's chefs handle and prepare ingredients with a dedication that almost defies belief.
Nowhere across the country is that more evident than Hokkaido. Japan's second-largest island, it's home to some of the country's most famous fishing waters.
Rivers teem with trout and salmon, while the ocean provides everything from scallops to dozens of types of sea urchin. But really it's the crab -- kani, in Japanese -- that's most sought after.
There are several seasonal varieties of crab, all of which are available in the countless restaurants and market stands across Hokkaido's capital, Sapporo.
"The Sea of Okhotsk is a cold water sea, bringing some of the world's richest fishing waters north from the Aleutian Islands and Kamchatka down to Hokkaido," says Ido Gabay, founder of Hokkaido Nature Tours, which offers gourmet food journeys through Sapporo and beyond.
"The plankton-filled waters are perfect for the bottom-dwelling crabs."
These include kegani (hairy crab), known for its delicate, sweet flesh. And then there's zuwaigani (snow crab), only harvested in winter.
Meanwhile, tarabagan is the largest type of king crab. It's in season from September to January.
And finally there's also hanasaki, which is especially famed for its roe and traditionally served from late summer to mid-Autumn.
There are many ways to enjoy Hokkaido's crustaceans, but Gabay says true gourmands seek out crab sashimi.
"Only master chefs can prepare the dish as it requires painstaking preparation to make the meat tender enough to enjoy," he says.
"The hundreds of precise cuts requires perfect concentration, and nearly an hour to prepare. Most chefs will not attempt to prepare the dish as it can easily leave diners unsatisfied with chewy, unforgiving texture.
"However, the master chef knows the correct strength and number of strokes to cut into the crab's flesh. Although the meat itself has a completely different flavor than grilled or boiled crab, the experience of eating crab sashimi in Hokkaido, and at other locations in Japan, is almost unique in the world."
Ready to kick off your own crab fest? Here are seven of the best spots to enjoy crab in Sapporo.
Sapporo Jyogai Ichiba
The "Curb Market" sits on the periphery of the city's Central Wholesale Market.
JNTO
It may not look like much from the outside, but the closer you get, the more you realize you're approaching something nearing food nirvana.
That's because some of the freshest and best crab in Sapporo is served in the outdoor stalls of Jyogai Ichiba, or "Curb Market," which lines the street outside the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market.
The market covers more than 80,000 square meters, so you can understand how every year it handles more than half a million tons of produce including seafood, fruit and vegetables.
Japanese and international visitors are lured by dozens of purveyors offering sushi, sashimi and especially donburi rice bowls topped with sweet and succulent crab, salmon roe and umami-rich sea urchin.
You can also stock up on seafood to take home and many places will help you pack and ship it, if you're not carrying it back yourself. READ MORE...
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Post by inger on Nov 18, 2018 21:31:20 GMT -5
Casper, WY tonight. Our neighbors are watching the pets and the house, so we can travel with confidence that all will be well taken care of. They have a twenty year old son and a seventeen year old daughter and any of them that wants to can stay the night in the house.
We had to detour today because the drifting snow on the highway caused a few cars to slam together and they closed the highway for several hours, but we found a nice cross-country route that actually took us east and out of the snow band. So, we lost a bit of time but it beat sitting still, and we surely got further than we would have without taking the detour...
Not a ton of snow so far, but the highest elevations will still be ahead...nice and chilly outside with winds and sub 20 degree temps...
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Post by chiyankee on Nov 18, 2018 22:10:39 GMT -5
Casper, WY tonight. Our neighbors are watching the pets and the house, so we can travel with confidence that all will be well taken care of. They have a twenty year old son and a seventeen year old daughter and any of them that wants to can stay the night in the house. We had to detour today because the drifting snow on the highway caused a few cars to slam together and they closed the highway for several hours, but we found a nice cross-country route that actually took us east and out of the snow band. So, we lost a bit of time but it beat sitting still, and we surely got further than we would have without taking the detour... Not a ton of snow so far, but the highest elevations will still be ahead...nice and chilly outside with winds and sub 20 degree temps... Be safe out there inger! |
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Post by domeplease on Nov 19, 2018 13:57:19 GMT -5
Casper, WY tonight. Our neighbors are watching the pets and the house, so we can travel with confidence that all will be well taken care of. They have a twenty year old son and a seventeen year old daughter and any of them that wants to can stay the night in the house. We had to detour today because the drifting snow on the highway caused a few cars to slam together and they closed the highway for several hours, but we found a nice cross-country route that actually took us east and out of the snow band. So, we lost a bit of time but it beat sitting still, and we surely got further than we would have without taking the detour... Not a ton of snow so far, but the highest elevations will still be ahead...nice and chilly outside with winds and sub 20 degree temps... Be safe out there inger! INGER: Turn SOUTH and come to Do Me's World in Nowhere, Baja. A trip you will never forget. Go figure... |
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Post by inger on Nov 19, 2018 19:57:18 GMT -5
INGER: Turn SOUTH and come to Do Me's World in Nowhere, Baja. A trip you will never forget. Go figure... What is the real name of Dome World, Dome? |
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Post by inger on Nov 19, 2018 20:03:57 GMT -5
We’re on Missoula, MT some 600+ Miles from where we started this morning. I just got a warning for speeding, first cop we’ve seen on the entire trip thus far (or worse, I didn’t see)...
We were thinking of completing the other 220 or so miles tonight, but the realization that I fidn’t Catch the speed limit drop from 80 to 65 made me realize that I should get a room tonight. It’s dark outside and there’s tons of wildlife, etc...
Very fortunate that Capt. James Kitchen let me off with a warning at 18 MPH over the limit! If you happen to be a member or guest here, James... Thank you, sir...
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Post by kaybli on Nov 19, 2018 20:15:03 GMT -5
We’re on Missoula, MT some 600+ Miles from where we started this morning. I just got a warning for speeding, first cop we’ve seen on the entire trip thus far (or worse, I didn’t see)... We were thinking of completing the other 220 or so miles tonight, but the realization that I fidn’t Catch the speed limit drop from 80 to 65 made me realize that I should get a room tonight. It’s dark outside and there’s tons of wildlife, etc... Very fortunate that Capt. James Kitchen let me off with a warning at 18 MPH over the limit! If you happen to be a member or guest here, James... Thank you, sir... Careful out there, speedy! Hope you're having a good time on your trip inger! |
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Post by pippsheadache on Nov 19, 2018 20:26:14 GMT -5
PIPPS: How was your trip to the Bahamas?
11-18-18: edition.cnn.com/travel/article/sapporo-best-crab-restaurants/index.html (CNN) — Japan is renowned for taking the quality and freshness of seafood to a whole new level.
The nation's chefs handle and prepare ingredients with a dedication that almost defies belief.
Nowhere across the country is that more evident than Hokkaido. Japan's second-largest island, it's home to some of the country's most famous fishing waters.
Rivers teem with trout and salmon, while the ocean provides everything from scallops to dozens of types of sea urchin. But really it's the crab -- kani, in Japanese -- that's most sought after.
There are several seasonal varieties of crab, all of which are available in the countless restaurants and market stands across Hokkaido's capital, Sapporo.
"The Sea of Okhotsk is a cold water sea, bringing some of the world's richest fishing waters north from the Aleutian Islands and Kamchatka down to Hokkaido," says Ido Gabay, founder of Hokkaido Nature Tours, which offers gourmet food journeys through Sapporo and beyond.
"The plankton-filled waters are perfect for the bottom-dwelling crabs."
These include kegani (hairy crab), known for its delicate, sweet flesh. And then there's zuwaigani (snow crab), only harvested in winter.
Meanwhile, tarabagan is the largest type of king crab. It's in season from September to January.
And finally there's also hanasaki, which is especially famed for its roe and traditionally served from late summer to mid-Autumn.
There are many ways to enjoy Hokkaido's crustaceans, but Gabay says true gourmands seek out crab sashimi.
"Only master chefs can prepare the dish as it requires painstaking preparation to make the meat tender enough to enjoy," he says.
"The hundreds of precise cuts requires perfect concentration, and nearly an hour to prepare. Most chefs will not attempt to prepare the dish as it can easily leave diners unsatisfied with chewy, unforgiving texture.
"However, the master chef knows the correct strength and number of strokes to cut into the crab's flesh. Although the meat itself has a completely different flavor than grilled or boiled crab, the experience of eating crab sashimi in Hokkaido, and at other locations in Japan, is almost unique in the world."
Ready to kick off your own crab fest? Here are seven of the best spots to enjoy crab in Sapporo.
Sapporo Jyogai Ichiba
The "Curb Market" sits on the periphery of the city's Central Wholesale Market.
JNTO
It may not look like much from the outside, but the closer you get, the more you realize you're approaching something nearing food nirvana.
That's because some of the freshest and best crab in Sapporo is served in the outdoor stalls of Jyogai Ichiba, or "Curb Market," which lines the street outside the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market.
The market covers more than 80,000 square meters, so you can understand how every year it handles more than half a million tons of produce including seafood, fruit and vegetables.
Japanese and international visitors are lured by dozens of purveyors offering sushi, sashimi and especially donburi rice bowls topped with sweet and succulent crab, salmon roe and umami-rich sea urchin.
You can also stock up on seafood to take home and many places will help you pack and ship it, if you're not carrying it back yourself. READ MORE...
Hey there Dome -- the essay on Hokkaido seafood was making me salivate. Anyway, I got back from the Bahamas a few days ago and just catching up on things. We had a beautiful time. An incident right at the start of our trip kind of sums up how things went. We flew into the sparsely-populated island of Eleuthera, about 60 miles east of Nassau. Very tiny airport, the customs people just sort of wave you through. You have to have a car there, not much that can be done by walking. No major car rental agencies, of course -- no Hertz, no Avis, no companies at all, you just rent from one of a handful of guys who show up at the North Eleuthera airport. The guy we rented from, Mr. Kean Stubbs, was there as planned. Didn't want to see a driver's license, didn't care about no stinking passport, just ran the credit card, got the approval, and flipped us the keys to a beat-up Nissan with 130,000 miles, bald tires and giant dents in the front quarter panel and bubbling paint on the roof. Typical Eleuthera car. The whole transaction took about two minutes. As we were getting ready to drive the 50 or so miles to our hotel in Governor's Harbour, he asked us if we liked to drink. Then he pulled a few locally-brewed Kalik beers from his cooler to help us relax on our drive. He did helpfully shout out to us to remember to drive on the left, and off we went. Beautiful pink sand beaches, spectacular Caribbean blue water where you could look down 100 feet and see enormous sting rays and sharks. Beaches you could walk for miles without seeing another person. As with most places that aren't overrun with cruise ship visitors, the people were so warm and welcoming. Fresh fish everywhere. We loved it! |
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Post by pippsheadache on Nov 19, 2018 20:35:39 GMT -5
Just to give a baseball angle to the Bahamas -- baseball is in fact very popular there, although there have only been six Bahamians to ever play in the major leagues. The first, and a guy I remember from my youth, was an infielder named Andre Rodgers. The big stadium in Nassau is named for him. We spent our last two days in Nassau, and when I mentioned him to our taxi driver, he took us there to see it. I also mentioned a Reds OFer from the 1970s some of you may remember, a guy named Ed Armbrister. Well you might have thought I said Abner Doubleday. The driver knew his family and was amazed I had heard of him. He showed us the block where Armbrister's family lived and asked if we wanted to meet them, but I could see my wife was not thrilled at the prospect of missing our lunch for the chance of talking to Ed Armbrister's cousins, so I said we would pass on that.
Loved Nassau. We went to see a resort co-owned by Tiger Woods and Ernie Els called Albany's; next week they are holding a tournament there, the Hero World Challenge (something like that) that Woods hosts, so we will be sure to watch the Golf Channel to bring back the pleasant memories. I don't want to prattle too much about it, suffice it to say it was a great time all the way around, even if I did have to miss a rare opportunity to talk to actual relatives of Ed Armbrister.
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Post by pippsheadache on Nov 19, 2018 20:38:36 GMT -5
We’re on Missoula, MT some 600+ Miles from where we started this morning. I just got a warning for speeding, first cop we’ve seen on the entire trip thus far (or worse, I didn’t see)... We were thinking of completing the other 220 or so miles tonight, but the realization that I fidn’t Catch the speed limit drop from 80 to 65 made me realize that I should get a room tonight. It’s dark outside and there’s tons of wildlife, etc... Very fortunate that Capt. James Kitchen let me off with a warning at 18 MPH over the limit! If you happen to be a member or guest here, James... Thank you, sir... Careful out there, speedy! Hope you're having a good time on your trip inger! I can remember when Montana did not even have speed limits, just a reminder to drive safely and reasonably. I think that changed when the first interstate highway went in and the Feds threatened to cut off highway funds if there were no speed limits, so they reluctantly set a 75 MPH standard. |
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Post by inger on Nov 19, 2018 21:44:42 GMT -5
It’s now 80 MPH, and I doubt you’d be stopped doing 160 anywhere except near the cities. Unfortunately, I had asked Ruth to look for directions to a Cracker Barrel as we approached Missoula, and she isn’t familiar with Maps on the phone since she doesn’t drive...so I glanced a her phone to see what exit we needed and missed the reduced speed limit sign just before the local gendarmes spotted me. But then, quite fortunately we only got a warning so skin on my insurance or fine... I’ll take it... and I wished the officer a Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!!!
They say the cops in the area are actually not terrible sticklers for speed. I’m sure plenty of people fail to slow down when the limit has been 80 for the past 300 miles or so... (:
I think it DID drop to 75 around Butte, which was behind us by 135 miles st that point. I like Montana a bunch from what I’ve seen...of course, it’s not mid-January and -40 degrees, either...
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Post by kaybli on Nov 19, 2018 21:51:14 GMT -5
Glad you had a great time in the Bahamas pipps! Hope you are now tanned, rested, and ready for Hot Stove season lol.
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Post by inger on Nov 19, 2018 22:05:46 GMT -5
Sounds like an amazing place, Pipps. The rental car situation is hilarious (sort of). I almost got stuck with a relative beater at Enterprise in Pueblo West this time. It was a free “upgrade” to a Toyota Avalon that was dinged in multiple places. I wasn’t happy with it, especially since Enterprise is one of the few car rental places that do a walk around on the car before you leave with it so they can pin damages on you if you ding the car.
I got them to trade me for a Nissan Altima that had way less miles on it and was much nicer looking...Great gas mileage, too... about 36 so far...
Enjoy the memories as you watch the golf tournament !!!
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Post by domeplease on Nov 21, 2018 10:33:59 GMT -5
INGER: Turn SOUTH and come to Do Me's World in Nowhere, Baja. A trip you will never forget. Go figure... What is the real name of Dome World, Dome? Here is my recent Post from 'Rants & Politics Thread' (this will answer your question(s)---Be safe on your trip): First off, WE have closed the Coyote Village Hostel Resort/Bar & Restaurant. It got to be too much work for Do Me’s age.
However, WE are thinking of re-opening it (maybe) in the future.
It is very easy to get to Nowhere, Baja; only an Hour & 20-minute flight from LAX.
To drive from California/TJ it is a solid two-day trip. Trying to do it in one-day, one would have to be a madman.
Our summers with Extreme Heat NOW (see Global Warming), can now go from April thru parts of November.
The best months here are from December thru March (a very short season of livable weather).
If ONE likes/loves Ocean/Sea activities than Nowhere, Baja is great. In addition, it is really safe.
We have a saying here, “What happens in Nowhere, Baja stays in Nowhere, Baja.
Why?
“Because NOTHING ever, ever happens in Nowhere, Baja.”
With had some guests that returned to our place over 30-times.
Then again, we were like the Four-Seasons of Hostels.
See Trip advisor for our ratings.
OR go to our website to see reviews and get a tour of the property and what we do in this small fishing community
www.coyotevillageinc.com
AND/OR coyotevillageinc.com/review.html = For Hostel Reviews AND/OR coyotevillageinc.com/cv-dome.html = For Bar Reviews ).
We had guests from around the world; mostly ages from 18-years old to 35-years old. Some of their travel tales were just simply amazing as well as their method of transportation, etc. etc. etc.
For our Bar/Restaurant age groups ranged from 18-years old to 80-year-olds.
In the Good Weather Season, we have around 1200 to 1500 Gringo’s living here-in Nowhere (Americans & Canadians). The vast majority of them (at least 90%), disappear and return to their home countries during the LONG HOT SUMMER.
To attract our Guests we used my Marketing Skills, a Damn Good Website, with help from Travel/Hostel Web-Sites & we were listed in the Lonely Planet.
Inger, hoped this answer your questions…
You & Ruthie should DEFINITELY come for a visit.
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Post by inger on Nov 21, 2018 14:15:29 GMT -5
Hi Gang!
We got out here safe, but there’s no cell service back in them thar’ Hills...since a snowstorm is supposed to hit here on Friday, we’ll probably sit tight until Saturday before starting to head back.
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